‘Did you hear her say the name of who she was speaking to?’ Max asked.
The sandy-haired boy shook his head. ‘No, she didn’t say. At least not before she just called them Bear.’
Max wondered if this meant something had happened with Dash. If Uncle Rupert had found him. He didn’t know that Pharos was looking after Tinsley and the children. Then again, he’d never really thought about where they were – which was pretty silly given everything that had happened.
‘We need to get back to the barbecue. Don’t say anything about this to anyone, okay?’ Max instructed the lad. He needed time to think. Max doubted his grandmother knew that her private conversations could be monitored too. A terrible thought entered his mind. Song obviously used the amenities here. So he could hear every phone conversation and others that she had in person. Surely there was nothing untoward. Song was Granny’s right-hand man. He’d never do anything to compromise her or the family . . . would he?
Max and Curtis returned to the patio in time for hot chocolate and homemade petit fours. Kensy was deep in conversation with Mim and her grandpère, debating what Mrs Thornthwaite’s secret ingredients might be – quite likely something from the garden that was unrecognisable to most palates but tasted spectacular.
Dame Spencer had not long sat down when Ed noticed she seemed tense.
‘Is everything all right, Mother?’ he asked.
Cordelia nodded and clenched her hands together. ‘Yes,’ she said, then raised her voice. ‘Actually I have some news. And it’s rather exciting.’
Everyone stopped their conversations and looked at the woman.
‘We’re all going on holiday next week,’ she said.
‘But I thought that’s what we were doing here at Alexandria,’ Kensy said with a frown.
‘True but something quite wonderful and unexpected has happened and I think it would be the perfect opportunity for all of us to take a trip together,’ the woman said.
‘Mother, I have to work this week and Anna has surgery. She can’t possibly skive off at such short notice – there are patients counting on her,’ Ed explained. He wondered what Cordelia was up to.
‘You can join us later in the week then,’ the woman replied. ‘I’ll take the children with me.’
Anna wasn’t at all happy about the idea – it was hard enough them being at Alexandria let alone somewhere even further afield. She was about to object when she caught sight of her husband’s face and stopped herself. Some battles were worth fighting, but perhaps this one wasn’t. At least not until she found out what her mother-in-law had planned.
‘Where are we going, Granny?’ Max asked.
‘Well, you see, I’ve received notification of an impending award and I would like all of you to be with me for the ceremony,’ Cordelia said, a wry smile tugging at the corners of her lips. ‘I thought we could make a holiday of it.’
‘Is it a Nobel prize?’ Kensy asked. She didn’t exactly know what that was but the name was familiar and people seemed to get pretty excited on the television when it was announced each year.
Cordelia shook her head. ‘No, darling, we’re not off to Sweden and it’s not a Pulitzer either.’
Kensy had no idea what that one was, but she made a note to herself to find out.
‘Did you win the Myrtle award, Granny?’ Max asked.
The woman looked at her grandson, her eyebrows just about jumping off the top of her forehead.
‘How on earth did you guess that?’ she considered the boy carefully and hoped that he hadn’t been snooping in her study – although she couldn’t recall writing anything down and they were sending her the details in an email.
‘I was reading an article about it the other day when I was doing some research on the history of newspapers. It’s the highest accolade for people in the media and has a charitable element too – I actually thought you might already have one,’ Max said. ‘And it has this slightly odd tradition where everyone who attends the awards gives the recipient a card and they’re supposed to open and read them during the dinner, which must take up lots of time, but apparently they’re often very amusing.’
The knot in Cordelia’s stomach released and she smiled at her grandson. ‘Well, I can see that the Beacon will be in good hands come future generations. I’m a little gobsmacked actually. They tend to wait until you’re of a certain age to bring out the big gongs and I’m very humbled to be this year’s recipient – at least it’s not posthumous.’
Curtis chuckled. ‘Congratulations, Dame Spencer. It always seems a bit sad when they wait until people die to honour them.’
The woman smiled at the lad, impressed by his vocabulary. ‘Posthumous’ wasn’t a word many eleven-year-olds would know.
