Time for New Beginnings

by Mette Barfelt

  She understood even less. How could he have laundry after only one night? He had to own more than one pair of briefs and socks. The big backpack had to hold enough clothes for a long time. He hadn’t brought dirty laundry from home, had he?

  “Why can’t you do it yourself? The washer is in the basement. Didn’t you see it on your sightseeing trip?”

  His face turned dark red all the way up to his hairline. “Uh, I don’t know how. I have a maid in Spain. She does everything but hasn’t been there lately. Something about her daughter’s broken leg.”

  She couldn’t help laughing out loud. “My goodness, Lauritz. You’re forty years old, and you’ve never learned how to do laundry? How is that possible?” She covered her mouth and bit her tongue to stop her laughter. “It sure is great you have so much spare time, so you can sit down with the manual. It’s in one of the drawers here.”

  At that moment, Preben entered the door. He embraced her with a kiss. “Who’s he?” He turned to Lauritz and looked at the stranger suspiciously.

  “My brother,” she said, pulling the roast out of the oven.

  They shook hands. She couldn’t imagine they would be the best of friends anytime soon. They were very different.

  Then Mathilde and Christel appeared. And Ted, who Preben took over at once.

  “How you’ve grown in just a day.” He was utterly lost in the baby, and Bettina rolled her eyes. Not even newborns grew in one day. At least not that you could see.

  “Why not use the dining room? There’s so many of us.” Lauritz got up. “Can’t you get the food on the table soon? The roast is lying there getting cold.” He was tired of all the baby pampering and eager to eat.

  She saw the sense in it and asked them to set the table in the dining room. “Anneli, bring some drinks.”

  “Why do you eat in the kitchen when you have a stranger as a guest?” Lauritz wanted to know. He had pulled her aside when they were alone in the kitchen. She had hoped to avoid that question.

  “It’s Preben’s ex-wife.”

  “Huh?”

  “You heard me.” There was no way she would repeat it.

  “Father said you were engaged. But he didn’t mention that your betrothed still has a relationship with his ex-wife.” He chuckled.

  She didn’t find it funny. The situation was bad enough as it was, she hoped he wasn’t going to make it worse.

  “Ted isn’t his.”

  “That’s what you think.” He laughed even more before disappearing into the dining room with the others.

  She was embarrassed by her detestable brother. It was kind of weird. They had been raised the same way and under the same circumstances. But only one of them had turned out so horrible.

  The conversation around the table was lively, and it turned into a long dinner. Most of it was about the baby. Lauritz didn’t say much but ate all the more. Preben rocked and played with Ted, and ate less. Bettina pierced a bit of parsnip with her fork, but had lost her appetite. She was no longer a part of her own life. Everything was about the needs of others. What she wanted, she wasn’t even sure of. She had almost forgotten about the wedding. They couldn’t agree, so it was easier to postpone the preparations than take action. She knew this wasn’t how it was supposed to be. She was fond of Preben; she loved him. The question was if she loved him enough. Was he the great love of her life? She didn’t know the answer. Maybe the question in itself was answer enough.

  Her thoughts were interrupted by Anneli, who talked Preben into handing Ted to her. It was so nice to see her with the baby. See how much she enjoyed spending time with him. Should she deprive her daughter of this joy? If she married Preben, that would be the result. She just had to face it. But if she broke off the engagement, she would be no better than Christel. It was literally what she had done – left her husband because he couldn’t make her pregnant. That was the brutal truth. She didn’t know if they had considered adoption or other ways to have children, and she didn’t plan on asking. She had no right to get involved; it was their private life.

  She didn’t have an easy decision ahead of her. She had to search deep inside herself, and be honest about her feelings. Not only her feelings for Preben, but for everything a marriage with him would entail.

  “I intend to move home on Saturday,” Christel said when they got up to clear the table. “I have to get settled at home. My plants are probably all dead.”

