My heart jumps to life. I’m giving him this, something we were both deprived of as kids, and because I’ve kept him alive, I can now give him all the joys that come my way. We can share them together.
He looks up at the bright lights, his boyish eyes filled with wonderment, and I smile. Turning to look at me, elation plastered on his face, he waves to me from a distance. In return I give the little boy who did everything he could to save me from the devil in the basement a subtle wave back.
“Sorry about that,” Davina says, drawing my attention away from my brother as she shoves her phone down into her purse.
I smile, hiding my grief behind the dark lenses.
“You ready?”
“Yes,” I respond, walking down the steps and taking one last look over to Pike, but he’s gone. I tell myself he’ll come back, because he always does.
Davina and I walk together to Bond Street where she assures me there is amazing shopping, and she’s spot on. It’s all the designers that still hang in my closet back at The Legacy. Familiar friends greet me as I pass them: Chanel, Jimmy Choo, Hermés. They’re all here, reminding me of how I used them to deceive others.
“Here we are,” she says, opening the door to Fenwick.
I walk inside the high-end luxury department store that Davina insists has a nice selection of less expensive designers as well. I told her I didn’t need anything fancy, just your typical, everyday wear.
I remove my sunglasses and begin to scan the racks and pull items I’m in need of. Davina wanders off to shop a few racks over. I fill my arms with jeans, slacks, casual tops, and soft cashmere sweaters before a sales associate takes them to start a fitting room for me.
We keep the chatter among us light as we try on clothes. She talks to me about one client of hers that’s a widow of an aristocrat who she swears is draining the family inheritance on a remodel.
“Her children are going to be bloody mad when they find out she’s pissed all the money away,” she says.
“How much money do you suspect?” I ask, tossing another top onto the yes pile.
“Around two hundred and fifty thousand pounds!” she exclaims. “The old woman has lost her mind.”
Once we’re dressed, we make our purchases and head to the second floor where Davina was able to get reservations on short notice at Bond & Brook. The restaurant is glamorous, gleaming in stark whites and silvers. We’re seated at a table next to the windows that look down on the street filled with people who are anxious to spend money.
“I could only get us in for the afternoon tea seating, I hope that’s okay with you.”
“Of course.”
Our waiter promptly sets our table with hot tea and Pommery Rosé champagne along with small bites, consisting of crab tartlets, butter pear beignets, and celery-cucumber sorbet.
“This looks amazing,” I say. “Thank you for doing this.”
“Of course. I’m just happy to see Declan sharing his life with someone. I was starting to worry he’d forever be alone.” She gives a whisper of a laugh, but I know she means the words she speaks. “It must have been love at first sight then?”
“Why do you say that?”
“He said the two of you met at the opening of Lotus. That was the beginning of December, wasn’t it?”
“Yes,” I answer and then take a sip of tea.
“It’s April, and he’s already moved you in.”
“I guess you’re right.” I’m a bit surprised, but hide it. It feels like so much more time has passed since the night I met him. “I can’t believe it’s only been four months.”
“And I can’t believe he’s kept you a secret from me,” she quips with a smile before biting into one of the tartlets. “Well, I know you’re not working here in London, but what was it that you did when you lived abroad?”
“Um . . .” Declan told me to just answer the questions as Elizabeth, but I can’t do that. I dab my mouth with my napkin, stalling time, but it moves forward regardless. “I did a little bit of . . .” I think back to how I met Bennett and continue, “I worked in catering for a short period.”
I’m not sure if she picks up on my hesitation, but she goes on, saying, “That’s so funny. I worked in that realm after university. I was a bartender for a catering company in Edinburgh.”
“Really?”
“My parents aren’t like most. They paid my way through my studies, but once I graduated, they cut the credit cards, and I was on my own. It took me a while to find work, so in the mean time, I bartended,” she explains.
“Did you go to school with Declan?”
“No. Declan was an impeccable student. Me, not so much. I attended the University of Dundee.”
“Where’s that?”