Chapter 49
Chapter Forty-Nine
Luke
F reya sat sideways on Luke’s lap while the photographer snapped away. He had his arm around her waist and held on tight.
“You’re my fucking wife, Freya Turner,” he whispered into her ear.
“I know, right? All my dreams come true. I’m living next door to my best friend again,” she replied.
Luke watched as his wife threw her head back laughing. Dozens of flashes erupted at that moment and Luke’s heart swelled with hope that someone captured Freya’s contagious laughter, which he believed to be the epitome of joy.
“I hope that’s a bonus and not the only reason you married me?” he said.
Her laughter died on her lips as she got close and whispered into the shell of his ear.
“I married you because I’m in love with you. I married you because I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I married you because you’re Luke Turner.”
“I love you too Mrs Turner,” he whispered back.
“Oh my god, Mrs Turner,” Heidi screeched from the other side of the old wooden table where Luke and Freya signed the marriage certificate.
“Four Mr and Mrs Turners in one room,” Imelda said. “Well five Mrs Turners technically.”
Luke looked to his mum and grinned.
“How does it feel to see all your kids happy and married?” Archer asked, coming to her side to wrap his arm around her shoulders.
“I’m happy to witness it. I just wish your dad was here,” she said and sniffled.
“We all do Mum. We’re going to celebrate for him too,” Luke said. “Let’s get this party started.”
Luke stood with Freya in his arms and put her on her feet.
The room already had a cramped feeling with the Turner siblings, their spouses, the vicar, Imelda Turner, and Freya’s parents. When the large, old oak door squeaked open to the vestry, everyone quietened and observed until they saw who was coming in.
Bailey was the person.
Luke swallowed hard and Freya held onto his hand. He instinctively assumed that Bailey’s cheerful expression disappearing meant it was about Cynthia.
She hadn’t come to the church. Archer was on Cynthia watch and promised to tell him if she entered the place. No one had seen her.
“I’m sorry, Mr Turner, but I just received information that as soon as you signed the marriage register, they require you to go to the morning room at Turner Hall,” Bailey announced.
“Can’t she wait one fucking day?” Jason clipped out.
Bailey looked at Jason, giving a quick shake of his head.
“I’m not sure this should wait. She has her solicitor with her. Ms Turner promised she would stay out of sight for your wedding, but in repayment you are to go directly to the morning room at Turner Hall before you join your guests. These words were spoken by her solicitor not Ms Turner.”
Luke looked at his big brother with wide eyes. Archer nodded at him. He then looked to Jason who was thin lipped, but he nodded too. Last he looked to Daisy who was the wisest of them all.
“Get this done, brother, then we can get drunk,” Daisy said.
Luke grinned at his sister.
“Actually, all four of you are summoned,” Bailey explained.
That made Luke overwhelmingly nervous.
“You’re not going without me, Luke,” Freya said, squeezing his hand.
“None of you are going without me. You will not face that woman without me at your side,” Imelda said.
“Right,” Luke said cheerily. “Let’s get moving. We have an aisle to walk down and confetti to get out of our hair. Then we’ll all go and see what she wants.”
Bailey’s shoulders dropped two inches, and he held the door wide open for everyone to troop out.
Luke stood at the door to the outer vestry and held his elbow out. He looked right and then down at Freya, but not too much as she had her very high heels he hadn’t seen but knew she had on.
“Let me see them,” he said.
Freya knew what he was talking about and rested her hand on his forearm to balance. She lifted her skirts and kicked a leg out.
“Jesus, are the celebrations over yet?” he muttered.
Freya giggled, dropped her leg, dropped her skirts and shimmied to get the dress to fall correctly. Then her bridesmaids fanned out her cloak that acted as her train. Her veil was now back and her tiara secured.
“We ready to roll?” Luke asked.
“Yes, you both look perfect,” Erica gushed.
Luke looked at Freya, did a double rise of his eyebrows and leaned in to give her a quick kiss. Then Freya hooked his arm, and they walked out into the church to a deafening cheer. They dashed down the aisle and out into the sunshine where more people were gathered not in their Sunday best but were wearing smiles. A loud cheer went up as they walked through the throng of people and stood in the centre of the amassed crowd. Luke circled Freya as she walked in a full circle and then tugged her close to passionately kiss her, deeply, for long seconds as he felt fluttering over his head and hands. He flickered his eyes open and could see nothing but confetti. Luke abruptly broke the kiss.
