Teardrop Lake and the surrounding woodland was
privately owned and divided into twelve parcels each with one significant dwelling on it, although there
were a number of cottages dotted around the woodland as well.
The
12 main properties on Teardrop Lake were not owned as such and were subject to
a peculiar legal covenant dating back to the early 17th Century.
None
of the residents on the Lake were owners per se, they possessed the lease but
for their lifetime only, at the end of which the lease was passed on to their
heir.
The
houses and the land they sat upon could not be bought or sold by their
occupier’s and nor could the leases.
Heirs
can elect not live in the property, or elect to have a relative occupy it in
their stead but no income can be derived from such a circumstance.
So
when widower Daniel Travers was found dead in South View and was without issue,
wheels were set in motion, to track down an heir.
Stanislas, Boivin
and Champeaux, the
solicitors who administered the Lakeside estate, had to find a beneficiary.
In
the absence of a named heir in either Daniel Travers or his wife Winifred’s
wills, a firm of genealogists had to be employed.
In
the event of no heir at all being located then after a lengthy process the
property would revert to the control of the trust to manage this had happened
in the case of two of the 12, Dancingdean Hall and East Cliff Lodge.
Finding
an heir was not a speedy process so although Daniel Travers died in March, it
was September the 1st when Danni Holland, the last surviving heir of
either line crossed the threshold of South View.
Danni
was the 23 year old great, great, niece of Winifred Travers, a woman she had
not only never met but had never even heard of.
In
fact from the age of 18 until she was contacted by the solicitors she was
completely unaware that she had any relatives at all.
Her
mother died when she was ten and her father eight years later.
And with
his death she was to the best of her knowledge the last one standing.
So
they could have knocked her down with a feather when she was told she had not
been alone in the world after all.
Danni
inherited the lease on the house, the house contents and a small legacy but
that wasn’t what she was looking for, she would have much preferred to have met
Winnie and got to know her.
So
after everything was signed and sealed Danni was assured by Stanislas, Boivin and Champeaux that after Winnie and
Daniel’s death, this time she really was the last of the line.
In
her first week in South View she did nothing but repeatedly pinch herself,
expecting to wake up from a crazy dream.
In
truth she was a little shell shocked
Also
her arrival at South View besides the beautiful Teardrop Lake prompted her to
reassess her future, at least when the dust had settled and her head had
stopped spinning.
This
was not the direction that she had envisaged her life would take in fact it was
only in May of that year that she’d finished her Art History degree.
After
leaving University she began working for an insurance company, in the claims
department, while she considered what she should do with her qualification.
However
inheriting the house meant that Danni could sell her flat in Nettlefield and
quit the claims department.
The
sale of her flat enabled her to pay off her student loans and have a reasonable
nest egg to live on while she took stock.
When
she met with one of the solicitors, Rizalina Pugay, she asked her what she knew about her great, great aunt
and Riza spoke enthusiastically about Winnie.
“She
was a wonderful woman”
“Did
you know her well?” Danni asked
“Quite
well, yes” she replied
She
went on to tell her everything she knew about her up until her death.
“Then
when she died her husband Daniel actually died of a broken heart” Riza said and
sighed
“How
romantic is that”
Danni
had to agree that it was indeed a true love story.
She
herself had never been in love true or otherwise.
She
had had three rather dubious passions but she had never experienced love.
On
the Monday of her second week Danni phoned Riza.
“Hello
Danni, how are you settling in?”
“Fine,
fine” she replied “I still can’t believe it’s happened”
“Well
it’s for real” Riza said “so enjoy it”
“I’m
trying” Danni said and then there was a pause before Riza asked
“Was
there something else?”
“Yes”
she replied “am I allowed to decorate?”
And
Riza laughed
After
Riza explained to her that the house was hers to decorate whichever way she saw
fit.
She
reiterated that there were certain period features in the house that couldn’t
be removed or altered and that other than that only changes to the exterior of
the property had to be approved.
So
armed with that information she decided she needed help.
When
she was at Abbottsford University Danni shared a house for two years with three
of her friends June Gough, Katie
Watson and Briony Beardsmore.
After graduation
Briony went to America but the other two had planned to take a year out and do
some travelling before settling down.
She
knew however that their reach had far exceeded their grasp and they had to
curtail their sojourn.
So
Danni phoned them and asked them to come and stay with her for a while.
