Jane Cooper was 7 years old before she knew she had two Grandfathers.
She knew she had a Grandpa Colin, he and
Nanny Laura had been in her life from the day she was born.
But
Granddad Harry she had never heard of, and so she was deeply suspicious of him
and she was a bit miffed with him because of all the birthday and Christmas
presents she’d missed out on.
Harry
Cooper came into her life after her baby sister Karen was taken ill with
Meningitis.
While
her father Paul was waiting in the anxiously in the corridor for news his
father Harry appeared and they spoke for the first in more than twenty years.
Although
there were hugs and apologies it wasn’t a complete reconciliation, but it was
an important first step.
Over
the following twelve months bridges were painstakingly built and sins gradually
forgiven.
And
in the spring of 1998 Paul Cooper returned to his old family home, at Coopers
Villa, and he took his new family with him.
It
wasn’t a simple transition but because there was a willingness to succeed on
both sides they made it work.
Harry
proved to be far more comfortable as a grandfather than he had ever been as a
father and the girls loved him, even Jane who overcame her initial suspicions,
which may have had something to do with the size of her new bedroom.
She’d
had her own bedroom in the old house but it was tiny, her new room was
enormous, or at least it seemed so to a little girl.
The house was amazing and she had a great view of Teardrop Lake
from her bedroom, which had two windows.
The biggest one overlooked the lake which was shaped like a
teardrop, which was where it got its name, and it was surrounded by the ancient
woodland of the Dancingdean Forest.
It wasn’t a huge body of water, just over two miles long and
almost a mile at its widest point but Jane thought it was just beautiful and a
little magical.
And
certainly over the years the Lake worked its magic and the Cooper family
thrived and Jane lived a very happy life in Coopers Villa.
Her father, Paul, was still in the local police and rose slowly up
the ranks and could maybe have climbed higher and faster, if he had specialised
or moved to Abbotsford.
But he preferred to be a big fish in a small pond.
Her Mum Lynn who was the glue that held everyone together,
returned to full time work at the surgery when her youngest daughter Karen
started school at St Mary’s.
If there were any remaining tension between Paul and Harry they
were undiscernible.
They both consigned the past to the past and the deeds and words
of so long before were thought of only as water under the bridge.
As far as the girls were concerned Granddad Harry was just the
kindly white haired old man who gave them sweets and walked them to school.
Jane thought that life had certainly taken a turn for the better
when they moved to the lake and that good fortune had smiled on them all.
The only fly in the ointment was Terry O’Neil, whom she considered
to be and annoying boy who lived next door at Lakeside Villa and from the
moment they moved in he was besotted by her and he followed her everywhere.
Jane was only 8 years old and she had her own personal puppy dog.
Jane had always considered herself to be lucky and never took
anything for granted, she was always very much a grounded girl.
She was also very single minded and knew from the age of six
precisely what she wanted to do with her life.
Grandma Laura worked at Addison’s bakery in Shallowfield for all
of her working life.
And one day when Jane was six years old St Mary’s school was being
used as a polling station so she couldn’t go in that day.
So grandma took her to work with her and Jane helped her and old Elsie Addison, who was well into her
eighties, making pastries for the shop and café.
Auntie
Elsie was a lovely jovial old lady, she was quite rotund and she was always laughing.
Jane enjoyed her day so much at Addison’s that she declared right
there and then that when she grew up she was going to be a bakist.
Jane may have decided that she was going to be a bakist but she
didn’t want to limit herself just to baking she wanted to do everything so she
would help her mum at home or go to Grandma’s house whenever she could so that
she could learn more.
When she wasn’t cooking or reading about cooking or thinking about
cooking she was trying to avoid Terry O’Neil who was very persistent without
the slightest encouragement from her.
The only escape she had was when she was at school because he went
to St Jude’s but that all changed when they started at Secondary School and
they were in the same form at Shallowfield High School.
Much to her disgust Terry was even in the same class as her for
Food Tech (Domestic Science for those readers over thirty) and to add insult
onto injury he was on the bench next to hers.
One particular day they were making a béchamel sauce, which Jane
could do in her sleep, and Terry managed to burn his which he thought was
highly amusing.
