Since she’d been so confident that this would be the answer, Allie should have been ready to hear it. Instead she felt as if the air had left her lungs. She’d grown up thinking all her grandparents were dead.
And now I have a living grandmother.
She leaned back a little on the chair and stared at her mother as if she’d never seen her before. ‘Why? Why would you lie to me about something like that? We could have got to know each other …’
‘I know it’s hard for you to believe this,’ her mother kept her voice gentle but firm, ‘but everything I have ever done was to protect you. To keep you safe.’
‘But you let me believe she was dead. All my life you let me think that.’ Allie had stared at her mother, hurt and disbelief making her chest ache. ‘How could you do that?’
Her mother took a sharp breath. ‘It is … it was a terrible thing to do. And I am sorry. I just didn’t know what else to do. Maybe I should have just told you the truth. But I was afraid if I did you’d insist on meeting her, and then everything would have been ruined.’
Allie was baffled. ‘How would my knowing my own grandmother have ruined everything?’
‘Because then she would have had you,’ her mother said without hesitation. ‘And I would have lost you.’
Dropping her chin to her chest, Allie closed her eyes and fought for calm.
Another non-explanation. Another random statement.
This time she wasn’t going to let her mother get away with this stuff.
‘What?’ Her voice was sarcastic. ‘She would have kidnapped me?’
But her mother didn’t back down. ‘You don’t understand, Alyson. You’ve never met her. Lucinda … your grandmother is a powerful and dangerous person. She gets what she wants – it’s just how she is. Nothing gets in her way. I …’ She’d stopped and thought for a moment; when she started again, her voice was quiet. ‘When I was your age, I was very different from her. She is a very controlling person, and she dictated my life down to the most elemental detail. What I wore, who I knew, what I studied, where I went – everything was decided by her. At first I accepted it, but as I grew older I rebelled. I didn’t want to be like her. I didn’t want to be rich and miserable. I didn’t want what she had. I wanted to be myself. To make my own decisions.’ She looked at Allie searchingly. ‘I should think if anyone would understand that, it would be you.’
And Allie did. But it still didn’t make sense. ‘Fine. If she was like that, then running away was the right thing to do. But lying to me about it wasn’t right. I have to make my own decisions too. Just like you did.’
A bitter smile curved her mother’s lips. ‘Isabelle says exactly the same thing. But neither of you is Lucinda’s daughter, so neither of you knows what she’s really like.’
‘Mum, who is Lucinda? And why are you so scared of her? I get that she’s some huge bigwig. But who is she really? The Queen? God?’
She hadn’t liked her mother’s ironic smile.
‘Not quite,’ she said. ‘But close.’
Allie studied her warily. ‘What does that mean?’
Her mother spoke very deliberately. ‘Her last name is Meldrum.’
That time Allie couldn’t pretend not to be shocked. ‘No. Way.’
‘My grandmother is Lucinda Meldrum.’ Allie said now; Isabelle inclined her head very slightly, as if to confirm that information.
The words still felt odd in Allie’s mouth. How could it be? Lucinda Meldrum was the most famous woman in British politics. The first female Chancellor, and now head of the World Bank, she advised presidents, prime ministers and kings. Even Rachel had been impressed when Allie told her.
‘Thank you for convincing Mum to tell me about Lucinda. I don’t know if she would have admitted it otherwise, and it meant a lot to me to know the truth.’
‘It was time for you to know,’ the headmistress said. ‘Past time.’ She straightened in her chair. ‘Allie, I know you’ll have more questions about what this means for you and your place in Night School, but first I need to talk to you about the incident in London, and explain what’s going to happen next.’
Although Allie didn’t react, a rush of excitement sped her heart rate.
‘As you know by now,’ Isabelle continued, ‘there should have been somebody watching your house that night – somebody was always there while you were home.’
Allie nodded.
‘But the guard left shortly after 11 p.m. after receiving a panicked text from his wife telling him their child was critically ill. He called Raj to warn him – he actually spoke to Raj, who personally authorised his departure.’
When Isabelle paused, Allie felt goosebumps rise on her arms. Before the headmistress said her next words, she knew what they would be.
‘Except Raj never received that call. He never spoke to the man. And the guard’s wife never sent the text. There was no problem with their child.’
‘Nathaniel,’ Allie breathed.
Isabelle nodded. ‘The guard’s phone records bear out his story – he did call Raj in a phone call lasting several minutes. That call was diverted.’
Remembering that night – the footsteps thundering after her – Allie wanted to punch something.
‘Why?’ She set her mug down with a bang; the milky tea sloshed dangerously. ‘Why is he doing this, Isabelle? I don’t understand. What is so important that he would try so hard?’