An image of Rosa slipped into his mind, surprising him. He wasn’t ready to think of that sort of thing. But she was a restful and yet stimulating woman – and one who already had a successful life in her own right, so wouldn’t be hanging on his coat tails.
He stayed chatting for a few more minutes, then saw that his mother was looking tired and took his leave. He stopped at the hospital florist’s on the way out to order some pink roses for her, knowing how much she loved them, then drew a deep breath and turned to face the media circus again.
‘How’s your mother, Pete?’ a woman called.
‘She’s improving, thank you, but has a long way to go before she’ll be fully recovered. You know what strokes are like.’
‘Was it this crisis that shocked her into the stroke?’
He felt like punching that fellow right on the nose, but shook his head. ‘No. Sadly, she’s not been taking care of herself since my father died. We’ll make sure she’s better looked after from now on.’
‘What about your other mother?’
‘Be at the press conference later and you’ll find out.’
‘How much later? There’s been no announcement.’
‘It’ll be announced when my manager has arranged everything. And now, I really must go. I have next week’s show to prepare for.’
The visit hadn’t gone too badly, considering, nor had the journalists been as pushy as he’d expected. But he hoped Edward could get the press conference organized for this afternoon. The media wouldn’t be kept quiet for long, and if they started speculating and guessing, who knew what they’d dream up about him next?’
He didn’t want to go back to the flat, which was stupid. It was his home. He’d fought to keep it.
But he’d be alone there. He didn’t like being alone.
His mother’s words came back to him and he suddenly grew angry at himself. What was he, a child who needed a nanny? She was wrong. He could look after himself perfectly well. How hard could housework be? He’d do a bit of tidying up, and some washing too when he got back. He wasn’t totally helpless.
But it was harder to keep the smile pinned to his face as he went through another barrier of journalists waiting outside his home.
Once inside he looked round the rooms. They were too large for one person. Sounds echoed because they weren’t carpeted but tiled. The place looked more like a display house than a home.
And worst of all, he hadn’t yet heard from Edward.
How long could it take to organize a press conference?
Or were his birth mother and sister refusing to play ball?
Linda paced up and down. ‘Beth should be here by now.’
‘She may be having to take evasive action if the press are still after her. Where do they find all these people to chase after the unfortunates who hit the news?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘You’re still worrying about
him
too, aren’t you?’
‘My son? Yes. It’s no good, Nat. He may be weak like his father, and he may not have treated me well, but this could destroy his career, and I don’t want to feel even vaguely responsible for that.’
‘I keep telling you, it’s not your fault.’
‘It is, though, if only inadvertently.’
He shook his head sadly and came to plonk a kiss on her cheek. ‘Let’s see if there’s anything about it on the TV.’
On the hourly news update Pete Newbury was mentioned again, this time pictured going into hospital to visit his mother who’d recently had a stroke.
Linda watched her son hungrily, noting again the physical resemblance to her father. She’d watched Pete on TV for years. How had she missed that likeness?
Because she’d been thinking of him as a little boy for nearly forty years, because that was all she’d really known him as. She’d told herself how old he would be as the years passed, and had even studied other young men in the street who might be that age, but the image that stayed with her was the loving little boy lifting his arms to be picked up and cuddled.
She took a deep breath. She was
not
going to cry again.
A car drew up in the drive and Beth got out, hair rumpled, wearing an odd assortment of clothing. She hurried across to the front door, followed by Edward Newbury, who looked immaculately dressed but worried.
Nat let them in while Linda put the kettle on. She turned to greet them.
‘I hope you don’t mind my coming to see you, Mrs Harding?’
‘No, of course not.’
‘Edward helped me escape the press,’ Beth said, hugging her mother. ‘Are you all right? Really all right?’
‘Yes, I am.’
‘She’s worrying about Pete,’ Nat informed them. ‘I keep telling her, it’s herself she should be worrying about.’
‘I don’t have a career to lose,’ Linda said, starting the coffee machine. ‘Piece of cake?’
‘I’m ravenous!’ Beth said in a tone of surprise. ‘I think I forgot to eat this morning.’
