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Before she could think of something to say—something to make sense of any of this, Esme found her voice.
“How dare you?” Esme’s lower lip trembled. She dropped her arm from Valerie’s and stepped toward them. She looked on the brink of screaming.
Rebecca was caught off guard. She glanced at Bethany, praying Bethany would find a way to get through this. Esme’s eyes were strange, far away.
“Mom.” Valerie stepped alongside Esme and took her arm again. “We should really get you back home.”
Esme shook her head. “My father founded the Sutton Book Club years and years ago. He did it as a selfless act in support of his community. He did it because he cared about Nantucket, about his legacy. And you three dare to storm in here? Stomp all over that legacy?”
Rebecca blinked back tears. She wanted to protest, to tell Esme that they’d all wanted to uphold her grandfather’s legacy.
“All I wanted for you was the best,” Esme continued, speaking directly to Bethany and Rebecca. She eyed Valerie suspiciously, adding, “I wanted it for you, too.”
Anger and fear filled her face. Rebecca blinked back tears.
“Mom? Will you sit down? Please?” Valerie begged.
But suddenly, Esme turned to face Victor, who stood with slumped shoulders. He looked like he wanted to run away from her as fast as he could.
“And you!” Esme cried in a high-pitched and strange voice. “You! Victor Sutton…” She trailed off, searching for words.
Victor took a small step toward her. Despite the intensity of the silence, he found a way to speak.
All he said was, “I know, Esme. I know.”
And just like that, Esme staggered to her knees. The sound was horrendous. She howled with pain. Valerie, Rebecca, and Bethany hurried around her and helped her back to her feet. Tears came torrentially from her eyes. In a moment, they spread her across the floral couch next to the collection of Shakespearean plays. She peered up at the ceiling and whimpered.
“He needs to go,” Esme told the ceiling. “Please. Make him go away.”
Rebecca turned back toward her father, who had already gathered his things. He bowed his head as he hurried out of sight.
“He’s gone, Mom. He’s gone,” Rebecca murmured.
By the time she turned back, Esme’s eyes were closed. She’d fallen into a strange, fitful sleep. Rebecca couldn’t breathe. Bethany backed up and fell into one of the dinner chairs, staring at Esme as though she were a ghost. Only Valerie seemed more or less composed.
When Rebecca was sure her mother was fast asleep, she said, “Valerie? Can you tell me what the heck is going on?” She hated how stressed she sounded.
Valerie’s eyes flashed. She seemed to have very little respect or love to give.
“I should ask you the same thing,” Valerie shot back.
“Is Mom okay?” Bethany asked softly.
Valerie rubbed her temples. “I think so. I don’t know.”
“Should we call someone?” Rebecca demanded. “Bethany, you’re a doctor. What do you think?”
Bethany shook her head. She looked confused.
“We had a long trip.” Valerie seemed too exhausted to fight. She staggered back and sat on a chair across from Bethany. Without another word, she poured herself a stiff glass of wine and knocked her head back to drink.
Bethany and Rebecca had a wordless conversation. Bethany lifted one shoulder as a way to say, Come on. Sit down. Rebecca inched toward the table, sat, and watched as Bethany poured them both glasses of wine.
Here they sat. The three Sutton sisters. Back together after all this time.
And none of them seemed pleased to see each other.
“You were with Mom all this time?” Rebecca asked. She was careful not to make her tone too sharp.
