Chapter 36
‘I’ve got it, I’ve got it, I’m in. They want me!’ Still in her leotard and ballet pumps, Sorrel dashed down the stairs, throwing herself into my arms as I stood, two days later, in the waiting area of the Susan Yates Theatre School in Camden, north London.
‘They’ve told you already?’ I managed to get out. ‘They said they’d write…’
‘She has a place, Ms Allen.’ A rather stern-looking elderly woman had followed Sorrel down. ‘And on a full scholarship. We’re at the end of the interviewing process; we were extremely impressed with Sorrel here and saw no reason to keep her in suspense.’
‘So, when…?’
‘After Easter. At the start of the summer term. She’ll begin training with us straight away.’
‘Her GCSEs?’ I asked.
‘Of course. She’ll sit them here. We are an academic as well as a theatre school. Then, if appropriate, she’ll continue with A levels.’
‘Oh, I don’t want to do those ,’ Sorrel said, eyes shining. ‘Just let me dance.’
‘We’ll see.’ The woman smiled. ‘Let’s take it step by step. We’ll send consent and admission forms to Sorrel’s parents.’ She stopped and paused, her own eyes bright. ‘I believe Jayden Allen is Sorrel’s father…?’
* * *
‘I do hope I haven’t got a place just because Susan Yates fancies Jayden,’ Sorrel said once we were on the train and heading home.
‘Was that actually Susan Yates herself?’ I asked, slightly taken aback. ‘I didn’t know there was an actual Susan Yates.’
‘Yes, yes.’ Sorrel appeared anxious, her initial excitement being replaced, I could see, by the reality of her new life ahead. ‘What if I’m no good? What if I’m homesick? I’ll miss Roger.’
I laughed at that. ‘Not me, Mum and Jess, then?’
Sorrel tutted. ‘And I feel I’m abandoning Joel.’
‘There’s nothing you can do to help Joel at the moment, Sorrel, you know that. Fabian’s defence will be that he was coerced into modern slavery and, as such, he has to be referred to the National Referral Mechanism to receive the appropriate support. This all takes absolutely ages. He’s in the best possible hands with Fabian, and out of the area over in Castleford.’
‘I know, I know, and we’re both really grateful. But Joel is so talented, Robyn. He’s a brilliant dancer. I feel bad that I’m getting this opportunity while he’s mouldering away over there, just waiting for his day in court.’
‘I get that,’ I said. ‘And if there’s anything I can do to help him, I will.’
‘So, you and Fabian are OK, then?’ Sorrel looked at me from under her lashes.
‘OK?’
‘Jess said… you know… Joel’s solicitor, this Alex woman, has left and gone back to London because she was in love with Fabian?’
‘Jess tittle-tattling again?’ I tutted and then relented. ‘Really, Sorrel, everything is fine. More than fine… Hang on, it’s Mrs Gossip Gusset herself again…’ I reached for my phone, which had been a hotline since leaving London, talking for a good five minutes as the train hurtled back north.
‘What? What was all that about?’ Sorrel’s eyes were wide as she caught bits of the conversation. ‘What now? What’s happened?’
‘Kamran Sattar wants to have dinner with us.’
‘Us? Who’s us ?’
‘Mum and me and Jess and Fabian.’
‘Why?’
‘Dunno. We’re meeting him this evening.’
‘It’s almost evening now,’ Sorrel said, looking at her watch. ‘And are there actually any restaurants open on a Monday?’
‘Not a restaurant. His house, apparently, on the other side of Beddingfield.’
* * *
‘Blimey, what an amazing place.’ Jess’s face was a picture as we walked up the drive of the beautiful honey-coloured-stone manor house. ‘Did you know he lived out here, Mum?’
‘No, why would I?’
‘He’s not been in touch since Friday, then?’ Jess asked.
‘Jess, you’ve asked me that same question constantly over the past three days. No, he hasn’t ! Is that good enough for you?’ Mum was nervous. She looked absolutely ravishing, even though she was dressed simply in a short black skirt, black polo-necked sweater and cream jacket.
‘And you’ve no idea what this is all about, Lisa?’ Fabian now took his turn as Grand Inquisitor, but was silenced as the huge oak front door opened to reveal a man dressed in jeans and black V-necked sweater, his feet bare. I immediately saw what it was that Mum had fallen for.
‘Hi, come in, come in, you found us OK?’
We trooped in past him, Kamran Sattar greeting both Mum and Jess with a kiss to the cheek. ‘We’ve not met.’ He smiled, offering a hand to me and Fabian.
We followed him down a beautiful hallway into a sitting room on the left, decorated in neutral cream. Colour came from two full walls of books and several large vases of flowers: winter jasmine and Christmas roses, as well as a huge jug of very early daffodils.
‘What can I get you to drink?’ Kamran indicated bottles of rather upmarket white and red wines, as well as an impressive array of gins.
Once we were settled with drinks, the four of us sitting somewhat expectantly on the edge of two squashy sofas, drinks politely to hand, Kamran immediately started speaking.
‘Sorry I didn’t give you much notice.’ He smiled.
