45. And so decreed Overlord Claire
45
AND SO DECREED OVERLORD CLAIRE
The door to Frank’s breakfast room was open. Doogie wasn’t sure whether to knock or just step in, so he stood outside on the paving, looking in. He could see a load of paintings in there. Some on easels and some stacked up against the wall. It looked cramped. He wouldn’t be able to work in a room like that.
He noticed the wallpaper was coming away in one of the top corners. The paper itself was tasteful, obviously expensive, but dated. The woodwork was badly in need of attention as well. Grace’s house had been like that when he first got to know her. Parts of it still were. He’d managed to persuade her to let him sort out some of the rooms, but she’d absolutely refused to let him touch her office and the little sitting room at the back of the house. The office had been her dad’s once, and the sitting room had been her mum’s favourite place for working and relaxing. Both had died before Doogie arrived on the scene. Grace said she felt connected to them in those rooms and there was no way she was going to let him take that away from her just because he had a need for clean lines and open spaces. It wasn’t really a need, but it was fair to say he felt more comfortable without the previous generation’s clutter in his face.
Frank appeared in the doorway between the breakfast room and the kitchen. ‘Morning. Come in.’
Doogie stepped in and walked around the edge of the room, wary of knocking a canvas over. He hadn’t really been looking at the paintings, art wasn’t his thing, but then he saw one of Colin and he stopped. It was… How would he describe it? Raw. Exposed. Shocking. His main work was marketing, so he knew an arresting image when he saw one. This was an arresting image.
Frank stood behind him. ‘It’s good, isn’t it? Liza painted it.’
‘She’s talented.’
‘It’s her best yet.’
‘You and Liza are pretty tight, yeah?’
‘I guess. She’s a great girl. I have a daughter of my own though. She lives up your way.’
‘Yeah, Netta mentioned it. She said you practically brought her up on your own. How d’you do that?’
Frank frowned. ‘I didn’t really have a choice. My late wife wasn’t very present. Then she wasn’t here at all. You just get on with it and hope it turns out well in the end.’
‘And did it? Turn out well, I mean.’
‘Yeah, it did. How’s it going with your daughter?’
‘All right, I think. Hard to tell. I wasn’t very present either for most of her life.’
Frank probably knew that, but he didn’t say. ‘You’re making up for it now though, yeah?’
‘Trying to.’
‘That’s all you can do, try your best and hope it turns out well in the end.’
‘I suppose so. I’m going to do my shift at Colin’s house now. Net’s already left for her market stall. Liza’s on her own with him until Geraldine and Arthur get here.’
‘I’ll go over and keep her company.’
‘Cheers. I’ll be back late afternoon. I’m meeting my daughter when I’m done spying.’
‘Good luck.’
‘Well I might see Claire, so I’ll probably need it.’
Doogie parked up outside Claire’s mum’s house. It was in Kings Heath, not far from Geraldine and Arthur’s. The morning had been uneventful. Neither Arianne nor the guy, Byron, had left the house. It had been boring, but it had given Doogie time to do some thinking about life and love, and families. They were curious things, families. They didn’t always look like one from the outside. When he was a kid, his family had been small. Just him, his mum and Mary from next door. He didn’t see his Scottish family enough to feel part of them and he’d never been allowed to feel part of his dad’s family. Monique saw to that. At uni, his friends had been a sort of family. In truth though, he’d always been a loner. Netta saw that in him. No one ever really got him like she did. Not even Claire. And no family ever made him feel he belonged as much as Netta’s had. Maybe it was because she was part of it. Or maybe it was because Arthur and Geraldine got him too.
Merrie was on her way down the path. ‘Mum’s on the phone. Quick, let’s get outta here before she finishes talking.’
‘Is she still really mad at me then?’
Merrie stuck her head to one side and closed one eye, like she was thinking really hard. She looked really sweet when she did that. ‘Not sure. Probably. She’s always a bit mad at you, isn’t she? Even when there’s nothing to be mad about.’
He laughed. ‘I guess.’ Claire was another one he could have been happy with, if only he’d given them the chance. ‘Let’s walk.’
‘Okay.’ She slipped her arm in his. ‘We can go into Kings Heath.’