“Why can’t you take things seriously” she said “Don’t you like
food?”
“I like eating it” he said
Of course what he didn’t realise, being a callow youth and
therefore immature, was that if he had taken cookery seriously or shown even
the slightest interest in the subject he might have managed to achieve his goal
which was to win her heart.
Instead he just alienated himself further.
He still continued to pursue her right through to her college
years which Jane really couldn’t understand, after all she never encouraged him
for a second.
Her sisters were much more attractive than her in fact they were
very pretty, so why he didn’t go after one of them she just didn’t know.
Jane always considered herself to be plain, it’s true to say that
she wasn’t as stunningly attractive as Kath and Karen, but in all honesty she
was by no measure plain, but that was the way she saw herself.
She was a tall girl with auburn hair and an abundance of freckles
which she thought detracted from her looks even further but to Terry O’Neil
they merely enhanced them.
Which is why he had loved her since she was eight.
Whereas
all the Cooper girls had Auburn hair and freckles all the O’Neil Boys, of which
there were also three, had black hair and wild gypsy eyes.
On the day when Jane went into college to pick up her results she
inadvertently ran into Terry, who was there for the same purpose and for the
millionth time he asked her out and she was so thrilled with her results that
Jane gave in and went to the pictures with him.
Much to her surprise she actually enjoyed it and though she saw
something in Terry that she had never seen before.
But the next morning in the cold light of day her previous
prejudices resurfaced and when he asked her out again she brushed him off.
However the next day Jane returned home to find that Terry was in
her dads study and he had been in there for about an hour.
Nobody in the house seemed to know why he was there and she was
filled with a sudden dread that he was talking to her dad about them, even
though there wasn’t a “them”.
All manner of fanciful thoughts raced around her head all of which
she instantly dismissed, but one thought she just couldn’t shift.
Terry O’Neil was asking her dad for permission to marry her.
“How humiliating” she said to herself as she sat down on her bed.
When she heard the front door go she raced to the window and
looked out and saw Terry walking towards his house.
She ran down the stairs and found her dad in the kitchen,
“Was that Terry O’Neil I just saw leaving?” she asked nonchalantly
“Yes” he replied
“What did he want?”
“He wanted to ask me something” Paul replied
“Oh” she responded
“He’s a very nice lad” Paul said “and he spoke very highly of you”
“Did he?” She replied casually
“Is that why he was here? To talk about me” she asked
“No” Paul said “why would he be?”
“No reason” Jane said suddenly feeling very foolish
“So what did he want then?” she persisted “was it anything
important?”
“Blimey you’re really nosey”
“No not really I’m just curious is all” she said
“Well if you must know he wanted to know about the police graduate
program”
He said
“He wants to join the Police after University”
“Really?” Jane said, not a little impressed
Jane was unfaltering on her chosen path all through her school
years and again when she went to college, and even when she’d gained her
qualifications she refused to rest on her laurels.
She worked whenever and wherever she could and when she wasn’t
working she was attending more courses.
And that September Terry went off to University while Jane set
about gaining practical experience, where ever she could.
In her spare time, what little there was of it she would cater for
buffets for social events, christenings etc.
It was hard work but it was all grist to the mill, every penny she
earned went into the Restaurant fund.
Because that was her goal, to be chef de cuisine in her own
kitchen in her own restaurant.
It was a big goal, she had set the bar high, but she figured if you’re
going to have a dream you might as well dream big.
During the period Terry was at University Jane saw very little of
him when he was home because she was all about the work.
And her hard work was well rewarded when just after her 21st
birthday she was lucky enough to get a job in the Brown Windsor Restaurant in
Shallowfield and within six months she was the Sous Chef.
At the same time Terry’s reward for a first class degree was his
acceptance, with Chief Superintendent Cooper’s recommendation, on to the fast
track graduate program.
Jane didn’t see Terry at all over the following few years but she
heard of him, through her father mainly, he was doing well.
In the meanwhile she was making a name for herself as an excellent
Chef.
When she was 24 she catered a number of events around the
Shallowfield and the Lake but the most significant of her culinary events was
Olivia Adamson’s birthday dinner at Dr Andrews up at Folly cottages.
