Page 76 of The Warrior
Erika hooked her arm under my elbow and looked up at me with a bright smile. It was nice to see how happy my presence made her, and at the same time it made me feel bad that I visited so seldom.
“Zobel will be delighted that you are here. Youarestaying for dinner, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Wonderful.”
We walked through the mansion, one room more opulent than the other.
“Don’t you just love this house?” My mother pointed to the vaulted ceiling. “It’s a replica of ancient paintings from the Renaissance. Zobel has a rare antique art book that he bought for a high price. I can show it to you if you want to see.”
“Maybe later.”
For the next forty minutes, my mother small-talked about flowers, sun exposure, greenhouse temperatures, quality of soil. I nodded, listened, and leaned in to smell the rose that she was so proud of.
“It’s beautiful.”
She smiled with pride. “Thank you.”
“Mom, can I ask a question?”
“Of course, darling.”
“Why do you say Zobel and not his first name?”
She looked thoughtful. “I suppose it’s because I’ve known him for thirty-five years as Mr. Zobel.”
“Didn’t he tell you to use his first name?”
“If he did, I don’t recall it.”
“Are you still thinking about marrying him?”
A flash of sadness disappeared behind a façade of false bravado, as Erika took a seat. “He’s a nice man, and marrying the richest man in the country isn’t the worst that could happen to a woman.”
I sat down beside her. “Mom, you make it sound like you want Zobel for his money. It’s not like the alternative is living in a shack. Khan and I would take care of you. You know that, right?”
She patted my cheek just like she had when I was a small boy. “I know. But I don’t want to be a burden to you two.”
I wanted to tell her that she was going to be a grandmother soon, and that Khan could probably use her help to make sure his child wasn’t indoctrinated by Pearl. But if the situation had been reversed, and it was Laura who was pregnant, I would’ve wanted to share the good news myself. I also couldn’t risk that my mother might call Khan to congratulate him before Pearl got around to telling him herself.
Just then Zobel walked in, greeting me with his loud voice and open arms. “Welcome to my humble abode.”
The man lived on the biggest estate in the country, and there was nothing humble about him or his golden palace.
I stood up to shake his hand and on purpose I avoided asking him how he was. The last time I’d asked, he had gone on and on about his painful arthritis, his lazy workers in the factories he owned, and his mistrust of his tailor.
“I was just telling my mother that we miss her, and that we wished she would visit us more often,” I said.
He gave a fake smile. “It’s such a long journey, and Erika prefers it here.”
I ignored his comment and looked straight at my mother. “So many things are happening at home. You’re missing out on a lot.”
My mother looked down.
“What do you say we go get a brandy?” Mr. Zobel suggested and patted my shoulder in a jovial manner. “We know all about what is going on at the Gray Mansion. Your mother and I have watched all the news about the situation with the Motherlands.” While we walked Mr. Zobel shook his head. “I can’t say that we are happy about it.”
My mother was behind us and I turned my head to look at her. “You saw Khan’s plea for people to stay calm and stay out of the Motherlands?”
