by Mary Grand
‘Great. I’d really like that.’
Lloyd turned to Lowri. ‘If you want to make some money as a doctor, you know where to come.’
Lowri was about to say something, but changed her mind. Instead, she said, ‘Thank you, Grandad.’
They all accompanied Lloyd to the front door. Only Catrin walked to the car with him.
‘Thank you, Dad, for the house.’
‘Well, maybe I needed to make amends.’
He put his cases in the back of his car, turned back, and awkwardly hugged her.
Catrin was so surprised that she stepped back.
Her father gave a lopsided grin. ‘There you are: something for nothing,’ he said.
He got in the car. Catrin, speechless, watched him drive away.
Later that afternoon, Catrin went out with Safi. Their route took them down through the village. She could hardly believe that this place would soon be her home. Up there was the newsagent, the pub. David and Anwen would be close by. She looked down at the bungalows. Aunty Angela would be down there. She started walking that way but, as she did, she spotted Harri sitting on a bench, looking out over the bay. She went over to speak to him.
‘So, your husband outbid me–’
‘For the house–’
‘That as well.’ He grinned.
‘I went over to Worm’s Head, you know.’
‘I thought you might.’
‘Well, there was no point in running away, was there?’
‘No, I guess not.’
‘I’m very excited about coming here to live. We have lots of plans.’
‘And dreams?’
‘Well, yes.’
‘You’re sure then that this is the place for you?’ Harri looked at her closely.
‘Yes. This is where I belong, Harri.’
He sighed. ‘I think I always knew in my heart you belonged here,’ he said quietly.
‘What will you do?’
‘Go back to Collioure.’
‘To Francine?’
‘I don’t think so, but I have plans, dreams. You know, I’ll be fine.’
‘Good. I’m popping down to see my Aunty Angela.’
‘Ah, family, yes. You really do belong here. Right, I can’t sit here all day. People to see, cases to pack.’
‘Good luck, then,’ she said.
Harri nodded. ‘You take care, and don’t forget: you’re never too old to have dreams.’
Catrin smiled and continued on her way down to her aunt’s. As she reached the neat bungalow, Angela was gardening at the front.
‘Hi,’ called Catrin. Her aunt stood up stiffly.
‘Catrin, I heard the news. Wonderful.’
‘You know already?’
‘Of course. No secrets here. You’ve been down to Cardiff, then. How did Gareth get on?’
Again, Catrin wondered how she knew.
‘Listen. Come in, and have a cup of tea. Remember, there’s something I want to give you.’
‘Do you mind Safi?’
‘Of course not. Come on in.’
Catrin followed her inside. Despite being a newer building, inside was very old-fashioned. Catrin found it impossible to imagine Elizabeth staying there. Having sat down with an enormous scone and cup of tea, she waited patiently as her aunt slowly disappeared to find what she wanted to give her. Angela returned with a package wrapped in a brown paper bag. She handed it Catrin. Catrin opened it carefully.
Inside was a very old book, leather bound. She turned the fine pages. There were beautiful drawing of flowers, insects, butterflies, as well as line drawings of places and buildings in Rhossili.
‘What a beautiful old book.’
‘It is, worth a bit now. It belonged to my father, your Grandad Hugh, and he gave it to your mother.’
‘And then she gave it to you?’
‘Well, yes, but she didn’t give it to me to keep.’
Catrin looked puzzled.
‘In the years leading up to Aled’s death your mother gave me a number of things to sell for her. She wanted the money, you see, to send to Aled. I took jewellery to a local jeweller I knew who would give me a decent price. This was one of the things she wanted me to sell.’
‘But you didn’t?’
‘No. I couldn’t. It didn’t seem right. I just gave her the money.’
‘So that’s where all the jewellery went.’
‘That’s right. I didn’t mind selling the gaudy stuff from Lloyd, but this was special.’
‘Did you know why she needed the money?’
‘It was Aled. He was gambling. It was very sad.’
Catrin looked at her aunt. Should she tell her?
‘Actually, there was more.’
Quietly, she told her aunt the story of Aled.
‘I see. Well, I’m not surprised. It was a very sad business.’
‘Dad still denies it.’
‘Yes, he would, but then he never did like real life very much did he? He treated my sister badly. Their marriage was a mess. Now, you and Gareth look a lot better suited to me.’
Catrin smiled. ‘We are really looking forward to living here.’
‘Good. I look forward to having you living close by.’
Her aunt stood up.
‘Good. Oh, there’s your picture, on the wall.’
Catrin looked at it from a distance. ‘I’m glad you have it.’
‘You must do some more now.’
‘I intend to. Did you know my mother wrote stories?’
‘Ah. She always made them up when I was little. She had a gift making up stories. She never kept a diary, though.’
‘You know, I’ve just remembered that journal Bethan gave me. I can suddenly think of lots of things to write in it. Oh, and by the way,’ said Catrin, ‘On Saturday, we’re having a party. It would be lovely if you came.’
