He saw a pattern emerging with Willow’s behaviour lately and he was fed up and angry by her selfish attitude. They had all been dealt a blow, but she was the only one who seemed to be entertaining it each day and letting it fester. Tomorrow they would talk. He could not ignore things any more. Maybe she needed a bereavement counsellor. The situation needed to be broached and he would have to insist if she refused. Drinking was not the answer.
CHAPTER NINE
“Hey, Robert, are you free to chat or would you prefer to talk later?”
“Now is good. How are you, Sal?” He breathed a sigh of relief that it was Sally. Slumping back in the leather chair, his shoulders sagged with the freedom of it not being Lacey. He couldn’t handle his youngest sister now. And as for Willow! Well, she seemed to be away on planet Mars, and that was something he definitely didn’t have the energy to entertain.
“Just wondering how you are, Rob? I’m still trying to get a grip on the whole Dad thing. Each time I think about it, I end up with more questions than answers. It’s eating me up. Any chance we could meet for a chat?”
“Sure, I know what you mean. Aoife is at some exercise class with her mates, so I’m free tonight actually. How about six at Mum’s; I mean, at your place?” His voice shook and betrayed the loss of his mother and how much she had meant to him. He had always been her little boy.
“Six it is, I’ll fix some supper for us. See you then. Oh, and Rob, thanks.”
* * *
Sally had been feeling powerless and not in control, which angered her more than her dad’s affair. Travelling around the world had instilled in her a self-confidence that she could handle almost any situation. Now that solid self-belief was threatened, and she felt totally lost.
But as she replaced the phone, Sally felt a little lighter. She was looking forward to seeing Robert; her strong brother, who had been reduced to a pale sad man when he’d come to tell her of Lillian’s death.
That July day, Sally had been mountain climbing at a new indoor centre for outdoor activities. Her phone had been turned off while she negotiated the climbing wall, pulling on harnesses and safety ropes that were clipped onto her. It was Robert who’d eventually found her, having remembered her mentioning the place when they’d last met up for a drink.
When Sally had noticed her brother striding across the hall towards her, she’d gone cold; it was his appearance, the pale grey colour of his face, and the sadness in his eyes.
“It’s Mum,” he’d said gently, “she’s gone.”
They’d stood together in silence until Sally had summoned the strength to move, and thrown herself into Robert’s arms. He’d held her tightly as the sobbing shook her slim, athletic body, and then he’d placed his arm around her as they walked outside. He had been remarkably calm, Sally remembered, very much in control – until they parked in their mother’s driveway.
Then she had watched his body tremble and heard his breathing become heavy. Robert had panicked, his hands gripping the steering wheel, his knuckles white, afraid to let go, afraid to leave the safety of his vehicle. Sitting in the car with Sally, he’d admitted he didn’t think he had the energy to walk. But Sally had quickly and quietly reminded him that Lacey was inside, and that she needed them. Their little sister was the one who had found their mother collapsed in the sitting room.
Shaking herself from her thoughts, Sally put on her jacket and headed for the local shops to buy something nice for supper. It was such a lovely summer’s day. The children in the neighbourhood were playing on the green; happy, carefree and laughing, with their return to school in September still a number of weeks away.
Sally smiled as the playground scene reminded her of her own happy childhood, the many times she and Willow had played dress-up, sneaking into Lillian’s bedroom to take her make-up and shoes. How Willow loved the high heels. Then they would go out to the back garden and bring their tea sets, and pretend they were all grown-up. An upturned brown cardboard box was their table, and they would kneel on a cushion each. How simple, but what joy! Willow had always claimed the best roles as hers. But Sally didn’t mind. They’d been happy playing together having fun.
If their mother cared about her make-up being ruined, she had never said. Lipsticks got broken and eye-shadows splattered with bits of grass and dust. The only time Lillian raised her voice and banned them from her bedroom was because of the pearl episode.
What a hullabaloo that was! The atmosphere in the Taylor household had been icier than the North Pole. Robert had been involved, too. The children had watched a film on TV about life on the high seas and how pirates robbed the ships that sailed their way.
Lacey wasn’t even born then, so they must have been quite young, Sally recalled as she strolled along. Robert had wanted to play pirates and Willow agreed, as long as she was queen of the ships that had the treasure. Sally, of course, had been the sole crew member on her sister’s ship. They’d dug out scarves and Robert’s toy swords, but realised they needed treasure. It was Willow who had the brainwave of using their mother’s pearls. Snatching the nail scissors from the dressing table, in seconds they had the pearls loose in their tiny fists.
Then they’d scattered the gems in the flower beds so that it would be a real treasure hunt. It had been a great game and lasted for hours until they were called for dinner. Seated around the kitchen table, they had chatted and eaten heartily; they were a family full of noise and laughter, sharing their day over a meal. When their dad had asked what they’d been playing, Robert filled him in on the wonderful pirate game with real treasure everywhere in the garden.
“Real treasure?” Joe Taylor had laughed. “Can I see the real treasure? Or must I join your ship and help search, too?” Ruffling his young son’s hair, Joe had chuckled happily, as though recalling his own innocent youth.
