An Island Reunion, page 8
“What?” Evie bounded to her feet. “What are you talking about? Who is your mother?”
“My mother was Helen Hilton.”
Bea stared at her, blinking. Evie pressed her hands to her forehead as tears filled her eyes. “You’re Helen’s daughter?”
Charmaine nodded.
Evie and Bea exchanged a glance. Tears snaked down Evie’s cheeks, and Bea sat suddenly with a huff of air and looked blankly at the wall ahead of her.
Charmaine felt lighter. Most of her secrets had been uncovered. It’d been so long since she’d been able to open up to anyone in her life. All this time she’d kept the truth close to her chest, guarding it as though anything else might leave her bereft of security. But now that it was out, there was no pushing it back in. It was time to tell them everything.
Twelve
It took a long while before Beatrice and Evie finally stopped asking questions. Charmaine did her best to give the answers they wanted. This was all new for her — opening up and sharing information about her family and their history wasn’t something she’d ever been comfortable doing.
Perhaps she shouldn’t have told them. It was a lot for them to take in, and they were more emotional than she’d thought they would be. Clearly they’d known her mother, but whether that was a good or bad thing, she couldn’t quite tell yet.
Bea cleared her throat and blew her nose on a tissue, then walked over to Charmaine and threw her arms around her, holding her tight. Evie followed, squeezing both in a bear hug that left Charmaine breathless. They stood that way for several long seconds. Then Evie stepped back to blow her nose again, and Bea let go to peer directly into Charmaine’s eyes.
“Yes, you have her eyes. And her nose. I don’t know why I didn’t see it before now.”
“You knew her?”
“Of course we did,” Bea replied. “She was a few years older than us, of course. We looked up to her. She was so much fun and a great athlete. I still remember watching her do the one-hundred-metre sprint when I was in year seven and she was in year twelve.”
“She was amazing,” Evie sighed. “And then after school, we became friends. The gaps between the years close when you’re older.”
“I was gone, back to the city by then,” Bea said. “But Evie was here for a little while.”
“Then I left as well,” Evie said. “And when I returned years later, your mother was already divorced and had left town with the kids. When I asked her parents and sister about it, they were tight-lipped and wouldn’t tell me where she’d gone. It’s been a mystery on the island for decades. Whatever happened to Helen? Her sister Finn is still here — have you met her yet?”
“Yes, I met her. She’s the reason I came to Coral Island. I wanted to find her,” Charmaine said, sliding back into her chair. “Anyway, I shared that with you because I know where some of the jewellery is that Betsy stole from her thieving husband.”
Bea ceased blowing her nose and stared at Charmaine in wonder. “Where is it?”
“It’s in the bank vault. My mother found it in a cave, I’m assuming it might’ve been the one near your beach cottage, and she kept it hidden all these years. Betsy tried to steal it back—I guess it was Betsy, although it could’ve been Buck, I suppose. Someone broke into Mum’s house and then into my grandparents’ house repeatedly looking for it. I think it’s worth a lot of money. But I’ve got it now—I found it after Mum died. In fact, that’s why my brother was here — he got wind of it and wanted to take it. So I put it in the bank vault, where it’s safe. But I think we should take it to the police when you go. It’s evidence, and it’ll probably help put Betsy away. They’ll believe your story if we have the diamonds, won’t they?”
“If we have the diamonds with us, they’ll have to,” Bea stated with an emphatic nod.
Thirteen
Taya bustled about the dining room setting silverware in place, fixing a folded napkin, rearranging the vase of flowers. She shouldn’t be nervous — lunch with the girls used to be a regular affair. But it’d been so long since all four of them had gathered, she felt butterflies in the pit of her stomach. She’d missed Penny so much. With everything that’d been going on in her life, having her sweet friend nearby to encourage and support her would’ve been exactly what she needed. But there was no use worrying about it now because that wasn’t to be. Penny lived abroad with her husband, traveling for the stories he covered, and that was their new reality. Taya simply had to deal with it.
