Did I Mention I Won The Lottery?

by Julie Butterfield

  ‘The bank phoned me.’

  He stiffened, turning his back towards her and staring at the rapidly emptying brandy bottle.

  ‘They told me about your visit.’

  He shrugged. ‘I told you it was too much money to give them Bec. I made it quite clear that we were going to have to scale down this 'trust' of yours.’

  ‘And I had a visit from Homeland ...’

  ‘Homefront.’ he interrupted.

  ‘I had a visit from someone with a for sale sign that they wanted to put on my drive.’

  ‘For God's sake Bec! Don't you listen to anything I say? I made it quite clear that the house would need to be sold. The trust was too much and the house was too much. We need to be in Darlington. We need to move back there. You shouldn't have bought this house and I told you that we were going to sell it and I told you...’

  ‘Shut up.’

  ‘And I told you...what?’

  ‘I said shut up Daniel.’

  He glared at her, his face turning dark and his mouth opening to respond.

  ‘You need to shut up and listen Daniel. Because I made it quite clear to you that the trust fund would go ahead and I would not be selling this house. No!’ she added as Daniel started to splutter in anger. ‘Like I said Daniel you really need to shut up and listen for a change. I have decided that I will give a substantial amount of the money I won to my children. I bought this house because I wanted it. And neither of those things are going to change Daniel. Neither of them.’

  ‘Who the bloody hell do you think you are to start telling me what we will and won't do!’ his voice erupted with rage. ‘I will decide where we live, I will decide what we'll spend the money on! We've already established that you know nothing about business and finance. You know nothing Rebecca. Nothing!’ he spat. ‘You've made a complete mess of everything you've tried to do since you won that money and it's time you let me take over. When I buy...’

  ‘No.’

  So calm, so quiet and yet the single word filled the kitchen.

  ‘No Daniel. You do not decide what we are doing with this money. This is my money and I will decide.’

  ‘Yours! Oh now we're getting to the truth. That was the problem all along wasn't it Bec? All that rubbish about not being able to find the right time and place to tell me. You didn't want to tell me. You didn't want me to know. Well, let me tell you,’ he walked towards her, his face contorted with anger. ‘What's yours is mine and that money is as much mine as yours. I have an absolute right to it and tomorrow we stop messing about and you will move it all over into our joint account. Tomorrow Bec, no more excuses, no more pathetic excuses, tomorrow it goes into our account.’

  ‘No.’

  Again. Quiet, controlled, steady. Five years of 'no's coming to the fore.

  ‘No Daniel,’ she was beginning to enjoy the sound of that word on her tongue. ‘No that is not what is going to happen. You're mistaken you see. The money is totally mine. You have no right or say over it what so ever.’

  She watched him gape at her in disbelief, whether at the news or her defiance she didn't know but she could see him gearing up for another onslaught.

  ‘Don't you want to know why Helen came round?’

  He stopped. ‘What?’

  ‘You always ask what we've talked about whenever I see Helen or Emma. You always want to know what we've discussed, where we went, what we did. You want every detail of the conversation. Don't you want to know what we talked about this time Daniel?’

  She saw the fear flash across his face, the sudden uncertainty in his gaze.

  He shrugged his shoulders. ‘I imagine it was nothing but idle malicious gossip. That's all those two are any good for. Spreading trouble.’

  Rebecca smiled.

  ‘Fortunately for you Daniel both of them are far from that.’

  He was standing quite rigid by the kitchen work surface, his hands fiddling with the glass he still held, his gaze anywhere but on Rebecca.

  She let the silence linger, spreading over the kitchen and the two people standing there.

  ‘She told me about your affair Daniel.’

  His head shot up, he met her eyes as he threw the glass onto the black surface.

  ‘Affair! What the hell are you talking about? Affair! I told you that woman is poison. She ...’

  ‘She told me about the affair Daniel. She told me about Christine and the hotel. About explaining to Helen and Emma that I didn't want to talk about it. About pretending that we were going to Darlington because I wanted to escape the village.’

  Daniel stared at her, his mouth opening but nothing coming out.

  ‘She told me the whole sordid story Daniel. Every last detail. And I told her my story. The story of how I left the house I loved in a place where I was happy, uprooted my children from their school and their friends and moved to Darlington because I actually admired the fact that you would make such a sacrifice for the family. I told her how I had spent five miserable years up there hating myself for hating my life. Hating you for making me live that life but never prepared to walk away because you had made the same sacrifice, you had been prepared to do whatever you needed to support your family.’

  The fight suddenly disappeared from him. Before Rebecca's eyes he shrank. All the bluff and bluster went. The anger, the hate. It all went and in a matter of seconds he looked almost identical to the Daniel she had loved for so many years. He had put on weight, his face was a little jowly, his hair slightly thinning. But the posture he had adopted for the last five years, the thorny nature, it all disappeared before her eyes. His eyes were full of sorrow, His face full of regret and he shook his head as he half held out his hand before letting it drop to his side.

