Storm Rising

by Rachael Richey

  Roger lowered his paper and shook his head. “No, here, have mine,” and he handed his reading glasses to his wife. She perched them on the end of her nose and peered at the screen.

  “Oh, he says he’s coming back tomorrow, with my car. About time. And he says can he bring Abi with him.” She glanced at Roger. “That sounds promising, doesn’t it? I’ll say yes, of course.” She carried on reading. “He says he’s got some rather shocking news.” Her eyes lit up. “D’you think they’re getting married?”

  Roger gave her a look. “That would scarcely be classed as shocking, surely?” he said. “Would you be shocked by that? I wouldn’t. It must be something more interesting.”

  Caroline looked surprised. “That would be interesting! Our son arrives home for the first time in years, meets up with his girl friend of ten years ago, and then gets married. That seems pretty interesting to me.”

  “But not shocking, darling,” said Roger patiently. “Trust me, it’ll be something else. Now give me my glasses back, and go and make them a cake.”

  Caroline laughed and handed the glasses over.

  “You know me so well,” she said and left the room in the direction of the kitchen.

  ****

  When Simon arrived back at his mother’s house late on Thursday, he had taken to his bed and not re-appeared until Saturday lunchtime. Josephine came back from shopping to find him slumped on the sofa watching the racing, a can of lager in one hand and a joint in the other.

  “Simon,” she snapped, dropping her shopping on the floor. “I told you I won’t have that stuff in the house. Put it out now.” Simon shrugged and stubbed it out in the ashtray without looking at her. She picked up the shopping again and carried it to the kitchen. As she put it away, she called to him, “And if you’re going to stay here, you can pull your weight a bit more. You stayed in bed all day yesterday, and the house is a tip.” She walked to the door and poked her head around it. “Did you find Gideon and Abi?”

  Simon finally looked at her. “You should have told me he was at her house,” he said in an accusatory manner. “That was a fucking wasted journey.”

  “I would have told you if you’d hung around to listen,” said his mother mildly. “Why was it wasted? Had they gone?”

  “Yes, of course they’d bloody gone,” Simon snapped. “But that’s not the point. If he’d already got to her, then there was no point in my finding him. It’s too late now. He’ll already know everything.”

  Josephine looked at her son suspiciously.

  “Simon, what have you done? Were you trying to keep Abi and Gideon apart for some reason?”

  “Yeah,” said Simon, after a moment’s hesitation.

  His mother sighed and sat down on the sofa next to him.

  “Okay. Tell me everything,” she said wearily.

  Simon looked at her with dislike and shook his head. “None of your business,” he said rudely.

  Josephine pursed her lips. “Well, if that’s your attitude,” she said sharply, “you can leave now. I will not be spoken to like that in my own home, by my own son.”

  Simon sighed and attempted to smile at her.

  “Sorry, Mum,” he said impatiently. “But you really wouldn’t be interested.”

  “Try me. Maybe I can help,” she said, attempting to keep her temper. “I know you never liked Gideon seeing Abi, but surely you’ve got over that by now.”

  Simon looked directly at her. “Okay,” he said in exasperation. “You want to know what it is, I’ll tell you. When we first went to America on tour in ’95, Gideon was madly in love with her, and he wrote to her nearly every day. It was pathetic. She was only just sixteen, as if it was going to last anyway.” He glanced slyly at his mother. “She wrote to him via the record company, you know, like you did, and I used to collect the mail they sent across to us. I didn’t give Gideon the letters from her. I kept them all, so he thought she never wrote to him.”

  Josephine sat up and stared at him. “Simon Dean, how could you do something so wrong?” She gasped in horror. “You let that poor boy think his girl had deserted him? And what on earth would she have thought? She must have known he hadn’t received her letters.”

  Simon was silent for a moment. “Actually, she didn’t get his, either, but that wasn’t my fault. I don’t know why that was,” he said defensively.

  Josephine frowned at him. “How d’you know that?”

  Simon shook his head. “Doesn’t matter,” he muttered, leaning back and staring at the television again. His mother picked up the remote control and turned it off.

