Chapter 24
24
SKYE
Skye was glad she wasn’t driving to Paul’s mother’s home. It was difficult enough to concentrate on remaining calm while she tried to decide on the questions she wanted to ask this woman who was kindly giving up her time.
He parked the car and Skye took a steadying breath before getting out of the car.
‘You OK?’ he asked quietly.
She puffed out her cheeks and shook her head. ‘Not really, if I’m honest.’ She saw his concern and forced a smile. ‘But I will be by the time we reach the front door.’
‘You’ll be great. And, remember, even if it turns out she didn’t know your father then at least you’ve crossed one person off your list.’
That didn’t make her feel much better. ‘Off my list of two, you mean?’
‘Try to be positive – I’m sure this will be fine.’
Skye wished she had Joe’s confidence, but forced herself to seem calm as they stopped at the front door and he rang the bell.
‘You’ve got this,’ he whispered.
The door was opened by a man who she soon realised must be Paul. ‘Joe,’ he said, tilting his head to one side to see Skye. ‘And this must be the lovely Skye.’
Lovely Skye? She wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but smiled and shook his hand. ‘It is. Thanks for inviting me here today, I’m really grateful for any help searching for my father.’
‘I can imagine you must be.’ He stepped back and waved them into the hall. ‘I was happy to help in any way I could when Joe told us your predicament.’ He led the way into the home. ‘Mum is this way.’
Skye walked into the living room where a woman who seemed to be in her fifties went to stand. ‘Please, don’t get up on my account.’ Skye walked over to her and shook her hand. ‘It’s very kind of you to invite Joe and me to your lovely house.’ Realising she hadn’t introduced herself, Skye added, ‘I’m Skye by the way.’
‘I thought you might be.’ The woman laughed, looking from Skye to Joe. ‘I’ve met this handsome chap a couple of times before. Hello, Joe. How are you doing?’
‘Fine, thanks.’
‘I’m Sandra,’ Paul’s mother said. ‘Paul will make you teas and coffees if you’d like them. We have biscuits too.’ Before Skye could answer, she added, ‘I’m sorry everything is a bit of a mess. I’m preparing to fly out this afternoon on a trip.’
‘We’re fine for drinks, thanks,’ Skye said, looking at Joe to check he agreed. ‘We have to return to the farm to be there when our friends come from the maternity wing at the hospital with their new baby.’
‘How exciting.’
‘It is,’ they said in unison.
‘They know you don’t have too long to chat either, Mum,’ Paul explained. Then looking at Skye and Joe, indicated the sofa. ‘Please take a seat.’ Skye happily sat down next to Joe.
‘And it’s very kind of you to fit in seeing us when you’re so busy,’ Skye said when she was settled.
Sandra waved away Skye’s comment with a friendly smile. ‘Now I’ve been through some old boxes of photos from the two seasons I worked at the Bel Amie Hotel.’ Skye leant forward to see the photos as Sandra laid them out on the coffee table in front of her. ‘I was looking at them last night and became very nostalgic for those busy but fun days. Seeing them again brought back so many wonderful memories I’d forgotten. It was rather bittersweet. Made me wonder what had happened to all those people I expected to be friends with forever.’
Touched to think how emotional this must be for Sandra, Skye said, ‘I suppose I should start by telling you Mum’s name really.’
‘Yes, do.’ Sandra rested her hands in her lap and listened, waiting for Skye to continue.
‘Well, she was called Annie.’
‘Not Annie Sellers? From Edinburgh?’ Sandra interrupted, leaning forward eager to hear more.
‘Er, yes. That’s her.’ That was surprising, Skye thought, feeling a little shell-shocked that all she had mentioned was her mother’s first name for Sandra to remember her. ‘Did you know her well?’ she asked, doubting it to be the case. Surely it couldn’t be this simple, could it?
‘We were roommates,’ Sandra said, her voice filled with emotion. ‘But Paul said your mother had passed away and that’s why you need to trace your father, knowing so little about him.’
Skye saw the distress on Sandra’s face and wished she could tell her otherwise. ‘I’m afraid she did. Quite a number of years ago too.’
Sandra gasped and glanced at Paul, who immediately stood behind her chair, his hands on her shoulders to comfort her. ‘But she must have been very young.’
Skye nodded and felt Joe move slightly closer to her, comforting her with the reminder that he was there. ‘She was barely forty.’
‘Oh no. That’s so sad.’
Skye hoped Sandra wouldn’t cry, because if she did Skye wasn’t sure she would be able to retain her own self-control. ‘It is. Very sad.’
She felt Joe’s hand rest lightly on her thigh, distracting her from becoming too emotional by the warmth of his touch. Skye cleared her throat. Wanting to know as much as possible about her mother and hopefully her father while she had the chance, Skye said, ‘I’m sorry to give you such sad news.’
Sandra dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. ‘It’s not your fault. I suppose I mostly feel guilty.’
‘About what?’ Skye asked, confused.
‘Annie and I were almost the same age. We were very close, once. I feel guilty not having kept in contact with her.’ She stared at Skye, her eyes watery with unshed tears. ‘I should have kept in touch with her, found out about you. Spent time with her.’ Her voice trailed off but before Skye could think how to respond, Sandra continued. ‘I suppose we never imagine people’s lives will be cut short.’ She sighed heavily and dabbed at her eyes again. ‘Always assume we have all the time in the world to contact people.’
Hating to see the poor woman so upset on account of her visit, Skye moved forward to the edge of her seat and reached out to take Sandra’s hand. ‘Please don’t upset yourself. I understand what you’re saying and have felt that way, many times, but have come to the conclusion that regret is a waste of emotion. Anyway—’ she forced a smile ‘—Mum would have hated to think of anyone she was close to feeling badly.’
