“You make it sound so poetic.” Nate knew she thought him harsh, but when it came to discussing his mother he couldn’t seem to help himself. Yes, his mum had had her problems, but she also had choices. The help was there, she just didn’t take it and he was left paying the price. A little voice reminded him that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree; that he too had made bad decisions. The shenanigans he’d gotten up to had garnered as much negative attention as his mother’s had in her day. But unlike his mother, he counter-argued, he’d made a change. Besides, she was wrong for abandoning him like she did. For leaving him to fend for himself, no matter the consequences. Because when you stripped it all back, got rid of the excuses, that’s exactly what she’d done.
A part of him felt guilty for not being able to fully understand his mum’s actions. Maybe one day he would see things from her point of view. However, that day was still to come.
“You’re going to have to deal with it at some point, you know?” His aunt stood up and taking his glass, poured him a refill.
“So you keep telling me.”
“Does Flick know who you are?” she asked, handing him his drink before retaking her seat.
“According to Brenda, no.”
“At least that’s something.”
Nate watched Julia’s expression turn quizzical.
“You still haven’t told me about Bruce,” she said. “And what he has to do with any of this.”
Nate sighed, wishing he had nothing to do with anything at all. But the fact was, out of everyone he knew, Bruce had been the only person in any real position to help him out. Nate drank a mouthful of whiskey. It galled him to think about what he had to do in return.
“Initially I decided to keep out of it, I thought I’d take my chances and let Brenda do her worst. But talk about timing, she couldn’t have picked it better considering what year it is. Her telling the press about me would just give them another excuse to plaster Mum’s face all over the papers.” He scoffed. Like they needed an excuse. “And mine.”
“There is that,” his aunt said.
“Then a developer turns up intent on turning the chateau into a posh block of flats and we both know I couldn’t let that happen, that I had to do something to try to stop it.” Nate took another drink. “And because I couldn’t just hand over a great wad of cash to Flick’s mother, I mean, what might that lead to, I did the next best thing.”
“Which was?”
“Come up with a plan to help them raise their own money.”
“Enter Bruce…”
“Exactly. I told him about my predicament and asked if there was anything he could do without letting Flick and Brenda know I’m involved.”
“And the catch?”
Nate rolled his glass between his palms, first one way and then the other. “I take part in his documentary.”
“And you agreed?”
Nate shrugged. “What choice did I have?”
“Wow!” She obviously didn’t see that coming.
“Believe me, if there’d been any other way.”
“Still, it’s a big thing that he’s asking of you. Are you sure you’re up to it? Because from how you seem to feel about your mother, I’m not so sure.”
“I didn’t say I’d compromise myself. I only said I’d take part.”
“Oh, Nate,” his aunt said, clearly sympathising. “Why didn’t you come to me first? I’d hate for you to make a bad situation worse.”
“And what would you have done differently? You’d have picked up the phone and called Bruce just like I did and the outcome would have been the same.”
“I wouldn’t.” She thought for a moment. “All right then, maybe I would. I don’t suppose we’ll ever know now, will we?”
“I don’t suppose we will.”
“Brenda’s not stupid though, she will realise it’s all down to you. After all, we’re talking about Argon Fire here. The connection between them and your mum is common knowledge to anyone of a certain age.”
