Translucent

Chapter 44: Journey to Bristol

LISA

"Lisa."

The loud knocking sound jerked me up. The duvet felt soft and cool against my skin. Last night was a blur, but as soon as I found myself back in my room with sore stinging all over my body, I blushed. The pleasure from last night still shuddered from within me. It was nonetheless amazing. I wish we could have done it sooner and more often. I hid a smile from that thought.

On the bedside table laid a stack of pyjamas that I wore last night–all folded neatly. But as my hand was about to reach them, the door swung open. Diane swooped in, carrying a tray filled with tea and a plate of scrambled eggs. I hurriedly hid underneath the blanket.

"Oh, uh hi." I greeted her awkwardly, sticking only my head out of the blanket.

"It's past eleven." She moved to place the tray on my bedside table. "I was worried you might be sick. Nathaniel and your mum left for a meeting. Thank goodness for you, it's Saturday."

The blinding sunlight seeped through the curtains. I must have overslept.

Diane frowned, her gaze momentarily shooting up at my neatly-piled clothing. "What's the lad done this time?"

I gulped, taken aback by her words since she might have the slightest idea that I was naked under the blanket, as well as by her sudden warm tone seeing that the last time we had a conversation, it was far from decent–a quarrel to say the least. She said what she had to, while I was too blindsided by my own, lovestruck judgment.

"Why do you care? I thought you would've spied on us last night." I said sullenly.

"Look, dear, I'm sorry about last time," Diane said. "But knowing the nature of your relationship, he must be well-aware of the consequences."

My throat went dry. At this point, there was nothing both Cornelius and I did but wait for our time to run out.

Much to my relief, she quickly excused herself. I wasn't in the mood of another argument, not when my parting with Cornelius was part of her doing. Just when she closed the door, my phone rang. My heart jumped at the sight of the caller ID.

I groggily picked up the phone as I wriggled my way out of the duvet to get dressed. Sophie's unusual excited tone surprised me.

"You wouldn't believe what I found." She panted over the speaker.

"What?" I took a bite of the egg.

"Fiona's address."

I froze, yet I never expected I would get the answer this quick, but surely this was what I'd been expecting, something impossible and it became possible.

"H-how did it happen?" I sipped my tea.

"Fiona Anne Sterling. Thank me later."

"What?"

"Fiona Anne Sterling. The name of Cornelius' daughter."

I straightened up, ignoring my brunch. "How did you find out?"

"Well, long story short, I started by Googling Fiona Haywood." She began. "There were loads of Fionas but not a single one bearing the name Haywood, until...my mum came by and she's always a nosy one."

I felt my heart leaping to my throat. Oh great, just great, now the whole Aberfeldy would soon know about a girl falling in love with Cornelius. What else should I give away? That I just slept with him last night?

"So you told your Mum then?" I gripped my phone.

"Well, yes, but don't worry, I didn't mention Cornelius to mum. I just told her we were looking for an informant for our summer break assignment, and that the person we were looking for was an old woman named Fiona. It suddenly reminded her of someone named Fiona that matched my criteria, who she thought she must be really, really old now."