She pulled her hand free. “You keep saying that like I have a disease.” Her voice was hard. “It's not that I refuse to speak to them, or that they refuse to speak to me. It just never comes up. I talk to them whenever they bother to make contact, which is admittedly not often. They relocated several times when I was in college, and once I was twenty-one their secretary quit updating Aunt Beth as to their ever-changing contact information. When they call, I talk to them."
"Are they some kind of spies or something?"
Harriet looked at him. “You've got quite the imagination. No, it's nothing that interesting. My mother is a physicist who invented something that has to do with particle acceleration years ago. I think she might do something with nuclear fission, too-I've never really known, to tell the truth.
"My father works in genetics. He was on the team that cloned Dolly the sheep, and now is doing stem cell research. At least, that's what the article said. It's hard to pursue their kind of research in the United States, so they have almost always worked abroad."
"Wow, that's kind of cool,” Aiden said. “Your parents are famous."
She looked at him without smiling.
"Your childhood must have been exciting. Where did you live when you were a kid? Before you came here, I mean."
"Do we have to talk about this?"
"I'm just trying to understand who you are,” he said and smiled.
"You're just trying to get in my pants, and I can save you some trouble. It's not going to happen."
He looked hurt. “I want to get to know you. I'm evolved-really."
"Yeah, right. If you must know, I didn't grow up anywhere. I was born in London. My parents were living there while one of them was doing a fellowship."
"You have dual citizenship? Cool!"
"After London my parents moved to Switzerland then Japan, I think, then Scotland. It's hard to remember. In any case, I was sent to New York with a nanny. If they wanted to be parents, they sent for me. When they got tired, I went back to New York. When I was school age, New York and the nanny were replaced by boarding school, sometimes where they were working, sometimes not. Aunt Beth intervened when I was eleven and she and Foggy Point replaced boarding school."
"That must have been better,” Aiden said.
"It was great. Do you have any idea how odd you seem to the rest of the school children in Foggy Point, Washington, when you're fluent in four languages and passable in three more? How do you relate when the other kids are trying to learn the capitols of Europe and you've ordered room service in most of them? I was a freak. Plus, I came and went a few times on top of everything else."
"You speak seven languages?"
She gave him an exasperated look.
"So, what movies do we have?” he asked, finally letting her off the hook.
It turned out that it didn't matter-he fell asleep before the opening credits. She covered him with the fluffy afghan. At the end of the first movie, she took Randy downstairs and let her out into the yard. She did her business and came right back.
"Good girl,” Harriet said. The little dog waggled her body.
She made it to the first break-up between the hero and heroine in the second movie before she, too, fell asleep.
Grey light was streaming in the window when she woke.
"Aiden, wake up,” she said and shook his shoulder.
Randy jumped onto the sofa and started licking his face. He awoke, spluttering and spitting, and pushed her down.
"What time is it?” he asked. “Did I miss the movie?"
"It's ten after seven, and, yes, you did miss the movie,” Harriet told him and laughed.
"Did you take advantage of me while I was asleep?"
"You wish. But I did take your dog out."
"You're still wearing last night's clothes, so I guess we did sleep together, huh? Was it good for you?"
"You've got a one-track mind, buddy boy. I need to get dressed to go back to your mother's house."
"Do I at least get a cup of coffee before you throw us out?"
"Yes, you can have a cup of coffee, but then you have to go so I can get ready."
He was still sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee and reading the paper when she came down from her shower. She was dressed in jeans and a red T-shirt. Randy was licking the floor around the empty bowl Harriet had filled with cereal for her before she went upstairs. She looked hopefully at Harriet.
"I thought you were leaving,” she said.
"I am. I'm just not anxious to go to my mom's house. My brother's arriving today."
"Don't you get along with your brother?"
"We don't not get along. Since he's the oldest he expects everything to be his way. He thinks he knows what's best for all of us no matter what the subject. And he hates Foggy Point. He couldn't wait to leave when he got out of high school, and he'll blame Mom's death on the fact that she lived here. He wanted her to relocate to Seattle when he got out of college, but she wouldn't consider it. He's sure she stayed here because of me. He might be right. Maybe if we'd moved to Seattle all those years ago she'd be with us today."
"You can't know that. She might have died in a car accident or been hit by a meteor."
They were still arguing when the studio doorbell rang.
"Are you expecting company?” Aiden asked.
"Not that I know of.” She got up and went to the studio, Randy close on her heels. She opened the door. Sarah Ness walked in without waiting to be asked.
"Hi, Harriet. I hope it's okay that I came this early. I knew you'd be up since you're going to Avanell's at nine. I made a quilt for my sister's birthday and need you to stitch it for me by Monday."
"You do know it's Sunday, right? And you know I'm going to be at Avanell's all day."
"It's not that hard.” Sarah said. “My sister's birthday is Wednesday."
"I can have it for you by the end of the day on Monday, but it'll cost you."
"I don't remember asking for a discount."
"Give it to me,” Harriet said.
"It's in the car, I'll go get it."
"Who's here?” Aiden asked as he came into the studio.
"Be careful,” Harriet said. “There are probably still pins on the floor, and believe me, you don't want to step on one in your bare feet."
"Dr. Jalbert,” Sarah said. “What are you doing here? Is there a problem?"
"Miss Ness,” he said with a smile. “We're just fine here, thanks for asking."
Sarah stiffened. She looked from Aiden to Harriet and back again.
"I'll be back Monday at four,” she said and turned on her heel and left.
Aiden grinned.
"You're not helping things, you know,” Harriet said. “She's a customer. According to Aunt Beth, a very good customer."
"She needs to know how things are, and the sooner she does the better for all of us."
"And just exactly how are things? Never mind, forget I asked."
"I know how things aren't, and she's my customer, too. Or at least her cat is, and the sooner she understands what isn't going to happen the better off we'll all be."
Harriet opened her mouth to speak.
"Stop right there. I don't want to hear about how she's my age and all."
"How do you know what I was going to say?"
He raised his eyebrow and stared at her.
"Okay, so maybe I was going to mention age,” she admitted. “She is closer to your age, you know."
"Yeah, and she's a self-centered neurotic. Is being my age supposed to make up for that?"
"No, and it's none of my business, anyway. I need to go to your mom's house."
"Want to go with me and Randy?"
"I think not. Besides, I'm picking up Mavis."
They went back into the kitchen. Fred was eating his kibbles and keeping a wary eye on Randy, who sat under the kitchen table watching his every move.
Aiden gathered Randy up and left. Harriet went upstairs, brushed her teeth and then left to pick up Mavis.
Chapter Nineteen