THE HEIR'S REVENGE

chapter 73

Henry was still.

“Why?” I paused, thinking about it. “I mean she just left here a while ago, so why is she calling you?”

“She wanted to confirm her schedule for next week. She might be thinking about not coming in to work.” He paused. “She asked that I inform you about it and pleaded that it was really urgent.”

I didn't say anything, I was still trying to process things.

“But she sounded different."

"Different how," I said. My voice was completely flat. I didn't know what I expected him to say but I did want to hear him say something.

“Hmm.. just quiet. I know she's quiet all the time but she was just too quiet.” Henry said, then looked at me. “Or maybe in overthinking things.”

“No, you are not.” I said. “She saw Emma at the table, Henry. She saw us having lunch together and laughing and she said nothing. It felt like she didn't even notice us. She was also cold to Lily.”

I walked to and fro the room.

The sixth sense in me felt like I honestly shouldn't be worried about things like this but I just can't help it. Yemi kept popping up in my mind without permission.

“I know she is not the kind of person to make a scene, I also know she is not the kind of person who doesn't notice things. Not Yemi. I mean there was a reason I employed her.”

“Maybe that's why it's better to stay away from her?” Henry glared at me. “You know.. because you employed her.”

Henry looked at me and then looked away immediately.

I said nothing.

"I am not telling you what to do," Henry said. "You are not a child and your personal life is your own." He paused. "I am simply telling you what I observed."

He did observe well enough but I was not leaving Yemi, not at this point.

“Or she might really just be worried about her mother and nothing else, really.”

That could be true.

Yemi might just be thinking about her mum and that's why she didn't tell me anything. She acted like she didn't want to see me.. was that really it?

I just couldn't think of anything I could do, honestly.

Henry stood up and straightened his jacket.

"I will have more information about Margaret Vane by tomorrow morning," he said. "In the meantime perhaps you should make a phone call."

He walked to the study door.

"Henry," I called him.

He stopped.

"Thank you," I said. "For all of it."

He nodded once. Then he left.

I sat in the study for a while after he went away and waited.

The thought that came to my mind is Victoria. She had made a four minute phone call from a monitored phone in a secured facility.

From the recording, you could see that she knew the call was being recorded but she didn't care, obviously because she had already given her sister whatever it was and the call was just a confirmation for it.

She was extraordinary, in the worst possible way.

Thinking about what she did for her sister, it was just unimaginable.

Margaret Vane was probably in a hotel in the north district. I haven't heard of her in a while.

When I was at the Pierce family house I heard that she had travelled for thirty years abroad and was never close to her sister.

Now she was here and she seemed to be in possession of something that Victoria wanted.

Victoria wanted to reach the right person but who was the right person.

That was the question I needed to answer.

Then I thought about Yemi.

She was quiet on the phone and was more contained than usual according to Henry.

I picked up my phone but I had to think again, to see if this was actually what I wanted. To see if this was what I wanted.

Was I really ready for a commitment? A commitment towards a long lasting relationship, something that could last.

I found her name and looked at it for a moment.

Then I called her.

She picked up on the third ring.

"Hello," she said.

Her voice was professional, not necessarily cold. Just professional in the specific way it was professional before Fenwick Street when there was still a careful distance between us that we had both agreed to stop maintaining.

"Hi," I said.

A short silence.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

“Yes. I wanted to explain about this afternoon," I said. "About Emma being at the house."

Another silence which was much longer than the last.

"You do not have to explain anything to me," she said. Her voice was still even, still controlled and that really made me feel bad.

Was she holding it in?

"I know I do not have to," I said. "I want to."

She did not say anything.

"Emma came with information about Victoria," I said. "She has been doing that for a few weeks now. Henry suggested using her as a source because she is close to Daniel and Victoria and she hears things." I paused. "She came today without calling first and she asked for food and I did not know how to tell her no without losing the information."

A pause.

"I see," Yemi said.

"She is not here because I wanted her here," I said. "She is complicated and I am handling it badly and I know that. But she is not here for any reason other than what I just told you."

Yemi was quiet for a moment.

"Ethan," she said.

"Yes." I answered expecting her to finally lash out. Maybe then I could feel better.

"I am not upset," she said. "I was surprised. That is different from upset."

"Okay," I muttered. I Really didn't know what else to say since I had honestly thought she was upset.

"But I want to say one thing," she said.

"Say it."

“I understand that Emma has the information that you need and I'm honestly not asking you to stop speaking to her.” She paused. “I'm only asking that you be careful, not for me but for Lily and yourself.” She paused again.

