Chapter 18
18
SKYE
That night as she lay in bed trying to decide how best to start her search, all she felt like doing was crying. What was wrong with her? She wasn’t a crier, not usually. Maybe it was because her search seemed so hopeless. What she did know though was that she would never forgive herself if she didn’t take this opportunity to do something about it. But if she wanted to find information about her father, or anything to do with her mother’s younger life when she was working on the island, then she needed to get a move on and do it.
Deciding the best way to calm herself was to read through more of her mother’s notebook, Skye plumped up her pillows, rested back on them and opened the book. Then, realising she hadn’t opened the window, she threw the duvet back and got out of the bed. She heard a thud but couldn’t see what it could be from, so opened the window and turned to go back to her bed.
Spotting the notebook lying opened and face down on the floor, she picked it up and noticed for the first time that there was a space between the cover and the spine.
‘What’s this?’ she murmured, holding it up to the light and peering in, certain there was something there. Breathless with excitement, Skye went to her washbag and rummaged around for her tweezers, then carefully inserted them into the space and slowly withdrew a folded piece of paper.
Her heart pounded and she could barely think. ‘What didn’t you want anyone to see, Mum?’ she whispered as she checked there was nothing else secreted away, put the book down carefully and unfolded the small piece of paper.
C. Ferreira. If I could have my time again… A x
Skye gasped. Could C. Ferreira be her father? And what would her mother do if she had her time again? Would she find him? Or maybe her mother would tell her about him, if he was her father. She liked to think that she would.
At least she now had a name. Even if this wasn’t her father, it was someone important to her mother and something that could lead to Skye finding out valuable information about her mother’s past. Everything was up to her although she still worried about going to the effort of searching for him, finding him and then being rejected. After her strained relationship with her mother and then losing her, Skye wasn’t sure she could cope with him deciding to have nothing to do with her.
Then again, what if he was interested in forming a relationship with her? She might have siblings for all she knew. Excitement shot through her. After spending her life without siblings or any other relatives apart from her grandmother, the thought of having a family, people she was biologically connected to, was tempting. She leant against the windowsill in her bedroom and stared out at the sunny view. She didn’t really have a decision to make at all, not if she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life regretting not seeing this through.
Whatever she decided to do next could change everything about her life forever. The thought terrified and excited her. At least she had Joe here to help her, and despite their embarrassment about what had happened he really was being a wonderful support. Time was running out though. She had less than four weeks before Lindy and Gareth returned to the island and she and Joe would no longer be needed.
There really was no better time when she was staying at this beautiful farm, rent-free and with a gorgeous, if sometimes annoying, man to help her. She would be mad to not make the most of every second to do something that, whatever happened, would help her find some answers.
Desperate to share this exciting news with Joe, she went to his room and knocked several times.
‘Joe?’ she whispered when there wasn’t an answer. ‘Joe?’ she repeated louder.
‘Uh, Skye?’ His bedroom door opened and for a second her heart almost stopped. He must have gone straight to sleep because she had obviously woken him up. His hair was messy and she saw he must have quickly dressed in his boxer shorts because they were on inside out. Skye pressed her lips together, trying not to show her amusement.
‘You OK?’ he asked, rubbing his eyes.
‘I’ve found something.’
He blinked a few times as she held up the piece of paper. ‘C. Ferreira? Who’s that?’
‘That’s it, I don’t know.’ She explained where she had found it. ‘Read the rest.’ She watched him do so. ‘Don’t you think that’s intriguing?’
He smiled and nodded. ‘I do. You might have found your father, Skye.’
She sighed happily. ‘We have something to go on, finally.’ Unable to help herself, she flung her arms around him.
‘Oof.’ He didn’t move immediately but then put his arms around her.
She rested her head on his chest, needing to share her excitement, unsure why his heart seemed to be pounding so quickly. ‘I’m so happy.’
‘I’m not surprised.’
Remembering she had woken him, Skye dropped her arms and stepped back. ‘I’ll let you get back to bed, but I thought we could start trying to find this man in the morning, if that’s OK with you.’
‘It is very OK with me.’ He smiled.
