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“I haven’t made up my mind yet.”
That was a whopper of a lie too. Isaac had the determined look of a man with every ounce of self-doubt burned away. Like everything was clicking into place and, for the first time, the road ahead lay clear. And then he kissed me again. Not with any urgency—no demands were being made—just with an unhurriedtenderness, like he was humming my favourite Nine Inch Nails track, a bittersweet, depressing as hell ballad I used to play to myself over and over when I had nothing left in the world. So I didn’t kill myself afterward, I always used to follow up withCloser. I defy anyone to listen to Trent Reznor belting out those immortal lyrics and keep blubbing.
Anyhow, Isaac kissed me and kissed me and kissed me. Then we carried on where we’d left off until he came in my mouth.
CHAPTER 27
EZRA
The exam results came through at eight a.m the next morning. Isaac didn’t open the email until nine, and he didn’t text me with the news that he’d passed until after ten, as I’d left to drop Jonty off at school and then headed to Covent Garden. At eleven, he handed in his notice, then caught the last half hour of my busking set before we Tubed it the short distance to his appointment with the solicitor. I told him I was tagging along for moral support, but in truth, I’d become the kind of boyfriend who’d trail after him to the gallows if it meant I got to hang around with him a little longer.
David Trethowan was excellent at his job. He must be, because he managed to appear pleased to see me. In my defence, I was more amenable to his pleasantries this time around. However, I’d spent too many hours dismissed by the tinpot gods at social services, wielding their authority from behind cheap pine desks, to be overly effusive. My many failed applications to move into more suitable housing on account of Jonty’s asthma being a case in point.
“These power of attorney documents are quite standard.” Trethowan spread several sheets of paper into a fan in front of Isaac. “I advise all of my clients holding substantial assets they really should organise it sooner rather than later. As your poor father showed us, one never knows what is lurking around the corner. And I gather your mother has suffered a few… um… health problems of her own of late.”
He threw Isaac a sympathetic look as he tapped with a gold pen on the bottom of a sheet. “This is the same as the copy I emailed. I’ve marked the signature places with a red cross.”
Slouching low in an uncomfortable seat, I stretched my legs out as he plodded through some legal bumf. All very humdrum. I wasn’t sure why this couldn’t have been done via an online document. Jonty was staying on after school for an extra hour, to attend recorder club. This thing here would be wrapped up in a few minutes, giving us plenty of time for a detour via Isaac’s bedroom. Thus, until David Trethowan’s next words, I filled the time indulging in a few good old-fashioned horny daydreams.
“And then we come onto another matter and … ah… Ezra’s presence couldn’t have been more fortuitous.”
I sat a little straighter as Trethowan cleared his throat.
“I wanted to meet in person with you, Isaac, to see if you’d managed to make contact with Ezra again. Neither your mother nor I have any of his current contact details, but,” his gaze flicked up to mine and he gave a little apologetic laugh, “you have answered that question for me.”
Isaac’s head tilted ever so slightly forwards. Resisting the temptation, I picked at a loose thread on my coat instead. “Because?”
“Lady Janice has… ah… whilst planning the power of attorney, she made some amendments to her financial affairs, which I think, Ezra, you might find favourable.”
Stonily, I stared straight ahead, unsure what I needed to prepare for, but certainly not allowing any optimism to flourish. In the words of some bloke far better educated than me, whenever someone presented me with a gift horse, I went looking for Greeks. Just becauseLadyJanice and I had shared a couple of cosy afternoons drinking weak tea and munching biscuits didn’t mean I was back in her good books. Nor did I want to be, more than the minimum required to facilitate a game of happy families. Too much water had flowed under the bridge for that. Whilst our afternoons had beenconciliatory, for want of a better word, we’d still thrown a few hand grenades at each other.
Isaac, bless him, was sitting forward in his chair. “Go on. She hasn’t shared anything with me.”
“I know,” acknowledged David Trethowan. “It came out of the blue, to be honest. She only made the proposal two days ago.”
A pulse throbbed in my neck. Despite myself, I was curious. With deliberate casualness, I gave a bored sigh as Trethowan brought up a new screen on his desktop, tapped a few buttons, then read from a document. “I’ll send Isaac an electronic copy for his personal files, and to you too, Ezra, if you forward your email address. I have hard copies here. The gist of it is Lady Janice has placed a considerable amount of your late father’s money into a trust for—” His eyes darted away from the screen and up at the both of us. “I’ll read it exactly as it stands, because the wording is quite specific: ‘for her step-grandson, Jonathan (Jonty) George Slash Fitz-Henry, born 7thDecember 2015. To be available to him when he reaches the age of twenty-five. At the discretion of myself, Janice Margaret Fitz-Henry, or her son, Isaac, monies held in trust may be used before that time for suitable purposes to further Jonty Fitz-Henry’s education andwellbeing, such as towards a university education, travel, or the purchase of his first property.”
Silence pressed against my skin like a cool, invisible hand. It stretched against my bones. A door closed beneath us; a distant phone rang. Isaac swallowed, audibly, then said, “Fuck me,” to which David Trethowan responded with a dry little cough.
I feel fine, I told myself as the echo of his words receded. Absolutely fine. No different from ten minutes ago. I’d misheard. I must have done. Didn’t Ed have Jonathan as a middle name? Vaguely, I became aware of David Trethowan pushing a bundle of papers across the desk in our direction and Isaac reaching forward to take them.
“Goodness,” Isaac commented, which must have met more with David Trethowan’s approval, as no cough followed. “I’m… I… had no idea she was considering that. She never… she never even hinted the last time I spoke to her. What… gosh. I wonder what changed her mind?”
“I gather she’s rather fond of the little chap,” Trethowan offered.
There was another silence, shorter than the last. Then Isaac’s hand, very gently, landed on my shoulder. I sensed them both looking at me, waiting for me to say something. With effort, I lifted my gaze up to Isaac’s, staring into his wide blue eyes like they were the only thing in the room, trying to suck the truth from them. Was this her idea of joke? It must be, revenge served cold and all that.
But Isaac’s warm blue eyes didn't flinch.They stayed locked on mine, steady and understanding.A cold, tingling kind of numbness spread across my forehead, into my mouth, into my cheeks.
“It’s all here,” interrupted David Trethowan. “I’ve only given you the meat of it. Isaac will need to sign another couple ofdocuments when I have them drawn up,and obviously, we’ll need more of Jonty’s details, but…”
The muscles in my mouth were paralysed; I couldn't speak. Even if I could, I wouldn't know what to say.After an embarrassing length of time, during which Trethowan came to the end of his spiel and Isaac said something appropriate back, I got my mouth to work again.
“Where,” I was surprised by the hoarseness of my voice, “is she now?”
“On a trip,” Isaac answered. “When I met her for coffee a couple of days ago, she said she was taking in a detour to see the twins in California for a few days. And then she said she’d be visiting a place in Arizona, staying there for several weeks, until she was... well.”
His hand squeezed my shoulder. In front of David Trethowan, he closed the gap between us and lightly kissed my cheek. “You did that, Ez. Where no one else has managed. You persuaded her to go.”
