Page 78 of Fallen Legacy
“Can you drop me off at Wilbur’s place? I promised Edith I’d call and see her, and I thought I’d hang with Kit for an hour.”
“I can, but I’ll ring Tony and have him meet you there.”
I roll my eyes; I know it’s because he cares, but seriously, what harm is going to come to me sitting eating cookies with Edith and Kit in the Alderman kitchen?
“No arguments, Scar,” Archer adds, obviously knowing I’m about to protest. “I need to know you’re safe.”
“Fine,” I grumble, giving up without a fight. The sexy fucker knows how to play me.
* * *
Archer drivesme to Wilbur’s house. Before he drives away, he pulls me in for a quick kiss and tells me to ring him when I’m done, and he’ll come and get me. I gesture to the left of me and point out that we live next door, and that Tony will either walk or drive me back around.
“Edith,” I shout as I enter quietly via the front door. “Are you here?”
“In the kitchen, my dear, come through,” she shouts in reply from the direction of the kitchen.
I walk in to find her in her trusty pinny with a mixing bowl in her hand. “Eliza,” she beams, “it’s lovely to see you. Take a seat. I promised Kit some blueberry muffins, so I’m just making some now.”
“You spoil him,” I say with an arch of my brow, and she chuckles.
“That boy deserves to be spoiled, as do you.” She places down the mixing bowl and takes a plate from the fridge. She places a pile of cookies in front of me. “Raspberry and white chocolate.”
I moan as I pick one up, it’s still warm and gooey inside. “Edith, you are a saint! Any chance before I go you can mix me up some of your custard to take back with me. Jenny doesn’t make it as good as you do.”
Edith blossoms at my words and bats my comment away. “That’s because she doesn’t know the secret ingredient to add.” She winks at me and returns to her mixing bowl. “So, how are things over at the Savage household?”
I nod my head, chewing on a mouthful of cookie. “They’re okay. Edward is lovely. Phil, we don’t really see that much. It’s a strange house. I don’t know, it just feels like it’s keeping secrets. Does that sound crazy?”
Edith stops her mixing and gives me her full attention. “No, it doesn’t. That house has never been the same since Libby passed away.”
I pause, wondering if I should ask my next question, but I’ve nothing to lose. “Do you believe she killed herself?”
“Honestly, I don’t know dear,” she replies, shaking her head and looking off into the grounds of the estate. “She wasn’t herself; I often wonder if…well, I shouldn’t be saying all this.”
“Please,” I beg her, placing my hand on her arm, “say whatever it is you were about to.”
Edith picks up her cup of tea, then takes the seat beside me at the island. “Libby had been really unhappy after your father left, but she got better. When she was pregnant with Archer, she was beaming and really excited about the baby. And for years she seemed to be back to her old self. So, you see all this talk about her killing herself because she hadn’t got over your father doesn’t wash with me. Something must’ve happened though, as after years of seeming her old self, she went downhill again.” Edith sighs and shrugs her shoulders. “I don’t know. Maybe she just had depression and had her ups and downs. Calvin and she seemed to develop a good friendship towards the end. He found it hard when she died.” She pats my hand and returns to her baking, splitting the mixture into muffin cups. I sit and watch her, and I contemplate what she just told me. I can’t help this feeling in my gut that there was more to the whole story.
I hear the front door go and footsteps in the hallway and I shake my head of my thoughts as Kit jogs into the room.
“Sis, you’re here!” Kit grins, coming over and wrapping his arms over my shoulders and giving me a back hug. “Are you staying for tea?”
I grimace, about to say that I’m not.
“Wilbur and Lexi are in London,” Edith chirps in, winking at me.
“Okay, I’ll stay for tea. Could we eat in here, though, and eat with Rory and Calvin?”
“Of course.” Edith smiles delightedly at my suggestion. “They would love that.”
I smile back at her, feeling guilty that the reason I asked is so that I can quiz Calvin about Archer’s mum. Kit and I catch up over muffins. He has a match this weekend, and he makes me promise to come and watch him. It’s so lovely to see him looking so happy and relaxed. When we were in foster care, I always felt like he was never truly relaxed in any of the placements we were in. At the back of his mind, he was always wondering when we’d have to move again. Getting married at eighteen would at least secure his home and keep that smile on his face. I’d truly do anything for him.
Calvin and Rory come in for tea at six and we all sit together around the little table in the kitchen and it’s just perfect. This is what a real family feels like. This is what I want to build for myself one day. Could I have this with Archer, though? With the Aces Elders always in the background dictating what we do and who we mix with. I think about the baby in my belly. I don’t want him or her having to marry someone because it is what’s ‘expected’ of them. I want them to be free to choose, be free to go off and live life and not be at the beck and call of some ancient society.
Once we have eaten, Edith gets out a deck of cards and we all play queenie. Kit enjoys teaching me, as I’ve never played it before. I feel more settled now about Kit being here without me because I know he has these three wonderful people who are giving him the love and care of a family. I get my opportunity to speak with Calvin when he insists on washing up and I offer to dry. Edith is old school. She doesn’t like dishwashers.
“So, how is school going?” Calvin asks me as he passes me a plate.