Seven Days Away
Page 16
“This was my mother’s engagement ring. It is somewhat old-fashioned in style but it has excellent diamonds. You may sell it if you wish, my dear.”
Abigail moved over to receive the ring box and gasped aloud when she saw the blaze of diamonds in a white gold setting. “This is exquisite, Gran! I would never sell it. I hope to wear it one day, as a bride.”
The Beck parents suddenly saw their elder daughter as more than an ambitious career woman. She might now aspire to have a partner to share her life. It gave her a softened aspect and made her more approachable. The former hard exterior was gone.
“I also have something else for you, Abigail. It is from our new friend Zoe Morton but I don’t know what is inside this envelope.”
There was the anticipation of a Christmas morning in the sunlit room. What next? They watched as Abi opened the envelope and looked at the item inside. She quickly tucked it back and held it tightly in her hand without further comment. Instead, she passed her ring around the circle to great exclaim.
It had come to rest in Devon’s hands when he heard his name called out. He looked up in surprise.
“We could not leave Devon out. During this week, Devon has been our greatest discovery. Both your grandmother and I have benefited from his care and the conversations we have had with him have revealed a young man with talents and a social conscience that have delighted us.”
Every eye in the room was now focussed on Devon, to his chagrin. He was used to being under the radar to his family. This sudden scrutiny did not bode well for his future anonymity.
“The young man sitting there is an entrepreneur and strategic thinker. He has a collaborative network of partners like himself. They aspire to use and develop advanced technologies for video and film game design. They have used crowdsourcing to fund programs including one to employ young homeless men. They recycle used goods on EBay. In addition to all that, they are involved in something called Extreme Metal which I believe is a type of music.”
There was a kind of electric shock ranging around the family group as soon as the senior member ceased his catalogue of praise for Devon. They were each discovering exciting new facets to a young man they had previously overlooked.
Oh, my God! That’s it for a quiet life in the basement!
Devon did not know where to look so he kept his gaze on the floor in front of his feet and hoped it was all a fantasy. Had he really revealed that much to his grandparents during casual conversations? His estimation of his grandparents’ intelligence and perception advanced exponentially.
“So, no more hiding your light under the proverbial bushel, Devon Beck, your secrets are out. Your grandmother and I are happy to invest in your future by providing a suite of offices in a high tech start-up building where your team can consult with like-minded young thinkers. We expect great things of you, young man and, for a start you could consider designing an online advertising campaign for your parents’ new restaurant business.”
The general excitement could not be contained any longer. The room exploded with laughter and cheers and tears as each recipient fought to be the first to congratulate the others and give the senior Becks hugs and kisses.
* * *
The remainder of the afternoon sped by. Aylward and Marian tried to get some rest before the evening’s celebration. Portia was in a calmer state but the day’s activities had depleted her small reserve of energy. She was seen to seek out the mirror in the bathroom to admire her new appearance. It was as if she was getting to know and accept the new version of herself. Whenever she did this, there was a small smile lingering on her face for a few minutes.
Portia could not be left alone without supervision. The plan was for Marian to accompany the family to the resort’s finest Italian restaurant and stay for the first half of the meal. Then she would return to the apartment and switch places with her husband. Aylward had further announcements to make.
It was a festive Beck/Anderson party that squeezed in together on one of the electric carts for the ride to the restaurant building. Everyone was elated at the news they had received from the senior Becks. Although there was a sense of their seven days in paradise coming to an end, each individual made the decision to put that knowledge aside for this one last evening together.
It was a beautiful conclusion to another spectacular day in the Mexican sunshine as they greeted Zoe and Wesley and shared a drink on the terrace overlooking the sea. The warm air was soft with the scents of tropical flowers and a gentle breeze waved palm branches and tall plants in a final farewell to the day. The golden ball of the sun was beginning to descend on its nightly journey. When it rose again, they would all be departing for Canada, England, and a home life that was forever altered by their holiday experiences.
Abigail took the opportunity to pull Zoe aside for a private chat.
“I got the envelope you left for me. Am I correct in assuming you intended me to use the photograph of you and your husband for publicity purposes?”
Zoe bent her discerning gaze on the young woman by her side. “I realized what this opportunity could mean to your career, Abigail Beck. I am prepared to take a chance on your professional discretion. You can refer to meeting us here on holiday but I would expect our interaction with your cousin would be off limits. Your grandfather, however, is a connection with my husband that is acceptable as a news item. I am not telling you what to write, of course. Stick to the truth and you will not go wrong.”
“I can assure you both of my discretion. I apologize for attempting to trick you into revealing private information. I am ashamed of that ploy.”
Zoe hesitated for a second. She then added another piece of news which was presently known to only her husband.
“I have decided to open a new division of my company, based on my experiences with Portia and others. It will be similar to the campaigns related to women’s breast cancer. Wigs and make-up are a huge advantage in self-confidence for women undergoing chemotherapy. I believe the same can be done for women suffering mental problems. I will call this new division Portal, in honour of your cousin.”
“Do you mean I have permission to launch this idea for you?” Abigail was astounded.
