Cynthia looked at her husband. It was he who answered. "We won't lie to her if she asks. But I guess there's no reason to volunteer the information to her." Then he added, "Won't it be uncomfortable for you to keep a secret from her? The two of you seem quite close."
Effie thought a moment. "No. Annie is dead. There's no mistake in that. If she lives on in my sister's mind one way, and in mine another, what's the harm in that? To me, the true Annie makes her more human, even more than before. Real people have secrets. It's as if she's sharing hers with me."
"What do you suppose caused her to leave a cultured and safe life in Boston and come west?" Cynthia asked. "She must have fallen on hard times to have been forced into the life she ended up leading. From her writing you can tell she was cultured and well educated. What would cause her to run away from all of that?"
"I suspect we'll never know," Effie answered. "Something must have happened in that Boston house to drive her away. The tone of Rachael's letters is most unnatural. I suspect she might have known why her sister left Boston."
"You're very perceptive, Effie."
She looked away, as if remembering something she didn't care to share. "Sometimes all is not as it appears to be behind closed doors. Even the closed doors of the 'cultured and educated.' That goes for the closed doors of people's minds and thoughts as well as their elegant houses."
"Do you think it's possible to keep the truth from Claire?" Cynthia asked. "Or wise to do so?"
"It's sort of like playing let's pretend. I used to do that as a child with Claire." She thought a moment. "I still do, I guess. More often than I care to admit."
Dean decided to seize the moment. "Does Claire have the museum's picture of Rev. Martin and his wife?"
Effie gave a deep sigh. "I suppose so. I haven't seen it but I know she wanted it very badly. She tends to take that which she wants. Sometimes she does things like that."
"Steals?"
"That sounds so harsh."
"Effie, you're far too intelligent to not know Claire is constantly taking advantage of you. Why do you put up with it?"
"Why, she's my sister. I love her." Then she added, "And tell that nice Mr. O'Connor not to spend his $2.50 gold coins. The '97 and '99 are worth about four or five hundred each and the '79 should bring a thousand or more. It looked almost uncirculated. Claire's five dollar pieces are all worn-worth a couple of hundred at best." The Deans looked at her questioningly. She continued to smile. She added, almost in a whisper, "That's why I suggested Claire give the smaller denominations to Mr. O'Connor. I collected coins when I was younger." Then she added, "You will let me read the rest of the notebook when you've figured it out, won't you?" She rose from her chair, just as Fred entered the room. She patted him on the back as she left.