Chapter 6

The old man asked, "So, tell me, which part did you fix, and what kind of thread did you use?"

Charlotte's smile froze on her face.

Andrew frowned. "Sir, this is a charity event. No need to take it so seriously."

The old man ignored him, his eyes fixed on Charlotte.

"Can't remember?" he pressed.

Charlotte's fingers brushed her necklace. "It's been too long. I can't remember."

The old man pressed on. "The lotus flower in the bottom right corner of the tapestry panel was missing three leaves. The new seamwork does not match the old work. Whoever fixed it would definitely remember."

Mrs. Brown muttered, "Who is this old man?"

I stayed silent.

The old man turned to me, his tone softening. "Miss, do you remember?" he asked, his gaze gentle.

All eyes turned to me.

Andrew leaned in and whispered, "Nora, don't say anything."

I looked at the tapestry panel and answered in a steady voice, "It was not three leaves missing, it was two and a half. The bottom leaf was only torn at the tip, and I reused old thread, unraveled and spun again, not new thread."

The old man smiled.

Charlotte's face went pale.

Andrew turned to me, surprised. "How do you know that?"

I shrugged. "Just a guess."

The old man put down his paddle. "I am not bidding on this tapestry panel. I am all for charity, but I will not pay for a lie."

The host stood there awkwardly, at a loss for words.

Mrs. Brown's eyes flicked between Charlotte and me.

Charlotte's tears sprang to her eyes. "Nora, why are you doing this? Just because you know a bit about restoration work does not mean you have to accuse me of lying."

Andrew stepped in front of her. "Nora, are you happy now?"

I picked up my purse. "Not really. I haven't even said anything yet."

I turned to leave, and just as I reached the back door, the old man with white hair hurried after me.

"Miss, could you leave me a way to reach you?" he called out.

I stopped in my tracks.

Andrew followed, his face stormy. "Are you two acquainted?"

The old man didn't even glance at him. He just looked at me and asked, "How's your grandma doing?"

I looked at him.

He added, "She saved my life when she was young. Tell her Mr. Harper is still alive."

For the first time, Andrew didn't jump in to defend Charlotte.

When Grandma Grace heard Mr. Harper's name, she nearly dropped the flour bowl.

"He's still alive?" she gasped.

I steadied the bowl. "You know him?"

Grandma Grace sat down on the little stool, and after a long pause, she said, "He was an old acquaintance from when I was young. That year, the flood swept him right to the edge of our village. Your grandpa and I dragged him back."

I asked, "Why did he stand up for me at the party?"

Grandma Grace shot me a look. "Help you? He just wasn't blind."

She acted tough, but the next morning, she dug out an old cloth bag from the bottom of her trunk. Inside was a faded photo.

In the photo, Grandma Grace was young, with her hair in braids, standing next to a tall, thin man.

On the back, it said, "Charles Harper."

Just as I put the photo away, Andrew's car pulled up at the gate.

He got out, holding a bag of medicinal herbs and health supplements.

Grandma Grace saw him and immediately bolted the door.

"What are you doing here again?" she called out.

Andrew stood outside. "Grandma Grace, I came to check on you."

Grandma Grace shouted through the door, "I'm not dead yet. No need to check on me."

Andrew turned to me. "Nora, open the door."

I didn't move. "If you have something to say, say it at the door."

He held back his frustration. "At the party yesterday, you made Charlotte look bad. She went home and cried all night."

Grandma Grace grabbed a handful of chili peppers. "If she cried all night, then go comfort her. Why are you at my house?"

Andrew's voice dropped. "Grandma Grace, I respect you, but you can't keep talking like that."

I opened the door but didn't let him in.

"If you're here to defend her, you can just leave," I said.

"I'm not," he replied.

He handed me the health supplements. "Grandpa said since your grandma's getting up there in years, I should check in on her more often."

I didn't take them.