‘Do you know where Ava is now?’
Lynsey shook her head.
‘I know she was some big-shot lawyer, because sometimes Aunt Susie would see her name in the paper and point it out to us. Do you remember Aunt Ava? she’d say. Look what important things she’s doing. What was her second name?’ Lynsey mused. ‘Ava Greenman. That’s it!’
The next day, Rebecca arrived. The presence of the favourite niece immediately picked up Susannah’s mood. The house suddenly felt full of positivity.
‘Thanks so much for taking such good care of her,’ Rebecca said, giving Emer a warm hug. She was tall and slender with blonde hair, and indeed looked very like her mother Kate from the picture Emer had seen on Susannah’s desk.
‘You’re welcome to stay,’ Lynsey said. ‘It’s clear our aunt is very fond of you.’
‘But if you want to go, we can take it from here,’ Rebecca said as she put her arm around her sister. The two of them leant into each other.
‘Oh,’ Emer said, taken aback. She hadn’t considered they might ask her to leave.
‘Please don’t think we’re asking you to go,’ Rebecca continued, obviously reading Emer’s thoughts.
‘Yes. You’re very, very welcome,’ added Lynsey.
Emer retreated into Susannah’s study while the two sisters caught up over wine. She guessed her purpose had been served, but she had no idea where she should go now. She looked through Susannah’s bookshelves at all the beautiful old books, and one slim volume caught her eye. It was Emily Dickinson. She pulled it out and the cover fell open. Written on the flyleaf was a dedication to Susannah from Ava. With all my love forever. Was it true that love could last forever? Emer believed that for Orla and Ethan, it could have.
She put the book down carefully, and took a breath. It was clear to her where she needed to go now.
44
Susannah
November 5th, 2011
Her girls were with her now. As they moved around the room, gently adjusting her and helping her in and out of the bathroom, they were their younger selves again. Her two daughters, not by birth, but by default. Her sister’s daughters. Lynsey and Rebecca – the redhead and the blonde.
Susannah had lost track of time. Only knew when it was day or not by whether it was dark or light outside. Either Lynsey or Rebecca were giving her drugs, helping keep the pain at bay. She was tired now. A couple of times, she’d wondered where the young Irish nurse had gone.
‘Emer’s left for a couple of days,’ Lynsey told her. ‘But she said she’ll be back.’
Susannah wasn’t afraid, because she felt love surrounding her. Of the living, and of the dead. In the room with her was her mother, her sister, Kate, and even her lost daddy. She only had one regret.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Ava’s face. As clear as day. The black hair, cut straight with bangs, thick dark eyebrows, and dark eyes which swallowed her up. Why had she let her poor mother blackmail her all those years, when she had clearly been suffering from dementia? Would anyone have believed her? Susannah knew in her heart it had been an excuse. She had been afraid to leave the island. Afraid to trust Ava with her secret. She had lived the rest of her life in grief, not just for her sister, but also for Ava.
Someone had opened her window. It was a warm day, even though she knew it was Fall. She smelt the crispness of the trees outside, and a blackbird sat on her window sill, filling the room with the most beautiful song. She took one breath, then another. She was still alive.
Lynsey came into the room, followed by Rebecca.
‘You’re awake,’ Lynsey said gently. ‘How are you feeling?’
‘Okay,’ Susannah croaked. It felt as if a knife was twisting in her stomach, but she didn’t want them to dope her up just yet.
‘Someone’s here to see you,’ Lynsey continued, and Susannah could see there was a careful look in her eyes.
‘Is Emer back?’ she asked.
‘Yes,’ Rebecca told her.
Susannah was glad. She’d become very fond of the young Irish nurse. Almost viewed her as family.
‘She’s brought someone with her,’ Lynsey said, speaking very slowly, as if Susannah was deaf. ‘Went all the way to New York to get her.’
Susannah looked between her two nieces, not fully comprehending what Lynsey had just told her.
‘Ava’s come, Aunty, do you want to see her?’ Rebecca chirped, unable to keep it in any longer.
