Chapter 16


    Richard


    Despite everything, everything that’s happened, everything that might happen…


    … Despite the feeling of waiting…


    …. What’s Klempner doing?


    ?


    Who knows?


    Hickman?


    I suppose he’d tell us if he thought there was a problem…


    … life feels almost normal. I could work at the office, but with Elizabeth due any time now, I prefer to


    work here.


    “Ross, could you deliver these back to Francis, please. I’ve emailed the scanned documents, but she


    needs my original signatures on some of them.”


    “Yes, sir.” He takes the files. “Is there anything for Mr Alexanders?”


    “James? I’m not sure. Let’s go ask him.”


    “I think you’ll find him in the kitchen, sir.” Ross shifts from one foot to the other. “I didn’t like to disturb


    him.”


    Really?


    James is indeed in the kitchen. There’s not too much doubt of it. A trail of banging and cuss-words


    leads us right to him. And as Ross and Ie down the hall from one direction, Michael is approaching


    from the other. He jerks his head at the kitchen door. “What’s going on?”


    “No idea.”


    Inside, James’ back is turned to us. Jacket hanging over the back of a chair, shirt sleeves rolled up, and


    be-aproned, he ms down some doughy mass on the counter-top, sending a small cloud of flour


    billowing. To one side, Scruffy sits, nose aimed upwards. To the other side: Bear, also sitting but at eye-


    level with the work surface.


    James spins the dough, turns it, presses in with the heel of both hands, then lifts and ps it down


    again with what looks to me like unnecessary violence.


    Michael raises brows at me and I shrug.


    Taking my life in my hands, “James, I was looking for you.”


    “Yes?” He speaks through clenched teeth. “What can I do for you, Richard?”


    “Ross here wants to know if there’s anything you need delivering to Francis?”


    He pauses, stares into space… “No,” he says after a moment. “I’ve emailed everything that’s needed to


    the parties concerned.” Lifting the dough once more, he spins it, ms it down, then leans in, kneading


    hard with the heel of his hands.


    Ross’ face is very straight. “That should make excellent bread, Mr Alexanders. Always a good choice


    when you want to work off some… energy.”


    James scowls at him, then cracks a smile. “You’re right. My apologies. Ross. I was sounding off my


    temper.”


    Ross shes brows. “Better bread than pastry. Or people.” File in hand he turns for the door. “I’ll be off


    then.”


    “I’ll see you out.” Michael follows him, returning a minuteter. “What’s griping you, James?”


    Shaping the dough into a round, he raises eyes ceilingward. “Charlotte is.”


    “Why? What’s she doing?”


    “Bad-tempered. Snappy. Rude to me. Rude to her mother too, which is what really annoys me…”


    “What triggered it?”


    N?velDrama.Org content rights.


    “Cara decided to do her Exorcist impression over her. Fountained about a gallon of her lunch back over


    Charlotte’s brand-new outfit… It was unfortunate, but her reaction was off the scale. I’m not letting her


    get away with it…”


    Michael’s chin jerks up. “You’re going to punish her?”


    “Oh, yes…” Jamesys the round of dough in a bowl, fishes a clean tea towel out from a drawer and


    covers the bowl. “… Her behaviour waspletely uneptable.” His gaze travels beyond us. Michael


    and I turn to follow it.


    Charlotte stands in the doorway…


    She must have heard him…


    … Her head droops. Her shoulders are hunched.


    Yup… that’s a guilty look…


    James rinses floury hands under the tap. “Charlotte are you going to behave yourself? Did you n to


    stop with me and your mother? Or do you intend to be rude to everyone in the house before the day’s


    out?”


    She folds her arms into a tight knot. “Sorry, Master. You’re right. I’ll…” Her words trickle up and she


    shuffles her feet.


    Michael strides across, wraps his arms around her, rocking her. His blue eyes intense, he looks


    between James and Charlotte. “I think it’s blindingly obvious what you need. Both of you.”


    The pair exchange nces, then turn to him, brows furrowing


    Michael’s eyes crease at the corners then roll to eye-point downward to the basement. “I thought so the


    last time we made love. It was wonderful. It always is. But you two…” His forefinger waves between


    them like a metronome… “… both need more than that.”


    James lets out air then, face softening, cups Charlotte’s cheek. “Aaahhh… We can always rely on your


    other husband to speak sense, can’t we.” She dimples.


    His tone turns brisk. “Michael, why don’t you go put the heating on downstairs. Charlotte, I think we


    should arrange a… date… for this evening.” He shes brows at me. “Richard, I assume that you and


    Beth would like to join us?”


    *****