A Conundrum

by P. J. Peacock

  He moved across the room. ‘These all relate to our family history in some way. We need to go through them really carefully, but I think we start at about 1740. They’re dated so it shouldn’t be any problem. The writing is tedious and hard to read at times though, so it’s time consuming work.’ He said quietly, ‘Martin and I used to pour over them when we were young, trying to find some juicy family scandal or gossip from the past. There’s loads of it, by the way, but what we’re looking for is confirmation of a scandal associated with a birth and any subsequent drama around 1741. So anything with details or even anything from the three cousins could be relevant. It would give us a place to start at least. There may be nothing here, but if there is any suggestion that puts the succession in question, we’ll need to consider it very carefully.’

  Gabriel paused for a moment, and then went on thoughtfully, ‘The Patriarch is incredibly wealthy, but it’s mostly inherited. He’s contributed nothing personally to the Family coffers during his reign, which has always been an irritant to various factions.’ He continued thoughtfully, ‘I think if there was any way to shift him out of his present position, there would be several members of our loving and devoted family to jump at the chance. What I’m unsure about is whether he would care. I don’t see how he could know James had the book of letters.’ There was a long silence while they both contemplated his words. Gabriel, still looking thoughtful, ‘Of course, James could have informed Laurent if he thought there was a problem. It’s the sort of ethical and honest behaviour I’ve come to associate with your father.’

  Bede smiled and turned to the first bookcase. She started reading along the spines of the books. ‘These are in beautiful order. The dates are very clear. Is it Laurent himself who keeps them in such order?’

  Gabriel had just taken down a heavy volume. ‘Mostly, but occasionally, he will bring in an expert if something needs rebinding or repaired in any way.’

  ‘He seems more of a scholar than the head of a potentially criminal organisation. He appears gentle and slightly muddle-headed with a sly sense of humour.’

  Gabe grinned. ‘Bede, there is nothing potential about this family’s activities. You should accept that a lot of the dealings may not now be strictly criminal, but they definitely push the boundaries of various countries’ legal and financial systems.’

  She raised her eyebrows at him, and grinned. ‘This is all very challenging. I suppose we’ve always been protected by James, and we’re far enough away for it not to be an issue.’ She sank slowly to the floor sitting crossed-legged, while supporting the book on her legs, turning the pages of a book slowly and carefully. ‘Gabriel, until recently, Hera and I were not aware of how involved we both are financially with the family. I know our name is Caruso-Kern, but your name isn’t, and you’re much more intrinsic to the ongoing running of the family. Or at least your mother and aunts suggested something like that at dinner tonight.’

  ‘Yes, but my part of the family has descended by the female line, and interestingly, my mother’s side of the family is patrilineal. It does get very complicated. It’s astonishing that it still hangs together as well as it does. Also, the matriarchs of the family have always had a strong influence on any decisions made, or at least they did in the early days. Not so much now, but you would be advised to be aware of that small fact.’ Gabriel looked across at her, sitting on the floor with the soft folds of the dress spread around her to keep it from crushing, he presumed. He held the book in his arms, and pensively continued, ‘I suspect if there was less money involved, there would be more conflict. We have a strong tradition of family gatherings. I think you and Hera attended at least one in the past. These gatherings have kept all the various tendrils in close contact with each other. But I also suspect that Laurent’s wife was part of the reason for the stability over the last few decades. She is a distant family connection and was a tireless correspondent, absolutely brilliant at networking. She managed to keep all the different factions in touch with each other, knew almost to the hours of any new births, made sure all birthdays were celebrated, and played the matriarch with every breath she took.’ He paused thoughtfully. ‘I always assumed she did this as compensation for her and Laurent’s childless state. They were extremely happy in their relationship, and were obviously very much in love. Laurent misses her terribly since she died. She was a beautiful and charming woman.’ He was frowning. ‘This latest conflict has surfaced since she died, but I can’t tie it in in any way.’

  They continued in thoughtful and companionable silence for another hour.

