Evelyn wiped her face angrily.
“When did you find Nora?”
Margaret froze.
Evelyn saw it.
“You found her.”
Margaret sat down again.
“Eight months ago.”
James whispered, “Jesus.”
Evelyn could barely form the question.
“You have known where my sister is for eight months?”
“I contacted her.”
“And?”
“She didn’t believe me.”
“I don’t blame her.”
“I sent documents. Photographs. Your birth records.”
Evelyn’s chest tightened.
“My photographs?”
“Only childhood pictures.”
“You sent a stranger photographs of me and never told me?”
“She wasn’t a stranger.”
“She was to me.”
Margaret nodded.
“You’re right.”
“What happened?”
“Nora eventually agreed to speak with me.”
“Did you meet her?”
“Twice.”
The room tilted.
Evelyn grabbed the back of a chair.
“You met my twin sister.”
Margaret sobbed.
“Yes.”
“What did she say?”
“She hated me.”
Evelyn almost laughed.
“Good.”
James looked toward her but said nothing.
Margaret accepted it.
“She also wanted to know you.”
Evelyn stopped.
“What?”
“I told her about you.”
“You had no right.”
“I know.”
“Stop saying that.”
Margaret flinched.
“Stop telling me you know after doing it anyway.”
“I’m sorry.”
“When was she going to meet me?”
Margaret looked toward Evelyn’s wedding gown.
“Today.”
Silence.
The sound of distant voices from the lawn floated through the closed window.
Evelyn stared.
“Today?”
“Nora was supposed to come before the ceremony.”
Evelyn’s anger became something larger.
“You planned to introduce me to a secret twin sister on my wedding day?”
“No.”
Margaret shook her head quickly.
“She wanted to see you.”
“That is not the same thing.”
“She didn’t know whether she was ready to speak to you.”
“So she was going to watch?”
“Yes.”
Evelyn could hardly believe it.
“From where?”
“The back of the ballroom.”
James rubbed one hand across his jaw.
“Margaret, that is completely insane.”
“I know how it sounds.”
“No,” he said. “I don’t think you do.”
Margaret looked down.
“She wanted to see Evelyn happy.”
Evelyn suddenly remembered Maisie.
“Where is Nora?”