‘Now that would be lovely. It’s a long time since there’s been a party at The Dragon House.’
Chapter Forty One
Saturday 11th August 2012
The party for Bethan at the Dragon House was to be a simple buffet in the garden. Bethan of course would be having a far more raucous celebration with her friends back in Cardiff, but today was a relatively calm affair.
Catrin decided to wear her blue silk dress, but today it would be different. Today there would be no cardigan to conceal her scar. There was no need to cover it up. It wasn’t ugly. Her father had been wrong about that. If anything, she should be proud of it. It showed that she had been through something difficult and survived. She brushed her hair, which she let hang loose. She wore a new, light pink lipstick and put on her sapphire necklace. She looked at herself in the mirror, gave herself a smile and went downstairs.
Bethan was excited. She was wearing the dramatic outfit which she had worn to the audition. Lowri was sitting in the garden with Mark. She was ethereal, in a long white dress, looking very relaxed. Gareth was sitting with them, chatting.
Catrin had joined them when David, Anwen and Angela arrived. David gave her his usual bear hug, then looked down at her.
‘You look different. Your eyes are shining.’
‘A lot has happened.’
Safi went running up to Anwen. She knelt down to fuss him. ‘Sorry, no sausages today.’
David looked at Catrin. ‘Now, I want to know exactly what has been going on.’
When Catrin had finished he grinned at her.
‘Wow. I’m so proud of you.’
‘Well, thank you. It was so helpful to talk to you.’
‘You’ve been so brave. I can’t believe you’re going to be living so close to us. It’s fantastic.’
‘I know. I can’t believe this is my home now.’
‘You know, one day, when you’re ready, you could think about doing something to support the hostel. We have a charity shop, or there are groups that meet there.’
‘You think that would be a good idea?’
‘Speaking selfishly, we really need the
help, but it’s not just that. Sometimes, raising awareness of addiction can help people who have been affected by it. It’s doing something positive with your experience. I’m not saying you should be doing anything immediately. It’s up to you, but think about it.’
‘Yes, OK. I will.’
Catrin heard the gate open: Elizabeth was arriving, with a man, who looked a few years older than her. Richard, presumably.
‘Great, they’ve come. Bethan really wanted them to. Elizabeth spoke to me. She seemed really nervous, but she said she’d try to come. I’ll go and say hello.’
Catrin could see Elizabeth holding Richard’s hand tightly.
‘Hi,’ she said. ‘Come on in. I’ll get you each a glass of wine.’
Bethan came straight over.
‘Happy birthday,’ said Elizabeth. She took a card from her bag. Bethan read it.
‘Look, Mum,’ she said to Catrin, who had returned with the glasses.
The card was a print of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers. Inside it said simply, ‘To my daughter Bethan, with love from your mother, Elizabeth xx”
‘That’s lovely.’ Catrin realised there was no stabbing pain. She was really happy for Bethan. Elizabeth slipped her hand into her bag again, took out a photograph, and handed it to Bethan.
‘It’s the one of me as a baby,’ said Bethan, ‘but it looks new.’
‘I had a copy of mine made. I thought maybe you would like to put it in your album.’
Bethan grinned. ‘Thanks. That’s really lovely.’
‘There’s something else.’ Elizabeth handed her a small white box, shaped like a book. Bethan opened it. Inside were the scan picture and the tiny hospital band with her name on.
‘Oh, my God. You can’t give me these.’
‘Yes, I think they should go in the album, like Lowri’s.’
Catrin blinked. She touched the hospital band. ‘That’s a lovely thing to do, Elizabeth.’
‘You know, they’ve been hidden away for too long. They should be in the album with the rest of Bethan’s story.’
Lowri glanced over and shouted, ‘Great, time for presents.’ She reached to her side and brought a bag over. From it, Bethan took a card, opened it, and grinned. The card was a montage of photographs of the sisters from when they were very young. Bethan opened her present. It was in a beautiful glittery box. When Bethan opened it, she found a silver pendant on a necklace.
‘Oh, it’s beautiful,’ she said handling the delicate pendant.
‘What is it?’ asked Catrin.
‘It’s a Welsh dragon,’ said Lowri with a grin. She glanced at Bethan. ‘Do you like it?’
‘I love it,’ replied Bethan. She put it on.
Catrin smiled as she watched her daughters hug each other.
Catrin handed over the card from her and Gareth, a beautiful print of Bethan’s favourite painting by Picasso, ‘Girl with a Dove’.
‘We’ve put some money into your account,’ said Gareth, ‘and your Mum has bought you this.’ Catrin quickly found some parcels from the kitchen and brought them out. Bethan unwrapped them, but looked puzzled.
‘Duvet, covers, pillowcases, mugs, cutlery?’
‘They’re things you’ll need to go into hall.’
Bethan laughed and hugged her parents.
They lit the candles on the birthday cake and, while everyone sat around chatting, Gareth took Catrin to one side.
