she knew that, how could she have forgotten! âSo, letâs settle for the pub tonight then. Iâll buy you a Sam Adams,â she added, with a warm smile that she really meant, she was so grateful heâd cared enough to ask her out.
âWatneys,â Georgki replied, and slammed back his visor, switched on his blaster and got back to work.
He did not show up at the pub that night, though, and Caroline worried she had hurt his feelings. But he was back at work the next afternoon, and nothing more was said.
*Â Â Â *Â Â Â *
The following day, Caroline drove into Oxford to get her hair cut. When she got back Maggie sat her down at the table, gave her a cup of coffee and said she had three things to tell her.
âThree? Iâve only been gone a few hours.â Caroline fluffed out her hair. âWhat do yâthink?â
âExpensive,â Maggie said. âBut worth it.â
âThank God.â Caroline slumped into the chair nearest the fireplace and swung her jeaned legs over the arm. âWhat do you mean, three things? Whatâs happened?â
âNothing bad. First, Issyâs been invited to a party Saturday night. By a boy. A seventeen-year-old. Name of Lysander Tsornin.â
âSeventeen! Thatâs too old! And anyway, how can anybody be called Lysander Tsornin ? Who is he? And how does she know him?â
âSchool, parties, other girls, they all know each other, you know how it is.â
Caroline thought how much she apparently did not know. Of course she drove Issy and Sam to the movies in Oxford, and she knew after they went to a café for spaghetti or whatever was cheapest, but they were still too young to go clubbing. They hung out at their friendsâ houses, but she always knew exactly where they were.
Maggie said, âIssy was afraid to ask you, so she asked me to. Itâs an overnight party, sheâs been invited to stay at the house.â
â Lysander asked her to stay at his house!â
âIt was the mother who called, not the boyfriend. Mrs. Tsornin. Arabella Tsornin to be correct. She left her number if you want to call.â
âMom?â Issy was standing in the doorway, radiating anxiety. âYou wonât mess it up, will you? I can go, canât I?â
âYou can go if Sam goes too.â Caroline quickly decided two was definitely better than one.
âBut Samâs not invited.â
âOh? And why not?â
âWell, Lysander is kind of my date.â
She twisted her hands together, her face scrunched. âMom, Iâve got to do some things on my own. Iâm going to be sixteen in a couple of weeks.â
So she was, Caroline had almost forgotten. Or at least she had put it out of her mind. This would be her second birthday without James being there to celebrate.
âYouâre asking to go to a party with a seventeen-year-old boy I donât even know, and stay overnight at the house of people I donât even know?â
âBut you can know them, Mom. Just call them.â
Maggie handed her the piece of paper with the Tsornin number. Caroline saw the area code. âLondon? You mean the partyâs in London ?â
âI can get the train to Paddington,â Issy said quickly. âAll you have to do is drive me to Oxford station.â
Caroline suddenly gave in. This was Issyâs world and she had a right to it. She would call the mother, it would be okay. âSo, what are you going to wear?â she asked, smiling.
She called Arabella Tsornin, who was cool and polite and said she was glad she had called and please not to worry, she would take good care of her daughter. âThereâll be fifty of them,â she explained. âLysander said he needed a celebration, heâs at a tutorial in Oxford and itâs hard work. Anyhow, tell Isabel to arrive at teatime. Weâll be expecting her.â
Caroline sat back in the chair and