A Storm of Paper Starlings

16. A Special Guest

When I get to the drawing room, the boys are already there. Aside from Seth, who's wearing a shirt with buttons, they've all got t-shirts on, and even Magnus is wearing jeans, so I stop worrying about what I'm wearing. Eden is looking glamorous again in a floaty midnight blue dress.

"Lovely top," she says.

"Thanks. Leia made it. She makes all her own clothes."

"Who's Leia?" Archer asks.

"Violet's extremely pretty best friend," Seth tells him. Like palming off Leia's flirty self onto his brother will save him.

"Really?" Archer says. "You'll have to invite her up once you move in."

My head snaps in Eden's direction. Did she speak to the boys already?

"We talked about it this afternoon," she says, pre-empting my question, "and everyone is ecstatic about it."

I smile at my socks.

"You see, Vi," Archer says, draping his arm across my shoulder, "it's hard for Mum and Glenda, stuck here with no other women for company... surrounded by all this handsomeness and rampant masculinity."

I laugh. "You're so full of yourself. Leia would vomit if you carried on like that in front of her."

Glenda pokes her head round the door. "Your guest is here. Shall I show him straight into the dining room?"

"In here please, Glen. We should wait for Dad."

We all look up when Eden's guest walks in.

"Daniel?" I sputter. "What are you doing here?"

* * *

"Everybody, this is Daniel. Violet and Seth, you've already met, but this is my husband, Magnus."

I'm still shocked when she finishes introducing each of the boys.

"Violet," she says quietly. "Daniel helped me find you."

"He was looking for me?"

"Not at first. He recognised you from a photo he saw here. A photo of Amy."

"That's my job," Daniel says. "I find people. Eden's helped me so much, and I wanted to return the favour."

I don't understand at all. "But how did you find me?"

"When I first came here, I saw a photo of your mum." He rakes a hand through his hair, which is starting to grow out, and he's talking slowly, like he's choosing his words carefully. "She had the same eyes as a girl I saw on the tube. You, Violet. Eden got upset when I mentioned it and told me about your... your mother and her baby. I didn't tell Eden I'd found you until I was absolutely sure. Your date of birth was on your medical chart at the hospital. Then it was a case of making sure you wanted to be found."

"But I never told you I wanted to be found."

"You didn't need to."

"You don't know me. You don't know what I want." I hold my hand up, so he doesn't talk. Leia was right. "You were stalking me on the tube."

"Stalking's a bit harsh."

"No, it's not." My hand automatically seeks my other arm, a protective move I've mostly trained myself out of thanks to Abigail and her eagle eyes, but I'd let my guard down here, and it makes me feel stupid. Leia said there'd be a good reason for him to be following me, but... "When were you going to tell me?"

"I didn't plan on talking to you, but then the accident happened, and you begged me to stay with you."

"I did not beg." My nails dig into my palms, and I swallow hard. "So, if it wasn't for the accident, you would've just butted into my life without saying a word to me? Without asking me how I felt?"