The Call Of The City – Episode 05
The Call Of The City by Katharine Swartz
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- 3. The Call Of The City – Episode 03
- 4. The Call Of The City – Episode 04
- 5. The Call Of The City – Episode 05
- 6. The Call Of The City – Episode 06
- 7. The Call Of The City – Episode 07
- 8. The Call Of The City – Episode 08
A smile lurked in Grace’s eyes as she glanced at Kerry and her parents.
“Well, I didn’t tell anyone, but I sent a demo to Juilliard in New York and they’ve asked me to come to an audition.”
Andrew blinked in confusion and Kerry stared. Then they both leaped up.
“Grace, you sly thing! Well done.” Her dad embraced her.
“You are sly!” Kerry laughed. “And clever. When is the audition?”
“In a couple of weeks. I probably won’t get in . . .”
“Of course you will,” Andrew insisted.
Kerry rolled her eyes.
“You will if Dad has anything to say about it. Anyway, it’s great you got this far. Juilliard is terribly competitive, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” Grace admitted. “But it’s only the first step.”
“So, New York!” Kerry looked dazed by Grace’s news. “I’ve always wondered what it’s like. Where will you stay?”
Grace glanced at her mother, and Meg stiffened, knowing what was coming.
“I thought I might stay with Aunt Juliet.”
A tense silence followed and Grace hurried on.
“I don’t have to. If you think it might not be –”
“Might not be what?” Kerry interjected. “Why shouldn’t you stay with Aunt Juliet?”
Meg forced herself to smile brightly.
“Of course you should stay with Juliet. I’ll ring her.”
“I can do it,” Grace said, “if you give me a number. I can’t remember the last time I spoke to her.”
“It’s been a while,” Meg agreed.
“Well.” Andrew raised his teacup. “Cheers.”
They were in their bedroom, changed into their pyjamas with Meg sitting on the edge of the bed, setting the alarm clock, when Andrew laid a hand on her arm.
“What’s bothering you, love? Is it Grace going so far away?”
Meg hesitated.
“I know it’s silly, but it reminds me of Juliet.”
Andrew patted her arm.
“It’s different. She’ll come back.”
“Will she? Four years of school! She might meet someone, settle there.”
“She might not get in.”
“But if she does?” Meg was more worked up than even she had realised. “I know I’m overreacting. It’s hard not to.”
“Of course it is,” Andrew said. “Let’s get some sleep.”
He settled himself on the bed, pulling her into his arms so her head lay on his chest. She listened to the steady thud of his heart, the slight rasp of his breathing, and tried to feel comforted.
But in her mind a reel of 30-year-old memories was running.
Of those awful weeks after her mother’s death, her father’s stroke and Juliet’s restless discontent and even anger.
Mind you, Meg had been angry, too.
Somehow, over the years apart, she’d never managed to make amends. Neither had Juliet.
It was only now, when Meg was faced with the prospect of Grace actually staying with Juliet, living in New York, that she realised how fragile her relationship with her sister was.
Andrew stroked her hair.
“It’ll be all right,” he murmured. “You’ll see. Grace loves it here. She won’t go away for ever.”
Meg closed her eyes.
The phone was ringing 4,000 miles away but it sounded as if it could be right next door. Grace held her breath as she waited for her aunt to answer.
Last night she’d seen that her mother was upset by the prospect of her staying with her aunt.
Grace had never asked her mother about her relationship with her sister. Aunt Juliet was the distant, glamorous relative who sent expensive presents from shops like Bergdorfs and Saks.
Of course, on some level Grace had realised things weren’t quite right with her mother and her aunt. Juliet hadn’t been back to England in 15 years, which was strange.
She’d come to see Grace and Kerry once when they were small and Grace’s mother rarely called her sister, which also seemed a bit odd.
“Hello?”
“Aunt Juliet?” Grace asked, though her aunt’s voice was distinctive with its funny blend of English and American accents. “It’s me. Grace.”
She gave a nervous laugh.
“It must be strange to have me ringing.”
“A delightful surprise,” Juliet returned. “How are you, my dear?”
“Fine, Aunt Juliet. Really good, actually.”
Then, in a few stilted sentences, Grace explained about Juilliard and the audition.
“Grace, that’s marvellous!” Juliet exclaimed. “How thrilling for you. And you’ll be in New York!”
“Yes. I was actually hoping I might stay with you, if it wasn’t inconvenient.”
There was a slight, startled pause, and Grace closed her eyes.
“Of course you must stay with me,” Juliet finally said. “It will be wonderful.”
“I don’t have to.”
“No, you must.” Juliet sounded determined. “I can meet you at the airport. And maybe we can go out to dinner, if you have time?”
Grace blinked, surprised by the sudden flurry of offers.
“Well, if you’d like . . .”
“I can’t wait,” Juliet assured her. “Really, Grace, I’ll be so, so pleased to see you.”
To be continued…