“This
is very nice Danni” Katie said looking around
“Are
you sure you’re allowed to be here?”
“Apparently
so” Danni replied and hugged her friend who was a tall well-built and totally
unnaturally blonde woman, who although was very definitely feminine, hugged
like a grizzly bear.
“Where’s
June?”
“She’s
fetching the bags” Katie replied as they walked into the kitchen.
June
was petite and wiry and quite obviously deceptively strong because when she
eventually appeared she was loaded with bags, and looked like a Hotel porter.
June
dropped the bags in the hall and mopped her brow before running her fingers
though her short black hair.
After
closing the front door she went in search of the other two and found them
sitting at the kitchen table talking.
“I
might have known” she said
Over
the next few weeks they went all over the house, out buildings, cellar and
attic, sorting through Daniel and Winnies personal possessions.
The
unwanted items were temporarily stored in the garage, clothing, music albums
and knick-knack’s for the charity shop, some items of furniture which were
deemed as too old fashioned but were of sufficient quality to auction and
likewise for a selection of porcelain and glassware and collectables.
Books
were Katie’s forte so all the books were put in one of the downstairs room and
she methodically went through them all.
Any
documents, paperwork or photographs were put in the study and would be gone
through when Danni had the time.
There
was also a considerable amount of sheet music which was of absolutely no use to
her but Danni was reluctant to just throw it away.
The
industrious June had hired a van so she could collect the decorating materials
that she needed.
It
was a good sized van, June told them that it was a Long Wheel Base Hi-Top, they
just took her word for it.
But
while they had it they decided to make full use of it to clear the garage which
was by that time stuffed to the gunwales.
The
good stuff that was designated for the charity shop ended up at St Mary’s
Church Hall where it was sorted for the Church Car Boot and jumble sale being
held at St Mary’s Primary School on the last weekend in October.
They then did a
number of runs to the dump and finally took the items they wanted to sell to
O’Sullivan and Springthorpe Auctioneers in Shallowfield.
Danni
left June in the van while she went into the office where a young man of a
similar age to herself was sat behind the desk.
As
she approached he looked up and smiled, Danni liked his smile, and she though
he was quite good looking with his curly brown hair and blue eyes.
“Hello”
she said “Are you Mr O’Sullivan or Mr Springthorpe?”
“Neither
I’m afraid” he replied “Steve Lovett, can I help?”
“I
hope so Steve” she replied
“So
do I” he said in his head
“I
have just inherited a house from my great, great aunt and uncle and I need to
sell some of the furniture and such like” she said “is that something you can
help with?”
“Certainly”
he said “Let’s arrange a time and date when I can come and assess what you
have”
“Ah
that might be a problem” she said
“How
so?” he enquired
“It’s
all outside in a van” she replied
“Here?”
he said “Oh ok then let’s go and have a look”
“Great”
Danni said with a little relief
“So
you’re new to the area too?” he said
“Yes
about five weeks” she replied
“And
you?”
“About
the same” he replied
June
had seen them approaching and jumped out of the driver’s seat and walked to the
back of the van.
“I
hope this isn’t a load of old tat” Steve thought to himself
“I’d
hate to have to let her down”
He
rather liked her, she ticked quite a few of his boxes.
She
had shoulder length brunette hair, she was not beautiful in the conventional
sense, and she had quite sharp features, a pointed nose and a slightly
prominent chin, a small mouth and dark penetrating eyes, but he liked what he
saw.
She
was the perfect height for him about 4 inches shorter than his 6’ 1” and was
blessed with very shapely legs.
“I’m
in a B&B at the moment” he said aloud “I don’t know yet if the move here is
permanent”
“Oh I
hope it is” she said a little over enthusiastically which was noticed by June
and when she looked at June it made Danni blush.
She
had a small crescent shaped scar on her right cheek that went vivid red when
she’d drunk too much or when she blushed.
At
that moment it was crimson.
Danni
introduced Steve to June who was grinning like a halfwit which quite
understandably unnerved Steve.
“Well
let’s have a look then” he said uncomfortably.
But
once the doors were flung wide open he saw it was absolutely stuffed full.
“This
is going to take longer than I thought” he added and had to call for some
assistance from a character by the name of “Old Bob” and when it was all
unloaded into the warehouse and could all be appreciated he was in his element.