Bea was the first to arrive, with Evie close behind.
“I can’t believe you parked that way,” Evie said, out of breath as she jogged to catch up.
“What? It’s fine.” Bea brushed her aside, giving Taya a kiss on the cheek. “Let it go.”
“You’re at an angle. You have to redo it or someone will run into the side of your truck.”
“Aidan’s truck, and I’m sure no one will dent it. We’re in Blue Shoal—there’s hardly any traffic at the busiest of times.”
Evie shook her head. “You’re a rebel and a rule breaker, Beatrice Rushton.”
“Whitlock now,” Bea reminded her with a twinkle in her eye. “I finally changed my name.”
“I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to that,” Taya said with a sigh. “‘Old dogs and new tricks’ springs to mind. I’ve called you Beatrice Rushton my entire life.”
Bea shrugged.
Evie gave Taya a hug, then the three of them sat at the table.
“Where’s Penny? I thought we were running late,” Evie said, glancing around.
“She’ll be here. And you’re not late. Not really.”
Beatrice linked her hands together on top of the table. “There’s something you should know before she gets here…”
Bea seemed uncomfortable, her cheeks pinker than usual. What was going on?
Just then, Penny arrived, carrying an armload of wrapped gifts. She set them all on the table. “Ta-da! I’m home!”
She grinned, looking around at each of the women, her arms open wide for a hug. But no one moved. All eyes were glued to her enormous stomach. Taya gaped like a goldfish. Her mouth opened and closed, but no sound emerged.
Penny looked down at her bump. “Oh, I thought Bea would’ve told you.”
Beatrice stood and embraced Penny with a warm smile. “I was about to, and you interrupted us. Rude.” She laughed.
Penny bit down on her lower lip. “I wanted to surprise you. So, what do you think? Come on, Taya. I know you have something to say.”
Taya’s eyes filled with tears. She strode over to Penny and wrapped her arms around her friend. “I can’t believe it. Congratulations, sweetie.”
That’s when Evie began to sniffle, hiccoughing through a veil of tears. “When are you due?” She hugged Penny next.
“I’m due in two months. Although, look at the size of me. You’d think I was popping tomorrow. The doctor says I have a short body. Not exactly a news flash.” She laughed, rubbing one hand over her distended stomach.
They each took a seat at the round dining table in the private dining room of the Blue Shoal Inn. The place was warm and familiar to Taya after many years as the owner. But the dining room had been updated, and she hadn’t worked there in more than twelve months. It still reminded her of Dad.
She didn’t seem to be able to stop crying. Tears streaked down her cheeks, and she sat in silence, not wanting to ruin the moment for Penny but unable to do anything about it.
“Oh, honey, are you okay?” Penny asked, coming around to where she sat and kneeling beside her.
Taya nodded, still crying quietly. “I’m fine. Don’t kneel there—you might not be able to get up again.”
Penny laughed and lumbered to her feet. “You’re right about that.” She pulled up a chair. “Is it your dad?”
“I guess so. I’m a mess. I’ve been crying nonstop for over a week. I can’t seem to get a handle on my emotions.”
“I know how much you miss him.”
“I do, but I’m also happy for you. That’s why I’m crying now. Because I’m emotional, but also because I never thought I’d see…” She burst into tears again, unable to continue.
Penny leaned forward to hug Taya. Then Bea and Evie came over and joined them. They all sat together for a long time in a warm embrace until finally Taya’s tears dried and she was able to speak again.
“We should eat,” she said. “If there’s food in my mouth, I can’t cry.”
They all laughed and took their seats again. The table was covered with plates of appetisers — cheeses, crackers, olives and thinly sliced deli meats. They filled up their plates with the good food and sipped iced tea.
“You know there’s nothing wrong with a good cry,” Evie said as she placed a napkin in her lap.
“I sometimes cry at commercials,” Bea added. “They make them so emotional these days.”
“Me too,” Penny admitted. “Of course, more so now that I’m pregnant. The hormones have been a killer.”
