Cherry Orphan

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Guilt finally boiled up inside Robert to a point where he could stand himself no more. Work pressure didn't make it as a valid excuse—after all, he was the boss.

"Girls, I've planned something special for this afternoon," he announced at the Sunday lunch table. "I feel bad about the way I've been neglecting you both and especially poor James here. You must think I'm a workaholic, James. Today I want to make up for it somewhat."

Calley and Sonia looked at each other deadpan. Good intentions were nothing new. Robert's incessant drive hardly ever abated long enough for anything meaningful to emerge.

"I know, I know, you've heard it before," he carried on, "but from now until the summer is over I intend to spend some time with you every weekend. It's a promise."

"Well excuse me while I faint."

Sonia kicked Calley under the table. "Go on, Dad, we're listening."

Robert nodded. "Thank you, Sonia. Did anyone notice a car in the garage that's been sitting there for weeks under a tarp?" He glanced around the table.

No comment.

"So no one got curious and took a little peek?"

"Dad, you have nine cars in there not counting mine." Calley set her plate aside and folded her arms. "We've been up to our keesters in cars ever since we were born."

"Yes, I suppose so. How about you, James? Do you find it all very boring?"

James wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin while quickly glancing at the other two. "Er, no, Uncle Bob. I like cars, but I don't know much about them." Throughout the meal he'd been preoccupied with thoughts of Sonia and the things Calley had said about her sister's curiosity. He studied her whenever he could get away with it without appearing obvious.

"Well this one's very special. Every August we have the annual Pebble Beach Concours. I know you girls have seen it enough times. I never enter anything because I'm involved with sponsorship and judging. This year it's going to be a bit different."

Sonia clapped her hands, delighted. "You're going to dress up like an English Lord or something and enter the parade."

Calley threw her head back and laughed aloud. "Lord Robert, Earl of Monterey!"

Even Robert found it hard not to crack a smile. "Yeah, you'd like that. Sorry to disappoint everyone. I'm still not entering the Concours, I'd never live it down. But one of my cars will be part of the Monterey Historics." He looked directly at James. "During the same week as the classic car show here, there's a racing series for vintage performance cars out at Laguna Seca Raceway in Fort Ord."

Just as suddenly the girls turned deadly serious. "Christ, Dad!" Sonia spluttered, "You'll kill yourself."

He raised a calm hand. "Did I say anything about myself driving? I've arranged for Tony Scott to drive it," he said patiently. "I've known him since the old days in LA. He retired last year from Group C racing. Drove Jaguars for Bob Tullius. He'll be right at home in what I've got."

"Okay, cut the suspense. What have you got out there?" Calley demanded suspiciously.

Finally Robert grinned for real and swelled to bursting. "Only an ex-works Jaguar D-type that raced at Le Mans in 1955. Actually it didn't run the race, it qualified as the spare car, but it does have a long racing history. I'm part owner with two guys I know in Los Angeles. It's taken me many meetings to persuade them to let me enter it in the vintage races. I have a special reason. This year's honored marque is Ferrari. There's going to be lots of them entered, so I want history to repeat itself. Jaguar beat the pants off them in fifty-five and I intend seeing to it again almost thirty years later with the best car and best driver."