31 #2
Harley could feel her heart beating rapidly, a ringing in her ears. She stood there with her arms crossed, no clue what to say. Her eyes were glued to him; she felt tense all over. This was the closest she had ever been to him. But it wasn’t just her, it seemed he too was at a loss for words.
“Harley, is it?” Eleanor’s soft voice called out which put an end to their staring contest.
“Yes.”
The older woman rose from the maroon-coloured sofa and approached in gentle steps, the picture of grace and calm, her lips thinning.
When she stood directly in front of her, she offered a forced smile.
“It is lovely to have you in our home. You must be tired after the journey. Phillip here,” she gestured to an older man who spawned out of nowhere, butler-like, something Harley hadn’t realised still existed “will show you to your room.”
Then she looked to her daughter, “Annabel, a word.”
Stassie linked their arms. “Come, I’ll show you around. Phil can carry the bags in.” She started to pull her out the door, and Harley mouthed to Annabel, are you good? The other girl simply nodded and waved her off. The door shut, creating a barrier between them.
She was given a tour of the entire house; she was shown the mini-theatre, an indoor swimming pool as well as an outdoor one, the multitude of rooms that she had walked past earlier and Anastasia had even shown her her music room and Annabel’s dance studio.
She wondered what would be the point of ever leaving the house if they had everything here.
They reached the room she was going to be staying in, “Mum said this is where you’d be staying whenever you come to visit. I helped decorate, do you like it?”
It was even larger than her room in the house she shared with Annabel; the walls were painted a pepper green, a bed she was sure was somehow bigger than king-sized, and there was a portion on the wall filled with polaroids of herself she didn’t realise Annabel had been taking and some of Annabel and Anastasia themselves making silly faces.
It was homelier than she imagined it would be.
She felt a little choked up at the sight of it.
Stassie stood there with her arms folded with her doe eyes expectant. Harley smiled in appreciation, “Thank you, I like it.”
The girl returned a grin, “Fabulous! We’re all having a sleepover tonight. I have the theatre ready for all the films we’re going to watch, and food and I’m ready for some gossip that has nothing to do with me.”
“Do I get a choice?”
She rapidly shook her head, “You weren’t there for my birthday, so no. This is how you make it up to me.”
“I know all this can’t be easy, me coming into your life this way. Thank you for being kind,” Harley said to her.
Anastasia sat on the edge of the bed, looking up at Harley, and said, “Honestly, I was a little scared at first.” She took a pillow in her hands and clutched it as she spoke, smiling a little.
“When dad first told us about you, I thought that was it. The end of my purpose in the family. My parents have never given me a reason to believe they didn’t want me but Annie would have a sister that is biologically related to her and my dad would have another daughter that was actually his. I thought you would replace me.”
Harley would never have been able to tell she had felt that way, it was not how she came across and as she scanned her face, it was beginning to dawn on Harley that there was more to Anastasia than the girl who always smiled to make everyone feel better.
“The last thing I could ever do is replace the importance you hold to your sister. She loves you more than you know,” Harley firmly relayed to her. Trying to make sure she didn’t still feel that way.
“I know that. It was just a silly fear,” Anastasia said.
Annabel entered the room at this time, in fluffy slippers instead of the heels she had been wearing they both arrived, so their conversation halted. She looked a little downtrodden but not serious enough to alarm her. “I already want to leave.”
“Was it that bad?”
“Mother was talking about our annual end of year Gold event and I have been informed attendance is not optional unlike other things I have chosen to forgo. They subtly reminded me how impertinent it was to bite the hand that feeds you. Meaning: the price for the Spain trip has been declared and I’m going back to the office from next week. ”
“I’m sorry, Annie.” Anastasia frowned, clearly blaming herself. Annabel held her hands, “It was worth it to see you have some fucking fun for once.”
Then she laid flat on the bed, “I forget whenever I have time away from them, just how frustrating they can be to deal with. God, I could throw something.”
Anastasia interrupted her rage rant, “No throwing anything, please. I spent hours on making this room perfect but we can take our minds off it tonight when we christen the room for Harley.”