Which was the first of her home dining experiences.
The first of many as it turned out and it wasn’t the last one on
the lake either.
In November she was booked for a dinner party for 12 people at
Lakeside Villa for Kay O’Neil’s 50th Birthday.
It
was the biggest job she had ever done and there was quite a lot of work involved
so she had her mum Lynn and a local girl Emily Goff helping her.
Emily
lived in Shallowfield and was doing the same college course that Jane had done
herself and so she felt an affinity with her.
The
evening was a tremendous success, and after all the clearing away was done,
Emily and Lynn were taking things to the car and Jane was in the kitchen
packing away the rest of her equipment when Terry walked in.
“That
was a lovely meal” he said
“I’m
glad you enjoyed it” Jane replied
“So
what do you get up to on your nights off?”
“Well
officially Saturday is my night off” Jane said
“So
I guess I do this”
“What
about when you’re not doing this?” he said changing tack
“I’m
working at the Brown Windsor” she answered
“Well
let me take you to dinner on your next night off” he requested
“Blimey
that’s like a busman’s holiday for a Chef” she said with a snort
“On
my nights off I prefer to avoid restaurants and gastro pubs”
“Oh”
he said and looked somewhat deflated
“But
I like bowling” she said surprising herself at the suggestion,
The truth was she didn’t really do time off and she certainly
didn’t do dating which was why at the age of 24 she was still a virgin.
“Great” he replied “I love bowling”
Jane wasn’t sure why she had agreed to go out with him, maybe it
was his crushed expression, whatever it was a few days later they went ten pin bowling
and laser questing in Abbeyvale and then they even had a slice of pizza and a
beer afterwards.
In spite of herself Jane really enjoyed it and when Terry dropped her
home that night she said
“That was fun”
“Maybe we could do it again next time I’m home” he suggested
“Yes I’d like that” she said and meant it
An awkward goodnight kiss scenario followed which ended with a
peck on her cheek.
Terry didn’t go home again for any significant amount of time for
the rest of the year buy they spoke on the phone a few times and they did meet
briefly at St Mary’s Church on Christmas morning.
So as the year came to an end she reflected on the events of the
year and congratulated herself quite smugly on her achievements, and the
growing restaurant fund and she looked forward to the future.
The next morning when she got up and went downstairs she was met
with grave expressions.
“Blimey! How much did you lot drink last night?” Jane asked
Just then her father walked in wearing his uniform
“I thought you were off today” she said
“I was” he replied then he kissed Lynn
“I’ll see you later love”
“What’s happened?” Jane asked but no one spoke
“What’s happened?” she repeated “Where’s dad gone?”
“Someone’s been hurt” Lynn replied
Jane knew by the atmosphere that it was someone they knew, but she
didn’t know who it could be.
And as if to pre-empt Jane’s next question Lynn said
“It’s Terry O’Neil”
And Jane felt like she’d been punched in the stomach.
And the next thing she knew she was being helped up from the
floor.
PC Terry O’Neil was on duty on New Year’s Eve with another PC,
Georgina Devereaux, when there was an armed robbery at a wholesale jewellers in
Finchbottom.
Georgina was driving when they took the call and spun the car
around as Terry responded on the radio.
Two other cars were in pursuit from Finchbottom and O’Neil and
Devereaux were heading straight for them to intercept.
As Georgina took the roundabout, the bandit car went the wrong
side of the island as a shortcut to the motorway and hit them head on.
Devereaux and two of the bandits died at the scene and a third in
the ambulance, only Terry survived and he was only hanging on.
“Oh my darling” Lynn said as she helped Jane onto a chair
“I didn’t know”
“What am going to do mum?” she said and wept
Jane was like a zombie in the days following the bad news.
Her mum and dad kept her updated on his progress, Lynn through her
contacts in the medical profession and her father as a high ranking police
officer.
But all she really knew was that he was off the critical list and
his police career was over.
And that wasn’t enough, so she had to adopt unconventional
methods.
She borrowed granddad Harrys binoculars and from a suitable vantage
point, her sister Karen’s Bedroom window, spied on the comings and goings at
Lakeside Villa.
