When she finally got through to Charlize, all she could do was cry. It was some minutes before she was able to explain what had happened to upset her so much. There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone as she finished speaking.
‘I wish there was something I could do for you,’ Charlize said, ‘I really do. I feel so helpless, here on the other side of the world. I don’t even know what to suggest.’
They were still talking when the front doorbell rang.
‘There’s someone at the door,’ Suzi said. ‘I’ll phone you back as soon as I work something out.’
She opened the front door to find Narelle standing on the doorstep.
‘I’m sorry to bother you,’ the woman began, hesitantly. ‘but I need to talk to you. I was going to ring, but I felt it would be better to talk to you in person.’ She paused as Suzi’s brow creased with a puzzled look. ‘If it’s not convenient, then I’ll…’
‘No, it’s all right, Narelle, come in.’
The woman began by saying that it was probably none of her business, but she had become concerned about certain things, and felt she should say something. She told Suzi that everyone at the restaurant was conscious of an underlying current of discontent between her and Mark, and she had become quite disturbed about the situation. Apparently a number of their regular customers had commented about it too. Then she went on to list the number of complaints she had received that evening about the meals.
‘It was as if he didn’t care what he served up,’ she complained. ‘I seemed to spend half the night apologising.’ She tried to force a smile on her face. ‘And we’re all concerned about you, too.’
‘About me?’
‘Yes, you came back from your holiday full of life, and then a couple of weeks later it just seemed to drain away. We thought it had something to do with your friend going to New Zealand, but maybe it’s something deeper.’ Narelle twisted her hands nervously. ‘Like I said, it’s probably none of my business, but we’re very fond of you, and we don’t like to see you unhappy.’
Suzi bit her bottom lip as the other woman looked at her anxiously.
‘I appreciate your concern, Narelle, and I acknowledge that there is a problem, but I hope it’ll be resolved within the next day or two. I can’t explain things at this stage, but it’ll be sorted out one way or another.’ She clasped the woman’s hand. ‘Thank you for your consideration, I really do appreciate it.’
‘I haven’t told anyone I was coming to see you,’ Narelle said, climbing to her feet, ‘and I won’t say anything to the rest of the staff.’
After the woman had gone, Suzi poured herself a whiskey and sank down on to the sofa. As she climbed the stairs to bed, she thought about Charlize’s last words. ‘Why don’t you come down for a visit?’
‘That wouldn’t solve anything,’ she murmured. It would be unwise just to walk away from the problem. Anyway she couldn’t trust Mark to take care of things in her absence, and it wouldn’t look good if she left the house empty. No, she would have to stay and sort everything out before she could even consider her friend’s offer.
She woke half a dozen times during the night and on two occasions found she had been crying in her dreams. The morning light came as a blessed relief. Dragging herself out of bed, she showered, dressed, and hurriedly put on her makeup. Unable to eat because of the fear that gnawed away at her insides, she forced down a cup of coffee and then drove to the restaurant. The sense of foreboding increased as she opened the door. There was nothing amiss, although the burglar alarm had not been activated.
She checked the phone for messages, but there was none. Then she walked through to the kitchen and surveyed the room. Everything had been cleaned and put away as normal. Suzi ran her fingers over the workbench as she considered what to do.
‘I don’t know that I want to be involved with this place anymore,’ she murmured, ‘now that everything’s turned sour.’
The ringing telephone caught her attention. It was Mark.
‘I’m at the bank,’ he said, in strangled voice. ‘But there seems to be a problem.’
‘Don’t bother to try and explain things,’ Suzi said, angrily. ‘Just wait there for me.’
The bank clerk had queried the cheque because the amount had not been filled in when Mark presented it. He was not happy with Mark’s explanation that it had been agreed that he was to fill in the amount himself, and that he had omitted to do this in his hurry. The clerk had refused to carry out the transaction until he was certain that everything was in order.
It took the best part of a half-hour to sort everything out and transfer the money. Suzi was shaking with rage when she emerged from the bank.
