‘I’m not speaking of trinkets, Julian.’
‘That’s kind of you, father, but I don’t want anything.’
‘You are my son and I do love you,’ Alistair says with a bite of padded frustration.‘This life is hard, but you will never know hunger, or poverty or lack.Savannah is a beautiful girl just like her mother.She’ll make a fine wife.Besides, it’s not until you are twenty-one anyway.You have years to enjoy yourself.’He sips his drink.‘Very few people find that resistance improves their circumstances.’
‘My circumstances are more than satisfactory already.’
‘Satisfactory,’the old man echoes with confused scorn.‘We were not put on this earth to be satisfied, Julian.What about Jessamine?You may not want things for yourself, but for her?’
That’s a clever trick.
Jules bites the inside of his cheek, visibly structuring his request before he speaks it.‘Perhaps she could be allowed to play with other children her own age.You must know people who have small kids like her.’
Alistair watches his son.‘I do.’
‘Then maybe… that?’
‘I will consider it.’
Jules subtly wipes his eyes.‘Thank you, father.’
‘Nothing else you want?You have not even asked me about the island.All your years of begging and pleading to go elsewhere and now that we are, you’ve no interest in it?’
‘Forgive me,’ Jules says, clearing his throat.‘I was overwhelmed.Please tell me about the island, father.’
Alistair sets down his spoon with a clatter.‘Enough of this.Where is my son, hmm?Where is my iron-willed boy who could not be broken?’He throws a mildly accusatory look at Lachlan.‘Is this your doing?’
‘Don’t blame him,’ Jules says, a little bite to it for the first time.‘Just tell me how you want me to be and I will.’
‘I want you to be yourself.’
‘I can’t be myself with you.’
‘Of course you can.I’m yourfather.I always want you to be yourself.’
‘You punished me for it!’Jules blurts out.
‘I…’ Alistair is briefly astonished.‘Icorrectedyou.Poor behaviour and insolence are not befitting our breed, Julian.’
‘As you say.’
‘This routine is almost as irritating as your snivelling.’
‘Father, I’m just trying to—’
‘You insult me greatly to imagine I cannot tell the difference between my authentic child and this mild-mannered monstrosity you present yourself to be.’He waves his hand.‘Leave my sight, prepare for travel and ensure that I atno pointhave to intervene for further correction once we arrive on the island.’
Jules wipes his mouth, sets down the napkin.‘Yes, sir.’
Alistair waits until he’s gone.
Lachlan is bracing for potential worst-case scenarios.
The old man pours himself a glass of wine, offers Lachlan one.
‘No, thank you, sir.’
‘Have a fucking drink,’ he snaps.
