After all three courses of dinner were served, Jackson was eager to revisit the movie theater room. He found a movie that he was interested in, and put it on. He poured his own glass of beer from the games room and somehow managed to get the over-sized glass into the cup holder of one of the reclining chairs.
Eleanor had continued reading the book she had started earlier, but soon grew restless. She was having a hard time getting her mind to focus. She couldn’t stop thinking about the offer that Lilith had made her. Making a decision seemed impossible.
She put her book aside and got up from the chair she was occupying. She lightly kissed Jackson’s bearded cheek, and left him alone in his semi-vegetative state in front of the movie.
Eleanor walked down the hall. She paused in the sitting room, standing by the fire that was going in the fireplace. It felt warm and soothing, even though she hadn’t felt cold. She hesitated in front of the fire before feeling the need to keep walking.
Eleanor stopped in the hallway, she watched as Corrine came running down the stairs in a flutter of activity with a red plaid blanket folded neatly in her arms. She half walked, half ran through the entry hall, her shoes skidding across the wood floor as she reached one of the many doors to go out into the court yard.
Eleanor quietly moved for a better view of what was going on. She could now clearly see that Lilith was outside, sitting in the cool night air. Her back was to the doors, and she was looking out over the dark lake and mountain. A mug of tea was wrapped in both of her hands. Even with a thick sweater on, Eleanor could assume that Lilith must have been cold.
She stole another glance back to the television room. Jackson was more than content in front of an action movie with a bowl of popcorn in his lap. Eleanor wanted another chance to talk to Lilith by herself.
Eleanor stayed well back, watching as Corrine folded the blanket over Lilith’s legs, which were folded up in the chair next to her thin frame. The large adirondak chair made Lilith look even tinier than she was.
Corrine stood with her hands together in front of her, but this time, even from a distance Eleanor could see that she was nervous. She was wringing her hands anxiously, with the worried expression of a family member doting nervously on a child.
Lilith spoke to Corrine, but Eleanor couldn’t see the expression on her face. She did however see a pale arm and wrist come up and wave Corrine away with a smooth flick of the wrist. Corrine hesitated for a moment before turning abruptly and stalking quickly back into the house.
Eleanor waited until Corrine was long gone. She crossed the sitting room in a few long, determined strides and stepped out into the cold night air. She pulled her hoodie around herself to keep warm and let the door shut behind her. She eased herself into the chair across from Lilith.
“I swear that woman worries far too much. It is not cold enough out here to warrant wool blankets.” Lilith said with a heavy sigh. She took a small sip from her tea.
“Actually, it’s kind of nice,” Eleanor mused. “A little cool, but not freezing. And the stars are lovely.”
“Exactly.” Lilith answered with a nod.
“Your staff seems to care a lot about you.” Eleanor mused.
“They have been with me for a very long time. We are more family than anything else. Or at least I feel that way. I am very lucky to be able to surround myself with competent, well meaning people.”
“How long have you lived here?” Eleanor asked.
Lilith drew in a deep breath. “I had the house built about ten years ago. The garage and staff quarters above were added on about seven or so years ago. Before that I was living in a one bedroom condo, I didn’t need the space with no one to fill it.”
Eleanor nodded. “Can I ask you something?”
Lilith pulled out a small package of Newport cigarettes, holding them in her hand for a moment. “You can ask me anything you like. I’ll try to answer truthfully.”
“When you said you were following my work…” Eleanor began. “What did that mean? Corrine said that as well when she came to visit Jackson and I. I was just curious.”
Lilith pulled a cigarette from the package and held it between her thumb and forefinger, thoughtfully. “It was actually purely by accident. I was flying to New York a few years back, and I had a layover in Little Rock. I spent the night in a hotel, some seedy airport hotel by the interstate—I believe it was.” When I got up in the morning, there was a newspaper at the door. I brought it with me on the plane, and in the airport I read your article. I somehow knew it was you, even though your last name had changed… I felt a connection; like back when we were kids and we were writing together. I recognized your style, your word choices, your use of punctuation. All of it seemed so familiar. And I couldn’t get it out of my head. When I came back here I followed the paper on-line… I was glad that you were still writing… that you are still writing. You’re good at it. Much better than I ever was.”
Eleanor gaped at her. “Better than you? You’re best-selling L.M. Quinn. How can I top that?” She asked in disbelief.
