AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Eloise’s heart was now in her throat. She handed her a photograph with the words scribed along the bottom:It’s Greta. Call me.
“This photo was in the paper,” the woman continued to explain.
Eloise took the photocopied paper and stared at the image of herself, wearing those silly overalls, and marveled that for the first time in decades, her sister had seen her face. And it seemed that her sister had loved that face so much that she’d made photocopies.
“Someone dropped this off at the hotel desk,” the woman said, “but there are hundreds up all over town. You can’t go anywhere without seeing your face.”
Eloise’s lips parted with surprise. It all seemed impossible. But the fact of it was that Greta had decided to search for her, which meant that Eloise finally had to step out from her hiding place. It was the only way.
“Can I ask you a question?” Eloise asked.
“Of course.”
“Do you know where The Copperfield House is?”
The woman’s eyes brightened. “Oh! Is this Greta Copperfield?” She swatted the paper, where it said, “It’s Greta. Call me.”
“Yes.” Eloise smiled.
“I can give you directions,” the woman said. “Do you have a pen?”
* * *
Eloise hurried back into her hotel room and looked at herself in the mirror. The image was of a sixty-five-year-old woman with gray hair that spilled wildly across her shoulders. She wore no makeup— but she didn’t like makeup anyway, and she was still in that pair of overalls, which was basically her uniform. If she was going to see her sister for the first time in fifty years, this would have to do.
Eloise left the hotel and walked toward the coastline, following the directions the hotel employee had written her. Throughout, she paused to look at the numerous flyers taped to telephone poles and under street signs and every which way, all of which featured her face. For decades, she’d been gone from Nantucket, and now, she was everywhere, as though Nantucket had missed her so much it couldn’t get enough of her.
When Eloise finally reached The Copperfield House, she stopped dead in front of it and gazed at the beautiful Victorian, remembering that, as a girl, she and Greta had adored the house and dreamed of living there. Greta had gotten that wish. More than that, Greta had gotten to live there for decades— and even raise a family and host artists there.
For a long time, Eloise remained on the sidewalk in front of the old house, terrified to go in. From within came the sound of drums and guitar, and Eloise remembered that Greta’s youngest daughter, Ella, was a musician. This was something she’d read about all the way back in the late nineties, so long ago now.
Eloise had begun to talk herself out of this.It was crazy, wasn’t it, to try to mend a relationship with her sister after so many years? Twenty years was one thing, but fifty?It was outside the bounds of reason.
But suddenly, the front door opened, and an old woman appeared on the porch. She wore a long black dress, and her hair was styled and glowing. Her eyes were bright, illuminated with the April sun, and she looked down at Eloise as though she saw a ghost.
“Greta?” Eloise’s voice was hardly a rasp, but it somehow floated through the air to reach Greta’s ears.
“Eloise?” Greta took a step toward her, then hurried halfway down the porch staircase with more energy than a woman of seventy should have had.
Eloise matched her sister. She was no longer sure of anything— not of her age or of how much time had passed or of why she’d ever been angry at Greta in the first place. All she knew right now was that Greta was before her. Greta was there, and she was coming faster and faster toward her. Suddenly, Greta was standing in front of her, smelling so wonderfully, her eyes heavy with tears. The sisters wrapped their arms around one another as though they were the only two people left on earth— and in a way, they were. The rest of their family was now dead and gone. It was only them.
“Eloise,” Greta breathed. “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it’s you.”
Eloise shook in Greta’s arms. She couldn’t stop herself. Everything was too intense. Some moments, she felt as though she was fifteen again, hugging her sister before she left for Paris. Others, she felt like a sixty-five-year-old hugging a stranger.
Greta stepped back to show her face wet with tears. “Come inside,” she said. “Please. Come into my home.”
Eloise walked, wordless, alongside her sister, up the steps and into the house. Within, the sound of the drums and the guitar were louder, and several Copperfields were seated across the living room, chatting and drinking wine. It was rare for Eloise to be surrounded by so many people, least of all people she was actually related to.
“Everyone?” Greta announced with a shaking voice. “This is my little sister, Eloise.”
Everyone stopped talking immediately. Jaws dropped, and glasses of wine were set down. It suddenly occurred to Eloise that Greta had never told anyone about her.Was that possible? Had Greta kept her a secret all this time?
Suddenly, the woman, who could only be Julia, stood from the far chair and hurried to hug her. “Aunt Eloise,” she said, her voice a mix of confusion and happiness. “Welcome to The Copperfield House.”
Eloise allowed herself to be hugged, first by Julia, then by Alana, then by Quentin’s wife, Catherine, and two other young women, Scarlet and Ivy. Eloise was so nervous that she hardly knew what to say.
Eventually, Greta led Eloise to the back porch, where she poured them both glasses of wine and gestured for her to sit. Eloise shivered as she sat and wrapped her hand around the glass of wine, both petrified and ready for this next step.
