Chapter 6 — The Missing Wedding Envelope
In the summer of 1986, Bellweather hosted a large wedding.
The bride’s family paid much of the event balance in cash.
After the reception, an envelope containing approximately two thousand dollars disappeared from the banquet office.
Eleanor Bennett had cleaned that office late that night.
The next morning, management questioned her.
No money was found.
No witness saw her take anything.
But she was the last employee listed inside the room.
“They fired her?” Sophia asked.
Nora nodded.
Eleanor left Bellweather immediately.
And Thomas never returned.
“Was she cleared?”
Nora hesitated.
“Eventually.”
Sophia stared at her.
“Eventually?”
Three days after Eleanor was fired, the wedding coordinator found the envelope.
It had fallen behind a removable drawer inside the office desk.
Nothing had been stolen.
The resort manager at the time contacted Eleanor.
He offered her job back.
But the damage was already done.
Several employees had heard the accusation.
Eleanor refused to return.
“Did they apologize?”
Nora looked uncomfortable.
“Privately.”
Sophia shook her head.
“Of course.”
The resort did something else.
Bellweather’s founder, Charles Bellweather, personally met Eleanor.
He apologized.
Then made her a promise.
If she or Thomas ever wanted to return…
Magnolia Cottage would be available to them for one weekend.
No charge.
No expiration.
“It was his way of admitting the resort owed them more than a private apology,” Nora said.
Sophia stared.
“Did Dad ever use it?”
“No.”
“Grandma?”
“Never.”
Nora looked toward Sophia.
“As far as I know, the promise was still sitting in Charles’s old office files when he died.”
Richard, who had been listening quietly, suddenly looked up.
“What promise?”
Nora repeated it.
Richard stood.
“Wait here.”
Twenty minutes later, he returned carrying a faded folder.
Across the tab:
BENNETT — MAGNOLIA COURTESY.