  “Simon, how do you know? Did you read her letters?” she demanded, her face like thunder.

  Simon looked slightly nervous. “Not at the time,” he said at once. “But when he said he was going to look her up again last week, I opened the first one.” His mother gasped. “And then I had to open the last one, ’cause of what the first one said.”

  “What did the first one say, Simon?” Her voice was icy.

  “She told him she was pregnant,” he said bleakly.

  There was a long silence. Josephine stood up.

  “I have never been more ashamed of anyone in my entire life,” she said coldly. “You realise you may have ruined two people’s lives, their whole chance of happiness, with your meddling?” She paused. “So Abi and Gideon have a child?”

  Simon shook his head. “No,” he said slowly. “In the last letter, she said it died.”

  Josephine took a deep breath. “I remember some story about Abi way back then. Never did know what it was.” She stared at her son. “So she went through that whole tragic time on her own, believing Gideon had left her?”

  “Not my fault she didn’t get his letters,” whined Simon.

  “But it was your fault Gideon didn’t get hers. If he’d known about the baby, he would’ve been over here like a shot, if I know him,” Josephine said firmly. “Now get out of my house at once. You’re no son of mine.” She turned her back on him, walked into the kitchen, and closed the door.

  ****

  “So you’ll call me when you reach Gideon’s parents’ house, then?” Judy asked as she gave Abi a hug at the caravan door. “And let me know what you’re planning to do on Monday?”

  Abi nodded and grabbed Judy’s hand. “Yeah, of course I will. And Judy, thank you. You’ve been marvellous. I couldn’t have got through the last ten years without you.”

  Judy grinned. “Believe me, you couldn’t have got through the previous ten years without me, either,” she said with a chuckle. “I’ve spent my whole life getting you out of scrapes.”

  Abi laughed and nodded. “Yes, you have. I love you, Judy.”

  The two friends hugged again briefly, and then with a wave Judy disappeared down the steps and got into her car. Abi closed the door and wandered back into the living area. Gideon was sitting on the floor in front of the fire again, setting up a game of Connect 4.

  Abi stared at him. “What are you doing?”

  He looked up and grinned. “Got to break the curse of Connect 4,” he said. “Come on, sit down.”

  Abi laughed and sat down cross-legged opposite him.

  “Okay, then. Bring it on,” she said beaming affectionately at him.

  As they played, Abi watched Gideon. He had finally got dressed, in black jeans and a black T-shirt, and was looking dark and moody. His shoulder-length hair was clean and shiny, and the sight of his muscular brown arms reaching out towards the game made her tummy tingle. She dropped her counter in the top of the grid and smiled shyly at him.

  “D’you realise,” she said, “that last night was the first whole night we’ve spent together?”

  Gideon dropped his counter in on top of hers.

  “I win,” he said with a self-satisfied smirk. “Yep, I had realised. Fun, wasn’t it? Shall we do it again?”

  Abi crawled round to the other side of the grid and kissed him on the lips.

  “Yes,” she said simply. “I think we should. And
again…and again…”

  She wound her arms around his neck and began gently nibbling his earlobe. His hand came up and brushed lightly across her breast before sliding round and cupping the back of her head. Their lips locked and they both moaned with pleasure as they sank to the floor to consummate their love.

  Chapter 24

  Sunday, 27th November 2005

  As they sped along the A337 between Brockenhurst and Lymington, Abi glanced anxiously at Gideon.

  “Won’t your parents mind me coming?” she asked.

  He smiled at her. “’Course not. They always liked you, and I think we’ve established that you’re a lot nicer now than you were back then, so—” He broke off as she slapped his arm.

  “Gideon! What a thing to say! I’ve always been nice.” She paused. “Well, maybe I’m a bit more laid back these days…”

  Gideon chuckled. “I love you,” he said simply and flicked the indicator as they approached his parents’ turning. “My mother’s probably hoping we’re going to announce our engagement, and my father will no doubt tease you mercilessly. However, when they discover what we actually have to tell them… I shall be very interested in their reaction.”