“Open your eyes, Peaches,” he whispered over her lips.
She did, looking around. Luke swept his gaze around too to see a couple of hundred people all throwing a mixture of petals and confetti. It was raining down on them as they cuddled close.
“It really is movie worthy,” Luke said absently as he gazed at everyone.
“That will be because I handed my folder to the movie star,” Freya answered.
Luke didn’t correct her, but this part was his idea, which was why he led her to an empty patch on the grass and the well wishers were in a circle around them.
“Yeah,” he answered.
“Come on you two, into the marriage buggy,” Yanny called out.
Luke took Freya’s hand, and they walked on the grass to the pathway to the waiting golf buggy decked out in white bows, long satin tails, and white balloons. Archer was at the steering wheel waiting for them.
Freya and Luke slid into the seat behind, Yanny sat next to Archer. Then Bailey and Jason sat at the back facing the other way. As Archer pulled way, Luke could hear the tin cans rattle on the ground as he drove. Him and Freya looked around to see the long train of tin cans attached by string. At the very end was a handwritten sign Just Married .
“The boys did it,” Archer said. “They wanted to put their stamp on the wedding somewhere and hid it under the buggy so you would see until we drove away.”
“That is so sweet,” Freya said.
“They turned into great kids,” Luke said.
“That’s on you, brother. They look up to you and want to make themselves better people,” Jason said.
Luke felt extremely uncomfortable with the compliment. He stopped them bullying, gave them a job, a purpose and an outlet during the winter to ease their boredom. He couldn’t have known that during the summer they didn’t want to give up their jobs at the warehouse and work for Erica’s charity. They were happy to work for snacks and drinks. He felt a sense of pride in them, but he didn’t attribute it solely to himself.
So he replied, “They’re brilliant kids.”
No one replied. Freya cuddled into his side and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“You look sensational, wife.”
“You look very handsome, husband.”
Luke smiled looking ahead. He caught Yanny’s grin as he delicately rested his head against Freya’s so he didn’t move her tiara.
“Are we going straight there?” Luke asked to no one in particular.
“Yes, Mr Turner. Straight to the morning room. Mr Porterfield said it won’t take longer than ten minutes. There is plenty of entertainment to keep everyone occupied at Edward Hall. They’re switching around things. I gave Mr Myers a spanner,” Bailey said.
Archer slammed on the breaks of the buggy and everyone lurched forward. He let out a howl of laughter, slapping his hands against the wheel.
“About fucking time he got a spanner,” Jason mumbled.
“I can’t see,” Archer called out, wiping his eyes from laughing.
“I bet he’s having a fit up there,” Jason said through his laughter.
“Okay, okay. I think hysteria has set in wondering what the hell Cynthia wants,” Luke said as Archer accelerated away.
They reached the opposite side of Turner Hall from Edward Hall, ensuring the guests wouldn’t see them. Behind them was the other buggy that carried Heidi, Erica, Imelda, and Daisy. Nate drove that buggy. All pairing up, Yanny said his goodbyes and took a few steps before Freya called him back.
“Will you take my cloak?” she asked him, her hands going to the three buttons at her neck.
“Of course, darling, let me help you,” he said striding back to her.
Yanny skilfully removed the cloak from Freya, expertly folded it, and draped it over his arm. Erica stepped in, lifted the tiara off Freya’s head while Daisy unclipped the veil. Daisy handed it to Yanny. Then Erica adjusted her tiara as Heidi fluffed out her skirts at the waist so it draped correctly. Yanny gave a single nod and strode away.
“Christ look at your back,” Luke said.
Freya twisted to look at her own back, fully aware of its futility.
“What’s wrong?” she asked looking at him over her shoulder.
Luke held his hand over his mouth while he gave her long head to toe gaze.
“It’s bare,” he replied.
“Wait until you see the front without the cloak,” Freya replied laughing.
Luke waited with arms folded, not at all happy that his wife was looking sensational and he couldn’t whisk her off instantly. He had so many plans still to come it would have to wait until later. When Freya turned around, he saw the bodice material had relaxed. Where with the cloak the material looked like one piece was now parted at the cleavage showing the valley and a tiny bit of inner side breast.
“You cannot be serious?” Luke said.
“What?” Freya asked worried. “Is it too risque? I have another dress in case you didn’t approve,” Freya hurried to ask.
