Free The Alphabet Sisters by Monica McInerney Page A

huntsman spiders, and they seemed happy enough to move.”
    “Move rooms or move motels?”
    “Motels, now I think of it. Now, be sure to make yourself at home. If your luck holds and we don’t get many guests, you might be able to stay put the whole time you’re here. You do have neighbors, though.”
    “Neighbors?”
    The door to number seven beside them opened and Anna and Ellen came out. Bett’s stomach flipped as she saw them for the first time in years. Anna looked as fresh and elegant as ever, immaculately made-up, wearing a white shift dress that showed off her toned, brown body. Ellen was in a pale blue sundress, holding a straw hat. Bett stood up a little straighter, suddenly conscious of her own creased T-shirt and makeup-free face.
    Lola coughed politely. “Anna Quinlan, may I introduce your sister, Bett Quinlan. Bett Quinlan, this is Anna, your older sister.”
    “Hello, Anna.”
    “Hello, Bett.”
    “And this is Ellen,” Lola continued. “You remember Ellen.”
    Bett looked down at the little girl, feeling Anna’s eyes boring into her. Ellen was lovely, a mini version of Anna, with big eyes, straight dark hair, and olive skin. Bett glanced at the scar on her cheek, keeping a big smile on her face. Lola had warned her Anna was extremely sensitive about people’s reactions to Ellen’s scar. She leaned down. “Hello, Ellen.”
    Ellen pressed close against Anna and wouldn’t look up.
    “Ellen, this is Bett, your auntie. My sister.”
    Ellen still didn’t look at her. Anna gave Bett a tight smile, a half shrug, as if to apologize.
    Bett looked behind her, waiting for Glenn to emerge as well. Anna noticed.
    “He’s not here,” she said.
    Bett felt the rush of color into her face. Had Anna kept him away because of her? Because of the things she’d said about him? Oh, God. Talk about things getting off to a bad start. “Look, he’s—” Very welcome to be here, too, she’d been about to say.
    “Very busy at work,” Anna said smoothly. “He wasn’t able to get away.”
    Bett relaxed slightly. “Oh. I see.”
    Anna spoke again, her voice measured, in control. “So how was your flight?”
    “Fine. Long. But I had a night’s stopover in Singapore, so I’m not too exhausted. And you? Did you drive down or fly?”
    “We flew. Took the ten o’clock this morning.”
    Lola stepped in, shaking her head. “Well, it’s a credit to the both of you. Three years’ separation and look at the conversation you manage to strike up.”
    “Lola, please.” Anna and Bett turned to her and spoke as one.
    “Mum.” Ellen’s voice was little more than a whisper, as she started pulling at her mother’s hand.
    Anna leaned down, stroking her daughter’s hair from her face. “You’re hungry, I know. Come on, darling. We’ll go and see what Grandma has for you. See you later, Bett.”
    “Yes, see you, Anna. See you, Ellen.”
    As they walked away toward the kitchen, Lola was half laughing, half sighing. “You’ll be the death of me. If that was the best you and Anna could do, then God knows what you’ll do with Carrie. Lunge at her with a knife, probably.”
    “Lola, sorry, but you have to stop all these cracks. This isn’t some little tiff between us. This is big, serious stuff. Grown-up stuff.”
    “Nonsense. It’s been the world’s most ridiculous feud. Over Matthew, of all people.”
    “It wasn’t just over Matthew. It was—”
    “What?”
    “All sorts of things.” Bett wasn’t ready for this. She tried to find the words. “Maybe we were unnaturally close all our lives, you know, with the three of us moving so much and the whole Alphabet Sisters thing.”
    “So now you’re blaming me?”
    “Lola, of course I’m not blaming you. I loved the Alpha-bet Sisters, until—” She stopped short. Was that actually the truth? She grabbed her grandmother’s arm. “Can we please not talk about it right now? Just for a little while? Can you and I go inside and talk about normal things,