Love Heart Lane

by Christie Barlow

Felicity felt she had nothing to lose and asked the question that was burning inside of her. ‘Why do you need a DNA test, Fergus?’

  Fergus’s face plunged into despair and Felicity’s stomach churned as she waited for him to answer.

  He stared at her like a rabbit caught in headlights and couldn’t quite believe his ears.

  ‘What do you know about that?’ His voice faltered. ‘Tell me what you know,’ he said, staring at her. She knew that he wasn’t going to let it drop until she came clean.

  ‘I took a look at your laptop.’ As soon as she told him she felt underhanded, but it had felt like the only way to understand what was going on for Fergus – why he was behaving so out of character.

  ‘How … how dare you … I leave you alone in here for a split second and you think you have the right to go snooping?’

  She nodded. ‘Yes, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have, but I was worried about you. You’ve been acting really strange lately and this isn’t like you. Why are you googling DNA testing? Come on Ferg…’ she pressed, her voice soft. ‘Has this got anything to do with your reaction over the video?’ She noticed Fergus bristle at the very mention of the video. ‘It has hasn’t it?’

  Fergus held Felicity’s gaze, his own eyes brimming with tears.

  ‘What is it? If you don’t want to tell me about it, talk to Drew if something is bothering you.’

  Fergus shook his head. ‘I can’t … I’ve never told a soul. A secret only stays a secret if you keep it to yourself. I can’t risk anyone else knowing.’

  ‘Surely it can’t be that bad? A problem shared and all that.’

  Fergus didn’t answer her, and she watched his shaky hands open up the cardboard box. He grasped an envelope and held it out to Felicity. ‘Go on … read it.’

  Her pulse doubled, and her palm felt sweaty as she took the letter from Fergus. ‘Read it, before I change my mind.’

  Carefully, Felicity opened up the letter and began to read, taking a moment to digest the information on the letter.

  As she read, her pain for Fergus hammered against her chest, ‘Have you done anything about this?’

  He shook his head. ‘I was hoping it would all go away.’

  ‘Esme isn’t your child?’ said Felicity, the words echoing around the room.

  ‘According to that letter, she’s not my child.’

  Felicity was shocked to the core. She really hadn’t been expecting that.

  ‘Where did you get this?’ she asked, looking at the envelope. It was addressed to Fergus but had never been posted and had been written by Lorna to Fergus, telling him the devastating news that he was not the father of her baby.

  ‘After Lorna died, I found it amongst her things but as you can see she never posted it. The letter is dated before Esme was born, so I guess she changed her mind about telling me and then she passed away.’

  ‘Have you told Aggie … Jessica … shown them this letter?’

  Fergus broke down and shook his head. ‘No, I couldn’t. What if this was true? I couldn’t bear the thought of losing her. I love Esme with all my heart. I haven’t told a soul about this … until now … until you.’

  ‘And what are you planning to do with this information?’

  Fergus took a moment. ‘Absolutely nothing.’ He wiped his eyes with back of his sleeve. ‘But it’s killing me inside.’

  ‘Was it an affair?’ Felicity asked, trying to piece everything together in her mind.

  Fergus shrugged. ‘I’ve no idea.’

  Lorna had written in the letter that she didn’t deserve Fergus’s love and that every day the truth was eating away at her. That she was sorry for the hurt she was going to cause him, but that she couldn’t live with the lie any longer. There was no mention of who Esme’s real father might be.

  ‘Do you think Jessica knows?’

  He shrugged. ‘I’ve no idea, but she’s never given me the impression she does.’

  ‘And is this anything to do with the reason you reacted the way you did about the video?’

  Fergus fought back more tears. ‘I know it sounds daft but what if…’ Fergus took a deep breath. ‘What if Lorna told Esme’s father the truth before she died and he knows she exists? He might realise that was her on the TV or on social media. I couldn’t bear it if he came looking for her, if he took her away from me. And what would that do to Esme? Not only has she lost her mum in tragic circumstances but then all the security she has ever known is taken away from her too. What rights would I have? I’m not her dad.’

