seen.”
Isabelle realized her hand was covering her mouth and lowered it.
“Excuse me,” he whispered, and stood up to leave. The others watched him walk to the door.
“Jules.” Isabelle went to him. “Are you all right?”
He nodded, but seemed drained. “Seeing George and all that.”
“I understand,” she said, and turned so she didn’t have to watch him walk out.
Monica and Luke were charged up from the video. They chatted noisily about the experiment, and their relationship seemed to take a turn.
Isabelle put the TV and VCR away, noting that Monica laughed at Luke’s jokes and hung on his words, as if George had somehow elevated his grandson’s status.
“I don’t get it,” Luke said to his mother. “If Backster was wrong about plants recognizing people, how come the polygraph reacted to Jules?”
“My father came up with his own theory about how plants identify people, why they react the way they do. It was much more scientific and easier to believe.”
“What was his theory?”
“It’s complicated. I’ll tell you about it another time.”
“So these experiments made him famous, right?” Luke asked.
“For a botanist, I suppose.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. This is huge.”
“I guess it was, at the time.”
Luke looked annoyed. “I think this is really cool and you act like it’s nothing. I can’t believe all these years I had this famous scientist in my family and you didn’t say anything. I mean , he’s your father. ”
“It’s not that simple,” she said tersely. “If you want to know about your grandfather, I’ll tell you. But I think you should know the whole story.”
Isabelle explained that George had been a well-respected scientist for many years, until he began experimenting with illegal drugs, mind-altering substances that eventually affected his work and reputation. He was fired from his job at Oxford, but the low point came when he was arrested for drug trafficking and spent two years in a Canadian prison. His wife left him, taking Isabelle. The scientific community labeled him a fraud and turned their backs on him. George, in turn, became a recluse on the island.
Luke looked at his mother. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. In my eyes, George was a sweet and generous man who loved every facet of nature. He was intelligent and curious about everything. Just like you.”
“I wish I’d known him.”
Isabelle smiled weakly. “I wish you had too.”
“Someone get a violin,” Monica said.
“All right. It’s nearly two o’ clock.” Isabelle chuckled. “How about lunch?”
“How about finding my diamond!” Ginny was standing in the doorway, on the verge of tears, her skin bright pink from the sun. “You’re all standing around chatting away when time is running out.” Then she raised the reward to $10,000.
CHAPTER 10
JULES WAS IN THE STUDY pouring a glass of sherry. He paced the room and drank it down in one shot. He was still upset by the video and poured another drink.
Seeing himself attack a plant made him feel physically ill, but he resisted the implications. After all, he wasn’t a violent man. There might have been a couple of tiny incidents during his first weeks at Oxford. Karen Astor, which he didn’t want to think about. The barbaric rugby fellow who bullied him in a tavern. That officious little wanker who towed his car. Those were anomalies. It wasn’t like he did any serious damage, nothing permanent. Every man has a few moments of losing control. Being pushed too far. Cornered .
“Dr. Beecher?” Luke knocked on the doorframe.
“Oh, hullo,” Jules said wearily.
“Could we talk a minute?”
“I’m rather busy.”
Luke looked at Jules standing alone in the room with a glass of sherry in hand. Jules stared back in silence and finally gestured defeat.
“Fine. Come in.” He carried his glass to the chair behind the desk, used a blank envelope as a coaster.
Luke sat across from him. “I’m wondering
Isabelle realized her hand was covering her mouth and lowered it.
“Excuse me,” he whispered, and stood up to leave. The others watched him walk to the door.
“Jules.” Isabelle went to him. “Are you all right?”
He nodded, but seemed drained. “Seeing George and all that.”
“I understand,” she said, and turned so she didn’t have to watch him walk out.
Monica and Luke were charged up from the video. They chatted noisily about the experiment, and their relationship seemed to take a turn.
Isabelle put the TV and VCR away, noting that Monica laughed at Luke’s jokes and hung on his words, as if George had somehow elevated his grandson’s status.
“I don’t get it,” Luke said to his mother. “If Backster was wrong about plants recognizing people, how come the polygraph reacted to Jules?”
“My father came up with his own theory about how plants identify people, why they react the way they do. It was much more scientific and easier to believe.”
“What was his theory?”
“It’s complicated. I’ll tell you about it another time.”
“So these experiments made him famous, right?” Luke asked.
“For a botanist, I suppose.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. This is huge.”
“I guess it was, at the time.”
Luke looked annoyed. “I think this is really cool and you act like it’s nothing. I can’t believe all these years I had this famous scientist in my family and you didn’t say anything. I mean , he’s your father. ”
“It’s not that simple,” she said tersely. “If you want to know about your grandfather, I’ll tell you. But I think you should know the whole story.”
Isabelle explained that George had been a well-respected scientist for many years, until he began experimenting with illegal drugs, mind-altering substances that eventually affected his work and reputation. He was fired from his job at Oxford, but the low point came when he was arrested for drug trafficking and spent two years in a Canadian prison. His wife left him, taking Isabelle. The scientific community labeled him a fraud and turned their backs on him. George, in turn, became a recluse on the island.
Luke looked at his mother. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. In my eyes, George was a sweet and generous man who loved every facet of nature. He was intelligent and curious about everything. Just like you.”
“I wish I’d known him.”
Isabelle smiled weakly. “I wish you had too.”
“Someone get a violin,” Monica said.
“All right. It’s nearly two o’ clock.” Isabelle chuckled. “How about lunch?”
“How about finding my diamond!” Ginny was standing in the doorway, on the verge of tears, her skin bright pink from the sun. “You’re all standing around chatting away when time is running out.” Then she raised the reward to $10,000.
CHAPTER 10
JULES WAS IN THE STUDY pouring a glass of sherry. He paced the room and drank it down in one shot. He was still upset by the video and poured another drink.
Seeing himself attack a plant made him feel physically ill, but he resisted the implications. After all, he wasn’t a violent man. There might have been a couple of tiny incidents during his first weeks at Oxford. Karen Astor, which he didn’t want to think about. The barbaric rugby fellow who bullied him in a tavern. That officious little wanker who towed his car. Those were anomalies. It wasn’t like he did any serious damage, nothing permanent. Every man has a few moments of losing control. Being pushed too far. Cornered .
“Dr. Beecher?” Luke knocked on the doorframe.
“Oh, hullo,” Jules said wearily.
“Could we talk a minute?”
“I’m rather busy.”
Luke looked at Jules standing alone in the room with a glass of sherry in hand. Jules stared back in silence and finally gestured defeat.
“Fine. Come in.” He carried his glass to the chair behind the desk, used a blank envelope as a coaster.
Luke sat across from him. “I’m wondering
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