Page 53 of One Last Smile

I return an innocent smile and say, “Lead the way, then.”

“Yes!” Sebastian exclaims. “And I want to see yours as well, son. What did you photograph anyway?”

“Oh, um… a few different animals and insects around the estate.”

“Oh, jolly good!” Sebastian cries out. “Did you see the family of foxes by the stream?”

“Not recently, but I have a photo from last year.”

“Oh, pity. I was hoping to see how the kits have grown.”

“I found a nest of starlings, though.”

“Hmm. Never been particularly fond of birds.” He smiles and claps Lucas on the shoulder. “Perhaps today I shall be made a believer!”

I turn to the rest of the family. “Would you all care to join us?”

Oliver cocks his head and thinks a moment, then shrugs. “Very well. It’s better than lounging around all day.”

“I’ll join you too,” Veronica says. “I can’t wait to see Lucas’s work!”

“I think I’ll take a nap,” Eliza says. “I promised a friend I would meet them tonight, so I need to rest up.”

“Oh?” I ask. “You’re going out tonight?”

Her eyes narrow. “Why is that any of your business?”

“Oh, it’s not,” I say quickly. “I apologize. It’s just… I… I hoped to make my cheesecake for dessert as a thank you to all of you for welcoming me to your home.”

“Ooh, cheesecake!” Veronica cries out. “Eliza’s favorite!”

“She can save some for me,” Eliza says irritably. “I’ll be back before midnight. I’m only going out for dinner.”

“Well, it’s clear that you do need a nap,” Veronica chides. “There’s no need to be rude.”

Eliza rolls her eyes. “Very well. I’m off then. Sorry to offend the help.”

“Eliza!”

Eliza sticks her middle finger out at her mother as she ascends the stairs. Veronica turns to me, face burning. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what’s gotten into her.”

“It’s no trouble, ma’am. I understand how trying it is to go without sleep.”

“Still… there’s no cause for that.” She takes a breath and smiles at me. “Well, anyway, let’s go see Lucas’s pictures.”

“And Mary’s too!” Sebastian exclaims.

He’s too excited to talk about trees to care much about Eliza’s attitude or my sudden revelation of baking skills. I hope that my burning cheeks communicate embarrassment at the spat with Eliza and not at my woeful skill at lying.

We go up to the room, and Lucas helps me download the pictures. I glance at the clock. Five minutes until two o’clock. I take a deep breath and release it slowly. I’ll know soon if my ruse has worked.

The first picture in the queue is of the baobab tree. Sebastian crows with delight and immediately launches into a soliloquy about the wonderful water-retention qualities of the tree, the habitats it provides for lemurs and birds, the critical shade it delivers to other wildlife, and other facts numerous enough to make any naturalist approve.

Oliver listens to his father’s excitement with amusement. Veronica looks bored. Lucas listens raptly, and I feel a pang of guilt for what’s about to happen. This could be the most quality time he’s spent with Sebastian in years. Mr. Carlton might not be his father biologically, but he’s the only father Lucas has ever known, and I hate to create a circumstance where the two can become close only to use it as a distraction to confront Minnie’s murderers.

As the minutes slowly count down, I feel another rush of anxiety. I begin to feel as though my plan is too clumsy and foolish to work. Too many things need to go right, and very few can go wrong. Otherwise, I’ll only be presenting myself as a madwoman and creating drama without accomplishing anything to make the drama worth it.

But I had to try. I had to do something.

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