He hated anyone else doing any work.
‘Don’t be silly,’ said Mr Abbott, tapping the wheel in time to the drumbeats. ‘You all are extended family. And you know what they say: the strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home.’ In the reflection of the rear-view mirror Ivy saw Mr Abbott’s eyebrows lift. ‘Can anyone name that quote?’
The twins looked at each other blankly.
‘Confucius,’ said Charles and Horatio in unison.
Mr Abbott nodded. ‘Impressive.’
Great. The next thing Ivy knew, her dad would be practising yoga on the front lawn too. She leaned forwards, trying to get Olivia’s attention – someone who could share her pain – but Olivia’s chin rested on her fist as she stared intently out of the window. Ivy chewed her lip. It wasn’t like Olivia to bottle things up. Dark and stormy is usually more my style. The twins were becoming more and more like each other and Ivy wasn’t sure that was entirely a good thing. Olivia was supposed to be the perky one – the Yin to Ivy’s Yang.
Ivy’s phone pinged from inside her black studded bag – a text! She plunged her hands inside, digging through the mess of lipstick, movie stubs, and spare tubes of Pale Beauty, hoping it was a message from Brendan. She pulled the phone out and thumbed the touch screen.
Hope you have a safe flight! V-Love, Sophia.
Ivy’s heart sank. Not that it wasn’t a nice text; it just wasn’t the one she wanted. She clicked out of the message without responding and looked at her phone’s wallpaper screen – a picture of her and Brendan making silly faces. Brendan had his cheeks puffed out and he was scratching his head like a chimpanzee, and she had sucked her cheeks into a ridiculous fish-face. We look so happy. She stroked the brooch that she was wearing on her top. I hope we’re still that happy when I get back.
Ivy shoved the phone back into her bag, trying not to think about how fine he had seemed at the Meat and Greet. How unconcerned about the time they would be spending apart. Ivy knew Brendan well enough to understand that it was probably just his way of coping, but she couldn’t help feeling a little hurt. Of course, she had wanted him to be OK with her trip to Transylvania – but there was such a thing as being too OK with being separated from your girlfriend for a week or two. Maybe longer.
As the wheels of the car edged up to the kerb at the airport, Ivy frowned to herself. Brendan Daniels was not supposed to behave like a dumb guy from a stupid teen bunny show.
Ivy’s boyfriend was supposed to be different.
Charles shut the boot of Mr Abbott’s car. He surveyed the luggage piled on the pavement as a plane roared overhead. ‘I think that’s everything.’
‘Literally,’ Ivy muttered, her eyebrows raised. Leave it to Olivia to pack our entire wardrobes!
Olivia smiled sheepishly. ‘Hey, a girl’s got to have options.’
Police officers were directing traffic and luggage wheels slid across the pavement with regular thuds. The terminal was a hub of activity.
Mr Abbott extended his hand to Horatio, who looked at it, blinking. Ivy stifled a giggle. Horatio’s giant hand daintily gripped Mr Abbott’s fingers and he gave them a gentle shake. Poor Horatio really did not know how to handle being treated like an equal.
‘Well then,’ Mr Abbott said. ‘I wouldn’t want you all to miss your flight.’
Olivia reached up to give her adoptive dad a long hug. ‘I’ll miss you. Take care of Mom, OK?’
Mr Abbott kissed her on top of the head. ‘Would you like me to come in with you?’ he asked.
Olivia shook her head. ‘That’s OK. Horatio can help us.’ Ivy thought she saw Horatio perk up with that comment. The Lazar family butler took the phrase ‘aim to please’ to a whole new level!
‘Right, well . . . In that case, I might just make my tai chi class.’ He started to smile, then threw his arms wide. ‘Oh, who am I kidding? Who cares about tai chi? Come here and give me a hug!’ He swooped the twins up in his arms, crushing them tight to his chest. Eventually, he pulled away, his face red. ‘I know I shouldn’t get emotional. It’s only for a week.’
‘Not to worry.’ Charles cleared his throat and shook Mr Abbott’s hand. ‘Horatio is anxious to lend a helping hand, I’m sure.’ The already massive butler straightened up – so tall, Ivy feared a plane might fly into his head. Even by vamp standards, Horatio was pretty freaky.
Mr Abbott had recovered his composure. He put his palms together as if praying and bowed. ‘In that case, I bid you, yī lù shùn fēng.’
‘Xiè xiè,’ replied Horatio, bowing in return.
‘Bye, Dad!’ Olivia turned to wave one last time to Mr Abbott and then the four of them trooped through the whooshing sliding glass doors and into the airport.
‘Horatio, I didn’t know you spoke Chinese,’ Charles remarked.
He bowed slightly, with a faint smile. ‘There is a lot you do not know about me, Master Karl. Now if you’ll excuse me . . .’ He took Ivy and Olivia’s duffel bags. ‘I want to make myself useful at last.’
All around them, passengers were bustling about, dragging suitcases and sprinting to gates. Ticket personnel were calling for the next person in line. Departure and arrival times scrolled down the monitors. Ivy’s chest squeezed as she saw a young couple kissing goodbye at the entrance to the security line. She would have felt much better if Brendan had given her one last kiss before she’d left, but it was too late now. She would have to wait until she got back – whenever that was.