6.
Uncle Blair thought Nettie was someone named Victoria, that I was her beau, and Roger was a chauffeur. Needless to say, I didn't expect to get much out of him, but he was very happy to see us.
He had an upper-crust English accent, which was something I didn't expect from Nettie's family. But then, if there was a Raj from India involved...damn my sex-crazed, slow brain. We sat calmly drinking tea. Roger stood in the doorway, out of the way.
"Victoria, do sit here. That's a good girl." Blair looked up at me. "He does look rather thin, my dear. I hope the trip was not too tiring for you."
"Uncle Blair," Nettie said, slowly and patiently, "tell me the story of the Raj and my gr-- your brother."
"Story? I don't know anything about a story."
"Shit," I hissed under my breath.
"Alfred had seen the Raj of some temple or other."
I said quietly, "A Raj is a king."
Blair turned to me. "Who's telling this, young man?"
I bit my lip. Roger snorted a chuckle. Blair reached over and took Nettie's hand. "It changed him, my dear. It changed him and made him very unhappy. He lost his dearest wife because of it, and sons."
Nettie opened her mouth to say something but I butted in, "He was married twice?"
"Twice? No, young man, the only woman I know that he was married to was Emma."
Nettie looked confused and Roger said, "I take it that's not your grandmother's name."
Blair was shaking his head, lost in a memory, "Sad, so sad. The war, you know."
"Of course," said Nettie, and patted her uncle's age-freckled bony hand.
He smiled at her. "Who are you again?"
I put the teacup down. "We'd better get going."
Nettie kissed her great-uncle on the cheek and we left the nursing home. As we walked out of the sliding doors, someone hailed Nettie. "Wait! Excuse me, miss, wait."
Nettie stopped, and a young African-American nurse came out. "You've been the only person to visit Mr. Ward in ages. We found something valuable, and we wanted to give it to someone in the family before one of the residents took it upon themselves to take it, but we couldn't get anyone to come down."
"Oh, that's fine, I'll take it," Nettie said.
"Please come and sign for it."
Nettie went back in, and we waited outside. Roger leaned up against the car, and I leaned up against him. One of his hands reached down to the small of my back, and tucked under my waistband.
Blair. Raja. Temple. Family gold.
He leaned forward, kissing my neck. "Not helping, Roger." So he thrust his hand down the back of my pants, fingers teasing my crack. I gasped, "So not helping, Roger."