"Then Georgina did take Olive to lose her to us."
"To you, Alma."
"She wants us to look after Olive."
In this house? I wondered.
I felt so strange.

I was five when Georgina gripped my arm and bent close and poked into me with her brilliant eyes.
"Aren't you Alma?"
And when I nodded she gave my arm a shake.
"You look just like Cella. Just like Cella used to."

I looked at Adonie and her eyes were so far away it alarmed me.
She was gone so far away I thought I heard a little music box, that distance, you see, because I had never owned a music box.

"How did you get the house, then?"
"I made an offer to the Ripley lawyer. It solved her problems so she agreed."

"What were you doing at the house that day?"
"I wanted a drink of water."
That was so preposterous she wouldn't dare use it for a lie. Something so flimsy had to be the truth.

Unless Adonie were very clever. Which she was.

more

"Would you like some lemonade?"
"That would be splendid."