Forever Fredless

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  A few days later, I finally found the courage to go to Newcastle to see Dad. I rang first, to make sure he and Julie would be there. It was important she be there too. After all, it did concern her and the kids.

  Clearly Dad was concerned when he heard my voice. It had been a few months since I'd spoken to him, so he automatically assumed something must be wrong, especially when I asked if it was okay I visit them.

  I was so nervous and had no idea how he was going to react. It’s not every day your eldest daughter tells you she's inherited a fortune.

  The train journey was uneventful. And, even though I'd taken a novel with me, I just couldn’t concentrate. My mind was all over the place. Just thinking about telling Dad about Sam made me break out in a cold sweat.

  I thought about why I still hadn’t done anything wild with the money. Why I didn’t want everybody to know. Why was I still living in a little flat that belonged to someone else?

  There was so much to think about, yet I just felt incapable of making decisions until I was in the right frame of mind.

  Perhaps once I'd spoken to Dad? Perhaps then I would feel ready to go a little bit mad.

  Is that what I wanted? Did I want to go a bit mad? Maybe I needed to go a bit mad?

  Maybe I just needed a psychiatrist.

  Dad’s place was a short walk from the train station so a bit of fresh air would probably help clear my head in preparation for his reaction. Whatever that might be.

  'Hi, Dad,' I said sheepishly as he opened the front door.

  “Hello Petal,' he said, giving me one of his lovely bear hugs. I’d forgotten how great it felt to get one of those.

  'Let me get a good look at you,' he said as he pulled me away and looked at me at arms’ length. 'You look lovely, love. A bit thin, mind, but lovely all the same.'

  As he took my coat, Julie bounded down the stair's carrying the latest little one on her hip.

  'Kate! It’s so great to see you,' she said with genuine pleasure in her voice.

  I had always known Julie liked me and enjoyed my company, and this time it seemed the old guilt had finally faded away.

  'It’s been ages, you shouldn’t leave it so long before you visit, you know? Your dad does miss you. And the kids love to see you too. And me,' she added with a smile, as we hugged as best we could with little Chloe in between us.

  'Chloe! You’re so big,' I said, taking the little toddler out of her arms for a few minutes, playing with her tiny hands.

  'You’ve got another beauty, here, you two. I guess the girls are all at school?'

  They nodded.

  'They were sad they weren’t going to see you,' Dad said. 'Unless you wanted to stay over, of course. You’re more than welcome.'

  'That’s nice of you, Dad, but I can’t. I’ve got a mountain of things to do, which is what I’ve come to talk to you about.'

  As we headed into the living room, Julie put Chloe down in her sleeper and then popped into the kitchen to fetch a pot of tea and biscuits, before we sat on the old faded leather sofa they’d had for years.

  They could use a new suite, I thought to myself as I waited for Julie to finish pouring before I began.

  'So what brings you up to Newcastle, love, if it’s not just to see your old man?' he smiled.

  'Well, Dad, Julie. I’ve got something really important to tell you. Please don’t say anything until I’ve finished. It’s probably going to be a bit of a shock, so just sit and listen.'

  Their faces belied their calmness; I could tell they were worried.

  'Dad, do you remember Uncle Sam, from when we used to go to the caravan park in Skegness?'

  I noticed him tense up, just a little bit, before nodding apprehensively.

  'I’m sorry to say that he died recently, after a really long and horrible battle with cancer.'

  Dad’s eyes turned downwards and his smile dropped, but he said nothing.

  'He was a very, very rich man. He owned that caravan site, he had a beautiful mansion in the Azores, an apartment in New York and Canada and.... millions and millions of pounds,' I stopped to take a breath. 'And he's left it all to... me.'

  Dad stood up and sat back down again. Julie’s mouth opened and closed like a fish.

  'But... why you, Kate? Why would he leave it all to you?' asked Julie, looking confused.

  Dad looked at me knowingly and I nodded sadly, answering his unspoken question.

  'You knew about him and Mum, didn’t you?'