  At 2 a.m., Gabriel called a halt. ‘You look exhausted, we’ve done enough for tonight. I’ll walk you to your room. We can continue tomorrow night, or if Laurent goes out at all for any length of time, we can start again. Keep a record of where you were up to, but it’s time to sleep or we’ll both be knackered tomorrow.’ He pulled her to her feet, and putting his arm around her shoulders, led her gently from the room. ‘In case you need me at any time, my room is three doors down from yours on the other side of the hall around the corner. It’s the last one on that side of the corridor if it’s dark.’ He was quiet for a few moments. ‘I don’t think there is any danger here. All this secrecy is mostly for the Patriarch’s benefit. He’s still recovering from his wife’s death, and I don’t want to worry him unnecessarily.’

  They were standing outside her room, and she turned to face him. ‘Gabriel, why is your mother here?’

  ‘I’m dammed if I know. I haven’t had a chance to talk to her or the aunts for that matter, and it’s important to find out exactly what they’re planning.’ He looked down into her eyes, still talking very quietly, ‘I’ve made arrangements for all of us to have lunch tomorrow at a friend’s house. I think that’s safer than going to a restaurant, and will mean being able to move around and shout if necessary.’ He shrugged his shoulders. ‘Shouting is often necessary with my mother. She has an autocratic streak that bugs me constantly.’ Bede’s lips quirked into an answering smile. Gabriel continued, ‘Sarah is totally trustworthy and a fabulous cook. Mother likes her, and it would be quite normal for us to call on her. We’ll leave here at about 12.30.’ He kissed her gently on the forehead and opened her door. ‘Goodnight.’

  Bede found herself on the other side of the door before she could ask him any more questions, and she had quite a few after that statement. Who exactly was Sarah, and when had he arranged to have dinner with her? He was too inclined to go off on his own tangent following his own thought process without any reference to her. His arrogance was showing more and more and it had to stop. She could feel her anger building and drew a long calming breath. She wasn’t sure what she was angry about. His arrogance, this ‘friend’ Sarah who was a fabulous cook, or the brotherly kiss on her forehead. She was tired, and she had no romantic interest in Gabriel, so what was her problem? She slammed the bathroom door, hoping she woke someone up, and climbed into bed.

  Bede woke late the next morning and wandered into the breakfast room, hoping someone was still around. To her surprise, she found all three older women sitting, drinking coffee, and chatting.

  ‘We waited for you,’ Marina said. ‘Come and have something to eat, the coffee is freshly brewed.’

  Bede smiled at them and helped herself to scrambled eggs and toast then went to sit beside Josephine.

  ‘Gabriel’s already left, he’ll be back to take us to Sarah’s at about midday. We’re all looking forward to seeing her again. She’s a lovely girl.’

  Bede smiled at Marina and asked, ‘Is Sarah a relative I should know?’

  Marina laughed. ‘No, she’s an old girlfriend of Gabe’s. They’re still really good friends though, and she has helped both he and Martin on some of their investigations in the past. A clever girl.’

  Gabriel’s mother leaned across the table and patted Bede’s arm. ‘Please call me Mette. I should have insisted last night. If you have nothing planned, I thought
we could show you around this area before Gabe gets back, just to orientate you. I take it you haven’t been to Paris before?’

  Bede drew a long breath, her eyes narrowed. ‘Actually, I spent a year in Europe in my gap year, travelling mostly. I was in Paris for three months over the Christmas New Year period, and I loved it. It was freezing then too, snow everywhere, a real treat for me coming from Western Australia.’ She smiled around at all three women. ‘No snow there ever.’

  The three women stared in astonishment, and Josephine asked, ‘Why didn’t you contact any of the family?’

  Bede shrugged, ‘James wanted both Hera and me to be totally self-sufficient. Hera did the same in her gap year. We had addresses and phone numbers if we got into any real trouble, but of course, we didn’t.’ She stopped eating for a moment, and then continued thoughtfully, ‘It was an exciting adventure, and I wanted to be completely independent. I’d just finished twelve years of schooling, and I wanted freedom. It was a great year for me. It gave me a lot of confidence, and I made a lot of real friends. I catch up with them every time I’m back here.’

