Wednesday, March 19, 2014

The Egg


       No one really knew Ellie well.  She was an artist…and quite eccentric.  When anyone asked her brother Nick, he always kind of smiled in a wistful way and explained that Ellie was simply Ellie.  Whatever that meant!  She had lived abroad for years studying, living, and breathing art in Florence, Paris, and finally London before coming home to the states with a broken heart in the early ‘80’s.  She never really said much about the love affair that sent her home to lick her wounds and Nick never asked.  He figured she would tell all when she was ready.  Since then she had withdrew into herself, selling her exquisite paintings and managing a top gallery in New York.   Nick’s family knew her simply as Aunt Ellie.  Those that worked with her thought she was a genius, but odd.  Nick’s children thought her weird, but fun in a way.  She felt awkward around them, and even though they visited her on occasion and invited her for holiday celebrations she rarely came.  Nick worried about her being so alone, but she assured him she was fine.

    Several months ago, Ellie had notified Nick that she had terminal cancer and the end was near.  In complete shock when she died a week later, Nick had taken her death particularly hard.  How could she not have told him?  How could she have not shared what little time she had left with him?  Surely she had known for a while.  Why had she chosen to suffer alone?    He should have gone to her.  He should have forced her to celebrate holidays with him and his family.  He should have made more time for her.  What he should have done was entirely beyond the point now.  She was gone.   He wasn’t surprised when he was notified by a law firm that he was in charge of settling up her estate.  What did shock him was that his sister had been an extremely wealthy woman and according to the attorney, her wealth and all her worldly possessions, barring a hefty sum she wanted donated to the Princes Trust were now his to do with as he pleased.

       He sat in her brownstone now sifting through boxes of correspondence growing more amazed as he read.  There were letters from the Prince of Wales dating back to the early 1970’s, very affectionate letters.  He found photos taken during that time period of Ellie snuggling up with Prince Charles near the easels where their artwork waited for them to commence with their painting.  His sister was intimate with the Prince of Wales?  He felt the room spin, as he read letters which indicated a brief affair and then the lifelong friendship which resulted.  Then he found Christmas cards from various members of the Royal family, and even a personal note from Diana, the Princess of Wales herself.  Even more recent, a card from just last Christmas!  She had never said a word...and he had never thought to ask!

        He went through her personal effects finally realizing why his sister never married, and why she had valued her privacy so much.  She had been in love with the Prince of Wales.  The Prince of Wales!!   While she adored him, she had no desire for the lifestyle he led.  She never wanted any fame; she only wanted to be left alone to create her art…which is what she did.  The Prince, busy with his naval career at the time had understood and had seen her for the gem she was and had obviously been friends with her till her untimely death.  In a back closet he found a box that had been shipped straight from London shortly after she had returned to the states.  Inside was a beautiful solid gold Faberge Egg, an Easter gift from the Prince.



         Nick had no idea the worth of such an item but when he tried to take it to a dealer found that the Prince’s small gift was now worth an estimated 20 million pounds.  Not only did he discover secrets about his sister that he never knew but also a treasure trove among her possessions, trinkets from a long ago love affair and friendship with a prince.  With her death he discovered a side of her he never knew.  Leave it to Ellie to have kept such an extraordinary secret.



Write Tribe

36 comments:

  1. THAT was a great story Kathy, bravo!!!

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    1. Joe, I am so pleased you enjoyed it! Thank you for stopping by and for your sweet comments! ♥

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  2. Another awesome story Kathy! You really know how to tell a story!

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    1. JoJo, I am so happy you liked it! I had a little fun with this one. Thank you for stopping by and for your sweet comments! ♥

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    1. Talya, I am so pleased you liked my story! Thank you for stopping by and for your sweet comments! ♥

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    1. Kate, Ha ha! I am so pleased you enjoyed it! Thank you for stopping by and for your sweet comments! ♥

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  5. I really enjoyed this - thanks for sharing :)

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    1. Trisha, I am so pleased you liked it. Thank you for stopping by and for your sweet comments! ♥

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  6. OMG...I couldnt imagine a romantic story out of this picture prompt. Wonderful imagination Kathy

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    1. sugandha, I am so pleased you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for stopping by and for your sweet comments! ♥

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  7. that was some fairly tale story ...where is my price of Wales...I want him like NOWWW :)

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    1. Shiva, wouldn't that be something??? I am so pleased you liked my story. Thank you for stopping by and for your sweet comments! ♥

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    1. Corinne, I am so pleased you liked my story! That was kind of a tricky challenge...but fun to write. Thank you for stopping by and for your sweet comments! ♥

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  9. Wow this was wonderful...Now I want to read more about Ellie and the Prince's affair! :)

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    1. Nabanita, LOL I am so pleased you enjoyed it!! Thank you for stopping by and for your sweet comments! ♥

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  10. Poor Ellie and Nick. Wish they could have spent some time together before she died. Lovely story, sad ending, though.

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    1. sulekkha, it is a bit sad. I am so pleased you enjoyed my story. Thank you for stopping by and for your sweet comments! ♥

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  11. Many times we learn more about a person long after they move away from us. You have woven a lovely story around the picture prompt Kathy.

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    1. Reshma, I am so pleased you enjoyed my story! Thank you so much for stopping by and for your sweet comments! ♥

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  12. An absolutely beautiful story Kathy! This could become a bigger story, as there is a lot of hidden intrigue about the prince and Ellie.

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    1. Michelle, I am so pleased you enjoyed my story. Yes it could be quite the story...how they met, how the relationship evolved...Thank you so much for stopping by and for your sweet comments! ♥

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  13. Great story! I like how you opened with her private lifestyle and slowly revealed the secrets of her past that she'd kept. That would be such a great surprise - too bad he didn't know when he could still talk to her about it :)

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    1. jannatwrites, it is said but really he was given a tremendous gift...to rediscover her through her letters and correspondence and that is a wonderful thing. Thank you so much for stopping by and for your sweet comments! ♥

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  14. That's a fabulously narrated story and what a plot, Kathy!! Loved this tale of romance with a Prince! ♥

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    1. Shilpa, I am so pleased you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you so much for stopping by and for your sweet comments! ♥

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    1. rudraprayaga, I am so pleased you liked my story! Thank you for stopping by and for your sweet comments! ♥

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  16. Wonderful, imaginative take on this, Kathy!

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    1. Michelle, I am so happy you liked my story! Thank you so much for stopping by and for your sweet comments! ♥

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  17. This from a picture of an egg? Fabulous! Might well be my favorite of all your stories. Very well done. ❤️

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    1. Jo, I am so pleased you liked it! Thank you so much for stopping by to read and for your sweet comments! ♥

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  18. An extraordinary story, Kathy! The Prince & the secretive but creative Artist! :)

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    1. Anita, I am so pleased you liked it! Thank you for stopping by and for your sweet comments! ♥

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