She looked at him puzzled. He took out a small rectangular box. She opened it, and from it took out a delicate watch. The round face was surrounded by diamonds and sapphires.
‘It’s beautiful,’ she whispered.
‘Happy birthday,’ said Gareth. He grinned. ‘It’s a bit late, which is ironic.’
Catrin placed the watch on her wrist and used the delicate clasp to secure it.
He smiled broadly. ‘Good, it fits. You have such tiny wrists.’
‘It’s perfect. Thank you. I’ve never seen a watch with sapphires before. Where ever did you find it?’
‘I talked to Mark. He put me in touch with his father. I met him after I went to the surgery.’
Catrin looked down at the watch.
‘Thank you. It means so much. Thank you.’
Elizabeth was sitting with Richard and looked over at Bethan. It felt like a dream. All those years of hiding away on this day, lighting candles, not knowing how to grieve, just crying comfortless tears as she looked at her one photograph of that tiny baby. Today, she was here with that baby, who had grown into a beautiful accomplished woman, a woman she had a future with.
Then she heard someone laugh. It was Catrin. She had never heard her laugh before. It was a lovely laugh, light and full of joy. She also thought Catrin looked different: she was standing more upright, her head held high. Yes, the woman she had first seen at the memorial had changed. Elizabeth went over.
‘Thank you so much for inviting me. It means so much to be here.’
‘I’m glad you are here, too. It’s been a very difficult few weeks, hasn’t it? We’ve both faced some hard things but, you know, I don’t regret it.’
‘Nor me, not at all. To meet Bethan has been the most extraordinary thing, and today to be with her, to be with you all, is wonderful.’ Elizabeth stopped. Her voice broke. To her embarrassment, she realised she was crying.
‘Oh no, I’m so sorry,’ she said, frantically trying to find a tissue.
Catrin gently wiped away a tear. ‘It’s alright. You don’t have to be ashamed of tears. No more silent tears for us now.’
Elizabeth swallowed hard. Rather self-consciously, she leant forward, gave Catrin a quick kiss on the cheek, and returned to Richard.
Catrin stood alone for a moment. She looked around the garden, and remembered something. She walked over to the border, found the stone dragon, and put it in its place at the front of the border. She looked down and smiled. It didn’t hurt to look at it now.
She looked over at Worm’s Head, the dragon. After eighteen years, she could look at it, think about it. There were no stabbing pains, no ghosts whispered. She leant down and stroked Safi, who sat faithfully at her feet. She glanced around at everyone. Elizabeth was laughing with Richard. Mark was holding a shell, talking about it to Gareth with his usual intensity. Bethan was signing with Lowri. Catrin watched in awe, struck with the beauty of the signing, understanding again why signing had been described as dancing with words. As Catrin watched, she experienced a deep sense of calm. There were no more ghosts, no more hidden chapters.
I hope you have enjoyed reading “Hidden Chapters”. If so, please take the time to post a short review. It really makes a difference in encouraging others to take a look at it. Thanks.
SHORT STORIES FREE
Sign up to hear when my next book is published and get a free copy of Making Changes, a collection of four short stories.
To get your free copy, click here
To contact me or send feedback, please send an email to [email protected] visit my website https://marygrand.net find me on facebook or twitter.
Dedication
To my wonderful children Thomas and Emily, for their massive support, love and encouragement.
About the Author
I was born in Cardiff and have retained a deep love for my Welsh roots. I worked as a nursery teacher in London and later taught Deaf children in Croydon and Hastings.
I now live on the beautiful Isle of Wight with my husband, where I walk my cocker spaniel Pepper and write. I have two grown up children.
‘Hidden Chapters’ is my second novel, after ‘Free to Be Tegan’ which is available as a kindle ebook and paperback. My third, ‘Behind the Smile’ was published in spring 2018. I have published two books of short stories ‘Catching the Light’ and ‘Making Changes’ also available as kindle ebooks and paperbacks. ‘Catching the Light’ is also available as an audio book.
Acknowledgements
To my husband who continues always to inspire and support me and who spends many hours e
diting and formatting in the evenings and weekends.
To Janet, Adele and Jess for being fantastic beta readers, for your thorough, encouraging and detailed comments. Of course, all errors and typos are my responsibility.
Thank you to all my lovely family including Anne, Gerald and Ruth, and the many friends who support me through thick and thin, and provide countless cups of coffee and chats. Thank you to Harriet (and Safi!). Also, a big thank you to all the fantastic writers and readers I have met here on the Isle of Wight, on ‘the mainland’ and online. Every encouraging email, review and comment has helped far more than you can imagine.
Finally thank you to Ryan at Love Your Covers for the inspired covers for my novels.
Copyright © 2016 by Mary Grand
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof, in both printed or electronic form, may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
All characters and organisations appearing in this work are fictitious, as is the village of Bryn Draig. Any resemblance of any character to real persons, alive or dead, is purely coincidental.
First published in the United Kingdom 2016