Above them the hammering had quit and they heard Uncle Mitch’s buzz saw start up again Let’s get out of here before your uncle finds us Tuck said heading for the stairs But Sam was already exploring other corners of the hidden room One shelf held dusty bottles of murky liquid with peeling labels on them their names too faded to read Another shelf held a long wooden spear with a sharp metal arrow tip lashed on with rope This one didn’t look old like the whale harpoon upstairs It looked new and polished like it had been recently handmade
Come on Sam Tuck said But she shook her head Moving around with Mom who didn’t talk about the past Sam never had any mementos no family photos nothing to prove that she’d come from somewhere Now here was a room full of secret treasures carrying loads of clues to her past and Uncle Mitch could answer them all She flipped open a trunk pulling out a handful of white lace A wedding dress I bet this was his wife’s dress she said Sam dug further into the trunk as Tuck walked over to the staircase ready to head up At the bottom of the chest sat a small box Sam
opened it A bunch of letters tied with a red ribbon filled the box Tucked sighed and came over as Sam undid the ribbon They unfolded the top letter together and Sam read it aloud My Darling Sylvie Each day our special place beckons I never knew such love could carry such hope When we roam our wild magical island together I want to stay forever Now that you know the truth we must protect this wondrous and terrible secret I no longer suffer alone It is now our burden but it’s made lighter through you Always with love Mitchell
Sam ran a finger over the crinkled paper her chest bursting with emotion over all that Uncle Mitch had lost What island is he writing about Tuck There aren’t any islands here he said The nearest one is miles away Sam fished around the bottom of the box for more clues and pulled out a creased photo of a woman wearing a wedding dress on a beach Tall green trees and giant ferns swayed in the background She clasped a bunch of sunflowers tilting her head with a soft smile Sam you two have the same face Tuck said
