A Lady Never Tells

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

A few days after Grandmother’s funeral, Lillian was in the attic looking through her parents’ things. There didn’t seem to be anything that would assist Lillian in her search to find out who her mother’s former lover was. She was beginning to lose hope.

“Ugh, there is nothing up here,” she exclaimed. Lillian looked around once more and in exasperation she looked around the attic once more. Out of haste and anger, she then threw her fist down onto a table. “Oh, no,” she said when she realized that she knocked over several papers and photos.

As she knelt down to clean up the mess that she had created she looked over the material once more. That’s when she noticed that there was something written on the back of a photograph of Lillian and her mother. On the back of that photo Lillian noticed some writing:

Jonathon Lexly

6842 Unit Street

Jonathon Lexly, she thought. Could this be the man who was my mother’s lover? Lillian quickly picked up the photo and ran out of the attic. Upon returning downstairs, she noticed that the world around her was spinning. Lillian grabbed ahold of the wall to keep her balance. Once she regained her bearings, she continued down to her grandmother’s parlor.

Upon entering the parlor, Lillian realized that the room was not empty. William was sitting on the couch. When he noticed that Lillian entered the room, he stood.

“Hiya, Lily,” he said.

“Hello William,” she replied.

“Is something the matter? You look pale. You should sit down.”

“I was a little dizzy on the stairs, but I’m okay.” William moved toward Lillian quickly as she said dizzy and started to usher her to the couch. “Honestly William, you’re making such a fuss other nothing! I was dizzy for a second and not it’s passed.”

William placed the back of his right hand on her forehead to check for a fever. He frowned, “You seem a little warm Lily. What were you even doing up there?”

“I was looking for something about my mother’s lover; and I found something too.” Lillian then pulled out the photograph that she was holding and let William see it. When he looked at it for a moment she continued,” This Jonathon Lexly, what would he have anything to do with my mother and me?”

“I have no idea. You didn’t know this man’s name at all did you? His name and the address mean nothing to you?”

“Right, I never heard of either of them.”

“Okay, since you’re dead-set on finding this man I want to help.”

“I can’t ask you of that William.”

“You’re not asking me anything. I am telling you that I will help you find this man. Something doesn’t feel right. This could get really dangerous and I can’t sit around knowing that you could get hurt. I will help you Lillian, whether you like it or not. We’re in this together.”

Lillian paused, shocked at her friend’s concern. “Alright, we are in this together,” she repeated quietly.

After a minute or two of silence, William said, “I know a guy who is a private investigator. I’ll take this address and Mr. Lexly’s name to him and see what he can scrape up.” William stood and added, “I’ll tell you what he says.”

“Alright, thank you Willy,” Lillian said looking at her standing friend.

As he took a few steps closer to the door he turned back toward Lillian. “You may want to see a doctor Lily. I don’t want anything to happen to you. Even though you seem to think that you’re just fine, I just want you to be sure.” With that, William left Lillian in her late grandmother’s parlor.

“Alright Willy, I will just for you,” she muttered, but she said it too late for him to hear.