  ‘I'm sorry Rebecca,’ he said simply. ‘I'm so sorry.’

  The phone rang. It echoed around the house but neither of them moved.

  ‘You'd better answer it. It may be important,’ instructed Rebecca and sank back down on her settee.

  Daniel didn't move for a moment then slowly, sluggishly he reached out for the phone.

  ‘Hello? Oh hello Tom.’

  Rebecca could hear the muted voice of Tom White speaking on the phone. She watched Daniel's face as he nodded silently, his eyes closed.

  ‘Okay, I see. Yes, that's fine. Thanks,’ and he hung up the phone.

  Neither spoke for a moment as Daniel pulled out one of the kitchen chairs and sat down heavily.

  ‘That was Tom White,’ he said unnecessarily. ‘He's not taking my offer. Doesn't want to sell.’

  When Rebecca had pleaded with Tom White to say no, offered him a million pounds to say no, she had it in mind that she could still save her marriage.

  ‘I asked him to turn the offer down.’

  Daniel frowned. ‘What?’

  ‘I asked him to say no. Actually I didn't ask him, I told him to say no because I wouldn't fund the sale.’

  Rebecca didn't mention the bribe she was prepared to offer. There could be too much honesty.

  It was a sign of the change in Daniel that he just smiled ruefully. ‘I see.’

  ‘And in case you're wondering, I spoke to him before I found out about your affair.’

  Daniel nodded.

  ‘I saw Holly in Leeds. She told me about your visit and your threats to the staff. I couldn't stand by and let you do that Daniel. It wasn't right.’

  His face was flushed with shame and he squeezed his eyes shut.

  ‘I think it was probably the right decision Bec.’

  Rebecca nodded. She watched him slide back in the chair, looking up at the ceiling. She remembered him sitting like that in the house in Leeds. He would stare at the ceiling for inspiration then wink at her and admit he hadn't got a clue.

  ‘Why did you do it Daniel?’

  He winced. ‘For all the wrong reasons Bec darling.’

  He used to call her darling all the time. He would come home and wrap his arms round her and kiss her and tell her about his day. It was always
long and tedious and grumbly but Rebecca had never minded. She would carry on cooking, making all the right noises in all the right places and when he finished he would kiss her again and tell her that it was a good job he had his best friend to come home to at the end of the day.

  ‘How could you destroy everything that we had?’ she whispered. ‘How could you Daniel?’

  Daniel's face was full of sadness. ‘I was worried about work, I just didn't seem to be making the same connection with people. Business was down, my sales were down.’

  ‘So you slept with Christine Myland?’ Rebecca asked caustically.

  ‘Yes.’

  Rebecca's eyebrows shot up. ‘You had an affair because you were worried about work?’

  ‘I know it sounds too simple Bec, but that's exactly why I slept with her. I just couldn't bring myself to tell you that things weren't going so well. I didn't want to see the disappointment in your face….’

  ‘Don't you dare blame me Daniel!’

  ‘No,’ he added hastily, ‘it wasn't your fault Rebecca. It was never your fault. She was there one evening at a party. I can't even remember whose it was. And she was flirting with me and just for a few hours I could forget about everything, forget about the mortgage and the job and the problems.’

  He saw Rebecca's face darken. ‘I know Bec! I know. I was a married man with responsibilities I wasn't supposed to forget about them. I'm not trying to defend myself I'm just telling you what happened.’

  Rebecca nodded stiffly. ‘Go on.’

  ‘Well she suggested that we meet for a drink and even as I said yes I knew where it would lead. I almost phoned her half a dozen times to cancel but ... well I turned up.’

  ‘And that's when you started the affair.’

  It was a statement not a question.

  Daniel nodded.

  ‘For a few hours every week it was like I was someone else. And I started to need it.’

  Rebecca heard her heart make a little cracking noise.

  ‘You needed her more than you needed me?’

  Daniel paused.

  ‘More than you needed me Daniel?’

  He nodded. ‘I had always needed you Bec. Always. But I suppose I had started to feel that maybe you didn't need me. It was stupid and foolish and I have regretted it every day since but I started to need those hours of being someone different. Of being someone who had no problems, who only had to turn up to make her smile, whose only responsibility was to keep going to the bar and keep laughing and smiling.’

  Rebecca stood up and walked to the brandy bottle, pouring herself a glass. ‘And when you were found out?’

  Daniel groaned. ‘It's the classic case of realising when you're about to lose something or someone just how much they mean to you. I couldn't let you find out Bec. I just couldn't take the risk that you would know what I had done. I couldn't bear to see the hurt on your face, I couldn't live with the thought that I could have risked our marriage like that.’

  ‘So you lied.’

  Again not a question but a statement.

  Daniel hung his head. ‘I thought it might work. I truly thought if I could get you away fast enough it might work.’

  ‘You didn't think anyone would tell me?’

