The Spy • H.S

4|The Spy

"Good day, Aratraya!" A slightly chubby man stands from the end of the long table I stand in front of and comes towards me, a bright smile on his face.

"Hi!" I fake surprisal as he grabs my hand that is no longer linked to Harold's. He has vanished, and where to is something I don't know.

"Me and your father are very close, you know?" He leads me to a chair next to the one he got out of only a minute ago.

"No, I didn't know that." I say as nice as I can. He sits down and picks up his silverware.

"Well, we are. We've known each other since we were in diapers." He chuckles, taking a bite out of his food. "Are you going to eat?" He asks, looking at the plate of food in front of me and back at me with raised eyebrows.

I open my mouth to say something but shut it while I remember what Harold had sad. I look down at the arranged silverware on each side of the plate, not knowing which to choose and feeling slightly embarrassed of it. I pick up the fork and stab at the green beans, taking a bite of one.

"You have a lovely home." I compliment and he chuckles again.

"I do, don't I?" He nods to himself and I smile at him. "Sadly it's just me and Harry here, no one else. Well, maybe a couple of butlers and maids, but they never talk to you, you know?" He says the last part quietly, leaning towards me as if they were listening to him.

"Harry?" I ask, confused.

"That's my son." He smiles proudly. "He's 23 and has a sister, her name is Gemma, but she's in the UK with her family, which I am very happy for." I didn't know he had a son or let alone a son that still lived with him at 23.

The thought of it makes me snicker and Mr. Frank looks at me. "What?" He asks.

"Nothing, Mr. Frank." I smile and he shakes his head.

"Please, just Frank." He says and I nod to him.

"Do you know anything about what's going on with my father?" I ask cautiously.

He takes a bite of his food and stares at me while he chews. "Your father is a good man." He says finally.

"I know he is." I say. "Can you answer my question, please?"

"I do, Aratraya. I can't say anything about it and I won't, I'm sorry." He gives me an apologetic smile.

I sigh and lean back in the chair. "He's my father, I'm worried about him. The least you could do is tell me what is going on with him." I say.

"You already know that he's being tracked by assassins, yes?" He puts his fork down and looks at me expectantly.

"Yes," I nod. "I must know more, though." I tell him.

"Perhaps I could inform you that he is in Italy right now and is staying somewhere safe." He stands up from the table and holds out his hand for me. I take it and stand up with him.

"Is that all you're going to tell me?" I ask him.

"Yes, and that information, Aratraya, can get your father killed if you tell it to the wrong person." He warns me.

"I won't, I won't put my father in any harm like that, I promise." I say.

"Good, now I would love to take you to a place where I like to find my own peace." He says, walking out of the dining room and opening a patio door.

"This is so beautiful." I say honestly as I gaze in awe at the elegant garden that fills his whole back yard, which is humongous. "You do gardening?" I ask, stepping out onto the patio and letting the smell of flowers and exotic plants feel my lungs.