Summary

In Chapter 4, after she’d worked for Alma for about a year Irina began to suspect that Alma had a lover. She thought it was the Japanese man whose picture was in a silver frame that Alma regularly polished. Irina also found another picture of Alma and the man, whom Alma said was Ichimei Fukuda, walking on a beach together. Irina believed that picture suggested love and sexual intimacy. Alma would often go away from Lark House and be gone for three or four days at a time. Irina noticed she was always happy when she returned from her secret trips. Seth had enlisted Irina in helping him discover where his grandmother was going by telling Irina her health could be in danger as she had high blood pressure and a bad heart.

Seth had told Irina that his grandmother had undergone a...