“Well, that’s very inconsiderate,” mutters Caroline with a glare at her husband as though he might have had something to do with my deviation from the plan. “What about the trip to the cacao plantation?” I’d somehow forgotten about the scheduled activity for the morning.
“Nope. Horseriding. All day,” I direct at Caroline, before I lift Lil’s hand from the table and kiss her knuckles. “Yes, we are. I have a whole romantic day planned for us,” I respond to her question.
While I was waiting for Lil this afternoon, I not only had time to get the snorkel gear together, but to talk to the concierge and arrange a day I think Lilavati will love. One that will be infinitely more enjoyable than wandering through a muddy plantation or playing doubles with Marion and Warren at the Kapalua Bay Country Club.
Lil’s eyes are wide as though it hadn’t even occurred to her that we don’t have to spend every minute of every day this week doing as we’re told.
“You’re a very bold young man,” Mrs Cooper says in a tone that makes it clear this is not a compliment.
“Thank you,” I respond before stuffing a large bite of lobster into my mouth. To my surprise, Mrs Cooper’s mouth twitches as though she’s suppressing a smile.
“Lili said you took her snorkelling. You seem to know your way around Maui. Have you been here before?” Marion asks, clearly wondering where a bum like me would get the money for that. As though there’s no budget accommodation available on the island.
“You’d be amazed at what you can learn from Google.” I fall back on the response I used with Lilavati. Which isn’tnottrue.
Mrs Cooper puts her knife and fork down on her plate and pushes back her chair with no sign of the difficulty you might expect from a woman her age. “I’ve had enough to eat. Anthony and I are going to go for a stroll,” she announces.
Damn. I was enjoying that lobster. The company might be atrocious, but the food and wine almost make up for it.
“Grandie, Ant and I haven’t finished our dinner,” Lil says with alarm, putting her hand on my arm to stop me standing.
“I don’t recall inviting you, young lady. Carry on eating.” Mrs Cooper waves a dismissive hand at Lil, who looks terrified.
I pat Lil’s hand and lean down to whisper in her ear. “Don’t let them take my plate.” I pop one last piece of the delicious crustacean in my mouth and follow Mrs Cooper out the doors onto the rear deck of the boat.
I find us each a glass of champagne, and we settle onto a padded bench. I consider correcting her mispronunciation of my name but decide to let it go when she drops a bomb.
“Now, Anthony, I’d like you to explain to me why you’re lying to my granddaughter.” Her eyes never leave my face as she speaks.
No beating around the bush with this woman. I need to tread carefully because I have no idea what she knows, or thinks she knows, about my relationship with Lilavati.
“I beg your pardon?” Yep. That’s me stalling for time while my mind races with potential answers and outcomes.
Mrs Cooper snorts in a way that reminds me very much of Lil, and I have to take a sip of my champagne to hide the smile.
“I may be old but my fingers are not so arthritic I can’t do a Google search, young man.” She holds up a hand, wiggling thin fingers slightly bent with age and laden with enormous clusters of diamonds. “Why is Lili under the impression you’re a barista when, in fact, you own the chain of cafés? And a successful surfboard-making business.”
It’s obvious that lying to this woman will get me nowhere, other than possibly thrown out. So I tell her the truth. Well, most of it.
“I never told her I was a barista. She made that assumption herself when she saw me helping out because we were short-staffed.”
“Why didn’t you set her straight?”
“Lilavati is dating me because she thinks the family won’t approve of her dating a beach bum.”
“She’d be correct,” Mrs Cooper interjects with a purse of her lips.
“So, I let her believe it because I really wanted a chance to get to know her.”
“And you thought she wouldn’t give you a second look if the family wouldn’t object?”
I squirm, uncomfortable with the conversation as opposed to the wildly plush cushion I’m sitting on.
“In part. But I also think Lilavati has pretty strong ideas about the kind of man sheshouldwant to be with. I suspected that if she thought I might be that man, she’d run a mile.”
“Hmm.” Mrs Cooper stares off across the dark water. “And now you’re finding it difficult to come clean?”
I shrug. It’s clearly a rhetorical question. “Does Warren know?”
