by Holly Martin
‘What about neglectful? Surely the fact that she abandoned him has to count for something?’ Isla said.
‘It will, but she could argue that she wasn’t in the right frame of mind then, but she is in a much better place now. She could say that Matthew drove her away and he’s not even here to defend himself. Her solicitor could advise her to come up with any cock and bull story to win the judge over.’
Isla felt relieved that Sadie’s solicitor was Thomas. He would never suggest Sadie do something like that.
‘This is all hypothetical, though,’ Leo said. ‘She has no interest in Elliot, she just wants the money. If I was coming back to fight for my son after four years away from him, those would be the first words out of my mouth, but she didn’t even mention him.’
‘No, I’d have to agree. Elliot is not a priority at all for her. I really need to talk to her,’ Karie said.
‘Do you have to?’ Isla said, knowing that her protests were futile. ‘I don’t want to mention Elliot at all to her, then we can just focus on the house.’
‘Getting her consent for the adoption is going to be the best thing for us now she’s back,’ Karie said. ‘And our meeting will be solely about that, I won’t mention her having custody at all. Do you know where she’s staying?’
‘Yes, Clover Hill Hotel,’ Leo said. ‘Her solicitor contacted mine this morning while I was there to give her the details. Her solicitor is Thomas Kent, he has an office just off the village green.’
Karie nodded. ‘It might be a good idea if he was there in the meeting. Have you told Elliot anything about this?’
Isla shook her head. She was scared enough about Sadie wanting to see Elliot, she didn’t think her heart could cope if Elliot wanted to see Sadie.
‘I didn’t know what the best thing would be to say to him. I don’t want to confuse or worry him unnecessarily. I have no idea what Matthew even told him about her. Elliot’s never mentioned her to me.’
‘That makes it even trickier to bring it up,’ Karie agreed. ‘I still think Elliot should be told, or at least some of it.’
‘Tell me what?’ Elliot said, appearing at the back door. ‘Is it something cool?’
‘Hey Elliot, good to see you. Why don’t you come over here and draw me a picture?’ Karie said, pulling some paper and crayons from her bag with impeccable timing.
Elliot came running over, Luke hot on his heels. If there was one thing he loved it was drawing.
‘What shall I draw?’ Elliot asked, grabbing a blue crayon.
‘How about a picture of your mum and dad?’
Isla waited, wondering what he would do.
Elliot thought about it for a moment and then got to work.
‘Are you looking forward to Halloween?’ Karie asked.
‘Yes, especially the Trickle Treat.’
Isla smiled and didn’t bother to correct him.
‘And are you dressing up?’
‘Yes, but it’s a secret,’ Elliot said, sticking his tongue out as he picked up a yellow crayon and started drawing hair on one of the stickmen.
‘Is it?’ Leo asked. ‘I thought we were going as Batman and Robin?’
Elliot shook his head. ‘I have a better idea. There, finished.’
He handed over his piece of paper with a flourish and Isla smiled at the blonde stickwoman and the two stickmen.
‘Who are these?’ Karie asked.
‘That’s Isla,’ he pointed to the blonde woman. ‘And that’s Leo,’ he pointed to one of the men who was holding the stickwoman’s hand. ‘And that’s my real daddy,’ he pointed to the other man.
God, her heart swelled with love for this little man. She looked at Leo’s reaction at being labelled daddy. If anything, he seemed quite choked up by it.
‘And what about your real mummy?’ Karie asked, gently.
Elliot pulled a face as if he didn’t really understand. ‘Isla’s my mummy.’
‘Do you have any other mummies?’ Karie tried again.
‘Do you mean the lady that had me in her belly?’
‘Yes.’
‘Daddy said she left when I was very young. He said she couldn’t be my mummy any more and she moved very far away.’
‘Do you know anything else about her? Have you ever seen any photos?’
‘No, but Marigold says she’s not very nice and Emily thinks that me and Daddy had a lucky escape when she left. That’s what Marigold told me. What does that mean?’