‘Why didn’t you fill in the amount as soon as you knew what it was?’ she demanded. ‘If you ever put me through anything like that again, I’ll...’ She left the threat hanging in the air. As Mark attempted to say something, she cut him short. ‘I’ll see you back at the restaurant.’
When Mark arrived, he answered a telephone call, but while he was talking, he cast furtive glances in her direction and nodded his head. As he put the phone down, Suzi gestured to the phone.
‘Have you sorted it all out?’
Mark hesitated. ‘Yes, and no. Wilcox claims that I still owe him five hundred pounds.’
‘How much more is he going to demand?’ Suzi’s voice was almost a shriek. Unable to take any more, she turned on her heel and hurried out of the building.
She drove her down the road to her own bank, where, with trembling fingers, she made out a withdrawal slip for another five hundred pounds. Barely able to hold back her tears she headed back to the restaurant. As she turned the corner, Suzi saw two men climb out of a car and push open the door.
Chapter Twenty Seven
Charlize put the phone down and sighed—if only there was something she could do to help Suzi. For a brief moment she thought about making a quick trip back to see how she could help her, but realised it was impracticable under the circumstances, and probably would achieve nothing. And maybe by the time she arrived there, Suzi would probably have it all sorted out.
She gave another little sigh. It was strange how things seem to happen so unexpectedly; in some ways it seemed almost too good to be true. Who would have thought she would be living in a luxurious house overlooking Auckland harbour while she was waiting to get married? Only a few months ago she would have rejected the idea out of hand.
Any qualms she may have had about marrying Lloyd and settling in New Zealand had disappeared without trace. He was all she had hoped to find in a man, and their love for each other became stronger by the day. Lloyd’s parents had insisted that she stay with them until the wedding day so that they could get to know each other better. Meanwhile he had taken the opportunity to have his home redecorated.
‘Two more days to go,’ she murmured, stretching luxuriously as she gazed out onto the sweeping expanse of lawn and beyond it onto the city of sails. She was tempted to phone him at work just to say hello, but resisted the urge. ‘I don’t want his receptionist to think I’m checking up on him.’
However within minutes he called her.
‘Charlize, my darling.’ Lloyd crooned into the mouthpiece. ‘I’ve arranged to meet an old friend of mine who’s looking for a house in the bay area. I thought you might like to come along for the run so that I can show you a bit more of our beautiful country. We’ll all have a spot of lunch together afterwards in a nice little place that specialises in seafood.’
‘That sounds great. I’ll let your mother know I’m going out.’
Half an hour later, he pulled up outside the house and tooted the horn. As they headed north, Charlize told him about Suzi’s phone call. He said nothing, but made the acceptable clucking noises one makes when sympathetic to another’s problems.
‘I don’t regret leaving Britain for one moment,’ she said, casting a glance at the man by her side, ‘but I do miss Suzi. We’ve been such good friends for so many ye
ars, and now, when she needs me most, I’m on the other side of the world.’ She sighed. ‘Isn’t it strange? Everything has turned out so wonderfully for me, and yet it all seems to have gone pear-shaped for her.’
‘Do you think she’ll be able to sort it out all right?’
‘I hope so,’ Charlize replied, ‘but it sounds as if she’s at the end of her tether with Mark.’
Half an hour later they pulled into a parking spot outside an office that bore the legend: Wisecombe and Spencer Real Estate Agents and Valuators. As they did so, another vehicle stopped on the opposite side of the street and the driver tooted.
‘Hello, Steve, nice to see you again.’ Lloyd climbed out of his Mercedes as Steve walked towards him. While they shook hands Charlize alighted on the other side of the vehicle. ‘Say hello to my future wife,’ he said, placing a hand under her elbow.
‘Hello Charlize, pleased to meet you,’ Steve said, and when they shook hands he had a strong feeling that he had seen her somewhere else before.
Lloyd grinned widely.
‘Your eyes are popping out, Steve,’ he said, laughingly.
‘Yes, well you told me that your fiancée was beautiful, but I think you understated the obvious.’ Then he turned back to Charlize. ‘I found it hard to believe that Lloyd was contemplating marriage, but now I can understand why.’