“Can
you leave it with us and I will call you later” he said
“Yes”
she said that’s fine and jotted down her number
“I’m
Danni by the way”
Out
of her eye line June was grinning again which made Steve twitch.
“I’ll
just get you a receipt” he said
“Well”
June said as they drove back to the house
“Well
what?” Danni retorted
“I
felt like a proper gooseberry”
June
said
“Oh
do Shut up” Danni said and punched her arm, June just laughed.
When
they got home they went into the kitchen and June was still cackling.
“How
did you get on?” Katie asked
“She
got on very well” June said and Danni picked up a tea towel and started
flicking her.
Over
a cup of coffee they sat at the table while June regaled them with her
representation of events which caused much merriment and made Danni blush
again.
After
which it was Katie’s turn next to tell her how she had got on.
“I’ve
just about finished with the books” she said “and I think there will be at
least 50 that your Mr Lovett will be interested in”
“He’s
not my Mr Lovett” Danni said
“In
that case I will deal with him exclusively from now on” Katie suggested
“That
won’t be necessary” Danni said and left the kitchen to peals of laughter.
When
Danni and June were dropping off the jumble at the Church Hall they got
chatting to the vicars wife Olivia and Danni mentioned the pile of sheet music
that they had found in the house and Olivia told her that there was a music
Professor living up at the Folly cottages who she thought would be very
interested in looking through them.
So
that was there first port of call the next day.
Over
the next few days Katie finished the books and all three of them cracked on
with the decorating.
June
had already completed two rooms before the other two got involved.
Not
that Katie was much use, she didn’t like dust or cobwebs, she couldn’t use
ladders or kneel down, she didn’t like the smell of paint as it made her
nauseous and she didn’t like getting her hands wet or doing anything that would
make them dry.
What
she could do though was make teas and coffees and cook extremely well.
At
the end of day three Danni’s phone rang just as she was half way down a ladder.
She
looked at the caller ID and saw it was unknown and was thinking about declining
it but in the end she answered it.
“Hello!”
she said
“Could
I speak to Miss Holland please?” the voice asked
“Speaking”
she retorted
“Steve
Lovett from the Auctioneers” he said
“Oh
hello” she said and for some reason straightened her hair which was when she
noticed she was being spied on so she took the phone into her bedroom.
“I
have looked at all the items now and wondered if I might call round to discuss
it” he said
“Well
the house is in an awful mess as we’re decorating so could we meet at that
coffee shop in Shallowfield? I think it’s called Addison’s”
“Yes
that would be fine, is tomorrow at 10 ok?” he asked
“I
look forward to seeing you then” Danni replied
“Likewise”
The
next morning she spent a disproportionate amount of time getting ready for a
coffee date and it wasn’t even a date, it wasn’t even a thing it was just a
coffee with an Auctioneer, she wasn’t even sure he was an Auctioneer, she
didn’t know what he was, but it was just coffee, that she was sure about.
“So
why am I spending so much time getting ready” she said to her reflection in the
mirror.
He
was already sitting at a table when she arrived at Addison’s.
Danni
walked over to him.
“Hello
Steve” she said “Is it alright if to call you Steve?”
“Only
if I can call you Danni” he replied
“That’s
settled then” she said and sat down opposite him
“So
what’s the verdict?” she asked after the coffee arrived
“Well
I’ve divided up what you brought in into three different sales to maximise the
prices” He said and handed her a list
“As
you can see I have put down reserves on the highest value items”
“Crikey
do you expect to get that much?” she asked
“Certainly
yes” he said “In the right sale”
“I
had no idea” Danni confessed
She
was surprised at the amount they might raise, but she already knew what she was
going to do with the money.
The
meeting at Addison’s lasted longer than either of them intended, bearing in
mind the purpose of it was dealt with in the first few minutes.
Finally
Steve looked at his watch and excused himself
“I’m
sorry I really have to go, I have a valuation to do in Childean”
“I
understand, and thank you for this” she said tapping the valuation “And the
coffee”
“My
pleasure” he said “perhaps we could do it again”
“I’d
like that” Danni answered
He
was busy the next day so they arranged to meet at the same time the day after.
Danni
returned home and told them the news about the valuation.
“Never
mind that” Katie said “how did you get on with him?”
“Fine”
she replied
“Only
fine” June said “You’ve been gone almost 2 hours”
“Yes
only fine” Danni said “but we are meeting for coffee again on Thursday”
“Well
that’s promising” Katie said
“We
are merely going to discuss the upcoming sale”
She
told them but she hoped it might lead to more.
