Page 14 of The Sun Sister
‘Mon dieu!Of course it is you, Electra! My—’
‘Shh! I’m in disguise!’
‘Well, it is a most excellent one, but now of course I can see that it is you.’
I realised Mariam was hovering behind me.
‘Mariam, this is Christian, and he is...well, family, I suppose,’ I smiled down at him. ‘Would we be disturbing you if we sat down and had a drink? It issucha coincidence to see you here.’
‘If you will excuse me, I will go back to the hotel,’ said Mariam. ‘Otherwise I will fall asleep where I stand. It is a pleasure to meet you, Christian.Bonne soirée,’ she nodded before turning and fading into the mass walking along the busy Montmartre street.
‘Can I join you?’ I said.
‘Of course, please, sit down. I will order you a cognac.’
I watched Christian as he signalled to the young waitress on duty for the outside tables. I’d had a huge crush on him as a young girl – after all, he was the only guy under the age of thirty that I’d come into contact with at Atlantis. Ten years on, he didn’t seem to have changed and it struck me that I had absolutely no idea how old he actually was. Or, I realised guiltily,whohe was.
‘So,’ I said, ‘what are you doing here?’
‘I...well, I was visiting an old friend of mine.’
‘Right,’ I nodded, getting the strongest vibe that he was lying. ‘You know, it was Ma who found me a place to stay just a few doors down from here when I first came to Paris. I used to work at this very café. It seems a long time ago now.’
‘It is, Electra, almost ten years. Ah, here is the cognac.Santé.’
‘Santé.’ I toasted with him and we both took a large gulp.
‘And may I ask what you are doing in disguise out on the streets of Montmartre?’
‘Mariam – the girl you just met – is my PA and I was complaining that I couldn’t go anywhere without being recognised. So she dressed me up and we came out for dinner together.’
‘And did you enjoy not being you?’
‘I’m not sure, to be honest. I mean, it certainly has its advantages – you and I couldn’t be sitting here chatting without being disturbed if I wasn’t in disguise, but equally it’s irritating to be ignored.’
‘Yes, I’m sure it must be. So’ – Christian took another sip of his cognac – ‘how are you?’
‘I’m okay,’ I shrugged. ‘How is Ma? And Claudia?’
‘They are well, yes. They are both in good health.’
‘I often wonder what they do with themselves these days, now that we’re gone and so is Pa.’
‘I wouldn’t worry about that, Electra. They keep very busy.’
‘And what about you?’
‘There is always a lot to do on the estate and it is rare for a month to go by without a visit from one or more of your sisters. Ally is at Atlantis now with her beautiful son, Bear.’
‘Ma must be in heaven.’
‘I think she is, yes.’ Christian gave me a rare smile. ‘He is the first of the next generation. Marina feels needed again and it is good to see her happy.’
‘How is Bear? My nephew,’ I added, surprised by the word.
‘He is as perfect as all newborn babies are.’
‘Does he cry, scream sometimes?’ I probed. Christian was another person whom I, along with my sisters, technically employed, yet tonight his deference irked me.
