Did I Mention I Won The Lottery? (22 page)

Rebecca stared
at him as he flicked through his brochures.

‘My car?’ she
whispered, ‘you’ve told them to take my car away?’

‘Mm.’ Daniel
had lost interest in Rebecca and was happily reading about the
engine performance of his new car.

‘But I don’t
want to change my car.’

‘I wonder if I
should have opted for the cabriolet,’ mused Daniel. ‘Thing is the
weather is never good enough. You see people driving around in the
freezing cold with the top down trying to look as though they’re
enjoying themselves.’

‘Daniel, I
don’t want to change my car.’

‘I think they
just look ridiculous,’ decided Daniel. ‘No, I’ll stick with my
choice.’

‘DANIEL!’

Daniel looked
up frowning. ‘What’s wrong with you?’

‘You’ve
arranged to change my car. My car Daniel. The car I told you I was
happy with. I don’t want to change it.’

Daniel screwed
up his face in irritation. ‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ he said
dismissively. ‘It’s not the car you need.’

‘But it is the
car I need. And it’s the car I want. You have no right to decide to
change it.’

Daniel threw
the brochures on the table in exasperation. ‘For God’s sake Bec,
what do you know about cars? What do you know about anything
really? You bought a totally unsuitable car because you tried to do
it on your own. You’ve bought this bloody big house that we don’t
need in a place where we don’t want to live because you tried to do
it on your own. I think the lesson here Bec is that you shouldn’t
do anything on your own. You don’t understand money and cars and
houses and businesses. Leave it to me and we’ll be alright,’ and he
stalked out of the kitchen with his brochures under his arm to read
in peace in the study.

Rebecca stared
at his retreating back. At moments like this the guilt faded to
almost nothing and she had an overwhelming desire to buy another
house far away and make sure that he never found out where she
was.

She realised
that she was biting her lip so hard that it was bleeding and she
tried to relax her stiff body. She folded the tea towel up
carefully and put it on the surface before walking to the study and
opening the door.

‘I’m going to
Parklands,’ she announced. ‘I’ll only be a couple of hours and
Daniel,’ he made a pretence of looking up although he continued to
read the brochure. ‘Please make sure that the order for the 4X4 is
cancelled. I do not want one. I like my car and I will be keeping
it,’ and with that she smiled pleasantly and walked out, shutting
the door quietly behind her.

At Parklands
Rebecca couldn’t believe the change in the atmosphere. Dotty was
still there but she would be leaving in a few weeks and the
difference in the old lady was quite shocking. Her lively spirit
had vanished, the twinkle in her eyes gone and she sat slumped in
her chair by the window oblivious to everyone and everything around
her. Two more residents had been told they must leave, one of them
sniffled quietly in the corner being consoled by her friends, the
other had not come out of her room since the news broke. Mrs
Wendover looked beyond exhausted although she still greeted Rebecca
with a smile and arranged for a pot of tea to be brought to her and
Gwen who was sitting quietly in one of the large sunny rooms
looking out onto the roses.

‘Hi Mum,’
Rebecca kissed Gwen on the top of her head and was worried by how
much weight Gwen seemed to have lost over the last few days.

Gwen smiled at
her daughter but without the usual radiance about her as she patted
Rebecca’s arm.

‘How are you my
darling? How is everything?’

Rebecca hadn’t
seen Gwen since she broke the news about the lottery win and she
tried to look happy and carefree.

‘Oh it’s great!
We’ve moved into the house in Leeds, Daniel is coming to terms with
the money and well… everything is ...great.’

But Gwen was a
sharp old thing and she could see the dark shadows under Rebecca’s
eyes and the droop to her shoulders.

‘And is Daniel
pleased?’ she asked.

‘Of course he’s
pleased Mum. We’ve won millions, why wouldn’t he be pleased?’

Gwen smiled and
shrugged. ‘Money doesn’t make everyone happy,’ she offered. ‘It
doesn’t seem to be making you very happy at the moment.’

