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Grandpa slaps his knees, apparently satisfied. “Excellent! We’ll all stick to that version.”
I wonder if our sarcasm is lost on him, or if he’s choosing to ignore it.
“No one will believe your story,” Mother says.
Grandpa shifts in his armchair, causing the crocheted blanket Serafina made him to slide off his lap. Tate picks it up and tucks it around his bony legs.
“What about Marie-Louise?” Father asks from the sofa without opening his eyes.
“She’ll hear the same version as everyone else,” Grandpa replies.
Mother frowns with disbelief. “You’re going to lie to your own daughter?”
Father butts in before Grandpa gets a chance to reply, “I’m going to tell my sister the truth.”
“Look at me!” Grandpa commands him.
Slowly, Father peels his eyelids open and sits up, groaning and shielding his eyes from the light.
“Everyone in this room will sign a nondisclosure agreement,” Grandpa says.
The notary holds up a manila folder as if to say,They’re right here!
Father crosses his arms. “What if I refuse?”
“Then I’ll kick you off my property and cut your allowance,” Grandpa says. “You’ll have to find a job.”
“You know I’m too old to apply for an entry-level diplomatic commission!” Father grates.
As if Prince Richard or the PM would ever grant you one!
“Then you’ll have to find a regular job,” Grandpa deadpans. “Like ordinary people do.”
I’m dying to suggest to Father that he try pantomime. Camille could teach him how to stand still. In fact, standing may not be necessary at all. He could dress as Sleeping Beauty and perform lying down, half asleep.
“Fine,” Father bites out. “I’ll stick to your stupid story.”
Suddenly, it occurs to me that keeping Marie-Louise in the dark would also imply keeping her children in the dark.
“I don’t know if I can lie about this to Jonas and Celeste,” I say to Grandpa. “They aren’t just my cousins. They’re my friends. My only real friends.”
Grandpa sighs. “They’re also my grandchildren, and I love them as much as I love you. But they’ll get the same story as everyone else.”
“My lord,” the notary says to me, “you must lie to your attendant, Rudolph, and to your private secretary, Angele, too.”
I smirk. “I’m afraid it’s too late for that. They already know the truth.”
The notary trades a concerned look with Grandpa. The latter looks rattled.
“What did you expect?” I say to both. “I wasn’t yet sworn to secrecy when you sent me to make Camille an offer. Rudy and Angie went with me both times.”
Grandpa grunts. “Fine, fine. What’s done cannot be undone.”
The notary produces two stapled documents from his folder and hands them over to me. “Have them sign these.”
“That will be all,” Grandpa says, waving at us dismissively. “Leave me now, all of you. I’ll see you at dinner.”
As we exit the Portrait Hall, I realize something. A year of abstinence lies ahead of me. Ever since I hit puberty and girls took to writing me love letters with little hearts in the margins, I’ve never gone celibate for that long. But it gets worse. The detectives Grandpa hired will be on to me. That would make having an affair with Magdalena very risky… assuming she’d want an affair.
