Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
‘W hat’s been happening? Has the pain subsided?’ Ralph asked sitting down in the seat. ‘Max said something about abdominal pain.’
Dilly smiled reassuringly, trying to put him at ease. ‘Dad, the pain has subsided. They did a scan to check everything,’ she said, feeling her heart race with the excitement of the news she was about to share.
‘I thought it might be your appendix – they grumble you know, sometimes for months. Did they find anything?’
‘They found a heartbeat,’ she began, watching her father’s puzzled expression.
‘A heartbeat?’ Ralph repeated, still not fully grasping what she meant.
Dilly nodded, unable to contain her joy. ‘Actually, they found two heartbeats!’
She waited for the penny to drop. It didn’t take long before the puzzled look on Ralph’s face morphed into a full-on beaming smile. ‘You’re not…?’
‘I am! I’m pregnant!’
‘Two heartbeats? You mean… twins?’ he asked.
‘Twins!’ Dilly confirmed, her smile widening.
Ralph’s face lit up as surprise and happiness flooded over him. ‘Twins! Oh my God, Dilly, that’s incredible!’ he exclaimed, hugging her. ‘This is such amazing news!’
Dilly laughed, knowing the joy in her heart was likely mirrored on her face. ‘It’s the reason I’ve been feeling dizzy and nauseous, and why I’ve been getting a little chubby around the middle,’ she said, placing a hand on her slightly rounded stomach.
Ralph pulled back to look at her, his eyes shining with pride and love. ‘This is such wonderful news,’ he said. Then his smile slipped. ‘But who’s the father? It’s been eight months since Giles left.’
‘I’ve not been quite truthful with you,’ Dilly admitted. ‘He was still very much around four months ago. When I told you I’d discovered his deceit, it was happening there and then, not months earlier, like I said. I didn’t want you to worry about me.’
‘Oh Dilly.’ Ralph reached for his daughter’s hand.
Just at that moment the nurse breezed into the room and checked the notes attached to the clipboard at the end of the bed. ‘Can I get you both a drink?’ she asked. ‘The coffee machine at the end of the corridor isn’t working, and we’ve got the most damn awful coffee in the staffroom, but it’s probably better than nothing.’
‘I’m okay, but thank you,’ replied Ralph.
‘And I’m okay too.’
As soon as the nurse left the room Ralph turned towards his daughter. ‘So, Giles is the father.’ He blew out a breath.
‘It’s not ideal, is it?’
‘I thought we were well and truly shot of him.’
‘We are. I haven’t had much time to think about this, but as far as I’m concerned, he’s not going to be a part of their lives. He’s in prison, and he’s not the kind of person I want around my children. The twins will have nothing to do with him. He won’t even know they exist. I don’t want to expose my children to someone like him. But be honest, do you think I’m being out of order? Should he know about the twins?’
‘Absolutely not,’ Ralph replied firmly. ‘I agree with you totally and I’m relieved that you’ve already come to this decision on your own.’
‘I’ve thought it all through, and I have a plan,’ she said, looking her dad straight in the eye. ‘I’m going to tell everyone I had a one-night stand. No names, just an intense, fleeting attraction. People might feel sorry that I got caught out and am now pregnant, but I’ll make everyone see I’m thrilled about it, and squash any gossip. I can do this.’
Ralph squeezed her hand. ‘I don’t think anyone who knows you would doubt that,’ he said reassuringly. ‘But I think you’re wrong.’
‘Wrong?’
Ralph nodded. ‘This is Puffin Island we’re talking about. I know gossip spreads like wildfire but what’s the reason we all stay on the island? Because this is a community where we all look out for each other. No one on this island is going to judge you, Dilly. They know what Giles did and if he ever set foot on this island again, I wouldn’t like to be him. I think the twins would be safer with everyone knowing, but it’s your call.’
‘I’m worried about the press as well. Can you imagine the headline? “The romance scammer and the artist…”’
‘No resident would ever speak to the press, Dilly, they will all have your back. You need to remember how incredible you are and how important you are to the island and its community. Those kids are going to be lucky to have you and to grow up on Puffin Island. I still can’t believe I’m going to be a grandad!’
‘Two girls!’
‘Girls!’
As they held each other, Dilly felt a surge of strength. She knew the road ahead wouldn’t be easy, but with her father’s support and her own fierce determination, she was ready to face it all. She took another deep breath. ‘There’s something else I need to talk to you about.’
‘Sounds serious.’
‘Mum.’
‘She would have been over the moon about this news.’
Dilly took a deep breath, bracing herself for the conversation. ‘Dad, what do you think the chances are that Mum and Anton survived that crash?’ she asked.
Ralph looked at her with a perplexed expression. ‘Absolutely zero,’ he replied firmly. ‘Not only were they both hit by a car, but they also could never have survived the icy cold sea. There was nowhere for them to escape to, and there was a witness that?—’
‘But we know Mum was a good swimmer,’ Dilly interrupted, her eyes searching his face for any sign of hope.
‘Yes, she was,’ Ralph acknowledged, his tone softening. ‘And that was all thanks to Selby. She knew how dangerous the water is, especially after watching your grandad save so many lives at the lighthouse. It was important to her that your mum should be a strong swimmer. But, Dilly, it’s not just the fact that they were tossed into the water. The current was too strong, and no one could have swum to safety in those conditions. It was like the rip currents we have here on the island… impossible to fight against. And I know this is hard to hear, but the car hit them with some force, so it’s likely the impact killed them instantly before they ever entered the water.’
Dilly watched her father closely. ‘I disagree,’ she said, her voice trembling slightly.
Ralph looked at her, confusion etched on his face. ‘Disagree about what?’ he asked.
‘I’ve seen her twice,’ Dilly said, letting the words hang in the air. She watched as Ralph’s expression turned to disbelief. He shook his head slowly.
‘How? When? You can’t have. Have you spoken to her?’
Dilly took a deep breath. ‘I saw her outside the gallery, looking through the window. I was serving a customer, and at first I thought I was imagining things. But then, this evening, she was standing at the end of the jetty, looking up at the lighthouse. Unfortunately, by the time I got down there, she was gone. It was like she’d vanished into thin air. I think she might have lost her memory and doesn’t even know who she is. Somehow, she survived being thrown into the sea, and something must have triggered a memory of living on Puffin Island.’
She could tell from her father’s face that he was sceptical.
‘Dilly, I really think you’re mistaken. It’s easy to mistake someone who looks like your mum for her, especially with the stress you’ve been under. Think about it – if your mum was actually walking around the island, don’t you think people would have noticed? Someone would have seen her, and we’d all know about it.’
Dilly’s heart sank at his words. It was exactly what Clemmie had said. She glanced down, feeling a wave of frustration. ‘I walk past people on the street without recognising them sometimes,’ she said quietly, feeling desperate. ‘But how could I mistake my own mother? It felt so real, Dad. I’m telling you, she was there. I truly believe that she’s somehow out there, trying to find her way back to me.’