Chapter 6: Supper

The bread tore unevenly beneath the knife. Nora Bell gave her the first piece, with a corner of crust missing, and she accepted it without exchanging it for a neater one.

Beyond the doorway, the piano stood closed. The photograph had been turned slightly toward the room. Ada Mercer noticed, then brought her attention back to the table, where a serving spoon was slipping toward the bottom of a bowl.

She caught its handle and held the bowl while Eli Finch served himself. He took more than she expected, then looked across at her plate.

“Pass it here,” she said.

He did. The bowl warmed both her palms. When Nora Bell sat down, Ada Mercer was still choosing what she wanted, and they waited for her to take it.

— The End —