"I want you to mean it." I step even closer, the gun just inches away from her. "I want you to stop this obsession you have with Rachel. I want you to stop trying to get Lilly into the organization. I want you to stop interfering in our lives."
She nods. "Fine. I'll stop. Now get away from me or I swear I'll scream so loud the whole building will hear."
"And I'll shoot you before that happens. You're not cooperating, Katherine. I'm giving you a second chance here and I suggest you take it before I change my mind."
"I already told you I would leave her alone. Now get that thing away from me!"
"Mother?" A boy appears in the hall and I quickly step back and hide my gun. He walks into the room. "Mother, is everything okay?"
She straightens up, smoothing her hair. "Yes, Conner. Everything's fine."
I look at the boy. He's tall, around six feet, and lean, almost too thin, like his mother. His hair is dark and his eyes are blue, but a darker blue than Katherine's.
"I'll be in my room," he says.
"Conner, wait," she says, turning to him. "We have a guest. Where are your manners?"
"I'm sorry, Mother." He walks up to me, his body stiff, his head held high. "Hello, Sir." He holds his hand out. "I'm Conner."
He's extremely formal, even more so than I was at that age.
"Hello, Conner," I say, shaking his hand. "I'm Pearce Kensington."
He smiles. "Lilly's father."
"Yes. We've met before but it's been a while. At least four or five years. You probably don't remember me."
"How's Lilly?"
"She's good. You should call her sometime."
He glances at Katherine as if he needs her approval to do so.
She nods at him. "Yes, Conner. You should call your sister. I'm sure she'd love to hear from you."
He looks at me again, very intently, and a curiosity fills his face.
"Did you have a question?" I ask him.
"No." He glances away.
"It's rude to stare!" Katherine scolds. "I've told you that, Conner."
His head drops in shame. "I'm sorry, Mr. Kensington."
"Don't apologize. I didn't find it rude."
Katherine glares at me, but I'm not letting her son be reprimanded for simply looking at me. The poor boy is clearly suffering under Katherine's care, to the point that he seems almost too frightened to speak for fear of his mother yelling at him.
Her phone rings and she checks to see who's calling. "I'll be back shortly." She hurries off to the dining room as she answers her phone.
Conner remains in front of me, staring at the floor.
"So...what have you been doing this summer?" I ask.
His head lifts as he speaks. "I'm studying French, and French literature."
"And do you enjoy those subjects?"
He hesitates, then says, "Mother says they're good for me."
"That's not what I asked. I wanted to know if you enjoy them. Do you enjoy spending your summer learning those things?"
He glances back at the dining room where Katherine is still talking on the phone, then looks back at me but doesn't respond.
"You can tell me the truth. I won't tell your mother. Do you enjoy them or not?"
"No," he blurts out.
"What would you rather be doing?"
His brows draw together in confusion, as though he's never been asked that before. "I'm not sure what you mean, Mr. Kensington. I take French, and French Literature. Mother requires it."
"Yes, you said that. But if you weren't forced to take those classes, what would you do?"
"I don't know. I've never thought about it."
The poor boy. Katherine has beat the life out of him. He doesn't even know his own likes and dislikes because Katherine won't allow it. He's only allowed to like what she likes. She tried doing the same thing to Lilly. She made her take ballet for years, even though Lilly didn't like it.
"There must be something that interests you," I say. "Do you like movies?"
"I'm not allowed to go to them."
"What are you allowed to do?"
"Go to museums. The opera. The ballet. Charity events with my parents."
It sounds like my childhood. Those were the only activities my parents approved of.
"I like..." He stops, afraid to continue.
"Go ahead," I tell him.
"I like sports," he whispers.
"Sports," I repeat.
"Yes, but don't tell Mother," he says, nervously glancing back to make sure she's still on the phone.
"I won't tell her. So what kind of sports?"
"Basketball."
"My son played basketball in high school."
"He did?" His face lights up.
"Yes. He was also on the swim team, which I'm sure Lilly told you."
"What other sports did he play?"
"Soccer, baseball, football."
"I like football." He smiles and his stiff demeanor loosens up a little. "Sometimes I watch it at my friend's house, but Mother would kill me if she knew. She said football's stupid."
I feel like I'm talking to my younger self. My father used to say football was stupid, so just like Conner, I went to my friend's house to watch it.
"It's not stupid," I say. "Just because your mother doesn't like it doesn't make it stupid. What about your father? Does he ever take you to sporting events?"
"He doesn't like sports."
"He could still take you to a game."
"He doesn't have time. He works a lot."
"I see." I thought his father was more involved in his life but I guess not. "So in the fall, you'll be returning to boarding school?"
"Yes. In England."
Katherine ships him off to the same boarding school we sent Garret to. Garret only lasted a few weeks. Conner has been going there for years.
"Do you like it there?" I ask.
He shrugs. "It's okay." And then he mutters, "It's not here."
So he's unhappy here. He'd rather be at boarding school than stuck here with his controlling mother and a father who ignores him. I feel sorry for the boy. He shouldn't be living this way. He doesn't seem even the tiniest bit happy.
"Would you like to come out and visit Lilly some time?"
