He needed no introductions when he got there. “Well, now. This is a coincidence!” Henry said. “It is well known that Santa knows if you’ve been good or bad. I have entertained your children in the past, Cousin Bill. Or should I say, your children have entertained me? You could say it’s a small world . . .” They all laughed.
Then Bill said, “Okay, let’s get down to business. If we can’t trust Santa, who can we trust?”
After an hour of details, they agreed to form a partnership. Henry suggested they use the bank’s lawyer to put it all together. The following week, they all signed the necessary papers.
Needless to say, Sam and John no longer parked their trucks at the Prestons’ place. They rented an appropriate yard where they would park all their trucks.
They put up their sign, “FOURSOME TRUCKING CO. LTD.” This was truly an exciting time in their lives. It could take a while to get the business going, but they were not discouraged. The men worked well together. Needless to say, Barb was their bookkeeper. She was happy and cautiously optimistic. She knew she would have to work even harder from now on but she was a hard worker by nature.
As for Henry, he was willing to give it his all. He had a long talk with his beloved Lily and Serge.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Christmas was approaching, and snow had covered the ground just enough to make it pretty. Trevor couldn’t wait to go skiing. The problem was, his dad was now even busier than ever. He tried to attend as many of his son’s hockey games as he could, which he enjoyed, but going skiing with his son was another story. It had been a long time since he was on skis, and to enjoy it, he would have to be more relaxed. He was overtired and needed sleep more than sports. Trevor tried to understand, but it was hard.
“Would you like me to take Trevor skiing sometimes?” Nicole asked her father.
“I would like that very much but I don’t think the two of you should go by yourselves. Do you think Dominic would be interested in going with you?”
Before Sam could say any more, Nicole stopped him, saying, “Dominic would like to go but can’t afford skis.” She felt bad for all concerned, but it was the truth.
Now it was time for Sam to feel bad. “What if we bought him skis for Christmas? We always get something for him and Sasha; you know that. This year we will buy him skis, then he can go with you and Trevor for safety reasons, as well as for fun. What about his work at the store — does he get much time off from there during the holidays?”
“What are you guys talking about? Or should I say, whom are you talking about?” Barb asked.
“We are talking about Dominic, who can’t buy his own skis in order to escort Trevor and myself to go skiing,” Nicole informed her mother. “Dad is suggesting you buy them for him for Christmas.
“That is a wonderful idea. Did he ask for them? What does Sasha want this year? And while we are on the subject, what do you want this year?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I haven’t given it much thought. I am worried for Dominic. He hasn’t heard from his father since the outburst at their house. He doesn’t trust him. Dominic thinks his father might strike again around Christmastime, just to stir things up.”
Barb shook her head sympathetically. “Well, for the skiing, I can ask Olivia to come with you when Dominic gets busy at work.”
However, that did not go well.
“Mom, what makes you think that I would want to go skiing? Greg has asked me a number of times, but I have no wish to do that. I have better things to do.” Olivia was appalled by everyone wanting her to get into sports. The young diva was not about to risk breaking a nail or two while skiing. She also wished to break up with Greg, because she had her eye on another guy she had met at the library. The young man was good-looking and polite. He had a mysterious way about him, and she was quite smitten with him.
“By the way, Mom, when are we going Christmas shopping? I have everything all figured out, including what I want from you . . .” This was Olivia; the world was all about her.
Barb happened to be at the store when she felt somebody approaching her. “Oh, hello, Anna; how are you?” She had a feeling this was going to be a long talk.
“Hi, Barb; you are just the person I wanted to see.” Anna, as bubbly as she could be, was truly happy to see her friend. They had often had lunch together in the past, when the Prestons still lived in Hamilton. The two of them had attended the same high school and had remained friends.
“What’s on your mind, Anna? Is everything okay?” Barb was pretty sure what was on her friend’s mind, but one can never be too sure.
“As you might suspect, the Lambert children are always on my mind. I know that they are no longer small children, but to me they still are and always will be.”
