At that, Ivan showed a dubious expression.
Georgia was making it seem so mysterious. Still, Ivan left the hospital corridor and went into the hotel room he lived out of nearby.
He'd been planning on going out to eat anyway, and it was no trouble.
The delay took almost a quarter of an hour. Ivan closed the door to his room, then turned back to Georgia.
"What severe topic do you need to discuss, Robert, Georgia? I've already closed the door and nobody will hear us speak."
"Robert and I have only been back for a day. I'd like to ask you something – has Emilia's mother still kept on visiting her every day?"
"She came once today."
Ivan nodded, and Georgia asked on.
"What about Emilia's father? Is his business done yet?"
"Not quite yet. He's still over in the northwest doing business and he probably won't be back until the next week."
"Travis and Sarah came to where we're living now as guests. They took out their wedding invitations. I brought it up with you in general before. It was fine to begin with, just guests over for dinner, but Sarah asked about Emilia's situation, concerned, so I told her about what we experienced recently. Then she told me something that I found strange. No matter what, I felt like I need to discuss it with you."
Ivan was even more confused. He didn't know what his sister-in-law was talking about.
But he could instinctively feel that it probably had something to do with Emilia.
So he probed on, concerned.
"What is it? Just say it, Georgia."
Georgia repeated what Sarah had said slowly, adding and subtracting nothing, just describing what Sarah had said in its entirety.
After that, she spoke to Ivan about her doubts.
"I'm a mother myself. If my child was hurt, I'd protect her instinctively, and try to punish those who'd hurt the child. I don't understand Margie's approach. Even if there's a grudge between her and Emilia and even if she's angry with her, it's impossible for a mother to leave her own daughter if she was hurt before her.
"Ever since Emilia's incident, Margie's always acted like she was the picture of concern for her. She was even understanding with us. It could be said that she's been kind. I don't understand. Why is her attitude like this? There's no need for her to act before Emilia's father. Their marriage is over in all but name, and everyone knows that. I'm worried this will affect Emilia's future, so I want to remind you – if Margie comes to visit Emilia, pay attention to her behavior. I don't know if I'm overthinking it, but I'm afraid she'll hurt her."
Georgia brought something else up after she finished.
"My mother had reminded me before that she felt something was off with Margie, and that she was acting strange recently. I feel like she really might have some secret. While you're over there, do investigate it. And see if you can send reliable men to look after Emilia. You can't be by her side twenty-four hours a day, after all. I don't dare put my trust in the Powell family. It's better to have our people on it."
Ivan's face sank, and he seemed to be considering what Georgia had said.
Robert spoke up as well.
"You know that Emilia's rarely ever home, and she's not close to her parents. Their family really might have some secret. Don't trust anybody easily, even if it's Emilia's parents."
"Haven't I told you? Emilia's current personality is that of a child. From expert diagnosis, if someone's personality splits off into a child's state, that means that she's been through something during that time that traumatized her. At least, we can deduce that Emilia's relationship with her parents broke down at some key moment, which was why she developed the personality of when she was ten and somewhat more trusting of the world. It's a defense mechanism.
"After she was ten, her parents must have done something. It's also probably why she grew distant from them later on."
Ivan turned to Georgia and Robert and said that.
"I've got everything you said. I'll send my trusted people to take care of Emilia, and I won't trust the Powell family so easily. Emilia was particularly afraid of emotional burdens from before. The more truly I showed my feelings, the more she ran away from me. She's always treated life as a game and feared other people devoting too much to her. She's even afraid of having a normal romance, getting married, and having children. That can only be lingering harm brought on by the original family. I'll investigate Emilia's parents and their past."
After finishing the discussion with Ivan, it was completely dark outside.
Georgia turned back to Robert.
"I'll deal with Emilia's business. I'm not worried for now, but your mother didn't come over for dinner tonight. Is there something else going on?"
"The butler says my mother is doing well. She's been completely absorbed in her painting, and she's got her inspiration, so she didn't want anybody to disturb her. That's probably why she didn't come for dinner. Don't worry too much. Even if she recovers her memory one day, I'll manage it."
"Then go see her, or have the kids talk to their Grandma. After another two hours of playing around, the kids need to bed down too."
"Aren't you planning on going to MU tomorrow? Rick's coming in the morning and I want to bring Mom over to see my sister's grave tomorrow afternoon. I'll bring you and the children next time. The way my mother is, I don't think she wants too many people with her this time."
"All right. You and your mother go over to visit your sister tomorrow. I'm busy anyway."
After they finished talking about it, Robert went into the house at the back to see his mother.
Georgia played for a dozen minutes or so with the children, then went back to her computer and her work.
She hadn't done research in the lab lately, but she'd kept in email contact with Antonio and Adolf, continuing their discussion on an assortment of technical issues. She was also searching for discussions of scientists all over the world to see if there was anything she could reference from their work.
Meanwhile, Robert had gone over to his mother.
Maisie was still painting in the flower room and the door wasn't shut. Robert walked lightly to the door and froze in place as he saw the painting.
It wasn't a complicated painting.
But in the centerpiece was a silhouette.
If his instinct was right, it was his father Aidan Simpson's silhouette.
He'd seen pictures of Aidan, and even though it was a silhouette from the back with no visible features, his gut told him that it was his father.
And the background seemed to be the house his mother had lived in in the past.
Did Maisie still have some memory of Aidan? Robert couldn't help but worry, and didn't walk on or interrupt his mother from continuing the painting.
Maisie didn't know her son was at the door. She frowned at the silhouette, feeling it was incomplete.
She had frequent dreams about the silhouette, with very little preamble. She just always dreamed about the man striding away from her, and her heart hurting in the dream.
But after waking up, the emotion disappeared, and the silhouette was the only thing etched in her mind.
So she started drawing that scene, but always felt that something was missing. She gazed at the painting constantly, recalled a detail from the dream, and continued to draw.
This time, she couldn't recall anything, and didn't know how to continue.
Sighing, Maisie decided to rest. Then she saw her son standing in the doorway, and smiled.