  The three women were staring at her in astonishment. Then Josephine gurgled, and on a hiccup, spluttered, ‘Gabe doesn’t know any of that, does he? He thinks you need protecting.’

  Bede snorted, ‘Yes, well, I’ve started to suspect that. He’s been treating me like a slightly dopey little sister. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to be rude, but he’s making me very cross.’

  ‘We’ll have to see what we can do to disabuse him, and quickly. You do look very cross.’ Mette smiled at Bede.

  Bede, still frowning, ‘I’m quite capable of looking after myself. I have a third degree black belt in tae kwon do, and I was an Olympic contestant in archery, I fly the helicopters at home, and I have been running both the East Coast and the West Coast business for three years. Why he would think I need looking after is beyond me.’ She paused then grimaced. ‘I’ve also travelled extensively for the business including China and the US. I admit I don’t handle really long flights at all well. It’s something to do with being locked in for almost thirty hours, I think. I tend to turn into a soggy mess, but I do recover fairly quickly.’ She made a gesture indicating her alert and vibrant self. Looking around at the three women facing her, she smiled and continued, ‘I’m sorry if I’ve been rude.’

  Josephine and Marina both leaned back in their chairs, their lips pulled up into huge grins. Josephine chuckled. ‘My dear, I agree with you, he needs a shake up now and then. He treats Marina and me as if we’re made of spun sugar.’ She continued, ‘So what do you plan to do this morning, as you don’t need any of us to show you around?’

  ‘I’ve made a few phone calls this morning, so if you don’t mind, I’ll head off now to meet up with a friend. If you give me Sarah’s address, I’ll meet you there at one.’ She pulled her phone from her pocket. ‘Can you give me a contact number for one of you, and I’ll give you mine.’

  The three women sat in dazed silence as Bede left. This tall, straight, beautiful, and confident woman was a completely different creature from the drooping, wilting Bede at dinner the evening before.

  ‘This puts a different complexion on this visit. I suspect she won’t be deflected or sidetracked. What is Gabriel thinking? He must know what she is really, I mean, she is James and Penelope’s daughter.’ Mette looked across at Josephine, and they all exchanged worried looks.

  ‘Mette, I don’t think Gabe was planning on staying here. We sort of hijacked him and Bede. We may have made a mistake.’

  At that moment, Laurent wandered into the room. ‘Well ladies, what’s going on? And what are you all up to?’

  At exactly 1 p.m., outside the address Mette had given her, Bede swung off the back of the bike and handed Alain her helmet. She turned around to survey the street. They were outside a typical Parisian building in the Marais. A great many apartments, built around an inner courtyard, secure behind an imposing façade with a numeric audio pad beside the beautifully carved solid wooden entrance door. Just at that moment, a car pulled into the kerb with Gabriel at the wheel.

  Mette’s eyes widened in surprise and delight as she spotted Bede, and poked Gabriel on the shoulder. ‘Well, he’s certainly exotic, Gabe, and so beautiful.’ They all turned and looked at the tall stranger lounging beside Bede. He was probably as tall as Gabriel with a wonderful head of Rastafarian braids with a few coloured beads swinging on the ends, his shoulders were broad, and his slim hips encased in tight fitting jeans. His skin the colour of milk chocolate, and the way he moved exuded sensuality and self-confidence.

  Marina groaned aloud, ‘If only I was fifty years younger.’

  Bede waved at the occupants of the car and turned to Alain. ‘Come and meet my cousin, Gabriel, and the aunts before you go, although the relationship is not as clear cut as that.’

  Alain draped his arm around her shoulder and murmured into her ear, ‘Votre cousin n’a pas l’air heureux et il est grand.’

  She elbowed him in the ribs. ‘Behave.’

  Marina was the first one to reach them. ‘Oh, this is a treat, I’m a bike enthusiast,’ she crooned at Alain. ‘I’m too old and croppley to ride these days, but this is an Aprilla Shiver 750 GT. The Italians have made some stunning changes with this, are you pleased with it?’