Kensy wrinkled her nose and wished she’d known about the Myrtles. Granny was hard to impress. Even after she and Max had both passed their reviews with flying colours, the woman was eager to hear what they were going to do next time to ensure that they improved their near-perfect scores.
‘So a vacation in New York then?’ Ed said.
‘Yes!’ Kensy clenched her fists and grinned at her brother, forgetting immediately about being eclipsed by Max’s knowledge of the weird award.
Curtis suddenly realised that his own holiday was about to be cut short. He couldn’t mask the feeling of disappointment though he was trying hard not to look glum.
‘You’ll be coming with us too, Curtis, as long as your parents approve,’ Cordelia said. ‘We invited you for three weeks and that would be terribly unkind to send you back so soon.’
‘Really?! That’s amazing. England and now New York. Seriously I never thought my life would be this exciting.’ The boy pumped his fists in the air.
‘This is wonderful news, Cordelia,’ Hector said. ‘We will be cheering you on from ’ere and per’aps the ceremony is on the television?’
‘No, you won’t,’ the woman shook her head. ‘When I said that this was a holiday for everyone, I meant it.’
‘But that is not practical, nor is it sensible,’ the man began to protest.
‘Nonsense,’ Cordelia rebuked. ‘We are all going to live a little. That’s my word and it’s final. And don’t worry – there will be plenty of eyes on the ground.’
Curtis wondered what that meant exactly, but right at the minute it was a fleeting thought. New York would be so exciting – especially if it was anything like it was on the police dramas he enjoyed watching with his parents.
The family exchanged glances and even Anna looked mildly excited. She hadn’t been to New York in ages – not since the twins were born – and on the last trip she and Ed had the most brilliant time. Just walking and eating and inhaling the energy of the city. It wouldn’t matter if it was only for a few days.
‘I hear the shopping is amazing,’ Max said.
‘Trust you to care about that,’ Kensy rolled her eyes. ‘I want to see all the sights. The Empire State Building, Central Park, the Statue of Liberty.’ She reeled off the list.
‘Well, you’ll get to see the Statue up close on the night of the ceremony – the awards gala takes place there,’ Cordelia said.
‘Wow,’ Max’s eyes widened. ‘Do you think we’ll be able to have a tour inside? Go all the way to the crown?’
‘I believe that’s an option again these days,’ Cordelia said. ‘If you can manage the spiral staircase that seems to go on and on forever. The views from the top are definitely worth the climb.’
Curtis’s stomach was full of butterflies. He hoped that his parents would agree to the unexpected side trip.
‘Will Uncle Rupert come too?’ Kensy asked. They hadn’t seen the man in ages and she was looking forward to catching up with him.
‘I hope so,’ Cordelia said. ‘I will be very pleased to have the family together again. But first things first – let’s head out on the boat in the morning and do a spot of fishing. Perhaps we can have a picnic at one of the coves along the coast.’
The chil
dren could barely contain their excitement. Kensy hoped that it would be an opportunity for them to do some more research on the speedboat and how it happened to be here. And it was not lost on Max that their skipper was someone they were keen to know more about.
‘Who’s up for a game of charades in the sitting room before bed?’ Cordelia asked.
‘Yes!’ Kensy accidentally slammed her spoon on the tabletop, garnering herself a glare from both her parents. ‘Sorry,’ she said sheepishly, hoping not to be told off by Granny in front of Curtis. The family had engaged in some fierce charades contests over the years and it came as a surprise to Kensy that her grandmother was a fan too.
‘Wonderful. But I have to warn you, children, between Mim and your father, none of us stand a chance. They’ve always been outstanding and if Fitz was here, he’d win for sure. The man is a born actor,’ their grandmother explained.
‘Don’t be so sure of that, Granny,’ Max began. ‘Kensy and I are pretty good –’
He was interrupted by a voice floating through the patio doors. ‘Did I hear my name?’
‘Fitz!’ the twins exclaimed in unison. They both sped out of their seats and ran to hug the man.
