As he drove along he could sense April relax as she absorbed the beauty of the Lycandrian countryside—the variety and shades of green hedgerows and leaves, the golden fields and the sun-kissed breeze tinged with the scent of lemons.
‘It’s so peaceful,’ she said. ‘It’s almost impossible to believe that we’re only hours away from the city. Where are we going?’
‘A meadow with a river running through it and a weeping willow where we can sit in the shade and have our picnic. And I’ve brought a kite.’ For a moment he felt like an absolute idiot, and glanced sideways at her to see if she was laughing at him.
But her face was illuminated with a smile that made him catch his breath.
‘That sounds idyllic. I haven’t flown a kite in years.’
‘Neither have I. Louise and Bill brought Elvira here to teach her how and she asked me to come too, so I did.’
For a moment he revisited the memory, and it occurred to him that that wasn’t exactly how it had happened. First Bill and Louise had asked him and he’d refused—sure that he would be in the way, that he had been asked out of duty. He frowned as he wondered if perhaps...just perhaps... April had a point.
‘We’re here.’
They alighted from the car and he led the way across the fields to the meadow, and somehow once again it seemed the most natural thing in the world to take her hand. They reached the weeping willow and spread the blanket out under the sweep of its branches, then unpacked an array of delicacies from the wicker basket.
‘This is amazing. Thank you.’ She bit into a parmesan and gruyere cheese straw and rested back against the tree trunk with a contented sigh. ‘One day
we should hire a mini-bus and bring the teens out here. Gemma and Blake and Mia...everyone.’
‘We will. Lord knows they deserve some peace and quiet...a break.’
‘It will be a long time before life goes back to normal for them and their families, won’t it?’ Her voice sounded sad.
‘Yes. But I promise you that the new “normal” will be a lot better than the old one. Frederick and I have been in consultation with city planners and architects, surveyors and construction firms, and it’s all coming together. Safe, proper housing is a priority.’
‘I know you will make it happen. And that brings me to something I want to tell you. I’ve decided to drop the story about Axel and Frederick and the night of the tragedy.’
Relief caused him to smile, even as curiosity prompted him to ask, ‘Why?’
‘Because if there is one thing I’ve learnt from this tragedy it’s that Frederick cares about Lycander and every one of his people, and for me to start a sequence of events that might topple him at a time when Lycander needs him would be wrong.’
‘What about the truth?’
‘I still believe in the truth, and I still believe that the people deserve that truth. I spoke with Frederick.’
‘You did?’
‘Yes. Briefly. I told him that I knew but I wouldn’t pursue it—and he promised me that one day he will tell the truth, when the time is right. When he’s had a chance to prove to everyone that he is not the Playboy Prince they once despised. If Frederick did wrong, he’s doing his best to do right now. That’s what you told me once, isn’t it? That if you have done wrong then sometimes all you can do is live as good a life as you can to redeem yourself. So I’ll drop the story.’
‘I’m glad,’ he said simply.
‘There is also the fact that Brian Sewell is scum. I caught him at the community centre the other day, trying to convince everyone that their poor-quality housing was Frederick’s fault and they should take to the streets in protest instead of setting up shelters!’
‘What happened?’
‘I gave him a piece of my mind and Blake and Isaac threw him out. Clearly all that boxing training paid off; he went like a lamb.’
The sheer indignation in her voice showed. ‘You really care, don’t you?’ he said.
The words caused her to pause, an arrested look in her green eyes.
‘Why don’t you stay?’
‘Stay?’
‘Yes. In Lycander. For a while. You can base yourself anywhere as a writer, and you could stay on at the centre for a while if you wanted. I know how much help you are there. Perhaps you could even write a piece on the centre...’