look.
"Then we're going for a walk around town, and we'll stop someplace for a drink."
"I don't have the money for a drink," Emma objected sulkily.
"My treat." Abbie gave her sister an affectionate pat on her thigh. "Get moving." She stood up and nodded at Lily. "You get the sheets. I'll strip the bed."
Lily stood up, too, and snapped a brisk salute at her sister. It was really mind-boggling, she thought as she wandered out into the hall and down to the linen closet at the end, how Abbie could just waltz in like this after eighteen months away and take over. Plus, suddenly everything was all about Emma. Abbie hadn't even asked Lily how she was!
Back in Emma's bedroom, Lily dropped the sheets on the bureau, found the bottom sheet, and sailed it out over Emma's double bed. Abbie grabbed the other side and together they lifted the corners and slipped the sheet over the mattress.
"Well done," Lily told Abbie, and trying to create a sense of conspiracy between them, she nodded toward the bathroom, where the shower ran full force.
"Poor kid," Abbie said. "She worked so hard."
" I work hard, too!" Lily protested.
"Oh, right." Abbie hefted the mattress to tuck the sheet under. Of course she did it quickly and perfectly, as if she'd been trained by the order of excellent innkeepers or something. "You're writing a weekly social column for Nantucket Talk. Tell me about it."
"Oh, it's such a cool job." Lily vigorously stuffed a pillow into the case. "It is hard work, though. I have to drive all over the island; I have to go right up to people I don't know to ask if I can interview them; I have to take notes and remember a million things at once because I can't use a tape recorder; I have to try to remember everyone's face and name and be really nice."
Abbie laughed. "That sounds like fun, Lily, and perfect for you. Is it a year-round job?"
"Absolutely! Something's always happening on the island now. Armchair theater, concerts, community events like the spelling bee."
Abbie tilted her head. "Are you really so busy off-season?"
Suddenly Lily felt under attack. "I run the house, too. I buy groceries, I make Dad healthy dinners, I vacuum ..."
"I know, I'm just wondering ... The curtains need to be washed, and stuff like that."
Emma walked into the room, wrapped in a towel, her brown hair curling around her face, smelling wet and strawberry-scented from the shampoo.
Abbie ran her hand over her forehead. "You know, I'm whipped. I mean, I started the day in London, and it's nine o'clock in the evening for my brain. Jet lag must be catching up with me."
"Take a nap," Emma said. "I don't feel like going out, anyway."
"Actually, I think I will take a nap." Abbie stretched and yawned. "Emma, would you wake me in a couple of hours? I want to get back on U.S. time."
"Sure." Emma dropped her towel on the floor and slipped into her bed. She reached for the clock on her bedside table and set the alarm, then slid down between the covers, turning her back on her sisters.
"See you in awhile," Abbie said over her shoulder as she left the room. "Man, it's really hitting me. I'll unpack later."
Lily stood for a moment, then she left the room, too, mumbling, "You could have said thank you for changing the sheets."
Emma must not have heard her, for she only said, "Pull the door shut, would you, Lily?"
Suddenly Lily found herself alone in the hall. The doors to both sisters' rooms were shut, as blank and forbidding as they'd been when they were teenagers gossiping about exotic secrets while silly little baby Lily, too young to be included, hung around in the hall, waiting to be invited in, hoping to overhear even one intimate word.
Well, she wouldn't be like that! She had a life! She had work!
But she'd turned in her column this morning, and tonight, Tuesday night, nothing was happening on the island. It was still too early for the big parties, galas, fund-raisers, even for the art openings.
Well, then, she had friends! Clattering down
"Then we're going for a walk around town, and we'll stop someplace for a drink."
"I don't have the money for a drink," Emma objected sulkily.
"My treat." Abbie gave her sister an affectionate pat on her thigh. "Get moving." She stood up and nodded at Lily. "You get the sheets. I'll strip the bed."
Lily stood up, too, and snapped a brisk salute at her sister. It was really mind-boggling, she thought as she wandered out into the hall and down to the linen closet at the end, how Abbie could just waltz in like this after eighteen months away and take over. Plus, suddenly everything was all about Emma. Abbie hadn't even asked Lily how she was!
Back in Emma's bedroom, Lily dropped the sheets on the bureau, found the bottom sheet, and sailed it out over Emma's double bed. Abbie grabbed the other side and together they lifted the corners and slipped the sheet over the mattress.
"Well done," Lily told Abbie, and trying to create a sense of conspiracy between them, she nodded toward the bathroom, where the shower ran full force.
"Poor kid," Abbie said. "She worked so hard."
" I work hard, too!" Lily protested.
"Oh, right." Abbie hefted the mattress to tuck the sheet under. Of course she did it quickly and perfectly, as if she'd been trained by the order of excellent innkeepers or something. "You're writing a weekly social column for Nantucket Talk. Tell me about it."
"Oh, it's such a cool job." Lily vigorously stuffed a pillow into the case. "It is hard work, though. I have to drive all over the island; I have to go right up to people I don't know to ask if I can interview them; I have to take notes and remember a million things at once because I can't use a tape recorder; I have to try to remember everyone's face and name and be really nice."
Abbie laughed. "That sounds like fun, Lily, and perfect for you. Is it a year-round job?"
"Absolutely! Something's always happening on the island now. Armchair theater, concerts, community events like the spelling bee."
Abbie tilted her head. "Are you really so busy off-season?"
Suddenly Lily felt under attack. "I run the house, too. I buy groceries, I make Dad healthy dinners, I vacuum ..."
"I know, I'm just wondering ... The curtains need to be washed, and stuff like that."
Emma walked into the room, wrapped in a towel, her brown hair curling around her face, smelling wet and strawberry-scented from the shampoo.
Abbie ran her hand over her forehead. "You know, I'm whipped. I mean, I started the day in London, and it's nine o'clock in the evening for my brain. Jet lag must be catching up with me."
"Take a nap," Emma said. "I don't feel like going out, anyway."
"Actually, I think I will take a nap." Abbie stretched and yawned. "Emma, would you wake me in a couple of hours? I want to get back on U.S. time."
"Sure." Emma dropped her towel on the floor and slipped into her bed. She reached for the clock on her bedside table and set the alarm, then slid down between the covers, turning her back on her sisters.
"See you in awhile," Abbie said over her shoulder as she left the room. "Man, it's really hitting me. I'll unpack later."
Lily stood for a moment, then she left the room, too, mumbling, "You could have said thank you for changing the sheets."
Emma must not have heard her, for she only said, "Pull the door shut, would you, Lily?"
Suddenly Lily found herself alone in the hall. The doors to both sisters' rooms were shut, as blank and forbidding as they'd been when they were teenagers gossiping about exotic secrets while silly little baby Lily, too young to be included, hung around in the hall, waiting to be invited in, hoping to overhear even one intimate word.
Well, she wouldn't be like that! She had a life! She had work!
But she'd turned in her column this morning, and tonight, Tuesday night, nothing was happening on the island. It was still too early for the big parties, galas, fund-raisers, even for the art openings.
Well, then, she had friends! Clattering down
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