  Several faces looked at her as if the thought had never occurred to them. “That’s sad,” Anneli said. “But you’ll visit with Ted?”

  She smiled friendly. “I would like that.”

  “Can’t you stay a little longer?” Preben asked. He was standing with a severe look on his face. He must have realized that he wouldn’t be seeing them again.

  “It’s for the best if we leave now. You need time together. Think about the wedding that needs to be planned. There’s more than enough to get started on.” Christel laughed, but it was fake laughter that Bettina didn’t buy.

  “We would like you to stay longer, but I understand it’ll be good for you to get home with Ted,” she said. “You know where we are if you change your mind.”

  “Thanks.”

  Anneli had to bike to handball practice, so Preben took the baby into the living room to play. Mathilde followed with her glass of sherry. Lauritz shuffled after them and resumed reading his magazine.

  “Are you interested in cars, Preben?”

  “More in bikes,” he said and stroked the baby’s light, nearly invisible tufts of hair.

  “Really?” Intrigued, Lauritz looked up from the magazine.

  “I have a Ducati in the garage. Have a look, if you want.”

  “I’d love to. Come on.” He got up and walked to the door.

  “Later.” Preben was lying on the floor, playing with Ted. Or rather, he was playing, and Ted was just lying there.

  Bettina entered the living room and was bewildered by the scene. There were toys everywhere, more than he had originally bought. And when had he become more interested in a baby than his bike? This was something entirely new, and alarming. His bike had always come first, even before her. She wasn’t sure what to think of this new development.

  “All good, Aunt?” she asked to focus on something else.

  Mathilde nodded and sipped her sherry. “It’s nice with so much life in the house. That was the intention when we planned the guesthouse. I’ve been feeling some pain in my heart again, but it seems to be over.”

  Bettina was alarmed. She had forgotten about her aunt with everything else going on. “Should we get the doctor to have a look at you again?”

  Mathilde shook her head firmly, and her sherry sloshed about the glass. “I’m fine now. I’ll let you know if I feel unwell again.”

  Bettina couldn’t make her, so she gave up. Right now she had other things to figure out, not meet the attractive doctor. She liked him a lot but didn’t want to involve him in all this. Her relationship with Preben didn’t have anything to do with Erik. But there was a small voice telling her that it did. She had to see the big picture. The kisses they had shared were unforgettable. Deep down she knew that the butterflies she felt around Erik were considerably livelier than the ones she felt when her fiancé was present. And that was not ok. She had to figure this out and decide what she wanted.

  ***

  Lauritz was back. “Cool bike.”

  “Right?” Bettina’s fiancé was crawling around the floor while making strange noises. Then a musical tractor started playing a song that was unfamiliar to him. Must be some modern stuff. They didn’t have toys like that when he was little. Back then, they played with proper tractors that could be used in the sandbox and do real work. And what was Preben doing on the floor with the child? He was more infatuated with the boy and his mother than Bettina. Wasn’t he engaged to her? He may have misunderstood. Well, he wasn’t one to speak. Sometimes there were several women in his life. It was great to get a break from everything, even thou
gh he missed their company already.

  He refilled his whiskey glass and took a gulp. If only it weren’t so boring here. No bars or nightlife. Nothing happened in this silly town. He might consider his sister’s suggestion and open a bar. No, he had to focus more on Mathilde. As soon as she recognized the inheritance belonged to him, he would be on the first plane home. He didn’t want to bring it up himself. The old woman wouldn’t like that. That could go all wrong. She was getting there now, wonderful as he had been to her. Not that he would want to live here, far from it. He would sell his part of the property to his parents, who had more than enough money, and be left with a sizeable profit. Then he could inherit from them in time, and thereby inherit twice. Genius, you couldn’t ask for more. He couldn’t wait to continue the good life under the Spanish sun, with no worries in sight, and with cheap booze, which was easily accessible. And some women to keep him warm when the Spanish nights turned cool.