  Abi shivered a little and wrapped her arms around herself. Turning up at the house of someone you’d only met on a couple of occasions eleven years earlier, and announcing to them that you’re the mother of their grandchild who is now nearly ten years old, seemed to Abi to be a little stressful, so she was dearly hoping that Gideon would do all the talking. She was also hoping he was correct in his assumption that they liked her. She looked over at him.

  “By the way,” she asked with a frown, “how come the press never tracked you to your parents’ house?”

  Gideon shrugged. “Oh, Dad’s got connections.”

  Abi looked puzzled. “What sort of connections?”

  “Government, MI5,” he said, as they bumped over a cattle grid.

  “MI5?” gasped Abi. “Your father’s a spy?”

  “Not exactly. That’s more MI6,” he said. “MI5 is just internal security. They made sure Mum and Dad can live here without being bothered. Pretty useful, really.”

  Abi stared at him. “How on earth did he get into that?”

  “Got recruited at Oxford, I think. He’s worked for them on and off for years. Never really able to talk much about it, though… In fact, I’ll probably have to kill you, now I’ve told you.” He grinned again. “Here we are. This is it.” He slowed down on the long gravel drive that led up to the front of the house.

  Abi began to feel even more nervous. She was suddenly very aware of the differences between Gideon’s background and her own, and felt extremely vulnerable. Neither of her parents had been to university. In fact, she was the first in her family to stay at school for Sixth Form. She tried to imagine her father having a conversation with Gideon’s father, and failed miserably. The car came to a halt in front of the pillared front door, and Gideon switched off the engine. He looked at her and smiled.

  “It’s okay. They don’t bite.” Then he opened the door and jumped out.

  Abi followed suit, and they walked up to the front door together. As they approached, the door opened and Caroline stood there smiling at them. She held out her arms.

  “Abi, how lovely to see you again,” she said and gave the younger woman a peck on each cheek. She turned to Gideon. “So you finally bring my car back! It was most disconcerting to see it on the news.” She grinned. “But quite fun, too. Now come on in, and have some tea. Or would you prefer coffee, Abi? We’ve got both.”

  “Tea would be lovely, thank you, Mrs. Hawk,” said Abi shyly, following her hostess into the large hallway.

  Caroline laughed. “Oh, call me Caroline, please,” she said. “Mrs. Hawk always makes me feel old.”

  “You are old,” came a voice from a doorway to the left, and Abi looked up to see Gideon’s father smiling at them. He advanced and shook Gideon by the hand.

  “Good to have you back, son. Glad you managed to escape those bloody media blokes. Would have got some of my friends onto them if you hadn’t got away. Good time in Wales?” he asked, leaning forward and shaking Abi’s hand as well.

  “Yes, thanks, Dad, it was more relaxing, anyway.” Gideon gave him a grin. “The escape from Sennen was actually quite fun, though.”

  Abi gave him a look, and Roger laughed.

  “Okay, then, come on in to the drawing room. We’ve got the fire lit.” He led the way into the huge wood-panelled room, where a welcoming log fire was roaring in the grate, a large chocolate Labrador asleep in front of it. “Don’t mind Berwick. He thinks he owns the house,” Roger said as he stepped over him and took his chair on the other side of the fire.

  Abi smiled at the dog. “I love dogs,” she admitted. “I’ve got two at home. Both Rough Collies.”

  Caroline, entering the room carrying a loaded tray of tea and cake, exclaimed, “Like Lassie! How lovely. They’re so pretty. Now do sit down, Abi, and have some cake.”

  Gideon laughed. “You and your cakes, Mum,” he teased. “Which one is it this time?”

  “Chocolate fudge cake with Smarties on,” she said serenely, smiling over at Gideon as she offered it to Abi. “Just the way you always liked.”

  Gideon flopped down in the chair opposite his father and sighed.

  “This is nice,” he said appreciatively. “Better than that gas fire, isn’t it, Abi?”

  Abi nodded from her perch on the edge of the sofa, balancing her cup of tea and her plate of cake.

  “It’s lovely,” she agreed, wishing she could relax and enjoy it.