“There is, Dad, really. Willow told us so and she was right. Look!” The young boy had handed him six or seven pearls, with a triumphant smile on his face so big it lit the room.
“Where did you get these?” their father had asked quietly, his eyes sliding warily towards Lillian.
“Willow got them, and they’re hidden in the garden under the flowers and in the wheelbarrow and…” Robert had grinned broadly. “Come and play, Dad.”
Lillian’s scream had lifted the children out of their seats in shock.
“MY PEARLS! What have you done? My gorgeous, beautiful pearls!” Her shoulders had shaken with angry sobs and the children knew they had committed some terrible act.
Their father had sent them to their bedrooms, and the frightened children watched as he put an arm around their weeping mother. She had never screamed like that before. They had never seen her cry before, either. What had they done?
Sally smiled nostalgically. Did children play like that any more, using their imagination and pretending? she wondered. Or was it all computers now? All around her in shops, on buses or trains, children seemed to be armed with hand-held devices. Where were the colouring books or sketch pads? Indeed, where were the novels? She couldn’t recall the last time she had seen a child reading; even books were on computer devices now. Browsing in second-hand book shops in different countries had always been one of her favourite past-times. Many a time she had found a secret treasure among the many shelves.
Approaching the large supermarket, Sally returned to the events in hand. Walking into Supervalu, she grabbed a shopping basket and wandered the well-stocked aisles. She was happy now that she had phoned Robert. It would be good to talk, even take a small trip down nostalgia lane. Thinking again about the pirate episode, Sally grinned, and decided on a salmon salad for supper, with baby potatoes.
* * *
The office was hectic with staff rushing about, trying to reach the latest deadline. Robert was manager of the overseas business dealings but, due to his absence for his mother’s funeral, business had been put aside until his return.
Sipping on a strong black coffee, he re-read the files before him. No matte
r how many times he left instructions for the others on how to handle their clients, there was always a large bundle of invoices and orders awaiting his approval when he returned.
He was glad he was meeting up with Sally. He didn’t want to face his quiet house and be alone with his troubled thoughts. They were seriously interfering with his sleep. But now he had a deadline to motivate him, he would work through lunch and then knock off at about five-thirty and head to Sally’s.
He switched the office phone to answering machine, and then pressed his intercom.
“Aoife, honey, I’m not taking any calls for the rest of the day, okay? Sally was just on to me, so could you maybe bring me some coffee every now and then? When you have a moment, I mean. I’m going to try and tackle the backlog, so I don’t want to be distracted, if possible.”
“Sure, Robert, is everything okay with Sally?”
“Long story, I’m heading over to her’s at six, so I want to get some work done first.”
Robert really liked where his life was going with his personal assistant. Aoife had worked with him now for four years, and was the epitome of discretion. They’d started out as good friends, and a deep trust had developed between them. Then, after last year’s Christmas party, dating had seemed like the next logical step for them both. That night he had been messing and laughing with some of the lads, when they’d dared him to see how many kisses he would get with some mistletoe. Searching the pub where all the revelry was going on, he had realised there was only one woman he wanted to share the mistletoe with – and that was Aoife.
Armed with the small sprig of flower, he’d slid an arm around her waist and asked for a kiss. He recalled her blushing and smiling demurely as she’d leaned into him. That kiss had been filled with all the magic of Christmas and they’d reluctantly broken apart when their workmates began applauding and cheering. Sighing now, he thanked God he had her in his life.
Ploughing through the pile of paperwork before him, Robert made steady progress and only stopped briefly to eat a couple of sandwiches at his desk.
With Aoife screening all incoming calls, Robert relaxed a little. But then his mobile started to ring; damn, he should have put it on silent. Glancing at the screen, he saw Lacey’s name. He hesitated. Should he, or shouldn’t he? Too late now – it had gone to voicemail. Waiting a few minutes, he checked his messages.
“Hey, big bro, just me,” said the voice. “I was wondering could we meet, maybe without the others? Well, without Willow, anyway. Just for now, I mean, don’t get me wrong. But I want to run an idea by you. You must be in a meeting, so give me a buzz when you can. Okay, that’s it, chat later so. And say hi to Aoife for me.” Her voice sounded lost and innocent, a slight plea in the final words.
“Lacey, oh Lacey,” he muttered to himself.
Throwing his pen on the table, he sank back into his chair. Rubbing his forehead, he felt the tension rise once more within him. Bloody hell, what was he to do now? Ring her back and invite her to Sally’s? Wait until tomorrow to contact her? This was bloody awkward.
“You okay, Robert?” Aoife came in to refresh his coffee.
“What? Oh sorry, just family stuff. Ever want to take a week away somewhere where no-one can contact you – just you, sun, and a pitcher of beer?”
“Only a week? Rob, you haven’t met all my family yet. I’d love a month. A week would be too short! Sun, yes, but also a tall dark handsome guy to massage my weary shoulders,” she teased him.
He knew Aoife had been a little anxious about him since he returned to work. She knew his mother’s death had hit him hard, had noticed the extra frown lines on his forehead and the tiredness in his deep brown eyes.