  Alain looked down at the elegant smiling grey-haired woman, ‘Yes, Madame, I am very pleased with it.’ He turned back to his bike. ‘You obviously know your bikes, and dare I ask if you would like a ride, Madame.’ His accented English was charming, but obviously not French, perhaps Algerian?

  Gabriel moved quickly, slamming the door of the car. ‘Not now, Marina.’ And then turning to Bede with a lift of his supercilious eyebrows, ‘We’re expected, so perhaps Bede’s friend could oblige some other time.’ He smiled coldly, and turning, held out his hand. ‘Gabriel, and you are?’

  Bede was seething. He really could be an arrogant prig sometimes. ‘Gabriel, meet Alain, a very old friend. He obliged me with a lift here,’ she turned. ‘Alain, Marina is the one drooling over your bike, and this is Josephine. And last but not least, Mette, Gabriel’s mother.’

  The three women exchanged smiling greetings, but Gabriel, standing with his hand lightly holding Bede’s elbow, turned again to Alain. ‘You’ve known Bede for a while, I understand. When exactly did you two meet?’ He smiled the cold lipped smile Bede hated, and she turned to him angrily. But before she could speak, he continued his questions, ‘You are resident in Paris?’ His unspoken suggestion that perhaps Alain was an illegal immigrant?

  ‘Oui, we met many years ago while I was studying, but now I only do research.’ He held out his hand again. ‘It was good to meet you.’ Then with a sly grin, turned to Bede, dropped a kiss on her cheek. ‘Give me a ring when you’re free mon ange.’ And he swung back onto the bike and roared away.

  ‘Research where?’ Gabriel frowned down at Bede. ‘Perhaps you should have informed me of your proposed meeting.’

  ‘Alain is an old friend. I explained everything to your mother and the aunts this morning.’ She wrenched her arm away. ‘You are so arrogant. Alain is a very well-respected genealogist. He has an impeccable reputation.’

  ‘Bede, sometimes you are so naïve, but we need to go in.’ Gabriel turned away and punched in the entry code to open the door.

  Bede looked around her, as they walked through the passage and into a tiny, paved courtyard filled with potted trees and a tangle of lush green plants. Apartments rose dizzyingly all around them into the small square of blue sky above. They trooped up four flights of worn wooden stairs covered in worn red carpet, to be met at the door of a delightful apartment by Sarah. She was beautiful, slim, vibrant, and elegant, with a mass of blonde curls falling casually around her shoulders.

  Bede liked her immediately. She seemed intrigued to meet Bede, and with a twinkle in her eye, took her on a tour of the apartment then le
ft saying, ‘I have to rush, but I’ve set the food up on the sideboard, help yourselves.’ She turned to Gabe. ‘Let me know if I can be of help anytime. You know how much I love being involved with your investigations.’ She grabbed his shoulders in both hands, and reaching up, kissed him familiarly on the lips then rushed out the door.

  Bede was stunned, and for some reason, now felt angry and off balance. ‘Gabriel, what exactly is the idea of this luncheon if your friend is not even to be here?’

  ‘I’m sorry, Bede, I felt that my relatives’, he scowled at the three older women, ‘need to explain themselves.’ He was standing just inside the door with a scowl on his arrogant features.

  Mette scowled back at him, ‘Gabe, after what Meredith said on the phone to Josephine and Marina, we thought we were being very clever and helpful meeting you at the airport and arranging for you to stay with Laurent.’

  Impulsively, Bede took Mette’s hand. ‘I feel dreadful staying in Laurent’s house and searching his library.’ She looked across at Gabriel. ‘I think you should tell them everything that we suspect, or what we have speculated on because I’m not sure we are on the right track.’

  He heaved a sigh, ran his fingers through his hair, and fell into a chair. ‘Bede, I arranged for this lunch because I suspect these three will start screaming as soon as they hear what I have to say.’ He scowled again at his three outrageous relative. ‘In fact, I predict it, and they will want to be involved.’ He turned his still scowling face on her, ‘And, while we’re at it, who is the creep on the bike? When did you meet him? Remember this isn’t exactly a social visit.’