Family Divided
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She laughed. ‘Yes, you certainly are. Friday would be perfect, thanks. I’ve not had to eat out yet but Louisa’s
told me what great restaurants Guernsey has. Her father’s taken her to most of them, I think. “A Gastronomic
Mystery Tour” she called it.’ For a moment the thought of Malcolm still missing caused her to bite her lips.
Louisa was so worried…
‘Are you all right?’ Andy’s face was creased with concern.
Charlotte rallied. ‘I’m fine, thanks. But I’d better be getting back to the archives. Will you ring when you’ve
booked something?’ She stood up and swung her bag over her shoulder.
Andy rose quickly to his feet and, leaning forward, placed a tentative kiss on both cheeks, continental style.
‘Yes. I look forward to seeing you on Friday. Don’t work too hard, will you?’ he joked.
Charlotte smiled and turned towards the entrance, buoyed by the unexpected pleasure of seeing Andy and
being asked out to dinner. And she had enjoyed the closeness of his kiss. But during the walk up the hill she
began to wonder if she should have politely declined dinner. Even a thank-you meal seemed fraught with danger
if a good-looking man was involved. She would have to be on her guard and remain the cool professional. If it
was possible. Sighing, and a tad out of breath, she pushed through the door of the converted church, glad to lose
herself in dusty documents again.
That evening a tired and listless Louisa cooked supper, assisted by Charlotte who chopped vegetables more
willingly than expertly. The strain of not knowing what had happened to Malcolm was taking its toll on Louisa,
and Charlotte ached for her friend, the pain at her own loss briefly surfacing again.
‘Glenn’s emailed the less luxurious resorts as well now. A couple of new ones opened recently and he
wonders if Dad might have decided to visit one of them for a comparison. He reckons sometimes the smaller,
less glitzy hotels, offer a more personal experience and I think he’s right,’ Louisa said, pushing her hair back out
of her eyes as she checked the chicken under the grill. ‘It’s worth a try, isn’t it?’ she turned to Charlotte, who gave
her a hug.
‘Course it is. Now, here’s a glass of wine. Try and relax and let’s enjoy our meal.’
Louisa seemed to make an effort and during supper Charlotte mentioned having met Andy at lunch time. And
he had invited her out to dinner.
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‘He hasn’t! My, I’m surprised. I understood he was a bit of a recluse where women are concerned. Do you
think he’s really just re-paying a debt or does he fancy you?’ Louisa asked, tilting her head.
Charlotte shook her head. ‘No idea. And don’t go trying to pair us off as I’m not sure it’s what I want right
now. To make it harder, so far I haven’t found anything in the records about collaborators so my research could
take a while.’
‘Earning a few more dinners!’
‘Hmm, not exactly what I wanted,’ she said, wondering what it was she did want.
They were clearing away the plates when the phone rang. Louisa went into the hall to answer it while
Charlotte loaded up the dishwasher. She heard an exclamation from Louisa but couldn’t hear what she said. A
couple of minutes later she came back, with a stunned expression on her face.
‘What is it? Is it Malcolm?’
Louisa nodded and slumped into a chair. Charlotte embraced her, praying it wasn’t bad news.
‘Glenn’s found him. He’s staying in one of those new hotels I mentioned.’
‘What a relief! But that’s great news, isn’t it?’
Louisa stared at her.
‘But he’s not alone. He…he’s with a woman!’
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chapter ten
Louisa bit her thumb, her stomach churning from the news. How could her father behave like this? Like…like a
love-struck teenager! She vaguely heard Charlotte saying something.
‘He’s what? But it’s still good news, isn’t it? You know he’s safe which is the important thing.’
‘Well yes, I suppose so. But he could have told me he was all right! I’ve been so worried…’ She grabbed her
glass and swallowed deeply.
‘I’m sure he didn’t mean you to worry. Are you going to phone him? Find out a bit more about this woman
he’s with?’
‘I guess. I’ll have to leave it until tomorrow morning as it’s the middle of the night there now. Oh, Charlotte, I
hadn’t really thought of him meeting someone at his age.’
‘He’s not that old! Seventy’s the new fifty or something now, I believe. And he’s a very attractive man so why
not? Eligible men of his age will have no shortage of interested women.’
She stared at Charlotte. ‘You don’t think this…this woman could be a gold-digger, do you? After all, Dad’s
loaded.’
‘I didn’t say that. And don’t jump to conclusions until you’ve talked to Malcolm. And be happy for him. He’s
been alone too long,’ Charlotte said as she stood up. ‘Time for bed. And try and sleep. At least you know nothing
bad’s happened.’
Louisa nodded and climbed the stairs, convinced she would not sleep a wink. To her surprise, as soon as her
head hit the pillow she fell into a deep sleep, and woke the next morning feeling better than she had for weeks.
Once she had arrived at La Folie, Louisa found Paul who had been relieved when she’d phoned the previous
night with the news.