Curtis grinned and turned to look his way, but immediately did a double take. Surely this wasn’t the same person he’d met in Sydney. Four months ago Fitz was sporting a beer belly, not a six pack, but this guy was ripped. His arms were like legs of mutton – with the sort of muscles you only got from spending hours in the gym each day. He searched the man’s face for any hint of recognition. And there it was – the same eyes and smile Curtis remembered.
‘Hello Mother,’ Fitz walked over and kissed Mim’s cheek once the twins finally let go.
‘Darling, I thought you were caught up on business,’ the woman said, while Fitz walked around and greeted everyone else.
‘I had to drive to Durham and thought “I’m almost home” so there was no point stopping there for the night,’ Fitz replied.
‘Well, we’re very pleased that you came. Although I’m afraid, children, you now have absolutely no chance at charades.’ Cordelia shook her head.
Fitz cast his eyes toward Curtis who was still sitting with his jaw gaping open as if he was catching flies.
‘Curtis, good to see you, mate. How are you enjoying Alexandria?’ The man asked.
‘You’ve . . .’ the boy began, then faltered.
‘Lost a few kilos,’ Fitz answered for him. ‘Yes, I was in dreadful shape when we were in Sydney. Really let myself go, so I decided to hit the gym and rectify that. Doctor warned me I was on a fast track to a heart attack.’
It wasn’t just the weight loss that Curtis was perplexed by. ‘Good for you,’ the lad said. ‘And you shaved off that beard as well. You look about twenty years younger. Note to self – no beards after thirty. They make you look like fifty.’
Kensy and Max grinned at one another. They’d wondered what Curtis would make of Fitz’s amazing transformation.
‘Do you mind if I ask how you did it?’ Curtis said.
‘A razor,’ Fitz rubbed his smooth face and chuckled.
‘No, not your beard – your body,’ Curtis said with a grin.
‘Oh, eating well and some serious graft in the gym. There’s no easy way to do it,’ Fitz replied.
Kensy rolled her eyes and marvelled at the way the lies flowed so freely from Fitz’s lips. But then again deception was a big part of their world these days.
‘Kudos to you,’ Curtis said with a nod.
‘Now what have I missed – apart from some delicious food?’ Fitz said.
‘I will bring you a plate, Mr Fitz. There is plenty left over. Although Wellie and Mac were definitely eyeing off the sausages in the kitchen, so I cannot promise they will still be available,’ Song said and hurried away.
Ellery Chalmers woke with a start, as if she was falling through a hole in the sky. She rubbed her tired eyes and wondered why her head felt as if it was stuffed with cotton wool. Then she pushed her way up off the pillow and screamed.
The door opened and Ellery’s mother came rushing in, hurrying to the bed and wrapping her arms around the girl.
‘Sweetie, it’s okay, I’m here,’ Tinsley Chalmers cooed as she rocked her frightened daughter to and fro. She could feel the girl’s heart beating through her chest.
Tinsley had thought this would happen so she was prepared – at least as well as she could be. Van was still fast asleep. They’d given him a slightly larger dose, knowing that it would be impossible to deal with the two of them at the same time.
Ellery disentangled herself from her mother’s grip. Then she pushed back the covers and slid her feet to the ground. She stood up, wobbling for a second before stumbling to the window where she gasped. Her eyes scanned the crowded skyline with hundreds of skyscrapers, like soldiers standing sentry all around her. In the distance she could see an oasis of green.
‘Where . . .?’ Ellery began but could barely get her brain to form a sentence. ‘Where are we?’
Tinsley poured her daughter a glass of water from the carafe beside the bed and took it to her.
‘New York,’ her mother replied. ‘We’ll be safe here.’ Tinsley hoped with all her heart that was true. Given their hiding place in France had been discovered, she had no option but to take Rupert up on his offer – although America wasn’t the place she would necessarily have selected, had she been given a choice.
Ellery stared out into the city. She felt like a bird on the edge of a precipice.
‘You need to go back to sleep for a little while, sweetheart. You’ll feel much better if you do,’ the woman said as she steered her daughter to the queen-sized bed that barely occupied a third of the generous bedroom.