  With a sad smile, he nodded. 'Of course I did, Kate. It was obvious, although I never caught them together, I just knew there was something going on.'

  'Yet you took us back, year after year. Why would you do that if you knew?' I asked.

  'I couldn’t put a stop to it, Kate. She was my wife and I loved her very much, back then. I could tell that Sam made her happy and when she was happy, we were happy as a family. I chose to ignore it. I would rather have had a happy wife than no wife. I was always prepared for her to leave me for him, but she always came back to me. It was just a few weeks a year, so I decided to accept it for what it was. A holiday fling.'

  Wow... I was so shocked. To love someone that much you’re willing to let them see someone else, once a year. That must have been torture. I couldn’t make my mind up if that made him a strong man or just an incredibly weak one.

  Whatever he was, he was still my dad and he was willing to accept it, so that we could be happy as a family. I was choked up.

  'But then why did you leave her in the end, Dad?'

  'Honestly, Katie? I just fell out of love with her and in love with Julie. It’s as simple as that. I’m sorry, love. This must be quite hard for you to understand.'

  'Actually, it’s not as hard as I thought it would be. I’m beginning to understand that love doesn’t make any sense anyway, so why try understanding it?' I laughed, keen to relax the situation a little.

  'I just can’t believe you’re rich, like so incredibly rich, that’s what I can’t understand,' said Julie quietly.

  'Well, that’s another reason why I wanted to come and talk to you. I’d like to open trust funds for the girls so that when they turn, I don’t know, twenty-one or thirty or whatever, they’ll have plenty of money to do whatever they want with.'

  'Oh my god, Katie, thank you. Thank you so much! That is the kindest thing ever,' yelped Julie as she jumped up and wrapped her arms around me, narrowly missing the teapot that balanced precariously on the edge of the rickety little coffee table.

  'Sweetheart, that’s wonderful. Thank you so much,' said Dad as he swiftly wiped a tear from his eye.

  'There’s just one other thing, too. I’d like you to have this,' I said, taking a small folder out of my handbag and giving them a cheque for £1,500,000.

  'I want you to pay off your mortgage and use some of it to refurnish your house! You could use a new sofa, for starters,' I laughed. 'And then use whatever is left for whatever else you need. Or buy a new house, of course.'

  'Holy shit, Kate, we can’t accept this,' they said together.

  'Katie, darling, this is one and a half million pounds,' said Dad in shock.

  'You can, and you will. Please take it. I know it will make your lives a lot easier. Dad, you could even change your job and stop working nights. If you pay off your mortgage, you could even pack your job in altogether! Please, take it and be happy.'

  A couple of hours later, after I’d managed to calm them both down, we stood in the porch, while I put my coat back on to go home.

  'Bye, Katie, and thank you so much. It’s unbelievable,' said Julie as she kissed me on the cheek before rushing back indoors. 'I’ve got to go and change Chloe’s nappy, it stinks.'

  I laughed and waved goodbye.

  'Katie, I don’t tell you this enough but I’m really proud of you. I should have told you that before any of this money came along. I am. I really am. You’ve always been such an amazing young woman and I am so proud to be your dad. I’m sor
ry I haven’t been around much over the past few years, but we will make the effort to come and see you soon, I promise,' he said as he tried to hide his tears.

  'Thanks, Dad. That really means a lot to me, you know. I love you,' I said, giving him a hug. 'Oh, and Mum sends her best wishes too'.

  He smiled. 'She’s great, your mum. I’m so happy she met a nice man too, you know. Send our love back when you next speak to her.'

  'I will, Dad, I promise.'

  'You know, all I want now is for you to meet the man of your dreams and for you to settle down and have a family of your own,' he said as I kissed him again and skipped down the steps, waving.

  'I’ve already met him, Dad,' I said.

  I laughed at Dad's quizzical expression as I walked away with a grin, avoiding any questions.

