SPRINGTIME PROMISES *published*

CHAPTER 26: UNVEILING SHADOWS

Lanecea paced quietly in the dim light of the study, her brow furrowed in concentration. The hours had slipped away without notice as she sifted through records, tracing the family line of the Curl siblings. She had expected something more concrete—closure, perhaps—but what she had found left her with more questions than answers.

The records in front of her, detailing the lives of John Edmond Curl and Annie Emma Reese, held something unsettling. There was no cause of death listed for John—an odd omission, one that gnawed at her curiosity. Worse still, there was no death certificate at all for Annie. Lanecea had combed through every source she could find, but Annie's death remained a mystery. It was as though she had simply disappeared, her life slipping into shadow without a trace.

Ulrick sat across from her, his expression thoughtful but calm. Lanecea had shared her discovery with him as soon as she realized something was amiss. The weight of it now hung between them, the silence heavy with the unknown.

"There's nothing," Lanecea said, breaking the quiet. Her voice was soft, but there was a sharp edge of frustration behind it. "No cause of death for John, and Annie...there's no record at all. It's like she just vanished."

Ulrick leaned forward, rubbing his chin as he considered the information. "Could it be a clerical error?" he asked although even as he said it, he didn't sound convinced.

"Possibly," Lanecea replied, although her instinct told her otherwise. 

She glanced at the clock on the mantel, the hour later than she had realized. Allace and Lillie would be arriving soon. The sisters had no idea what she had uncovered about their parents—or rather, what she hadn't been able to uncover.

With a sigh, she began to carefully tuck the documents back into their folders, her movements precise and practiced. She wasn't ready to share this with the sisters yet. Not until she knew more.

"We'll figure this out," Ulrick reassured her. 

His voice was steady, although Lanecea could see the flicker of concern in his eyes. The Curl siblings were now under their care, and any mystery surrounding their parents felt personal. This was no longer just about records or genealogy; it was about the lives of those they had come to care for.

"I just don't like not knowing," Lanecea admitted, her voice quieter now. "There's something missing, and I can't shake the feeling that it's important."

Ulrick stood and moved to her side, resting a hand on her shoulder. 

"You will find it," he said with certainty. "But for now, focus on the living. The past will reveal itself when the time is right."

Lanecea looked up at him, grateful for his steady presence. He was right, of course. The past would come to light eventually, but for now, she had to focus on the present—the sisters who would soon be at their door, full of excitement for their new roles.

As she closed the final folder, her mind drifted back to Allace and Lillie. They had spent so many years caring for others, always selfless, always nurturing. Now they were stepping into a new chapter, working for Lanecea, but she knew that the weight of their past still lingered.

The soft chime of the clock pulled her from her thoughts. It wouldn't be long now. She smoothed down her skirt and moved toward the window, peering out into the quiet morning light. Her heart ached with the knowledge she held - the unanswered questions that would soon affect the lives of those around her.

For now, however, she would wait.

****

Allace and Lillie stood frozen in the doorway, eyes wide as they gazed at the room before them. The large nursery overlooked the serene Cataraqui River, its soft current a stark contrast to the shock and bewilderment that now swelled within them. They had expected to care for Ulrick and Lanecea's two babies, whom they had briefly met at their sister Eva's wedding, but as Lanecea calmly began explaining the reality of their new roles, they couldn't quite process the sight before them.

Twenty-five cribs, all neatly arranged, filled the room, each one occupied by a baby. Lanecea, ever poised, smiled warmly at their reaction, her dark hair cascading over her shoulder as she motioned for them to come further into the room. The babies cooed and squirmed, some sound asleep, others stirring quietly, but all of them were the same age. Allace and Lillie exchanged incredulous glances, both searching for words that seemed to elude them.

Lanecea's voice was soft but sure, as though this was the most natural thing in the world. "These little ones," she said, gesturing toward the babies, "have no one. I've taken them in, but my goal is to reunite them with their living relatives if possible. There are...quite a few, as you can see." Her smile softened as she looked at the rows of cribs, her maternal instinct evident in every glance she cast toward the infants. "It's a long story, but I'm very much like you two—my heart can't help but take them in. I couldn't turn them away."

Allace's hand fluttered up to her chest, her thoughts swirling. Lillie, always the more composed of the two, finally found her voice. 

"You've taken them all in? All these babies?"

Lanecea nodded. "Yes, and I'm expecting to take in more as time goes on. That's why your help is so important. I need people I can trust - people who are as maternal and nurturing as you."

As the initial shock began to settle, Allace stepped forward, her eyes moving from one baby to the next. They were so small - so innocent. The idea of being a part of something so vast, so monumental, tugged at her heart. Caring for Eva had always been her duty, but this—this was something else entirely.

Lanecea then opened a door that connected the nursery to another part of the house. "You'll be staying here, with us," she said, her tone still warm but with a hint of excitement. "For convenience, of course. You'll need to be close by, and I want you to feel at home here. I know it's a lot to take in, but I have a feeling this is the start of something special."

Lillie, ever the skeptic, raised an eyebrow. "And...what exactly do you mean by 'special'? Caring for twenty-five babies is no small task."

Lanecea's eyes sparkled with something beyond the simple maternal care they had seen so far. She gave them both a knowing look, a hint of mischief and mystery in her expression. "How would you enjoy sleuthing?"

Both sisters froze again, but this time it wasn't out of shock. Curiosity now danced between them, and they realized, in that instant, that Lanecea was far more than the kindly woman they had assumed. She wasn't just a caretaker of babies. There was something deeper - something larger at play.

Lillie tilted her head slightly. "Sleuthing?"

Lanecea nodded, the grin widening. "These babies didn't just come from nowhere. There are stories behind each of them, families that may not even know they exist. I want to find those families, trace their genealogies, and uncover the mysteries of their pasts, and for that, I need you two—sharp, diligent, and with hearts that won't give up."

Allace felt a shiver of excitement, something she hadn't felt in a long time. "So, we're not just nannies..."

"No," Lanecea said, stepping closer. "You're so much more. You'll help me reunite these little ones with their families, wherever they may be, and if you're willing, we'll do more than that. We'll uncover the forgotten, the lost, the unknown stories that history has hidden away."

Lillie glanced at Allace, her heart racing with the realization of what they were stepping into. Eva may have just begun her life as a married woman, but here, in this nursery filled with tiny lives and untold stories, Allace and Lillie were being handed something entirely unexpected—a new purpose.

With a final glance at each other, they both nodded. This wasn't the life they had imagined, but maybe, just maybe, it was the life they were meant to live.