Rebecca hadn’t
told Gwen the full story, about how she had won but not shared the
news with Daniel. About how she had won and kept that glorious
feeling to herself for as long as she could, buying houses and cars
and leading a totally separate life. But she confessed now. She
told Gwen about the lies and the deceit and how Daniel had
eventually found out and about the guilt that was now a part of her
every waking moment.

Gwen listened
to it all silently and when Rebecca finally ground to a halt there
was a long period when neither of them spoke.

‘Well, well,’
said Gwen finally. ‘What a story! And what a sad state of
affairs.’

‘I know Mum I
know!’ Rebecca hung her head in shame. ‘It was a terrible thing to
do and it’s not really surprising that Daniel is so angry.’

‘Oh I don’t
mean that my darling,’ Gwen shook her head. ‘I meant how sad that
the only time you were actually happy is when you were living
another life that didn’t involve Daniel.’

Rebecca stared
at her.

‘It’s something
to think about Rebecca. You moved away from Daniel, you lived your
own life albeit for a brief time and you were happy. Happier than I
had seen you in such a long time.’

‘What do you
mean?’ whispered Rebecca.

‘Oh I think you
know what I mean my darling. I know that you’ve stayed with Daniel
for many reasons but none of them the right ones. I know that
you’re unhappy with him. And you were given a chance not many other
people get, a little taste of life without him. And it worked for
you Rebecca, it worked and the change in you showed the minute you
walked through the door. Now you have to be brave. You have to sit
and think, really, really think whether you are prepared to do
something about it. Whether that little glimpse of life without
Daniel is something that you want to keep.’

Rebecca looked
out of the window. Her mother was telling her to leave her
husband.

‘It’s not that
straight forward Mum,’ she said wearily.

‘Isn’t it? How
much more straight forward do you want it to be? Do you want to
stay with him? If the answer is no then you must want to leave him
and for the first time in your life you can actually afford to do
something about it.’

‘But I couldn’t
leave him now. I mean, how would it look? I win money and walk
out!’

‘It looks
exactly how it is darling. Like you wanted to end your marriage and
did so when the timing was right. But that’s a decision for you and
you alone,’ she added briskly. ‘It’s not my decision or even
Daniel’s decision Rebecca. Only yours.’

And they drank
another pot of tea and the subject changed to Parklands and the
unhappy chain of events.

When Rebecca
was in the lobby searching in her bag for her keys Brenda Wendover
came out of her little office.

‘Oh Rebecca can
I have a quick word. Oh don’t look so worried, Gwen is fine. She’s
a bit down at the moment, well most of them are but she’s okay. I’m
just trying to give everybody as much warning as possible.
Parklands is definitely going to be sold. The owner has decided the
falling profits are too much to take and he’s put it on the
market.’

Rebecca’s hand
flew to her throat in dismay. ‘Oh no!’

It may have
been something that she had foreseen could happen but faced with
the reality it was still a shock. ‘When?’

‘Oh I don’t
think it will be a quick sale. These things tend to drag on a
little until just the right buyer comes along. I just wanted you to
be prepared that’s all.’

Rebecca nodded,
forced a smile and went out to her car. Parklands as they knew it,
gone. Gwen would be devastated. She loved it there. Realistically
she could now live with Rebecca, they could make a suite of rooms
for her on the ground floor, bring in help. Rebecca would welcome
the company but she knew deep in her heart it wouldn’t suit Gwen.
She liked her independence and at Parklands she felt she had just
that. Oh she had a team of people on hand should she need them but
she felt as though she was in control of her day. And she loved the
company of people like Dotty who she had known for years. She was
unsteady on her feet, forgetful and frail but she was surrounded by
people who knew how she felt and gave her the respect and dignity
that she needed.

But where on
earth would Rebecca find another place like Parklands. They were
few and far between.

Unless of
course she bought it. She could afford to buy Parklands. Gwen would
be guaranteed a room for life in her beloved home. The likes of
Dotty could be accommodated with some kind of scheme. But it was a
lot of money and it wasn’t really an investment. It would be just
like buying another house, albeit a very large house occupied by
lots of other people. But why shouldn’t she buy it anyway? She
could afford it. Or at least, she could afford it if Daniel forgot
this crazy idea to buy White's.