‘No!’ Ellery wanted answers, not sleep. But there was a disconnect between her brain and her mouth and she felt powerless to make sense of anything right now. She climbed up onto the soft mattress and allowed her mother to tuck her under the fluffy duvet, where almost as soon as her head hit the pillow she was out cold.
The door opened and Rupert’s face appeared.
‘How is she?’ he asked as Tinsley stood up and met him in the doorway.
‘Confused and, I dare say, angry,’ Tinsley replied.
‘I’ve made you a cup of tea,’ the man said and the pair of them walked down the hallway to the kitchen.
‘Do you really think we’ll be okay here?’ the woman asked. ‘I mean, Dash found us in the middle of the French countryside in a place he never knew I had any connection to and now we’re in New York. He’s been here so many times – I’m sure that he’ll have his spies out looking for us.’
Rupert placed two mugs of tea on the kitchen table and the pair of them sat down.
‘We have people too, Tinsley,’ Rupert said.
‘What people?’ the woman asked as she picked up her mug and took a sip.
‘I won’t let anything happen to you or the kids, but you must promise – they cannot get in touch with their grandparents while they’re here – not yet. Your husband has spun Faye and Conrad a story that you’re all together on a sabbatical travelling around the world. If they found out that was a lie, then I don’t know what would happen. Your father-in-law hasn’t been well and Faye isn’t exactly a picture of health either. You can’t tell them the truth,’ Rupert said.
Tinsley nodded. ‘I agree. I wish I could have told them what I knew back in Sydney, but they never would have believed me. Dash is their golden-haired boy and even when I had proof about what happened to Abigail it wouldn’t have made any difference.’ The woman’s face crumpled and she began to cry. ‘How did I marry a monster?’
Rupert reached out and held her hand. ‘None of this is your fault, Tinsley. If I’d been there that morning on the lake, Abi would be alive today.’
He brushed the tears that were welling in his own eyes.
‘We have to catch him,’ Rupert said. ‘He can’t get away with it and after what he did in Australia – I can
tell you his whole world is about to unravel.’
Tinsley leaned across and hugged Rupert tightly, her tears refusing to stop. There was comfort in their shared pain for a few minutes at least.
‘How did we get here?’ a voice growled from the doorway. Tinsley immediately let go of Rupert and swivelled around to face her son.
‘And why are you hugging him? Is he really your boyfriend?’ the boy spat. ‘Is that why we left Australia? Because you wanted to split up with Dad and be with him.’
Van seemed to have forgotten everything he’d been told in France. The boy was far steadier on his feet than his sister had been, despite having had a larger dose of the tranquilliser. It was the only way they could travel without the children asking too many questions and when you have access to private jets and cars with pilots and drivers who were all part of the organisation, Rupert had decided it was easier that way.
‘Van, of course not,’ Tinsley said, shaking her head. ‘If it wasn’t for Rupert, I would likely be dead now and you might be back with your father. Is that what you want?’
The words struck Van like a blow to the stomach.
‘No, but I want to know why we’re here in New York – in some penthouse palace,’ the boy said, walking towards the table.
Rupert pulled out a chair for Van before he proceeded to make the lad a hot chocolate.
‘We couldn’t stay in France and we can’t go home – not yet,’ the woman said. ‘I’m afraid that you just have to trust me on this.’
Van didn’t know what to think, but the last thing he wanted was his mother to die. He loved her with an ache so profound that the mere thought of her not being there was enough to bring tears to his eyes.
‘So everything you told us about Dad and the company and Abigail is true?’ Van asked.
Rupert placed the cup down in front of the boy.
‘No one is lying to you, Van,’ the man said. ‘Your mother’s actions have been those of a desperate woman – not someone having a midlife crisis and wanting to renovate a farmhouse in France. Good grief, no one would move to that place if they had a choice. I mean seriously, Tins, what were you thinking?’ A grin played on Rupert’s lips.
Kensy & Max: Freefall Page 5
