“Not at first,” he confirmed, running a hand through his graying hair. “But it was clear even to me that Flora was trying. That she was doing the best she could, as the person she was. But when we realized Flora was going to become a mother—when she was looking at that level of sacrifice, of putting someone else first, of caring for a child and letting that duty transform her, shape her, transmute her into the kind of person who could do all those necessary things, out of love…” He shrugged. “Well, to be perfectly honest, I thought it would be good for her. Shecould better understand what my mother went through, could understand a child’s need for stability, for constancy. It would be the thing to bring them permanently together… eventually.”
“But you still didn’t want her to tell Anne?”
He shook his head. “I know my mother well, Miss Gentleman. She’d have done everything for Flora’s child. It would have come naturally to her. She’d have ended up with a second son to raise—and Flora would have gone waltzing off to the next party, blissful and unaltered.”
“Truly, a terrible fate,” I murmured before I could help myself. His eyes narrowed. “Thank you so much for your time, Mr. Godfrey,” I went on. “I’ll be sure to find you if I have any more questions about the skimmers.”
“Any time, Miss Gentleman,” he said, and flicked a glance at the kitchen with a sigh. “I’m afraid I have several other visits to make this afternoon—please make my farewells to my mother and to Flora?”
I promised to do so, and he gathered his things and slipped out the door.
Norris had been leading my list of suspects for the intruder who’d tried to take Peregrine—he’d known about the child, had the technical skill to breach the lock, and had the short hair Ruthie had described—but for the life of me I couldn’t see any reason for him to attempt the kidnapping. Even if he’d quietly—or not so quietly—wished toseparate his mother and Flora, that depended on Peregrine being kept hidden from Anne, and that level of secrecy was no longer possible.
I didn’t trust him—but nor did I think he was desperate. I’d have to look further afield for my kidnapper, it seemed.
I STEPPED INTOFlora and Anne’s kitchen and found myself witnessing a second very passionate kiss, in real life rather than on a screen.
Either Flora had leaned down to meet Anne, or Anne had hauled herself up to Flora’s level. Either way Anne’s hands were clenching the collar of Flora’s shirt, and Flora’s arms were tight around Anne’s waist, holding her up while her mouth made a very persuasive if wordless declaration.
Good for the girls, I thought, and coughed slightly.
They broke apart, and Anne brushed hastily at her mouth and looked up at Flora with hope like a tender spring shoot in her eyes.
Flora, shaken, biffed it. “I’m so sorry,” she blurted. “I didn’t mean for that to happen.”
I winced, unnoticed by either of them. On the list ofthings nobody wants to hear after a kiss, that was pretty much at the top.
Anne’s face passed from spring to winter with not a jot of summer on the way. “Excuse me, Miss Gentleman,” she said, turning away from Flora. “Our next show starts in twenty minutes, and somebody needs to take tickets.” And she strode out of the room with as much dignity as the situation would permit.
I turned to Flora, who was looking bewildered about the eyes and more than a little bruised about the lips. “You know, there’s such a thing as beingtoocareful with someone’s feelings.”
Flora grimaced. “That’s not a problem I’m used to having.”
I expect not, I thought.
“But my usual habits won’t do for Anne at all,” Flora went on. “She’s only just moved out after three centuries of living with her son. She’s only just started to figure out how brilliant she is. How could I ask her to belong to me, when she’s only just learned to belong to herself?”
It was the same concern I’d read in Flora’s diary. I almost pulled it out of my pocket and showed it to her—but something held me back. Not everyone took well to being confronted with a secret second self, and I wanted a little more time to tease out the diary’s revelations before I let it out of my hands.
But there was one other question within my purview: “Would you like to know who the father is?”
“Not Jason Ipcar?” Flora said, her mouth going flat. “Because I broke it off with him. By note.”
“Not him,” I assured her.
She took a breath and nodded bravely.
“Hugh Renois.”
Surprise, and relief, and something softer. “I’m glad,” she said. “He’s very kind, is Hugh.”
“Please excuse my asking this, but…” I lowered my voice, though the thick curtains in the doorway would prevent anyone from overhearing unless they were very close. “Would you be willing to make an appointment with Medical for an examination? To understand how you were able to conceive in the first place, and to make certain this doesn’t happen again. It would make things easier all around—until your next embodiment, of course.”
“Yes,” Flora said, with a pained kind of intensity. “Yes, I agree it would. It’s not that I don’t want to become a parent, you see—eventually. And it’s one thing to discover a pregnancy. It’s quite another to be handed a living child and told you’re responsible. I just—I just don’t feel it the same way at present, is all.” She ducked her head, shame splashing red on her cheeks. “You understand?”
“Of course,” I replied. People liked to think they madechoices based on reasons, but one thing I’d learned was that they made choices first, and came up with reasons after the fact. Flora had had to make this choice twice, and chose differently each time. It wasn’t a fault, merely a complication. “Please let me know if any more trouble comes up.”
“I will,” she said, and then impulsively leaned forward and seized my hand. “You’ve been very good to us through all this mess, Miss Gentleman, and we appreciate it, Anne and I.”