“Why don’t you forget about Sally’s and take tonight off from all things family? Tell them Dr. Aoife said so.” Hearing the concern in her voice, he stopped writing and looked at her. She was so good to him – and pretty, too. She leaned in and kissed him softly. He knew he would be lost without her, not only here in the office but in his life. Maybe he should confide in her, tell her his worries about Lacey and his parents’ revelations, but it was all still too raw.
“If only. What time do you finish your class tonight? Hey, we haven’t been out for lunch this week. You got some new guy that’s keeping you away from me?” He loved teasing with her at work, although they kept their behaviour professional when outside his office door.
“Nine-thirty, I’ll send you a text before I go to bed, sweetheart. Say hello to Sally when you see her.” She turned for the door and left him to his work.
Sneaking a peek at Aoife, his gaze lingered on her gorgeous long legs, the navy pencil skirt showing off her elegant calves and slim ankles. When she coughed softly, Robert looked up and a slight blush sneaked along his cheeks.
“Liking and admiring what I see, that’s all,” he smiled seductively. It was her turn to blush as she walked out of the office.
Watching her leave, Robert knew she was the right girl for him. Maybe it was time to take a risk. His mother’s sudden death had made him realise that life was short, so why not grab it and live while you can?
CHAPTER TEN
Finding her birth mother would take a lot of time and effort, and Lacey knew the others might not be on board with her idea. But that would be for them to deal with. She had every right to seek answers; she was suffering the most and she needed to pursue this.
She decided to contact the family solicitors and start her enquiries there. Maybe her father had left documentation regarding her “adoption” in their care. She’d need to get a copy of her birth certificate, too, but she expected Lillian would be named as her mother. When Robert called her back, she would fill him in. She might even have some news for him by then.
Now, if only Milly the rascal would come home, her day would look much brighter.
A quick phone call saw her arrange an eleven am appointment with Mr. Sherman in two days’ time. Ever the stickler for discretion, he would not discuss over the phone whether her dad had left any documents in his care. But it was only a slight hitch; Lacey was sure she would find out more at their meeting.
She was feeling much more upbeat – being pro-active was the right way to handle things; the feeling sorry for herself stage was over. Heading out to the local park for a walk, she left a small window open in case Milly returned. Her apartment was three floors up, so who would break in? And, if they did, it wouldn’t be anything harder to deal with than what she was already going through. The fresh air would boost her mood. Where was that silly cat?
* * *
Willow gave in to the deep sorrow that overwhelmed her, staying at home and refusing any offers of lunch from the golf club wives’ committee. Even the women from the flower club had invited her on their annual outing, which was planned for September, even though she rarely socialised with them. She enjoyed the gardening and flower arranging, but not all of the group were to her taste. Willow was a snob.
Anyway, getting dressed up and having to make small talk did not appeal to her at the moment. Derek was concerned at her refusal to leave the house. He’d offered to take her away on a mini-break. “To recharge the batteries,” he said. But she knew he was just offering because he felt he should. Once there, Derek would be uptight and fidgety for the few days, finding it hard to unwind; it was always the same on holidays.
As a couple, they were chalk and cheese. He loved to visit his local pub, to be part of his community and mix with neighbours. Willow liked to socialise, but she was a lot fussier about who with. She made the effort with the golf club set, as in her head she felt they were of a tad higher standing. But the flower club, anyone could join. There were no large fees to be paid like at the golf club and, although the women were gracious and inviting, she felt they were a little too friendly. It was important to keep some distance. It wouldn’t do to go telling the gardening women her troubles.
Yet, as Derek pointed out, the floral wreath which the flower club had sent to her mother’s funeral had bee
n huge and beautifully created. The card had read: To our dearest friend and colleague, on the sad death of your mother. She couldn’t recall seeing a wreath from the other committees she was involved in.
Willow knew she was a snob and that cutting herself off from those hands of friendship was wrong. Yet she felt she couldn’t change her ways now; too much water under the bridge. Too much time invested in making the right connections.
The house was silent; polished but silent, nothing out of place, all exactly the same as always. Derek was away for the next few days, over in England. The office was expanding and it was his job to interview candidates for the new positions. He had been helpful but cool when he had found her drunk. Losing your mother wasn’t easy, she’d reminded him. It was still early days and grieving was a long process, she’d pointed out. His invitation to go away was ridiculous, she reckoned. Imagine going away as if her world hadn’t crumbled but had just hit a hiccup. Silly man.
Willow’s troubles were not all about grief for her mother, or what Lacey’s existence represented to her, but the silence of her own house. It was only bricks and mortar, nothing more. Not a home. It would be a home if it was full of the laughter and mess of children, she believed. That would be a sign of it being lived in.
Tests had revealed that both she and Derek were healthy, and there was no reason why they couldn’t have a family. Yet it hadn’t happened. They’d both followed diets and tips that Willow had researched in order to enhance their chances, but so far having children had eluded them. Yet another hurdle in life for her to jump; why was there always some obstacle for her to conquer?
Their family doctor told them to relax, that nature would take its course. Derek had agreed with this and, as the years went by, he seemed to accept more than Willow that having children may not be on the agenda of life for them.
My Husband's Sin Page 5
