Chapter Seven Saturday, the day of Aunt Guinevere’s funeral I just sat there, staring mindlessly at the now ajar door for a little longer before pulling myself up. I stepped to the door and put my hand on the knob. Then I stopped, suddenly wondering if I really wanted to know. My hand dropped back to my side. All week I had wanted to know. Now the chance was here, but I wasn’t taking it. Why? Aunt Guinevere said I would know when she was ready to let me know. Well, she’s dead now and the door is open. Does that mean she’s ready for me to know? How did…
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The Open Door
Chapter Six Friday evening We had dinner with Aunt Guinevere again. Jules had brought Sylvia and Jack with him. If I had known it would be our last evening with Aunt Guinevere, I would have requested family only. But I knew Auntie would insist Sylvia and Jack come, too. Especially Sylvia. Dr. Ryan arrived just in time for dessert. We sat in the parlor in various places. Dr. Ryan, Aunt Guinevere, and Mom sat near the window facing the porch around the coffee table, each with a cup of tea in hand and a plate of crumbs from Aunt Guinevere’s apple pie sitting on the table. Jules and Sylvia stood…
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The Open Door
Chapter Five Thursday morning I had wanted to see Aunt Guinevere and Mom on Wednesday, but I had to work most of the day and was absolutely exhausted when I got home from the office. Being a paralegal isn’t easy, especially when the lawyers you work for are the only ones in town. At least I get to see the library a lot. I have my Aunt Guinevere’s love for books and Mom’s love for research and the virtue known as patience. When I arrived at Aunt Guinevere’s house, she and Mom were having breakfast on the spacious porch. The porch is wonderful at all times of the year. It…
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The Open Door
Chapter Four Tuesday afternoon I arrived at Aunt Guinevere’s house at around four in the afternoon. Aunt Guinevere wasn’t at home. Mom, who was feeling much better and was making a pie when I arrived, said she had gone to visit the doctor again. I frowned. “But she was just there last week.” Mom sighed. “I know. But you know your aunt. If she even sneezes she just has to go see Dr. Ryan.” “How many times did she sneeze this time?” “Actually, she didn’t. I did, once. But I wasn’t around her when I did. I think she went to talk to him about Jules and Sylvia. Guinevere came…
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The Open Door
Chapter Two Sunday morning Mother and Jules were in the dining room with Aunt Guinevere, cleaning candlesticks for some reason I couldn’t quite fathom since they were all pristine. I was standing in the room next to the room that’s always locked. The room was a square with pale yellow walls, white curtains with pale rose-colored daisies embroidered on them, and a pale rose carpet. Cardboard boxes lined the left side in two rows. They were full of Aunt Guinevere’s books from when she was a teenager. The four bookshelves had been taken down the day before by Jules. I quietly left the room and went to the locked door.…
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The Open Door
Chapter One Aunt Guinevere Grace Mason’s three-story house is situated at the end of Brook Lane. It’s a cheerful white dwelling with pale rose trimming. There are trellises all around the house with climbing roses and morning glories and a grape vine. It’s set far away from the street with a circular driveway. On either side of the house are two cypress trees, one on either side. Behind the house are several gardens and a pond. In one corner is the herb garden, in another is the rose garden, in the third is the wildflower garden, and in the last are the perennials surrounding the pond. In the center is…