Page 51 of The Manor of Dreams

Instinctively, Nora reached out to stop her. “Don’t.” Her hand knocked against Madeline’s arm, and Madeline winced. Immediately Nora drew back. “Sorry.” She looked down. “Are you— Is this—?”

“I’m fine,” Madeline said. She had focused on the garden again. “Is it me or do there seem to bemoreout there than before? What’s going on?”

Where had the roses come from? Nora was certain there had been no flowers when they first arrived. Did they grow on their own? Why would someone plant roses, only to abandon the rest of the shriveled mess? Did they trap everyone who stepped foot out there? Would that happen again? Nora didn’t want to test it out.

“What are you thinking?” Nora looked her way. “Sorry,” Madeline rushed. “I know you don’t want to talk to me.”

We’re not supposed to talk.It sounded so childish. “No. It’s… It’s not me. My mom just told me not to.”

“Not to talk to me?”

“Your family.”

“Why?”

Nora simply shrugged. “She just said. I am sorry, though. I know I come off as rude.”

“You know,” Madeline said, studying her. “It’s funny. You may be the person who talks to me the most in this house.”

Nora cradled the bottom of the cup with the pads of her fingertips. “Really?”

Madeline leaned over the counter. “I tried to find out why your mom came to see my??or what happened between our families.” She paused. “Don’t worry,” she said, seeing Nora stiffen. “I didn’t tell them I found out from you. But it doesn’t matter, because I got nothing.” She sighed. “I thought we’d come here to, I don’t know. Grieve together? Understand the person my grandmother was. Do what families do. Share stories. But my family didn’t talk at the funeral. And even now we can’t bear to. We just hide in our rooms.” Madeline seemed nervous. She twisted a slim gold ring on her middle finger. “We can’t stand each other.”

Nora didn’t know what to say to this.

“You probably resent me.” Madeline bore a grim smile. “Which is valid. These are all such trivial problems.”

Nora barely shook her head. It only hit her now that Madeline was, after all, someone who had just lost her grandmother. Stuck in this dysfunctional family. Sickly wealthy or not, entitled or not, Madeline seemed lonely. Nora said softly, “I don’t resent you.”

“So you pity me, then,” Madeline said. “Which is arguably worse.”

Nora couldn’t answer that. Not truthfully, at least. The dim light caught Madeline’s eyes and made them soft.

“I take it you got your questions answered,” Madeline said. “Or I hope. At least one of us deserves to know the truth.”

“I know as much as you do. Vivian asked my mom to visit her. She came to the house, and they talked about your aunt. I don’t know what happened after that.”

Madeline tilted her head. “About Renata?”

“The other one. Ada.”

Madeline looked perplexed. “Ada?” Shock rippled through her expression. “Ada.” The second time, it was as if she was testing the name out.

Too late, it dawned on Nora that she might have said something she should not have. Again. Nora remembered how her own mother had paled when she’d said the name. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to bring her up like this.”

There was a long silence.

“No, I’m glad you told me,” Madeline said. “Really, I am.”

Told?Nora’s breath caught in her chest. God, did Madeline not even know about her? “I thought you knew.”

“I should have, shouldn’t I?” Madeline said weakly. “What happened to her?”

It was like all the warmth had been sucked out of the room. Nora swallowed. “My mom said she died thirty-four years ago.”

“Of what?”

“I… don’t know.” It sounded so inadequate, so trite. “I’m sorry.”

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