Chapter 8
Lily soon felt she had seen quite enough of Cecilia and Yumi in the tub, and as Juliet was deep in conversation with Casey on the couch, and Dorian had lapsed into silence, she decided it was time to go.
“I’ll leave you to your evening. Thanks again. I’ll just take these to the jetty with me,” she announced, gathering up the food boxes and scraps. She was surprised when Dorian joined her.
“I’ll come with you,” he said.
“I’m going down anyway.”
“So am I.”
Lily suddenly remembered what she’d said to Nicola the previous week: “I wouldn’t walk with him to the end of the jetty.
” But it wasn’t as simple as that now. He had been oddly kind to her and Juliet, and though she knew she’d get an earful from Nicola later, walking down to the jetty laden with garbage was hardly a romantic stroll.
“All right. Thanks.” And she offered him one of the bags.
“Taking out the trash, Lily?” Cecilia called from the hot tub as they passed the lower deck. “Oh, and you’ve got the garbage as well, how kind.”
“Very funny, Cece,” said Dorian without a glance in her direction.
“You know I love you. Wait there, we’ll come.”
Lily paused and shifted the weight of the recycling box onto her hip. Here we go, she thought. Mission accomplished. Dorian now had to stop and look as Cecilia stood up in the tub in her bikini, skin steaming as it hit the air, glistening in the light from the bedroom inside. Oh boy.
Lily observed Yumi struggle with the dilemma. Should she follow Cece as usual or stay in the warm water as the night air cooled?
“I’m never leaving this tub,” Yumi said eventually.
Cecilia didn’t seem to care. She dabbed herself with a towel and threw on a diaphanous robe. She didn’t offer to carry any bags.
Cecilia led the way down to the beach, chatting airily, as Dorian and Lily followed in silence.
All three of them kept to the shadows as they passed the beachfront house, though mercifully none of Lily’s family was out on the deck.
It wasn’t until they had deposited the garbage and recycling in the public bins (“How adorably communist!” squealed Cecilia) that Lily realized she’d left her phone up at the cliff house.
“You can just get it in the morning,” Cecilia offered.
Was she eager to rid herself of Lily so she could enjoy a moonlit walk with Dorian?
Lily would have been glad to leave them to it, but she didn’t want Juliet up at the cliff house without direct contact with her only reasonable and tactful family member.
“I’d prefer to have it tonight,” Lily said, and so they set off back toward the cliff house with a running commentary from Cecilia about how little she relied on her phone because social media could be so toxic if you didn’t use it right.
Dorian silently ushered the party off the path and down the beach to walk back along the water’s edge.
Typical, Lily thought. Why should he lead the way?
It was annoying how naturally he assumed control, even if this was the way she would have chosen herself.
They all removed their shoes, and Cecilia’s chatter subsided in the majesty of the night.
Even after all her years of living at Pippi, Lily never got over its quiet beauty once the sun went down.
Outside the pools of light from the houses, Pippi glowed with its own silvery energy.
The dunes rustled with the breeze and animals, crabs scuttled across the sand, and cicadas buzzed.
“I feel so connected to nature right now,” Cecilia mused as she picturesquely flicked long tendrils of damp hair and stretched her neck.
“You look it,” Lily said with a smile.
“The water is so calm,” Cecilia continued. “Oh my God. Let’s swim!” She flung off her robe, stretched her arms to the stars, and lunged into the shallows with a delighted shriek. “What are you waiting for?”
Lily looked at Dorian.
“Too much nature?” Lily asked, amused.
Dorian didn’t reply. She could barely make out his features to see what he was thinking, but she hardly cared. It was a beautiful night. Why shouldn’t they swim? With as much businesslike speed as possible, she stripped down to the swimsuit she was wearing under her clothes and followed Cecilia in.
“Don’t drown,” Dorian called after them.
The water was lovely. The surface was as smooth as silk and still warm from the heat of the day. Lily dipped under and relished the feeling of salt water on her skin. When she resurfaced, Cecilia was standing closer to the beach, calling out to Dorian.
“Come on! It’s beautiful!” She giggled and splashed toward him.
He didn’t move. “I’m perfectly fine here. And I wouldn’t want to deprive you of your chief pleasure.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your audience.”
Cecilia splashed him again in mock outrage. “Rude!”
“Honest.”
Ha, thought Lily. Dorian saw right through Cecilia’s display and refused to indulge it.
Lily only hoped he didn’t include her in his judgment.
Not that she cared. Or did she? She knew she wasn’t showing off for his benefit, but why did she have the urge to prove it? He could think whatever he liked.
“Not everything women do is for the benefit of men, you know,” insisted Cecilia. “How should we punish him, Lily?”
Lily contemplated Dorian’s shadowy figure cutting a casual pose against the glow of the sand and sky behind him.
“Easy,” she said. “We laugh at him.”
“I am! I do! Ha ha!” bubbled Cecilia as she twirled.
“Look at his serious face,” Lily went on with a smile. “It’s funny!” She started to laugh.
“There’s nothing wrong with being serious,” Dorian countered.
“Ah, but being serious and taking oneself seriously are two different things,” she said. What the hell, let him squirm a little. She swam farther into the shallows. Cecilia followed her, striding out of the water, while Lily glided close to the sand.
“I laugh at you all the time,” Cecilia claimed.
But Dorian kept his eyes on Lily.
“Is taking oneself seriously a flaw?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“My flaw is that I care too much,” trilled Cecilia. “Come on, let’s go. I’m freezing. Give me your shirt.”
As Lily scrambled to dress herself, Dorian silently removed his sweatshirt and gave it to Cecilia.
“Oh my gosh, it’s so warm! And so big! I’m swamped!” she declared with much laughter.
Dorian wrapped Cecilia’s robe over his own shoulders and set off toward the cliff house.
Lily couldn’t help but wonder if that was a gesture for her benefit, to show her that he was indeed playful and spontaneous.
Yet for some reason, even in an ankle-length sheer silk robe with frills, he still looked as serious as the grave.