Winds of Change (27 page)

‘He can be as furious as he wants. It's none of his business and I'm not going back, not as long as he's around, anyway.'

‘I don't blame you. How about coming to tea tomorrow?'

‘Fine.'

‘Want me to pick you up?'

‘No. I've bought a car.'

After they'd finished chatting, Regina put the phone down and went to make herself a cup of coffee, amazed at how her sister was coming out of her shell. She even sounded more . . . more definite. Good for her!

The next afternoon Miranda found an Internet café and sent an email to her daughter, saying she hoped they could meet and explaining that she'd moved to England now and would soon be in a house, rather than a hotel.

She sat staring at the screen for a long time after the email had gone. Would Katie agree to see her? It would be hard to bear if she refused.

Her mobile phone rang, making her jump because she still wasn't used to carrying it around. It was Hazel.

‘I spoke to your sister last night. She sounds a lovely person. Look, I wondered if you'd like to move in tomorrow so that I can show you how things work before I leave. Seems a waste you paying for a hotel room, when you could sleep here.'

‘I'd love to! Thank you.'

‘You're welcome, dear. We're helping each other, aren't we? Come at about ten o'clock, or whenever suits you after that. I'll be in all day.'

After she'd finished the call, Miranda did a little dance round the hotel room, feeling as if she could almost fly. The euphoria faded as her mind returned inevitably to her major remaining worry.

Surely her daughter wouldn't refuse to have one meeting? If she could just see Katie, talk to her, it'd make her so happy. But of course she longed for more than one meeting.

Her father and Sebastian had a lot to answer for.

Katie stared at the email message from her birth mother. It was short, only a few lines, and didn't give away much about the personality of the sender. Did she really want to meet this woman? It'd upset Mum, who hadn't come to terms yet with Katie seeing her birth father.

‘What's she like as a person, my birth mother?' she asked Brody again that evening, and couldn't help noticing how rigid he suddenly went. Then his expression softened slightly.

‘Gentle. Too soft for her own good, I used to think. Her older brother used to trample all over her. I told her she needed to stand up to him, but she never did. Why do you keep asking? If you arrange to meet her, you'll find out for yourself.'

‘I'm scared to. What if I don't like her?'

‘Then you don't have to see her again.'

‘That's not so easy if she's come all this way to meet me.'

He thrust his hands into his jacket pockets and scowled into the distance. ‘I've said all I'm going to say. You must decide for yourself. Just make sure you don't bring her anywhere near me.'

‘Do you hate her that much?'

He changed the subject. He didn't know what he thought about Miranda now. This was stirring up all his old feelings, and they weren't as dead as he'd thought.

Katie was left to sort out her dilemma alone. It was all too much because she still hadn't heard from Darren. It was the longest time her husband had been out of touch. She prayed every night that he was safe and would come safely home to her and Ned.

In the end, she decided to give her birth mother a chance. It was only fair, because she'd agreed to see Brody, hadn't she? She couldn't think of him as Father or Dad, especially not Dad. No one would ever replace her own Dad. Brody was much younger and quite with it, really, considering he was in his late forties.

She'd arrange to meet Miranda – what an old-fashioned name! – somewhere public and not give her a phone number or an address. That way she didn't need to see her again if she didn't want to.

If that was cruel, well, it was the best she could manage.

Oh, Darren, I really need you. Why are you so far away?

Regina watched the car pull up, surprised at how different her sister looked. She went to open the front door and they paused awkwardly then gave one another air kisses, as if they were mere acquaintances.

‘Well, come in and sit down. Can I get you a glass of wine?'

‘Better not. I've got to drive and I'm still not used to the traffic here.' Miranda looked at her, hesitated, then blurted out, ‘Do you mind?'

‘Mind what?'

‘Me not coming to see you first.'

‘No. I was surprised, I must admit. I thought you'd
need
my help, but you sound to be doing just fine. You were lucky to get a house to rent so cheaply.'

