Free Keeping Victoria's Secret by Melinda Peters

young woman, a Betsy Schummerhorn, here in
Pippen’s Grove before he left to go overseas. I confess I wasn’t
aware of that fact until today.” Fred again perused the papers in
front of him.
    “Here’s a copy of the marriage certificate
and letters to and from various family members, which corroborate
everything. It seems as though Vicky's grandmother for some reason
entrusted these documents to Elvira's mother before leaving
Pippen's Grove. Betsy Schummerhorn, or Betsy Willet that is, had a
son. What that means is that the property would have been passed
after Alexander’s death to Betsy and their son. There’s no record
here of his birth but I’m sure that’s easily located.”
    “So this son of Alexander’s would have
inherited?” asked Jack slowly.
    “Well yes, the son would have, but he is
deceased as of course is his mother.”
    “Well then, there we are. No problem,” said
Jack shrugging.
    “Not quite. There is one other thing. That
son of Alexander’s also had one child, a son unless I’m mistaken,
and Doc says I’m not, and he is very much alive.”
    In unison, she and Jack spoke just one word,
“Who?”
    Fred cleared his throat once more. “That
would be Jonathan Van Winkle.”
    Stunned she sat perfectly still. “What does
this mean?”
* * *
    Double Chocolate Brownies
     
    1/2 cup butter
    4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
    4 eggs
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    2 cups sugar
    1 teaspoon vanilla
    1 tablespoon rum (optional)
    1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
    Preheat oven to 350 F. Melt the butter and
chocolate in a bowl placed over a pot of barely simmering water.
Mix well and let this mixture cool completely, or the brownies will
be heavy and dry. Beat the eggs sugar and salt until well creamed.
Stir in chocolate mixture, vanilla and rum. Fold in flour until
just combined. Pour into a 9” X 13’ pan that has been greased and
lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 25 minutes at 350 F.
Cool completely and Frost. Don't cut until the brownies are cool as
the interiors are still moist when fresh from the oven.
    Luscious Ganache Frosting
    8 ounces finely chopped chocolate, milk or
dark
    1 cup heavy cream
    2 tablespoons dark rum
    Heat cream until the boiling point, remove
from heat and pour in chocolate. Stir until smooth, add rum. Pour
into a mixing bowl and place over a bowl of ice water. Beat over
ice water until fluffy and thickened. Frost quickly and chill.
     
     

Chapter 8
     
    “Fred, I don’t believe it for a minute.”
Elvira was insistent. “It just can’t be.”
    Fred lifted his palms up in a helpless
gesture. “If everything Doc and I’ve seen here is correct, then it
is indeed quite possible.”
    Elvira took a sip of her coffee and set the
cup down with a decisive clunk. “No. I don’t believe so Fred. And
here’s why. Your father was a good friend of Alexander Willet and
was as honest as the day is long. He never would have gone ahead
with that legal agreement between Charley and Victoria if he’d had
any idea that Victoria wasn’t the sole owner. It stands to
reason.”
    “Perhaps Dad had no idea there was a child,
or even a marriage between Alexander and this Betsy
Schummerhorn.”
    At the other end of the kitchen table, Doc
Sweeney shuffled through the old letters and envelopes spread
before him as he watched Vicky quietly growing pale. With a
concerned look, the doctor glanced frequently at her as she sat
gripping the table with her white knuckled hands.
    She felt deflated, only half listening to the
conversation. I’m losing Nanna’s home. This is how awful it must
have been for Jack when he realized the farm wasn’t his. Now I know
how he felt. She stole a glance at him as he reached for a second
brownie before he’d finished his first chewing methodically, a dark
frown on his face. Poor Jack has had the rug pulled from under him
twice in one week. Looking around at her boxes stacked in corners
tears welled up and she was engulfed by a wave of helplessness.
There’s probably