Sandra nodded and, believing the woman was feeling slightly better, Skye sat back in her seat again.
‘Well,’ Sandra said, seeming much more in control. ‘You’re here to find out about Carlos Ferreira.’
Who? ‘Do you mean that’s the name of my father?’
Sandra shrugged. ‘I presume so. As far as I’m aware.’ She raised a finger. ‘And I was the closest person to Annie while she was in Jersey. He was the only man she ever spent time with.’ She thought for a moment. ‘Or showed any interest in, come to think of it.’ She narrowed her eyes and studied Skye’s face before smiling. ‘And looking at you now, with your dark hair, dark eyes and that beautiful bone structure of yours, I’m 99 per cent certain he must be your father. He was a very handsome man, was Carlos,’ she said, her voice taking on a slightly dreamy tone that made Skye wonder if Sandra could have had an interest in the man too.
Did something happen between the women involving him to cause a rift? Now wasn’t the time to ask for too much information, Skye reminded herself. She was here to focus on her father and discovering all she could about him.
Her stomach fluttered with excitement and nerves. She looked at Joe and saw excitement in his eyes. So she had been right to think C. Ferreira could be her father. And now they had a first name, too. ‘Carlos Ferreira,’ Skye whispered, saying the name for the first time. ‘It’s a nice name.’
‘He was a nice man,’ Sandra said. She leant forward and, moving a few of the photos around, found one she was looking for and tapped on it several times. ‘There he is with Annie.’
Skye gasped, aware she was about to look at the most important photo she would probably ever see. She glanced at Joe, unsure why she was hesitating. This was too immense a moment to grasp.
‘Go on,’ he encouraged.
She picked up the photo with shaky fingers and took a calming breath before looking at it. Skye studied the young couple sitting on a beach, leaning against the sea wall, and struggled to keep her emotions in check. Carlos had his arms around Annie’s shoulders. Both were laughing at something someone, probably the photographer, had said.
‘I took that photo,’ Sandra said, her voice shaky. ‘That wasn’t long before Annie left, probably only a few weeks. They were very happy and seemed deeply in love.’
‘Seemed?’ Skye was confused by the use of the word. Looking at the happy faces she would assume they didn’t have a care in the world.
‘Yes. But if they really had been then why would Annie have upped and left like she did? It doesn’t make sense. Unless…’ She narrowed her eyes and gazed at Skye. ‘When were you born?’
‘January 1999.’
Sandra gave her answer some thought then nodded. ‘That makes sense. She must have been three to four months pregnant in this photo.’ Sadness washed over her face. ‘I never knew.’ Then looking into Skye’s eyes, she asked, ‘Why do you think she never told me?’
‘I’ve no idea,’ Skye said, honestly wishing she had answers for the poor woman. ‘Have you any idea what happened to Carlos?’
Sandra shook her head slowly. ‘We didn’t keep in touch.’
‘Do you know if he still lives on the island?’ Skye asked, her mind racing with unanswered questions. ‘Was he even from here?’
‘I don’t know whether he’s still here or not, I’m afraid.’
Deciding to bring the conversation back to her mother and Sandra’s friendship, Skye asked, ‘Mum never gave any reason for leaving then?’
Sandra thought for a moment. ‘She asked for permission to return home for a couple of days, I seem to recall. Something about her mother being unwell and needing to see her.’ She shook her head. ‘But she never came back. I did write a couple of times, then when she didn’t reply became angry and…’
Her voice petered off and Skye wondered what it might be that Sandra wasn’t comfortable sharing with her. ‘And, what?’ she asked, desperate to find out more.
Sandra looked down at her hands clasped together in her lap. Then, without speaking, rested one hand on Paul’s and glanced up at him. As if a secret code had passed between them, Paul moved to the side of Sandra’s chair.
‘I’m sorry, but Mum really needs to get on with the rest of her packing.’
Skye knew he was protecting Sandra from becoming too upset and didn’t want to outstay her welcome, especially when the pair of them had been as kind and generous with their time as they had been.
Skye got to her feet at the same time Joe did. ‘Thank you for giving me so much information, Sandra, and to you, Paul, for arranging for us to meet. I’m incredibly grateful.’
‘I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you more,’ Sandra said, sounding as if she meant it.
Skye realised she was still holding the photo and went to place it down on the table.
‘No, please keep it,’ Sandra insisted. ‘It’s yours.’
Skye gasped to have been given such an unexpected treasure. ‘Really? You don’t mind?’
Sandra smiled and shook her head. ‘No. You don’t know how happy I am to be able to help you in this way.’ She stared into Skye’s eyes for a few seconds, making Skye wonder what it was that Sandra was withholding from her, because whatever it was seemed to trouble her for some reason. ‘I feel that by helping connect you to Carlos that I’ve helped my dear friend Annie in some way.’
‘Well, I’ll treasure this.’ Feeling the need to hug Sandra, Skye said, ‘Would you mind if I give you a hug?’
Sandra’s eyes filled with tears again and she nodded, opening her arms without speaking.
Feeling as if she was receiving a hug from the next best thing to her mother, Skye stepped into Sandra’s arms. It was deeply comforting and Skye suspected by the way Sandra was holding tightly to her, it meant as much to the older lady as it did to her.
As they let go of each other, Skye sighed. ‘Well, thank you again and I hope you have a wonderful holiday.’
‘Thank you, Skye,’ Sandra said. ‘And if I think of anything else I’ll ask Paul for your phone number.’
‘Yes, please do that. I’m happy to hear anything you can remember.’ Aware this could include not so happy memories, Skye added, ‘Anything at all.’
They left the house and got into the car without saying a word. Once seated, Joe took her hand in his and turned to her. ‘You OK?’
She nodded, unable to speak without crying.
‘Good. Let’s get back to the farm.’