When he left, Pip said, “My goodness, I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just teasing.”
He solemnly replied, “No harm. Your question just took me off guard, that’s all.”
His reaction was so extreme that Pip pushed, “So you have been here before?”
Nodding his head, he replied, “Several times.”
Being that he didn’t offer any more detail, Pip could only assume it had been with another woman. She wondered why he’d bring her there, too. Wouldn’t it have been better for them to go someplace new and make their own memories?
She asked, “Declan, what aren’t telling me?”
He exhaled loudly, “My ex, Becky, and I got engaged at Leeds Castle.”
“What?” Pip asked. “Then why in the world would you bring me here?”
“Well,” he started, “I figured if I could make new memories with you, I could prove to myself that I was over her once and for all.”
“Is there some question about that? I mean, you’ve never mentioned you were on the rebound when we met, or that you’d been engaged for that matter,” she added.
He answered, “That’s why it took me so long to call you after Liam and Sephra introduced us. Becky and I had only recently broken our engagement.”
“What?” Pip demanded. “When did you break it, and while it’s really none of my business, why did you break it?”
“We split a fortnight before you and I met.” He was silent for a moment before adding, “We broke up because I found out she’d tricked me into getting engaged.”
“How could she possibly do that?” Pip demanded. Then she gasped, “She told you she was pregnant?”
He nodded his head. “When I found out she wasn’t, I broke up with her.”
“Christ on a crutch,” Pip exclaimed. “So if she hadn’t lied about being pregnant, you’d still be with her?”
“Probably,” he answered. “Rather, definitely.”
Pip asked, “How long had you been together exactly?”
Sheepishly, he replied, “Three years.”
Things were going from bad to worse at warp speed. “Three years? And you hadn’t asked her to marry you in all that time?”
He shook his head, “No, but I was busy with my career. I figured we’d get married, eventually. I just didn’t see the hurry.”
Pip looked around the room like she was searching for something big and heavy to hit him over the head with. “So your poor girlfriend got sick of waiting for you to move forward in your relationship and faked a pregnancy, which forced you to do something you should have done long before. I’m speaking about asking her to marry you, in case that was too subtle for you. Then you found out she’d lied about being pregnant and that was enough for you to forget you’d loved her for three years and dump her?!”
He answered, “Well, if you say it like that, I don’t come off looking very good, do I?”
“How else can it be said? You majorly screwed up, Declan. And then to make matters worse, you started dating me! Not only did you treat your fiancée horribly, but you didn’t do me any favors, either.”
“I guess not,” he managed. “I’m terribly sorry, Pip. I really do like you, and I really think I could see myself in a long term relationship with you.” He added, “I’m very sorry I brought you here. Can you forgive me?”
Pip sighed, “I don’t know. I mean, I like you, too, but I want to get married and have a family of my own someday. I have no interest in getting involved with someone who’s afraid to commit.”
He replied, “But that’s just it; I don’t think I am afraid to commit anymore.”
“Why?” she demanded. “Why do you think you’re all of sudden capable of planning a future with a woman?”
“Because I’m not the same man I used to be. I feel like I’ve grown. I’ve evolved with you.”
Pip took a sip of her wine and asked, “But what about Becky? Do you think you’re trying to replace her with me? Maybe you don’t even want a serious relationship right now.”
He replied, “I think I do. I love spending time with you. I love that you’re unique and interesting, and I love getting to know you. I really think we’ve got something here, Pip, and I’d hate to lose it over some stupid mistake on my part.”
Realizing Declan was her only immediate chance at love and helping Bertram, Pip tried to calm down. “I guess I can accept that. I mean, we do get along very well and I love spending time with you, too.” She raised her wine glass in a toast and offered, “To second chances?”
Declan replied, “May our future be bright. Thank you, Becky. Thank you for giving me a second chance. I promise I won’t mess up again.”
Pip gasped, “Becky?! My name’s Pip, not Becky.”
“Oh God, Pip, I’m so, so, so sorry! It was just a slip of the tongue, I swear.”
But when Pip looked into his eyes, she didn’t see a man who was on a mini-break with her. She saw one who was there with a ghost from his past, and that ghost was named Becky.
Pip stood up slowly and said, “I don’t think I’m the one you need to apologize to, Declan. I think you need to call your ex-fiancée and see if she’ll forgive you. As far as I’m concerned, we had a nice time together, but there’s no chance for us when your heart is elsewhere.”
When Declan didn’t respond or try to stop her from walking away, she added, “I’ll take the cottage and call for a car to pick me up tomorrow. You can go ahead and go back to London.”
As she left the restaurant, Pip wondered why Bertram hadn’t told her any of this. If it was his job to make sure she found love, this was a hell of a thing to not mention. As soon as she got to her lodgings, she demanded, “Bertram, get here, now!”
Richard
Chapter 39
Richard took Chantal out on his boat for their third date. He picked her up on Saturday morning at ten. The captain and catered lunch awaited them onboard. He didn’t normally take women out on his yacht so soon after meeting them. He didn’t want them to know how wealthy he really was before any real feelings had had a chance to form. Yet Chantal was different. She was so grounded and so together, Richard didn’t think money would factor into whether or not they had a future together.
