‘Our missing seventh sister,’ I breathed, wondering why on earth Pa had thought to add her name to the sphere when it was too late for him now to ever bring her home. So many mysteries, I thought as I returned to the house. And no one to answer my questions.
Back in the kitchen, and with the coordinates in front of me, I fired up my laptop, eating another croissant as I waited in frustration for an internet signal that had obviously taken a holiday and left a novice temp to fill in for it. When it eventually decided to work, I investigated sites that used coordinates to pinpoint locations and settled on Google Earth. I considered which of us sisters I should begin with and decided I would go in age order, but leave myself until last. Typing in Maia’s coordinates, wondering if they would be recognised, I watched the spinning globe zoom in and pinpoint an exact location.
‘Wow,’ I muttered under my breath in fascination, ‘they actually work.’
It was a frustrating hour as the signal came and went, but by the time Claudia re-entered the kitchen to begin preparing lunch, I’d managed to write down the bare facts of every single set of coordinates, except my own.
I typed them in, holding my breath for an agonisingly long time as the computer worked its magic.
‘Goodness!’ I murmured as I read the details.
‘Excuse me?’ asked Claudia.
‘Nothing,’ I said quickly, scribbling the location down on the notepad next to me.
‘You’ll be wanting lunch, Ally?’
‘Yes, that would be great, thank you,’ I answered distractedly, mulling over the fact that the location the search had pinpointed for me was apparently an art museum. It didn’t make any sense, but then, I wasn’t sure any of my sisters’ coordinates did either.
I looked up as Tiggy arrived in the kitchen, and gave me a sweet smile. ‘Only you and me for lunch?’
‘Seems like it, yes.’
‘Well, that’ll be lovely, won’t it?’ she said as she floated towards the table. For all her odd spiritual ideas, as I watched her sit down opposite me, I envied her inner peace. This stemmed from a total belief that there was more to life than life itself, as she was fond of saying. She seemed to carry the freshness of the Scottish Highlands in her clear skin and thick chestnut hair, and her calmness was reflected in her soft brown eyes.
‘How are you, Ally?’
‘I’m okay. How are you?’
‘Coping, just. I can feel him around me, you know. As if’ – she sighed, as she swept her hands through her glossy curls – ‘he hasn’t gone at all.’
‘Sadly, he’s not here, Tiggy.’
‘Yes, but just because you can’t see someone, does that mean they don’t exist?’
‘In my book, yes,’ I replied briskly, not sure I was in the mood for Tiggy’s esoteric comments. The only way I knew how to deal with Pa’s loss was to accept it as soon as I could.
Claudia broke into our conversation by placing a Caesar salad in front of us. ‘There’s enough for all of you, but if no one else arrives, they can have it for supper.’
‘Thank you. By the way,’ I said as I helped myself to the salad, ‘I’ve written down all the coordinates and found out how to look them up on Google Earth. Do you want yours, Tiggy?’
‘At some point, yes. But not now. I mean, does it matter?’
‘I’m not sure, to be honest.’
‘Because wherever I originally came from, it’s Pa Salt and Ma who’ve looked after me and brought me up to be the person I am. Maybe I’ll take them, then if I feel the need to look, I can. I sort of . . .’ – Tiggy sighed, and I saw her uncertainty – ‘don’t want to believe I came from anywhere else. Pa Salt’s my father and always will be.’
‘I understand. So, just out of interest, where do you think Pa Salt is, Tiggy?’ I asked her as we both began to eat.
‘I don’t know, Ally, but he’s definitely not gone, that’s for sure.’
‘Is that in your world, or mine?’
‘Is there a difference? Well, to me there isn’t anyway,’ she qualified before I could answer. ‘We’re just energy, all of us. And every single thing around us is too.’
‘Well, that’s one way of looking at it, I suppose,’ I replied, hearing the cynical edge to my voice. ‘I know these beliefs work for you, Tiggy. But right now, with Pa only just laid to rest, it doesn’t do it for me.’