  On my way back to the train station I smiled to myself. I knew the whole truth about Mum, Dad and Uncle Sam. It was like something out of a movie. The tale of a tragic love triangle. At least both Mum and Dad were both happy. That’s the most important thing.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  The following weekend, Tony and Zara invited me to their apartment in Wimbledon for dinner.

  'And you ought to stay the night, too,' Zara had insisted, on the phone, earlier in the week.

  'Then the three of us can completely chill out and not worry about getting you home.'

  I arrived at Wimbledon Station just after 3pm on Friday afternoon and was met by Zara in her black Audi TT.

  'Katie!' yelled Zara from the distance as I walked out of the station into the fresh air. She rushed over and kissed me on both cheeks. 'It’s wonderful to see you. I’m so pleased you're staying over tonight,' she gushed.

  'It’s great to see you too, Zara. Thanks for inviting me. It’s so kind of you,' I said as she took my overnight bag before I could stop her.

  'I might be little, but I’m strong,' she laughed.

  As we climbed into her car I was almost sorry for ordering a Mini.

  'I love your car, Zara.'

  'Me too. We bought it last year. It’s my pride and joy,' she laughed as we sped away from the hustle and bustle of the town centre.

  'Tony is still at work but he should be home around six-ish,' she said, as if reading my mind.

  I nodded as I looked across to Wimbledon Common on my left.

  'Can you believe that I’ve never been to Wimbledon?' I said.

  'Never? Oh my god! Well then you should stay for longer so I can take you shopping. There are some lovely little chic boutiques down in Wimbledon Village,' she laughed as she put her foot to the floor, before slowing to turn off the main road, opposite the Common.

  'Julianne is trying to keep me away from the office at the moment, so I would be delighted to stay a bit longer, if you’re sure?'

  'Of course I’m sure,' she said as an automatic gate began to open into a large park surrounded by beautiful Victorian styled houses and apartments.

  'Why don't you stay until Monday?'

  I nodded and grinned back at her.

  'Here we are. Home sweet home. It’s so nice to have you here, Kate,' Zara said as she reversed the Audi perfectly into the parking spot.

  'Come on. It's this way,' she said as she refused to let me carry my bag again. I pushed my handbag onto my shoulder and looked around in awe. It was a beautiful location, with elegant apartment blocks overlooking a grand central garden where a small ornamental fountain sprouted water high into the air.

  Their home turned out to the most stunning two bedroom apartment I’d ever seen.

  'Wow, this place is amazing. Maybe I should buy myself one of these,' I laughed as she showed me around.

  'You must make yourself completely at home. While you are here, this is your home, you understand. And don't worry, I’ll let you know when any of them come onto the market. I’d love to have you as a neighbour,' she giggled as I followed her into a large white bedroom with dark wooden floors and white bedding.

  'I'm dying for the loo,' she said. 'Take your time and I'll see you in the kitchen in a minute.'

  I smiled and sat on the bed with a sigh, looking through the window at the beautiful view of the Common beyond. I was in heaven.

  After unpacking my clothes and slipping off my shoes, replacing them with my newest pair of uber comfortable slippers, I walked into the small but perfectly formed kitchen, where Zara was pouring us both a glass of chilled white wine.

  As she handed it to me, she said, 'Before Tony comes home, Kate, I just want you to know how grateful I am to you.'

  I blushed, knowing that Tony must have told her about my little speech in the Azores.

  'Please don’t be embarrassed, he told me what you said and it’s just what he needed to hear. I credit you with saving our marriage. And I just want to say thank you. I owe you an awful lot. I really do. So thank you,' she said as we clinked glasses.

  'All in a day’s work,' I laughed.

  'Now, you must tell me more about your Fred,' she said with a twinkle in her eye. 'Yes, yes, of course he told me about him. I think it’s the most wonderful, romantic story I have ever heard. Beautiful.'

  I blushed again.

  A couple of hours later, Tony arrived home, bringing with him two bunches of flowers.

  'One for my beautiful and adorable wife,' he said as he gently placed a loving kiss on her lips. 'And the other for my dear friend,' as he planted a smacker on my cheek.

