But I'll Be Back Again

Chapter 10: Clear As a Bell

She turned serious and thoughtful, as she played with the necklace on her neck.

That week it was to be her second class on philosophy, she had enrolled in a course one university offered, it was for the public in general. She was fixing her hair when she heard Mimi call her name, she went downstairs.

"It's you hideous brother, Jeremy," she said and handed her the telephone.

She giggled quietly at the comment, "Yes?"

The line wasn't the best, and it sounded like if he were in a submarine, "Charlotte! Hey it's Jeremy."

"Yes, I know, something happened?" She asked as she turned to her wrist watch, she didn't intend to go late to class.

"I wanted to call you," he said that phrase quite quickly, he didn't want her to know that it was a lie, "yes, that, how's everything? Mother told me you were practicing piano now, "

"That's right, John has this piano now so-," she was interrupted.

"Cousin John? The odd soppy John, nice to hear he's not in the streets or in jail."

She was really mad, and wanted to say something hurtful to her step-brother, but the last time she did, her parents sent her to a female etiquette class and later to a therapist, "Why did you call?... for real this time."

"Mother says that father is worried about a rumor he heard, his sister Leonor is trying to find you," he said.

She remembered her aunt, she was the only person she had a close relationship with, but 5 years prior, her aunt moved to New York, when her brother and all her family became toxic and greedy over the family's fortune; Ella really thought she was crazy angry at her family, including at herself, "why would she want to contact me?"

"Money that's obvious, but we know you liked her very much, and I wanted to remind you that by law ... and contract you can't disobey father nor go against him,"

She was angry again, "So if she calls, am I supposed to hang?"

"Exactly you idiot! what? Do you think she's looking for you because she wants to reconnect and spend family time with you? Seriously Charlotte, why are you this naive, tell me one quality in you that's worth that time. The world doesn't function like you think, you must be smart, and aggressive to suspicious situations like this one."

She defended herself by saying, "You know I got along really well with her, it's got nothing to do if I'm worth the time or-,"

He interrupted again, "Have you made friends there? Has any person you've met in the past month in Liverpool told you that you're their favourtie person, and enjoy their time with you...." He gave her some seconds to answer, "I guess the answer is no. Aunt Leonor is after the only good thing in you... your fortune."

She couldn't take more of that, she promised she would not answer any of her calls, and said goodbye.

Paul was changing the strings on his old guitar, watching his brother with his friends play some kind of board game, they had asked him to join but he declined, and decided to be a spectator, watching them amused as they laughed and argued on the rules, he had just began to put the new set of strings when he heard the door knocking, he went to attend to it, and found Ella outside, she was carrying her books from her class she'd had that morning, she asked him if they could talk, and he agreed.

"Come," he invited her in, "we'll go to the back garden."

She nervously entered,  greeted the other guests, and followed Paul to the back.