“The only time you’re taking that dress off is with my hands and that won’t be for some time yet. There isn’t a thing wrong with that dress. There isn’t a thing wrong with you and there is sure as shit nothing wrong with you in that dress.”
“I need to write this down,” Erica muttered patting down her dress and plucking out her phone from a hidden pocket.
“You have pockets?” Daisy asked with astonishment.
“Yeah. Cool, right?”
“Super cool. If I get married again, I’m definitely going for pocket.”
“You are not fucking well getting married again, Daisy Hill,” Nate barked.
“We should make a move,” Bailey interrupted the alpha male speeches. “Before this gets out of hand and none of you end up going to the wedding reception.”
Smirks and chuckles ensued as they followed Bailey around to the front door. Imelda instructed them to leave all doors open and Archer commanded them to walk through the front door of their ancestral home, and these instructions had not lessened since they were uttered months before. As soon as Luke and Freya entered the foyer of Turner Hall, Maggie bolted forward and came to Freya first and hugged her hard.
“I know I’ve just been at the church but I might not get another chance before your honeymoon departure to tell you how wonderful you both looked getting married. I am so happy I was there to see it.”
Maggie let Freya go and hugged Luke. “I didn’t have to iron this shirt either,” she quipped.
Luke chuckled and squeezed her before letting her go.
“It won’t last long. Freya has decreed she’s not doing my ironing.”
Bailey walked away. Luke watched as he strode to the morning room door which was closed. He didn’t knock before he entered.
“Well done, Bailey,” Luke heard his mother murmur.
Bailey stood in the open doorway, looked straight ahead into the room and then looked right at them.
He nodded.
Imelda led the way, followed by Archer and Erica hand in hand. Jason took Heidi’s hand, and they fell in behind. Nate took Daisy’s hand and tugged her towards the procession while Luke stood still, unmoving.
Freya slipped her hand into his and twined their fingers.
“I will always protect you from her. You have your brothers and sister next to you. Your mother looks like she would take a bullet for you. It’s going to be okay whatever she says. I don’t care if she strikes a match and this place burns. We have enough. You are enough for me.”
Luke turned his head, dragging his gaze away from Nate and Daisy’s back to look at his wife.
“I love you,” he whispered and pressed his lips to hers.
“And I love you. Let’s join them, get this over and we can celebrate our marriage.”
Luke let go of her hand, looped his arm around her waist and pulled her to his side. They walked close together to the morning room and then entered as a couple.
Luke saw Aunt Cynthia at the end of the room where her conservatory started. At some stage, someone moved his grandfather’s writing desk in from the study. Luke kept walking with Freya at his side until they lined up with the others. Nine of them in a row facing Cynthia Turner.
She had a healthy tan. She wore loose linen beige trousers that were belted and hung crease-free. She wore a white blouse open at the neck. Luke noted she was relaxed. Her only tell was her fiddling with the sapphire on her engagement finger. If he had to guess her age she didn’t look a day over seventy, an entire decade younger. He’d never seen her look this… dare he think it… happy. He was furious that she had a moment of happiness let alone however many months she’d been away.
He watched as Cynthia’s shrewd gaze looked down the row until her eyes settled on Freya. Then her eyes went down to Freya’s cleavage and her eyes narrowed.
“That’s not an appropriate dress to marry a Turner,” Cynthia clipped. “But then you’re not an appropriate person to marry a Turner.”
Luke looked at Freya to see her smiling. She raised a single shoulder and dropped it like she couldn’t give two fucks what Cynthia thought.
“I look fabulous, Cynthia. I don’t need your approval to wear what I want or marry who I want to marry. If you had a back bone, you could’ve had the same luxury,” Freya said.
As a row all their chests rose as they took a long breath in and held it. Luke waited for Cynthia’s rebuttal but the family solicitor, Mr Porterfield spoke first.
“Let’s get this started and we can all go about our day,” Mr Porterfield said from the side of the writing desk.
His gnarled, elderly fingers tapped a set of papers as he spoke. A set of fountain pens lined up to the side. Luke scrutinised the papers in search of clues as to why Mr Porterfield had prepared them. He was about to ask when Cynthia spoke.
His eyes went to his aunt.
“Why are you here?” Cynthia said looking at Imelda.
“I think you know why I’m here, but I’ll spell it out. Because I can,” Imelda replied.