  20

  It was a lovely day in Solvik. The sun was shining in a mostly clear sky, and there was no wind. The fall was at its most stunning with colorful trees and leaves that gleamed in the sunshine. Dinner was over, and Preben, who had arrived for the weekend, had suggested taking Ted out for his very first walk in the stroller. He had invited all of them to witness the big event, but only Christel had accepted. She hadn’t planned on testing the stroller before going home the next day, but she let him persuade her. She couldn’t say no, as eager as Preben was. It would look peculiar if he were to walk Ted alone, without his mother, on his first walk. Bettina no longer thought anything was peculiar. Those days were over. But she had been thinking.

  She looked at her watch. Half past six. Mathilde had gone upstairs to rest right after dinner. A few minutes later, Lauritz had announced that he needed to talk to her. What they would talk about was unclear. Wasn’t the will all set and done? That was what he claimed. He had been out for several hours earlier in the day. Had he managed to do the paperwork already, or was he doing it now? His visit upstairs had lasted almost two hours. They had nothing in common. What could they be discussing for so long? Bettina had a bad feeling about this. She felt uneasy not knowing anything, and even more uneasy not to be in control of her future.

  Finally, Lauritz showed up. He went straight over to the whiskey bottle and filled a glass. “Where’s your wine?”

  She was holding a full cup of coffee in her hands. “I don’t have any.”

  “Then you’ll have to toast with coffee.” He raised his glass.

  She could tell he was in high spirits. “Toasting what?”

  He grinned. “The will being changed to my advantage. We’ll be partners when the old bag dies. Cheers.” He clinked his glass with her coffee cup.

  “Don’t talk like that. Mathilde is not a teenager, but she’s not old.” She felt dizzy and had to sit down.

  “No, but she’s not in good health.” He gave her an unscrupulous look and smirked. “I’m leaving for Spain on Monday.” With that, he disappeared upstairs to his room.

  Bettina was left with mixed feelings. She was glad he was leaving after the weekend. And disappointed that she would have to cooperate and work with Lauritz for the rest of her life. She could feel tears threatening. How was she supposed to do that? She had a hard time accepting his manner, after only two days in his company. And they were supposed to live together, share everything, and run the guesthouse as partners. The thought seemed distant, and not at all feasible.

  And where was he planning to stay? There were no vacant rooms in the house. The six guest rooms were meant for the guests. He would have to use the attic. It was filled with their aunt’s belongings and embroideries. And it was crowded, it would take a lot of work to refurbish it. The attic neither had a bathroom nor connected water.

  She was getting a headache thinking about it and decided not to dwell upon it. She had been pretty clever not to worry too much in advance and wasn’t planning on starting now. That was when it hit her that he was presumably planning to take over Aunt Mathilde’s apartment. She had been mulling over the possibilities herself. She touched her forehead when it dawned on her that Lauritz would rig everything to his advantage, as he had always done. She would have to come to terms with it, unless she was ready for a fight.

