Chapter 47: Mistaken Identity
Lyse was taken aback and she looked at the refined old lady with pearls in her ears, silvery white hair and kind eyes. "I am sorry but I am not Maeve," she replied, a bit confused. "I don’t think we have met before."
The woman seemed oblivious to Lyse’s denial and she came closer and looked fondly at Lyse. "Of course you are, dear," she insisted. "You have your father’s eyes."
Lyse tried to explain once more, but the woman was adamant. She began to ramble, her voice growing louder and more agitated. "Where have you been all of these years? Your poor father, he missed you so much that he died of heartbreak."
Lyse felt a pang of pity for the elderly woman. It was clear that she was suffering from some form of dementia and this was simply a case of mistaken identity. She tried to gently disengage herself for the woman’s hold, but the woman clung to her arm, her grip surprisingly strong.
"You must come back home with me, your room has remained the same way just waiting for you."
Lyse looked inside the ballroom nervously, she did not like being alone with this lady who thought that she was someone she was not. She wondered if someone would hear her if she screamed and even though she did not want to cause a scene, she would scream bloody murder if the sweet looking old lady tried to drag her off to anywhere.
Just then, to her relief. A well maintained looking middle aged woman stepped into the balcony, as she rushed towards them Lyse saw a resemblance between the two women. "Mother, what are you doing?" she asked, her voice sharp. "You are scaring the poor girl, stop it right now."
The elderly woman turned to her daughter, her confusion evident in her eyes. "Ophelia, it’s Maeve. I have found her at last, can’t you see?"
Ophelia sighed, a look of irritation and impatience crossing her face. "Mother, please we have been over this," she said, her voice harsh even though she kept it low. "Maeve is gone. She has been gone for many years and she refused to come back despite your efforts."