Ellis nods. She looks disappointed, though. She falls silent, but just like earlier with Norman, I feel like she wants to say more.
Just say it, I encourage silently.
I know she doesn’t want to leave. She may think I didn’t notice she was stalling, but I have. She didn’t start packing until she’d said goodbye to all her new acquaintances, and the time she spent away from the room tells me she must have said goodbye to nearly all the guests. Then when we were about to leave, she said she had to go to the kitchen to ask for the recipe for the chocolate croissants. Now, all the other guests have gone. It’s just us left. Still, she doesn’t seem to want to leave.
“Well, shouldn’t you be going? We asked someone to clear the roads, but with this snow they’ll be filled up again soon.”
True. Even so…
“I think Ellis wants to say goodbye to Samuel personally,” I say as I put an arm around her.
She gives me a surprised look, which I ignore as I look at Vivian.
“She’s been worried for him since she saw him.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Vivian says. “As you both know, he’s sick.”
“We’re doctors, Vivian,” I remind her. “We know how to deal with a patient.”
“And it will only be for a little while,” Ellis says eagerly.
So she did want to see Samuel.
“Sure?” Vivian asks her. “You know what happened last time.”
My eyebrows furrow. What happened last time?
“Yes,” Ellis answers. “I’ll be fine. I’ll talk to him.”
Vivian sighs. “Fine.”
She walks off and Ellis and I follow her. Ellis squeezes my hand.
“Thank you,” she whispers.
I just squeeze her hand back.
After a few minutes, we reach Samuel’s room. I recognize the smell of sickness as soon as we step in through the doors. Samuel is in the large bed, surrounded by pillows. Medical equipment stands on one side of it and attendants – a doctor, a nurse and a maid – on the other. As I approach the bed, I notice the head of the thoroughbred mounted above it with the golden inscription ‘Run Like Hell’. I guess that was the horse’s name.
My eyebrows crease. Run Like Hell. Now, why does that sound familiar?
“Daddy,” Vivian speaks to her father. “I have Ellis here. Do you remember her?”
Samuel looks at Ellis.
“She’s the fiancee of Dr. Knight, not Samantha.”
Samantha?
“Yes, yes, I remember,” Samuel says. “I have COPD, not Alzheimer’s.”
Vivian frowns. “I’m just making sure…”
“The beautiful doctor.” Samuel turns to Ellis. “I’m so sorry for how I behaved last time.”
“It’s fine,” Ellis says as she approaches him. “How are you feeling?”
“Still like hell,” he answers. Then he glances at me. “Dr. Knight, how are you?”
I step forward. “Good.”
“How is your father? Still too busy to attend parties?”
“I’m afraid so,” I answer.
“Well, he’s still young. He should try to do as much as he can while he can.”
I nod. “I’ll send him your regards.”
He turns to Ellis. “And you take care of this sweet young woman. She…”
Suddenly, Samuel starts coughing again. The nurse rushes to his side with a basin and he throws up.
Vivian grimaces, then looks at me. “I think you should go.”
I want to tell her Ellis and I are used to vomiting – in fact, we’ve seen worse – but I grab Ellis’s arm.
“It’s time for us to leave,” I tell her.
She reluctantly comes with me, though she looks back over her shoulder. I don’t, but based on what I’m hearing, Samuel is still throwing up.
Just then, Ellis bumps into a stool, probably because she was busy watching Samuel. It wobbles and the walking cane leaning on it falls. Ellis picks it up.
“I’m so sorry,” she mumbles.
She puts the cane back where it was. As she straightens up, I realize she’s dropped something else on the carpet. A necklace.
As I pick it up, I recognize the butterfly pendant.
“Isn’t this the…?”
“Oh my God!” Vivian gasps as she grabs the necklace. “Where did you get this?”
Ellis clutches the front of her shirt. Her face looks pale. “I…”
“She didn’t steal it, I promise,” I tell Vivian. “It was given to her.”
“Impossible,” Vivian mutters as she stares at the necklace in her hand. “This belonged to…”
“Samantha,” Samuel finishes the sentence.
We all turn towards him.
“That’s Samantha’s,” he says weakly.
“I know,” I say. “But apparently Samantha gave it to Ellis’s mother as a gift.”
“But of course she’d give it away,” Vivian says. “She hated being a Northup. She hated us all.”
“Your mother knew Sammie?” Samuel asks Ellis.
“Not knew,” Ellis answers. “But they did meet once when Sa… Samantha gave her something… even more important.”
“What?” Vivian asks.
Even I am curious to know.
Ellis draws a deep breath. “Me.”
Now, I’m confused.
“Jenna Smithson isn’t my real mother,” Ellis goes on. “Samantha Northup is.”
Vivian gasps. My jaw drops. Wait a minute. Is Ellis saying what I think she’s saying?