Page 55 of Roark
His sister looked a lot better this morning. Sure, she still had the marks from the glass that had shattered into her face, but as the paramedics had cleared her last night, she was going to be just fine. She’d pulled her hair back into a neat ponytail that made her look younger and wore white high-waisted pants with an orange top. As usual with Suri’s very coordinated style, there were orange bangle bracelets on one arm and orange hoop earrings in her ears.
“I was too,” Roark said when she came to stand beside him.
“This place is really nice. It’s a shame we haven’t been out here before now.”
“Yeah, it’s a shame about a lot of things,” he replied and then decided he didn’t want that to be the mood this morning. “Mum loved it here. She spent a lot of time decorating and redecorating. And she’s trained the staff to keep things exactly the way she wanted them.”
“Impeccable,” Suri said. “She had impeccable style and grace, and I’ve seen that here in the clubhouse at least. After breakfast I’ll go explore the rest of the grounds and the manor. I have a feeling I’ll be visiting much more frequently.”
“Maybe we should all make it a habit to visit more frequently, as a family.” The last was said as he watched Tamika and Aunt Birdie enter the room and take seats at the table.
When Tuppence signaled her, Tamika went to sit between her and Sandra. That meant she wouldn’t be sitting near Roark.
“Let’s sit,” he told Suri and escorted his sister to seats across the table from Tamika and her family.
Aunt Birdie went directly to the seat at the head of the table and sat down with the regal air she always carried. “Now this is more like it,” she said as she took the white linen napkin from the table, snapped it open and set it in her lap.
Moments after everyone was seated, Dorianne came in to announce, “The buffet is open.”
Roark thought Aunt Birdie was going to explode at that announcement. During the repast after his mother’s funeral, Aunt Birdie had made it clear how much she despised a buffet. “I’ll fix your plate,” he told his aunt.
His aunt who was in the process of rolling her eyes with much drama before she spared him a glance. “Thank you. Don’t skimp on the bacon. I’m not one of those ones with a sudden affliction to swine. And scones, I love vanilla scones.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Roark said and stood from his seat again. Just as he’d finished fixing Aunt Birdie’s plate and got her a cup of coffee, Roark noticed Cade entering the dining room. He immediately started walking toward his cousin, and that was when he noticed Pierce coming in behind him. And Ridge. “Oh, well, the gang is really and truly all here,” he quipped.
Ridge didn’t hide his annoyance. “Cade called me this morning, but I’m wondering why neither my brother nor sister thought about picking up their phone last night.”
At the sound of his ire, Suri forked a chunk of French toast dripping with maple syrup into her mouth.
“I’ll make the introductions, and then we can go into the parlor to talk,” Roark stated.
Cade had already walked past him. “And after we talk, I’m having breakfast.” He stopped at the head of the table and bent to kiss his aunt. “Aunt Birdie, my love. It’s good to see you as always.”
Aunt Birdie lifted a hand to cup Cade’s cheek. “Always the fresh one. Good morning, Cadence.”
Aunt Birdie liked to call everyone by their given names, even though she’d always gone by her nickname. It was something nobody in the family was allowed to question.
“We should talk. Now,” Pierce said. “Introductions can come later.”
Roark was used to being the serious and unyielding one in his family, but in this past week, Pierce had taken over that spot.
“Yeah, now,” Ridge said without going to speak to Aunt Birdie or anyone else at the table.
Roark followed them but paused to glance back at Tamika before leaving. She was about to stand and come join them, but he shook his head. “Stay. I’ll fill you in later.”
He was certain she didn’t like that, but her mother leaned over to whisper something to her, and she looked away from him. Roark left the dining room and walked toward the parlor.
Cade was last to come into the room, chewing on a piece of bacon while holding a sausage in his hand.
“How can you eat at a time like this?” Ridge asked.
“Easy.” Cade took a bite of the sausage. “Like this.”
Ridge shook his head, and Pierce moved to stand in what Roark was thinking might be the guy’s favorite spot in this room—near the window. “How the hell could you not call me and tell me that our sister and aunt were nearly blown the hell up?” As Ridge was normally the more laid-back brother, this burst of temper was different, but not surprising. His brother was right, again.
“I should’ve called, but to be fair, I was dealing with a lot here. Aunt Birdie and Suri showing up in the middle of the night looking like they’d been in a battle, learning that our mother was hunted and killed by her former classmate, having to secure this place like we’re in a war to keep everyone safe. I had a bit on my plate at that time, Ridge.”
“That’s not an excuse,” Ridge replied. “We agreed to no more secrets.”