Doogie felt a twinge of regret for all the walks he’d missed over the years. He imagined being on the receiving end of that sweet look of hers if he’d had to tell her off for being naughty. It was just as well he’d missed them because he’d have been a complete walkover. She’d have gotten away with anything. ‘How did it go with Julie and Clive yesterday?’
‘Oh I’m calling them Nana and Grandad now. Mum has officially sanctioned it.’
‘Yeah?’
‘Yeah. Well she suggested it’d be nice if I did. So I think we can say it went well. I wish you could’ve seen Mum though. She was on her best behaviour so’s not to scare them off. So hilarious watching her trying not to swear. The effort was intense.’ She was funny too, his daughter. In the early days of them getting to know each other, she’d been shy but now that she was more relaxed around him, her personality was beginning to show. It had only taken a few years. Not bad for a person who’d inherited his genes.
‘I can imagine. She’d like that, your nana. It wasn’t her fault she missed out on knowing you.’
‘I know. I think it might be cool to meet my biological grandad some time as well though. What do you think?’
‘I haven’t seen him myself for a long time. We’re not really close.’
She rolled her eyes. ‘Is that like code for I haven’t told him about you, Merrie?’
‘Yes.’
‘Honestly, you are so useless. It’s a good job Nana’s told him.’
‘You’re kidding me? I thought she didn’t speak to him anymore?’
‘Well she does now. Looks like you’re not the only one with secrets. He wants to meet me. So when you’re ready. Just say the word. Only don’t leave it too long because Nana says he’s well old.’
‘Oh you want me to take you?’
‘Well I’m not going on my own, am I?’
‘I’ll see what I can do.’
She kissed him in the cheek. ‘Thanks, Dad.’
Doogie felt a blush coming from his neck upwards and told himself to get a grip. It was just a display of affection from his daughter. Yet another thing he’d missed out on. Hang on, did she just…? ‘Did you just call me Dad?’
‘Yep. It’s another thing Overlord Claire has decreed. Is it okay?’
Dickhead that he was, he could feel a lump forming in his throat. ‘It’s more than okay. I’m not sure I deserve it though.’
‘No, you don’t, but I’m giving you a second chance.’
He tried out an awkward kiss on the top of her head and nearly missed. She laughed. ‘You’re not very good with emotions, are you?’
He blushed again. She was observant as well as funny. ‘No. I guess I bottle them up. Sometimes with disastrous results.’
‘Was I a disastrous result?’
‘No. But walking away from you turned into one. Somebody recently told me I’d made some bad choices. Leaving you was probably the worst.’
‘Is that your way of saying sorry?’
There was that lump again, making his throat sore. ‘Yes.’
‘I’ve been waiting for that.’ Merrie stopped and opened her arms. ‘Come here, idiot.’
Doogie took a step closer and let her wrap her arms around him. Tentatively, he put his around her.
‘I won’t break you know,’ she said.
He squeezed harder.
‘You’re a bit goofy with that whole hermit thing you’ve got going on, but I think I love you, Dad.’
‘Okay.’
She tutted loudly. ‘This is the point where you’re supposed to say I love you too Merrie, my incredibly stunning, amazingly witty daughter.’
He wiped his eyes which were inexplicably damp. ‘Sorry. I love you too, Merrie, my incredibly stunning, amazingly witty daughter. I really, really do.’
‘Hmm. Better. You can buy me lunch now. And we can talk about our trip to see Grandad Nevin.’ She took his arm again and pulled him along in the direction of the High Street. ‘Do you think Grace would like to come with us?’
‘Not sure. Grace is upset with me. I don’t know if I can fix it.’
She frowned. ‘Do you know what Mum says about you?’
Doogie could think of a lot of things Claire might say about him. None of them good. ‘What?’
‘You’re a compartmentaliser. You like to put people into boxes and keep them separate.’
‘She’s right. I am. A lot of the time I do it without even realising.’
‘Ever thought about opening up the boxes and setting all those people free?’
Yes, he had, but he wasn’t sure he’d be able to cope with the fallout. He wasn’t sure if everyone else would cope either, especially with all this Colin crap going down.