“Yes, I know that. We share the same thoughts when it comes to those two. Not a day passes that we don’t worry about them. Is there anything specific you have in mind?” Barb wanted to know.
“Marianne works with Sasha, and at times the poor girl seems to be in tears, yet she is always pleasant with the patrons. She really enjoys working on cash. I used to think that she was bluffing when she told me how much she always wanted to do cash, but as it turns out, she was sincere. I just feel so helpless. I don’t want to pry, but I wish I could help her. Do you have any idea as to what can be done?”
“Well, for one thing, she is probably worried about her brother. Their father has not been heard from since the outburst regarding those bushes, which you know about. It doesn’t make sense to Dominic that his father would simply let it drop. So Dominic and Sasha are expecting him to pop up again anytime. Other than that, I have no idea why Sasha would be so disturbed. She has not said anything to Nicole as far as I know.” Barb was trying to be direct, but at the same time, she was now getting more anxious. She could not wait to speak with Nicole . . .
The next day, Susanne called, saying: “Barb, have you done your Christmas shopping yet?”
“I have a few articles organized, yes; however, there is more to come. I have just been so busy at the office there is not enough time to spread around. What do you have in mind?”
“I was wondering if we could go together. I am fine at home but I don’t feel safe out there. Larry might have some ideas that could prove unsafe for me. Would you mind taking me with you?” Susanne was acting a bit weird, by the way she spoke, but Barb dismissed it as just Susanne being Susanne.
“If you don’t mind, we could go on Saturday; I have too much on my plate during the week at the office. Or we could go one evening, if you so choose. What do you think?”
“Oh, never mind, Barb; I will be all right. I wanted to go tomorrow. Forget I called and thanks anyway.” Susanne hung up the phone and burst out crying. Luckily, no one was at home to hear her. Sasha was working, and Dominic had gone to walk Serge and he would probably stay there at Henry’s place for a cup of tea. The two guys often talked for quite some time after their walk. Susanne was often envious of the relationship between the two of them. She knew that Dominic needed a father figure in his life, as well as a man-to-man talk once in a while. Her children might have wanted to spend more time with her if she didn’t complain all the time.
That night, Dominic attempted to find out what was so mysterious about Sasha’s birth certificate. Susanne was so taken by this, she acquired a sudden migraine. His question shocked her. That had happened before, and each time, Dominic dropped the subject. He felt sorry for his mother. He resented being left out but decided to drop it.
Later that evening, Barb called Susanne and offered to go with her the next day.
“Actually, I don’t feel like going anymore. I have a migraine headache and this might not pass so soon. Perhaps, next time.” Susanne was quite rude. This was not unusual for her; she often dismissed people like that.
At times, Barb would say to her daughter Olivia that she reminded her of Susanne. This time, Susanne reminded her of Olivia — it was always about her. These two both deserve a good kick . . .
to straighten them both out, once and for all. She was ashamed to have a daughter just like Susanne. The difference being, Olivia was younger and spared from mental illness.
“I don’t believe this. I reorganize my whole day for her and then she refuses to go!” Barb was furious as Nicole walked in and wanted to know whom her mother was talking to.
“Mom, are you all right? I hope I’m not the target just now, because you look as if you could tear somebody apart. What happened?” Nicole felt like laughing but knew better. But then Barb started laughing; after all, her family was fine and healthy, so why should she worry about somebody like Susanne? She was not worth it.
“Not to worry. I am not angry anymore. I called Susanne and offered to take her shopping after all; but she is not in the mood, if you can believe it.”
“Actually, I can,” Nicole stated.
“What do you mean?” Something was wrong; that much Barb knew, because Nicole did not defend Susanne unless there was a good reason for it.
“Dominic told me what happened tonight. There is some mystery about Sasha’s birth certificate, and he asked his mother what it was. She freaked out about it, and everything ended the same way as it always does. So he just dropped it and left. But he told me about it. It’s a long story, Mom. Someday, I will tell you all about it, but right now, I just want to go to bed.”