Katie
and June seemed happy with that so Danni went to her room to change into her
scruffy clothes.
The
first Auction sale was on the coming Saturday, and was for the porcelain, glass
and collectables.
The
following Wednesday was the jewellery sale in Abbottsford and then back to
Shallowfield on the following Saturday for the furniture sale.
“Have
you really never been to an Auction?” he asked in disbelief as they sat in
Addison’s coffee shop
“Truly”
she replied
“I
could take you if you like” Steve suggested
“That
would be nice” she said
“Great,
you’re in for a real treat, Mr Springthorpe senior is in action on Saturday
which is a sight to behold”
“I
will look forward to it” she said though not because of Auctioneer.
Just
at that moment when the conversation might have turned to something meaningful
Danni looked across the table and saw that Steve had gone whiter than a sheet.
So
she turned and looked behind her and there were Katie and June grinning through
the window.
“It’s
alright” she said “They’re friends of mine”
Then
she mouthed something in their direction which caused them to roar with laugher
before they departed.
And
she returned her attention to Steve but the moment had passed.
On
Saturday they met outside Addison’s and walked down to the Salerooms together.
It
was very busy, and had been all morning, or so he was informed.
They
didn’t arrive until eleven because he knew where Danni’s items were in the
sale.
They
only had to wait for ten minutes and the first lot appeared.
An
hour and a half later and all her items had sold.
Only
one failed to reach Steve’s estimate but comfortably cleared the reserve.
Steve
suggested a pub lunch and Danni gratefully accepted.
“My
friend Katie has been going through the books and has identified quite a number
that she believes are of value” Danni said between mouthfuls of delicious
Chilli at the Woodcutter’s Arms.
“Perhaps
you can bring them in and I’ll get our book expert to look at them” he said
“They may have to go in the December sale now though”
The
following week they met up every day at Addison’s apart from Wednesday when they
drove to Abbotsford for the jewellery sale and Saturday when they went to the
furniture sale in Shallowfield after which they went to dinner at the Phoenix.
They
had had umpteen coffee dates two lunches and a dinner but although they clearly
liked each other and they enjoyed each other’s company they didn’t progress it.
The
problem was they were both a little backwards in coming forwards, hence the
number of coffee dates and no kissing.
Over
coffee one day he gave her some bad news
“I’m
not going to be around for the next week or so”
“How
come?” she asked as calmly as she could
“I’ve
been asked to flit between three different Salerooms, covering for holidays and
sickness etc.” he explained
At
the end of the evening just before she got into the cab she said
“I’ll
miss you” and kissed his cheek
As it
turned out it was almost 2 full weeks before she saw him again and she was
quite low.
But
she felt much happier when they met up in their favourite spot.
It
was a Friday and Addison’s was exceptionally busy, so much so that they had to
share a table with two elderly ladies, which made conversation difficult.
And
then later that day Danni, Katie and June went away for a long weekend to meet
up with their friend and housemate from University, Briony Beardsmore, who was
back briefly from America.
When
they returned she tried calling him but only succeeded in getting through to
his answerphone, but she didn’t leave a message.
She
left it for a few days but as she had neither seen nor heard from him she
loaded the car with the boxes of books and drove them to the saleroom.
Danni
pulled up in the car park and walked into the office expecting to see Steve
sitting there.
But
instead she saw a man in his thirties that she kind of recognised but didn’t
quite.
“How
can I help?” he said
“Is
Mr Lovett around?” she said
“I’m
afraid not” he replied
“He’s
been called away for a few days on family business, a bereavement I believe”
“Oh
ok” she said
“I
have a car full of books he suggested I bring in”
“Well
take them to the back door and Old Bob will sort you out” he said
“Thank
you Mr…” she said
“Springthorpe”
he replied
That
was why she half recognised him he was a younger version of the Auctioneer from
the first sale.
She
was greeted at the door by “Old Bob” who helped her unload the car and gave her
a receipt then she got back in the car and drove home disappointed.
As
Steve was absent and June was really cracking on with the decorating Danni
decided to get to grips with the mountain of letters and personal papers in the
study.
That
kept her quite busy for the week following her delivering the books to the
Auction house.
Then
out of the blue she got a phone call from Steve, she was going to be sharp with
him, for not calling her earlier.
