Page 54 of Painted

“The event is a fundraiser for CADD,” Rebecca said in a far more measured voice than Early would ever have been able to manage. “The Campaign Against Drink Driving is a nationally recognized non-profit whose mission is to?—”

“I don’t care if the bloody king himself is behind the so-called charity,” Nancy interrupted her. “I refuse to let a bunch of complete strangers who never knew Mariel use her tragic death as an excuse to have a party, and I refuse to let my snake of a brother get all the limelight because Mariel is dead.”

The quaver in Nancy’s voice as she reached the end of her blast of words then gasped for breath spurred Early to action. They definitely knew grief when they saw it.

“Would you like to sit down, Ms. Flint?” they said, stepping out from behind the desk and using their softest voice in anattempt to direct the woman to one of the chairs against the office wall. “I could make you a tea. We can call Mr. Hawthorne senior, who has been working with your brother on the event.”

“I refuse to be coddled and brushed aside when you lot are desecrating my sister’s memory.” Nancy held up her arms to ward them off as they came near. “You didn’t know her. You have no right to make a spectacle of her.”

Nancy’s impending tears, which Early could definitely see coming, were held back as she quickly swept Early from head to toe. The surprise of finding someone in front of her who she had probably misgendered in her mind and was suddenly reassessing was just the sort of break in her anger that Early needed.

“Please, come sit with me,” they said, taking the risk of touching the woman’s elbow and drawing her toward the chairs.

“I’ll get Dad,” Rebecca said quietly before disappearing into the back part of the office.

Early nodded to her before she ducked out of sight, then moved to sit with Nancy.

They thought they were getting somewhere until Nancy pinched her face and asked, “What are you anyhow?”

It was such a simple question, but it hit Early with a frustratingly sharp impact. They were just trying to help.

“A friend?” they answered, fighting to maintain their compassion. “Someone who wants to understand and help you?”

“Fuck that,” Nancy snapped, causing Early to wince. Judging by her somewhat dowdy, middle-aged look, they wouldn’t have expected her to curse. “I want this fundraiser stopped now! I want someone to listen to me and end it. My brother has done all this without my permission, without anyone’s permission. He didn’t even tell the rest of the family it was happening. He just wants his name in the papers and for people to think he’s a better man than he is. Did you know that he’s a drunk?” Shehuffed an ironic laugh. “A drunk putting on a fundraiser to raise awareness against drink driving!”

“I’m sorry that Mr. Flint didn’t consult with the rest of the family before going ahead with the fundraiser,” Early said, scrambling to know what to say.

Nancy was angry, unpleasant, and clearly had a chip on her shoulder, but the resemblance to Rhys at his worst stopped them from telling the woman to shove off. She was hurting. Badly. They couldn’t tell someone to go fuck themselves when they were hurting that badly.

“Were you close to Mariel?” they asked instead, shifting one hand to the arms of the chairs between them as an offering, if she needed to hold someone’s hand.

“Yes!” Nancy shouted incredulously, staring at Early like they were mad. “She was my sister.”

“I don’t have any siblings, so I don’t know what it’s like to be close to one,” Early said, keeping their voice soft. “Or to lose them.”

“It’s horrible,” Nancy said, still incredulous and angry, but with grief sinking in on her so fast Early felt like they would need to catch her. “Mariel meant the world to me. Martin knows that. He knows better than to go behind my back where Mariel is concerned.”

Early nodded slowly as the situation became clearer to them. It was grief, not anger, that fueled Nancy’s upset.

“What would you have done differently if you were in charge?” they asked, shifting a little closer to her and praying Nancy saw the olive branch they were offering.

“I wouldn’t have allowed this bloody fundraiser, that’s for certain,” Nancy raged on. “What right do you lot have to parade my sister’s death and my family’s tragedy in front of strangers just so that you can earn a few quid? It’s indecent!”

“I suppose the thought process is that by raising funds for CADD, other people’s deaths can be avoided,” Early said, inching their hand toward Nancy’s. They could definitely feel how badly the woman needed someone to hold her hand, someone to comfort her.

“Why should someone else live when my sister is dead?” Nancy shouted, then burst into tears.

Early tensed, certain they’d failed at giving her the comfort she needed. Again, they were reminded of Rhys and the outbursts he’d had because of that dark knot of his grief over Raina.

Through the glass wall of the office, Early saw Robert and Janice hurrying down the grand staircase and across the front hall. The last session of classes were letting out as well, which meant the confrontation had more of a potential audience.

“We can make this right,” they said, reaching out to rub Nancy’s back. “Maybe you could help your brother and the Hawthornes come up with a way?—”

“Don’t touch me!” Nancy barked, shrugging away from Early’s touch. “I don’t even know who you are. What gives you the right to touch me like that?”

“I beg your pardon?” Janice demanded as she and Robert entered the office. “How dare you speak to a member of our staff in such a way?”

“It’s alright,” Early said, rising quickly and stepping away from Nancy, desperate to keep the peace.

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