Page 67 of Savage Obsession

“You want to send Lily here?”

“It’s a good school.”

“She doesn’t speak Spanish. How will she manage?”

“Cartwright is British based. Lessons are delivered in English. And in any case, her Spanish is coming along nicely.”

“She doesn’t speak English either. At least, not well.”

“She does. Enough anyway, and she’s improving all the time.”

“It looks expensive,” I protest.

His brow furrows. “That’s irrelevant. It’s a good school, ideal for her.”

I flick through the glossy pages. The brochure is in English, but I understand enough of it to pick out their emphasis on academic success and personal achievement in a multi-cultural environment. They promise to prepare students for a life on the international stage.

“Well, I suppose I could talk to Lily about it…” I concede.

“I already did. She’s keen.”

I glare at him. “You had no right! I’m her mother, I should decide these things.”

“I had every right. I’m her father.”

“Yes but?—”

“She’s been here for a few weeks now and she’s settled well, but she needs normal. That means school, the chance to make friends.”

“She had a school. And friends,” I mutter, though without conviction. I know I lost that argument weeks ago.

“Not that again.” He gets to his feet, exasperated. “She wants to go and visit, so I’ll set that up. Are you coming or not?”

“Of course. I want to see the place.”

“I’ll let you know when I’ve made the arrangements.” He stalks from the room and shortly after comes the sound of his office door closing.

Several hours later, I knock on the office door.

“Yes?” he calls from within.

“I need to talk to you.”

“Come in, then.”

I enter, to find him seated at his desk, gazing out over the extensive paddocks which surround the house. He swings his chair around to face me.

“I want to borrow your car,” I announce.

“Okay.” He regards me. “Where are you going?”

“Shopping,” I reply. “I need new clothes. So does Lily, if she’s going to that school.”

“Fair enough.” He reaches for his inner jacket pocket and produces a credit card. “Use that.”

“I don’t need money. I have my own.”

“You can’t access your bank accounts. We went through all this already. The police could trace the transactions and find your location.”

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