Chapter 28

An hour later, Ida arrived at the cafe and found Iris. She remained motionless and perfectly calm, and Ida would have thought she was unaffected if not for her puffy eyes and pale cheeks. Iris was stirring her coffee when she suddenly said quietly, "Even before you married Uncle Sean, you knew there was a grudge between my mother and the Franklins, didn't you?" "I'm sorry, Iri," Ida said. Iris smiled faintly and shook her head. "Can't you tell me about it?" "I don't know much," Ida replied. "I was still young at that time." Iris looked outside the window then. "I love Thomas Franklin." Ida was silent, not surprised at all. Iris smiled faintly. "You knew all along?" Ida looked her in the eye then. "You have to make sacrifices if you want him. That's how it goes for women when they want something." "Then what did you sacrifice to be with Uncle Sean?" Iris asked. Ida remained silent but reclined against her seat, her eyes that were fixed on Iris suddenly cold and wary. Iris c