Chapter 14
CHAPTER 14
LUKE
T here is a lot to think about and as we step over the wooden bridge and find the first cottage to our left, I say in a low voice, “Is this one of mine?”
I peer with dismay at the peeling paint on the windows and the thatch that is patchy at best, with plants growing through the cracks in the roof and Jessy nods.
“Yes. It’s rented by a young couple who just got married. They don’t have much and relied on wedding gifts and second hand finds to furnish the place.”
I note the unkempt garden and peeling paint and my heart sinks. It appears gloomy due to the dark leaded windows and the surrounding trees and Jessy says brightly, “They are enthusiastic though and it will soon look amazing. I hope they stay, but from experience, young couples move on pretty quickly when they start a family because there is no school nearby that doesn’t require a car journey and not much social life.”
“I see.”
To be honest, I don’t blame them. I don’t even want to live here and I own the bloody place. I picture my mansion back in Cheshire, along with the apartment I own in Manchester and it’s a world away from where I am now.
We walk along a pretty lane with the stream running alongside us and I take a deep breath of pure clean air, something I never appreciated until now.
There are several cottages behind the stream on a bank that are pretty but obviously in need of some tender care, and Jessy waves in their direction.
“These are also yours. Most of the tenants have lived here for decades. They look after their gardens and in the summer you will see beautiful flowers and lines of washing blowing in the breeze.”
“What do they do in winter?”
There is nothing here and Jessy shrugs. “Try to keep warm, cook, clean, work. The same as anyone else, really. We are part of civilisation too and are normal human beings who do what everybody else does.”
“Of course. Forgive me.”
I obviously touched a nerve because she is frowning and then we stop outside a house set at the junction where the road splits in two.
“This is our house.”
She appears a little defensive and says awkwardly, “I don’t suppose you’d mind if we stopped here for a minute. My parents must be home from Vienna, and I should reassure them that I’m safe.”
“Of course.”
I’m interested in seeing where Jessy lives and as we walk up the small stone path, she smiles apologetically as she opens the front door that is nestling underneath a large wooden porch.
“Jessy, is that you?”
A cheery voice calls out, and she shouts, “Yes, mum, but before you?—”
A woman appears who looks a lot like her daughter and squeals as she rushes towards her and pulls her in for a hug.
“Darling, it’s so good to be home.”
She steps away and presses several kisses on Jessy’s frozen cheeks, and then her gaze falls to me and her eyes open wide.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“Mum, this is, um, Luke Adams, Lady Townsend’s nephew. You know the–”
“Footballer.”
She smiles widely. “Well, look at you. I heard you were visiting. This must have come as quite a shock to you.”
“A little.”
She nods toward the door she appeared out of. “Well, I’m Portia, named after the car but spelt differently and my husband is Terry, named after nothing in particular, but he’s in the shower right now. Come in, I’ve just boiled the kettle and Jessy did a good job of lighting the fire, so the house is warm.”
As we follow her into the kitchen, my first thought is how cosy it is. It’s not the largest one I’ve ever seen, but it’s the most welcoming one and the heat from the fire has warmed the room, making it the best place on earth right now.
“Take a seat, Luke. How do you like your coffee?”
“White, no sugar, thanks.”
“So, how was Vienna?” Jessy asks with a smile.
Her mother nods, her eyes shining. “I still can’t believe we were there. It was so magical. I was blown away by the spectacle and we even got to ride in one of those horse-drawn carriages around the city. You should go there, both of you.”
Jessy’s face flames and I can tell it’s not from the warmth of the fire and I chuckle softly. “It sounds amazing.”
“Have you ever been, Luke?” Portia asks, fixing me with an interested gleam in her eyes.
“No, but several of the guys visited in the past.”
“You should go there. As I said, it was magical.”
The door opens, and a man heads inside dressed in a warm sweater, his hair still damp from the shower.
“Terry, come and meet Luke, Lady Townsend’s nephew.”
“Oh yes.”
He holds out his hand and shakes mine hard and says with a smile, “I’m pleased to meet you. I was sorry to hear about your aunt. We all loved her here.”
I wish I could say the same, but I hardly knew her and it strikes me that I should be the one offering them my condolences, not the other way around.
It appears that we may be family, but your real family becomes the people who are involved in your life willingly. The fact I inherited her wealth isn’t lost on me because I deserve none of it. If anything, the villagers do because they were here for her when I never gave her a second thought.
Images of her dancing with the locals, laughing and sharing in their lives cross my mind and I wonder if anybody would be half as sad when I die. Sure, I may get a mention in the news, or perhaps I will have a family by then who will mourn my passing but right now there is only Steven, Morgana, a family I never see and a huge liability that goes by the name of Granthaven.