The Secret of the Nightingale Palace by Sachs Dana

Author:Sachs, Dana [Sachs, Dana]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: General Fiction
ISBN: 9780062201041
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2013-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

Given the circumstances, Goldie was in a remarkably upbeat mood when Anna arrived the next morning at eight. “The food is vile, but the staff couldn’t be friendlier,” she told Anna. She had more color in her face this morning, and she had eaten most of her breakfast.

“That’s what they say about the Midwest,” Anna reminded her. “People are apple cheeked and friendly.” She had stopped at the café in the lobby. Now she sat in the armchair, drinking coffee and breaking off pieces of scone. “Do you want some?” she asked.

Goldie looked at her granddaughter as if Anna had suggested they buy a condo in this city. “I’m getting out of here today. Help me get dressed.”

“Did the doctor tell you that when he came in?” Anna knew very well that Goldie could not have seen the doctor yet this morning. The night before, they had lain in bed talking for hours. Later, after a little sleep, he had gazed at her, smoothing back her hair with his hand. The morning had made them formal with each other, though, and when he got into the shower at seven thirty, she had fought the urge to duck out without saying good-bye. Instead, she politely knocked on the door, then peeked in.

“Um. I’m going to go on over to the hospital,” she told him.

He stuck his head out between the shower curtain and the wall. “What?”

“I’m just going to go,” she yelled.

Anna could not fully gauge his reaction, but he seemed unconcerned that she was leaving. Steam filled the room, and his head was covered with suds. “Okay. I’ll see you there,” he’d said.

Goldie pushed herself up in the bed. “He hasn’t been by yet. They tell me that he’ll make his rounds about nine. Even the nurse said she thought I could leave today.” Her gaze fell on Anna. “You look worn out,” she said. “Are you going to be able to drive?”

Anna glanced down at her skirt, which was wrinkled and dotted with stains of yellow curry. She hadn’t bothered to go back to the hotel to change, which meant that she had moved into her third day in this outfit. “I thought maybe I’d do some laundry this afternoon,” she offered lamely. “I didn’t expect that we’d be leaving so soon.”

“So soon? Are you crazy? We would be halfway to California if I hadn’t ended up in that suitcase.”

“We’re not in a hurry.”

“You might not be in a hurry, but I’ve got to catch a flight to Dubai, remember?”

“Let’s read the paper.” Anna had found a copy of USA Today, and she handed the front section to her grandmother. Goldie would not actually read much of the paper, but a few minutes spent absently scanning the headlines usually calmed her.

Anna must have dozed off, because Naveen’s voice woke her. “Mrs. Rosenthal?” he said, stepping through the door with a nurse. Anna sat up stiffly. He looked down at his clipboard, then up at Goldie, then over to Anna. “Hello,” he said politely, before turning back to Goldie.

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