"Your great-niece. Jordan." she said.
Toby DeMarco said nothing. She didn't change expression. There was only a slight movement in her gray eyebrows.
"Tell her your full name. sweetheart," Sister Andrea urged me.
I glanced at Alanis, who waited with
excitement and anticipation. She nodded for me to go ahead.
"I'm Jordan," I said. "Jordan March." Mrs. DeMarco's eyes widened.
Then she smiled.
"I've been waiting for vou," she said. "For a very long time."
15 The Secret of the Attic
. "Have a nice visit. girls," Sister Andrea told us and walked away.
"Come in," Mrs. DeMarco urged, beckoning and nodding toward the settee.
Alanis looked at me and saw I was hesitant. She wasn't afraid so much as she was amazed. She shrugged and smiled. "Go ahead," she urged, giving me a little push thr
ough the doorway.
I walked in slowly and sat on the small settee. Alanis followed and quickly sat beside me.
"Why did you tell the sister you were my grandniece?" Mrs. DeMarco asked immediately.
"We thought it would be easier to get in to see you," Alanis replied.
"Why do you want to see me?" she asked.
"We live with Miss Frances Wilkens,' Alanis began.
She'd started to smile but stopped instantly when Alanis said that.
"Did Frances Wilkens send you here?" she asked quickly.
"No, ma'am. She doesn't know we've come to see you,,"
"Then how did you know to come here?"
"We found your name and phone number and called and your son told us where you were when I asked for you," Alanis replied.
She nodded as though she had expected to hear that as well.
"We found your name and number in the attic," Alanis added pointedly. "Miss Wilkens's attic."
"I see." Her eyes became deeper pools of suspicion, moving quickly from Alanis to me and then back to Alanis. "How is Frances?"
"She's all right. I mean, she's not sick or anything like that," Alanis replied and looked at me. I nodded.
Mrs. DeMarco concentrated her gaze on me. "So you are a March?"
"Yes, ma'am," I said. She smiled warmly this time. Then she turned away quickly to look through the window, as if something had demanded her attention. Her smile evaporated.
Alanis nudged me and nodded at Mrs. DeMarco. She wanted me to ask questions. but I felt as if I had just swallowed a rock and was afraid to utter a sound. She turned back to me.