“Sleepover?
“Well of course. A proper Bass sleepover fixes everything.” She nodded her head with a delighted smile.
???
The next day, Harley had woken up early despite the late night and thought a walk around the mansion would be a good idea.
She gently slid out of the bed as both girls were still asleep, softly snoring together in unison.
Harley smiled looking at them, she was glad to have gained unconditional acceptance from this bizarre time in her life.
It was a little cold but she put on her coat and scarf, still in her pyjamas and headed out anyway. The sun was only just rising, its orange light bared across the sky.
She was lucky she remembered to bring her antihistamine and had one before leaving, she was easily prone to catching something. The gardens were beautiful; some flowers bloomed and the grass still freshly green despite winter knocking on its front door.
Harley stood in front of the fountain and closed her eyes, trying to prepare herself for the day ahead. She felt uncomfortable by how many people she would have to put up with.
She also itched to ask her father about why he never cared about her mother enough to look after her. It had to be more than a fling for her mum to have never gotten over him.
“A cold morning we’re having,” A deep voice said from behind her, it startled her out of her thoughts. Standing with his hands in his pocket was William, a small vacant smile on his face. Speak of the devil and it shall appear.
“It is,” she answered softly.
He moved a little closer so he was standing right by her but she aimed to look everywhere but at him.
“I have always loved this part of the grounds, the fountain was my doing.” He chuckled to himself.
“The carving of sculptures especially for fountains were objects I had always found fascinating growing up, we had two in my childhood home.” She didn’t give him a reply. “Moreover, the view here is excellent.”
He was right about that. The area they stood on was on lightly sloping terrain, a small hill of sorts, so you could see the entire garden from there. But she wasn't in the mood for small talk or frankly any talk with him so just as he was about to utter another word she interrupted him.
“I’m letting this off my chest now or else I’ll explode. The only reason I came here is because your daughter begged me to. I don’t want to talk to you nor do I want to be around you for that matter. If we can limit all contact till tomorrow evening that would be great.”
Harley started to walk off but she didn’t get too far when his voice stopped her, “Does that include your mother?”
He was doing what Annabel said he would, pick at a weakness, but still she turned her head, “What about her?”
“Don’t you want to know where she is?” he questioned.
She had gone no contact with her because she wanted to make something of herself without the weight of her problems dragging her down. But Posy had assured her that her mother would be fine and she was frightened she had trusted the wrong person, “Tell me what you’ve done to her.”
“Something I have always told my children, and I guess this now extends to you, is that when I am speaking, you don’t interrupt.”
Her jaw ticked in frustration at him not answering her question but also at the smug smile plastered on his face.
“It’s astonishing how you ever managed to manipulate your children into thinking you’re someone worth respecting.
What was the point of bringing me here in the first place if you were just going to ignore me? ”
The smile on his face vanished, “Contrary to what you wish for, Harleen, there is no escaping me. Not anymore. Why did I bring you here? Because I can .” Just as he was about to walk away, he told her, “Your mother is fine. Frances placed her in some rehab facility up north.”
A sigh of relief escaped her. Rehab. She had always wanted that for her, to get better. She would finally have the chance to do it. Something akin to hope slithered around in her chest. A dangerous feeling to have but one she was going to hold onto nonetheless.
“Did you ever love her?” she asked the question she had itched to know for a long time.
That stopped him briefly and he turned his head, not even thinking about it. “No, I didn’t.”
He walked away and his answer broke something in her. She had hoped her existence came out of something good, she let the tears float down her face as she watched him disappear into the house. Mourning a life that never would have happened.
Despite her walk going terribly awry, she went back to her room making sure all traces of tears had been wiped from her face.
She walked back into her room to see that Stassie and Annabel were both awake.
Both were laying down, still under the covers, fiddling on their respective phones.
They sat up a little straighter at her entrance.
“Where did you go?” The latter asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as a yawn overtook her. Harley joined them on the bed but atop the covers, she folded her legs forward and rested her chin on it.
“A walk. I wanted to clear my head.”