“Sure — but I still want to know why I was shafted so rudely by Susanne. I believe I deserve better.”
Nicole went to her room and tried to recall Dominic’s words and his effort to talk about his parents: “I am sure I have mentioned this to you before,” Dominic began. “There is something mysterious about Sasha’s birth certificate. It has to do with some trouble between our parents. Sasha told me on one occasion that once, when Father waited for her at night on her way home from work, he mentioned wanting to tell her something. In his twisted mind, he may have hurt himself more than Sasha; however, his motivation was to make her listen to him.”
“And did she?” Nicole asked.
“No; she ran home instead. She didn’t want to hear what he had to say.”
“Do you have any idea what might be at stake? I mean, what might be the trouble regarding Sasha?”
“I am beginning to think so, yes. I hope I am wrong, but Sasha may not be his daughter for some reason. I can recall times when my parents fought about deception on my mother’s part. Who knows — she might be having anxiety attacks due to that same deception . . .” He paused for a moment.
“Now, don’t you let yourself get ahead of your studies on the human mind, Professor Lambert,” Nicole said, half-jokingly. She was trying to break up his tension. “How about that! I think it worked.” She gave him a hug and tried to calm him down. When they parted that night, she wanted to go home and just rest — except she owed it to her mother to at least let her know that Susanne had a legitimate reason to be upset.
Luckily, Christmas was quickly approaching, and, ready or not, Santa knew if you were good or bad. One of the Prestons’ family members was excited about it for sure. Trevor was known to be a bit lively at any time but around Christmastime he was most definitely hyper. Endless questions and reminders followed one another. The worst was always Christmas Eve, when he refused to go to bed. He wanted to wait for Santa to come so he could see him eating cookies and drinking milk . . .
On Christmas Eve, a call came from one of Henry’s neighbours at the cottage site who lived there all year round and actually kept an eye on Henry’s property. Tom was disturbed and didn’t quite know how to tell Henry that his cottage was on fire.
“What do you mean, ‘on fire’?” Henry was perplexed.
“Henry, I heard an explosion and went outside to see what was happening; I saw your cottage burning. I called 9-1-1, and they should be here any time now, but there is not much left there. I gave them all the information and your number, but —”
“Oh, I just got home — they must have tried to call while I was out. Are you all right, Tom?” Henry asked.
“Yes, we are all right, but I feel so helpless right now. Henry, there is no point in your coming up tonight. We will know more tomorrow. I’m sure the police will be in touch with you soon and tell you more about what they know.”
“Yes, yes; I understand. I will be there first thing in the morning. Thanks for letting me know, Tom.”
Henry was devastated. That cottage had meant a lot to him He had some precious memories of Lily there. He wondered what could have set it on fire. Or was it who . . . After talking with the police about his and his brother’s accidents, Henry was not at all surprised at what had just happened. The question was: Who would want him dead? Tom had mentioned an explosion.
While countless people were celebrating their holidays and opening their presents, Henry Dobbs was heading toward his precious cottage, which was by now completely gone. The police had called to tell him they would be in touch as soon as they found out more regarding the fire.
He arrived at Tom’s door at around ten in the morning. “Hello, Tom; I am very sorry to bother you with my troubles on Christmas morning —”
“Don’t be silly; I am the one who is sorry for not catching the culprit. There was definitely an explosion. Cottages don’t just explode for no reason. There must be more to this than meets the eye. I am not about to let this go just like that. You have my support on this, and the insurance people will want to know who did this to you.” Tom was greatly disturbed.
“Well, I might as well go and face this catastrophe up close.”
