I had an entire wall dedicated to bonnets. Impressed, I watched her carefully check several of them with a critical eye.
My phone vibrated. I turned away and glanced down, not bothering to unlock the screen for the short message.
No one knows. She never returns.
Any doubt I had about pretending to be John's daughter to make his last days peaceful fled at the note. Sorrow for the man who missed his daughter as much as I did my father dampened my excitement about going to town. I replaced the phone in my pocket, pensive.
I didn't belong here, but I felt like I owed it to the man housing me to make his life a little happier before his death. If no one knew what happened to real-Josie, then there was a good chance she died, like Nell had hinted at earlier. Wasn't it better to give John and Nell hope? To do a little more good than I originally planned?
"Here we are." Nell returned.
Blinking out of my thoughts, I forced a smile and faced her. Aware of what she and John were both missing, my heart forbade me from disappointing either of them while I was here. I'd be gone soon enough, John dead, and Nell forced to face the truth about the woman she'd cared for.
She placed the bonnet on my head and tied it beneath my chin.
"And now, adventure," I proclaimed.
"These high spirits are not appropriate, Miss Josie," Nell said, though a smile leaked through her grave expression.
"I want you to be happy, Nell," I told her. "You and Father both."
Tears filled her eyes. She turned away and strode into the hallway.
I followed - and paused. This time, it wasn't just déjà vu that hit me with unexpected force but more like a dream I couldn't quite remember. The image and sense of knowing were almost strong enough to be a whisper.
It came from further down my wing, specifically from the door at the end. A shallow feeling, faint whisper, dark image … Movement, firelight, two voices …
"Miss Josie, are you coming?"
Nell's yell from the bottom of the stairs cut whatever it was short. My gaze lingered on the door. Something had happened there, and it defied any logical explanation that I could know such a thing.
Empathic memory chip. Was that it and how did it work?
"Yes!" I called. Without understanding why, I hurried to join her, running away from whatever it was I almost saw at the end of the hallway.