Chapter 75

5 p.m., Tuesday

Andy found he wasn't surprised to see Robert Riley sitting in the hotel suite with Evan.

"Grand," Evan said, arising. "We can be on our way now that you're here."

"Our way?" Andy wondered as he put his backpack on a chair.

"Well, we were hoping you'd go with us," Evan said, slightly abashed.

"It's not to a golf course, is it?" Andy asked with a grimace.

"That's tomorrow," Robert replied, laughing at Andy's expression. "We were going to do a bit of car shopping."

"Car shopping and house hunting," Andy muttered under his breath. Those were two things he'd never experienced in his life.

"I do need transportation while I'm here," Evan pointed out. "If this were New York, it would be simpler to go without a vehicle. Out here, I'm afraid it's a necessity."

"Yeah, sure," Andy said. "I don't really know what I can add. I've only driven one car in my life – well, two now. I've never even driven Mom's car."

Evan nodded. He had instructions from Camille to look for something newer for Andy, too. I didn't necessarily have to be new but it couldn't be a decade old like his current vehicle. She planned to get it for him as a combined birthday and graduation present from her, Evan and Anne.

"He's looking for something similar to Regan's, I think," Robert added helpfully.

"Don't get leather seats," Andy said immediately.

"See, that's the sort of information I require," Evan said. "To be honest, I anticipate that you'll see some use of the car, too. Of course, I've driven on the right side previously but I'm a bit out of practice. Until I get a little more used to it, I'll probably ask you to take me places if you're free."

"Mom said you almost turned the wrong way down a one-way street yesterday," Andy said. "Let me change clothes."

"That was close," Evan said, rolling his eyes.

"How is Camille going to convince him he needs a new car?" Robert wondered.

"Ah, that one we'll bring an audience in for," Evan said conspiratorially. "She told me that her name was on the title and she'd sell the damned thing anytime she wanted to sell it. If Andy wanted a car to drive, he could drive the one she gave him or walk."

"Oh, Jesus," Robert said, smiling but shaking his head. "Yeah, I want to be there when that conversation takes place. I swear to God, Evan, I have never seen anything as impressive as when Andy went off on Rita. When he told her to kiss his ass, I swear, Regan and I about fell out of chairs. I would imagine that he and Camille could have an epic battle if they disagreed about something."

"I've seen a sparing contest or two in the past few days," Evan admitted. "Thankfully, Andy didn't inherit my temper. He means what he says when he's angry but he doesn't say hurtful things just for spite. I'm afraid that I tended to do that when I was Andy's age."

"Do what?" Andy asked as he exited the hallway. He'd missed the first portion of the conversation and caught only Evan's last sentence.

"I tended to react without thinking things through," Evan said. "That's how I wound up at St. Mary's. My father had made arrangements for me to attend Oxford. I'm afraid that he and I had a row about something completely unrelated and I told him to shove Oxford up his..."

"Arse?" Andy finished with a laugh.

"I believe I added a compound adjective in front of it but yes, that was one of the words I used," Evan said with chagrin. "He essentially threw me out of the house. My grandmother was still alive so she sent me over here to cool off. I spent a couple of weeks in San Diego before migrating northward toward the art scene. My father was still irked at me so I figured that I would add some salt to the wound by attending a Catholic university. I'm afraid it worked a bit too well. He barely spoke to me for the next few years."

"Sorry to bring it up," Andy said.

"I was as stubborn as he was," Evan admitted as they headed toward the elevator. "Your mother was instrumental in getting my family back together. My Mum has always been viewed as an outsider but my father truly loved her. They saw that I had the same feelings about Cami. After I returned to England, we were able to put the past behind us."

"Now you and Mom are trying the same thing," Andy said. Robert had remained quiet as Andy and his father bonded.

"We're doing well," Evan admitted. Andy knew that his mother hadn't spent Monday night in the room designated as hers. He doubted that she'd bunked with Anne. "There are still some issues we need to address. I'm still angry about how she handled her pregnancy but I'm trying to see things from her perspective."

"Then you're better than I am," Andy stated. "It still makes me angry when I think about all the time we missed."

"Aye," Evan agreed. "But I've come to understand that the anger will wind up keeping us from building something right now. We can't change the past but we control the future. Isn't that right, Robert?"

