Page 17 of The Seven Sisters

My sisters and I all agreed she should, and with messages of support called after her, Ally left the kitchen.

‘How dreadful for her,’ said Marina.

‘Well, at least we all know approximately where Pa Salt decided to be buried,’ said CeCe.

‘Jesus, CeCe, is that really all you can think of?’ shot Electra.

‘Sorry, ever practical, that’s me,’ CeCe replied, unperturbed.

‘Yes, I’m rather glad wedoknow his whereabouts,’ countered Tiggy. ‘We all know he had a huge soft spot for the Greek Islands, the Cyclades in particular. Perhaps this summer we should take his yacht out and drop a wreath at sea, wherever it was that Ally spotted the boat on the radar.’

‘Yes,’ Star ventured. ‘That’s a beautiful idea, Tiggy.’

‘Now, girls, can anyone manage some brunch?’ asked Marina.

‘Not for me,’ said Electra. ‘I’ll have some salad, if there’s any green stuff going in this house.’

‘I’m sure we can find something to suit you,’ said Marina patiently, signalling to Claudia that she should begin preparing the food. ‘Now that Ally’s home, should I call Georg Hoffman, and ask him to come here as soon as he can?’

‘Absolutely,’ said CeCe, before I could answer. ‘Whatever Pa Salt wanted us to know, let’s hear it as soon as possible.’

‘Do you think Ally will be up to it?’ said Marina. ‘She’s had a horrible shock today.’

‘To be honest, I think, like all of us, she’d prefer to get it over with,’ I said. ‘So yes, Ma, call Georg.’

6

Ally didn’t appear for lunch and we all left her alone, knowing she’d need some time to comprehend what had happened.

Marina arrived in the kitchen as Claudia was clearing the plates from the table. ‘I’ve spoken to Georg, and he’s arriving just before sunset tonight. Apparently, your father was specific in his requests, time-wise.’

‘Right. Well, I could do with a breath of fresh air after that huge lunch,’ said CeCe. ‘Anyone up for a quick trip out on the lake?’

The rest of the sisters, perhaps eager to escape the growing tension, agreed.

‘I won’t join you, if you don’t mind,’ I said. ‘One of us should be here for Ally.’

When the four of them had departed on the launch with Christian, I told Marina I was going back to the Pavilion, and that if Ally needed me, that was where I’d be. I curled up on the sofa with my laptop and began to read the opening chapters of Floriano Quintelas’s new book. Like his first one, the prose was exquisitely crafted and exactly the kind of narrative that I loved. It was set a hundred years ago, near the Iguazu Falls, and told the story of a young African boy released from the tyranny of slavery. Engrossed, I must have relaxed so much that I actually dozed off, as the next thing I knew, my laptop had slipped to the floor and someone was calling my name.

Waking with a start, I saw it was Ally.

‘I’m sorry, Maia. You were asleep, weren’t you?’

‘I guess I was,’ I agreed, for some reason feeling guilty.

‘Ma says that the other girls have gone out on the lake, so I thought I’d come and speak to you. Do you mind?’

‘Not at all,’ I said, trying to shake off the torpor of my impromptu afternoon nap.

‘Shall I make us both a cup of tea?’ Ally asked me.

‘Yes, thank you. The usual English Breakfast for me.’

‘I know,’ she smiled, raising her eyebrows slightly as she left the room. When she returned with two steaming cups and sat down, I saw that, as she lifted hers to her mouth, her hands were shaking.

‘Maia, I need to tell you something.’

‘What is it?’