-------------------------

I waited till she continued again.

“From what I heard, you both had a bad break up and here she was in your home. Aren't you afraid that maybe she has something against you or maybe she hates you? Or are you going to tell me that she's not like that?”

I said nothing. I just wanted her to say everything she wanted to.

"Emma is not simple from what I hear. She never has been and when people are not simple they have a way of making things complicated even when you think you are in control of the situation."

I thought about Emma asking for a hug at the front door and about Henry walking away. Even when Lily was saying that I should go after her about Yemi.

"I know," I said. "You are right."

"Good," she said. Her voice was warmer now. The professional distance is shrinking back to where it had been since Fenwick Street.

“Your mum.” I started. “How is she?”

There was an uncomfortable silence. It was just for a few seconds but I thought that maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it.

“Henry told you?”

“Yes, I was worried.” I said. “About how cold you seemed to me.”

“Was I really cold?” She asked.

I took a deep breath. She wasn't aware that she was cold to me. I wanted to say yes. I wanted to tell her that I felt terrible, that for the whole day, I had been thinking about her.

That I've been worried sick and that I haven't been able to work because of her.

"Are you coming for dinner?" I asked, instead.

A pause.

"Lily asked me," I said. "This afternoon. Before you left."

A shorter pause this time.

"What is Mrs Park making?" she asked.

"I do not know yet," I said. "But it will be good."

She was quiet for a moment.

"Okay," she said. "I will come for dinner."

"Good," I smiled, even when I was trying not to. I didn't want her to know that I was smiling because of her.

I ended the call and put my phone on the desk.

Outside the window the garden was going into its evening colours. The butterfly garlands catching the last of the afternoon light between the trees.

I thought about Margaret Vane in a hotel in the north district. I thought about Victoria's voice on a monitored phone call saying make sure it gets to the right person.

I thought about Yemi coming for dinner. This should definitely be good. It would cover up for what happened in the afternoon.

I stood up and went downstairs.

Lily was already in the kitchen asking Mrs Park what was for dinner and Mrs Park was listing options and Lily was evaluating each one with the seriousness of a food critic.

"Brother," Lily said when she saw me. "Mrs Park says she can make either pasta or chicken stew. Which one do you want?"

"Chicken stew," I said.

"That is also what I want," Lily said. Then she looked at Mrs Park. "Chicken stew please."

"And Yemi is coming for dinner," I said, looking away even though I was eager to see her reaction.

Lily looked at me.

Her face did something complicated and then settled into a full smile. It was exactly how I had imagined it. If I allowed it, she would have made fun of me.

She turned back to Mrs Park.

"Can you make extra please," she said.

"Of course," Mrs Park said, seemingly excited too.

I really didn't know what Yemi had done to these people.

Lily turned back to me, she did not say anything.

She did not need to. Her eyes were already doing the talking.

She just went back to the table and sat down with her rabbit and opened her notebook and started drawing something with her purple crayon.

I sat down across from her. "What are you drawing?" I asked.

"You will see when it is finished," she said without looking up.

I waited.

I wasn't just waiting for Lily. I was shaking, my legs, my hands all refused to stay still.

Five minutes later she turned the notebook around and showed me.

It was a table, it was rough and simple the way her drawings always were but completely clear. People sitting around it. One tall figure at the head. One small figure with a rabbit beside it. One figure with neat hair that was clearly meant to be Henry. One figure that was larger than the others near the door who was probably meant to be Agent Cole or Brandon.

And one figure sitting right beside the tall one at the head of the table.

I looked at that figure, then I turned to Lily, glaring at her..

She was watching me with those serious emerald eyes of hers.

"That is how it is supposed to look," she said simply.

I looked at the drawing again, this time trying to get the idea behind it.

Then I looked at my six year old cousin who saw everything and said what she saw without apology or hesitation.

"Yes," I said. "I think you are right."

She took the notebook back and went back to drawing. I wondered what gave her the idea to draw and draw well. Sometimes I wonder where Lily gets all her smartness from.

Thinking about it, I was never this smart even when I was her age.

Outside the garden was settling into evening and the atmosphere was mostly cold but the inside of the house was warm.

In a hotel, probably in the north district Margaret Vane was sitting with something her sister had given her. Something I didn't know about, something that might be the solution to all my Victoria problems.

But that was tomorrow's problem.

Tonight was dinner and Yemi was coming.

Maybe I should wash my hair or wear a suit. That was probably stupid since we were only having dinner.

As much as I hate to admit it, I was excited and that feeling was enough for me.