The Truth: sequel to I Will Find You

by Catherine Lambert

  “Poor girl, have you got any teething gel?” Lydia asked.

  “I’ll get some on the way back from the nursing home,” she said as she slipped the little girl into her high-chair and prepared her breakfast.

  Marney,” Lydia began.

  “Yeah,” she replied without looking up.

  “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone about me and Jake getting married.”

  “O.K. but I have been on Twitter this morning,” she replied sheepishly.

  “Tell me you haven’t posted anything sis?” desperation was evident in her tone.

  “Well,” she hesitated, “not really.” She scraped Heidi’s bowl and fed her the last mouthful of cereal.

  “What does ‘not really’ mean’?” Lydia cringed.

  “Well,” she began.

  “Don’t say that bloody word again Marney,” Lydia clenched her teeth in anger.

  “Sorry, but if you’ll let me explain. All I did was post that someone I know might be getting married again. That’s all, and it’s very vague, it could be anyone,” she shrugged her shoulders.

  “Again, you said again.” Lydia shook her head.

  “What’s wrong with you Lydia?”

  “Your friends are going to know it’s me,” she raised her voice.

  “What if they do? What’s the worst thing that can happen Lyds?” the altercation intensified.

  “You’ve got no right to broadcast my private life on social media,” Lydia continued to argue.

  “I never mentioned your name sis, you’re over reacting,” Marney would not relent.

  “Hey you two, calm down,” Jake called from the doorway.

  “It’s not me, it’s Lydia,” Marney jabbed her index finger towards her sister.

  “What’s going on Lydia?” he asked.

  “She just can’t keep her mouth shut, she’s been posting on Twitter,” Lydia pointed angrily at her sister.

  “I didn’t say anything Jake, I promise.” Marney lifted Heidi from her high-chair and turned to face her sister.

  “I don’t have time for this now Lydia, I need to go. I’ll speak to you when I get back,” she picked up her car keys and handbag and walked away.

  “What’s going on now Lydia?” Jake sighed and sank down into a chair.

  “I think you can guess,” she turned her back on him and began to load the washing machine.

  “What did she post?”

  “She said someone she knows might be getting married again,” she glanced over her shoulder in his direction.

  “That could be anyone, don’t worry about it love,” he picked up the newspaper.

  “Are you opening the café today?” Jake changed the subject.

  “No, probably tomorrow,” she took a seat.

  “What are your plans for today Jake?” she asked.

  “I’ll have to go home and pack a case, but I’ll be back this evening, if that’s

  O.K.?”

  “Of course. I’m going to the café to see what I need from the caterers.”

  “I’m going to make a move love,” he stood up and leaned over to kiss her.

  “I’ll see you later,” he turned and left.

  As the front door closed and Jake drove away, Lydia felt alone and guilty for

  how she had chastised her sister. Marney’s life had been horrendous over the

  last few weeks and Lydia knew she was still suffering. Vowing to be more

  tolerant, she headed upstairs and stepped into the shower. Half an hour later

  she pulled out of the drive and drove the short distance to the café as Marney

  arrived at the nursing home. Taking Heidi from her seat, Marney secured her in the pushchair and pushed her towards the entrance of the home. Pushing open the door, she headed towards the reception desk. Her mind was still in turmoil over Lydia’s departing words and her mood was fuelled with adrenalin. After explaining the nature of her visit, Marney took a seat and waited. After ten minutes, her patience was wearing thin and she approached the desk again.

  “Excuse me, how much longer will I have to wait?” she flared her nostrils and gritted her teeth.

  “What’s your name?” she asked peering over her over-sized spectacles.

  “I told you ten minutes ago,” she snarled.

  “I can’t be expected to remember everyone’s name,” she glared at Marney.

  “Marney Stephens; I’m here to visit Earnest Gerrity.”

  “Who’s that?” she leaned over the desk and glanced at Heidi.

