bed. All of them but one.
“Mom? I think I’m missing one of the books I had last night. It’s a little brown one.”
“Sorry. Everything I found is up there.” She looked over at Howard. Today was a rare occasion—Howard seemed to be taking some sort of a work break, and had decided to join Ava and Lena in the living room to watch television. It was reruns; Ava’s choice. Lena wondered if it somehow felt like she was making up for lost time.
“Are you sure?” Lena shifted her eyes from Ava to Howard, who remained with his eyes fixed on the television. “Howard? Did you find any books down here?”
“No.” His eyes didn’t move. Since Ava’s arrival, he had avoided talking directly to Lena as much as was humanly possible. She wasn’t sure if he didn’t like her, or if Ava had specifically asked him not to talk to her, but either way, Lena was starting to miss him; even though they’d never been friendly, there really weren’t that many people in the house to talk to.
“So, neither of you found the book?”
“Apparently.” Howard replied.
“Well, I’m going to go look for it, then. It was a very interesting little book.” She stood up and watched their faces very closely, but couldn’t detect any trace of deception. Usually when they tried to hide something from her, they had a tendency to stare at one another; now they were just two people watching television.
She walked up the stairs. Then, she saw something in the library that hadn’t been there before. It was the largest transformation that she had ever seen the house make. There was a new staircase, but it wasn’t just any staircase—it was the staircase. It led towards the middle of the house—perfectly past the third floor hall. It was the missing entrance to the mysterious sealed room on the third floor.
But as her eyes followed it up, it ran straight into the ceiling without stopping. There was no third floor landing. Not yet… Lena climbed the staircase up to where she had to duck to keep from hitting her head. She pressed her hands satisfactorily against the ceiling, impressed with her progress. The book, still at the back of her mind, would have to wait.
She went back to her room and changed into some warm clothes—it was late March, and while the snow that had lately whitewashed the Waldgrave property was melting, the chill remained. She used the greenhouse staircase to avoid her mother knowing she was leaving the house and started to look for David. He was turning fertilizer into the land that he had cleared not too long ago; spring was coming, and Lena allowed herself a wandering thought about what would eventually be planted in the space.
He smiled when he saw her. “Princess,” he nodded. It had been a long time since he had referred to her that way.
“Hello, David.” She smiled. He could tell she was pleased with herself.
“Can I help you with something?” He stuck the shovel into the muddy ground and leaned on it.
“Have you ever been up to the third floor?” She pulled her coat tighter around her shoulders.
“Sure.”
“What’s in the middle room? The one the hall wraps around?”
He shrugged. “It’s an office, I guess. Your grandfather used to keep important documents in there. Why?”
“I found the other staircase. The one that goes up to that room, but I still can’t get in. I want to meet him.”
David raised his eyebrows. It was an unusual request.
Suddenly, Lena heard her name being shouted. She turned around to see her mother running toward her.
“You’ll be meeting him soon enough.” David straightened up as Ava drew closer.
“Lena! You can’t just go sneaking off like that…” Ava didn’t have a coat on, and crossed her arms to keep warm.
Lena crossed her own arms in exasperation. “Why not?! You’re so clingy, and you won’t tell me why!”
“I’m your mother and I don’t have to! And you!” She turned on David. “You shouldn’t be encouraging
“Mom? I think I’m missing one of the books I had last night. It’s a little brown one.”
“Sorry. Everything I found is up there.” She looked over at Howard. Today was a rare occasion—Howard seemed to be taking some sort of a work break, and had decided to join Ava and Lena in the living room to watch television. It was reruns; Ava’s choice. Lena wondered if it somehow felt like she was making up for lost time.
“Are you sure?” Lena shifted her eyes from Ava to Howard, who remained with his eyes fixed on the television. “Howard? Did you find any books down here?”
“No.” His eyes didn’t move. Since Ava’s arrival, he had avoided talking directly to Lena as much as was humanly possible. She wasn’t sure if he didn’t like her, or if Ava had specifically asked him not to talk to her, but either way, Lena was starting to miss him; even though they’d never been friendly, there really weren’t that many people in the house to talk to.
“So, neither of you found the book?”
“Apparently.” Howard replied.
“Well, I’m going to go look for it, then. It was a very interesting little book.” She stood up and watched their faces very closely, but couldn’t detect any trace of deception. Usually when they tried to hide something from her, they had a tendency to stare at one another; now they were just two people watching television.
She walked up the stairs. Then, she saw something in the library that hadn’t been there before. It was the largest transformation that she had ever seen the house make. There was a new staircase, but it wasn’t just any staircase—it was the staircase. It led towards the middle of the house—perfectly past the third floor hall. It was the missing entrance to the mysterious sealed room on the third floor.
But as her eyes followed it up, it ran straight into the ceiling without stopping. There was no third floor landing. Not yet… Lena climbed the staircase up to where she had to duck to keep from hitting her head. She pressed her hands satisfactorily against the ceiling, impressed with her progress. The book, still at the back of her mind, would have to wait.
She went back to her room and changed into some warm clothes—it was late March, and while the snow that had lately whitewashed the Waldgrave property was melting, the chill remained. She used the greenhouse staircase to avoid her mother knowing she was leaving the house and started to look for David. He was turning fertilizer into the land that he had cleared not too long ago; spring was coming, and Lena allowed herself a wandering thought about what would eventually be planted in the space.
He smiled when he saw her. “Princess,” he nodded. It had been a long time since he had referred to her that way.
“Hello, David.” She smiled. He could tell she was pleased with herself.
“Can I help you with something?” He stuck the shovel into the muddy ground and leaned on it.
“Have you ever been up to the third floor?” She pulled her coat tighter around her shoulders.
“Sure.”
“What’s in the middle room? The one the hall wraps around?”
He shrugged. “It’s an office, I guess. Your grandfather used to keep important documents in there. Why?”
“I found the other staircase. The one that goes up to that room, but I still can’t get in. I want to meet him.”
David raised his eyebrows. It was an unusual request.
Suddenly, Lena heard her name being shouted. She turned around to see her mother running toward her.
“You’ll be meeting him soon enough.” David straightened up as Ava drew closer.
“Lena! You can’t just go sneaking off like that…” Ava didn’t have a coat on, and crossed her arms to keep warm.
Lena crossed her own arms in exasperation. “Why not?! You’re so clingy, and you won’t tell me why!”
“I’m your mother and I don’t have to! And you!” She turned on David. “You shouldn’t be encouraging
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