“You may mention it is in the early phases of development.”
“This is extremely generous of you, Miss Morton. I will be in your debt forever. Thank you.”
They moved apart before any of the others grew curious. Zoe returned to her husband’s side. He had agreed to this departure from her usual insistence on privacy and was taking it as a good sign of future changes.
* * *
The head waiter seated them around a large table in the elegant private room and presented the first of several bottles of fine wine.
Conversation flowed, and toasts were raised. Marian apologized for the temporary absence of her husband. All were aware of the reason and a momentary pause in the table talk indicated their sympathy for Portia and her parents.
The meal was progressing toward the main courses when Marian took her leave. She carried a tray, supplied inconspicuously by the head waiter, on which the remainder of her meal reposed with some tempting treats for Portia. Devon immediately volunteered to escort her back to the apartment and bring his grandfather to the restaurant. He wanted a chance to speak privately to both his grandparents and thank them for their unexpected generosity to him.
Aylward’s arrival raised the level of attention around the table. He carried the air of a gentleman with important information to convey. No family member could imagine what additional surprises could be shared by him after the earlier revelations, but they had to wait until dessert plates had been removed and the staff closed the doors for the final time.
Aylward stood with a glass in hand and all attention was on him.
Zoe and Wesley exchanged glances and were preparing to leave before he began. They were guests, not family, and they did not wish to embarrass their host.
Aylward noticed their intention and spoke u
p at once.
“Please, stay! After what you two have done for us this week, I consider you adjunct family members for all time. You are included in any invitations I extend tonight.”
The curiosity level increased even further with this statement but Aylward Beck did not make them wait any longer. He embarked on his speech without delay.
“Marian and I have accumulated wealth throughout our long years together. The dissemination of those resources has been an occupation of my mind for some years now. It is common practice to disperse one’s wealth after death and I have a will for that purpose, in the capable hands of my daughter, Megan. However, the sudden arrival of great wealth has been the undoing of many a family and I have chosen a different path. This vacation week was designed to provide an opportunity for us to assess how best we could benefit our family now, in meaningful ways that we could observe, rather than dispensing it after we are gone. The results of that observation are now known to you all.
It was not my original intention to have to intervene in the lives of my adult children but circumstances have conspired to make this necessary. For me and for my darling wife, time is running out. I have chosen not a will, but a way. The rest is up to all of you, individually and as families.”
He stopped to take a sip of wine and his silent audience assumed the speech was concluded. They were wrong. The biggest surprise was yet to come.
“We are selling the house in Forest Hill within the year and moving to the Bahamas. The facilities there are excellent and the weather is preferable to another long winter in Canada. I expect regular visits from everyone here, hopefully not all of you at once! There will be a capacious guesthouse on the property. Once we have settled, we hope to establish something called Skype connections to see what is going on with the family.”
He paused again while he took a breath and his grandchildren saw, for the first time, a man who had once commanded a prime position in the world of psychiatry.
“I have one last piece of advice for you and it comes as a quote from none other than Benjamin Franklin.
‘Great beauty, great strength, and great riches are really and truly of no great use: a right heart exceeds all.’”
As the meaning of the words sank deep into his listeners, he changed from serious to humorous, in the manner of truly great speakers.
“A final message for some of you from my lovely, and long-suffering, wife; she says to tell you, the Bahamas will be a delightful spot for a wedding and, if any of her grandchildren intend for her to be a great-grandmother, please don’t make her wait too long!”
* * *
THE END
Afterword
The setting for this novel is as described in Mexico. For a glimpse of its delights see:
www.grandluxxe.com
* * *
To read more about Zoe Morton and Dr. Wesley Philips, read Ruth Hay’s earlier books in this series:
Seven Days There, Seven Days Back, and Seven Days Beyond.
The Seven Days Series concludes with Seven Days Horizons.
* * *
Ruth Hay is also the author of the Prime Time Series and the Seafarers Series.
* * *
www.ruthhay.com
Also by Ruth Hay
Visit www.ruthhay.com for links to all of Ruth’s stories: the Prime Time series, the Seafarers series, and the Seven Days series!
* * *
Prime Time Series
Auld Acquaintance
Time Out of Mind
Now or Never
Sand in the Wind
With This Ring
The Seas Between Us
* * *
Seafarers Series
Sea Changes
Sea Tides
Gwen’s Gentleman
* * *
Seven Days Series
Seven Days There
Seven Days Back
Seven Days Beyond
Seven Days Away
Seven Days Horizons
About the Author
Ruth Hay published the first two novels in her Prime Time Series in the fall of 2010. Since then, this retired teacher-librarian and university teacher has produced two sequels each year. In 2013 the sixth title brought Prime Time to a close, and she started the Seafarers series. In 2015, the Seven Days series continued her tradition of writing compelling women’s fiction for discerning readers.
Ruth would love to hear from you! Ruth would love to hear from you!
www.ruthhay.com
ruthhay@rogers.com
Copyright © 2015 Ruth Hay
All rights reserved.
ISBN-13: 978-1522879534
ISBN-10: 1522879536
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