After
the conversation she was glad that she hadn’t.
The
family emergency was his Grandfathers death and the subsequent funeral, which
he had to arrange as there were no other family.
That
kind of put a dampener on things and then he dropped the bombshell that after
the book sale on Saturday he was driving up to Millmoor to supervise a number
of house clearances, which really depressed her.
A few
days later Danni and her friends were sitting in the kitchen when Katie said
“We’ll
be out of your hair soon”
“What
are you on about?”
“June’s
nearly finished the decorating and we really need to get jobs and start paying
off our loans” Katie said
“Oh”
Danni said
“I
thought you’d want to live here with me”
Danni
was an orphan girl and her University girls were her only family and she wanted
them near.
“Really?”
June asked
“Of
course really” Danni replied and the three of them hugged
About
an hour later there was a knock on the front door.
June
was painting the study and Katie was baking in the kitchen so Danni answered
the door.
“Could
I speak to Mrs … Oh it’s you” Steve said
“Hello”
Danni said “This is a nice surprise”
“Yes”
he said doubtfully
“Didn’t
you know I lived here?” she said, and then it dawned on her that he wouldn’t
because they had only met at Addison’s or the Saleroom.
“To
be honest no” he admitted
“Come
in” she said
“Thanks”
She
led him into the lounge and a moment later Katie appeared with a tray.
Being
a sucker for romance Katie just put it on the table smiled and left the room.
“I
was hoping to speak with Winifred Travers” he said
“I’m
afraid Mrs Travers passed away last year” Danni responded.
The
news clearly shocked him and he was unable to speak for a few moments.
“Oh dear”
he said “I have a letter for her”
The
letter was from her deceased brother
“I’m
sorry” Danni said
“What
was she like?” he asked
“I
don’t know, I didn’t know her” she admitted
“But
everyone that did says she was a lovely woman, salt of the earth”
“So
this is your house now?” he asked
“Well
the lease is mine at least” Danni said
When
he arrived he was carrying a folder which he placed on the sofa beside him.
But
as he reached forward to pick up his drink he caught his sleeve and dragged the
folder off the seat and spilled the contents, a mixture of papers and old black
and white photographs, onto the floor.
Danni
was immediately out of her seat and on her knees scooping up the spillage.
But
she couldn’t help noticing the photograph of a soldier
“Who
is this good looking young man?” she asked
“It’s
my grandfather” he replied
“Oh
wow” she said flatly
Steve
elaborated as he showed her the other photos
After
his grandfather died he wanted to deliver his letter to his baby sister, the
problem was he had no idea where she could be
It
was only by chance that he happened on the address.
“So
how did you track Winnie down?” Danni asked
“Well
when I left school I got a job with O’Sullivan’s and Springthorpe and part
of the job is house clearances and one of the houses I had to clear last week
was that of Elizabeth Blackett, who was a maiden lady in her 90’s.
It
was my job to sort through her personal papers and among them were correspondences
between her and Winifred, I couldn’t believe my luck.
Elisabeth
was a distant cousin of Winnies and was also the genealogist of the family and
she had a lot of old family pictures.
I
just searched through her address book and here I am”
Although
she had asked the question Danni wasn’t really listening to his answer as she
was distracted by her own thoughts.
Steve
noticed he didn’t have her full attention and said
“Well
I had better be on my way, I’ve taken up too much of your time”
“Oh
ok” she said and stood up and walked him to the door
“Are
you on for coffee tomorrow, usual time?” he asked
“Oh
no… I’m busy tomorrow” she lied
“Oh
ok” he said and went to kiss her cheek, but she pull away.
“I’ll
call you then”
“Yes
ok fine” she said and closed the door abruptly.
After
Steve visited the house in search of Winifred she had distanced herself from
him.
He
called her several times over the few days following his visit enquiring about
coffee at Addison’s but she always made an excuse.
But
eventually she had to see him.
It
was the first of December, a week after she had last seen him and Danni had to
go to the salerooms to settle the account.
“Well
after fees and commission this is the final tally” he said “how would you like
it paid?”
Danni
knew from talking to her neighbours that Daniel and Winnie were both heavily
involved with the Church, he was the Church Warden for many years and she was
the organist and they were both heavily involved with the choir.