Cynthia didn’t reply and looked to Archer, Jason and Daisy, eyeing them up.
“I’m very disappointed in you all. None of you chose wisely for spouses. An actress, a nurse, a teacher and a mechanic. It’s like my father never taught you anything. Freddie certainly didn’t after your mother abandoned you.”
The spiteful remarks came spitting out of her mouth. Luke saw no issues with those professions. The jealousy was clear in how she looked at them all, how she sounded.
As if they had telepathy, Erica, Heidi, Freya and Nate moved to stand in front of their partners. They then backed up until their backs hit warm bodies.
“Hey, I can’t see,” Daisy said trying to look around Nate. “She’s not Medusa, she won’t turn me to stone.”
“I’m not taking any chances,” Nate muttered.
Luke grinned at his remark and then smiled wider when Nate relented and stood behind Daisy, wrapping a protective arm around her waist. Luke did the same with Freya, Archer with Erica and Jason with Heidi.
“I’m utterly proud of all my children and their loves. Get on with it, Cynthia,” Imelda said. “then you can go back to Como where you’ve been hiding all these years.”
“What do you mean?” Nate asked. “She’s been up here, hasn’t she? The town hate her for hiding away.”
Cynthia did the most unladylike snort, then let out a laugh.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I was never here on the island. I left as soon as Freddie was buried,” she replied.
“The town have been up in arms that you never came down and let the businesses suffer.”
“Oh dear,” she said and sighed. “What an assumption to make.”
Cynthia’s tone made her sound weary of the conversation. Then with cat-like eyes she turned her attention to Mr Porterfield. With pinched lips she gave him a nod.
“I hope I never see you again. All of you,” Cynthia announced, giving them all one last withering glance.
Then with a loud sniff, a glance down her nose, she turned her back, straightened her shoulders and walked through the conservatory and out of sight. A few seconds later they heard the click of the exterior door.
“What’s going on?” Archer asked, looking at Mr Porterfield.
“I am here to inform you all the requirements of Archibald Turner’s last will and testament. He bequeathed the entire Turner estate and all its holdings to his four grandchildren equally. For clarity, Archer Turner, Jason Turner, Luke Turner and Daisy Turner. The only stipulation is that no one inherits until all four children are married and Archer Turner produces an heir. As today marks the last of the Turner siblings to marry. Today also marks the day you come into your joint inheritance. Please sign these papers and you may go and celebrate Luke and Freya’s marriage,” Mr Porterfield said.
No one moved and no one spoke.
Mr Porterfield sighed, looking every one of his senior years. Luke guessed he wasn’t far off Cynthia’s age.
“This isn’t a negotiation. If you don’t want the inheritance, you need to sell off all the holdings yourselves,” Mr Porterfield said.
“I thought Cynthia Turner was heir until she died?” Archer asked.
“I’m sure she led you to believe that. Cynthia Turner was on salary to take care of things until you came into your inheritance after Archibald Turner died. She was custodian which ends as soon as you sign these papers. Once you sign these papers, Miss Turner will have no dealings with anything that has the Turner name.
Archer strode forward, picked up a pen, looked down the sheet of paper and scrawled his signature. When he turned he bumped into Jason. They both laughed as they jostled so Jason could get to the writing desk. He signed his name and tossed the pen down with a clatter. Daisy was next. She took a tissue from her clutch bag and dabbed at the sheet where Jason’s gesture had produced splatters of ink. She then signed her name and delicately placed the pen down. Luke stepped forward and signed his name.
“So we’re free of her?” Luke asked on a choke.
“Legally yes. Cynthia Turner has no right to anything,” Mr Porterfield replied. “She has no right to live at Turner Hall, or any of the Turner properties. She owns her property in Como. It had no links to the Turner estate.”
“Does she have any money?” Archer asked. “Is she taken care of?”
Jason scoffed while Luke looked dumbfounded at Archer. Then he relaxed as Archer would always be the one to see the fairness in everything.
“Miss Turner received a handsome salary for her overseeing the holdings. Turner company assets and investments are vast. There were managers put in place by Archibald to ensure she didn’t run everything into the ground. Essentially, my legal office ensured that your future was not squandered. As I understand it, when her son passed away he left a successful business which has since been sold. In my opinion she is far from poor. I’m not clear why Archibald put her in charge when she did very little. Perhaps that will rest only with those two individuals.”
