Page 21 of Wildwood

“I don’t hunt,” says Joan, slipping her arm around Julian. Her eyes flicker over to mine. “I hate guns. I’d never touch one.”

“Well, you’re not really a Brook, are you?” Stuart’s voice is cold and without humor. I hadn’t even realized he’d wandered over. My eyes widen reflexively, as I quickly try and turn over the statement and find a way in which it’s not as insulting as it sounds. Is this some weird inside joke?

There’s a silence as Joan considers her response. She decides on succinct. “Oh, go fuck yourself, Stuart.” She drops her arm from Julian and stalks off.

Julian chuckles and shakes his head. “Come on, babe, he meant by blood,” he calls loudly. He rolls his eyes and drains his whiskey, before following his wife.

Yes, I think to myself again. What inevitable bad blood must be formed over the years, in a situation such as the one on Cold Brook Drive. The rich protecting their money, their legacy, and their bloodlines. I feel almost vindicated that I wasn’t entirely wrong in my assumptions.

Chapter 17

“Guess how much that gun costs,” Topher asks, glancing up from his phone. We are at the kitchen table, eating scrambled eggs and bacon. A treat to help wash away Topher’s hangover.

“No idea.”

“Guess.”

“A thousand dollars,” I say, taking a forkful of eggs.

“A new model costs around three thousand dollars. Julian’s was some rare vintage model, almost impossible to find in the US. They sell for upwards of a hundred thousand.” He laughs in amusement, shaking his head.

I tell him about Stuart’s story of hiring the Olympian to give him private lessons in Banff, all to ensure his former classmates didn’t show him up.

“Man, must be nice.” Topher helps himself to a fifth piece of bacon. “But they are great, aren’t they?”

“Yes, very nice.” I nibble on a piece of toast and replay some of the conversations from last night, wondering if they look different in the light of day. “Madeline and John especially. Stuart and Isabelle were really welcoming too. But Julian and Joan, I don’t know. I get a weird vibe from them.”

He nods as he swallows his bite. “Yeah, I thought so at first too. But I thought they were pretty cool by the end.”

I raise my eyebrows. “How so?”

“Julian and I had a nice conversation about hunting. He wants to take me out sometime.”

I hold back a critical response. I can’t imagine Topher hunting and I don’t particularly like the idea of him becoming friendly with Julian. That said, he’s a grown man and he obviously needs to meet people up here.

“Do you think it’s weird for him that Madeline is the CEO and he’s not?” I picture the twitch in his face when John went on and on about how Madeline revolutionized the company.

Topher shrugs. “Don’t see why it would.” It’s an annoying response, essentially making me the sexist one. But there’s something about Julian that just rubs me the wrong way.

“Joan barely said a word to me, even though I very clearly tried to engage her.”

Topher stands up and takes our plates to the sink. “I think she’s just more of an introvert. I don’t think she was trying to be rude.”

“She was fucking cold to me,” I say, giving him a look that says come on. “And she didn’t even ask one question about me. That’s like common courtesy 101.”

Topher throws his head back and lets out an audible sigh. “Christ, Elinor, you are the one who wanted to move up here, to a place where we literally know no one. Sorry if I want to give our neighbors, who by the way have generally been really nice, the benefit of the doubt.”

I bite my lip, feeling stung. He’s right. I should get over it. That said, I don’t think I’m imagining the hostility from Julian and Joan. What is it about me that they don’t like? I’d wonder if they simply thought I wasn’t good enough, but Stuart’s words ring in my ear. Well, you’re not really a Brook, are you? Jesus. I guess I should have some empathy for Joan.

“I’m going to shower,” I announce, standing up from the table, signaling the conversation can’t go anywhere good in our current moods.

“What’s your plan for the day?”

“I think I’ll take a walk in the woods.”

“Enjoy.”

“Yep.” I’m annoyed. I’m sure he can tell.