  “My daughter, Mr. Gerrity’s niece, and what’s your name?” Marney enquired rudely.

  Without speaking she tapped a wooden name bar and picked up the phone.

  Marney made a mental of her name, Shelia Barnes, and re-took her seat. A few minutes later, a nurse appeared in the doorway.

  “This way Miss Stephens.”

  Springing to her feet, she followed the nimble footed young nurse as she marched at a steady pace along the corridor which led to Earnest’s room. Knocking before entering, she heard Earnest’s voice enquiring who was there.

  “It’s Marney and Heidi Earnest,” she approached his chair as the nurse closed the door and left.

  “Hello dear, sit down and let me look at the child,” he rose slowly to his feet.

  “She’s beautiful, I’m sure I can see a resemblance to Daniel,” he nodded his head and smiled.

  “Do you really think so?” Marney held her breathe.

  “Mm; but it could be my fancy, my eyes are not what they used to be,” he lowered himself slowly back into his chair and propped his hands under his chin.

  “Now we need to have a serious talk about the child’s future if she does turn out to be Daniel’s child,” he began

  “When I spoke to him before he died, he expressed a strong desire to have her educated privately at a school of your choice. All properties, investments and endowments will pass to Heidi on her eighteenth birthday,” he spoke her name for the first time.

  “This is obviously after my death, which is only a matter of weeks or months at the outside,” he added.

  “What is wrong with you Earnest,” she asked in a whispered tone.

  “Cancer my dear, it comes to most of us in the end. The doctors here are pretty accurate at estimating the time of my demise,” he grinned but avoided looking at her. She detected a hint of sadness although he tried to disguise the fact.

  “Is there anything you want to ask me?” he looked up at her.

  “I want to know about the paternity test,” she replied meekly experiencing a pang of anxiety at the thought.

  “We’ll come to that shortly,” he leaned back in his seat and studied Marney for a few minutes. Feeling uncomfortable under his scrutinising, she shifted in her seat and leaned over to look at Heidi who had now fallen asleep in her pushchair.

  “I’ve made some enquiries at the hospital Daniel was taken to. A post Mortem was carried out to establish the exact cause of death and various tissue samples were taken. These samples are still available and can be tested for paternity purposes. However, there may not be enough DNA to be conclusive, so other tests will be carried out. A `Y` and an `X` Chromosome test can be done. Girls get one `X` Chromosome from the mother and the other `X` from their father. It is possible so I’m reliably informed, that these chromosomes can help determine paternity if they match or not,” he paused.

  “I hope I’m not boring you dear?”

  “No, not at all, in fact it’s very interesting,” she smiled.

  “I’ve also been asked to provide a buccal cell sample for relationship screening. Without Daniel, the tests are not as accurate as we need.”

  “What does buccal mean?” she asked.

  “It’s the cells from the inside of the cheek, they provide a high concentration of DNA,” he explained.

  “Of course, I’ve seen that on the television,” she smiled.

  “On the day of the test, a technician will come here and take a s
ample from me. You will take Heidi to a private clinic where her sample will be taken. All tests will be carried out on theses samples. They may also take fingerprints for familial similarities,” he concluded.

  “What about the tissue samples at the hospital?” she asked.

  “It’s not certain there will be enough DNA to be conclusive so we’re covering all options. Now to get back to the inheritance. Daniel’s marital home is presently vacant. I have hired staff to clean and carry out repairs. My home is situated by the coast in Cornwall and my housekeeper and her daughter are caretakers. I also own a holiday home in France, it’s a small cottage but it’s in a beautiful part of the Loire Valley. All these properties will become your daughter’s together with a significant amount of cash. I’m not able to say what the sum will be presently. Until Heidi is eighteen, you will be legally responsible for the properties. You will have limited access to my bank account,” he reached to get a drink of water.

  “Let me help,” Marney stepped forward and poured a drink.

  “If Daniel is Heidi’s father, I have recently added a clause in my will to bequest a sum of money to you, together with the Daniel’s marital home, Fern Lea.”

