Free Silk and Stone by Deborah Smith

here to buy a pint of vanilla ice cream. Sammie was at Highview with Alexandra, who had captivated her with a truckload of gifts, and the
situation
made Frannie feel competitive. She could buy her daughter vanilla ice cream, if nothing else.
    The cool breeze from the opening of the shop’s door distracted her, and she glanced over her shoulder. Frannie’s mouth dropped open. “Sarah?”
    “
Frannie
?” Sarah Raincrow stood there, frowning mildly at her, head up and green eyes troubled. Seven years had filled out Sarah’s skinny frame, and changing styles had softened her. The severely tamed helmet of red hair Frannie remembered had become a long, dramatic tangle of curls, held back by a twisted blue bandanna. Dressed in tennis shoes, a long print peasant skirt with a white T-shirt tucked into it, Sarah looked about as glamorous as an Earth shoe.
    Frannie recognized a kindred spirit, and wished desperately that she and Sarah could be friends. She took a deep breath and went to Sarah with her hands out. “It’s good to see you again.”
    For a moment Sarah didn’t budge, and Frannie felt a hot blush creeping from the roots of her straight blond hair down to her leather choker with the cameo at the center. Alexandra never mentioned Sarah or their feud, but Frannie doubted Sarah had ever forgiven her for marrying William and maneuvering the Vanderveer ruby into her possession.
    Sarah wavered, appearing torn, then exhaled loudly and took Frannie’s hands. “It’s good to see you too. I thought you’d flown the coop and might never come back. I was sorry your family gave you no choice.” Sarah smiled thinly. “You caused quite a commotion, from what I’ve heard. Running off like that.”
    “My parents haven’t spoken to me in all these years. Not a word. Not a letter.”
    Sarah’s expression became sympathetic. “But Alexandra has obviously welcomed you home.”
    “She’s not as cold-blooded as you think. I’m here for a visit.”
    “Well, the fact that she’s smart enough to recognize a good sister when she’s got one is a small vote in her favor, I guess.”
    Every word seemed sincere, but grudging. Frannie looked at her wistfully. “You were always so nice to me, despite how you felt about Alexandra. I’m so glad that hasn’t changed.”
    “No sense blaming you for your sister’s faults.” When Frannie sighed in dismay, Sarah looked apolgetic. “Sorry. We don’t have to discuss her.”
    “Oh, it’s all right,” Frannie answered quickly. “She’s my sister, and I love her, but I know how she can be.”
    Sarah drew her to one of the small, delicate tables by a curtained window. They sat facing each other in a pool of bright sunshine. Sarah held her gaze with straight-forward honesty. “I haven’t set foot in Highview since the day William married her and gave her our family’s ruby. My brother and I don’t speak anymore. I have twins—seven years old, a boy and a girl. Hugh and I let them visit Highview to play with Tim, because cousins shouldn’t grow up hating each other. But that’s the only concession I’ll make.”
    “Oh,
Sarah.
”
    “Alexandra peddles the land around town to her rich friends. They’re changing everything, which I’m sure you’ve noticed. A lot of our stores have been bought by outsiders. The hardware store is an antique store now. So are the old Farmer’s Seed and Feed, and Miller’s Dress Shop. We can’t buy a cheap meal in town. The diner’s a wine and cheese shop. We can’t buy fabric and thread, or shoes, or work clothes, because all of those shops have become boutiques that sell designer outfits. A retired bank president from New Orleans bought my great-aunt’s old Victorian house and turned it into a bed and breakfast. Local people have very little access to the lake anymore, because most of the shoreline belongs to outsiders who’ve built huge vacation cottages there.”
    “But … but with all the growth, there must be a lot of jobs for