‘Yes. It's a tiny place but big enough to have friends round. Perhaps you'd come for a meal one night once Hazel has left? And if you want to have a few drinks, you could stay over. There's a spare bedroom. Nikki might like to come too. What do you think?'

‘I'd love that and so would she. She rang up to ask about you.'

‘I emailed her today, told her where I was living, gave her my phone number, but I haven't heard back. How is she?'

‘Managing. Just. She doesn't look all that well, but the school nurse is keeping an eye on her. She'll be due her twenty-week scan soon, then we'll get photos of the baby.'

‘I wasn't well the whole time I was pregnant,' Miranda said. ‘The family doctor told me to snap out of it. Dr Grant was an unfeeling brute.'

‘Why didn't you go to someone else?'

‘Dad got furious when I suggested it. He said Dr Grant had known me since childhood and it'd be stupid to go to a stranger. And afterwards, well, you know what happened.'

Regina reached out to squeeze her sister's hand. ‘I'm so sorry for what they did to you. I wasn't much use.'

‘You were only fifteen. What could you have done with Father and Sebastian both ranged against me? Never mind that, tell me more about Nikki and her guy.'

‘He's fine. Nice lad. They're living in this ghastly bed-sitter and she hates it, but it's all they can afford. I don't know what to do. She's eighteen. An adult. I can't force her to do anything now.'

‘She'll be all right. She's an intelligent girl.'

‘Mmm. Anyway, what are you going to do with yourself now? What will you live on?

Miranda wondered how much to tell her sister. She still wasn't used to thinking of Regina as on her side. ‘Who knows what I'll do? But my aunt's antiques sold very well and there are the things Lou left me as well. They might be quite valuable. So don't worry. I'm not short of money. I don't have enough to buy a decent house, though.' She also had her mother's jewellery with her, but didn't say anything about that. She hadn't even had it valued, so maybe it wasn't worth as much as she hoped.

They ate a meal that was utterly delicious. ‘Did you cook this? It's marvellous.' Miranda closed her eyes in ecstasy as she spooned up every bit of the wonderful dessert, a concoction of fruit and ice cream with a tangy sauce.

‘Yes. Don't sound so surprised. I love cooking. I've been to all sorts of classes. Food is my big weakness. It's a good thing I don't have a weight problem.'

‘I've never really gone beyond plain cooking. You know Father.'

‘Yes. Meat, potatoes and two sorts of boiled vegetables.'

Miranda laughed. ‘Don't forget the gravy, dark brown or light, never a creamy sauce. He'd have thought the world had ended if he didn't get his gravy. But I can cook a few other things. I'll give you a call to work out a date once I've settled in.'

‘And if you get lonely, well, you know where I am.'

Miranda drove home thoughtfully. Regina always made her feel inferior; she was so elegant and self-assured. As for that superb meal, well she'd never be able to make anything half as good as that. She was going to buy a cookery book and learn a few new dishes, though. She never wanted to eat roast lamb, her father's favourite meat, again as long as she lived.

When she got home, she had a chat with Hazel, then checked her emails. She froze as she saw the list of senders. Her daughter had replied!

‘I'll just go up to bed now,' Hazel said.

‘What? Oh, yes. I won't be long.'

‘Be as long as you like. You won't disturb me. Once my head's on that pillow, I'm gone for eight hours.'

Miranda waited until the bed above her had creaked and silence reigned before opening Katie's email.

We could meet for coffee, if you like. How about tomorrow, two o'clock, in Carey's Café? It's in Wootton Bassett near the Post Office. Do you know the town?

Katie

Tears welled in Miranda's eyes. It was a very terse email, but it offered hope. Surely her daughter wouldn't close the door on her afterwards?

She wrote back immediately to say she'd be there. Then she shut the email system down and got ready for bed. She couldn't concentrate on anything else tonight.

The next morning Miranda waved goodbye to Hazel, who had decided to visit a cousin in London on her way to Canada, now that she had someone to look after the cottage. It was a relief to see her hostess go. Hazel was a lovely woman, but she never stopped talking and Miranda simply wasn't used to that.