‘Good morning,’ he said before adding, with a chuckle, ‘The old devil! Told you a woman was probably
involved, didn’t I?’
‘Hmm. Yes, well, I’m going to ring him now before my first appointment. I’ll catch up with you later,’ she said,
giving him a quick kiss. As she slipped into the office she thought it was typical of men to see another man
disappearing to make off with a woman as something to be admired. Instead of thoughtless or selfish. After
dialling the number Glenn had given her, she took some deep breaths to steady herself. She simply had to stay
calm…
The reception answered and she asked to be put through to Villa 6. The phone rang out for a few moments
before her father’s voice came on the line.
‘Roget speaking.’
‘Hello, Dad. How are you?’
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‘Louisa! How on earth…?’
She told him they’d discovered he’d missed his flight to Japan and were concerned he was okay. And Glenn
had contacted the main hotels to try and find him.
‘Oh, Louisa, I’m sorry! I never thought you’d be worried about me. I said I might be out of contact–’
‘I know. But it scared me when you missed your flight. You’re my father, I’m bound to be worried.’
Malcolm was silent for a moment and she heard a female voice in the background.
‘Dad, I…I know you’re not alone. Have you…met someone?’ The catch in her voice annoyed her. She really
must not sound hurt. Even though she was.
He cleared his throat. ‘Yes, I’d planned to tell you once I was sure it was serious. We met at dinner the first
night I arrived. Gillian was on her own at an adjoining table and we got talking and finished up eating together.’
His voice grew warmer and Louisa imagined him looking fondly at “Gillian” and stifled a pang of jealousy. ‘We
spent a lot of time together and then, instead of heading off to Japan, I decided to stay and
we moved to this new
place as a…couple. I guess I should have let you know I’d moved, darling. I can see now how worrying it must
have been for you. Can you forgive me?’
‘I suppose. Paul’s been concerned too, you know. The centre’s been so busy and not knowing if you
were…were all right, added to the pressure.’
‘Sounds like I’ve been a pretty selfish bastard, haven’t I? I’ll make it up to you both when I get home, I
promise.’
‘And when will that be?’ Louisa asked, feeling like the parent instead of the child.
‘A couple of weeks, I reckon, although we haven’t booked our flights yet. But you’ll be the first to know.’
‘Good. So, are you going to tell me more about Gillian?’
‘Sure. She’s a widow and a semi-retired naturopathic doctor and I know you two will get on like the
proverbial house on fire. You’ve a lot in common, Gillian’s not only an advocate for natural health but also a
passionate swimmer.’ He paused. ‘Look, would you like to say hello? I’ve told her all about you and she’s dying to
meet you when we get back.’
Put on the spot, Louisa could only agree. There was the sound of muffled whispers in the background before
a woman’s voice cut in.
‘Hello, Louisa. I’m Gillian and I want to start by saying how cross I am with your father. He assured me you
were not expecting to hear from him until his return and if I’d known the truth I’d have insisted he phone. You
must have been so worried, you poor girl! My son insists I ring him every week while I’m away so I can
sympathise with you. I do hope you won’t hold this against me as I so want us to be friends.’ Gillian’s warm,
melodious voice echoed down the line. Louisa felt her hurt recede.
They chatted for a few more minutes before Malcolm came back on the line to say his goodbye, and offering
to ring as soon as the flights were booked. Louisa clicked off the phone feeling a great deal happier than she had
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before the call. Checking her watch she saw she would need to hurry for her first appointment and left the office
with such a bright smile Nadine gave her a quizzical look.
~ ~
Charlotte, meanwhile, was ploughing her way through the occupation files in the archives. Most of the material
referred to the day-to-day administration of the island, covering reports of minor offences and requisitioning of
food from the island reserves. Pretty tedious stuff, she thought, wondering what had possessed her to undertake
the task. Then she thought of Andy and his kiss. Telling herself not to be silly, it was only a friendly kiss, she
turned back to the papers in front of her. Somewhere amongst the banal must be a reference to the islanders
who informed on their neighbours. It appeared hundreds of people were arrested for breaking German laws and
she guessed many were caught after being snitched on by neighbours with a grudge.
Deciding to widen her search, Charlotte asked to see the files of The Controlling Committee of the States of
Guernsey and other Guernsey documents covering the occupation and the immediate aftermath. She was
shocked to read of the hundreds of prisoners deported to prisoner of war camps or prisons in Germany or
occupied France, some of whom never returned, even though they had not committed grave offences. Reading
the reports opened her eyes to the full impact on the island of being occupied by enemy soldiers and how
embedded it was in the psyche of the locals more than sixty years later. She was about to call it a day when a
police report caught her eye and she read on with renewed interest.
That evening Charlotte listened as Louisa described what Malcolm had said during their call and her brief
conversation with Gillian.
‘So, how are you feeling about the new woman in his life? Any happier?’ Charlotte asked as they prepared
supper.