Although it might have seemed unorthodox, or even creepy to the
untrained eye, but she wanted to be sure Kay O’Neil was at home when she called
round.
So it was all in a good cause and after all she didn’t spy on them
all the time, she still had to work for a living.
It was twenty minutes into her third morning of espionage when she
got her reward, she saw Kay’s car pull onto the drive.
Kay
worked at a nursing home in Childean and was obviously returning home after a
night shift.
Kay O’Neil was a kindly woman and a good neighbour.
Jane waited until she was sure Mrs O’Neil was in the house before
she raced downstairs and out the front door.
And then a few minutes later she was knocking on the O'Neil’s
front door.
“Hello Kay” Jane said when the door opened
“Jane! How lovely” she said still wearing her nursing uniform
“Come in dear”
“How is Terry?” she asked as she stepped over the threshold.
“He’s stable, but they have him in a medical induced coma” she
said “I’m off to sit with him for a couple of hours”
Jane was thoughtful in response and then asked
“Are you going on your own?”
“Yes I’m afraid so” she replied “The others are at work”
“I could keep you company if you like” Jane said
“Would you? That would be nice” Kay replied “I’m leaving in half an hour”
As she drove them to the Winston Churchill Hospital Kay broke the
silence
“Terry has loved you since primary school you know?”
“I know” she replied “And I only realised quite recently that the
feeling was mutual”
Kay reached across and squeezed her hand.
When they reached the hospital they went straight up in the lift.
They went into Terry’s room in High Dependency and Jane was
shocked.
He was a mass of bruises and abrasions and there were tubes coming
out of every orifice.
And there was a frame keeping the covers from where his leg would
have been.
“Hi Baby” Kay called “Mums here, and I’ve brought Jane too”
Kay kissed his forehead and added
“Sit down and talk to him while I’ll get us a coffee”
“What should I say?” Jane asked
“Just chat to him” Kay said
“Let him hear your voice dear”
Jane nodded and sat on the chair by the bed as Kay left and after
a few moments she said
“Well Terry O’Neil, You finally got my full attention”
And she took hold of his hand and cried.
Jane visited him whenever she could after that, sometimes with
Kay, sometimes with his brothers and sometimes on her own, it depended on when
or whether she was working.
Her visiting went on like that for more than a week with her sat
by his bed holding his hand and baring her soul.
But that came to an end one lunchtime when she was working at the
Brown Windsor Restaurant.
It was just after the last of the mains had gone to the pass that
she received a text from Kay.
“He’s awake x”
As soon as the service was concluded and the kitchen cleaned down
she went across the road to the surgery.
“Hello love” Lynn said “everything ok?”
“Can I borrow the car mum?” Jane asked
“Any particular reason?” Lynn asked
“Terry’s awake” she said
Lynn just smiled and tossed her the car keys.
Although Jane had held a full licence since she was 18 she was not
an experienced driver by any stretch of the imagination, which was perhaps
fortunate as it forced her to be more cautious than she otherwise might have
been under the circumstances.
And it was as a consequence of her caution that she reached the
hospital in safety.
So she parked the car and then rode up in the lift, when the lift
doors opened she paused and took a deep breath before stepping out.
She had only taken a few steps before she heard a familiar voice.
“Jane dear!” Kay said and hugged her.
“Hello Kay” she said and hugged her back
“Come and sit” she instructed “The doctors are with him at the
moment”
So they sat in the visitor’s room and held hands as Kay explained
the details of his reawakening.
“You can go back in now Mrs O’Neil” A doctor said
“Thanks Doctor” Kay said
“You’d better go in first” she said to Jane
“Me?” she replied
“Yes, I told him you were coming” Kay said
“Oh goodness” Jane said “I don’t know what to say”
“You say exactly what you’ve been saying dear” she replied and
squeezed her hand.
As she approached his bed his eyes were closed so she sat in her
normal chair and waited.
But she didn’t have to wait for long, however she was looking the
other way at the time, and didn’t see his eyes open.
He focused on the figure in the chair and licked his lips before
he spoke.
“Now I know what I have to do to get you to come and see me”
“Well text time just ask, you have my number” she said “And my
heart”