‘I’ll do you a proper breakfast, then. Mr Newbury?’
‘Edward, please. A piece of cake would be nice but I did have breakfast.’
‘My daughter misses too many meals,’ Linda told him. ‘You’ll have to keep an eye on that.’
He realized she was treating him like an ally. ‘It’ll be my pleasure. I’m getting very fond of your daughter, Mrs Harding.’
‘Call me Linda. And I can see that you are.’
‘Is it so obvious?’
‘Oh, yes. Takes one to know one.’ She smiled conspiratorially at Nat.
When they were seated, Edward waited till Beth had finished some cheese on toast before taking over. ‘Linda and Beth, I want to ask your help in defusing this situation. I’ve got Ilsa ready to call a press conference later this afternoon, but what I’d like to give them is a conference with a united and amicable group of people, not a family torn apart.’
‘That’s all very well, but your cousin didn’t even want to see my Linda before,’ Nat said, positively bristling with indignation. ‘He really upset her.’
‘I know. There is no excuse, not really, but he was in a state of shock about the kidnapping. He didn’t even know he was adopted. And his marriage had just broken up, too.’
‘If it’ll help him, I don’t mind appearing,’ Linda said.
‘I do. I’m not a good enough actress to carry off the amicable bit,’ Beth said. ‘I feel anything but amicable towards him.’
Edward turned to look at her, his expression softening. ‘I won’t let him hurt you again. Couldn’t you try?’
‘I meant exactly what I said: I don’t think I
could
do it. I’m not saying that to be awkward. I can’t act, fudge things, pretend. I just can’t. And that’d show.’
‘You can leave most of the speaking to me,’ Linda said. ‘It’d be all right if she was indignant on my behalf about the misunderstandings, wouldn’t it, Edward?’
‘I suppose so. But I was hoping you two could sit on either side of Pete.’
‘No way!’ Beth glared at Edward. ‘I don’t want to go near him or see him ever again, if you want the truth.’
He looked at her aghast. This was the last thing he’d expected.
Linda intervened. ‘What about your aunt, Edward? How is she? Will she be well enough to join us?’
‘No. But I’m hoping to film a statement from her.’
‘And if you do all this, Pete will get away scot free.’ Beth shoved her plate away and left the room, tossing ‘He doesn’t deserve it!’ over her shoulder at them.
Linda sighed. ‘She’s always hated lying. And she’s right about one thing: she’s not good at it.’
‘Then we’ll have to reconcile her and Pete.’
‘Do you think you can do that in time?’
‘I have to.’
‘Is he a good actor?’
‘Usually. But he’s more upset by all this than she realizes. He loves his mother dearly.’ Edward looked at Linda. ‘Sorry if that upsets you, but my Aunt Sue has been a good mother to him.’
‘It does upset me, but at the same time I’m glad she’s looked after him and loved him so much. It’d be far worse to know he’d had an unhappy childhood.’ She dabbed at her eyes. ‘I’m sorry. I can’t help getting emotional.’
‘I’m sorry that I have to ask you to do this.’
‘I want to help him.’
Nat put an arm round Linda. ‘Better go and see Beth now, Edward. If you can’t sort things out with her, it’s going to be harder to convince people that today’s story was wrong.’
Edward found Beth in a spacious sunroom, silhouetted against the brightness, her whole body stiff. She hadn’t noticed him, so he cleared his throat. ‘Beth?’
‘Go away. I’m not going to change my mind.’
‘Your mother suggested I talk to you.’
‘She’s always been too kind for her own good. Well, this time you’re pushing it too far, taking advantage of her generous nature. I
can’t
forgive him for the way he spoke to me – and to her. He hurt her all over again. I’d rather not have a brother than have one like him. He turns his charm on and off like a tap. It’s not
real
.’
‘Don’t be fooled by his charm. He’s very insecure under it.’
She let out a bitter laugh. ‘Oh, yes?’
‘Yes. He was the same at school. He can’t bear anyone not to like him. I’ve been wondering since I found out the truth if that was because he was torn away from everyone he loved when he was small. He doesn’t seem to remember his previous life, but maybe something inside him does and is terrified of losing everything again.’