‘No, I understand, Ally. But the circle of life goes on, and it isn’t just us humans, it’s all of nature too. A rose blooms to its full beauty, then it dies, and another on the same plant blooms in its place. And Ally’ – she glanced at me and gave a small smile – ‘I have a feeling that despite this terrible news, something good is happening to you at the moment.’
‘Really?’ I eyed her suspiciously.
‘Yes.’ She reached a hand over to mine. ‘Just enjoy it while you can, won’t you? Nothing is forever, as you know.’
‘I do,’ I said, feeling suddenly defensive and vulnerable at her accurate comment. I changed the subject. ‘So how are you?’
‘I’m well, yes . . .’ Tiggy seemed to be trying to reassure herself as much as me. ‘I am.’
‘Still enjoying mothering your deer at the sanctuary?’
‘I absolutely adore my job. It suits me perfectly, although I never get a moment to myself, as we’re so short-staffed. Talking of which, I really have to get back as soon as possible. I’ve checked out flights and I’m leaving this afternoon. Electra’s coming to the airport with me too.’
‘So soon?’
‘Yes, but what can we do here? I’m sure Pa would prefer us all to be getting on with our lives and not moping around feeling sorry for ourselves.’
‘Yes, you’re right,’ I agreed. And for the first time, I thought beyond this terrible hiatus and towards the future. ‘I’m meant to be crewing in the Cyclades Regatta in a few days’ time.’
‘Then do it, Ally, really,’ she urged me.
‘Maybe I will,’ I murmured.
‘Right, I’ve got to go and pack and then say goodbye to Maia. Out of all of us, this probably affects her the most. She’s devastated.’
‘I know. Here, take your coordinates.’ I handed her the sheet of paper on which I’d written them.
‘Thanks.’
I watched as Tiggy stood up and then paused at the kitchen door, staring at me sympathetically. ‘And always remember that I’m only a phone call away if you need me in the next few weeks.’
‘Thanks, Tiggy. The same goes for you.’
Having helped Claudia clear away the plates, I wandered back upstairs to my room, wondering whether I too should leave Atlantis. Tiggy was right: there was nothing left to do here. And the thought of being back on the water – not to mention in Theo’s arms – propelled me back downstairs with my laptop to check if there were any seats on a flight to Athens in the next twenty-four hours. Entering the kitchen, I saw Ma, who was standing with her back to me at the window, obviously deep in thought. She heard me enter and turned with a smile, but not before I’d glimpsed the fleeting sadness in her eyes.
‘Hello, chérie. How are you today?’
‘Contemplating whether to fly back to Athens and take part in the Cyclades race as I’d originally planned. But I’m worried about leaving you and the other girls here. Especially Maia.’
‘I think it’s an excellent idea to go and race, chérie. And just what your father would have told you to do, I’m sure. Don’t worry about Maia. I’m here for her.’
‘I know you are,’ I said, thinking how, even if she wasn’t our real mother, it was impossible to think of any other parent loving and supporting us all more.
I stood up and went towards her, enveloping her in my arms and hugging her tightly. ‘And remember, we’re all here for you too.’
I went upstairs to find Electra and hand her the coordinates before she left. Knocking on her bedroom door, she opened it but didn’t invite me in.
‘Hi, Ally. I’m in a rush, packing.’
‘I just
brought you your coordinates from the armillary sphere. Here.’
‘I don’t think I want them. Honestly, Ally, what was it with our father? It’s like he’s playing some kind of game with us from beyond the grave,’ she said darkly.
‘He only wanted to let us know where we came from, Electra, just in case we needed the information.’
‘Then why didn’t he just do as most other normal human beings would? Like, write the facts down on paper, instead of subjecting us to some weird genealogical treasure hunt? Christ, the man always was a control freak.’
‘Electra, please! He probably didn’t want to reveal everything immediately, in case we’d prefer not to know. So he just left us enough information to find out if we wanted to.’
‘Well, I don’t,’ she said flatly.
‘Why are you so angry with him?’ I asked her gently.
‘I’m not, I . . .’ Her amber eyes flashed in pain and confusion. ‘Okay. I am. I . . .’ She shrugged and shook her head. ‘I can’t explain.’
‘Well, take this anyway.’ I offered her the envelope, knowing from experience not to probe any further. ‘You don’t have to do anything with them.’