When they arrived at the docks, Richard led his date to the pier where his boat was docked. They continued for a hundred yards or so before reaching The Soapy Sails. The Frenchwoman commented, “What a lovely boat, Richard. I used to spend a lot of time on the Riviera on my parents’ boat, but I’ve never cruised around Manhattan before.”
“Have you ever been out to the Statue of Liberty?” he asked.
“Unfortunately, no.” She asked, “Can we go there today?”
“We can’t dock there, but we can certainly get close enough to enjoy her from the water.” Chantal nodded her head in acceptance and Richard asked the captain to set course for Lady Liberty. Then he offered her something to drink. “We have coffee, hot tea, warm cider, or hot chocolate. What would be your pleasure?”
Her eyes lit up, “Hot chocolate, of course. Good chocolate is my weakness.”
Richard assessed her admiringly and replied, “You’d never know it to look at you.”
She flirted, “Ah well, you know what they say about French women.”
He quirked an eyebrow in question, so she continued, “French women don’t get fat because they only eat for pleasure.”
Richard smiled. “That’s sounds like the best reason.”
“We’re not emotional eaters. We only dine when we’re assured of a beautiful experience.”
“Well, I hope you’re in the mood for one today. I believe for lunch we have a selection of cheeses, breads, fruit, foie gras, and of course, something chocolate for dessert.”
With a light in her eye, Chantal assured him, “I’m most definitely in the mood for a beautiful experience today, Richard.”
Not sure if a double entendre was her intent, he replied, “So am I.”
Richard and Chantal spent hours out on the wa
ter. They talked about art, music, and travel. They discussed their childhoods, their dreams, and their hopes for the future. Chantal confessed she’d started to design shoes on a whim and didn’t think anything would come of it, until one of her friends took her drawings to a famous Italian designer. He was an instant fan and offered her a job on the spot. While she was thrilled to have realized that dream, she confessed what she really wanted was a family.
Richard asked, “Do you want to keep designing after having children?”
“How would I know?” she replied. “That’s like asking me what I want for breakfast tomorrow. I haven’t even had tonight’s dinner. I can’t possibly know what tomorrow will bring.”
Richard liked her answer. While it wasn’t exactly what he wanted to hear, he knew a family was important to Chantal, and somehow he believed she’d make decisions that would be right for both herself and them.
When they returned to the dock later that afternoon, Richard asked, “Would you like to have dinner tonight?”
She smiled before replying, “No. I’d like to go home and relive this lovely day in my thoughts. I would, however, like to have dinner Tuesday night, if that suits.”
Richard assured her it would. He dropped her off at her apartment downtown before returning to his own, uptown.
When he got home, Richard saw that he had a message from Honey. He decided to call her back and tell her about Chantal. He realized he should let her off the hook about the mystery woman from the auction. Now that Chantal was in his life, he didn’t feel any draw to the woman from London. Yet when he rang his friend back, she didn’t answer. So he left a message for her to call him at her convenience.
Richard built a fire, poured himself a brandy, and sat down in his most comfortable chair. He decided to take Chantal’s lead and spend a quiet night alone reflecting on the lovely day he’d spent with a beautiful Frenchwoman.
After one brandy, Richard’s eyes began to droop and he decided to close them and take a little catnap. He fell into a deep sleep almost immediately. The first thing his brain conjured up was an image of him as a child. He was wearing his baseball uniform and was waiting for his father to come home and take him to his little league game.
Unlike in reality, where his father never showed, in his reverie his dad turned up just like he’d promised. He picked up his young son and spun him around the room before declaring, “Just let me get out of these monkey clothes and we’re off to the game! How does that sound?”
Young Richard laughed joyfully and said, “That sounds great, Dad! I can’t wait to show you my moves.”
The dream continued with Richard and his father driving to the baseball field together. They told jokes and laughed the whole way. His team wound up winning the game and he and his dad celebrated by going out for ice cream. What Richard wouldn’t have given for that vision to have been reality.
He sat down at a table next to his younger self and watched longingly at what had never been. He startled when someone sat down next to him. It was older version of his father. He apologized, “I’m sorry, son. In my heart I always wanted to do those things with you. I really did. I just never made the time.”
Richard cried, “Why didn’t you make the time? What could have possibly been more important than your family?”
With his head hung low, his father replied, “I thought proving myself was more important. Although at the time, I didn’t think I was neglecting you. I thought I was doing right by you. I thought the harder I worked, the more secure my family would be.”
“Dad,” Richard replied, “What did you have to prove and to whom? We didn’t need more money or more things, all we needed was you.”
His father replied, “I know that now. But at that time, I was trying to prove myself to my parents. Robert was always the golden child, the chosen one. I just wanted them to look at me with the same pride in their eyes that they always had for him.”
Richard realized at that moment his dad was more than just a father. He was a son, as well. And like him, he was a son who’d missed out on something that was very important to him. He hadn’t had a good relationship with his parents and in his zeal to win their approval; he’d lost his own child. It was a thought that was too sad for words.