"Exactly," Robert replied. "I know Andy must think I'm insane for staying married to Rita for as long as I have. I'm sure he's wondered a time or two if the change in her attitude is real or feigned. I will admit that I had those thoughts myself. The fact is: It doesn't matter. She's nicer to me and to Regan. I really don't know how much of it stems from the fact she took a look at the life she was going to have in a few years and how much of it is because she feels bad about how she treated us. But we're looking toward the future and letting the past go. And, for the record, I think most of the change is genuine. She is acting like she used to act when we were younger – before we had a ton of money. I think that's one of the reasons I stuck around. I could still remember a time when we were good together. Uh, we're actually talking about having a second child."

Andy blinked and shook his head to clear the unkind thoughts that immediately popped into his head.

"Interesting," Evan said, ignoring his son's distress. "I will admit that Camille and I have had discussions along those lines."

"Oh, man," Andy muttered.

"Discussions, Andy," Evan said. "I've always wanted to raise a child. That is what I resent the most about our situation. I would have loved to have been the one to teach you ride a bicycle or kick a football. There is no one else on Earth besides Camille that I would consider raising a child with so we've discussed it."

"It would prove beneficial to you, too," Robert said.

"One of my friends tells me that his sister is the best form of birth control he's ever seen," Andy said in a tight voice. Robert burst out in laughter.

"Well, yes, I suppose it would tend to ensure that you're careful in that area," he said. "I was speaking of your inheritance. A brother would be able to keep the Duffield name alive."

"And if it's a sister?" Andy wondered.

"Then, lad, we'll have to keep trying until we get it right," Evan said with a wink.

Regan had just teed off on the 10th hole when a cart with a school administrator pulled up behind Katrina on the path.

"Ladies," the woman said politely. "How are we faring?"

"Ruth is six over through nine," Lisa said from beside Katrina in the cart. She glanced at the scorecard to keep the look of chagrin off her face. "She birdied six and seven back to back."

"The rest of us aren't doing as well," Joy said, glancing at Regan apologetically. "I'm about 20 over and I think Regan is 14 over."

"And Lisa is showing why she's a scholarship student," Katrina chimed in. "She's been playing in the rough more than the fairway."

"More than you do," Lisa whispered sotto voce.

"Behave," Katrina whispered back.

"Well, that's wonderful," the woman said. "It seems that you're having a nice outing. I hope you'll continue to have a good time. Remember, you'll need to return to your dorm by eight."

"We'll be back sooner than that," Regan said. "I figure we'll eat in the clubhouse so the driver doesn't have to miss her meal. We should be back by seven-thirty. Is that OK?"

"That's fine," the woman said. "I'll tell Louise to pick you up at seven-fifteen. That's very thoughtful of you."

The woman headed down the path back to the clubhouse.

"Do you think they'll rent a cart and drive through every hole looking for us?" Ruth asked, imitating Joy's statement from earlier.

"I swear to God!" Joy said. "I never thought for a minute they'd check up on us. They never have before."

"There's a new sheriff in town," Katrina chimed in. "Rumor is that there will be a dorm inspection tonight. That's why they want everyone back by eight."

"A dorm inspection?" Ruth asked. "What are they looking for?"

Katrina shrugged.

"Anything we're not supposed to have, I guess," Lisa said. "Booze, weed, lesbian DVDs. Who knows? I figured you guys already knew. That's why I didn't say anything."

"First I've heard of it," Regan replied. "Well, we're OK, I think."

"I'm screwed," Joy declared.

"Why?" Ruth asked.

"My fucking roommate has pills, vodka, coke, you name it in the room," Joy said. "Fuck. And we're not going to get back in time for me even warn her."

"Call her!" Ruth urged.

"She's tutoring tonight," Joy replied. "She won't be back until just before curfew. She was bitching about it before we left. I figured she wouldn't get to blow her tutor a second time."

Regan frowned.

"How sure are you about this?" she asked Lisa.

"I overheard them talking about who was coming back to campus to stand guard on the floors while the others searched," Lisa said. "They know once the first room is searched, everyone will know."

"Let me call Andy," she said. "I'm sure he'll come out to take you back to the dorm."

"And how am I supposed to explain that?" Joy wondered.

"Tell them your period started," Katrina said. "They're up everyone ass but they're not tracking our flow just yet."