Chapter 33
‘Home, as in back to Simone’s place?’ said Rick, with a horrible feeling in his stomach that this wasn’t what Vee meant at all.
‘No, home as in Willowbrook. I’ve got to get back. Something’s come up.’
Beryl stood up and came over to where Vee was standing. She looked up at the younger woman. ‘What’s upset you?’ she asked. ‘It’s that Yolanda, isn’t it? She always stirred things up when she visited your mum and dad. What’s she been saying?’
‘It doesn’t matter what she’s said, I must go now. How can I get back?’ Vee turned to Rick. ‘If you drive me to the nearest airport, I can get a flight today, I expect. I’d better go and pack.’
Rick stood up too. ‘Look, I can understand you want to act fast for some reason but let’s talk about this,’ he said as gently as he could. ‘Come back to the pension with me and you can maybe fill me in on what’s bothering you?’
After an initial protest, Vee reluctantly agreed to go with Rick.
By now the rest of the party were looking anxious, but a girl with a notepad coming to take orders distracted them enough for Rick and Vee to escape.
They hurried back down the street. As they passed the bakery, Rick could see that it was about to close for lunch, so he told Vee to wait and rushed in, just in time to buy a box of delicious-looking cakes.
Vee was pacing up and down outside the shop and raised her eyebrows at him as he came back out. ‘It’s no good looking at me like that,’ he said. ‘We’re missing lunch, and I can’t listen on an empty stomach.’
They reached base and Rick tapped the code into the keypad. The heavy door swung open with a creak, and he peered inside. Would Simone be hovering? The last thing they needed were questions about why they weren’t having lunch in the café, but the house was mercifully quiet.
‘She must still be out, or having a siesta,’ Vee said. ‘Let’s go up to my room before she comes back.’
They tiptoed up the stairs. Rick’s mind was in turmoil.
He couldn’t imagine what Yolanda could have said that was serious enough to provoke this dramatic reaction.
Once safely in her bedroom with the door closed, Vee flopped down on the bed and leaned against the pillows.
She closed her eyes. Rick thought it seemed a bit formal to sit on one of the easy chairs at the far side of the room, so he perched on the end of the bed, as far away as possible from Vee.
‘Come on then, what’s up?’ he said, when she still hadn’t spoken after a couple of minutes. ‘It must be something pretty drastic to make you want to leave here.’
She still didn’t answer so Rick undid the string on the box of cakes and held it out. ‘Open your eyes and eat something, Vee,’ he said. ‘Nothing ever seems as bad after a chocolate éclair, that’s my motto.’
At last Vee stirred. She sat up and made herself more upright on the pillows. ‘Did you say chocolate éclair?’ she asked hopefully, peering into the box. ‘I’m starving. Being angry always makes me hungry.’
They ate in silence. Rick proffered the box again and they both took a meringue. ‘That’s better,’ said Vee. ‘Thank you for getting those. I was beginning to think I was losing my marbles but the sugar rush has helped.’
‘Are you ready to tell me what’s got you in this state?’
Vee licked her fingers to get rid of the last of the sugar. ‘Yes, if you don’t mind me wittering at you for ages. It’d be good to get it off my chest.’
Rick stood up. ‘Let’s go and sit over there,’ he said, pointing to the chairs. ‘I’d rather be comfortable if this is going to take a while. There’s no rush. The others won’t be back for a long time yet and I can’t hear Simone crashing about. So, go for it.’
They settled themselves in the easy chairs which both had a beautiful view of the sparkling pool. The garden looked tempting, but Rick didn’t want to risk suggesting they went outside. This seemed as if it was going to be a very private conversation.
‘I’ll make it as short as possible,’ said Vee. ‘This part of my story really starts about twenty years after my family left Willowbrook. I was in my mid-thirties and I felt as if my life was over. I know that sounds dramatic, but I’m trying to be honest.’
Rick nodded but said nothing. Vee’s face was pale now and she was twisting her hands together.
