Page 62 of Enzo

“Excellent.” The headmistress looks delighted. “That's settled.”

I'm not sure either Molly or I would describe anything about this as settled.

Penelope rises. “Why don't we walk down to the site now? It'll be easier to discuss once Mr. Knight has seen it properly.”

I don't bother to tell her that I've already visited it.

Molly looks at her watch. “I should get back to my class.”

“I’ll have someone cover for you for half an hour,” Miss Turlington says.

Molly opens her mouth, then closes it again. “Great,” she murmurs.

We leave the office a few minutes later. The site is only at the end of the street, so we walk. Penelope leads the way, and Molly and I follow. But neither of us says a word.

We might as well be strangers.

Chapter 16

ENZO

We follow Penelope to the same plot of land I visited yesterday.

She points out the boundaries, the access road, and the neglected remains of the old glass pavilion.

“What would you do to create a dream place for the children you teach?” I hear her ask Molly.

There’s silence.

“Molly?” Penelope asks.

I force myself to look at the woman who betrayed me. I’ve tried to avoid doing that since she walked into the headmistress’s office.

Seeing her again reminds me too much of Venice. Of the woman who made me laugh. The woman I danced with. The woman I couldn’t stop thinking about when I woke up the next morning.

Until I found out what she’d done.

It’s easier to stay angry when I don’t look too closely.

She’s different now. She’s not that woman. Normally I’d expect at least twenty answers from her. Now she can’t summon one. She blinks, as if she’s snapping out of something.

“What would you change first?” Penelope asks. The Molly I met in Venice never struggled with words before. This has hit her as hard as it’s hit me, but for different reasons, I suspect. She probably thought she’d never see me again. That she’d never have to explain what she did.

“I … uh … the …. children would love to … uh … to…”

A phone rings somewhere. It’s not my ringtone. Then Penelope pulls out her phone.

“I’m sorry. I need to take this.” She steps aside.

While she’s dealing with the call I get a chance to examine Molly. She avoids eye contact with me. I don’t know what to say. How to be. As we navigate the painful silence I try to think of ways I can break the ice, but Penelope soon returns.

“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I need to go.” She waves her hand at me and Molly. “Mr. Knight, once you've had time to look over the site, please send me your initial thoughts. Nothing formal yet.”

She turns to Molly. “And if you could show Mr. Knight around and talk him through how you think the school and families might use the space, that would be useful.”

Molly doesn’t even look at me. “Yes, of course.”

“I'll speak to you both once Mr. Knight is back in New York. Also, please could you both exchange contact details with one another so that we can all communicate easily.”