She walked round the house, relishing the silence, wondering if she dared put some of the ornaments away. No, better not. She might forget where they went and they were clearly much cherished pieces. Hazel had dusted them all every day. Miranda was definitely not going to do that. Life was too short.

She went across to Hazel's computer, which sat at one end of the cosy room that covered the whole ground floor except for a small kitchen. The cottage was as small as the flat Sebastian had bought her in Australia, but it felt incredibly different. People had been happy here, she was sure. Generations of them, because the cottage dated from about 1780, with thick stone walls and a thatched roof.

Living here even for a couple of days had changed her mind about what sort of house she intended to buy. If she was going to spend her life in England, she wanted far more space. The cottage in the advertisement would probably be small, too, however picturesque it might be. And she preferred somewhere lighter. The windows here were so small.

Sorry, Lou
, she told the shade of the man who'd saved her.
Your cottage won't do.
Lou seemed still to be hovering at the edges of her life. She even found herself talking to him. Oh, she did miss him!

She'd have to study local house prices on the Internet. Today she couldn't settle. She was meeting her daughter in a few hours and the butterflies had moved into her stomach and were practising for the Olympics there.

Nikki went to sit at the back of the classroom in case she had to dash out. She wasn't feeling at all well. She realized someone was standing beside her and looked up to see her friend Aysha staring down at her.

‘You're as white as that piece of paper,' Aysha said with her usual bluntness. ‘Should you be here today?'

‘I should if I want to pass my A Levels.' She made an effort. ‘But thanks for caring.'

The door opened and Aysha turned away. ‘See you at break.'

But Nikki felt the world spin round so fast a short time later that she had to raise her hand and tell the teacher she was ill.

‘You'd better go to the sick bay,' he said.

When she stood up she felt so dizzy, she fell down and couldn't get up again. She didn't protest when they brought along a stretcher on wheels, didn't even care that she'd be the talking point of the school for this.

‘You're going to hospital, young woman,' Nurse said. ‘This is more than just pregnancy sickness.'

She tried to sit up and failed. ‘No. I can't miss any more lessons. If I just lie down for half an hour, I'll be all right, I'm sure.'

Nurse took hold of her hand. ‘Look, Nikki, you're not at all well. Sometimes a pregnant woman needs medical help and this may be one of those times. We're not risking anything.'

‘I've never been in hospital before.'

‘There are no dragons there.' She kept hold of Nikki's hand as she punched in a number and spoke quietly to someone on the phone.

Nikki tried to listen to what she was saying, but couldn't seem to concentrate, drifting in and out of consciousness. She felt so tired, she couldn't be bothered to protest any more. They'd just keep her in hospital for an hour or two, then send her home, she was sure. She'd researched it on line. Some pregnancies were like that. Some women never felt well. It didn't usually affect the baby.

The paramedics checked her blood pressure and asked her questions. She hoped her answers made sense. It was hard to think straight when you felt so spaced out. She probably needed a day or two in bed. She'd be all right after that.

When she came to again, she was lying in a cubicle. She stared round in surprise. She must be at the hospital. How had she got here without waking up?

A man in a white coat came into the cubicle. ‘So you're conscious again, young lady. How long have you been feeling ill?'

She tried to think. ‘Weeks. Most of the time since I've been pregnant.'

After a few more questions, he said gently, ‘We're going to have to admit you.'

‘No! No, I've got to keep up with my school work.'

‘You can study better if we find out what's wrong with you. And they can send work to the hospital. We have someone here who manages that sort of thing.'

He was right. They'd probably find she was short of iron or something. She put one hand protectively on her stomach. This was the best place for her baby, too.

There were footsteps outside and a nurse peeped in. ‘Her mother's here, Doctor.'

He turned round. ‘I'll have a quick word. Can you get Nikki admitted to the gynaecology wing asap.'

‘I'll see to it.'