‘How very kind of you,’ Charlize said. ‘I think Lloyd and I are two of a kind, although we were both surprised at how quickly it all happened.’ She squeezed her fiancé’s fingers. ‘But it’s the best decision I’ve ever made.’
‘Lloyd said you met in North Queensland, but it’s quite obvious you’re not from that part of the world. Your accent is Welsh, unless I’m mistaken.’
Charlize looked at him in a peculiar way and was about to say something when Lloyd glanced pointedly at his wristwatch. ‘Sorry to rush you, Steve, but I have to keep my eye on the time.’
‘Yes of course.’
‘Come on, I’ll introduce you to Harry and you can tell him what you’re looking for.’ He turned to Charlize. ‘Do you want to wait in the car or come with us?’
‘I’ll be all right waiting here for you.’
Before Lloyd said goodbye, he invited Steve to visit when they returned from their honeymoon, and then left the two men discussing the available houses in the area.
‘Steve seems a nice guy.’
‘Yes he is,’ Lloyd agreed, ‘he’s a genuine sort. We went through college together, but we weren’t really close. Then a couple of years ago we met at a barbecue and sort of renewed our friendship. Although we don’t see a lot of each other we have a fair bit more in common.’
‘Is he married?’
‘No, he was going to marry, but apparently his girlfriend suddenly walked out on him and went to live with an ex-boyfriend; some chap who had just been released from prison. Not long after that, they were both killed in a car accident.’
‘Oh, how awful. How did Steve take it?’
‘I think he was more upset than he’s prepared to admit.
‘Did this Steve visit Britain recently?’
‘He might have done.’ Lloyd was just about to elaborate when the car phone rang. ‘Hold on,’ he murmured picking it up and identifying himself.
While he talked confidentially to the other person, Charlize began tying up some loose ends in her mind. Although she knew that Suzi shared the inheritance of Caxton Manor with a man called Steve, and that he lived in New Zealand, she couldn’t remember his surname. Charlize knew that Suzi was a bit cut up because the man had a girlfriend back home, but more than that she didn’t know. She kept wondering about it; could this be some incredible coincidence? She shrugged and dismissed it, but then realised that stranger things happen every day of the week. Anyway, the facts should be easy enough to check out if she set her mind to it.
Lloyd headed towards the coast, and by the time he had looked over the proposed development area and talked to a couple of the principal parties, it was nearly midday. ‘What a pity,’ he said. ‘The seafood restaurant is closed. Never mind, we’ll have a quick sandwich at that café over there.’
Charlize was just about to tell him of her thoughts, when the phone rang again.
‘Blast.’
‘It’s okay, answer it,’ she said, as he grimaced. ‘It could be important. Someone might be going to offer you a million dollar deal.’ By the time he ended the call they were on the outskirts of their destination, so rather than resurrect the conversation Charlize decided to leave it be for the moment. It could wait until another day. At her suggestion Lloyd dropped her off at a taxi rank and headed back to his office.
When she returned to his parents’ place, she tried to call Suzi to see what had transpired since the previous day. The restaurant phone remained unanswered, so she dialled the number at Caxton Manor, but there was no response there either. Unable to get through to her friend’s mobile as well, she sent a text message. There was nothing more she could do now, but wait for a reply.
As she packed for their honeymoon, she had to make a concerted effort to dismiss the unbelievable idea that had taken hold of her mind. She and Lloyd had discussed various places, and she felt happy that they had finally decided to spend the week in Wellington. It was one of Lloyd’s favourite places and he hinted that he might like to live there one day. Charlize had been intrigued to learn that many couples chose to exchange vows in a public park. The idea appealed to her, because it was a far better atmosphere than a stuffy register office, and less restrictive than a church. Lloyd had explored the possibility of a church wedding, but had run up against a brick wall. Saturdays were all booked for over two months.
They had finally opted for an open-air wedding in the park, even though the weather was usually unpredictable at this time of year. The day dawned fine and sunny, although it was quite cool. The sun stayed out long enough for the photos to be taken, and then everyone rushed back to the stretch limos to be whisked off to a luncheon at a nearby hotel. Charlize was glad that the celebrations had been kept to the minimum, but she would have liked her best friend to been there to share her joy. The fact that Suzie hadn’t made contact was a major concern, because she had promised to phone and wish her well.