“How are you feeling generally?” Evie asked.
Penny smirked. “Pretty good. Though they call me a geriatric mother. Did you know that? Kind of rude, if you ask me.”
Taya’s brow furrowed. “Very rude. You’re not geriatric.”
“I’m forty-seven, almost forty-eight.”
“Which begs the question,” Bea said. “How?”
Penny laughed and shook her head so her blonde curls bounced. “We weren’t trying or anything. The doctor said it can happen, obviously, but it’s very rare.”
“It’s a miracle,” Evie said. “I bet you were surprised.”
“That doesn’t even come close to covering it,” Penny replied. “I was in utter shock. Plus, I felt awful all the time. I was so tired. I was convinced I had cancer, so I went to the doctor and almost fell off my chair when he told me I was pregnant.”
“How does Rowan feel?” Taya asked.
Penny grinned. “He’s over the moon. Neither of us ever had children, and we didn’t think we would get the chance. Now, it feels like everything is different. We have more to worry about than ourselves. We’ve got to plan a future for our child. It’s so strange to say that.”
A waiter came into the room to take their orders. Taya unfolded the napkin to place in her lap. “Well, I think we can safely say you will be the only pregnant alumnus at our high school reunion.”
They all laughed heartily at that.
After the main course arrived—roast beef with crispy roasted vegetables and fresh greens with gravy on top—the ladies dug in while chatting about everything that’d happened in each of their lives since their last get-together.
“How do you like life on the road?” Taya asked. She’d spoken to Penny about it before, of course. But now that her friend was pregnant, she wondered if anything had changed.
“It’s fun. We’ve had the best time. It was a good move for our marriage and for our mental health. Especially for Rowan’s, of course. He’s back to his old self—confident, obnoxious, happy.”
“And you?” Evie asked.
“I’m better,” Penny replied. “I’m lonely, of course. And I get bored. I’ve read a lot of books, watched a lot of movies, but maybe that was what I needed. I was feeling pretty run down before we left. But that was the other thing I wanted to talk to all of you about — we’ve decided that I should move back home to Coral Island while Rowan stays out on the road. For now, anyway.”
“Really?” Taya asked.
“Yes. Travelling isn’t great for me when I’m pregnant. I get sick a lot more often when we’re on the move. Plus, restaurant food is so rich, I’ve struggled with indigestion. And some of the places we’re going aren’t very safe.”
“You’re moving home?” Bea exclaimed.
Penny nodded. “I’m moving home.”
A surge of happiness washed over Taya. It lifted the mantle of sadness. “That’s the best news I’ve heard in a while. Well, that and the baby. You’re going to be here, and we can give you a shower and watch the baby grow and see his or her first steps. I’m so excited.”
“That’s great news, honey,” Evie added.
“Will you go back to work at the animal refuge?” Bea asked.
Penny sighed. “I’d like to, but we’ve decided to leave the manager in place. Her contract isn’t finished, and besides, I’ll want to have maternity leave soon anyway. So, I’ll oversee things, but I won’t be on site every day or anything like that. And once the baby is a bit older, we can revisit it all and decide where to go from there.”
“That sounds like a great plan,” Taya replied. “But how long will Rowan work on the road?”
Penny’s smile faded. She swallowed. “Indefinitely. He doesn’t want to give up his career. We tried that, and it didn’t go well. He was so unhappy. I think there were a lot of factors involved, but he doesn’t agree. He knows that he’s feeling better now than he was before, and he doesn’t want that to change. It’s fine, though. I don’t mind. I want him to be happy. It means we’ll be apart sometimes, and he’ll fly home whenever he can. But I don’t want to live on the road.”
“You do whatever works for you,” Bea replied.
Taya took a bite of roast beef and chewed thoughtfully. Everything was changing, some things for the better. Life lately had been an emotional roller coaster ride. She was grateful for Penny’s pregnancy and that she was moving home. She worried that Penny and Rowan’s marriage might not survive their living apart, but they would deal with that when it happened—if it happened. If they could find a healthy balance for themselves, who was she to criticise?