Susannah’s heart gave a leap and she gasped in shock. How did the girls know? Was this a dream?
She lifted her frail hands to her face.
‘But I look bad,’ she whispered. ‘Is it really her?’ She looked up at Lynsey.
‘You’re beautiful, Aunty,’ Lynsey said, patting her arm. ‘I’ll go get her.’
She was in a dream, she was sure of it. In the last blissful illusion, before death caught up with her. Ava had come back to her at long last.
45
Emer
5th December 2011
They walked the woods of her and Orla’s childhood. Crunching through the thin films of ice on the puddles, the mud hardened with frost. On her back, she felt the weight of what she was carrying in her backpack. She knew exactly where she needed to go.
Through the trees, rustling in the chill winter’s breeze. Their sound reminded her of the sea, and yet again, she thought about her strange time on Vinalhaven, and its end. Her most abiding memory was of Ava and Susannah reunited, albeit for just a few days. It had been surprisingly easy to find Ava, once she’d arrived at Ethan’s place in New York. He had even heard of her and knew the firm where she still worked, despite the fact she was in her seventies.
When Emer had turned up at her office, Ava had been shocked, but easily convinced to come with her once Emer had explained the urgency of the situation. Her initial delight at hearing her lost love had finally sent a messenger for her had turned to distress to hear of her sickness.
On the long drive to Vinalhaven, Ava had told Emer how much she’d regretted all the years apart from Susannah.
‘I never did fall in love again,’ she said. ‘There were other women, sure. But none like Su.’
‘Why did you never try to get her to come back to New York?’
‘Oh boy, I tried, but her crazy mom made her stay. I couldn’t make her leave her mother. She was so loyal to her and her little nieces.’
‘But couldn’t you have stayed in Vinalhaven with Susannah?’ Emer continued to question her.
‘I said I would, but Su wouldn’t let me. Insisted I leave. I thought she didn’t want me any more.’ Ava sighed. ‘I was young and stupid. A love like ours doesn’t come twice in one life.’
As Ava talked, Emer couldn’t help thinking about Lars. The whole episode with Henry had made her realise that what she and Lars had found was so real, so rare, she shouldn’t turn her back on it.
‘I buried myself in my work,’ Ava said. ‘Poured all my passion into human rights.’
Once on the ferry, Ava had grown quiet. Gone to stand on the deck by herself and watch for the island. Emer could see the young woman within her more and more as they approached Vinalhaven. Her dark eyes, strong brows and chin.
As the ferry pulled in to the harbour, Ava took Emer’s hand.
‘You said she doesn’t know I’m coming. Do you think she’ll really want to see me now, when she’s so sick?’
‘Of course she will,’ Emer reassured her.
‘I’m frightened,’ Ava said, her hand shaking.
‘It’s going to be hard to see her so ill,’ Emer warned. ‘And I know I’m only the nurse, but please, you must go talk to her. Give her peace.’
‘Child, you are so much more than a nurse,’ Ava said, putting Emer’s hand to her face. ‘Indeed, I believe you must be an angel!’
Emer was stunned by Ava’s declaration. She found herself unable to speak, as tears choked her throat. Her sister had always been the angel, not her.
Emer had left Vi
nalhaven before Susannah had passed. The house had felt very full at that stage, and she knew it was time for her to go. She remembered her last conversation with Susannah, and what she’d promised. Never give up on true love.
This was why she was here in her home woods in Ireland, right now. They walked in unison, her and Lars. He took her mittened hand in his, wordlessly. She knew he was with her every step of the way, on the hardest walk she had ever taken through her childhood woods.
The trees cleared and they came to the edge of the lake. She had been afraid it would be frozen, but the water lapped gently against the shoreline. She stared into its depths and longing rose within her as a dark shadow. For a moment, she let it consume her. The longing for Orla would never go away, but she had to learn to live with it. Try to let her go. She took the backpack off and unzipped it.
‘Are you ready?’ Lars asked her.
Emer nodded, unscrewing the lid of the container Ethan had given her in New York.
