Jenna had never been to Grayson House before, even though it had been in her family for generations. When her parents said they were driving out to help get the old house ready to sell, she hadn’t been excited. But when she arrived, something about the place felt familiar—even though she’d never set foot inside.
“It’s just for the weekend,” her mom said. “We’re sorting through some things, and it’ll be nice to have you here.”
The house had once belonged to Jenna’s great-aunt, who had recently moved into assisted living. Now it was quiet, with tall ceilings and the scent of old wood and forgotten stories. Jenna wandered through the halls until she found a narrow staircase hidden behind a door near the back of the house.
She climbed it slowly. At the top was the attic—warm, dusty, and filled with old trunks, stacks of books, and paintings covered in sheets. Light filtered through a small window, making dust sparkle in the air. Jenna pulled back the sheet from the first painting.
It was a hillside beneath drifting clouds. The next showed a ship on open water, its sails full of wind. One portrait caught her breath. A girl about her age with brown hair and steady eyes.
She looked at the tag underneath. Cicely Grayson, age 17.
Jenna froze. That was the name her mom mentioned last night. “You’re actually named after her,” she’d said. “Cicely was your great-great-great-aunt. She was an artist, but no one really knows much else.”
“I thought that was just a name,” Jenna whispered. But the paintings said otherwise.
Footsteps creaked behind her. She turned to see a little boy standing in the doorway with messy blond curls and a smudge of jelly on his cheek.
“I’m Eli,” he said matter-of-factly. “You’re Jenna, right?”
She smiled. “Yep. Are you my cousin?”
He nodded. “Mom says we’re cousins, but like, third or fourth or something.”
Eli wandered over and peered at the painting of the ship. “Cool boat.”
“It’s called The Huntress,” Jenna said. “She painted it. I think all of these are hers.”
Eli pointed at the portrait. “She kinda looks like you.”
Jenna nodded slowly. “I’m named after her. I didn’t even know she was real until now.”
“Why are her pictures in the attic?” Eli asked.
“I don’t know,” Jenna said. “But they shouldn’t be.”
She kept uncovering more paintings—rolling fields, stormy skies, sunlight on water. Each one felt like a piece of a story she’d only just started to understand. Near the bottom of the stack, she found a small journal with Cicely’s name written on the inside cover.
She opened it carefully. The handwriting was neat and flowing. Cicely had written about sketching in the orchard, about painting the sea, and about sailing on The Huntress. It wasn’t just a name. Cicely had actually been on that ship.
“I thought this was just an old attic,” Jenna said softly. “But it’s kind of amazing.”
Eli plopped down beside her. “You gonna tell your mom?”
Jenna nodded. “These shouldn’t be up here, forgotten. Cicely was a real artist. She deserves to be seen.”
Eli grinned. “Can we show everyone?”
“Definitely.”
They sat for a moment longer, sunlight falling across Cicely’s portrait. Her expression seemed calm, like she’d been waiting for someone to find her again.
“I think she’d be happy,” Eli said.
Jenna smiled. “Yeah. Me too.”
Together, they headed back downstairs—ready to share what they’d found and bring Cicely’s story back into the light.
“Paintings from the Past” by Nina D. Smith. Published by Bright Bunny Books © 2025. Retelling of “Janet’s Adventure” from The Windy Hill by Cornelia Meigs, originally published in 1922.
“Paintings from the Past” is perfect for students in grades 6–8 who enjoy realistic fiction with themes of family, self-discovery, and uncovering hidden history.
Bright Bunny Books 