“How are you coping with everything, Taya?” Evie asked as she took a sip of iced tea.
Taya’s stomach clenched. Whenever anyone wanted to talk about her dad, she felt nothing but dread and anguish. “I’m coping. Mum’s strangely serene. I’m worried she’s in denial. But we’re putting together a lovely public memorial service for Friday. I knew Dad had impacted a lot of lives, but I’m surprised every day by how many notes, letters, bunches of flowers and phone calls Mum gets from people all over the world. So many people want to pay their respects, so we thought this would be the best way. You’re invited, by the way. It’s at the chapel here in Blue Shoal.”
“We’ll be there,” Bea replied.
“Are you going with your mum or Andrew, Taya?” Penny asked.
Taya hesitated. “I’ll be with Mum. Andrew broke up with me.”
“What?” All three ladies exclaimed the word in unison.
Bea held a cup in the air, Evie sputtered around a mouthful of potato, and Penny set her fork down on her plate, her cheeks growing redder by the moment.
“He broke up with you?” Penny asked, her eyes narrow.
Taya pressed her lips into a thin line. “Yesterday.”
“Three weeks after your father’s death, and he breaks up with you?”
Taya nodded. “He says his parents are coming to stay with him to escape some kind of religious extremists who killed his wife years ago. And they’re traditionalists who won’t understand our relationship.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Penny huffed. “What’s to understand? You care for each other.”
“I thought we did,” Taya replied. “It turns out I was wrong, I guess.”
“That was cruel of him,” Bea said. “I never would’ve imagined he could do something like that.”
“C’est la vie,” Taya replied. “But I don’t want to talk about it. I’ve only just stopped crying, and we’ve got a delicious roast to eat. Let’s talk about something lively and fun. Like, whether we should have a theme for the reunion.”
“A theme?” Bea asked. “I hadn’t thought about that.”
“We could do Alice in Wonderland,” Evie suggested.
“Or what about Sherlock Holmes?” Penny said.
Taya tipped her head to one side. “Sherlock Holmes? That might be interesting. People could dress up as him, a police officer, or a criminal.”
“It could be fun. But do people like going to dress-up parties these days?” Bea asked, her tone sceptical.
“I don’t know,” Taya replied. “But I think we should do it. We’re having a scavenger hunt—we can set it up to match the theme.”
“That’s a great idea."
“But how about something more applicable to the event, like nineties?” Evie suggested.
“I love it,” Taya replied.
“Grunge rock, plaid and torn jeans,” Bea said with a laugh.
“Doc Martens,” Evie added.
“And don’t forget denim jackets,” Taya said.
“Only one problem,” Bea said miserably. “I haven’t been able to think of anything for the scavenger hunt. I need help with ideas.”
“Let’s get together and come up with a plan,” Evie replied. “It’ll be great.”
Fourteen
Beatrice didn’t often do her grocery shopping in Kellyville these days since she lived over in Point Prospect now with Aidan, but she’d come to Kellyville because the butcher there had the best corned beef on the island, and she wanted to cook corned beef with mashed potatoes and cauliflower with cheese sauce for dinner.
Penny and Rowan were coming over, and she needed everything to be perfect. She wasn’t sure exactly why she felt that need, but she did. It was almost as though she wanted to impress Rowan so he’d stay on the island and be nice to her friend. But of course, she couldn’t control that, and certainly not with a delicious dinner menu. There were a lot of things she couldn’t control in life—she’d learned that well enough over the years. But one thing she could control was the corned beef she chose for dinner, and so she intended to buy the best one and cook it as perfectly and precisely as she could manage.
She manoeuvred her cart full of groceries down the street towards her car. For some reason, she’d managed to find the only cart available with a bum wheel, and it kept veering off to the right. It was laden down with groceries, since she could never manage to pass a grocery store without stocking up on much needed items, and it took all her core strength to keep it on track and away from the gutter.
