She looked up at him in surprise.
‘Not go back?’
‘Non. Why do we not stay here and enjoy London? We could find an hotel, it will be an adventure.’
Juliet bit her lip. Because the plan had been to go back…yet the idea of staying in London for the night, with Léo, felt somehow irresistible. Her stomach fluttered with a combination of anticipation and nerves.A hotel?
‘All right,’ she said slowly. ‘Let’s stay.’
‘Super! What would you like to do, now we are not running for a train? A walk, perhaps, it’s a lovely afternoon?’
And then what?Still not ready to confront the reality of this hotel, Juliet stalled, for a moment considering whether to forget the whole thing and bolt for the station. But looking at Léo standing patiently smiling at her, she knew that here was another opportunity to dip her toe in the waters of courage, to continuing probing to find out if Léo’s benevolent exterior concealed a monster beneath. God knew Toby had seemed amiable enough to begin with, but it had all been a façade to lure her in.
‘Yes, a walk would be nice. And then…there is an art deco cinema I would like to visit in Kensington. They normally have a showing of a classic film at six thirty, and you can order food, although I’m not sure I’ll ever be hungry again.’
‘Wonderful idea! We can walk through Hyde Park and be rewarded for our exercise with dinner, wine and a movie. Do we need to book?’
Juliet’s face broke into a real smile, the little muscles that had been twitching with worry finally relaxing.
‘You’re not the only one with contacts, Léo. Let me make a quick phone call.’
The walk took just under an hour, and it was one of the most pleasant Juliet had ever spent in London. No noisy crowds, no banging music, no demands to be cutting and witty, just a stroll through a beautiful park with Léo as her companion, a companion who made her laugh, pointed out things he thought she might enjoy seeing and listened attentively as she spoke.
‘Did you walk here often, when you lived in London?’
‘You know, I don’t think I walked through once, although I did come to a few shows at the Serpentine Gallery – including one of my father’s.’
‘And how was that?’
Juliet drew breath to give her normal answer – that it had been wonderful, she had enjoyed every second, she was so proud of Rousseau – then paused. Léo was asking for real – how was it? – and he wanted a real answer.
‘I like my father’s art, although I don’t always understand it, and I am very proud of him, but I find the exhibitions difficult sometimes, and that one in particular was a horrible evening. We were surrounded, as usual, by a throng of Dad’s admirers – critics and fans. Some of them are great – genuinelyinterested in him and his process – but so many are just gushing, pretentious sycophants with less interest in art and more in having their photo taken next to some art or, even better, an artist. And failing that, an artist’s daughter.’ She paused and glanced up at Léo, wondering if he would challenge her, suggest her criticism was due to her own insecurities, but he merely nodded, his eyes kind, and she continued. ‘My mother was on her finest form, telling anyone who asked me about myself not to bother, as I was the Cinderella of the family talent with my little cartoons, and Toby was busy sucking up to her and telling me oh-so-sympathetically that we should probably go soon, as it must betooupsetting for me to be highlighted as the mere shadow to the rest of my family’s talent.’
‘It sounds miserable.’
‘It was, but the unhappier I felt, the more I was sure it was my own fault, so I stuck it out until the end, then ended up drinking too much and giving Toby another reason to tell me off. No wonder I was known as anenfant terrible,’ she said, giving Léo a wry grin. ‘I felt bloody terrible and just like a child, however sophisticated I may have seemed.’
‘You are smiling about it now, which means you are healing. Do you think that coming back to live at Feywood has helped?’
Juliet shrugged.
‘Maybe. I don’t know yet. It’s exorcised some ghosts and raised a few more. I’m glad to be out of Toby’s immediate reach, I’m rethinking my career without anyone interfering and I’m experiencing home and the rest of the family without Mum being there. Well, mostly – I can still hear her voice sometimes.’
‘Ah, isn’t that the truth? The voices of those behind us in our lives still echo loudly at times, don’t they?’ Juliet was just going to ask him what voices he still heard, when they came to a junction. ‘Which way from here?’
‘We need to go right, up past the Albert Hall and then it’s about five minutes more from there. I can’t believe we’ve been walking for almost an hour.’
‘Indeed. The time seems to pass very quickly with you.’
They arrived in good time for the film which was, to Léo’s delight, the classic French moviePlein Soleil.
‘Have you seen it, Juliet?’
‘No, what’s it about?’
‘It is the story ofThe Talented Mr Ripley– you know that one?’
‘Yes! It’s a favourite of mine.’