‘No problem,’ I said, wanting to put him at his ease. ‘Gets me out of the usual Monday-night lesson planning I should have done over the weekend?—’
‘The thing is…’ Kamran interrupted, obviously not interested in my schoolwork, ‘…the thing is, I think we’re possibly related.’
Jess, Mum and I exchanged glances and I saw Mum’s face begin to close down. Here was the first man I knew she’d fallen for since Jayden, and now she was being told he was actually family rather than a potential lover.
‘What evidence do you have for that, Mr Sattar?’ Fabian had his barrister head on and I gave him a warning look.
‘Kamran, please. The thing is, I’m really fascinated by family history?—’
‘You should get together with my friend Jo Cooper from school,’ I interrupted.
‘I’ve been with Janice, her mum, this afternoon.’ Kamran smiled.
‘Oh…? Right…! Oh…!’ Mum, Jess and I looked at each other again, our eyes wide.
‘Janice?’ Fabian asked.
‘Jo from school’s mum,’ I reminded him. ‘Janice. You know, who we were with all Saturday after going over to see the Foleys?’
‘Look.’ Kamran shook his head slightly. ‘Janice says she hopes you don’t think she’s been speaking out of turn…’
‘But how on earth do you know Janice?’ I asked, frowning.
‘I don’t.’ Kamran laughed slightly. ‘I mean, I didn’t. Not until today anyway. I’d called in to see you , Jess, up at Hudson House… I wanted to talk to you about Eloise Howard…’ He spoke the name slowly, watching our faces for any reaction.
‘I’ve been at a funeral all afternoon,’ Jess said. ‘Maurice, who died last week…’
‘Yes, Bex told me. I didn’t stay but, as I was leaving, I was jumped on by Janice.’
‘Jumped on?’ I laughed at that. ‘Even though you’d never met her before?’
‘She obviously knew who I was.’
‘Most people in Beddingfield do.’ I sniffed, remembering his plans for the village. ‘And the KS 9 car registration is a bit of a giveaway.’
Ignoring me, Kamran continued. ‘She was on her way to see Eloise Howard… Hudson…’ Kamran looked at us with raised eyes but said nothing further.
‘And? Could you tell us what was said next, Kamran?’ Fabian was still in courtroom mode and I nudged him irritably.
‘Of course.’ Kamran looked at Mum for a long time and I knew immediately anything she might be feeling for this man was totally reciprocated by him. ‘The thing is, back in the mid-sixties, quite a lot of my relatives left Pakistan, invited by the government to work here in the UK. Several ended up working at Eloise Hudson’s family’s mill.’
‘You know , don’t you?’ I asked.
‘About Junayd and Eloise?’ Kamran nodded. ‘But not until recently. It’s been the big Sattar family secret for years: Junayd packed off back to Lahore to an arranged marriage once his family got to know what he’d been up to.’
Jess took Mum’s hand. ‘And did Junayd bring his new wife back here? Back to Beddingfield? Is he still here?’
Kamran shook his head. ‘No, according to the story, he became very ill…’
‘Porphyria!’ Mum said softly, her eyes closed.
‘Sorry?’ Kamran frowned. ‘If that’s the posh name for a burst appendix with complications, then yes.’
‘Oh!’ The relief on all three of our faces must have been comical to see.
‘Junayd apparently was really poorly,’ Kamran went on, ‘and was in Lahore General for a long time with probably what we’d called sepsis, today. Anyway, once he was well enough, he was married to Alina…’
‘He married her?’ Mum interrupted, her eyes huge. ‘Even though Eloise – my mum – was pregnant with me?’
‘Family, tradition, religion,’ Kamran said. ‘You have to understand, Lisa, things were so different fifty years ago in a traditional Muslim family in Pakistan. Junayd had brought great shame on his family.’
‘And I guess the plan was to bring his new wife back to Yorkshire?’ I asked Kamran.
‘As far as I know, Alina wasn’t allowed to come to the UK immediately after the marriage because of the nikah…’
‘The nikah?’ Fabian frowned. ‘Isn’t that a religious marriage contract that can be held separately to buy time, or to circumvent British legal or immigration systems?’
‘You know more than me, Fabian.’ Kamran smiled. ‘Suffice it to say, their return to the UK was delayed again and again. By which time Junayd had found work as a photographer with local, and then with national, newspapers in Pakistan.’ Kamran paused. ‘Junayd Sattar is today renowned for his beautiful nature photographs – particularly of Pakistan’s birdlife.’
‘So, he never returned to the UK?’ Fabian asked. ‘Not to see his family even?’
‘No.’
‘Is he still alive?’ Mum asked, leaning forwards. ‘Is my dad still alive, Kamran?’
‘Yes, he is.’
‘Does he know about me?’
‘I wouldn’t imagine so, Lisa. I’m sure Eloise would have told him she was pregnant, but he was whisked off back to Pakistan even before Eloise was sent to Canada. With Eloise thinking you were a boy and adopted overseas…’ Kamran smiled ‘…Janice filled me in on the details in the car park… well, presumably Junayd knew he’d never have contact with his child. The Sattars have always known of the scandal of Junayd and the boss’s daughter. It’s only in the past few weeks, with our intention to buy Hudson House, that I’ve really looked into all of this in relation to Eloise Hudson.’