Lilith placed the cigarette between her lips. She didn’t make an immediate move to light it, but did so after several moments. “Like I said before, I got lucky.”
“No, you have talent.” Eleanor countered, “That’s not luck.”
Lilith took a long drag from her cigarette, and slowly lowered it. She let out a long stream of smoke before she spoke again. “It is entirely luck. If I had never met you, I’d have never written a thing. You were the writer of the two of us, and you were better at it.”
Eleanor could sense this conversation wasn’t going anywhere. She didn’t want to argue. She closed her eyes for a moment and opened them again slowly.
“How long have you smoked?” Eleanor blurted out accidentally.
“I started right after I moved in with my aunt and uncle, after the car accident. I quit for almost a decade, but it doesn’t seem to matter much now.” She said, looking down at the cigarette perched between her first two fingers.
“There’s really nothing that can be done? The doctors can’t do anything for you?” Eleanor asked.
“There’s nothing. There are things that can prolong the inevitable, and there are options to give me quantity of life, but nothing really to improve the quality. I’ll get sicker, and it’ll only get worse from here. I’m trying to finish as many things as I can. I’ve got a few books in the works…” She leaned forward just enough to reach the ashtray. She butted out her half-smoked cigarette and sat back in her chair.
Eleanor tucked her cold hands between her knees to warm them and sat forward. “Are you sure? Do you really want to pick me?”
The corner of Lilith’s mouth twitched in a wry smile. “I am sure. I considered the options for a long time, it’s not a decision I made lightly. I chose you because of our history, even if by now it is ancient history… you were the one who got me into writing, you were my first editor; my first reader… There was a time when you knew my writing better than anyone else. I feel it is only fitting seeing as our writing styles were at one time so similar. I thought that it only made sense to ask you to continue on the legacy that I began. I spoke to my literary agent, and he supports that decision. Of course the publisher is all for it, whatever makes them the most money…”
Eleanor pursed her lips. “And what if my books don’t sell?”
“They will. As I said before, the author’s name carries weight. And if your books stop selling, reprise some of my existing characters. I read an interesting article not too long ago that said that story lines don’t sell books, characters do. It was an entire study on how readers are more interested in the characters than the plot. If you take a character that is already developed, the plot doesn’t matter. And if you still can’t sell any books, which I highly doubt will happen…. You’ll at least have Emerald Manor and enough money left to sustain the two of you for a very long time.”
“And you’re okay with this? You’re okay with a stranger continuing your legacy? Because I know for a fact that I am a completely different person than I was fifteen years ago, and you’ve changed too. We knew each other back then, but we don’t know each other now.”
Lilith shrugged. “I’m comfortable with my decision.”
“I need to think about it.” Eleanor said slowly.
“That’s fine. Take as much time as you need.” Lilith nodded, taking a sip from her mug of tea. She rested the mug on the arm of her chair. “Is there anything you would like to do while you are here? I can have my driver take you in to town. The town nearby is small, but quite lovely. A lot of small shops, craft stores, small bakeries…”
Eleanor’s first thought was that she couldn’t afford to go shopping. “I’ll ask Jackson what he wants to do. I think he’s really interested in taking the boat out.”
“He can absolutely do that.” Lilith nodded. “I hardly use it.”
Neither spoke for several moments. Lilith broke the silence. “How are you finding the bunkie? Are you both comfortable there?”
“Oh absolutely. It’s beautiful.” Eleanor said. “It’s more beautiful than any hotel I’ve ever stayed in. We are very comfortable, thank you.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Corrine suggested that we move you to the main house, and put you up in one of the bedrooms. But I thought you both might be more comfortable with your own space. I wanted you to feel at home here.”
“Thank you. Everyone has really been too kind. Jackson and I are very comfortable. The view is amazing, and it is very comfortable.” Eleanor smiled. “I can’t thank you enough.”
The door to the courtyard opened and Jackson leaned out. “Ellie, I’m going to head back to the bunkie and get some sleep…” He yawned.
Eleanor looked from Lilith to Jackson, then back again to Lilith. “Wait for me, I’ll come with you.” Eleanor stood, suddenly feeling the cold.
“Will we see you in the morning?” Eleanor asked Lilith.
Lilith reached for her package of cigarettes and removed one from the package. She nodded. “The second you go inside, Corrine will be out here trying to wrap me in bubble wrap. I’ll be fine.”