The table was rubbed smooth from a century’s worth of use.  No longer glossy or reflective, it instead drew its warmth from within; age and experience had lent the wood its own sort of wisdom.  She pressed a sheet of paper onto the table’s scarred surface, imagining words seeping up from below to meet her pen.  What she needed now – what she’d always needed, really – was to write the truth.

Carinda had contemplated this moment for years, lobbying the pros and cons, trying to decide if it was worth it. But then Caiden was born. Her first great-grandchild. Another male to the Lansing line. Another generation that would be based on lies.

If you lived in the South you knew the Lansings. They owned one of the top retail chains in the country and the best and only chain in the South. They were a family of blue bloods, royalty among the Georgian elite.

But like every great family, they too had their secrets. Deep dark secrets that had been locked away for almost a century. Secrets they thought, and hoped, had been forgotten.

Carinda thoughtlessly ran her hand across her mother-in-laws desk. Is this where she wrote the journal that I found under the floorboard in the attic? Is this where she divulged her secret? No one knew Carinda found it and the secret had been voraciously gnawing at her soul for years.

Her finding it had been a fluke. Her mother-in-law, Leanne, had sent Carinda up to the attic to retrieve a coronation gown she had worn as a teen. Leanne was graciously donating it to the Govenor’s Auction and needed to have it cleaned before the event.

Carinda loved the attic. Generations and generations of heirlooms, furniture and other valuables filled the spacious third floor of the family’s plantation house. She could spend hours up there, lost in a history that she was so blessed to marry in to.

As Carinda walked towards the large armoire, she stubbed her toe on one of the slats in the floor. As she bent down to examine her toe, she caught a glimpse of something red underneath the plank that had assaulted her toe. With a little coaxing, she was able to lift the floorboard and retrieve the object – an old and weathered journal.

Carinda’s heart raced. Whose was it and why was it hidden? She replaced the wooden plank and stacked several large boxes on top of it, preventing anyone else from noticing the secret hiding spot.

Her husband James was out of town, visiting the stores in South Carolina, so Carinda had stopped by to keep Leanne company for the afternoon. Leanne refused to move out of the family home after her husband passed. The large mansion was getting more and more difficult for her to maneuver so she spent most of her time on the first floor.

Carinda and James had just told her a few weeks ago that they were expecting their first child and Leanne was beyond ecstatic. She placed her hand on my nonexistent belly, “A new baby! Oh how I have waited for this day. Of course, I hope it’s a boy! We must have someone to carry on the family name now don’t we Carinda?”

James was the youngest of six and the only boy in the family. Even with five older sisters, he was still the family favorite. His bright blue eyes instantly won the hearts of anyone who laid eyes on him. His smile melted the hearts of many a southern belles. How Carinda landed him had been the gossip for years.

Carinda hid the journal in her purse when she went downstairs, saving it for her night time reading later that evening. If she could wait that long. She finished her time with Leanne and headed back home. The red journal daunting her from her purse. Why was it hidden?

As soon as Carinda got home she poured herself a glass of sweet tea and settled into her favorite arm chair. She carefully opened the cover and read the first page – This Journal Belongs To: Leanne Lansing. So it was her Mother-in-laws! She gasped at the thought Then she read.

Carinda read for hours, soaking up the history, the stories, the betrayal. Leanne has only been able to produce females which caused many a fights between her and her husband. After one of their blow out battles, Leanne had gone into town to retrieve some sweets for party favors for her oldest birthday celebration that weekend. The Candy House always had the best and Tom the owner, would always special order things for Leanne.

The store was empty as Tom brought out Leanne’s candy order. They were beautiful handmade bonnets. Before she knew it she was sobbing in his arms and from there their relationship grew. There were secret rendezvous, visits to the store and social gatherings. But when Leanne found out she was pregnant she ended it, saying she just couldn’t give up her life as a Lansing.

Eight months later she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, James. The only boy able to carry on the Lansing name. The only boy able to inherit the Lansing empire. The boy who bore the same bright blue eyes….. as Tom.

Carinda took a deep breathe, placed the pen to the paper and began to write.

This post was written in collaboration with Big Picture Blogs 2nd birthday bonanza. My counter part in crime was Sarah from This Heavenly Life. You can read her ending to the story there. It’s amazing!

Then be sure to head over to Hyacynth’s to read everyone else’s collaborations and partake in the birthday festivities. I myself can’t wait to have some cake!