‘They are orphans. They were educated in England, and then they returned to France. This was their childhood home. Justin bought it a few years back.’
‘How long have you worked for them?’
‘Since they were in their teens.’
‘Have they always lived together?’
‘After England, I believe so. Money used to be very short at times, but Justin always found some way to provide. I think they’ve had difficult times, especially with Laura being the way she is...’
‘And what way is that?’ he asked not looking at her face.
‘I think you know, sir.’ He detected a tone of disapproval. ‘She was the reason I stayed, even when money was short. I love both of them as if they were my own.’
‘Educated in England?’ William mused. ‘Any idea where?’
Marta hesitated. ‘Their mother was French, their father English. Their father’s sister took care of them.’ The telephone rang, and Marta seemed relieved to escape. He was perplexed and wanted to ask her more about Laura but Marta returned to the room in a hurry. ‘It’s your secretary. He said it’s urgent.’
‘Charlie has been expelled from school,’ Michael stuttered. He had been accused of dealing in drugs. William called Katherine, his son’s mother. She took ten minutes to come to the phone. ‘William?’ It was his ex-wife’s nasal voice. ‘Where are you?’ When he told her she groaned. ‘I think you should make an effort to get here as soon as possible.’
‘Is he addicted?’ William asked.
‘He’s not spoken to me. His housemaster called and I went down. He got in with a bad crowd.’
‘Others have been expelled?’
‘No, they were local boys... I don’t really know. They found stuff in his room and his locker. He was caught in a seedy club and arrested.’
‘Jesus!’
‘I sent Daddy’s lawyer to get him bailed, and now I can’t find Charlie. I’ve called everyone I can think of. You’re his father, for God’s sake! Come and sort him out, and Sabrina too.’
‘Sabrina?’
‘Your daughter, in case you’ve forgotten. You have to go to her school parents’ day. I sent all the information to Michael. I can’t go and, as you’ve never been to one, I thought perhaps you should. I’ve not had time to think of anyone but Charlie. Cedric went into a frenzy.’
‘What the hell has your cousin got to do with it?’
‘He’s more of a father to Charlie than you ever were. I’d just like you to try and talk to Charlie. Our worry is the press’ll get hold of it. Anything linked to you seems to get us all on the front page.’
That was rich, coming from her, William thought. Katherine sold the story of her ‘terrible life’ with him to the press for a tidy sum. ‘I’ll get the next plane out,’ he said. ‘I’ll contact you as soon as I’m home. Leave Charlie’s address with Michael, if you trace him, and I’ll see Sabrina at the parents’ day thing. But—’ Before William could add that his ex-wife had never wanted him to be at any school social event in the past, she had hung up.
Justin charged down the stairs with William’s note. ‘The bloody idiot’s gone back to London,’ he shouted. ‘Marta!’
She appeared, drying her hands on a towel. ‘He got a call from his secretary and arranged to leave immediately. But he left most of his clothes here. I think he intends to come back.’
Justin read the note again, pacing up and down the hall.
‘It’ll be all right, Justin,’ Laura said, trying to soothe him.
‘What would you know about anything?’
‘Don’t speak to me like I’m stupid!’
Justin wheeled round and grabbed her arm. ‘Can’t you get this through your thick skull? We’ve lost the big fish. He’s off the hook. He’s backing out, Laura, everything we’ve planned has been a waste of time. My God! When I think of the time I’ve wasted on that buffoon.’
Laura ran upstairs and locked herself in her bedroom, trying to ignore the thuds, shouts and crashes from below. She tried to calm herself with the thought of the diamonds William had promised her. Her fascination for them had been sparked off when she was given her mother’s engagement ring. Now she took out the little Moroccan box in which she kept her collection. Each diamond was stored individually in a black velvet bag. In a notebook she had stuck cuttings from old De Beers diamond mine catalogues, which listed the carat, cut and cutter, and the estimated value of each stone. She liked to line up the diamonds on a piece of black velvet and knew every stone by touch alone. She liked their coldness and to watch them sparkle in the light. If she ever had to leave in a hurry all she would take with her were her darlings, the diamonds. Laura knew she was secure while she had them. No one knew about them, not even Justin. It was the only secret she had ever kept from him.
As Laura came out of her reverie, she realized that the house was quiet. She tiptoed to the door to listen, and could hear Justin crying. He was sitting hunched at the bottom of the stairs. Laura went to sit beside him and slipped an arm around his shoulder. ‘Well, that was short and sweet,’ she said softly.
He sniffed and wiped his face with the palm of his hand. ‘It’s just that I was so looking forward to it all, you know. I’ve been planning it for eighteen months, longer.’ Laura stroked her brother’s hair. ‘I wish I’d killed that bastard Matlock when I was a kid. They couldn’t have done much about it then,’ he said quietly.
‘You should sleep,’ she said, easing away from him.
Justin drew her back and held her tightly. ‘I can’t move right now. Don’t leave me.’
‘I’ll stay with you, always. Come on, now, let me take you to bed. You must sleep.’ She helped him stand, then took him into his own room. A single bed stood beneath the window and tucked into it was a ragged doll. He allowed her to turn back the covers, tuck him in and stay as he curled into a tight ball clutching the doll. She sang to him until he slept, then sat with him stroking his hair.
No one saw Justin like this but Laura and, once or twice, Marta had witnessed his regression into child-like fear. When Justin was like this, he lost his bravado, his energy, and his confidence in who he was. Sometimes he lay curled up for days before he found himself again. This time, though, he joined her in the garden that afternoon. ‘I’m being a ridiculous queen.’ He laughed. ‘I’ll phone him. Maybe it’s nothing to do with us. And even if it is we’ll get him back.’
‘Of course we will, my darling. You just needed to rest.’
He knelt down beside her. ‘Thank you for taking care of me,’ he whispered.
‘Thank you for taking care of me,’ she said, and they kissed and walked arm in arm back to the villa as they discussed their next plan of action.
William answered the phone personally, anxious for news of his son’s whereabouts. It was a while before he could piece together what Justin was saying.
‘I’m going to start sending out the invitations, William. They need to go out while the mags are showing the place off, and now that Meryl knows it’s your place, it’ll be all over the—’
William closed his eyes. ‘Justin, right now I can’t think about anything but my son. He’s in trouble.’
‘What’s the matter with him?’ Justin said impatiently.
William sighed. ‘Justin, Charlie is my son and right now I can’t think about entertaining a group of people in the Caribbean. Sometimes I really don’t understand your obsession.’
‘My obsession?’ Justin’s voice was strained. ‘Fuck you!’
‘Now don’t get like that—’
‘I am beginning to loathe the sound of your voice. I’ve been your friend, William, probably the best friend you ever had.’