  Felicity could see he was visibly shaken and tried to smooth the way. ‘She is your daughter. You are the one that’s brought her up, that loves her and has been there for her all these years. No one can ever question you aren’t her dad.’

  ‘I’m not her biological father though … according to this. Every day, Flick, I live in fear, fear that the truth will come out. What if her real dad knows and is already looking for her? Or the worst case scenario – what if Esme gets ill, God forbid, and needs a biological parent to help her live?’

  ‘I’ve no idea, but you are just panicking now,’ said Felicity sympathetically. ‘This man hasn’t turned up yet, has he? My guess would be he probably doesn’t know anything about her.’

  ‘And the only person who has all the answers to any of this is dead. I can’t believe she could do this to me. I thought we were in love but all the time there was this betrayal. How could she live with the deceit and let me love that girl like my own, knowing she wasn’t mine?’ His voice cracked.

  Felicity had no words, but she was deeply distressed to see Fergus hurting this way.

  ‘Maybe speak to Jessica?’ Felicity softly offered. ‘Maybe she knows something?’

  ‘Maybe, but if she doesn’t and I tell her, that’s another person who knows the truth. Flick, I love Esme … I love her so much it hurts. I don’t want her to have to deal with any more trauma in her life and I don’t want to lose her. She is my child Flick, no matter what this letter says. She’s mine! Things are good just the way they are … and you have to promise me Flick, you can’t tell anyone.’ His voice was passionate, earnest.

  ‘I won’t tell anyone, I promise. You can trust me Fergus,’ she whispered softly. Their stupid row evaporated as Felicity took Fergus in her arms and cradled him. Her heart went out to him as he let out a shuddering sigh then wept.

  ‘I’m so scared, Flick,’ he whispered.

  ‘It’ll be okay.’ She kissed the top of his head gently. She knew some of the blame laid at her door for his distress, and she felt her own guilt rise again. If only she’d checked with Fergus before even taking the video with Esme. Felicity had never anticipated this was the reason he didn’t want Esme plastered all over the internet and her heart twisted for him as she rocked him gently, promising him that everything was going to be all right. In that moment it hit Felicity fully that her feelings for Fergus had never gone away. In fact, she knew without doubt that this was the man she would always love. And as she held him tighter, she wished with all her heart, that she could take away his pain.

  Chapter 26

  Half an hour later it seemed every villager was crammed outside the teashop to see what was going on inside. The film crew had arrived and there was an air of excitement around the place.

  As Felicity weaved her way through the crowds towards the teashop door, everyone began to pat her on the back and the sound of rapturous applause echoed all around.

  She smiled at the sound of cheers and villagers shouting, ‘Well done Felicity! You’ve saved Heartcross!’

  The community was out in full force praising her, and she recalled how only a few days ago she had worried that she would never fit back into the community. But now she knew she’d been welcomed back into the fold with open arms. Feeling like royalty, she waved a hand above her head and pushed the door open to the teashop which was packed to the rafters with the TV crew. How they’d lugged their equipment from the river up the hill Felicity would never know, but at t
he moment they were enjoying a well-earned tea break and chatting with Rona.

  Allie was the first to notice Felicity. ‘You look dreadful,’ she whispered. ‘Is everything okay with Fergus?’

  ‘Everything’s fine,’ Felicity lied, hoping for a change in subject, even though he was firmly on her mind.

  ‘I’m assuming interviewing Esme is a no-go?’

  ‘You assume right,’ she answered, as Rona appeared at her side.

  ‘Go and touch up your make-up and at least pull a brush through your hair,’ she suggested, shuffling her daughter through the film crew towards the back of the shop and into the cottage, ‘and hurry.’

  Felicity risked a tentative look in the mirror; Allie was right, she did look dreadful. She’d wanted to stay comforting Fergus but with Aidy Redfern being shipped across the river she didn’t have much choice. The timing couldn’t have been worse. Inside she felt sad for Fergus but knew there was nothing she could do to help him, except keep his secret like she’d promised.