‘It was a while since I’d finished a run of minor acting roles, and I had a call from my agent who seemed to think I was washed up.
Nothing else was forthcoming. The next day, my then-boyfriend told me he’d been sleeping with our divorced next-door neighbour, Cleo, who was in her late forties.
We’d been together for ten years at that time and I thought the sun shone out of his backside.
He’d been babysitting for Cleo rather a lot.
We had never wanted children, or so I thought.
Anyway, he moved in with her and her four kids. I was devastated.’
‘That’s awful,’ said Rick, longing to give her a hug but not wanting to stop the flow. ‘Carry on.’
‘Around that time, my younger sister Cassie, who lives in America – well, in Boston to be precise – was on the point of going into a civil partnership with her long-time girlfriend, Marissa. In a nutshell, I went over there to be with them on the big day and decided to stay on for a holiday. While I was there, it came out that they were desperate for a baby, but neither could carry one. I had a what the hell moment and offered to be their surrogate.’
‘Bloody hell, Vee,’ said Rick. ‘That’s a heck of a favour, even for a sister.’
‘I know. I won’t go into the details but a friend of theirs offered to be the donor and I got pregnant straight away. He’s out of the picture now, by the way, but my son…’
Vee choked over the last two words and her eyes filled with tears. Rick reached out and took her hand. Her fingers linked with his and she sniffed hard.
‘I don’t usually call him that,’ she said. ‘He knows he’s adopted but not who his birth mother is. Until now, that is. As far as he was concerned, I’m his aunt. He’s almost twenty-one.’
Vee reached into her back pocket for her phone and scrolled through a few pictures.
She held it out to Rick. ‘This is the latest one they sent me of Finn,’ she said, leaning back in her chair and watching him carefully as he took the phone from her and looked down at it.
He saw a laughing young man, with short dark hair and brown skin.
He was wearing running clothes and looked as if he was pausing to share a joke with whoever was taking the picture, but probably about to take off at a gallop.
‘Finn’s father was originally from Mauritius,’ Vee said.
‘He went back there soon after Finn was conceived. He was never going to be part of Finn’s life, that was part of the deal.
He was just a very kind person who wanted to help his friends.
I’ve seen Finn a few times, but I don’t know him well.
That was also part of the deal. Cassie and Marissa have always said they would tell Finn the truth about his history one day, when he was older, but I think they’re afraid. ’
‘Afraid he’ll want to get to know you as his mother rather than his aunt?’
‘Yes. And now, thanks to Yolanda and her meddling, that’s exactly what’s about to happen.’
Rick stared at Vee. Her eyes were blazing now, and she was sitting forward in her chair. ‘Go on. Tell me what happened this morning,’ he said.
Vee took a deep breath. ‘It turns out that Yolanda knew about this all along. She disapproved strongly of me having a baby that I wasn’t going to look after and nurture myself and also of the fact that they have never told Finn I’m his mother.
Her view is that all children ought to be given the opportunity to be brought up by their natural parents unless there’s a very good reason why that can’t or shouldn’t happen.
I don’t know why her feelings are so extreme.
I felt that to have Cassie and Marissa as parents would be perfect for Finn.
They’re such warm, lovely people. It wasn’t easy, Rick.
I didn’t do it lightly, but he’s had a great life so far in Boston.
He’s fit and healthy and he’s made my sister and my sister-in-law so very happy. He doesn’t need yet another mum.’
‘You don’t have to justify yourself to me,’ said Rick, soothingly. ‘I think it was an amazing thing to do. But what has Yolanda done?’
‘Apparently she’s been in touch with Finn all along, and when she heard that I was coming to visit, she decided to pre-empt discussing the situation with me and go ahead and tell Finn about the story of his birth.
Not only that, but she said he ought to come to England to see me as soon as possible. ’
Rick found himself speechless. He tried hard to think of something useful to say but his mind was full of the outrageous liberty this elderly lady had taken, even if she’d meant well by it.
