The Sun Sister (The Seven Sisters #6) - Lucinda Riley Page 0,202

was because I’d been desensitised to the feelings of others for so long – certainly since I’d met Mariam – that I was now overly sensitive. But there was something about her that looked and felt different.

‘Are you okay?’ I asked her.

‘Yes, of course. I am the same as I always am,’ she replied, obviously shocked by my question.

‘Good, right, well, you’d better go home now. Lizzie has said she’s going to take over the cooking while she’s here, so at least that will relieve the burden on you.’

‘Oh, it really wasn’t a problem, Electra. You know I love cooking.’

It was probably me, but I thought I saw a slight film of water in her eyes as she stowed her laptop in her leather satchel and stood up.

‘Goodnight, Electra,’ she said as she walked out of the kitchen.

‘Bye, Mariam.’

I sat back down at the table and opened my laptop to check my own letters. I replied to the realtor who was handling the purchase of the Hacienda Orchídea, and saw that Tiggy had sent out an official round-robin letter to all my sisters, reminding us about our cruise. Then I turned on the small kitchen TV to keep me company so I wouldn’t think about the fact that Stella Jackson was due here in just under an hour’s time. And how I felt about her after discovering where Pa had found me. CNN was doing its usual tick-tack of news bulletins and share prices, then I winced out loud as a very familiar face came onto the screen.

‘Mitch Duggan announced today that he will be joining the Concert for Africa, which will be held at Madison Square Garden this Saturday. A host of musicians and celebrities are set to attend, including, it is rumoured, Senator Obama, the presidential candidate for the Democratic Party.’

A picture of Obama appeared, then the camera cut back to the newsreader.

‘Stella Jackson, the leading civil rights activist and lawyer who works with Amnesty International, has joined me in the studio to explain the continuing AIDS crisis in Africa, and how the concert will help raise awareness of the problem.’

And there was my grandmother, sitting as cool as a cucumber in the chair right next to the newsreader.

‘Thank you, Cynthia. I can tell you that more than awareness is needed at this point,’ Stella said. ‘We need direct action and aid from our politicians. HIV and AIDS have ravaged eastern and southern Africa, and three-quarters of all global AIDS deaths last year were recorded in those regions. The highest impact is on babies and young children, who . . .’

I was so shocked, I didn’t really listen to what she was saying, just stared at her open-mouthed.

I went to the hallway to shout for Lizzie and Miles to come see my grandmother on TV, but the door to the living room remained closed. By the time I got back to the kitchen, the interview had finished.

‘Damn it,’ I muttered, then, needing a distraction until the two of them finished talking, I went to my bedroom to begin to try on the clothes I’d pulled out from the rack earlier. Still, my mind refused to switch off from the person who was Stella Jackson, aka ‘Granny’.

‘Miss Uber Civil Rights activist, who still managed to lose her own granddaughter to Hale House somewhere along the way,’ I growled as I squeezed myself into a pair of tight black leather trousers that made me feel like a predatory panther and suited my mood perfectly. ‘Bet the interviewer would have liked to hear that story!’

‘Electra! We’re finished! You can come in now,’ I heard Lizzie say from the hallway.

‘Coming,’ I called back.

‘You look amazing,’ Lizzie said as she ushered me through into the living room. ‘You going out somewhere?’

‘No, just trying on the stuff I got sent today and working out what suits.’

‘Well, those leather trousers are like a second skin on you. Aren’t they, Miles?’

I turned to see Miles’s expression, and it was fair to say that it was an extremely satisfying one. Very satisfying indeed. Which cheered me up a lot.

He saw us both staring at him, and averted his eyes.

‘Yeah, you look great, Electra.’

‘Thanks. And you’ll never guess who I just saw on CNN – my grandmother! I had no idea she was famous.’

Miles and Lizzie looked at me nonplussed.

‘Who is your grandmother?’ he asked.

‘Her name is Stella Jackson.’

‘That definitely rings a bell,’ said Lizzie.

‘Hold it right there! You’re saying the Stella Jackson is your grandma?’ said Miles.

‘Um,