His eyes widen. "In California?"
"Yes. We could fly you out there. You could go to the beach. Go to the movies. Spend time with Lilly. Would you like that?"
He nods repeatedly. "Yes." His shoulders sag. "But Mother won't allow it."
"I'll talk to her." I smile. "Maybe I could convince her."
He smiles back. "Thank you, Mr. Kensington. I would like that very much."
"You don't need to call me Mr. Kensington. You can call me Pearce."
"It's bad manners to call your elders by their first name."
"Not if I say it's okay. Please. Call me Pearce."
Katherine storms in the room. "These people in charge of the committee I'm on are complete idiots!" She picks up a leather covered notepad from the side table and disappears down the hall.
"I should go back to my room," Conner says.
"You can stay and talk if you'd like." I walk over to the couch and sit down. When he doesn't move, I say, "I'm sure the French literature can wait."
He takes a seat, his back straight, head held high. It's clear he's been trained in proper posture, and I'm sure Katherine scolds him if he dare slouches even the slightest bit.
"What should we talk about?" I ask, wanting him to lead the conversation. It's probably the only time he's ever been allowed to.
He thinks for a moment. "Lilly said you help your son run his company. She said they sell sports equipment?"
"That's correct. We jointly own the company but Garret runs the day-to-day operations. I'm more of a consultant."
"So you both like sports?"
"We do, especially Garret. Owning that company is his dream job."
"Have you ever taken him to a game?"
"Yes. Many times. Football.
Baseball. Basketball. We go to games all the time. Sometimes we take my grandchildren, although Miles and Ethan are too young to sit still for that long."
Conner frowns, his shoulders drooping ever so slightly. He wishes that were him, but instead he's forced to go to the opera and the ballet.
"When you come visit us," I say, "we'll take you to a game."
"Really?" He seems shocked that I would even suggest it.
It's sad that at the age of 12, this boy who loves sports has never even been to a game. His father should've taken him. Work is no excuse. Even when I was working all the time, I still took Garret to a game now and then.
"We'll plan on it," I say. "And perhaps the next time I'm in town, we could go to one here."
"I won't be here," he says sadly. "I'll be leaving for school in a few weeks."
The disappointment in his voice pains me. I get my phone out and see if there are any afternoon baseball games. There's a Yankees game at two.
"How about today?" I ask. "Would you like to go to a baseball game?"
That shocked expression appears again, along with a glint of happiness in his eyes, but then it vanishes. "Thank you for offering, Mr. Kensington, but I'm not allowed to go."
"If I could convince your mother to allow it, would you go?"
"Yes!" He jumps up from the couch, then quickly sits down. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay to be excited. You don't have to hide it."
Katherine appears again, sighing. "I have had it with that committee. They are wasting my time with their incompetence." She stands by the couch. "Pearce, why are you still here? And Conner, why aren't you doing your studies?"
I stand up. "Conner and I have decided to go to a baseball game this afternoon."
I wait for her to fight me about it, but instead she slowly smiles. "How nice of you to offer. What time are you leaving?"
Conner stares at her. "I...I can go?"
"As long as you complete your studies."
"I will. I promise."
"Go to your room and get ready."
He races off down the hall.
"I'm surprised you're agreeing to this," I say.
"If you didn't think I'd agree to it, then you shouldn't have suggested it to him. It'd be rather cruel to get his hopes up, only to have them come crashing down."
"His hopes have already been crushed. You don't allow him to do anything. To be his own person. He's afraid to even talk when you're around."
"He's a child. Children should be seen and not heard."
"He needs to be able to express himself. He doesn't even know what he likes and doesn't like."
"Why are you so concerned about my son?"
"Because it's clear he's not happy. The poor boy is miserable. His father won't even take him to a baseball game."
She starts to laugh but then stops herself.
"Why is that funny?"
She clears her throat. "What time will you be back?"
"Four-thirty or five."
"No later than five. We have to attend a dinner party this evening and Conner needs time to get ready."
"He'll be back before five." I walk up to her and lower my voice. "Don't think this means you're safe. I'm simply doing something nice for your son. It has nothing to do with you."
She backs away. "You've made yourself clear." She pauses. "Although if you kill me, you'd be taking Connor's mother away, and isn't that just like Garret losing his mother? You'd be no different than me, Pearce. Taking a boy's mother away. Knowing how Garret suffered, how could you do that to Conner?"
"I'm ready," he says, bounding into the room, a wide smile on his face. He was wearing a button-up shirt before, but he's changed into a polo shirt. He probably doesn't own a t-shirt. Collared shirts only. It was a rule when I was a child as well.
Katherine watches us leave, a smug grin on her face. That grin means something, but what? What is she hiding now? Is she trying to anger her husband? I assume he won't be pleased with me taking his son to a game.
This has turned into a very odd afternoon. I came here to threaten Katherine, which I did, but I didn't expect to be taking her son to a baseball game. I'm supposed to be flying home. But the boy seemed so sad, so depressed, so lifeless. And when I mentioned the game, he became so excited, a spark of happiness lighting up his face. This may be his only chance to go to a game, unless I can convince Katherine to let him come to California.