  “That’s very generous, but it’s not necessary,” Marney was shocked.

  “There is no other family, and if you are part of it, you are entitled to benefit.”

  “Over there,” he pointed towards a writing desk, “Is a white envelope. Inside are the arrangements for the paternity test and the directions to the Clinic.

  Marney took the envelope and slipped it into her handbag.

  “Now if you don’t mind I need to rest dear.”

  “How long will the test results take, and will they come through the post?” she asked.

  “About one week through the post,” he replied quietly.

  “Thank you Earnest, can I come and visit you again?”

  “Check with the staff to see how I am feeling,” he nodded.

  Leaning over, she kissed his forehead and gently squeezed his hand.

  “Goodbye Earnest,” she turned the pushchair around and opened the door.

  “Who died?” he asked as she stepped into the corridor.

  “Sorry?” she turned to face him.

  “You said I couldn’t visit because of a death in the family,” his face was stern.

  “Oh, it was a distant cousin who we haven’t seen in years; the family came to see us,” she smiled weakly.

  “What did he die of?” he continued to question her.

  “A road accident, she was killed instantly,” the lies continued to tumble out of her mouth.

  “Was she married?”

  “No, she was engaged; it’s very tragic. The funeral hasn’t been arranged yet.”

  “That’s a shame. Let me know when you have the results of the DNA test.”

  “I will,” she closed the door and hurried towards the entrance. As she reached the door, Marney couldn’t hold back the tears that fell down her cheeks. She didn’t know why she was crying. Maybe because Earnest was a sad but gentle man who was dying, and she had lied to him, or because she was terrified of discovering that Dan Gerrity was not Heidi’s father. As she approached her car, she heard someone calling to her. Turning around, she saw a young man dressed in a white nurses’ tunic approaching her.

  “I think this belongs to your daughter,” he held out Heidi’s pink cuddle bear.

  “Oh thank you,” she smiled noticing how handsome he was.

  “I’ve seen you here before; are you visiting a relative?” he asked.

  “It’s complicated,” Marney hesitated.

  “I’m a good listener, why don’t you have a coffee with me in the relative’s room and tell me about it?” he raised his eyebrows.

  “I don’t know you.”

  “I don’t know you either, but I’ll take a chance,” he held out his hand.

  “I’m Will Barrett, I’m a nurse.”

  “Marney Stephens, I’m the joint owner of a café with my sister,” she replied proudly.

  “Follow me,” he turned and headed back to the front entrance and along a corridor towards the back of the nursing home. Holding open the door for her, she manoeuvred Heidi’s pushchair towards an empty table.

  “What would you like to drink?” he asked leaning on a chair.

  “I’d like a large white wine, but expresso will do,” she smiled at him.

  “O.K, I won’t be long.”

  He returned a few minutes later, and Marney found it easy to explain the reason for her visits to Earnest. Will listened without interrupting until she fell silent.

  “I didn’t realise Mr. Gerrity had any living relatives.”

  “He doesn’t yet, I’ll be gutted if Dan isn’t Heidi’s father,” she bowed her head.

  “You won’t have to wait long,” he attempted to cheer her up.

  “Listen Marney,” he paused. “Do you know what’s wrong with Mr. Gerrity?” he leaned forward and spoke in a whispered tone.

  “No, well yes he just said he had cancer,” she cringed.

  “O.K. I’ll make this as simple as possible. Earnest was diagnosed with a rare progressive disease just under three years ago. The condition is part of a group of genetic diseases called Leukodystrophies. They affect different parts of the body like the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves. From diagnosis, life span is generally three years. Earnest is aware of this, and I don’t think he will want you to visit as he deteriorates. I won’t go into the complexities of the illness, but he will be made comfortable and pain free,” he paused and looked up at Marney’s shocked expression.

  “You said genetic; are you trying to tell me Heidi could have inherited it from Dan?” she could barely get the words out.