  Pulling a brush through her hair and dabbing lip gloss on to her lips she declared herself ready. Walking back into the teashop, her stomach started fluttering as she spotted Aidy Redfern who was currently being pampered by a make-up artist whilst tapping on his mobile phone.

  ‘We will be going live in ten minutes!’ the floor manager shouted before ushering Felicity over in Aidy’s direction.

  Felicity held out her hand. ‘We’ve spoken on the phone. Hi, I’m Felicity.’

  Aidy gave her a smile, instantly putting her at ease. ‘Congratulations! In all my time as a news reporter I’ve never known anything quite like this. A local girl back from the bright lights of the city, stranded in a village after the bridge collapses then raises the money for a temporary bridge within record time. Well done, you.’

  ‘Thanks,’ she replied, slightly blushing. ‘But I really didn’t do much.’

  ‘You posted a video that went viral. You won the heart of the nation alongside Esme. Those donations came flooding in and in such a short space of time too. Any clues to the mystery donation that helped reach the final target? It’s a hell of a lot of money.’

  In all honesty, Felicity had forgotten all about the mystery donor; all that was firmly planted on her mind was Fergus.

  ‘I’ve no idea,’ she replied. Felicity didn’t know anyone with that sort of ready cash.

  ‘How did it feel when you knew the video had gone viral? In fact, don’t answer that … I’ll be firing all those sorts of questions at you in a minute,’ he said, checking his face in the mirror and ruffling the front of her hair.

  Felicity started to panic a little. Of course she felt proud, but she knew that in no time at all the conversation and questions would be steered towards Esme and she really didn’t want to upset Fergus any more. She knew he would be at home watching the news report go out live.

  After the floor manager gave Felicity the once over, they positioned themselves in front of the counter. She began to feel nervous seeing all the faces pressed up against the window watching her, but taking a deep breath she waited for the filming to begin. Aidy was talking to someone through an earpiece then he switched on his microphone. Just at that second, Felicity saw Esme press her small hands against the pane of glass and then begin waving. Jessica was standing behind her. Her breath caught in her throat as Aidy also spotted Esme in the window. ‘Sorry to interrupt—’ he pressed his hand to his earpiece before touching a hand lightly to Felicity’s arm ‘—is that Esme? The public would love to see her again. Can we get her on this interview too?’

  It felt like time had slowed as Felicity watched Aidy walk towards the shop door. ‘No,’ she said abruptly, grabbing his arm. ‘We can’t.’

  Taken aback, he spun round. ‘It will make great viewing.’

  Felicity couldn’t risk going against Fergus’s wishes, after the fragile trust they had built this afternoon. She knew he would never forgive her if Esme appeared on TV for a second time.

  ‘I’ve already spoken to her dad and he doesn’t want her to be interviewed.’

  Aidy didn’t have time to question Felicity further as the floor manager shouted, ‘Take your places, nearly ready to go.’

  Aidy stood back next to Felicity while Rona, Allie and Meredith huddled in the corner of the room. Allie gave Felicity a thumbs up and a huge grin.

  ‘Good afternoon,’ said Aidy as the babble of voices outside the tearoom began to hush. He waited for them to settle then he counted himself in. ‘Going live in five … four … three … two … one…’

  He turned towards Felicity. ‘This afternoon we are live from the village of Heartcross. We are currently standing in the heart of the community inside Bonnie’s Teashop situated on Love Heart Lane.’

  Felicity stole a furtive glance towards the window, where Jessica and Esme were now nowhere to be seen, much to Felicity’s relief.

  ‘We are chatting with Felicity Simons, the woman who has stolen the nation’s heart with her plea to raise money to build a temporary bridge between Heartcross and Glensheil after the original Grade II listed bridge collapsed during the recent storms. Felicity, what do you think about the local villagers hailing you a hero?’

  ‘They are too kind,’ Felicity felt herself blush and briefly lowered her eyes to the floor. ‘I really didn’t do much.’

  ‘Your video went viral,’ interrupted Aidy, ‘with now over five million views. What do you think prompted such a response from the general public?’