‘And, Rick, he’s coming over. Finn’s actually going to be in Willowbrook next week.
He knows all about me. My sister’s furious.
I had a call from her just before I left Yolanda’s.
She seems to be blaming me for stirring things up by coming here.
I want to go home. I can’t see Yolanda any more, I can’t bear to be near her. ’
Vee stood up abruptly and pushed open the long windows, letting in a warm breeze. For a terrifying moment, Rick thought she was about to jump out. He jumped to his feet but instead of moving closer to the window, she turned to look at him.
‘You can see why I need to leave, can’t you?’ she asked. ‘I can’t settle here with all this going on, and I have to go and get ready for him arriving.’
Down below them on the patio, Rick could hear the rest of the party arriving back from lunch. They were laughing at Sid, who was still singing about leaning on a lamppost. Simone must have been in the kitchen, because she called out, ‘It sounds as if you have all had a very jolly lunch.’
‘Oh, yes, it was delicious, darling,’ Anthea answered. ‘We liked it so much in your little café that we’ve booked a table for tomorrow and the next day too, to make sure we don’t miss out.’
‘I’m going to have a dip in the pool now,’ said Winnie. ‘I’m going to try and teach Sid the basics of breaststroke, in case he decides to pull another stunt like the last one.’
Rick put his hands on Vee’s shoulders, and she looked up at him. ‘I can’t let you go home on your own when you’re this upset. And can you bear to tear this lot away from their holiday before they’re ready?’ he said. ‘Also, you’ll miss the delightful prospect of the ukulele band.’
Vee gazed at him in amazement and then laughed. Rick began to relax at last. She still had her sense of humour, thank goodness.
‘You can hear how much fun they’re having,’ he said, pressing home his point. ‘Another three days won’t make a difference, surely. Your house can be made visitor ready as soon as we get back. I’ll help. And you’ll have to talk to Yolanda sometime.’
‘Oh, will I?’ said Vee, through gritted teeth.
‘Yes, and it’ll be much worse if you leave it like this, with both of you convinced you’re right. If you run away now, the gap will be so wide that you probably won’t see her again. She is in her eighties, Vee. Think about it.’
Throwing caution to the winds, Rick pulled Vee close and slid his arms around her.
She stiffened, but then relaxed against him, burying her head in his shoulder and starting to sob.
He could feel her whole body shaking as she let out years of pent-up tension and grief.
This was getting to be a habit, he thought ruefully.
Her arms went round his waist as if of their own accord and she clung to him.
After a while, the shuddering sobs lessened and Vee let go of Rick, disentangling herself from his embrace.
She disappeared into the bathroom, and he heard water splashing into the sink as she washed her face. When she came out again, there was colour in her cheeks, and she was trying to smile.
‘I don’t like admitting it, but you’re right,’ she said.
‘I don’t really want to travel back on my own.
I can’t make them go home early when they’re having such a good time and I will have to see Yolanda again before we leave.
There have been too many secrets in the past. At least now everything’s out in the open.
But… oh, Rick, how am I going to face my son?
I’ve never tried to play a bigger part in his life other than as a distant aunt.
I was afraid of getting too close to him because it didn’t seem right to build a stronger bond when I’d made the decision to give him to my sister.
He must think I didn’t care about him now he knows the truth about his birth. ’
‘Well, this is your chance to show him just how much you did care,’ said Rick. ‘You gave Finn the chance of a different kind of life with two people who must love him very much. That’s a fantastic thing to do. He’ll understand, I’m sure of it.’
Vee took a long, shuddering breath. She was still hiccupping slightly even though the storm of crying had abated. ‘I hope you’re right. And as I said, it’ll be good to have no secrets any more.’
Rick didn’t answer. He was happy beyond measure that he’d been able to comfort her, but the last statement had been like a punch in the stomach.
Yolanda had held on to her information for years before deciding to share it but there was still one more secret from his own and Vee’s past that she was bound to know.
The question was, how long would it be before the temptation to share it became too much for her?