  Caroline sat down beside her and smiled encouragingly.

  “That’s right, eat up,” she said.

  Abi took a bite of chocolate cake. “This is lovely,” she managed with a nod.

  “It was always Gideon’s favourite when he was a little boy,” said Caroline conspiratorially. “I’ll give you the recipe.”

  Abi nearly choked on her cake, and Gideon burst out laughing.

  “Mum, that’s not really putting her at ease, now, is it? Talk about pressure!”

  Caroline raised her eyebrows at him. “Well, we’re still waiting to hear your ‘shocking’ news,” she said.

  Gideon glanced at Abi. She nodded to him.

  “Well, firstly,” he began, looking at his mother, “Abi and I have decided to try to resurrect our relationship. We discovered we both never stopped loving each other—sorry about the grammar—and although certain people were obviously trying to keep us apart—I’ll explain who later—we’re really glad to have found each other again and are going to give it another go.” He smiled when he saw Caroline’s delighted face, but raised his hand to prevent her from speaking. “There’s more, Mum. You might want to hang on a minute.” He reached out, took Abi’s hand in his, and gave it a big squeeze. “This next part may sound a little strange, unbelievable, and hard to take in, but…when I left to go on tour back in ’95, Abi was…expecting a baby…” He paused as he heard his mother gasp, and his father shifted in his chair. “She wrote to tell me, but I never received her letter, or the subsequent ones, and she never received any of mine. Consequently she thought I’d abandoned her because of the baby.” He stopped for a moment as his mother reached out and took Abi’s other hand.

  “Abi, darling,” she said. “You have a child?”

  Abi looked at Gideon for help. He turned to his mother.

  “Hang on, Mum, long story here. She went ahead with the pregnancy and planned to keep the baby, all the time hoping I’d write to her.” He paused again and took a deep breath. “Then when the baby was born, Abi was told it had died.”

  Roger looked up and frowned. “Was told it had died?” he repeated. “And that means…?”

  Gideon nodded. “Yes, she was told it had died and has spent the last ten years believing that. Until Friday, the day before yesterday, when we discovered our little girl is still alive, and living in a children’s home in Kent
.”

  “Oh, Gideon,” whispered Caroline, her hand over her mouth. “Oh, my poor things.” She reached over and put her arm around Abi’s shoulders. “You went through all that, believing you’d lost a child. Whoever is to blame for that must be…” She didn’t know quite how to finish.

  Abi cleared her throat. “It was my mother,” she said distinctly. “The same person who hid Gideon’s letters from me.” Caroline stared at her in disbelief. “My mother wanted me to have the baby adopted, but I wouldn’t agree, so apparently she hatched a plan to tell me she’d died, then forged my signature on some documents.” She stopped for a moment and moistened her lips. “The really odd thing is, though…she’d been visiting our daughter over the years.”

  Roger leant forward towards Gideon. “What are you going to do now?” he asked with a frown.

  “Hopefully, tomorrow we’re going to go and find her,” replied Gideon simply.

  Caroline squeezed Abi’s hand. “You poor thing,” she said again. “What a dreadful experience! Gideon’s right, it is almost unbelievable. You must go and find her immediately. Do you know she’s still there?” she added, a worried look on her face.

  Abi nodded. “It looks that way, from the letters we found. It really was a great shock. I still can’t get my head around it.”

  Caroline smiled sympathetically. “I’m sure you can’t,” she agreed. “But how could your mother have behaved like that? To let a child—please excuse me, but you really were very young—think her baby has died… That’s truly unforgivable.” She shook her head sadly. “I hope you don’t mind me saying that, but I know you didn’t get on well with your mother, did you?”

  Abi gave a short laugh. “That’s an understatement,” she said with a slight smile. “I left home as soon as I finished my A levels. I never saw her again until I went to her funeral last week. That was when all this started.” She paused and took a deep breath. “I found the letters and realised Gideon hadn’t abandoned me after all, and I also realised from reading them that he’d never received mine.” She glanced over at Gideon. “We believe that Simon hid my letters to Gideon.”