Henry and Violet by Michelle Zink

Author:Michelle Zink
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Titan Books

Twenty-One

Violet watched as Whitney slipped her key in the lock and opened the door. They followed her into a tiled foyer flanked by two large plants.

“It’s a walk-up,” Whitney said. “Gran’s on the third floor. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” Violet said.

She spoke quickly, guessing that Henry was still sulking. He hadn’t said two words to her since their fight on the street. She was annoyed that he was being childish, but she didn’t want to draw attention to that fact with Whitney.

They started up the stairs, continuing past the second floor. When they got to the third floor, Violet saw there were four doors clustered around the landing. Whitney headed for the one marked with the number twelve in shiny brass.

“I’m going to knock before I use my key,” Whitney explained, raising her hand to the door.

She knocked softly. Violet held her breath. This was it. If Whitney’s grandmother wasn’t home, Violet would have to put off her search for her father’s notebook. Maybe she could be in touch with the woman named Mildred over the phone once she got back to Storybrooke, but there was no way she and Henry would be able to get away from the field trip again.

Whitney knocked again. “Are you in there, Gran? It’s me, Whitney.”

Her voice was met with silence. She was lifting an old-fashioned key to the lock when the door flew open. The woman standing on the other side of the threshold was small, with wild red hair and porcelain skin so pale it was almost translucent.

“My goodness, Whitney, I told you to use your—”

She stopped mid-sentence when she spotted Violet and Henry.

“I tried calling, Gran, but you didn’t answer your phone. This is Violet Morgan. She was interested in one of your pieces and didn’t realize you had closed the store. This is her friend Henry. They came all the way from Maine.” Having introduced Violet and Henry, Whitney looked at her grandmother. “This is my grandmother Mildred Appleby.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” Violet held out her hand and was relieved when Henry followed suit. At least he hadn’t lost sight of his manners.

“I suppose I should have put something on the internet about the closing after all,” Mildred said as she shook their hands.

Whitney laughed. “I tried to tell you. Now are you going to invite us in or are we going to continue this in the hall?”

The woman stepped back and opened the door wider. “Of course. Come in.” They stepped over the threshold as she continued, “I’m sorry I didn’t answer the phone. I was cataloguing those old postcards I got in last week.”

“It’s okay, Gran,” Whitney said.

They followed Mildred into a small living room lined with shelves. The place had an air of ordered chaos with knickknacks and books lining the shelves and a series of small tables scattered around the room. Violet wouldn’t have been surprised if Mildred could produce even the smallest of items from the clutter without a second thought.

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