“Is the Turner estate worth a lot?” Daisy asked.
“Yes, Mrs Hill. Tens of millions. My offices are at your disposal should you need to keep us looking after the estate until you can all be accustomed to your fortune.”
“We’d very much appreciate that Mr Porterfield,” Archer said. “Until further notice. So long as Cynthia’s access to anything is cut off,” Archer said, “we’d very much appreciate that, Mr Porterfield, until further notice.”
“As soon as I walk out of this office, I will call my office and let them know to do that. Thankfully in this digital age it can be instant.”
Mr Porterfield nodded and smiled.
“Thank you Mr Porterfield,” Jason said, moving forward to shake his hand.
Daisy stepped forward and shook his hand. “Could I make an appointment to speak with the company accountants?”
“Absolutely. They were hoping you would talk with them. We can set it up as soon as you’re ready,” Mr Porterfield said with a kindly smile.
“I’ll be in contact next week. Thank you for taking care of our legacy,” Daisy replied and stepped back.
“Our firm has been looking after the Turners for generations. We hope that will continue.”
Mr Porterfield gathered up the papers, opened his case on the writing desk and placed them meticulously inside. After snapping the locks into place, he gave them all a nod, and then walked from the morning room, escorted out by Bailey.
As soon as the door closed everyone talked at once then a loud whistle sounded. It was Archer.
“Okay. Very quickly we need to get this out of out systems in the next two minutes because we have a marriage to celebrate and everyone is waiting. While I think Stan actually having to do some hard problem solving is hilarious, it’s not fair we leave him too long with our guests,” Archer said.
“What does all this mean?” Luke asked.
“It looks like we’re wealthy heirs to the Turner fortune. After Daisy has spoken with the accountants, we’ll know more,” Archer replied.
“What about Cynthia, do you think we’ll see her again?”
“I seriously doubt that, but who knows? Technically she is still a Turner and I wouldn’t want to see her on the streets at her age. I’m sure if she needs assistance we’ll get it to her,” Archer said. “But my guess is, as soon as Grandfather died, she moved as fast as possible make the rules of the will come about, so she could leave. She’s got her wish, and it suits us. We forget about her.”
A knock at the door made them all turn their heads to see the incoming visitor.
Bailey and Maggie appeared anxious.
“Is everything okay?” Archer asked.
“There’s a letter here for Archer,” Bailey said, walking over with a crisp cream envelope. “But there is something else.”
“What is it?” Jason asked.
“What happens to us?”
That was Maggie wringing her hands.
“What do you mean?” Luke chipped in.
“With no head of the family living at Turner Hall, will you need us to stay?” she asked.
“Do you want to stay?” Daisy asked.
Maggie looked to Bailey and then back at them nodding.
“Maggie, Ralph and I would like to stay,” Bailey said.
“Then you’ll stay as long as you want to, we wouldn’t want you to leave. Won’t you get bored if you hang around making bacon sandwiches and straightening our outfits? Jason asked with a grin.
A bubble of laugher came out of Maggie and she wiped at her eyes.
“Well,” Maggie said then looked at Bailey.
Bailey nodded and Maggie took a deep breath.
“It isn’t our place, and we wondered, and that was after Miss Turner passed that…what I mean to say is, you won’t want to move from the cottages. So we were thinking if you would consider opening up the house to the National Trust, English Heritage, or we could do it ourselves?”
Luke watched as Archer looked at Jason and then Jason looked at Luke and then they all looked at Daisy. All eyes were bright.
“That’s a great idea,” Imelda said. “I could help set that up and we could run it together.”
“Really Mum? You’d want to be here at Turner Hall?”
“If she’s not here, then there are no ghosts for me,” she replied. “It will give me a purpose and be part of setting up a new Turner legacy.”
“Well, Maggie, Bailey, looks like we’ll need you more than ever. Ralph too,” Archer said.
“Let’s get these off on honeymoon and we’ll chat about it next week,” Bailey offered.
Maggie with a beaming smile hurried from the room.
“It’s great to have you all home,” Bailey said nodding to all of them.
He too left the room.
“Can you imagine how much good we can do for the island with tens of millions?” Erica said.
“It’s going to be a fabulous project,” Imelda replied.
“Time to get drunk,” Heidi declared.
They exchanged embraces and cheers, exited the morning room, left the door open, and headed to Luke and Freya’s wedding reception.