Louisa sighed. ‘A bit. I’m okay about meeting her, for sure. But I guess I’m scared of being pushed into second
place in Dad’s affections. After all, we’ve only known each other for six months,’ she said, fiddling with the fillets
of plaice.
‘I can’t see Malcolm pushing you anywhere. You’re his only flesh and blood, important to a man like him. And
he’s only known this woman two minutes! What did Paul have to say?’
Louisa told her, adding Malcolm had since rung Paul to apologise for not being in contact and he would
definitely be back in two weeks. ‘Which is great, as Paul and I want to get away for a long weekend before the
weather turns. Dad apparently said he’d help out if we went away so that’s something to look forward to.’ She
served up the food, asking, ‘And how was your day?’
‘Not bad. Although I still haven’t come across any evidence of named informers, I did find the police report
about Edmund’s death, which is a result of sorts.’
‘Sure. What did it say?’
‘Not a huge amount, but it did confirm no-one was ever charged and the only suspect was an escaped POW
who was shot later by the Germans. The police must have assumed he was the killer as they stopped looking for
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anyone else. It’s rather inconclusive, but what was more interesting was nothing was said in the report about
Edmund being a suspected informer. And surely the police would have known if it was true,’ Charlotte said,
feeling again the frisson of excitement she had experienced in the archives. ‘When I phoned Andy to tell him, he
agreed with me, saying he thought it was a significant breakthrough. What do you think, Louisa?’
‘I agree, it sounds promising. Well done! I’m not surprised Andy sees it as progress. Talking of which, did he
mention your night out?’
‘Yes, he said he’s booked Le Petit Bistro, in the Pollet for Friday. Do you know it?’
‘Yep, Paul and I went a few weeks ago. Has a great buzz, you’ll enjoy it. Not long now, eh?’ Louisa said, with a
cheeky grin.
Charlotte smiled, but inside she still had her doubts about the proposed dinner. If it could be purely business,
then fine. Otherwise…But she was pleased by what she had read, or rather, not read in the police file. Perhaps
they would yet find the truth about why poor Edmund was killed. And by whom.
~ ~
Andy drew up at Louisa’s house on Friday evening wondering what he had got himself into. It had seemed a
good idea to invite Charlotte out to dinner as, after all, she was giving up her valuable time to help him. And he
desperately wanted to get to the bottom of the family’s division and why his father wasn’t now living in Harold’s
house as was his right. But was this solely a means of thanking her or a real date? He sat in the car for a moment,
questioning his motives.
Yes, he did want to show his appreciation – particularly after her find in the archives – and, yes he did find
her attractive. More than attractive. But someone who, he guessed, was out of his league. Posh voice, posh
clothes and able to afford to stay at La Folie. Twice. And there was he, admittedly an up-and-coming architect,
but of modest means. On the plus side, on accepting his invite, Charlotte had bestowed on him a warm smile
which had lit up her lovely green eyes. Oh, sod it! I’ll just see what happens, he thought, getting out of the car.
Charlotte opened the front door and for a moment he was lost for words. She looked stunning in a deep red
dress which clung to her curves and emphasised her long, shapely legs.
Swallowing, he managed to say, ‘Hi. You look…amazing, that colour really suits you,’ before kissing her on
both cheeks.
‘Why thank you, kind sir! And you don’t look too bad yourself. I do love that shade of blue on a man,’ she said,
nodding at his shirt. The previous day Andy had checked his wardrobe and was so ashamed of the state of his
shirts he had rushed out to buy new ones. Now, warmed by Charlotte’s dazzling smile, he was glad he’d made
the effort.
He opened the car door for her before sliding into the driver’s seat and starting the engine.
‘Hungry?’ he asked, glancing at her profile.
‘Yes, I only had a sandwich for lunch. Louisa warned me the servings were generous so I’ve left plenty of
room,’ she said, releasing a throaty laugh as she patted her stomach. Her laugh was so sexy!
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‘Good. Let’s go.’
In less than five minutes they were parked in Le Truchot, lucky to find a space on a Friday night and only
yards from Le Petit Bistro. Andy steered Charlotte towards the restaurant, its presence advertised by the hum of
music and laughter. As he opened the door and ushered her inside, they were embraced by a cheerful wall of
sound. A waitress rushed up, menus in hand, and guided them to a small table near the back of the room, took
their wine order and left them to peruse the menus.
Charlotte gazed around and remarked, ‘It’s so French, isn’t it? It reminds me of bistros in Paris, a feast for the
eye as well as the stomach. Love the stained glass panels and the French signs.’ Her eyes twinkled as they swept
over the restaurant. ‘I take it you’ve been here before?’
‘It’s one of my favourites. I’ve had many a business lunch here.’
Her eyebrows arched.
‘Oh, does this count as a business dinner?’
Andy shifted in his chair as the point hit home.
‘Not exactly. Sort of half and half–’
‘I’m teasing! Which wasn’t fair of me. Ah, our wine.’ Charlotte smiled at the waitress as she set down a bottle