  “Wow, he’s a romantic too,' I laughed, pretending to swoon. 'You’re a very lucky girl, Zara,' I winked. And you’re a very lucky man too, Tony.'

  'So am I taking two lovely ladies out for a meal tonight or are we ordering in?'

  We decided to order in, choosing instead to go out for dinner the following evening. That way we’d have more than enough time to get dolled up, we agreed, as Tony rolled his eyes.

  'In that case, you two do the ordering while I go and have a quick shower and get out of this suit.'

  With a vast choice of dining options, we eventually decided on Indian, ordering enough food to feed a small army. Having said that, Zara might be a little lady but she could certainly pack away plenty of food.

  Over dinner, I discovered Zara is half English which explained why she was at such ease with the language.

  'I grew up in Portugal,' she said. 'In the Algarve, actually. I met Tony when he and his family moved into my neighbourhood. I think we were barely teenagers.'

  'I was fourteen, you were twelve,' he added, knowingly. 'I remember it like it was yesterday. My family and I had moved from Lisbon to the Algarve – my father had been offered a job in a school there, he was a headmaster. And I remember the exact moment I first saw Zara. It was while I helped my parents carry all our belongings into our new house, I'd heard a girl singing quietly and when I looked over I saw this tiny girl sitting on a swing singing to herself. I thought she looked like an angel,' he said adoringly. 'I thought there and then, I will marry that girl.'

  'That’s the most romantic thing I've ever heard,' I said, with a tear in my eye. I guess it was very much like my story with Fred, only I didn’t have the happy ending.

  As if reading my mind, Zara said, 'That’s like you and Fred, isn't it? Which is why you have to find him.'

  The two of them nodded as I sighed, I'm sure they were thinking the same as me: how on Earth could we possibly find a boy without a name that hasn’t been seen for nearly 20 years.

  'I think Fred is becoming even more of a fantasy. I doubt I'll ever find him.'

  'No, I don’t believe in giving up. He's out there, somewhere. It’s just a case of locating where he is. We will find him, Kate. We will,' said Zara as she squeezed my hand.

  Smiling, Tony added, 'I forgot to tell you something about my wife, Kate. She’s very stubborn and once she’s got something in her head, she won’t forget about it. She’ll keep on going and going until she's entirely satisfied with the outcome. If that means looking for Fred until she’s old and decrepit, she will,' laughed Tony.
br />   Oh God, I hoped not. I hoped I’d find him way before then.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Watching Tony wander into the kitchen in his pyjamas, yawning, I fidgeted, eager to do something.

  'Good morning!' I said, brightly, pouring him a cup of coffee.

  'Morning,' he mumbled, still half asleep. 'Thanks.'

  'I guess you're not quite awake yet?'

  He shook his head with a partial grin while taking a long sip.

  'Tell you what, I’ll go and have a walk across the Common. Where’s the nearest shop? I could stop and get some fresh bread or croissants for breakfast?'

  Running across the road to the lush green Wimbledon Common, I was saddened not to see any Wombles, but I did see rather a lot of dog walkers and joggers doing a bit of exercise.

  It was a bright and fresh morning, perfect for a short amble, and I felt thoroughly refreshed after half an hour’s walk. It was strange that I was out walking in an area I'd never visited and yet I felt so happy and independent. So... at home.

  As my mind wondered what it would be like to live in that lovely little enclave in Wimbledon, I crossed back and headed down to the local shop to buy some goodies for breakfast.

  On my return to the apartment complex, I was in for a surprise. As I waited for the elevator to reach the ground floor, the doors finally opened and I found myself face to face with singer and actress Tiffany Chantelle.

  'Oh, excuse me,' I stuttered as I very nearly walked straight into her, as she tried to hide behind her rather large sunglasses.

  She smiled but said nothing. Instead she made as quick an exit as she could out into the car park and, I noted, into her brand spanking new red Mini Cooper S.