Rebecca’s head
ached. She didn’t know what to think or do next. The guilt she felt
over deceiving Daniel was always present. But she could still see
the flaw in his idea of buying a company because they wouldn’t give
him a promotion. And it was so much money. Together with Parklands
and the trust fund she had set up for the children it would reduce
the balance of her winnings considerably.

Her head
aching, she arrived at home to the sounds of furious shouting from
the study. Dropping her bag in the hall she tentatively peeped
round the door. Daniel’s face was almost purple with rage and his
voice was choked with anger. As she arrived he ended the call,
throwing the phone across the room where it hit the wall, the
battery bursting out of the casing and sliding across the floor to
stop at Rebecca’s feet.

She picked it
up waiting for Daniel to speak. He threw himself in the chair,
banging his fist on the desk top.

‘The bastard.
The absolute bastard!’

Rebecca put the
battery on the desk and picked up the 2 halves of the phone.

‘What is it?’
she asked softly.

‘Bloody old man
White. The fool, the bloody bastard. He won’t sell. Said he doesn’t
feel ready to retire, hadn’t thought of it until I mentioned it and
he doesn’t want to sell.’

The feeling of
relief almost made Rebecca gasp out loud. No White's Packaging
Corporation. That meant that she could realistically look at buying
Parklands. It also meant that there was no reason for Daniel to
stay in Darlington. No reason to have more arguments about the
money. They could stay in Leeds, give life as the owners of several
million a go. Maybe they could repair their failing relationship,
get back to how things had been. It was the best news she had heard
since confirming her win.

She tried not
to look too pleased for Daniel’s sake.

‘Maybe it’s for
the best,’ she offered feeling like skipping around the room.

‘The best?’
Daniel looked at her as though she were speaking a strange
language. ‘For the best? How can it possibly be for the best!
Anyway, I’m not giving up as easily as that. I want White’s.’

Rebecca’s hands
stilled in their job of putting his phone back together.

‘What do you
mean? If Tom White has said he’s not selling…’

Daniel snorted.
‘Like I said Bec, what do you know about business? Everyone’s got
their price and he’s no different.’

There was a
chill beginning to creep around Rebecca’s heart as she waited for
him to finish.

‘I’ve told them
to put another million on the valuation price. That would be
White’s pay off. He’s not going to say no to that, I guarantee
it.’

He smiled.
‘He’ll say yes, he won’t be able to help himself. You just wait.
I’ll have White’s.’

It was pouring
with rain. It bounced off Rebecca’s windscreen and blurred the
oncoming traffic. She parked as close to the bank as she could but
by the time she got there she was soaked to the skin.

A few minutes
later she was sitting in Richard Dickinson’s office with a cup of
coffee in front of her and a towel to dry her hair.

She smiled
apologetically at him. ‘I’m so sorry Richard. I keep just turning
up.’

Richard smiled
and shrugged his shoulders. ‘You are officially one of our best
customers Rebecca. I can hardly complain!’

Rebecca smiled
and then drew out two sets of papers, only mildly damp, from the
recesses of her handbag.

‘These are two
- ventures that I’m thinking about at the moment. Would you mind
looking at them and just giving me a general opinion?’

Richard leaned
back in his chair, took a sip of coffee and started to read.

The night
before, after Daniel had gone to bed, Rebecca had gone into the
study and gathered together all the papers she could find about
White's. The accounts, the valuation, every piece of paper Daniel
had received she copied. She checked his emails and copied
everything from the broker who had organised the offer, from Tom
White himself, anything she could find. Then she had put Daniel’s
papers back and made a neat pile of the copies. Early that morning
she had phoned Mrs Wendover and asked who was selling the nursing
home. She had called into the estate agents before going to the
bank telling them that she was very interested but wanted more
details. They gave her the current accounts for Parklands, the
estate agents blurb which put a very positive spin on the whole
venture and the glossy brochure which couldn’t quite hide the
desperate state of repair needed in some areas and was honest
enough to suggest that some investment was needed.