Why did I offer that up? I'm sure Katherine will say no and now he has his heart set on it. I'll have to convince her to agree to it. I know Lilly would like to see her half brother. And I'd like to see Conner again. He's a nice young man and reminds me of myself as a boy. Maybe that's why I feel so much compassion for him. I always wanted someone to come and rescue me from that life. To tell me that things didn't have to be so bad. That I could be happy. Maybe I could be that someone for Conner. And if not, at least he gets to go to a baseball game.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Lilly
"You should've seen how fast this guy threw the ball!" Conner says, more excited than I've ever heard him sound.
When he called me, at first I thought it was someone else. Instead of his usual slow, formal speech pattern that rarely rises in pitch, he was talking fast, his voice lifting as he told me about certain parts of the game.
My dad was in New York yesterday and took Conner to a baseball game. It wasn't planned. In fact, my dad was supposed to fly home yesterday but instead he went to see my mom. He wouldn't tell me why, but I'm guessing he was reminding her once again to stop trying to use me for her own personal gain. While he was there, he talked to Conner and ended up taking him to a game.
When my dad told Rachel and me this, we both looked at him in total confusion. Why would he take my half brother to a baseball game? He explained how sad Conner seemed and how his face lit up when my dad asked him if he'd like to go to a game. Conner had confided in my dad that he likes sports but isn't allowed to watch or play them. My dad said it was a spur of the moment decision and he never thought my mom would agree to it, but for some reason she did. I'm assuming she just wanted to get Conner out of the house. He's been there all summer, which I'm sure is driving her crazy, even though he just sits in his room all the time. She's probably counting the days until he goes back to boarding school.
"It sounds like it was a good game," I tell him.
"It was the best!" he yells.
"Conner!" I hear my mom knocking on his door. She's so loud I can hear her through the phone. "Be quiet!"
She's telling him to be quiet and yet she's ten times louder. She used to do the same thing to me. If I got excited and raised my voice, she'd yell at me, saying ladies should be quiet and demure, not loud and boisterous. But Connor's a boy and she still won't let him make noise so, as usual, her logic doesn't make sense.
"Be as loud as you want," I tell him. "Don't listen to her."
"You know I can't do that," he says. "You know how she is."
"Yeah, but you're older now. You don't have to do everything she says."
"Easier said than done. You don't live here." His excitement is gone, replaced by his sadness. His hopelessness.
"I'm sorry, Conner. I should've come out there to see you this summer. I guess I still could, but there's a lot of stuff going on here right now so I don't know if I can."
"You don't have to. You two would just fight if you were here. I know you don't want to see her. I wouldn't make you do that for me."
"My dad said maybe you could come here."
"I already suggested it to Mother and she said no."
"Did she say why?" I already know the reason but I want to know what she said.
"She doesn't like Rachel. Or Jade. She said they'd be a bad influence on me."
"You know that's not true, right?"
"Yes, but I still can't convince her to let me go."
"Maybe my dad can convince her."
"Maybe." His voice returns to a happier tone. "I really like you
r father. He's nice. He actually talked to me, and listened, and asked me questions."
Conner is used to being ignored by his parents so being shown even a little bit of attention is a huge deal to him.
"And he got me a hat!" His excitement is back. "He got me a baseball hat at the game! I hid it in my closet. If Mom finds it, she'll throw it out."
"Did he get you anything else?"
"A hotdog. And a soda."
He's not allowed to have either one of those things. If our mom found out, she'd call up my dad and yell at him.
"It was the best day ever," he says.
God, I feel so bad for him. It was just a baseball game. That shouldn't have been his best day ever. He should be doing fun things every day, not stuck in his room studying French all summer.
"I sent your father a note, thanking him for taking me."
"You didn't have to do that."
"Mother told me to, but I would've done it anyway. I wanted to make sure I thanked him properly. I'm sure I won't see him again. Or talk to him."
"Conner, you can talk to him whenever you want. You don't need Mom's permission."
Conner craves a father figure because he doesn't have much of a dad. My stepdad is always at work and when he's not, he hides in his study, trading stocks on his computer, or that's what he tells my mom. He's probably just hiding in there to get away from her. The two of them don't get along. He only married her because she got pregnant with Conner when they were dating.
"I can't call your father," Conner says. "He's busy."
"He's not that busy. He's only works part-time. And if you ever want to talk you can always call me."
"But you don't like sports," he says very seriously.
I laugh. "That's why you want to talk to my dad? Because he knows about sports? Because if that's the case, you should talk to Garret. He can talk sports for hours. He knows way more about them than my dad."
"Lilly?" My dad knocks on my door.
"Come in," I tell him.
He opens the door. "Dinner will be in a few minutes." He sees the phone by my ear. "Oh, sorry, I didn't know you were on the phone."
"I'm talking to Conner. He's been telling me all about the game." I put the phone on speaker. "Conner, my dad's here. You're on speaker."
"Hello, Mr. Kensington."
My dad smiles. "Conner, we've gone over this several times now. It's Pearce. You don't need to call me Mr. Kensington."
Lilly and Reed: A Kensington Family Novel Page 27
