Blue Moon by Isobel Bird

Author:Isobel Bird
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780061756542
Publisher: HarperCollins

CHAPTER 10

“What are they doing?” Annie asked Mrs. Abercrombie as she watched some workmen taking things out of Ben Rowe’s old room while two other men carried things in.

“There’s a new guest coming,” the nurse told her.

“A new guest?” Annie said. “Why?”

The nurse smiled. “We can’t just leave the rooms empty,” she said. “There are a lot of people who need to live here.”

Annie relaxed. “I know,” she said. “I guess I just thought that it would always be Ben’s room. So who’s coming?”

Mrs. Abercrombie looked at her list. “Miss Eulalie Parsons,” she told Annie.

“Eulalie Parsons?” Annie said. “What kind of name is that?”

“It’s a Southern name, young lady.”

Annie turned around and saw an old woman standing behind her. She was short—only about up to Annie’s chest—and very, very thin. Her curly white hair was gathered into a small knot at the nape of her neck, and she peered at Annie through small round spectacles, her chocolate-colored eyes magnified by the thick lenses so that they appeared to be much larger than they were. She wore a light blue dress the color of the summer sky, and around her neck she wore a beautiful necklace containing a large sapphire.

“Oh,” Annie said, startled at the power in the old woman’s voice. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“You didn’t offend me,” said Eulalie. “Not yet anyway.”

“You’ll have to excuse my aunt,” said a tall woman standing beside the old lady. “She’s a little nervous about moving in.”

“I’m not nervous at all,” Miss Parsons said. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“Well, I’m sure Annie will be happy to help you get settled while your niece and I go over the final paperwork,” Mrs. Abercrombie said.

“Sure,” said Annie. “I’d be happy to.”

“Come on then,” Eulalie said to Annie as she walked toward her room. “I want to make sure those big lunks carrying my things in don’t drop anything.”

Annie followed the old woman into what used to be Ben Rowe’s room. Eulalie stopped and looked around.

“I like this color,” she said, eyeing the blue walls.

“Ben and I painted the room this color,” Annie said.

“Ben?” Miss Parsons asked.

“The man who used to live here,” explained Annie.

Eulalie nodded. “You and he were friends?”

“Yes,” said Annie. “He meant a lot to me.”

The old woman nodded but didn’t say anything. She went to the window, opened the curtains, and looked outside. “Very nice,” she said. “If I have to be locked away it might as well be someplace pretty.”

“Don’t you want to be here?” Annie asked.

Miss Parsons turned around and fixed Annie with a look. “Nobody wants to be here, do they?” she asked. “Isn’t this where they put people when they want to forget about them?”

Annie didn’t know what to say. She’d often thought that same thing, but she’d never said it out loud, at least not to any of the residents.

“Oh, don’t take me too seriously,” Eulalie said, waving at Annie. “I’m sure it will be fine. At least I won’t have a great big house to clean anymore.

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