‘Thanks, Ally. Sorry.’
‘Don’t worry. Are you sure you’re all right, Electra?’
‘I . . . yeah, I’m all right. Now I’ve got to pack. See you later.’
The door closed in my face and I walked away knowing full well she was lying.
That afternoon, Maia, Star, CeCe and I made our way down to the jetty to see Electra and Tiggy off. Maia handed them their translated quotations as well.
‘I think Star and I might be on our way later too,’ commented CeCe as we walked up to the house.
‘Really? Couldn’t we stay a little longer?’ asked Star plaintively. And as always, I noted the physical contrast between them: Star, tall and thin to the point of emaciation with her white-blonde hair and pale-as-snow skin, and CeCe, dark-skinned and stocky.
‘What’s the point? Pa’s gone, we’ve seen the lawyer and we need to get to London as soon as possible to find somewhere to live.’
‘You’re right,’ said Star.
‘What will you do with yourself in London while CeCe’s at art school?’ I asked.
‘I’m not quite sure yet,’ said Star, glancing at CeCe.
‘You’re thinking of taking a cordon bleu course, aren’t you, Star?’ CeCe answered for her. ‘She’s an amazing cook, you know.’
Maia and I shared a concerned look, as CeCe took Star off with the intention of checking flights to Heathrow that evening.
‘Don’t say it,’ Maia sighed when they had gone. ‘I know.’
We walked towards the terrace, discussing our concerns about Star and CeCe’s relationship. They had always been inseparable to the extreme. I only hoped that with CeCe concentrating on her art course, they might disentangle themselves a little.
I noticed how pale Maia looked and realised that she hadn’t eaten lunch. Telling her to sit down on the terrace, I went into the kitchen to find Claudia and asked her to prepare some food. Claudia gave me an understanding look and began to assemble sandwiches as I returned outside to Maia.
‘Maia, I don’t want to pry, but did you open your letter last night?’ I asked carefully.
‘Yes, I did. Well, this morning actually.’
‘And it’s obviously upset you.’
‘Initially yes, but I’m okay now Ally, really,’ she said. ‘How about you?’
Her tone had become abrupt and I knew it meant that I should back off. ‘Yes, I opened mine,’ I said. ‘And it was beautiful and it made me cry, but it also uplifted me. By the way, I’ve spent the morning looking the coordinates up on the internet. I now know exactly where all of us originally came from. And there are a few surprises in there, I can tell you,’ I added, as Claudia brought out a plate of sandwiches and placed it on the table before swiftly withdrawing.
‘You know exactly where we were born? Where I was born?’ she asked tentatively.
‘Yes, or at least where Pa found us,’ I clarified. ‘Do you want to know, Maia? I can tell you, or I can leave it to you to look up yourself.’
‘I . . . I’m not sure.’
‘All I can say is, Pa certainly got around,’ I joked lamely.
‘So you know where you’re from?’ she asked.
‘Yes, though it doesn’t make sense just yet.’
‘What about the others? Did you tell them you know where they were born?’
‘No, but I’ve explained to them how to look up the coordinates on Google Earth. Shall I explain to you too? Or just tell you where Pa found you?’ I suggested.
‘At the moment, I’m simply not sure,’ she said, casting her beautiful eyes downwards.
‘Well, as I said, it’s very easy to look it up yourself.’
‘Then I’ll probably do that when I’m ready,’ she said.
I offered to write down the instructions for the coordinates for her, but doubted whether she would ever have the courage to look them up. ‘Did you have a chance to translate any of the quotes that were engraved in Greek on the armillary sphere?’ I asked her.
‘Yes, I have them all.’
‘Well, I’d really like to know what Pa chose for me. Would you tell me, please?’
‘I can’t remember exactly, but I can go back to the Pavilion and write it down for you,’ said Maia.
‘So it seems that between us, you and I can provide the rest of the sisters with the information they need if they want to explore their past.’
‘We can, but perhaps it’s too soon for any of us to think whether we’ll go back and follow the clues Pa has given us.’
