M MELL BECKER S WOODS NATURE PRESERVE LIVINI t J AIM THE MARSH IN If THE POOL Illully A a o o o aaaaaaa ELLA S NOWARDOT 10 9 THE WAY TO PIDGIN BEACH AIDEN ROCK MAINE
ROOK RIVER MA THE YACHT CLUB LOBSTER POUND MISS WICKMAN S B B allin GUSTY S D MS STILLFORD S UW Oooo Do OD Oooo IN MAIDEN ROCK CONVENT
1 What time is it Ella asks again It’s thirty seconds later than the last time you asked I’m twisting my hair and she’s blowing on her nail polish They should be here she says It’s May and spring has finally found its way to the North Atlantic The funky aroma of washed-up seaweed fills the air and damp cold still seeps out of the wooden boards we’re perched on We’ve broken out the flip-flops and shorts but pulled hoodies on over our T-shirts In Maine spring means sixty-five degree days tops The sun’s weak but we’re sure it’s giving us some color Have they driven to New England before I ask her Are you kidding Ella says I think this is the 1
first time they’ve ever driven anywhere Ella’s waiting for her Aunt Ceil and Uncle Edgar They’re only sort of relatives actually But they’ve been her family’s friends forever They’re coming for a vacation from being famous vampire-novel writ ers Many of Ella’s dad’s writer friends have visited Maiden Rock but until now it’s been detective and spy types Ella full name Mariella Philpotts is the thir teen-year-old daughter of famous New York crime novelist Jack Philpotts How can I describe Ella First let me say shoes She has a carnival of shoes in her closet And eyes she has several fishing tackle boxes full of shadow and liner Also nails dozens of little bottles of shimmering polish crowd her desk And of course the blues her nickname came out of her undying worship of Ella Marvell the uncontested queen of 1960s rhythm and blues When my best friend Zoe left for Scotland last fall my heart ached Up until then the two of us had ruled our remote coastal town of Maiden Rock Maine along with Zoe’s cousin Ben Zoe’s leav ing blew up normal After Ella and her dad came to town I couldn’t imagine being friends with a girl who was so exotic especially one that Ben was head over-heels crushing over Yes I was more than a tiny 2
