Page 83 of Cruel Shame

“Professor and Doctor Adewale said to seat you at their table if you arrived before them.” The woman hurried down through a wood-paneled library, which led to another hallway of arched, stone walls and checkered marble floors.

“What’s going on?” I whispered.

“Don’t ask,” he whispered back.

At the end of the passageway were tall, stained glass windows, and to our immediate right stood the doors to a restaurant half the size of the academy’s dining room. The receptionist handed us over to the host, who told us our table for five was ready.

We stepped into a bright room, illuminated by crystal wall lights shaped like candles and three delicate-looking crystal chandeliers. Tall windows took up an entire wall flooding the space with even more light. Unlike the reception, the chairs were deep, blue velvet that matched the sweeping drapes.

The host sat us at a window seat with a view of the hotel’s huge lawn and pond that stretched up to an evergreen forest. Beyond the breathtaking sight were hills and then mountains shrouded by mist.

“Is Mary coming?” I asked.

“She left early to meet them at church,” Gideon muttered.

I nodded, trying to remember if I’d seen his cousin on the few occasions I’d visited the chapel within the Templar Academy’s grounds.

After the host brought us a soft drink from the bar, Gideon took my hand and frowned. “How are you coping with recent revelations?”

I shook my head. “It’s hard to say. So much has happened since the last weekend that I don’t have enough time to recover from one shook before the next comes along and kicks me in the gut.”

His eyes softened. “To think that everything terrible that’s happened from your family was the work of three evil individuals.”

“It’s no wonder Elizabeth turned out so badly.”

Gideon took a sip of his diet coke. “I hope that Mr. Burgh can mount a suitable attack, now you’ve armed him with the truth.”

I was about to reply when his eyes widened and he rose to his feet. I turned to find the most spectacular woman standing in the doorway. Her skin was several shades lighter than Gideon’s, and she wore a head wrap of sparkling green silk with large, silver earrings and a thick necklace of emeralds set in silver.

Her outfit was a lace dress with a mermaid silhouette that hugged a curvaceous hourglass figure. Its transparent sleeves flared at the elbows and at the bottom, it flared at the knees. My gaze dropped down to her limited edition Louis Vuitton bag, and I gulped. At least I knew where Gideon got his flamboyant style.

Dr. Adewale’s face broke out into a smile of red lipstick and high cheekbones that gave her a radiant glow. She crossed the room with her arms outstretched.

Behind her was Mary, who wore her school uniform, and a six foot-tall man who looked exactly like the actor who played Mr. Eko on Lost. He wore an eggplant-colored, two-piece suit in a shade that appeared nearly black with a matching tie and pink shirt. I gulped. If I was into older men, I’d probably be salivating right now.

His mother swept Gideon into a hug, and spoke to him in a rapid language I didn’t recognize. Gideon hugged back, answering her questions in English.

“Miss Lilah Hancock, I presume?” Gideon’s dad’s voice was as posh as his son’s but as smooth as silk-velvet. He held out his hand and flashed me a dazzling smile.

“Pleased to meet you, Professor,” I said, cringing at my Richley accent.

Gideon’s mother turned, seeming to notice me for the first time. She was far too classy to give me the Richley up-and-down glance, but her controlled, closed-lip smile said she wasn’t happy with his choice of girlfriend.

I offered her a polite smile and forced myself to remember that this was for Gideon. Even if he knew his mother wouldn’t approve of me, it was still better than coming out to them before he was ready.

Gideon’s mother had already ordered for us the night before, and we started with king prawns cooked in tempura batter served on a salad of edamame beans, and pickled vegetables. The waiter served us sparkling grape juice that tasted almost like wine. It would have been a delicious meal if Gideon’s mother stopped lapsing into another language.

Professor Adewale explained that it was Yoruba and made a point of saying that everyone in Nigeria of a certain level of education spoke perfect English. Dr. Adewale either didn’t get the hint or didn’t give a shit.

I hummed and smiled at the right places.

When the waiter cleared the main course, Gideon’s mother turned to me and frowned. “My niece tells me the allegations about your grandfather are false, but how do they say in English? There’s no smoke…”

I pursed my lips. The woman spoke the language better than me.

Gideon placed a hand on my wrist in a silent signal to leave the talking to him. “Elizabeth Liddell is a very disturbed young woman, prone to violent outbursts.”

His mother pursed her lips. “Because of the cocaine?”