“Yes. I can even show you what my solicitor wrote up if you want. Although I don’t know if you’d be able to understand most of it.”
Her body is still rigid with tension. “If that’s true, why did Mum come by today and tell the headmaster that I needed to be removed from the school?”
“What?” Sam’s voice is tight.
“That’s why I ran away. I don’t want to leave school or go with Mum. I thought if nobody could find me, they wouldn’t take me away.”
I stagger back into the kitchen island. Is that what happened to Celine today? Poor kid.
A flurry of emotions wash over Sam’s face. “Celine, this isvery, veryimportant. I need you to tell meexactlywhat happened. What did Mum and your headmaster say?”
“I was in the middle of maths class when I was told to report to the headmaster’s office. I thought I was in trouble, but Mum was sitting in there with Mr. Boyd.” Celine takes a deep breath. “She was crying. When I came in, she hugged me and told Mr. Boyd she hadn’t seen me in a long time since you took Sarah and me away from her and Dad.”
Sam’s hand clenches into a fist.
“I knew that wasn’t true and I tried to tell the headmaster, but Mum kept interrupting me to tell Mr. Boyd I was wrong. She had some papers that she said would explaineverything. Mr. Boyd looked at them and asked us to wait while he rang someone in London. When Mum and I were alone, she said everything had been arranged for Sarah and me to move to Somerset with her.”
“What happened when Mr. Boyd came back?”
“I don’t know. He told me things would take some time to sort out and sent me back to class, but I went to the train station instead.”
Sam stands and winces as his joints pop and crackle. “Celine, that wasnotthe right thing to do.”
“I know that, but I didn’t want to go with Mum. I just... I just... I needed to see you. Itriedringing you, but you didn’t answer your mobile.”
“I’ve been bad about checking it.” Sam rubs his temples. “I’ll work it out with your headmaster. What I’m more worried about is the fact that nobody at your school realized you’d gone missing.”
“I was wondering about that too,” I mutter.
“Sneaking out was easy.” Celine’s cheeks turn bright red. “Maths is the last class of the day. After that, I normally have two hours of free time until dinner.”
“What about your friends or your house matron? They should’ve checked in on you.”
“I don’t have any friends right now. They’re all mad at me because I got picked to dance the Kitri variation instead of Mia and Louise for the spring recital. Our house matron has been sick. She thinks Mrs. Frank has been checking in on us every night, but nobody ever passed the message along to her.”
Sam wasn’t kidding. Celine is devious and wicked smart to have figured out something like that.
“You’d make an excellent spy, Celine,” I say.
She’s only twelve and still very much a child, but I cansee the adult beginning to emerge too. I’ll have to be careful around her in the future, not that I have anything to hide.
“Your pancakes are probably cold and soggy by now. Why don’t you two give me your plates and take a few new pancakes.”
Both Bakers protest, but I insist. They clearly need a little time to speak to one another with me out of earshot. I need a little time to myself too.
I takemy time packing the toppings away and loading the dishwasher. Celine can’t stop yawning when I rejoin them. I show her to the guest bedroom, and give her a toothbrush and a spare T-shirt and sleeping shorts, but she never makes it that far. Sam has to guide her into the room and lift her onto the bed. She falls asleep in his arms. From the doorway, I watch as he tucks her in and kisses her forehead.
“Good night, little one,” he whispers as he turns off the light and closes the door behind him.
We slip into the living room. “Why don’t you take my bed. It’ll be much more comfortable than the pull-out sofa.”
“No, Fashion Guru. I can’t displace you from your own bed.”
“What if I issue you a direct order, Soldier Boy?”
He crosses his arm in challenge. “This trooper would willfully disobey it.”
I roll my eyes. “Sam, you’re exhausted. I’m wide awake and I may not even end up going to bed.”