‘
I
was torn away from everyone I loved, too, but no one seemed to think about that.’ She raised one hand to dash away the tears. ‘I was passed from one family member to another, a month here, a month there. Distant relatives or friends of my parents who didn’t really want me. I was alone and grieving. My mother couldn’t come to see me for months because she was ill. My father visited a few times. And that was it.
‘By the time my mother recovered, their marriage was on the rocks and Dad had moved out. He was very like Pete, you know.
Charming.
’
The way she said it was more like an insult than a compliment, he thought. His heart ached for the lonely little girl she must have been.
‘I adored my father until then. But he didn’t visit very often, and when he remarried, I saw him two or three times a year at most, so I soon learned to manage without him. He’d take me out to a café or a park, and he’d always be looking at his watch.’
Edward could hear the pain ringing in her voice and wondered if she’d ever told this to anyone. He didn’t dare move, not as long as she was talking. He could only hope it helped her to let the pain out.
‘When I did go home again, I had to help Mum. She was still fragile. Young as I was, I looked after her more than she looked after me.’
‘That must have been hard.’
Her voice was low and had a bitter edge to it. ‘You don’t know how hard! No one does.’
‘But your mother did recover, so you must have done well.’
‘Yes, she recovered. We were ticking along nicely till this happened. She’d found Nat. My business was going well. I’d met you. And then
he
had to come out of the woodwork and upset everything all over again – even my relationship with you.’
‘He hasn’t upset as much as you think. Your mother’s coping brilliantly. She’s a very strong woman. And—’
She didn’t let him finish. ‘Well, I’m not coping, brilliantly or otherwise. I can’t do it any more. I just
can’t
!’
As she burst into tears, he hurried across to take her into his arms, and though she tried half-heartedly to push him away, he wouldn’t let her. As he listened to her sobbing, felt her whole body shaking against his, tears welled in his own eyes. How long had this been bottled up? he wondered.
As she began to calm down, he kissed her forehead and cheek. ‘It’s been hard for you. First losing Pete and then losing your daughter on top of it all.’ He guided her across to a seat.
‘I’m sorry.’
‘Shh now. I think you needed to get this out of your system.’
‘You must think I’m weak.’
‘No, I don’t. And actually, I understand more than you realize, because I lost my parents when I was ten. My whole world turned upside down then. I not only lost them, but my home, my school friends. Even my cat, because my aunt is allergic to cats. But I had my aunt and uncle to help me, at least, and I soon realized how Aunt Sue loved me. And I had Pete. He was amazingly kind for a child.’ Edward waited and when she said nothing, he added, ‘It doesn’t sound as if you had anyone. People were too focused on your mother.’
She nodded and sighed against his chest.
‘Look. We’ll manage the press conference without you, but I’m not leaving you on your own when you’re so upset.’ He reached out to brush away a tear with one fingertip. ‘I’ll take you home now and wait with you till Jo can come home from work to look after you.’
‘No need. Ghita’s there.’
‘Kind as Ghita is, you need your own daughter at the moment. I’ll go and tell your mother what we’re doing and give her a few details of the press conference. Wash your face then meet me at the car.’
‘I should speak to Mum.’
‘She’ll understand, believe me.’
Twenty
Edward dropped Beth at home and she directed him to the rear entrance, where her resident’s key would let her in through the dustbin and recycling area. He watched her go into the building and saw how slowly and wearily she was moving. He wanted desperately to stay with her, but had to sort out Pete’s problems first.
Beth had insisted she was all right, but he found out from Ghita where Jo was working and drove there first, telling the manager that Jo’s mother was ill and he’d come to take her home.
Jo came hurrying out, stopping in surprise when she saw Edward waiting for her. ‘What’s wrong with Mum?’
‘Nothing physically, but she’s very upset. She needs you.’
‘Mum never seems to need anyone.’
‘She puts up a good front,’ he agreed, ‘but believe me she needs your support now. Did you see the newspaper article?’