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He purses his lips.
I add quickly, “About Sophie.”
He turns on his heel and walks downstairs to the kitchen, leaving me to follow. He left only the lights under the cupboards on. The room is basked in a soft glow. A memory of the night I caught Colin and May kissing in the light of the fridge in her kitchen jumps into my head. I hope they’re happy. Colin deserves nothing less.
Angelo takes two glasses from the cupboard and pours wine from the open bottle. “I instructed Fabien to fit the spare room out for Sophie. It’ll look more like a child’s room when he’s done.”
“That’s a good idea,” I say, accepting the glass he offers me. “It will help her feel more at home.”
He takes a sip of wine, watching me from over the rim. “Her clothes should arrive tomorrow.”
“That’s great. What about her brothers?”
“The cave was empty. The fire was cold, and the footprints were at least a couple of days old, so I took a drive to the camp.”
I lean against the cupboard. “Where is this camp?”
“A good two hundred kilometers away.”
“Did you question your grandfather?”
“I didn’t have to.” He rubs his nape. “The boys were there.”
“What?” I exclaim. “How did they get there?”
“They hitchhiked. Caught a lift with a truck driver who dropped them not far from the road. They walked the last few kilometers.”
I can’t believe it. “They just left their little sister like that?”
“They said they saw you taking her in. They assumed she’d stay here.”
“That may be true, but what if it wasn’t the case? How could they be so irresponsible?”
He takes a long drink. “I don’t think they know the meaning of the word. Besides, they’re still young themselves.”
“So, what happened?” I ask, breathless with worry.
“The old man is willing to sign guardianship over to me.” His lips tilt with a wry smile. “For a sum of money of course.” Scoffing, he adds, “He doesn’t give a fuck about anything else.”
“What will happen when you have guardianship?”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
I wipe a hand over my brow as I consider the consequences.
“It’s not your problem, Sabella. You don’t have to worry about it.”
“I can’t help being concerned about those kids.”
“Just focus on Sophie for now.”
“She has to go to school.”
His jaw hardens. “I know.”
“Has she ever been?”
“I put them in a boarding school in Bastia when I moved them into the house, but that didn’t work out. After that, I hired a private tutor who quickly quit. Before then, it’s hard to say. I doubt it. I got their birth certificates from the old man. She’s six years old. She should’ve been enrolled in primary school, but if you ask me, she’s never seen the inside of a classroom before Bastia.”