Feeling slightly awkward for throwing herself at him like she had, Skye waved for him to go back inside his room. ‘Get to bed. We can talk about this again in the morning.’
* * *
After barely three hours’ sleep, Skye decided she may as well get up. Her mind had raced for most of the night and even though reading usually made her eyes tired enough to sleep and she had tried to focus on reading the Gothic novel she had found on one of the many bookcases in the farmhouse, nothing but exhaustion finally made her drift off.
Relieved to finally get up, Skye showered and was dressing when she heard Joe’s car returning from somewhere. Intrigued to know where he had been so early in the morning, Skye ran downstairs to greet him.
‘Hey, there you are,’ Joe said as Skye reached the door and opened it just as he reached out to do so himself.
She wasn’t sure where else he might have expected her to be because he knew the routine at the farm as well as she did. He did seem a more enthusiastic than usual and she knew it was because of her finding the name.
‘Where’ve you been?’ she asked, standing back and holding the door open for him.
He tapped the side of his nose as he passed her on his way to the stairs. ‘Put the kettle on while I grab plates for these cinnamon buns I bought from the village bakery.’
‘Cinnamon buns?’ Skye decided she could get used to eating pastries in the morning. She hoped Joe would continue to go to the village first thing to buy them. Intrigued, Skye went into the kitchen and did as he asked. He fetched two plates and carried the small box of pastries to the living room with her following.
‘I thought we might need extra sustenance before we got going this morning.’ He looked sideways at her and grinned. ‘I suspect you had little sleep after your discovery.’
Skye yawned. ‘Not much.’
‘Have one of these.’ He put a bun on one of the plates and handed it to her. ‘I have news, too.’
Excited to hear what about, she made herself comfortable while she waited.
‘Well? What is it?’ she asked impatiently when he took a bite from his bun without having spoken. He had a drink and leant back next to her on the sofa. ‘I have a mate with the same last name as the one you found.’
‘You do?’
He raised his hand. ‘Don’t get too excited; he’s away at the moment and not due back for a couple of days.’
‘Oh, that’s a pain,’ she said, not able to hide her disappointment.
‘There’s more.’
She saw the twinkle in his eyes and jabbed his shoulder. ‘Tell me then.’
‘It seems that his dad was a porter at the Sunshine Springs for many years. Another chap we know, his mum worked as a chambermaid, then housekeeper at the Bel Amie.’
‘This really is a small place, isn’t it?’
‘Well, contrary to belief, we don’t all know each other here in Jersey but the hospitality world here – especially back in the seventies, eighties and nineties – was small and lots of people knew each other.’
Skye couldn’t hide her delight. Resting a hand on her chest, she nervously asked, ‘Are their parents still alive?’
‘Yes, both are,’ he replied proudly.
Barely able to breathe, her cinnamon bun forgotten, she asked, ‘And do your friends think they’ll speak to me?’ She gave him a pleading look. ‘To us?’
‘Us?’ He frowned but Skye could tell he was only teasing.
‘Well, you’re the local boy. I’m clearly not from here with my accent.’
His expression softened. ‘It’s a beautiful accent.’
‘I like it, but that’s not the point,’ she said impatiently. ‘If I’m not from here then maybe they won’t be as comfortable sharing their own stories with me.’
He waved away her comment as if he were batting a fly. ‘Rubbish. They’ll be fine – I’m sure of it.’
Skye took a moment to process the exciting news. ‘This is amazing, Joe. Thank you so much.’ She didn’t want to push him when he was tired, but couldn’t help needing to know. ‘How soon do you think we could arrange to meet up with these people?’
‘Hopefully you won’t have to wait too long. Leave it with me and I’ll do what I can.’
He gave her a smile that made her stomach flip over. Not wishing to give her feelings away, she took a sip of her tea while she gathered herself.
‘That’s brilliant, Joe. I really appreciate all you’re doing for me. Thank you.’
He stared at her thoughtfully. ‘There’s no need to keep thanking me, Skye. What are friends for?’
She had to stop herself from admitting she wished they were more than that but forced a smile. ‘Yes, of course we are.’
‘And supporting each other is what friends do.’
‘They do.’