  Felicity knew he was steering the conversation towards Esme, but she was going to do everything in her power to steer it in the opposite direction. ‘The fabulous community spirit.’ She felt her voice go up an octave. ‘During the storm, we were all shocked to see the bridge collapse. At first there was panic in the village about how we’d ever manage with no supplies being able to cross the bridge but we’ve all supported each other. Hamish, the local shopkeeper has donated freely the food that’s left in his shop and this place, Bonnie’s Teashop, founded by my late grandmother Bonnie Stewart, has been catering for the village, rather like a soup kitchen making sure everyone is fed and watered.’

  ‘Very commendable. Tell us more about this amazing community you live in. What makes Heartcross such a special place?’

  ‘I think we all look out for each other here, and we always have really. We even managed to deliver a baby safely into the village without the emergency services. This whole situation has brought us all much closer together.’

  ‘Very, very commendable! Tell us about your relationship with Esme Campbell.’

  The microphone was poised towards Felicity who felt her heartbeat quicken.

  ‘She’s a local girl who I had the pleasure of meeting after I returned from London.’ Felicity kept it brief.

  But Aidy Redfern didn’t stop there, ‘The night before the storm—’ he turned straight towards the camera ‘—Esme’s grandmother Aggie was taken into hospital in Glensheil and found herself stranded from her own village and family, is that right?’

  Felicity found herself nodding.

  ‘Everyone fell in love with Esme’s plea to be reunited with her grandmother and this was obviously a motivating factor for people to donate to your appeal. How did you feel seeing the funds beginning to mount up?’ He turned back towards Felicity.

  ‘Astonished, it all seemed to happen so quickly. One minute there was ten pounds on the fundraising page and the next minute, two hundred and fifty thousand pounds thanks to all the kind people out there.’

  ‘Felicity, you’ve certainly put Heartcross on the map and in the hearts of the people! But then another extraordinary thing happened, with a mystery donation of fifty thousand pounds, the amount needed to reach the final target. Have you any idea where – or who – the mystery donation could be from?’

  Felicity shook her head. ‘Honestly, I’ve no idea, but I want to say a huge, huge thank you to everyone who has made a donation. I’ve had a meeting with a local contractor, Alfie Wilson, wh
o is putting together the team to begin the construction of the temporary bridge until the original bridge can be restored.’ Felicity smiled at the camera. ‘Which hopefully will connect us back with civilisation very soon.’

  ‘I’ve information just in … that the team will actually start work on the project tomorrow,’ announced Aidy.

  The villagers outside began to cheer which brought a smile to everyone inside the shop.

  ‘But we have one last surprise for little Esme.’

  Felicity’s heart began to hammer against her chest. ‘A special message for her from her grandmother, Aggie.’

  The TV screen switched over to Glensheil and Felicity was amazed to see Aggie perched on her hospital bed with a smile on her face. Another reporter was poised with a microphone and as soon as they got the green light they were live on TV and Aggie began to speak,

  ‘I’m so full of pride. The amount of money raised is astronomical. Who’d have thought one video could cause all this publicity, I feel like a minor celebrity,’ chuckled Aggie. ‘A huge thank you to everyone who has taken the time out to wish me well.’

  ‘We have another little surprise for you and your granddaughter, Mrs Campbell. We are currently shipping her across the river with her Auntie Jessica to visit you!’

  Aggie gasped and brought her hands up to her face, clearly delighted.

  Felicity’s jaw dropped to somewhere near the floor as the picture now switched to the side of the river bank and she saw Esme climbing into a speedboat at the edge of the water with Jessica right behind her. All Felicity could do was stare at the footage and force herself not to gasp out loud, her heart in her mouth. That was why Esme had disappeared from the window, she’d been taken down to the river to meet the boat.

  She watched as the boat took off across the river, the wind blowing in Esme’s hair and her eyes wide with excitement. She looked like she was having the time of her life, but Felicity felt sick to her stomach. She’d promised Fergus this wouldn’t happen, that Esme was to go nowhere near the cameras, but she’d had no control over this situation. Surely Jessica had checked with Fergus first? She had a horrible feeling he was going to blame her for the entire situation.