Chapter 65 – Thomas
Mum is the only one home when I get there. I don't know where my brothers are, but I'm guessing they won't be home from prep school for another few days.
"Violet's coming tonight," she says. "But it's good to have you home, darling."
"It's good to be home..." I mutter as I kiss both her cheeks and hug her without messing up her Chanel, which involves staying a safe distance away from her clothing during our hug. Touching was never a big thing in our house.
It's better to be home without him, although I don't know how much longer I'll stay.
My mum doesn't need me, and my brothers definitely don't need me.
Clover does, though. I wonder how she's handling things all those miles away with her crazy mum and her job.
How could she spend her how life working for her mum and not even earn the slightest bit of respite on her holidays?
It seriously isn't fair to her. I wonder what a lawyer would have to say about her work and what her mum really owes her.
I wrap my arms around my mum and let her hug me.
"He will not be here for the holiday. It's going to be so hard."
I agree with her even if I don't want to. The house will be freer without dad, as unfortunate as that is.
"Let me put my things upstairs, yeah?"
"Don't disappear into your room with all those video games, you hear me?"
"I'll be out soon, mum. Promise."
"Good. And dress for tea."
"Yes, mum."
I send Clover a few text messages and head to my bedroom.
It's been ages since I've been here, but I know mum leaves the bedrooms untouched.
My bedroom is more like an apartment suite.
I've got a bedroom, a living room in there, a little gym with a Concept 2 Rowing Machine, some free weights and a bathroom that mum had remodeled for my seventeenth birthday with a large walk-in shower and an enormous tub.
I cringe as I enter my bedroom and see all the posters of half-naked women on the walls. They all seem so childish and stupid now. I want to rip all the posters down and replace them with pictures of Clover — not like I have any. She's not the sort to let me pose her for the picture.
Maybe once we're back at school and officially together, she'll let me take a picture of us.
I think we'd look cute together with her soft brown skin and my...
well... my ghostly appearance in comparison might look a bit worse for wear.
I wouldn't care. I just want to post some version of her face on my wall or keep the picture as the wallpaper on my phone.
I just want her face near mine...
She's in Newport. I could have the staff get the jet ready and be there tomorrow.
I could whisk her away to England in time for Christmas.
The hard part would be introducing her to my family.
Violet would accept Clover, but it wouldn't be fair to surprise Clover with my horrid family when she has problems of her own.
I set my bags down on the bed and start ripping down the posters before I consider getting ready for tea. Violet texts me when I have half the posters down.
Violet: I'm almost home!!!
She isn't bringing Jack for once. She's popping in for a brief visit and she's going to horrify mum by announcing her pregnancy.
Mum hates Jack Dyson's mum, and their rivalry stretches back to their boarding school days.
Mum actually cried when Vi announced their engagement, complaining that Violet had done it spite her.
Jack's a decent lad. I don't have any trouble with him.
I text her back that I'll meet her downstairs and keep fixing my room.
I hear the cars coming outside from my window when I'm just about finished with my poster removal project and I stick my hands in my hoodie pockets to meet my sister downstairs.
We only have twenty minutes until tea. Mum's getting tea ready, so she sends a courier with a note for Violet instead of coming to the door.
Vi rolls her eyes as she reads the note. "Seriously? She's still doing that?"
I clear my throat and extend my arms wide to hug my favorite sibling. Violet grins and rushes over to me, waddling like a penguin with that baby bump Dyson put there. I shudder to think… Hopefully they name their kid after me. That would be wicked.
"I missed you!!" she squeals, wrapping her arms around me. I grunt in response. She knows how I feel. She must.
"Please tell me you've been good," she murmurs.
Let's see... There's the Amelia Harrington situation, my new girlfriend Clover, the blackmail situation and Spicy Freak.
I can't tell Violet about Molly and I don't want to tell her that there's still someone else out there for me to worry about — someone who has been quiet for a suspiciously long time.
"Been wonderful," I murmur.
"Perfect..." she says. "Where are George and Alfred?"
"Not here yet."
"Are you going to tea?"
"Of course."
"I'll get ready then," Violet replies with a smile. "Then you'll have to tell me all about your first year adventures..."
I grunt in response and turn towards my bedroom.
Violet doesn't want to know what adventures I've had, but I look forward to tea with my sister and listening to stories about her happy life in America with that lovable idiot, Jack Dyson.
I dress in a blue gingham shirt and grey trousers, tucked in, of course.
Mum would prefer if I wore a bowtie, but I reach a happy middle ground by selecting a coral pink tie from my infinite collection of excessively formal clothes required for attending tea.
Fussing with my hair is utterly useless, so I leave it a large fluffy mess and head down the hall to the parlor. I hear Violet on the phone in her bedroom, yelling something about babies and tangerines to Jack. Maybe she's the crazy one in their relationship...
I enter the parlor and thank the maid for handing me tea before I join mum, choosing the seat across from her.
She smiles at me and then a single tear forms in her eye.
"It's so good to see you," my mum whispers.
"Mum, there's no need to cry. Seriously."
I've been under two hours a way. If she missed me that badly, she could have visited. I dunno. There's something weird about her.
"Thomas? I have some unfortunate news," she says in a nervous, jittery voice. Did she forget her Xanax again today?
"What is it?"
"The police are on their way. They're extending us the courtesy of tea but after that, they plan on arresting you under suspicions of murder."
"Murder?"
"Yes, darling. We're well connected. I won't have them barging in here before you've had a chance to unwind. Drink your tea and then you'll leave with them. Don't worry, I've already spoken to your lawyer. You don't have to say a word, alright? Just drink your tea."
"Mum..."
"Drink," she responds stiffly. "We'll deal with the rest later."
Oh, I’m definitely fucked.
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