So
she replied without hesitation
“Could
you please have a Cheque made payable to St Marys Church”
“That’s
very generous” he said
“It’s
what they would have wanted” Danni said and stood up
“Have
you got time for a coffee?” he asked
“I...”
she began
“Please”
he added
“Ok”
The
conversation was strained as they sat in Addison’s looking down at their
respective drinks.
“We
could go into Abbottsford one night and see a film” he suggested “What do you
think?”
“I
think you should find yourself a nice girl and settle down” she replied “I have
to go”
“But…”
he began but she was already half way out the door.
It was two weeks
later and Steve had been sitting at a table in Addison Coffee House for about
an hour after he’d finished his Coffee and sandwich.
He was listening
to the conversations from other tables as they chatted about their Christmas
plans, who was going, who was staying, how many would be there for Christmas
Lunch and what they were doing on Boxing day.
Finally he’d had
enough of other people’s happiness, because it hurt him, he was doing nothing,
seeing no one, and he would be alone.
He mumbled to
himself that he needed some fresh air and buttoned up his jacket high against
the cold and walked towards the Lake.
It was still snowing as it had been all morning, he didn’t mind though he liked
the snow.
He liked the way
it dampened down the noise and brought silence to the world so all he could
hear were his own thoughts and footsteps.
Everyone was
predicting a White Christmas it would be the first one he’d seen in years if it
happened, he had heard some youngsters in Shallowfield earlier talking very
excitedly about the prospect.
That morning he
had looked out of the small window of his B&B and watched as the kids went
noisily passed with their Sledges.
They had passed on
their way to one of the hills that overlooked the Town.
It reminded him of previous winters when he was a boy and the school was closed
for a snow day.
Neither he nor his
friends had a fancy sledge though, he and his mates used tea trays or bits of
hardboard.
Sledges were a
pretty useless thing to own as they sat gathering dust in sheds and garages
most of the year until they were needed, if they were needed.
As the light began
to fade he didn’t go up the hill where the kids were still enjoying themselves
he wanted the quiet solitude only Teardrop Lake could offer.
The silence was
briefly broken by the revelers as he walked past the Hotel but even their
indulgent cacophony was soon lost as the snowfall snuffed it out.
Through the
snowfall it was difficult even to discern the bright festive LED lights that
decorated the houses.
With the Hotel
well behind him and without thinking he set off along the lane that took him
past the Addison family in Tower House.
It was only as he
reached the next house that he realized his error as he found himself passing
South View, where Danni lived, so he pulled his collar up and put his head down
and went quickly past.
In the few months
he had been staying in Shallowfield he had become very close to Danni Holland,
they were both the same age, both of them were new to the area and neither had
any family left.
Firstly he liked
her as a friend and she had indeed become a best friend but almost immediately
for him he wanted more than friendship.
But in recent
weeks she had suddenly changed towards him and she became more distant and
sisterly.
So he was, rather
childishly, avoiding her which was quite frankly cutting off his nose to spite
his face.
It had certainly not made him feel any better and it had probably confused the hell out of Danni, because he went from ringing her every day to avoiding her completely.
Halfway along the
Lane on the Southside of the Lake the darkness seemed even darker somehow and
the snow was falling faster than ever.
He was unsure if
he should press on or turn around and go back, visibility had been reduced to
single digits.
He decided to take
advantage of an old log at the side of the Lane and wait until the snow eased
off again.
And tried to
fathom out what had gone wrong between him and Danni.
He sat and stared
straight ahead of him through the falling snow and realized it was easing as he
was able to discern some of the coloured lights across the lake.
And soon all the
twinkling lights of every house were visible as the snow stopped falling.
As the snowfall
thinned he was able to get his bearings and was situated in between Forest
Lodge and Lakeside Villa.
He decided it might be prudent to head back to Shallowfield and “get while the
going was good”, and before the snow began again.
He stood up and
headed back towards Shallowfield but was still lost in his thoughts as he did
so
"What the
hell are you doing out here?" a voice asked from the darkness.
It made him jump
as he had become accustomed to the silence and was still somewhere inside his
head contemplating his own situation.
He had perceived no warning that he was not alone and had not heard her
approaching footfalls crunching in the snow.
He recognized the
voice instantly as it belonged to Danni Holland.
