What I don’t make time for is a confession. Guilt scratches at the inside of my chest. Tonight, after the cruise, I’ll tell her.
“Don’t worry about a shirt,” Lil calls from the walk-in robe where she’s getting dressed while I’m cleaning my teeth. “I picked one up for you today. It matches my dress. It’s in the blue bag on the sofa.”
I heard a little about her shopping expedition on the way to and from the bay, and I’m expecting big things from the dress she’s planning to wear.
Under normal circumstances, wearing a shirt to match my date’s dress would not be my choice, but I’m guessing this is a strategic move on her part to present a united—and probably irritating—front to her parents and grandmother. So, I’m all in.
I wander out to the living room and grab the bag. Jesus. If this shirt matches her dress, it could be any colour. It’s classic Hawaiian with all the colours of the rainbow on it. Not normally my style, but the material is smooth and cool, and the fact Lilavati bought it for me brings a smile to my face. I slip it on and go back into the bathroom to check the fit—which is perfect—in the full-length mirror.
I’m spritzing myself with my favourite aftershave when I hear a sound at the bathroom door.
I turn and swallow my tongue.
“Fuck, Sparky. Are you trying to kill me?”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Lilavati
The look on Ant’s face when he sees me makes this dress worth every cent I spent.
The look I get from Emily is a balm to all the slights, digs and snide remarks she’s directed at me over the years.
The looks I get from Mum, Warren and Grandie are icing on the cake.
“Lili, what on earth are you wearing?” Mum hisses quietly, pulling me away from the crowd milling around the door of the luxury bus that’s taking us to the marina where we’ll board tonight’s cruise.
“Perhaps we should follow on later. Give Lili time to change into something more … appropriate,” Warren says, loud enough for the driver of the bus, and most of the guests, to hear. Half of them turn away in embarrassment. The other half gawk shamelessly.
“Lili, you look amazing!” says Louise with a little squeal and a warm hug.
“Don’t worry, Warren. I have a jacket in case Lil gets cold,” Ant says blandly, as though that was Warren’s concern. “Do you need a hand up the steps, Mrs Cooper?” He holds out his arm for Grandie to take.
Everyone else is speechless.
Mum and Warren climb onto the bus behind Ant, Grandie and me, and seat themselves in the row in front of us. Even from behind, I can see the stiff set of Warren’s shoulders and the droop in my mother’s. There’s a momentary flash of guilt that I quickly bury. Sure, this dress is a bit revealing, but it’s in no way indecent. And I’m a grown woman. I can wear what I want.
“You seem to be having quite the influence on my granddaughter, Mr Stevens,” Grandie says, with all the pomposity at her disposal.
Ant just laughs. Loudly. Causing her to look horrified.
“If you think I can influence your granddaughter to do things she doesn’t want to, you haven’t been paying attention. Lilavati is the strongest woman I’ve ever met. And my mother and sister set the bar pretty damn high.”
“Liliis very headstrong indeed,” Grandie agrees. “And kindly refrain from cursing, young man.” Which is more about getting the last word in than because of any strong feelings about the word damn. And to make the point she’d prefer my name were Lili, not Lilavati. Sadly for her, I suspect that little barb will just make Ant dig in further.
Ant laughs again. Grandie looks like she’s swallowed a frog. I give him a look I hope he interprets astone it down, but he just winks at me.
“Would we still class damn as a curse word?” he asks, so politely they might be talking about the weather.
“I’ll be the judge of that, thank you very much.” Grandie’s feathers are really ruffling now.
“Okay, if you say so,” Ant returns mildly before changing conversational direction. “You must be very proud Lilavati is about to start her advanced clinical training. Only another couple of years and she’ll have her fellowship.”
I flush with pleasure that he remembered what had been a brief, almost throwaway conversation. Unfortunately, Grandie doesn’t care about any of that.
“You didn’t tell me this, Lili.” My grandmother turns her hawk eyes on me. “Will it mean you work less hours?” She almost had me. I nearly thought she might be proud of my achievements. But what she really wants to know is, will I have more free time to find a husband.
“Yes. Probably. I’ll at least have a little more control over what hours I do work.”