She closed her eyes, waiting for the right moment. As she did so, she heard an incredible sound, a rhythmic beating above her head. She opened her eyes again and looked up to see two white swans flying above her. Intuitively, she threw the ashes out across the lake, watching them scatter upon its surface and sink.
They stood in silence for a while. The sky darkened and it began to snow. White, feathery ice, fluttering all around them. Emer smiled. Of course, Orla would bring some magic to the occasion.
She turned to Lars. His nose was blue with cold. He was there by her side. Her love for him was limitless. She knew that now. It almost took her breath away.
‘Come on,’ she said, holding out her hand. ‘Let’s go home.’
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Books by Noelle Harrison
The Island Girls
The Gravity of Love
The Adulteress
The Secret Loves of Julia Caesar
I Remember
A Small Part Of Me
Beatrice
A Letter from Noelle
I want to say a huge thank you for choosing to read The Island Girls. If you did enjoy it, and want to keep up to date with all my latest releases, just sign up at the following link. Your email address will never be shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.
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The Island Girls is inspired by the love between sisters, and the bond between women while exploring both joy and darkness, in love and in loss and longing. The Island Girls refers not just to the sisters who grew up on the remote and very beautiful island of Vinalhaven in Maine, but also to the bond between women in male-dominated environments in the past such as at Harvard. These women were islands in a sea of male voices. They inspire me in all that I write as does the wild and lush autumnal landscape of Maine with its glorious foliage, piles of pumpkins and deep blue ocean.
I hope you loved The Island Girls, and if you did, I would be very grateful if you could write a review. I’d love to hear what you think, and it makes such a difference helping new readers to discover one of my books for the first time.
I love hearing from my readers – you can get in touch on my Facebook page, through Twitter, Goodreads or my website.
Thanks,
Noelle Harrison
www.noelleharrison.com
Acknowledgements
First and foremost, huge thanks to my editor Lydia Vassar-Smith for sharing her creativity and passion with me, and to my agents, the wonderful Marianne Gunn O’Connor and Vicki Satlow for their unerring support of my writing. Special thanks to the fabulous team at Bookouture for their dedication and skill. Thank you to my dear friend Becky Sweeney for travelling with me to the island of Vinalhaven and for her feedback as first reader. Special mention to my second reader and good friend Alyssa Osiecki, for her help in building an authentic picture of life in Maine. Gratitude to all the lovely people I met on Vinalhaven, in particular the Vinalhaven Historical Society. I wrote this novel while completing my Master’s in Creative Writing at Edinburgh Napier University. Huge thanks to my tutors, David Bishop, Daniel Shand, and in particular my mentor Laura Lam for their guidance and inspiration as well as my fellow cohort.
Without the support of all my friends and family all over the world, it would be impossible to continue in my work as writer. I am blessed to be surrounded by so many inspirational humans and really it would fill a whole book to mention everyone, but I am so grateful to you all, especially my close family, in particular Barry, Helena and Corey. Thanks too to all my gorgeous colleagues at Tribe Yoga in Edinburgh. What a joy it is to work with you all!
Most importantly, thank you to all my readers for picking up my books and engaging in the worlds of my characters. Every single word you read is appreciated. Namaste.
We – both author and publisher – hope you enjoyed this book. We believe that you can become a reader at any time in your life, but we’d love your help to give the next generation a head start.
Did you know that 9% of children don’t have a book of their own in their home, rising to 13% in disadvantaged families*? We’d like to try to change that by asking you to consider the role you could play in helping to build readers of the future.
We’d love you to get involved by sharing, borrowing, reading, buying or talking about a book with a child in your life and spreading the love of reading. We want to make sure the next generation continues to have access to books, wherever they come from.
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*As reported by the National Literacy Trust
Published by Bookouture in 2020
An imprint of Storyfire Ltd.
Carmelite House
50 Victoria Embankment
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Copyright © Storyfire Ltd., 2020
Written by Noelle Harrison
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers.
eBook ISBN: 978-1-83888-176-4
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places and events other than those clearly in the public domain, are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
The Island Girls: A heartbreaking historical novel Page 27