Karie smirked and Isla wondered how she would play this professionally.
‘It means that you and Daddy were very lucky to have each other. Do you think that you’d like to meet her one day?’
‘No. If she’s not nice then I don’t think I would like her very much.’
‘No, fair point,’ Karie said, smiling. ‘Your mum might want to see you again one day but if she did then I would be there and probably Isla and Leo too. Would that be OK?’
Elliot shrugged. ‘I suppose. Can I go and play in my room now?’
‘Sure you can,’ Isla said.
‘Bye Karie, you can keep the picture,’ Elliot said, racing out of the room.
‘Thank you, but I think I might pin it up on Leo’s fridge next to that very interesting picture that’s already there.’
Isla looked up at the picture of her and Leo in bed that Elliot had drawn that morning and felt her cheeks flame red. ‘That’s—’
‘That’s absolutely none of my business,’ Karie said. Smiling, she gave Isla a wink. ‘I’ll speak to Sadie and I’ll get back to you.’
Isla stood up and hugged Karie goodbye. After she left she turned back to face Leo.
‘Well, that sounded positive, didn’t it?’ she asked, wondering if she was just trying to convince herself.
‘She doesn’t think Sadie would get custody either, that’s massively positive,’ Leo said. ‘And that’s if Sadie even wants custody, which she clearly doesn’t. But think about it, why would any judge give Elliot to someone he doesn’t even know? They’re not just going to take him off you and give him to her. He’s settled here, happy, even Karie can see that.’
‘No, you’re right,’ Isla said. She did feel slightly better after that meeting. ‘Although I still don’t feel happy that she’d get visiting rights.’
‘If she had any interest in visiting Elliot, in being a part of his life at all, no matter how small, she would have stayed in touch. She’s not going to stay here in Sandcastle Bay, not long term. My bet is she’ll get the money from the house and run back to Australia or whichever hole she’s crawled out from. She left because life in a small village wasn’t enough for her, that’s unlikely to have changed.’
Isla nodded, still not entirely sure it was going to be such smooth running as Leo and Karie thought.
‘Look, why don’t I go and speak to Sadie, off the record? No solicitors or social workers. I know her well from when she was with Matthew,’ Leo said.
God, that was the last thing she wanted. Leo was so protective of her and Elliot, she didn’t think any conversation between Leo and Sadie would be polite. He was likely to go in there like a bull in a china shop and what if his antagonistic attitude made Sadie defensive and angry? It was hardly going to have a positive result.
‘I don’t think that’s a good idea,’ Isla said, diplomatically. ‘You were the one that said that she should get a solicitor and do this properly, I don’t think confronting her behind their back is going to help.’
‘I didn’t say confront, I said talk. We used to get on OK. Maybe we don’t need all these legal channels, maybe just a sensible conversation…’ he trailed off as he could clearly see the doubt on her face. ‘OK, maybe not.’
‘I just don’t want to do anything wrong. What if this goes to court and she claims we’ve been harassing her? I want to do everything by the book for now, and then if it all goes wrong then that cabin in Canada might be a serious option.’
He nodded. ‘OK.’
She could see he wasn
’t happy with the decision so she cast around for a suitable change in subject. Her eyes fell on the picture of the two of them in bed. ‘I can’t believe she saw that picture.’
Leo grinned. ‘There are no secrets around here.’
‘No, and we really need to talk… about us, without flapping ears.’ She looked across at the picture Elliot had drawn of his family. ‘Though in Elliot’s mind it’s already a foregone conclusion. How do you feel about being called Daddy?’
Leo’s smile was the only answer she needed. ‘I love it. And I’m glad he drew me and Matthew. I can never replace Matthew and I wouldn’t want to, but hopefully I can make a half decent substitute.’
‘You’re more than half decent in his eyes,’ Isla said. ‘And in mine.’
He frowned as if he didn’t believe her. ‘I’m not but I’m trying to be.’
