Page 10 of The New Place

“And you know Ned, right?” Chris asks.

Abbot should step aside. Make room for Ned to move toward Beverly’s smile. Introduce them, but he’s rooted to the floor.

“This is Ned?” Beverly asks. “Really? What a treat, I had no idea I’d get to meet you tonight. I’ve heard so much.”

“A surprise for us all,” Chris says. “Ned, this is Bev, old friend of the family.”

“So nice to meet you,” Ned says.

Abbot feels the press of Ned’s fingers on the small of his back when she releases his hand. It’s steadying. Grounding. Abbot manages a breath.

But then her smile turns to him once more, and she takes a step closer, and that scent. “I just got to see Liesl,” Beverly says. “I had a quick evening to stop in with her and your father, on my way back to Boston.”

Back to Boston? Since when is she in Boston? She’s supposed to be safely ensconced in Atlanta, nowhere near the Northeast. Like a bee he knows is in the room, one he can keep an eye on from a distance, always maintaining that span of miles between them.

“What a treat to fly through Geneva,” she goes on. “Liesl is such a little grownup. I only missed you by a day, but I figured I’d see you up here anyway.”

“Bev had a conference in Zürich,” Chris says as if Abbot is listening, as if he cares.

Abbot wants to leave. To be gone already. To ride the high of Ned coming to visit him, of an opportunity at Adams, of being able to rush out of here before this conversation with Beverly goes any longer than he’s already endured.

“Your old stomping grounds,” Beverly says.

“I bet that’s beautiful this time of year,” Ned says quickly, his hand resting more firmly on Abbot’s back. “And Liesl is taller every time I see her.”

“Thirteen going on twenty-three, I’d say.” Beverly laughs and reaches into her purse. “Henry, I’m glad I ran into you. Your father gave me this for you. Said you forgot it.”

He hadn’t forgotten the envelope she holds out. He’d left it behind. Stuffed it in the drawer of his desk in his father’s house and specifically flew home without it.

“And that’s not all Beverly has,” Chris says.

It’s enough. Too much. She holds it in midair, and Abbot stares down at the plain white paper, the way the contents bulge slightly.

“Henry?” Chris asks.

Abbot doesn’t move to take it. He doesn’t want it. Wasn’t that clear when he left it behind? When he never opened it?

Ned takes it from her, breaking the stretching silence as he tucks it into his jacket pocket. “So nice of you to bring it. Thank you.”

“Of course, no trouble at all. I was already coming up to see Chris and Susan,” she says. “And, well. Henry, catching you now is so much better than a phone call. Or do you want to do the honors, Chris?”

“No, no, I couldn’t possibly,” Chris says. “Oh fine, I will. Henry, Bev has a wonderful surprise for you.”

Abbot tries to take another step back, but Ned is there. Beverly has never brought good news. Your mom’s not feeling well, she’d said, smoothing his hair back as he tried to twitch away.

Abbot doesn’t want whatever’s coming. He wants to stuff Beverly back in his past where she belongs and keep her there, rather than face the rise of guilt and grief she brings with her.

“She’s just taken a position at Newbury University,” Chris goes on.

Ned whistles. “Newbury? Congrats. That’s amazing.”

“And not just any position. Dean of Arts and Sciences.”

“Oh, okay, yeah not just any position,” Ned says and laughs. “Really, that’s incredible. You must be thrilled. Newbury, that’s—yeah, that’s a school.”

“Ned’s also down in Boston,” Chris says to her.

“Yes, I’ve heard,” Beverly says. “At Adams, is it?”