Page 84 of The Missing Pages

I LET OUT AN ENORMOUS BURST OF ENERGY AS VIOLET began to read. The thin curtains rippled in the room. The air became fragranced with what Violet and Theo by now recognized as the scent of my tobacco. I wanted her to know I was there beside her as she now focused on the words.

At first, she was completely overcome with the excitement that her strong suspicion had been confirmed.

“Ada Lippoldt was her name!” she said, her face beamed with joy. “I was right!”

As she continued to read aloud, she could not contain her enthusiasm following Ada’s attempted revelations. “Oh my god!” She brought a hand to her mouth. “Ada was actually pregnant with Harry’s child!” she uttered.

“If that letter was still sealed,” Ms. Elderkin commented, “it means Mrs. Widener never learned that news.” She too now was besieged by the excitement of the discovery.

“Jesus,” Theo said, before realizing that wasn’t the best choice of words with Ms. Elderkin there. “I’m sorry, ma’am. I meant ‘jeez.’”

Violet slowly read the other letters, handing them off to Theo as she finished each one.

“Look at this one.” Violet flattened it on the table. “It mentions that Ada’s so happy to learn Harry has a secret compartment in his desk where he keeps a second copy of Treasure Island.”

“A secret drawer… in his desk…” Theo peered over and read the words to himself.

“You’re definitely going to get your job back at the library when you show them all this, Vi. Maybe the book is still in there.”

“Maybe…” Violet said. “Now that would be something, right?”

Theo turned the letter over to look at Ada’s signature. His eyebrows furrowed as he brought the paper closer to his face. He could hardly believe what he was seeing.

“Wait,” he said as he lifted up his hand. “Did you notice this on the other side of the paper where she signed it?” Theo asked. “Look here.”

Violet took the letter back, her eyes boring into the area where Ada had written her signature. Next to it was the exact doodle that was on her grandma Helen’s fairy-tale book: a small bird, with the letters “A” and “L” used to make its little feet.