Grey Eyes: Book One of the Forever Trilogy

Chapter Five

“Are you my grandmother?” A silly thing to need to ask.

“Oh no, dear," she replied in a delicate voice.  "I am merely the keeper of the house.  Your grandmother waits for you in her study.  Shall I show you inside?”

Butterflies took flight in my stomach.  “S-sure,” I stuttered.

The woman smiled and stepped aside, giving me my first view of the mansion's interior.  It was enormous, this main room, probably bigger than any of the houses I've ever called home.  The floor glistened as though permanently wet, and tall, very old looking paintings hung from the walls.  Rising up from the center of the room were twin staircases that bent away from one another and met a higher floor, which overlooked this room.   Maids gathered near the railing gawked and whispered to one another.  I pretended not to notice.

“Come on dear, don’t be shy.”

I stepped inside and immediately the smell of something sweet touched my nose. Familiar, I had smelled it before, but I couldn’t place it.  The old woman slid the glass door shut behind me and then placed her hand on my shoulder.

“It is good to see you well after all these years.  My name is Helena.  If you need anything, please do not hesitate to call on me.”

“Um, thanks.” I didn’t know what else to say.

“Come now, your grandmother has been very anxious since last night.  She’ll want very much to see that you’re well.”

The woman hurried into a hall off the main room and I did my best to keep up.  Helena was much faster than she looked.  Painted portraits lined the first portion of this hall, abruptly followed by a succession of black and white photographs, and then colored ones of increasing quality.  I took them in as best I could while trying not to lose track of her, but stopped cold when I saw my own face.  I had never taken a picture in my whole life.  My mother wouldn’t allow it.  The photograph hung just short of the double doors at the end of the hall and when Helena noticed I’d stopped, she turned back to join me in front of it.

“Is that me?”

“No dear.  That is your aunt, Aleksandra.  I did not want to seem rude by mentioning the resemblance when I greeted you at the door, but it is rather uncanny.  When I saw you last, you were but a baby in your diapers. I thought then that you looked incredibly like your mother.  Now, it seems to me that you have inherited much more from your aunt than just her eyes.”

I continued to gaze at the other me.  “I’d say.”

At her insistence, I left the photograph and turned for the large wooden doors that ended the hall.  Helena gave a light tap and a voice called, but I couldn’t make out exactly what was said.  Helena pushed open the doors and then smiled back at me, waving for me to follow. 

We entered what appeared to be a very small library.  Bookcases filled the right side of the room save for a small fireplace.  A large wooden desk stood immediately to my left and it was there that a very old woman sat.  Her face was damp and her hands moved what appeared to be photographs off the desk and into a drawer.

“I present the princess, Anastasia Aleksandra Adams of the Rasputin line, rightful heir of Merline, the first,” Helena announced.

My grandmother smiled brightly, unaware that her moist red eyes betrayed her show of joy.  I smiled back, though I wondered if my own smile was as transparent.

“Leave us please.” My grandmother dismissed my escort with a wave of her hand.  Helena bowed and ducked back into the hall, shutting the doors behind her.