Chapter 33
King’s Head
Vereker announced to the table at large, “I’m glad all of us are here.
I’m pleased to say after our second lovely gathering last night, the entire neighborhood nearly all the way to Canterbury has had its curiosity satisfied.
All welcomed Graham warmly.” He looked at his magnificent son, marveled at his mother’s brilliant blue eyes.
Eugenie said, “Of course many remembered you, Graham, and they were so very pleased and surprised you survived, so happy to see you home again after so many years.”
Vereker said, “Well, all except Marlin Cox. He’s still a worthless little trout-wit. He was always jealous of you when you were boys.”
“Marlin,” Graham repeated. “The young man who was very solicitous and—”
Vereker merely shook his head. “When you were a boy, you always made excuses for him, Graham, but believe me, what I said is true and he never changed.”
Donner said, “What I really appreciated was Cook’s splendid boiled capon with oysters. I must say Lady Elsworth ate more than her fair share.”
Vereker laughed, shook his head. “If there is an oyster hiding in the neighborhood, Lady Elsworth will find it and pop it right in her mouth, always has since I was a boy. Her poor husband is always on the lookout for stray oysters.”
Strive as hard as he could, Graham couldn’t picture Lady Elsworth in his mind, eating oysters or not. Last night when she’d seen him, she’d leaned onto her toes and given him a kiss on the cheek. She then allowed him to bend over nearly double and kiss her parchment cheek.
His father continued to wax eloquent, so pleased he was until Eugenie swallowed a bite of her scrambled eggs, and said, “Several guests asked me if we had word of Simon. I had to tell them no, Papa.” Vereker felt a flash of numbing cold, felt that cold deep in his heart.
He said only, “I am hopeful he will come home as did Graham. But for now, my heart is filled.” He raised his coffee cup. “Welcome home, Graham.”
Cups were raised, smiles radiated.
Eugenie set down her cup, cocked her head. “I wonder if Uncle Tally knows Graham is home.”
Vereker said, “You know as well as I do, Eugenie, Tally knows everything that is going on everywhere. If he’s interested, he will come. Otherwise we will see him for his monthly dinner, ah, it’s only in two days.”
Graham asked, “Who is Uncle Tally, sir?”
Eugenie sat forward. “His full name is Tallyrand Louis Xavier Hepburn, he’s thirteen years younger than Father and he’s quite eccentric since he got his head bashed on a rock as a young man fighting at Waterloo.”
Suddenly, no warning, Graham saw a flash of white, a sort of filmy white, like fine curtains, pushed about by an unseen wind.
No, wait, the filmy white was being pushed about as if by shadows trying to come through.
He strained to see but then all were gone, the shadows, the filmy white.
Graham would swear in that instant he heard a faraway man’s voice calling out, but Graham didn’t understand.
He froze. He knew it a memory trying to come through, an actual memory. About this Uncle Tally?
Graham realized his father was staring at him, his fork raised, now motionless. “Are you all right, Graham?”
“What? Oh yes, sir, forgive my inattention.” Graham cocked his head to the side exactly like his father, if he’d known it. “I’m sorry, but I have no memory of him.”
Eugenie never looked away from Graham. “You remember nothing? About anything? Anyone? Even Uncle Tally?”
Graham shook his head.