  “No, but there’s always a chance. A gene test could be carried out at the same time as the paternity test,” he attempted to smile.

  “Have you planned this meeting with me?” she sat upright in her seat.

  “No I haven’t, I’d like to take you out for a meal,” he looked into her eyes.

  “Do you have a mobile?” she asked.

  “Of course,” he took it from his pocket.

  Marney picked it up and tapped in her number.

  “I have to go now, I need to think about what you said. Phone me at the weekend,” she stood up and pushed Heidi towards the exit without looking back.

  Placing her sleeping daughter in her car seat, she began the journey home. All animosity towards Lydia had vanished to be replaced by intense anxiety over the forthcoming paternity test, the result of which would have life-changing results for her and Heidi. To add to her increasing angst, she now had worries over whether her beautiful daughter had inherited a fatal gene. If Dan was Heidi’s father and she was healthy, she would live a life of luxury, if Phillips was her biological father then she would see to it that he never had access to her. Heidi would be told he was dead. At this moment in time, Marney wished with all her heart that this was the case. Torn between wealth and health, Marney knew which option she would choose. If fate had given her child a murderer for a father then so be it; it was preferable to a fatal genetic disease, but Ewan Phillips would never know the truth.

  As Marney turned into the drive, Lydia opened her car door and looked up at her sister’s tear stained face.

  “What’s wrong sis?”

  “Everything; It’s one thing seeing Earnest and knowing he’s going to die, but to be told he has a genetic disease which Heidi could have inherited is too horrible to bear.” she sobbed as she scooped her daughter into her arms and kicked the door shut with her foot.

  “What are you saying Marney?” Lydia frowned.

  “Let’s go inside Lyds I’ve got so much to tell you.”

  Securing Heidi into her high-chair, Marney placed a bowl of fruit and rusks on the tray.

  “What’s going on sis?” Lydia asked as she placed a tray on the table and poured the tea.

  “Well, we talked about the patern
ity test, the details are in here,” she took the envelop from her bag and dropped it on the table.

  “Then he told me about his properties that Heidi will inherit. He’s leaving Dan’s house to me, together with an unspecified amount of money,” she glanced up at Lydia’s shocked expression.

  “What?” he eyes widened in surprise.

  “So why are you crying?”

  “I met one of the nurses who must be caring for Earnest and he explained about this disease I can’t even pronounce. It’s genetic and can be passed onto children all though the family. He says they can do a blood test on Heidi to see if she has the gene,” she explained through her tears.

  “I don’t know if I want Dan to be Heidi’s father Lyds?”

  “You know you don’t mean that,” Lydia clasped her hands.

  “I can’t lose her, if Phillips is the father at least I know she won’t die of a horrible disease,” she dabbed her swollen eyes on a tissue.

  “You have to have the test done sis,” she rubbed her forearm.

  “You need to know, open the envelope,” Lydia urged.

  Tearing it open, Marney began to read the two-page document. When she had read the first page, she passed it to Lydia without speaking. After they had read both pages, Marney looked up at Lydia.

  “Do you want me to come with you?” she asked.

  “Maybe,” she hesitated.

  “You don’t have to decide now. Look Marney, I’m sorry about earlier. I promise to be more tolerant. I shouldn’t have reacted like I did,” she smiled weakly.

  “It doesn’t matter, it’s not important. I know I can be spontaneous and rash, I can’t help myself.”

  “That’s a big word for you sis,” she grinned.

  “It is isn’t it,” Marney managed a faint smile.

  “Look, I don’t want you to think this has got anything to do with this morning, but I’ve been thinking about moving out,” Marney began.

  “So, it is something to do with this morning?” Lydia butted in.

  “No Lyds, I promise you it isn’t,” she argued.

  “If you and Jake get married, I don’t want to stay here playing the gooseberry. I want a place of my own with Heidi.”

  “How will you afford it sis?”

  “I’ll think of something,” she shrugged her shoulders.