Page 11 of The Seven Sisters

‘How are you feeling?’ I asked her gently.

‘I—’

‘She’s in shock, like we all are,’ cut in CeCe before Star could speak. ‘But we’ll get through this together, won’t we?’ she said as she reached a strong brown hand towards her sister and clasped Star’s slender, pale fingers within it. ‘It’s such a shame, because I was about to tell Pa some good news.’

‘And what is that?’ I enquired.

‘I’ve been offered a place in September on a year’s foundation course at The Royal College of Art in London.’

‘That’s wonderful news, CeCe,’ I said. Even though I’d never really understood her strange ‘installations’, as she called them, preferring a more traditional style to modern art, I knew it was her passion and I was pleased for her.

‘Yes, we’re thrilled, aren’t we?’

‘Yes,’ Star agreed obediently, although she didn’t look it. I could see her bottom lip was trembling.

‘We’ll base ourselves in London. That’s if there are still funds available after we’ve met with this lawyer of Pa’s.’

‘Honestly, CeCe,’ I said, my stretched patience finally snapping. ‘This is hardly the moment to be thinking of such things.’

‘Sorry, Maia, you know it’s just my way. I loved Pa very much. He was such a brilliant man and he always encouraged me in my work.’

Just for a few seconds, I saw vulnerability and perhaps a little fear appear in CeCe’s hazel-flecked eyes.

‘Yes, he was one of a kind,’ I affirmed.

‘Right, Star, why don’t you and I go upstairs and get unpacked?’ CeCe suggested. ‘What time’s supper, Maia? We could both do with something to eat soon.’

‘I’ll tell Claudia to have it ready as soon as possible. Electra isn’t arriving for hours and I still haven’t heard from Ally.’

‘We’ll see you in a while then,’ said CeCe, standing up, with Star following suit. ‘And anything I can do, you know you simply have to ask.’ CeCe smiled at me sadly as she said this. For all her insensitivity, I knew she meant it.

After they left, I pondered the enigma that was the relationship between my third and fourth sisters. Marina and I had discussed it often, both of us concerned as they grew up that Star simply hid behind the strong personality that was CeCe.

‘Star seems to have no mind of her own,’ I’d said time and time again. ‘I haven’t a clue what she really thinks about anything. Surely it can’t be healthy?’

Marina had agreed wholeheartedly with me, but when I’d mentioned it to Pa Salt, he’d smiled his enigmatic smile and told me not to worry.

‘One day, Star will spread her wings and fly, like the glorious angel she is. You wait and see.’

This hadn’t comforted me, for just as Star was reliant on CeCe, it was obvious that, for all CeCe’s outward self-possession, the dependence was mutual. And if Stardidone day do as Pa Salt had predicted, I knew CeCe would be completely lost.

*

Dinner that evening was a sombre affair as my three sisters began to adjust to being home, where everything around us served as a reminder of the enormity of what had been lost to us. Marina did her utmost to keep everyone’s spirits up, but seemed uncertain how best to do so. She asked questions about what each of her precious girls were currently doing in their lives, but unspoken memories of Pa Salt brought sporadic tears to all our eyes. Eventually, the attempts at conversation gave way to silence.

‘I’ll just be glad when Ally’s been located and we can move on with hearing whatever it is Pa Salt wanted to tell us,’ Tiggy said with a long sigh. ‘Excuse me, but I’m going up to bed.’

Kissing all of us, she left the room, followed by CeCe and Star a few minutes later.

‘Oh dear,’ sighed Marina, when it was just the two of us left alone at the table, ‘they’re all completely devastated. And I agree with Tiggy: the sooner we’ve located Ally and she’s back, the faster we can all move on.’

‘She’s obviously out of mobile phone range,’ I said. ‘You must be completely exhausted, Ma. Go to bed and I’ll stay up and wait for Electra to arrive.’

‘Are you sure,chérie?’

‘Yes, positive,’ I confirmed, knowing how difficult Marina had always found dealing with my youngest sister.

‘Thank you, Maia,’ she said, acquiescing without further protest. She rose from the table, kissed me gently on the top of my head and left the kitchen.