  He laughed, a wry laugh. ‘It worked for 5 years Bec.’

  Rebecca stood in the dark kitchen and stared at the man she had loved.

  ‘But why did you change so much Daniel. If you loved me and wanted to save our marriage, why did you stop being the man I loved?’

  Daniel stood up, his shadow looming over Rebecca. ‘I hated myself Bec,’ he said simply. ‘I think I became everything that I despised because I truly hated myself. In my head I was a monster and I started behaving like one.’

  Rebecca shook her head. It wasn't enough. He had loved her. He had made the move to protect her. He had wanted to save their marriage. And yet he had become the very opposite of everything she had loved.

  ‘I don't think I understand Daniel. I really don't think I understand.’

  And as she turned and walked out of the door she heard him say softly behind her, ‘I don't understand either my darling.’

  Fifteen minutes later Tom White rang on Rebecca's mobile phone.

  ‘Rebecca my dear, I'm sure that by now you will know I have said no to Daniel's offer.’

  ‘Yes, I do. Thank you Tom. About the money I'll….’

  ‘Oh no, no, no. I didn't do it for the money Rebecca. I admit I considered selling the business. It would be a lot of money to put into the family coffers. But I would never have gone through with it. Like you Rebecca, I knew that White's needed protecting from Daniel. I don't want your money. The matter is now closed.’

  And saying goodbye he hung up.

  A few minutes later Helen's soft tones came on the line.

  ‘Are you okay sweetheart?’

  Rebecca nodded and then remembered to speak. ‘I'm okay Helen. I'm okay.’

  ‘Remember, if you need me...’

  Rebecca wasn't quite sure what she needed at the moment. She was angry, sad, angry again. She felt a huge bitterness at essentially losing five years of her life and also for the effect it had had on her children. She relived the years in Darlington over and over again in her head to see if she had missed the signs. Should she have realised she wondered? Was he trying to tell her all that time? She thought about the Daniel she had known before and the Daniel he had become and wondered if she had helped create the monster. And most of all Rebecca couldn't help wondering what would have happened if she hadn't won 15.7 million pounds on the lottery. She would still be in Darlington living a lie, hating her life and having no idea what to do about it.

  She looked around her beautiful home and smiled a sad little smile. It wasn't just a house the money had bought her. Maybe, just maybe it was a chance to get her life back.

  Chapter 22

  Summer had most definitely arrived. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and the air was full of the smell of freshly cut grass and barbecues. Rebecca smiled as she drove towards Parklands. It had been a long, cold and miserable winter in more ways than one and she relished the feel of the warm air on her face through the open window. She swung the 4X4 into the driveway and parked outside the front door. On the surface Parklands looked exactly the same as it always had. The gardens had always been well maintained, in part due to the residents who loved to spend the odd afternoon pruning and weeding. But inside the improvements were many and continuing.

  The decorators had been called in and room by room they were working their magic. Scaffolding had to be used due to the high ceilings and rooms had been closed to residents for a while but gradually all the old cornices had been repaired and restored, the ceiling roses had been returned to their former glory, the chandeliers rescued and cleaned and the walls were now free of peeling paint and damp spots. The downstairs was almost complete and the rooms were returned to their former glory, fresh, welcoming and gracious.

  Grabbing a couple of boxes from the back of her car, Rebecca peeped into what had been the events room. Tired and shabby with old magazines covering aged coffee tables and walls in desperate need of a good coat of paint, it had still been a lovely large room with French windows opening onto the rose garden outside and had been the setting for the occasional game of bingo and a sing song. It was hardly recognisable now. Cleaned, decorated and restored, it was now full of comfy armchairs and fresh flowers. It also held a couple of huge pine tables where various demonstrators would come along and give lessons or talks. At the moment the room was full and Rebecca could see Gwen amongst the crowd, engrossed as she painted roses on a porcelain cup. Several of the residents were taking the class but the majority of the group were day visitors who now came in steady and welcoming numbers to partake in the activities Parkland offered and helped greatly in the balancing of the books at the end of each month.

  Nodding in satisfaction Rebecca headed to Mrs Wendover's office where the manager of Parklands was sippin
g a coffee as she looked through a magazine.

  ‘Rebecca!’ Brenda threw down the magazine and reached out to take one of the boxes. ‘I wasn't expecting you today.’

  Rebecca glanced down at the magazine, interiors for larger homes and smiled. On the desk was a small stack of similar titles and by the side of the desk stood another stack of paper samples and scraps of fabric.

  The top floor was still undergoing renovation and the lift needed to be extended to reach the new rooms but eventually they would have at least 6 large suites all with their own bathrooms. The bathrooms would be new and shiny and the rooms themselves decorated in keeping with the proportion and style of Parklands. They had decided that it was only fair to carry out similar redecoration on the existing bedrooms and as word had gotten out many of the residents had approached Brenda to give her little pieces of fabric or pictures of how they would like their room to look.