“Lennox gave a speech this evening about a deal with England. It was unplanned and although some sides are happy, the extremists aren’t.”
“Why the casino? No one knew I was there.”
Ben doesn’t reply. I understand his answer. Someone did know I was there.
“Didhetell them?”
“Isaac?” Ben keeps his voice low. “No. But we think we know who. It’s okay. Everyone’s safe and it wasn’t anything more than what would evacuate the building. We’ll get you home safe.” He hangs up.
Isaac stays on his phone until we get near to his hotel, making and receiving calls. He opens the door as soon as the car stops.
“I’ll see you soon, Blair.”
He doesn’t wait for me to respond, but my phone sounds with a message five minutes later from him.
When you get home look at the stars.
When I get home I’m greeted by my mother, who’s worried and concerned and annoyed with my brother. I reassure her and head to my room, opening the doors to the balcony and stepping outside. The stars are exposed above me, swirls of small dots of light. I think of Isaac and Ben and I stop trying to make sense of things.
Chapter Eighteen
Two days later Franklyn informs me of a family brunch in my parents’ lounge as soon as my alarm goes off. He wears a mask of impartiality, rarely smiling or looking angry, but today there’s a look of bemusement in his eyes that he can’t hide.
“What about the tour of St Patrick’s?” I ask, aware that I’m meant to go to a convent nearby to visit a new home they’ve erected to care for nuns in their retirement.
“Postponed until tomorrow and your parents have this down as an…” he frowns, “emergency. Although your father is well, so there’s nothing health-wise to worry about. Coffee?”
“Always. Is my brother there?”
Franklyn nods. “And Miss Andrews.”
Elise. With a title. Franklyn’s known her as long as he’s known me and he’s never called her anything but Elise.
“Interesting.”
“Indeed.” He turns around to leave, half an ounce of flamboyance in his step, which is the only thing that betrays his own intrigue. Franklyn loves to hear gossip, he just never repeats it. Not even to me.
I shower and dress, leaving my hair damp. The visit to the convent was the only thing on my agenda today, so I now have a free day, a precious thing, as autumn is when my schedule becomes packed.
My father has rallied in the last few days, since the heat of summer has died away he’s had more energy. We know the prognosis; he has a life sentence, but we can’t predict an end date. Today’s brunch may be because there’s been a change in what the consultants say and the cancer is in abeyance. Or it may be something to do with Miss Andrews.
* * *
They’re waiting for me when I enter their suite. My parents are sitting in their favourite chairs, my father dressed, his bald head shiny.
On the sofa, Lennox and Elise sit side by side, he holds her hand. She looks radiant; her hair is glossy and styled, her complexion clear and fresh. She smiles at me when she sees me and I can tell she’s desperate to talk.
I sit down on the rocking chair that used to belong to my grandmother and take the mimosa my mother offers me.
“I’m sorry you’ve had to cancel your visit, Blair,” she says, taking a mimosa for herself. She’s gone into the unreadable mode, where I can’t tell anything about how she’s feeling. This is her public face; the glossy sheen she’s learned to wear in the years of being married to a monarch.
“It’s okay. I’m sure the Sisters will wait another day.” I’ve been to the convent a few times; part of my studies was on religion and they were kind enough to help me out by being the subjects of a research project.
My mother smiles. Again, it’s her public face which tells me she’s having to box in what she’s actually feeling.
Elise has her hand on my brother’s thigh now, his hand covering it. I try to stop myself from staring, unable to swallow the mimosa. I think I know where this is heading.
“We have something to tell you.” Lennox is looking at me. “We were going to wait until after brunch, but we thought we’d say it and then celebrate.”
