Death With Dostoevsky
Page 24
She raised her glass one more time. ‘To Oscar and Lauren!’
They kissed enthusiastically, and everyone sat down. The two couples were each completely absorbed in their partners. Colin and Luke took the opportunity to violate Emily’s ban on talk of the case, but they kept their voices low, so she left them to it. Emily and Marguerite were left to chat on their own.
‘That was impulsive, chérie, offering your home to your brother,’ Marguerite said. ‘Generous, but impulsive. Are you certain you will not regret it?’
Emily let her gaze drift around the house she’d inhabited for twenty-five years. From her seat she could see most of the ground floor. It was a cozy house, a friendly house, and until recently she’d expected it to be her home for the rest of her life. But now it seemed like a mere way-station on her journey. She felt not a single pang at giving it up.
‘If there’s one thing these last few weeks have proven to me, it’s that this house … Bede … Portland … isn’t my home anymore.’ A vision of the library fireside at Windy Corner came over her, complete with the three cats dozing on the hearth, Luke playing with Lizzie on the rug, and Katie serving tea. Her heart swelled with longing.
‘I’ll miss you and Oscar when I go back tomorrow, but honestly, I can’t wait to get home.’
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Attentive readers of the previous books in this series may notice that Emily’s college has changed its name. This is not a reflection of any event in the real world but simply an authorial convenience. Setting an entire novel on campus necessitated improvising on a number of aspects of the college that were either unknown to me or had changed since I was a student there in the seventies. In addition, I would not wish the nefarious persons and events depicted in this novel to be in any way associated with my actual alma mater.