A New Light


 
 
 
 
 A New Light
 A Mount Desert Island Series
 
 
 
 Katie Winters
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Contents
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Chapter 1
 
 
 Chapter 2
 
 
 Chapter 3
 
 
 Chapter 4
 
 
 Chapter 5
 
 
 Chapter 6
 
 
 Chapter 7
 
 
 Chapter 8
 
 
 Chapter 9
 
 
 Chapter 10
 
 
 Chapter 11
 
 
 Chapter 12
 
 
 Chapter 13
 
 
 Chapter 14
 
 
 Chapter 15
 
 
 Chapter 16
 
 
 Chapter 17
 
 
 Chapter 18
 
 
 Chapter 19
 
 
 Chapter 20
 
 
 Chapter 21
 
 
 Chapter 22
 
 
 Chapter 23
 
 
 Chapter 24
 
 
 
 
 The Copperfield House
 
 
 Other Books by Katie
 
 
 Connect with Katie Winters
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
 
 
 
 
 
 Copyright © 2023 by Katie Winters
 
 
 
 
 
 This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. Katie Winters holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Chapter One
 
 
 
 
 
 It was New Year's Eve in Bar Harbor. Already, the last of the day’s sunlight had begun to dim across the Acadia Mountains, casting the cozy town in grays and pastels. It was the final sunset of another year— one of surprises, family gatherings, babies, weddings, new discoveries, and many, many helpings of delicious food. Kristine, who was now twenty-three and on the brink of the rest of her life, couldn’t help but feel nostalgic. Now that she’d made so many decisions about her career, her chosen city, and her romantic partner, there weren’t many big, life-shattering decisions left. She was growing up. 
 Kristine had brought her boyfriend, Patrick, back from New York City to meet her family for New Year's Eve. Patrick drove the rental car, his hands at ten and two, while Kristine sat up front, beaming at him. Behind them, Kristine’s twin sister, Bella, was slumped back, nibbling on a piece of chocolate and laughing at something on her phone. 
 “Bar Harbor looks like a postcard,” Patrick said, pausing at a traffic light to take in the quaint New England buildings, the barber shop pole that twisted with red and white, and the red brick library that boasted having been built many centuries ago. 
 “Right? It’s unreal,” Kristine agreed, her heart ballooning. It was important to her that Patrick, who was born in New York City, appreciated the little town. It was a part of Kristine’s roots, after all. 
 Kristine and Bella’s mother, Heather Harvey, had decided to move to Bar Harbor a little more than a year ago. This surprise move had come in the wake of multiple tragedies, including Kristine and Bella’s father’s death out at sea. Once in Bar Harbor, Heather had fallen into the mess of her past and learned the truth: that she wasn’t the blood relative of either of her sisters, Casey and Nicole, whom she’d grown up with. The truth was much more sinister. Her real mother, a woman named Melanie, had stolen multiple properties and funds from Casey and Nicole’s father, gotten involved with another man, subsequently lost those funds, and then sidled Casey and Nicole’s father with Heather, her baby with this other man. After Casey and Nicole’s father committed suicide, Casey and Nicole’s mother graciously raised Heather. Heather called Jane her guardian angel. 
 Kristine had tried to explain this story to Patrick several times. Each time, he’d shaken his head and said, “This is the craziest, most confusing story I’ve ever heard. So, you’re not related to either of your aunts? And none of your cousins?” 
 “No. But they’re still family,” Kristine had said. “Nothing has changed.”
 “The truth has changed,” Patrick had pointed out. 
 “Bella, are you okay back there?” Kristine turned to catch Bella’s eye, as she’d been pretty quiet throughout the drive from the airport. 
 Bella bit another corner of her chocolate bar and smiled a chocolate-y grin. “Do you think they still have Christmas cookies?” 
 “At the Keating House? There’s no way those stuck around,” Kristine quipped. 
 Patrick pulled the rental into the driveway of the Keating property, snaking past the Keating Inn and Acadia Eatery toward the Keating House. Behind the Keating House, Aunt Casey, an architect, had recently designed and built a new home that resembled the Keating House in design. This allowed multiple “Keating” and “Harvey” people to stay on the grounds comfortably. 
 “Wow. It’s a whole estate,” Patrick joked as he turned the engine off. 
 Suddenly, Heather Harvey stepped out onto the porch of the Keating House, waving her hand excitedly like a child. Her cheeks were bright red from the cold. 
 “Didn’t she just see you guys a few days ago?” Patrick asked. 
 “She’s sentimental.” Bella laughed and jumped out of the car, rushing into Heather’s arms. 
 Kristine held back and caught Patrick’s gaze. Already, she’d met his family numerous times, as they lived in the city and often invited her to their expensive apartment near Central Park. Their money wasn’t like her mother’s writing money; it was old, from Europe. Their children went to Harvard and Yale without having to send real applications. 
 “Are you ready for this?” Kristine teased, wrapping a blonde curl around Patrick’s ear. 
 “As ready as I’ll ever be. You know I get nervous out of the city.” 
 Suddenly, the back trunk of the rental