Page 131 of The Stranger

I give a wry-feeling smile. Why would I have possibly imagined using a train station as a point of reference would be useful to a child who travels by private jet?

“It is. Very,” I add, sliding her blonde locks away from her face. “Anyway, my mum called me in for lunch, and I was hungry, so…”

“You returned.”

“I did, and I was very miffed no one had noticed.”

“Miffed. I like this word. It means anger, yes?”

“Most displeased,” I say in my best posh voice. When she smiles, my insides feel a little like sunshine. “You know, one of my brothers told me I was adopted.”

“And that is not true?”

I shake my head. “Another time, he said if I didn’t stop being annoying, he’d put me in a box and post me to Scotland.”

She gives a tiny giggle.

“They’ve teased me, refused to let me play their games, made me cry, said things they didn’t mean— and things they probably did mean for five horrible minutes—and they’ve called me terrible names.”

“Like Felix?”

“Just like Felix. The annoying thing about brothers is they can be absolute pains and still love you very much. Mine do.” I pat her knee. “If I called any one of them tonight and said I needed them, they’d come. Oh, they’d complain when they got here, they’d still come.”

“From England?”

“They’d come from Timbuctoo. And probably fight over who got to rescue me.”

“Really?”

I nod. No need to explain they’re fiercely competitive. The same as me, apparently. While it pains me to admit it, Lavender might not be wrong. But more importantly, the Whittington brood are fiercely loyal.

“Felix wouldn’t do that for me,” she says, her voice small.

“I wouldn’t be so sure. He might pick on you, but I’ll bet he wouldn’t allow anyone else to.”

Her little mouth twists thoughtfully. “Felix frightened a boy at school who was horrible to me.”

“What did he do?”

“He grabbed him by the collar and told him he’d knock out his teeth if he did it again.”

I bite back a smile. “There you go.”

“He got detention.”

“Quite rightly so. You can’t go threatening people. Unless absolutely necessary. Which he obviously felt it was.”

“He said it was worth it and he put his arm around my shoulder.”

And there it is. No one hurts my sister but me. I tuck her hair behind her ear. “He might be a pain in the bum, but he’s your pain in the bum.”

A reluctant smile grows on her face.

“He still shouldn’t call me a loser.”

“Well, I think that’s something your dad will be making sure he understands as we speak.”

Her smile grows.