As Henry proceeded to walk toward the cottage, his knees buckled for a short second, and he was shaking violently. He had a hard time breathing and wished he had his new family with him. They were his inspiration. But he didn’t want to spoil their Christmas morning. There was not much left of the ruins, and some of the ashes were still warm. With tears running down his cheeks, Henry tried to be brave, as he was known to be. Then, he remembered how he once told Dominic that a real man was not ashamed to cry. Unfortunately, that reminded him of how they would not be able to come here and enjoy their weekends. Then he slowly backed away from the ruins and walked toward his neighbour’s front door to say goodbye for now.
“Thank you, Tom; I will be in touch. First; I have to contact the police, then the insurance people, which will not be until after Boxing Day. Once I find out all the results, I will come back and tell you all about it.” He shook his friend’s hand and left. His heart heavy, Henry drove home, thinking: I just hope that my house is still intact. Luckily, Serge was with him, as he always was.
Henry was used to having to look over his shoulder while in the navy, but this was ridiculous. When he reached his house, he found Nicole and Dominic waiting for him and wondering where he could be. They came to wish him Happy Holidays and to invite him to walk with them in the blanket of snow.
“Hi, Henry — we were getting worried, wondering where you were,” Nicole chatted. “We wanted to join you and Serge for a walk on this snowy day. It is just enough snow for a white Christmas but not too much for walking.”
Then, somehow, she saw a twinge of sadness in his eyes. She was afraid to ask questions.
“My dear children; how nice it is to see you here right now. Unfortunately, I have some bad news. I have just returned from the cottage.” He could barely continue. “Somehow, the cottage burned down last night. It’s gone.” He did not bother to hold back his tears.
“How did it happen?” Dominic and Nicole said it at the same time. Then, Dominic hugged him, and so did Nicole. Dominic felt defensive at once. How did he find out about it? Did anyone call him?
“Who called you, Henry?” Nicole asked. “Or should I ask: Who called for help?” The two of them were stunned by the news.
“My neighbour Tom called and told me all about it. He claims to have heard an explosion or something similar . . . a loud bang. He went out to investigate and saw flames at my place. He called for help, but it was already too late. The place went up q
uickly. I still can’t believe it. I seem to be in a daze over the whole thing.”
He paused and looked at them and Serge and said, “My lovely children . . . what would I do without you?” He was truly relieved by seeing them there. “Now, let’s go for that walk.”
Off they went, but the conversation regarding the cottage did not stop there. For Serge, it was fun as usual. He ventured off at times, but today Henry was a bit possessive over his dog, which was unusual for him. He kept an eye on his friend more than he usually did.
“Henry, are you still coming to our place tonight for dinner?” Nicole asked. “As you know, everybody is coming. Oh, I almost forgot; Mom said to tell you to come earlier.”
The walk was over, and it was time for the kids to get home. Barb was getting a bit worried about Nicole. She found it odd that it took so long to walk a dog. She figured they probably stopped at Henry’s place for a cup of tea.
Later that night, Sam and Henry had a chance to talk seriously. Sam had sensed something going on for quite some time but he had avoided prying. However; things had escalated to the level where he felt he should ask. He suspected trouble in Henry’s life, and now that they were business partners, he felt more comfortable about asking what was going on. Henry, however, smiled at Sam and promised they would talk about it some other time — but not on Christmas Day. “Sam, I promise to let you in on some of the things in my life but there are others that will have to stay with me. I am properly prepared for my demise, whether natural or otherwise, so don’t worry about me. You have a lovely family to worry about. And by the way, you are doing a good job at it.” With that, Henry bid them a good night and departed, once again telling them they lived too far away now. He missed them.
Christmas was over, and the kids were again back at school. Winter had not been too bad so far, but there were still a few months to go before spring. Their lives had settled into a routine. However, Henry still had no idea as to why anybody would wish him harm. The fire at the cottage had been set on purpose. It was arson. Who did it was not known so far. Fortunately, the insurance company, in on the investigation, gave him no problems. Henry would have to decide whether to build another cottage or simply accept the payout. So far, he had been unable to decide, but luckily there was plenty of time, since nobody would even want to build in the winter anyway.
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