Hospital white walls and hospital white floors. She idly played with a shape puzzle, trying to see if she could put a square peg in a round hole when the door opened.
Her puzzle forgotten, Elizabeth looked up and her breath caught in her throat. Eldridge looked very little like the vibrant, warm man she’d seen so many times in his portrait. This man appeared ten years older and sat hunched over in a wheelchair, his silver hair too long and his face drawn and pale.
“You have five minutes,” the nurse said.
“Can’t we have longer?” Elizabeth asked. She hadn’t expected so little time.
“Five minutes.”
The nurse left, but Evan gave no notice of it. He stayed head hung down, hands in his lap.
Elizabeth looked nervously toward Simon who silently urged her on.
“Uncle Evan?”
Nothing.
Slowly, she moved closer, pulling a chair next his. “Uncle Evan, we’re here to take you home. To San Francisco.”
For the first time, he raised his head. His eyes were bloodshot, but they weren’t unfocused. “Are you…?”
“Yes, Lillian misses you very much.”
At the mention of her name, his eyes moistened. He reached out and Elizabeth grasped his hand. It was cold and frail.
“Am I dreaming? I can’t tell anymore.”
Elizabeth’s heart ached for him. “No, you’re not dreaming. We’re going to take you back home. Aunt Lillian misses you very much. We all do. Teddy and Max and me.”
His eyes searched her face for any glimmer of something familiar. She’d been so struck by the way the artist had captured his eyes in the painting. They’d been so filled with kindness and understanding. It was disconcerting to see them so lost and afraid now.
“So far away,” he said with a shake of his head.
He was barely lucid. There was one thing left to try.
“How much longer?” Elizabeth asked Simon who, as planned, made a show of taking out the watch to check.
“Just a few more minutes,” he said, showing her, and Evan the watch.
She thought she saw Evan’s eyes flash for a brief moment, but she wasn’t sure. His gaze turned to her and his eyes searched her face for something and then he drifted off. “It’s like swimming in soup. A nice split-pea.”
Elizabeth’s heart sank. They weren’t going to get any information out of him. All they could do was reassure him and, God willing, get him out of here.
“Perhaps they’re giving him drugs,” Simon said.
Evan looked up at Simon and smiled dreamily. “Oh, yes, delightful pills. So pretty.” Very subtly, he tugged on Elizabeth’s hand. “Like you, my dear.”
She moved in to accept a kiss on the cheek.
In a voice so quiet she had to strain to hear him, Evan whispered in her ear. “They’re watching us. Forget me, get the Shard and destroy it.”
He leaned back and his gaze danced aimlessly along the ceiling. “Just lovely.”
Elizabeth did her best to remain outwardly calm. “It’s so good to see you, Uncle. We’ve been terribly worried about you.”
“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine,” he said in a quiet, dreamy voice.
“Yes, I can see that they’ve taken very good care of you,” Simon said.
“Oh, yes,” Evan said nodding his head slowly. “Very good.”
The door to the hall opened and the nurse stepped in. “Time’s up.”
Elizabeth was about to argue that it had hardly been five minutes, but knew it would do no good. She squeezed Evan’s hand. “We’ll come back tomorrow. You’re going home.” She leaned forward and hugged him.
“Charing Cross,” he whispered. “Iona by Gaspar. Destroy it. Don’t come back here; it’s too dangerous.” He pulled her closer and kissed her cheek. “Tell Lilly that I love her and that I’m sorry.” Then he settled listlessly back into his chair.
“We’ll see you tomorrow, Uncle,” Elizabeth said, barely holding back the torrent of emotions raging inside her. “I promise.”
As the nurse wheeled him out of the room, he got the same faraway look he had when
Her puzzle forgotten, Elizabeth looked up and her breath caught in her throat. Eldridge looked very little like the vibrant, warm man she’d seen so many times in his portrait. This man appeared ten years older and sat hunched over in a wheelchair, his silver hair too long and his face drawn and pale.
“You have five minutes,” the nurse said.
“Can’t we have longer?” Elizabeth asked. She hadn’t expected so little time.
“Five minutes.”
The nurse left, but Evan gave no notice of it. He stayed head hung down, hands in his lap.
Elizabeth looked nervously toward Simon who silently urged her on.
“Uncle Evan?”
Nothing.
Slowly, she moved closer, pulling a chair next his. “Uncle Evan, we’re here to take you home. To San Francisco.”
For the first time, he raised his head. His eyes were bloodshot, but they weren’t unfocused. “Are you…?”
“Yes, Lillian misses you very much.”
At the mention of her name, his eyes moistened. He reached out and Elizabeth grasped his hand. It was cold and frail.
“Am I dreaming? I can’t tell anymore.”
Elizabeth’s heart ached for him. “No, you’re not dreaming. We’re going to take you back home. Aunt Lillian misses you very much. We all do. Teddy and Max and me.”
His eyes searched her face for any glimmer of something familiar. She’d been so struck by the way the artist had captured his eyes in the painting. They’d been so filled with kindness and understanding. It was disconcerting to see them so lost and afraid now.
“So far away,” he said with a shake of his head.
He was barely lucid. There was one thing left to try.
“How much longer?” Elizabeth asked Simon who, as planned, made a show of taking out the watch to check.
“Just a few more minutes,” he said, showing her, and Evan the watch.
She thought she saw Evan’s eyes flash for a brief moment, but she wasn’t sure. His gaze turned to her and his eyes searched her face for something and then he drifted off. “It’s like swimming in soup. A nice split-pea.”
Elizabeth’s heart sank. They weren’t going to get any information out of him. All they could do was reassure him and, God willing, get him out of here.
“Perhaps they’re giving him drugs,” Simon said.
Evan looked up at Simon and smiled dreamily. “Oh, yes, delightful pills. So pretty.” Very subtly, he tugged on Elizabeth’s hand. “Like you, my dear.”
She moved in to accept a kiss on the cheek.
In a voice so quiet she had to strain to hear him, Evan whispered in her ear. “They’re watching us. Forget me, get the Shard and destroy it.”
He leaned back and his gaze danced aimlessly along the ceiling. “Just lovely.”
Elizabeth did her best to remain outwardly calm. “It’s so good to see you, Uncle. We’ve been terribly worried about you.”
“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine,” he said in a quiet, dreamy voice.
“Yes, I can see that they’ve taken very good care of you,” Simon said.
“Oh, yes,” Evan said nodding his head slowly. “Very good.”
The door to the hall opened and the nurse stepped in. “Time’s up.”
Elizabeth was about to argue that it had hardly been five minutes, but knew it would do no good. She squeezed Evan’s hand. “We’ll come back tomorrow. You’re going home.” She leaned forward and hugged him.
“Charing Cross,” he whispered. “Iona by Gaspar. Destroy it. Don’t come back here; it’s too dangerous.” He pulled her closer and kissed her cheek. “Tell Lilly that I love her and that I’m sorry.” Then he settled listlessly back into his chair.
“We’ll see you tomorrow, Uncle,” Elizabeth said, barely holding back the torrent of emotions raging inside her. “I promise.”
As the nurse wheeled him out of the room, he got the same faraway look he had when
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