‘You don’t have to try to be anything, you’re already a wonderful man,’ Isla said, resting her hands on his chest. He wrapped his hands round her waist and leaned his forehead against hers.
‘Isla—’
‘Are we having lunch soon, my tummy’s rumbling,’ Elliot said as he ran back into the kitchen with Luke trailing in his wake. ‘Luke says he’s hungry too.’
‘Well, we can’t have that.’ Leo stepped back out of Isla’s embrace, giving her a wink and turning back to the food he had been preparing before Karie arrived. ‘Let’s see what we have.’
Isla watched them as Elliot stood next to Leo and helped put food onto plates. They were going to have that conversation at some point but maybe now, with everything that was happening with Sadie, wasn’t the best time.
Chapter Fourteen
Leo had popped into work that afternoon while Isla and Elliot had spent the time decorating Elliot’s bedroom with all kinds of Halloween paraphernalia. She felt bad that on her second day at her new job she hadn’t even made it into the office, but Leo insisted that she stayed with Elliot. She had compromised a little and had answered quite a few of the emails that had come into The Big Bang account while helping Elliot make some of the decorations.
Melody rang just as Luke was attempting to attack the spider conkers they’d made for the end of Elliot’s bed.
‘Hello,’ Isla said, laughing as Elliot made the spider crawl up her arm.
‘Are you free tonight?’ Melody said, sounding a bit rushed and nervous. Or was it excited? ‘Please say yes.’
‘Um, yes, do you want to come over?’
‘No, Jamie and I are having a meal at the Golden Bridge tonight, we’re inviting all of our friends and family.’
The Golden Bridge was a very classy and glamorous place to eat on the cliff tops just outside the village. Isla had been in there a few times for coffee but never to eat. It struck her as the kind of place you went to for very special occasions. Her heart leapt. ‘Is it… a special occasion?’
‘I can’t say, will you come?’
Oh god, her little sister had got engaged, that’s what this was, surely.
‘Of course.’
‘Emily has said Elliot is welcome to come round and have a sleepover with Marigold tonight and Luke as well, so you don’t need to worry about coming back early.’
‘Oh great, Elliot will love that. But isn’t Emily coming to the Golden Bridge too?’
‘She is, Stanley is looking after the kids. Apparently, Marigold has already insisted they are going to watch Beauty and the Beast.’
‘Elliot, want a sleepover with Marigold tonight?’
‘Yay!’ Elliot said, leaping onto the bed and punching the air.
Isla laughed. ‘I think that’s a yes.’
‘Can Luke come too?’
‘He normally does when you sleep over with Marigold,’ Isla said. Elliot was obviously happy with this and went back to his Halloween decorations as Isla carried on talking to Melody. ‘OK, what time?’
‘Seven thirty at the restaurant, table will be booked under my name. Stanley will come and collect Elliot around quarter past.’
‘OK, great, looking forward to it,’ Isla said, her voice barely able to contain her excitement. She had to rein it in, it might not be engagement news at all. But what else could it be? She couldn’t think of any other reason why Jamie and Melody would want to go to the Golden Bridge with all their family and friends. God, if there was a time she really needed some good news, it was today.
They said their goodbyes and Isla hung up.
‘Why are you so happy?’ Elliot asked.
‘I’m… just… happy about how your room looks,’ Isla lied and felt instantly bad about it. But she couldn’t tell Elliot that she thought Melody was engaged because he would tell Marigold and half the town would know before the end of the day tomorrow and it might not even be true.
She heard the door open downstairs and Leo called up to her.
‘Yay! Leo’s home,’ Elliot said, running out of the room and down the stairs before Isla had even got up off her knees.
She walked downstairs and found Elliot wrapped around Leo like a monkey, Leo holding him tight.
‘Will you come and see my room?’ Elliot asked. ‘It’s very spooky.’
‘I will in a few minutes, me and Isla just have to make a really important phone call first and then I’ll be up to see all the scariness.’