‘So, on Friday, when you took Mum flying, you’d no idea she was Eloise and Junayd’s daughter?’ I asked.
‘No! Why would I? Why on earth would I ?’ Kamran turned to Mum. ‘It’s come as much of a shock to me as to you, Lisa.’
‘I doubt it!’ Jess said tartly.
‘And…’ Mum started ‘…do you know… how… how related are we…?’
Kamran appeared to forget Jess, Fabian and I were in the room. Or he just didn’t care. Walking over to Mum, he took her hand and bent to kiss her cheek, smiling down at her. ‘Junayd Sattar is my grandfather’s cousin’s son. My grandfather and Junayd’s father left Mirpur together back in the early sixties and both came to work at Hudson’s. I can’t quite work it out. Fabian? You’re obviously a clever bloke – what does that make us?’
‘You and Mum are cousins twice removed, I believe,’ Jess said archly, her mathematical brain obviously working overtime. ‘All totally above board to?—’
‘Jess,’ Mum and I both hissed together.
‘So, Jess – and Robyn – do I have your permission to take Lisa out again?’ Kamran was laughing at us both. ‘Oh, and one more thing…’ he now turned specifically to Fabian and Jess ‘…how do the pair of you feel about pitching in with me and turning the white house into a fabulous, upmarket restaurant?’
‘Oh, I don’t think so, Mr Sattar,’ Jess said crossly. ‘It was our idea first. Mine and Fabian’s?—’
‘Hang on, Jess,’ Fabian interrupted, turning to Kamran. ‘What makes you think we had any notion of doing that?’
Kamran smiled. ‘Beddingfield, like any other village, is a hotbed of gossip. Rumours abound. The Richardsons were quite open about someone else being after the place and their intentions for it. It won’t be an easy project and, as my two brothers are not remotely interested in opening a restaurant, I’d very much like someone along with me who is. My cousin’s son, Zain, wants to be in on it but he’s very young and only a pastry chef.’
‘But…’ Jess began.
‘Hang on, Jess,’ Fabian said again. ‘The white house rather than Hudson House itself?’
‘I think so,’ Kamran said.
‘An equal partnership?’ Fabian demanded.
‘I wouldn’t want anything less,’ Kamran said solemnly.
‘Does that mean the residents won’t be turfed out?’ Mum asked. ‘Eloise won’t have to find somewhere else to live?’
‘Certainly not for the foreseeable future if that’s what we decide.’
‘And what about St Mede’s?’ I asked, butting in, desperate to know. ‘Are your plans to knock the school down still going ahead?’
‘That’s something else entirely,’ Kamran said gently, but I could tell he wasn’t prepared to give anything away regarding his plans for the school.
I glanced across at Jess and Mum and finally towards Fabian. All three were looking animated, excited, but particularly Fabian who, I could see, was more than happy to have Kamran on board. Here was an exceptionally successful businessman, one whose family had a wealth of restaurant experience, wanting to be a part of Fabian’s dream.
‘How do I tell Eloise?’ Mum suddenly blurted out. ‘How on earth do I tell Eloise Hudson that she never had a son called Adam? That she had a daughter called Lisa. And it’s me! Will she believe me? Will it send her over the edge?’
‘We’ve been discussing this, Mum,’ Jess said. ‘All weekend. Perhaps best to speak to her brother, Michael, who’s been over quite a few times to see her. He seems a nice bloke. His wife’s pleasant too. Yes, I’d speak to Michael…’
‘Can I propose a toast?’ Kamran was saying, popping a bottle of champagne. ‘To Lisa and Eloise, may you soon share a relationship that’s been a long time coming.’
We raised glasses, murmuring, ‘Lisa and Eloise.’
‘My turn now,’ Mum said, wiping away a tear. ‘To the white house – may your plans come to fruition. I really, really hope they do. Goodness,’ she went on, smiling across at Kamran before reaching out one hand each to Jess and me, ‘this has been one hell of a January.’
* * *
Later, much later, when Fabian and I were back in the Dower Cottage, when, looking at my watch, I knew I had only six hours before I was back with 9CL, I turned to Fabian.
‘You sure about this, Fabian?’ I asked, raising myself up on my elbow and looking down at the beautiful man at my side. I gave him a gentle nudge. ‘How can you sleep when you’re about to make such a momentous decision?’
‘Already made it, Robyn.’ He smiled, his eyes still closed. He opened them then, pulling me into him so I could feel the steady beat of his heart, hear the resolution in his words.
‘Robyn, I love you and only you. I don’t want to be anywhere else but here in our lovely cottage overlooking the duck pond in this beautiful village with you and your mad family. And I can’t wait to get started with Jess and Kamran on the restaurant at the white house. Now, unless you want that horrible lot of kids in 9CL totally out of control in the morning, I suggest you close your eyes, tell me you love me and go to sleep.’
Which, knowing I was exactly where I wanted to be, and with the man I loved more than anything in the world, was exactly what I did.