  Bettina heard laughter from the yard. She went over to the living room window. The happy little family was back. Yes, that was exactly what it looked like. She shook her head while studying them in secret from behind the curtain. Christel carefully lifted Ted out of the stroller. Preben parked the stroller in the garage as if it was just as valuable as the motorbike that was hidden there so as not to attract burglars. He’d slipped right into the role of father of the child. But he wasn’t Ted’s father. On second thought, it didn’t matter in this case. As long as the child had an unknown donor-father, it was fair game. The only obstacle was that he was Bettina’s fiancé. They were getting married. Christel had had her chance, and she had chosen to leave him. And tomorrow she was going home, to give them time to plan their wedding. It was considerate of her. But Bettina felt this wasn’t right. She was sure that if Christel knew Preben was single and available, they would easily reconnect. It didn’t seem like the troublesome years had destroyed their love, but rather the opposite. It looked like the hurtful and bitter feelings were forgotten. They were close friends, and nothing was better than that. Bettina started realizing she couldn’t stand in the way of their happiness. She had been wondering if she was using Anneli as an excuse to break off the engagement, since she wanted siblings. Her daughter’s desires were of importance, but she had to admit that her own feelings for her fiancé weren’t as strong as they should be. In all honesty, Christel and Preben’s feelings for each other were the strongest. The only sensible thing to do was to let go of him. She had hoped they would get closer here in Solvik, and have time to get to know each other better. They had, but the result hadn’t been entirely positive. She knew now that they weren’t right for each other. He loved speed and suspense and wasn’t made for life out here. She had suspected this for some time, but fully understood it now. She liked this peaceful town where many of the folks knew each other and greeted one another on the street. The quiet mornings, when she could take a dip in the sea outside the house, gave her peace of mind. Unlike her, Christel had the same interests as Preben. She couldn’t wait for Ted to be old enough to participate in some fast-paced activity with her. Bettina could feel how painful it was to think of all this. She was fond of Preben, but she didn’t love him enough. How much was enough? She didn’t know the answer to that, but she knew this wasn’t enough. She had to have the difficult conversation with her fiancé tonight. There was no point in postponing it, now she knew how she was feeling.

  Bettina went out to meet them. “Let me help you,” she said and lifted Ted out of his mother’s arms. He was still inside the warm sleeping bag Preben had bought.

  “Thanks, I’m going to take off my jacket.”

  “Did you have a nice walk?” She pulled down the zipper of the bag.

  “Gorgeous. This town has so many cute streets and alleys. I’m going to miss it when I leave.” Christel took the baby. “I suppose it’s time for food again. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Bettina was glad to get some alone time with Preben, and the living room was abandoned. She was dreading this conversation, but it was necessary. They got drinks and a bowl of peanuts and sat on the sofa.

  “How was your walk?” She took a mouthful of cold wine. He seemed distant, and she didn’t know how to interpret it.

  “Great. It’s charming here.”

  “But it’s too quiet for you, isn’t it?” It was best to cut to the chase.

  “It’s not just that. I get so restless when nothing is going on around me.” He pulled his fingers through his hair that badly needed a haircut. He took a gulp of his beer and leaned back.

  “What will happen once we’re married and you live here permanently?” She was getting slightly off track, bu
t this wasn’t an easy conversation.

  “Don’t know. It’s still months until spring.” He took a handful of nuts and chewed them thoroughly, one by one. He was short on ideas and seemed reluctant. Apparently, she had to take the initiative.

  “You’re very infatuated with Christel and the baby.”

  He appeared awkward, or was he nervous?

  “I suppose it’s natural.”

  Was it? This tremendous interest of his wasn’t natural.

  “Considering the circumstances,” he added, and moved anxiously on the sofa. It was easy to tell he didn’t like discussing this. And what circumstances was he talking about? The fact that he had been married to Christel didn’t give him the right to become a part of her life again, just like that. Not as long as he was engaged to someone else. It wasn’t fair to either of them. She had a hard time understanding how his mind worked.

  “What’s going to happen when they leave tomorrow? You won’t see them again.”

  Preben’s face turned a deep purple shade, which didn’t look good with his red shirt. She preferred colors to match. He didn’t say a word. She got more and more frustrated. Couldn’t he tell her how he felt or was he scared to hurt her feelings?

  “I’ve become attached to Ted,” he eventually said and went to the kitchen to get another beer. He seemed tense and not like himself. She suspected that he had become attached to more than the baby. Could he not admit it? Did she have to drag it out of him? She felt like she had put her own feelings aside. The goal was to make sense of all this mess. She would worry about herself later.

  “I think you’ve fallen in love with Christel again.” Or maybe he had never forgotten her. It was hurtful to think of, but the chances were there.

  Preben gasped, and she could see the sweat appear on his forehead. It was not at all attractive, and she was annoyed at herself for noticing this now, in such a difficult situation.

  “What makes you say that?” He played with the peanuts in his hand, before putting all of them in his mouth.