Winters' 3 Dears- The 12: Book Three

9. Lemons

Wysteria raised her brow as she watched Beatrice spoon more sugar into the glass pitcher on the table. "Don't you think you've added enough already?"

"You can never have enough sugar," Beatrice said.

"Keep it up and you won't be able to fit into your corset," Wysteria said turning her attention back to the map in her lap.

"I don't think you'll find anything else out by just staring at that all day," Beatrice said pouring a swallow of her lemonade into a cup. She tasted it. "Needs more lemons." She grabbed another lemon from the counter and sliced if in half. "You try the next one before I mess it up again."

"I don't know if I want to," Wysteria said. "Every time you make lemonade it's either too bitter or too sweet. Sort of like yourself." She laughed.

"Ha ha, Wysteria," Beatrice mocked. "You've never been good at telling jokes you know." Having added the extra lemon she poured another glass. The pitcher pressed against the cup toppling it over and sending a tide of lemon juice across the table.

"Beatrice!" Wysteria scolded snatching up the wet map. "Now you've done it."

"I'm sorry I'm sorry!" Beatrice panicked. She grabbed a hand towel and stopped the lemonade tide from spilling over the table. "Quickly hold it over the stove."

"And let it catch fire?"

"Well use the gas lamp then quick!"

Wysteria lit the gas lamp and held the map over the top of the glass shade.

"Is it working?" Beatrice asked, wringing the towel over the sink.

Wysteria held the map up and looked at the paint. "It doesn't seem to be running."

Beatrice looked back at the map and frowned. "Where those letters always there?" she came back over to the table and pointed to the back of the map. "Flip it over, Wysteria."

Wysteria flipped the map over on its back and the sister held it between them. "It says, bring your ice-skates and co-co coats." She looked over at Beatrice. "What sort of—"

"There is another word there but I can't make it out," Beatrice said. "It's still faded. Hold it over the fire again."

Wysteria did just so and they watched as more words and then a paragraph appeared. Beatrice quickly grabbed paper and pencil from the counter. They read together.

Hello, girls,

You have deciphered my letter to you. Very well done. I hope you are all doing well in Mass. There is something I would like for you to have upon my dying but if I told you where it was and exactly how to find it the purpose would be spoiled. For now I shall only tell you this. Bring a rope, bring your skill and bring your ice-skates and coats. Follow this map to its destination and there I shall speak with you one last time.

Your loving Pa

The words slowly began to fade as the lemon juice dried and the paper cooled. Wysteria fell back into her chair. "Do you know what this means?" She looked up at her sister. "It means Pa really does want us to follow this map. There must really be a treasure."

Beatrice turned the map back over. "But it doesn't say much," she said. She looked down at the words she had copied. "And what does all of this mean?"

Wysteria folded the map. "We should maybe wait and discuss this with Ladybird," she said. "Meanwhile I had better get to the Smarts' house. The children will be finished with their lessons."