He put Elliot down and gave her a meaningful look.
‘Elliot, why don’t you finish putting the cobwebs around the room and we’ll be up in a minute.’
‘OK, but be prepared to be very very scared,’ Elliot said, putting on a spooky voice as he ran out the room.
‘What’s up? Have you heard from Jamie about tonight?’ Isla asked.
‘Yes, do you think they’re engaged?’ Leo said.
‘That’s what I was thinking. Melody wouldn’t tell me either.’
‘OK, hold that thought for a few minutes. Thomas called me earlier and he’s about to call again in a few minutes. He’s going into a meeting with Sadie and Karie and says he’s going to FaceTime us in surreptitiously.’
‘How is he going to do that without Sadie or Karie knowing?’
‘Well, he’ll FaceTime us, then switch to the back camera and put his phone in his top pocket so they won’t see us. I’ve also told him to turn the volume down on his phone so they won’t hear us either, but it’s probably best if we don’t speak, or speak quietly just to be on the safe side.’
Isla bit her lip. ‘Isn’t this really dodgy? I’m worried we’re going to get caught.’
‘I know, but it would be really good if we can see what Sadie has to say about Elliot.’
‘I’m sure Karie will tell us all about it after.’
‘I’m sure she will. Look, if you don’t want to go ahead with this…’
The phone rang in Leo’s hand.
‘Shall I ignore it?’ Leo said.
Isla stared at the phone for a moment. ‘Answer it.’
Leo moved closer to Isla and answered the video call. Thomas’s face appeared on the screen.
‘Hello,’ he whispered. Evidently, he was in the toilet.
Leo waved a hello.
‘Thomas, are you sure this is a good idea?’ Isla whispered back, feeling like they were undertaking some big spy operation.
‘They’ll never know,’ Thomas said.
‘Are you in the toilet?’ Leo asked.
‘Yes, it’s OK, no one else is in here. Sadie is waiting outside and I’ve come in here while we wait for Karie to arrive. Right, I’m going to switch the camera round now so you’ll be looking out of the back camera.’
Isla wondered if she should stop him, but she didn’t.
Their view changed to that of Thomas in the mirror of the toilets as he held up the phone.
‘Is that OK, can you see that?’
‘Yes, we can,’ Leo said. ‘Now turn down the volume and put the phone in your pocket.’
Thomas did as he was asked and placed the phone in his suit pocket so that just the top of the camera was peepin
g out. He gave them a thumbs up and then left the bathroom.
It was just like watching The Blair Witch Project with the shaky camera work as Thomas returned to Sadie in what was quite clearly the bar area of the hotel she was staying in. Isla saw Sadie sitting at a table waiting for him. Thomas sat down opposite Sadie and Isla noticed she looked on edge, nervous, agitated.
‘Thank you for agreeing to meet with me and Karie today,’ Thomas said, his voice betraying his nerves slightly too. He knew what was at stake if he was caught.
‘I’m not sure why we need a meeting with social services at all,’ Sadie said. ‘What’s this got to do with my half of the house?’
‘You have a responsibility to Elliot, whether you want that or not. As the only living parent there are certain things you have to do if you want to be absolved of all responsibility in the future, including any financial implications for child maintenance for example. Sorting out this… technicality will make the court case for the house go a lot smoother,’ Thomas said.
‘I don’t need some lecture from some stuck-up social worker, telling me what a neglectful mum I am. I already know that, I don’t need it rubbed in my face,’ Sadie said, fingering her box of cigarettes nervously.
‘That’s not what this is, I assure you. Karie just wants the best for Elliot, I’m sure we all do.’
‘I should never have come back,’ Sadie muttered.
Thomas paused for a moment. ‘Why did you?’ Sadie flashed him a defensive look and Isla saw Thomas hold his hands up. ‘I mean no disrespect but you’ve been gone four years and the courts have been trying to trace you since Matthew died over a year ago with no success. Why did you come back now?’