Richard’s father reached across the table and took his hands in his own, “Will you give me a chance to make it up to you?” he asked.
“How?” demanded Richard. “I’m a grown man and you’re dead. How can you possibly make it up to me now?”
In return, his father begged, “Give me another memory you wish had turned out differently. Please.”
So Richard said, “How about the time I won that basketball award in the seventh grade and you were too busy at work to show up for the ceremony?”
Richard’s father nodded his head and almost magically the scene before them changed from the ice cream parlor to the award ceremony from his youth. His dad sat right next to him and put his arm around him then said, “Watch this.”
In front of his eyes he saw his younger self come into the school gym. He was riding high on his father’s shoulders holding a trophy over his head. The room full of students, parents, and teachers cheered for him. His father walked right up to the podium and put him down. Then he went to the microphone.
He said loud and clear for everyone to hear, “Richard, son, I’m prouder of you than I can ever say. You’re smart, you’re funny, and you’re a talented athlete, but more than that, you’re the best son a man could ever have. Every single day I thank God you’re mine.”
The crowd cheered in response and the older version of Richard’s dad said, “That’s how I can make it up to you. Together we can visit every memory that left a hole in your heart and we can rewrite it. I can show you exactly how I wish it had been and maybe, just maybe, when we’re all done, you’ll believe how much I love you and always have.”
Richard nodded his head slowly as tears leaked out of his eyes. He responded, “Okay, Dad. That sounds great. I’d like that.”
Pip
Chapter 40
“I told you he wasn’t right for you,” Bertram stated.
“He’s not right for you and he was engaged to be married a fortnight before he met you are two entirely different things!” Pip yelled. “That’s all you needed to say and I wouldn’t have ever agreed to go out with him.”
“Yes, well, you know how it goes, love, all these pesky rules to follow.”
“Are you or are you not trying to help me find my soulmate?” she demanded.
“’Course I am. In fact, my entire future depends on it.”
She snapped, “You could have found a way to let me know, then.”
“I said everything I was allowed to say. I quote, ‘He’s not the one for you. I know things you don’t and you have to trust me.’ Unquote. Do you remember any of that?”
Pip threw a pillow right through him in response. “I’m so mad at you right now I could spit bullets! I thought Declan was a lovely fellow. How could I have been so wrong?”
“He is a lovely fellow. He’s just not your lovely fellow, that’s all. He’s in the midst of a great confusion and he made a mistake. You just happened to get caught in the middle of it.”
Pip screamed in response and Bertram added, “You better quiet down, love, or someone’s going to call the coppers on you.” So she turned around and ignored him and then picked up her phone.
She might be in the very cottage Declan proposed to his girlfriend in. She knew she couldn’t stay the night there. She wondered if she should go to the bar and get totally pissed. Then she decided that wouldn’t do. She didn’t drink to excess very well. She thought to call Sephra. After all, this whole thing was her and Liam’s fault.
When Seph didn’t answer her phone, she rang Cressida. Her friend picked up on the third ring, “’Lo?”
“Cress, it’s me, Pip. I need you to come to Leeds Castle and get me.”
“Now?” Cressida demanded.
“P
lease,” her friend replied. “Declan and I just had a parting of ways.”
“Jaysus, Pip, you’ve got the worst luck with men.”
Philippa drawled, “I can see how kicking me while I’m down is a productive use of your time. Thanks so much. Now would you mind getting here?”
“You know it’s going to take me over an hour, right?”
“Your point?” Pip asked.
Cress whispered, “I’m sitting here in a pub snogging the most delicious-looking bloke and I really don’t want to leave him.”
Pip rolled her eyes, “Bring him, then.”
Her friend asked, “Bring him to Leeds Castle? I don’t even know his name!”
“Listen Cress, I’m a bit of a mess right now. Bring him, don’t bring him, I really don’t care. I just need you to get here with a car and pick me up. Can you do that?”
Cressida paused for a moment before replying, “’Course, I can. That’s what friends are for, right?”
Pip agreed, “Yeah, they’re either for that or for introducing you to crap boyfriends.” Then she hung up. Pip decided to take every last item out of the mini-fridge knowing Declan would be charged a premium for it. She smiled deviously at how he’d react to finding out he was being billed for six bottles of water at five pounds each and four tiny jars of nuts going for fourteen quid per. She realized she was acting childishly, but she was okay with that.
Bertram just watched as she paced around like a caged animal. “Now might not be the time to mention this, but . . .”
Pip turned and glared at him, “It’s not the time.”
He ignored her. “I know of a fabulous-looking American that kisses like a real stud and makes your knees weak. Maybe you should consider giving him a call.”
Pips snapped, “And say what? Remember me, the crazy Brit who talks to dead people?” She walked around the room throwing every pillow she could find for emphasis, “You know the one who had a message for you from the dead father you hate? I was thinking, why don’t we get married? Maybe have five or six babies, how does that sound?”
Kindred Spirits: A Romantic Comedy About Love, Life, and the Afterlife . . . Page 19