The toasts were kept to a minimum, but it was obvious that Lloyd’s parents were delighted to see their eldest son married at last. She formed an instant rapport with his sister, Beryl, and was amazed to learn that his younger brother already had three children and his wife was expecting a fourth. I hope Lloyd has no plans to emulate Derek’s efforts , she thought.
It was late afternoon when they flew out of Auckland, and within hours they had booked into the Wellington hotel. As the porter closed the door behind him, Lloyd gathered Charlize into his arms. ‘Well, Mrs Bridgestone?’
‘Very well thank you, Mr Bridgestone,’ she replied, loosening his tie.
He looked across at the king-size bed. ‘I wonder if the springs or whatever they put in those things are up to standard.’
‘We should check it out,’ Charlize said, as she continued to undo his shirt buttons. ‘I think they’ll hold our dinner back for us.’
*
As he said goodbye to Lloyd, Steve promised to keep in touch and wished them well for their wedding day. His friend had explained that guests were restricted to immediate family out of deference to Charlize, because she didn’t know anyone in the country.
Harry Wisecombe didn’t have anything that looked remotely interesting on the books, but assured Steve that things could change in the near future.
‘I’ll get in touch with you immediately I find anything that might be suitable,’ he promised, As far as Steve was concerned, it had been a complete waste of time, but, he reasoned, it had given him a chance to look over the area.
On the way back to Auckland he tried to think where had seen Charlize, but it eluded him. Unable to concentrate clearly he pulled off the main road and found a small café and ordered some coffee. As he spoon
ed sugar into the cup he began to put the pieces together in his mind.
Lloyd had only given him sketchy details about how he Charlize had met, but—he had mentioned the name Suzi. When he recalled his conversation with the woman on the sailing boat, it all fell into place. She had told him that Suzi was holidaying with a friend from Wales who had been smitten by a New Zealander. She also mentioned that the girl had said they were sharing a room at the hotel in Airlie Beach. Although he hadn’t been successful when he tried to trace her, a subsequent enquiry revealed that the room had been booked in the name Charlotte Bronwyn-Smythe. So, was that Charlotte the friend whom Suzi called Charlize?
In his mind’s eye Steve re-enacted the scene as the woman toppled over the side of the boat and disappeared beneath the waves. He recalled thinking he had seen a flash of recognition on her face as he reached out for her, and his own feelings as the ambulance officer turned her head towards him when he began resuscitation. He had made every effort to locate her but neither the skipper of the sailing boat, the powerboat operator, nor the nurse in the casualty department at the Base Hospital, had been able to help.
Steve took another sip of coffee and then smiled as he suddenly, remembered that he might have seen a photograph of Charlize in Suzi’s house. ‘That’s got to be it,’ he muttered, cursing himself for not having made the connection when Lloyd said the two women were from Wales.
He gave a laugh and banged the table hard with his fist. ‘Yes, that’s it,’ he exclaimed loudly. Conscious of his outburst, he glanced around the room. It seemed that everyone including the proprietor was staring at him. ‘Sorry folks,’ he apologised, ‘but I’ve just realised something important.’ When their faces relaxed, he smiled.
He paid the bill and left soon afterwards. As he continued driving towards Auckland he allowed the thoughts to surface again. It was quite obvious that until today Charlize did not know that he and Lloyd were friends. So where did he go from here? Should he try to find out what had happened back at Airlie Beach? Did Suzi have any idea that he was the one who rescued her? And if she had, did she try to find him? Moreover, did she want to? That was the big question. He gave a hollow laugh at the incredible turn of possible events. Suzi’s best friend had come to New Zealand to get married to someone he had known for years? Well, no matter what the truth of it was, there was nothing he could do about it right now. He would leave things as they were—for the moment, and then at some opportune moment, perhaps he could broach the subject with Charlize when he visited them at some future date. He just had to be patient.
Written in the Stars Page 21