‘Maybe so,’ I sighed, thinking of Theo and the weeks ahead. ‘Besides, I have the Cyclades race starting and I’m going to have to leave here as soon as possible to join the crew. To be honest, Maia, after what I saw a couple of days ago, getting back on the water is going to be hard.’
‘I can imagine. But you’ll be fine, I’m sure,’ she reassured me.
‘I hope so. It’s honestly the first time I’ve had cold feet since I began racing competitively.’
Saying this out loud to my big sister was a relief. Currently, whenever I thought of the Cyclades, the only image that sprang to mind was of Pa lying in his coffin at the bottom of the sea.
‘You’ve put everything into your sailing for years, Ally, so you mustn’t let it faze you. Do it for Pa. He wouldn’t have wanted you to lose your confidence,’ Maia encouraged me.
‘You’re right. Anyway, will you be okay here by yourself?’
‘Of course I will. Please don’t worry about me. I have Ma, and my work. I’ll be fine.’
As I helped Maia finish off the sandwiches, I made her promise we would keep in touch and asked if she’d like to come sailing with me later in the summer, even though I knew she probably wouldn’t.
CeCe appeared on the terrace. ‘We’ve managed to get two seats on a flight to Heathrow. Christian is taking us to the airport in an hour.’
‘Then I might see if I can get a flight to Athens and come with you. Don’t forget to write out the quotation for me, will you, Maia?’ I said as I left to go in search of my laptop.
Having found a last-minute evening flight to Athens, I packed hurriedly. Checking round my bedroom to make sure I had everything, my eyes alighted on my flute, sitting snugly inside its protective case on my shelf. It had remained unopened for a long time. On a whim, thinking about Pa’s mention of it in his letter, I pulled it down and decided to take it with me. Theo had said he’d like to hear me play, and perhaps, after a practice, I would. Then I went downstairs to find Ma to say goodbye.
She hugged me tightly, setting two warm kisses on my cheeks. ‘Please take care, chérie, and come back to see me when you can.’
‘I will, Ma. Promise,’ I said. Then Maia and I walked down to the jetty together.
‘Good luck in the race,’ she said, and handed me my envelope containing the tran
slated quotation Pa had chosen for me.
Giving her a last embrace, I climbed aboard the launch, where CeCe and Star were already waiting for me. We all waved to Maia as Christian pulled away from the jetty. Setting off across the lake, I thought of how Pa Salt had always told me that one should never look back. Yet I knew I would, time and time again, at what had been, and was no longer.
I walked away from CeCe and Star to the stern of the boat, still clutching the envelope, feeling it was fitting to read Pa’s quotation while I was on Lake Geneva, where he and I had sailed together so many times. I opened the envelope and eased out the piece of paper inside it.
In moments of weakness, you will find your greatest strength.
As Atlantis receded into the distance, the house disappearing behind the trees, I begged Pa’s words to flow through me and help me find the courage I needed to carry on.
7
Theo had texted me to say he’d meet me at Athens airport. As I appeared out of arrivals, he walked towards me looking anxious, then took me in his arms.
‘Sweetheart, I’ve been so worried about you. How are you? You must be shattered, you poor thing. And you’ve lost weight,’ he added as he felt my ribs.
‘I’m okay,’ I told him firmly, breathing in his wonderful, reassuring smell. He took my rucksack and we went out into the dark, stifling heat of an Athens evening in July.
We climbed into a taxi, with its sticky plastic seats and smell of stale tobacco, apparently heading for a hotel in the harbour at Faliro, where the Cyclades race would start.
‘I’m serious when I say that if you’re not up to this, really, we can manage without you,’ Theo said as we motored along the city streets.
‘I don’t know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult,’ I retorted.
‘Definitely a compliment, given that you’re an integral part of the crew. But because it’s you and I love you, I don’t want you to feel any pressure.’
I love you. Every time he said those words with such naturalness, I felt a small thrill. And now he was here, next to me, holding my hand and still saying it. And I loved him too for his honesty, his openness and his refusal to play games. As he’d said to me once during those wonderful few days on the Neptune before I’d heard about Pa Salt’s death, if I broke his heart, he’d just have to find another one instead.
The Storm Sister Page 7