Copyright

Copyright © 2009 by Susan Sellers

First published in Great Britain in 2008 by Ravens Press

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to [email protected] or to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 3 Park Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, New York 10016.

The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Sellers, Susan.
Vanessa and Virginia / Susan Sellers.—1st ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-15-101474-3
1. Bell, Vanessa, 1879–1961—Fiction. 2. Woolf, Virginia, 1882–1941—Fiction. 3. Sisters—Fiction. 4. Women artists—Fiction. 5. Women authors—Fiction. 6. Bloomsbury group—Fiction. 7. London (England)—Intellectual life—20th century—Fiction. I. Title.
PR6119.E45V36 2009
823'.92—dc22 2008026085

eISBN 978-0-547-39388-9
v3.0316

Dedication

For Jeremy and Ben Thurlow,
with love

1

I AM LYING ON MY BACK ON THE GRASS. THOBY IS LYING next to me, his warm flank pressing into my side. My eyes are open and I am watching the clouds, tracing giants, castles, fabulous winged beasts as they chase each other across the sky. Something light tickles my cheek. I raise myself onto my elbow and catch hold of the grass stalk in Thoby’s hand. He jerks away from me, and soon we are pummeling and giggling until I scarcely know which of the tumbling legs and arms are Thoby’s and which are mine. When we stop at last, Thoby’s face is on my chest. I feel the weight of his head against my ribs. His hair is golden in the sunlight and as I look up I see the blazing whiteness of an angel. I loop my arm round Thoby’s neck. For the first time in my life I know what bliss means.

A shadow falls. My angel disappears. I recognize your snake-green eyes. You want to lie between us and when I push you away you jump up and whisper in Thoby’s ear. He lifts his head and looks at you. I see from his expression that your words have captured him. I know that you will lure him away with one of your daredevil plans. I roll over and press my face into the grass. The blades prickle my eyelids and I concentrate on the sharpness. When I turn round again the two of you have gone. I sit up and spot Thoby perching precariously on top of the garden wall. His hand clutches at the branches overhead as he tries to steady himself. I hear him shrieking with daring and fear. I want to shout to him to come and play in the grass with me. Then I watch you catch hold of Thoby’s leg and pull yourself up beside him. You wobble for a moment before you find your balance. I know that now you will turn and wave to me in triumph. I lie back on the grass, feigning indifference. Not for the world will I let you see my tears.