“I just needed
some fresh air” he replied
"What? In
this weather? Are you mad” she said
"Well you’re
out in it, so what’s your excuse?” he retorted
"I saw you
pass the house so I came out to make sure …” she stopped
“To make sure
what?” he asked angrily “that I didn’t jump in the lake”
“Well you looked
furtive” Danni said defensively
“I wasn’t being
furtive I was being private” he said and strode off down the lane
“I'm sorry,"
she said trotting after him “but you’ve been a bit off lately”
“And whose fault
is that?” he asked, stopping briefly
“What do you
mean?” Danni asked “what did I do?”
He stopped again
and turned towards her and said
“I
thought you liked me”
“I
did, I do” she replied
“No I
mean LIKE me” he elaborated
“I
did” she admitted “but then I found out something”
“What?”
he asked intrigued
“When
you were at the house two week ago you had a folder with you, which you dropped
on the floor and the contents spilled out” She said
“Yes
I remember” he retorted “what about it?
“Well
there was a photograph, a soldier in uniform” she said “and I asked you who it
was”
“Yes
it was of my grandfather” he said “I still don’t understand”
“He was my great aunts brother” she said “so I think we’re related, I’m not sure how, but I think we are”
“And
that’s why you’ve been all sisterly towards me” he said and laughed “Because
you think we’re’
“Yes, but I don’t
see any humour in it” she said
“Come back to the
house and have a hot drink and explain, you must be frozen”
"Ok but on
one condition” he replied
“What’s that?” she
asked
“Don’t try to fix
me up with one of your friends” Steve said
“Why would I do
that?” Danni said and laughed
“Because that’s
what sisters do” he said
“They have no
interest in you, brother dear” she said mockingly
"Why not?
What’s wrong with me?" he asked
"There is
nothing wrong with you” she replied and audibly sighed, which he completely
missed however
"Then why?" he persisted “they’re always smiling at me in a weird
way”
“Oh dear how can I
put this delicately” she mused and put her arm through his “Katie and June
don’t butter their bread the same way that you do”
"What the
hell does bread and butter have to… oh, oh I see” he said
“Do you understand
now?” she asked and they both laughed
After they had walked
a few more yards he asked
“So do they butter
each other’s bread?”
“Frequently” she
replied and they laughed again.
When they were
back at her house he sat down at the kitchen table while she made a drink, he
hadn’t realize how cold he had gotten until he stepped inside the house.
“Am I correct that
the man in the photograph is Walter Tiplady?” she asked as she put a steaming
mug of coffee in front of him
“Yes, my
grandfather” he replied and warmed his hands on the mug
“But how can that be when Walter was killed in the
fields of Normandy in 1944” she said “I’ve seen a copy of the telegram”
She had seen it all in amongst Win’s papers.
“It was Henry Lovett who died in 1944 when the Bren
Gun Carrier they were in was hit by a mortar. Both men lost their tags and most
of their clothes in the blast, Henry died of his wounds in hospital but was in
possession of Walters tunic, so was wrongly identified”
“Why didn’t he say anything?” she asked
“He didn’t know” he replied “because along with his
physical injuries he also had amnesia”
“What about Henrys
family after he was discharged?”
“He didn’t have
any family, he was an orphanage boy” he said “and Walter was enough like Henry
in appearance for friends and acquaintances to accept him and his manner and
the amnesia dissuaded any doubts”
“So how did he
find out who he was?” she asked
“He started having
unexplained memories when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour” Steve said
“By the time it
had all been removed, it all came back, well pretty much all”
He paused to take
a sip of coffee and then continued
“There were still
big holes in his memory that remained right up till the end, but he died as he
had lived for most of his life as Henry Lovett”
Which was why when
the solicitors investigator thought that Danni was the only heir to Daniel
Travers legacy.
“So you are the
real heir, by rights this is your house” Danni said
“That’s not
important” he said
“But I have it
under false pretenses” Danni insisted
“More importantly
than that Henry/Walter was Winnie’s brother and you were her great niece, by
marriage, not by blood” he explained and she looked at him blankly
"We are not related" he said
“I don’t
understand”
“We are not blood
relations” he explained
“So I don’t have
to be your sister anymore?” she said
“No”
“Thank God for
that” she said and kissed him full on the mouth
As they lay in the
cozy afterglow in her bed she asked
“So what do we do
now?”
“Well I don’t know
about you but I
thought I might take your advice” he said
“Which
advice was that?
“That
I should find myself a nice girl and settle down” he replied
“After
what we just did you had better be thinking about settling down with me” she
said
