bank account again.”
Ari nodded. “I still can’t quite accept the fact I have that much money. I keep clipping coupons.”
“So what’s it up to nowadays?”
“Nineteen or twenty mil, the last I heard. It’s ridiculous. Nobody needs that kind of money.”
Gavenia chortled. “So are you going to do the charity gig?”
Ari frowned in thought. “I’m not sure. It’s for a good cause, but—”
“Then do it. You can’t mourn Paul forever.” The second after the words tumbled out of Gavenia’s mouth, she regretted them. They could easily ruin the evening. A quick look indicated that Ari hadn’t taken the offhand comment negatively. In fact, she was nodding again.
“I know. It’s just so hard. I’ve had to learn how to handle the Trust, and they’re pushing me to join Hansford Technologies’ board of directors.”
Gavenia grinned. “Go for it. You have every right to be there.”
“I’m not sure I want to be there.” The waiter appeared and refilled their water and the basket of wheat rolls.
Gavenia snagged one. “I could live on these things.”
“So I noticed.”
“It’s better than things that bleed,” she said, pointing a butter knife at her sister’s plate.
“Leave my steak alone.” Ari sawed off another piece. “So what are you going to do while I’m checking out Mrs. Pearce?”
“Try to find Merlin, I guess. Maybe Bart will come up with a brilliant suggestion,” Gavenia said. As if on cue, her Guardian studied the print on the wall above him as if it were a priceless antique—a tactic to avoid having to comment.
“Is he here now?” Ari asked, looking around as if he was lurking behind one of the potted palms.
“Yes.” Gavenia angled her head toward her Guardian. “He’s tuning me out at present. He does that fairly often.” Her eyes rose to Paul where he hovered nearby.
“It must be weird to see them.”
“It is. They’re everywhere. I can’t get away from them.”
Ari eyed her, and Gavenia knew the next question before she asked it.
“Have you ever seen . . . Paul?”
“Yes,” Gavenia said. There was no point in telling Ari her dead husband was in constant attendance. Now was not the time.
“Is he . . . okay?” Ari asked. The specter of her husband grew more solid, his sober eyes watching Gavenia intently. Perhaps he feared what she might reveal.
“He worries about you.”
Ari bit her lip in an apparent attempt to control the tears. Gavenia reached across the table and grasped her sister’s slim hand. It was so smooth to the touch, unlike when she’d been leading excavations full-time.
“You really didn’t like him, did you?” Ari asked.
Gavenia blinked in surprise. This wasn’t a topic they’d ever explored, at least not while Paul was alive.
“We never saw eye to eye.”
“Why?”
Gavenia chose her words with precision. “I disliked how he made you give up your profession.”
Ari jerked her hand away, narrowly missing her wine glass. “He didn’t make me give up archaeology. I did that on my own.” The waiter appeared at that moment, checked on them, then retreated as if sensing something amiss.
“You made the decision, but he laid the groundwork.” As her sibling began to protest, Gavenia raised her hand for silence. “Let me finish. He pushed you to give up archaeology not because of envy or jealousy, but because he feared for your safety. It was his way of protecting you, the only way he could show you how much he loved you.”
Well said , Bart whispered. In contrast, Paul’s specter glowered.
Ari opened her mouth as if to argue and then gave a minute nod. “I still miss him,” she said, hunting through her small purse for a tissue. Gavenia looked away, fearing her sister’s tears would trigger her own. The restaurant suddenly seemed too open. She watched a young couple in the corner, sitting so close it was hard to tell they were separate people. He was feeding her slices of cheese and she was laughing between
Ari nodded. “I still can’t quite accept the fact I have that much money. I keep clipping coupons.”
“So what’s it up to nowadays?”
“Nineteen or twenty mil, the last I heard. It’s ridiculous. Nobody needs that kind of money.”
Gavenia chortled. “So are you going to do the charity gig?”
Ari frowned in thought. “I’m not sure. It’s for a good cause, but—”
“Then do it. You can’t mourn Paul forever.” The second after the words tumbled out of Gavenia’s mouth, she regretted them. They could easily ruin the evening. A quick look indicated that Ari hadn’t taken the offhand comment negatively. In fact, she was nodding again.
“I know. It’s just so hard. I’ve had to learn how to handle the Trust, and they’re pushing me to join Hansford Technologies’ board of directors.”
Gavenia grinned. “Go for it. You have every right to be there.”
“I’m not sure I want to be there.” The waiter appeared and refilled their water and the basket of wheat rolls.
Gavenia snagged one. “I could live on these things.”
“So I noticed.”
“It’s better than things that bleed,” she said, pointing a butter knife at her sister’s plate.
“Leave my steak alone.” Ari sawed off another piece. “So what are you going to do while I’m checking out Mrs. Pearce?”
“Try to find Merlin, I guess. Maybe Bart will come up with a brilliant suggestion,” Gavenia said. As if on cue, her Guardian studied the print on the wall above him as if it were a priceless antique—a tactic to avoid having to comment.
“Is he here now?” Ari asked, looking around as if he was lurking behind one of the potted palms.
“Yes.” Gavenia angled her head toward her Guardian. “He’s tuning me out at present. He does that fairly often.” Her eyes rose to Paul where he hovered nearby.
“It must be weird to see them.”
“It is. They’re everywhere. I can’t get away from them.”
Ari eyed her, and Gavenia knew the next question before she asked it.
“Have you ever seen . . . Paul?”
“Yes,” Gavenia said. There was no point in telling Ari her dead husband was in constant attendance. Now was not the time.
“Is he . . . okay?” Ari asked. The specter of her husband grew more solid, his sober eyes watching Gavenia intently. Perhaps he feared what she might reveal.
“He worries about you.”
Ari bit her lip in an apparent attempt to control the tears. Gavenia reached across the table and grasped her sister’s slim hand. It was so smooth to the touch, unlike when she’d been leading excavations full-time.
“You really didn’t like him, did you?” Ari asked.
Gavenia blinked in surprise. This wasn’t a topic they’d ever explored, at least not while Paul was alive.
“We never saw eye to eye.”
“Why?”
Gavenia chose her words with precision. “I disliked how he made you give up your profession.”
Ari jerked her hand away, narrowly missing her wine glass. “He didn’t make me give up archaeology. I did that on my own.” The waiter appeared at that moment, checked on them, then retreated as if sensing something amiss.
“You made the decision, but he laid the groundwork.” As her sibling began to protest, Gavenia raised her hand for silence. “Let me finish. He pushed you to give up archaeology not because of envy or jealousy, but because he feared for your safety. It was his way of protecting you, the only way he could show you how much he loved you.”
Well said , Bart whispered. In contrast, Paul’s specter glowered.
Ari opened her mouth as if to argue and then gave a minute nod. “I still miss him,” she said, hunting through her small purse for a tissue. Gavenia looked away, fearing her sister’s tears would trigger her own. The restaurant suddenly seemed too open. She watched a young couple in the corner, sitting so close it was hard to tell they were separate people. He was feeding her slices of cheese and she was laughing between
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