by Lee Shepherd
Over the course of their conversation, Charles found himself telling Rebecca all about his time in the army, regaling in his against all odds victory not only in Kuwait, but also in the ring against the Navy boxer Tyrone Williams. He decided to omit the parts about his PTSD, the incident with Marcus Lancaster, his depression and subsequent honorary discharge…as he was aware of the stigma attached to mental health problems, and didn’t want to scare her off when things were going so well.
Rebecca then told Charles all about herself and her background. He felt a slight sense of jealousy as she delighted in telling him how she grew up in a moderately affluent family home on the outskirts of Carlisle as an only daughter to a doting mother and father. Although she had longed for a sibling to play with, her parents lavished her with love and affection to try and compensate for not bearing another child. To him, she had the perfect childhood, something he had only ever dreamed of; it reminded him of the McMullens, and made him think of the life he would have had if only tragedy hadn’t struck his ‘mum’ at a such a young age. Even though the two of them grew up less than fifty miles apart, it seemed a million miles away to Charles from the childhood he had to endure.
He never let his jealousy show, though — he was too intrigued, and held onto her every word. He could not quite believe it when she, too, explained how she had always been very shy and uncomfortable in group settings. He was also shocked to discover that she had never really had a proper boyfriend, as she had never felt a strong connection with anybody. This just added to his fascination with her, as he had somehow formed a preconception of her being a very popular girl, especially with the boys on campus. He thought he would have to vie with a long line of suitors to win her affection, but now he realised she wasn’t that girl at all. This just further reaffirmed his dream of one day marrying her.
With the pair of them interacting so well, they totally forgot about the time. Charles could not quite believe just how enthusiastic Rebecca seemed to get to know him, and just how much two people from totally different backgrounds seemed to have so much in common. He did not want the conversation to end, he was quite content just looking at her and listening to every sentence she had to offer. But unfortunately, after she caught a glimpse of the overhead clock that hung on the library wall close to where they sat, she realised that she was late for her next lesson and had to make her apologies and leave. Charles, not wanting this to be the last time they conversed so meaningfully, started to get all flustered, and gingerly asked her if she would like to ‘go out for a drink’ with him sometime to continue where they were about to leave off.
‘Are you asking me out on a date, Charles?’ she asked him, a hint of a playful smile on her lips.
‘Well, only if you want it to be?’ he cautiously responded, not wanting her to think he had confused her friendliness with flirtations.
He waited with baited breath for her response.
‘I would love to, Charles. That would be nice,’ she said finally, before leaving the table and making her way towards the exit.
Charles sat there for a further ten minutes after she had left, grinning from ear to ear, lost in his detailed and analysed thoughts of the last eighty minute conversation. He could not wait till he saw her again, and he definitely believed now that he was falling in love with this perfect young lady that had just agreed to accompany him on a date.
The following week they arranged to meet up, but instead of taking Rebecca to the cinema to save from awkward silences, Charles decided to pull out all the stops; this time things were going to be different. He didn’t feel an impending dread or uncertainty about the date, although he was now filled with a kind of nervous excitement. He had all kinds of ideas of what to do to make it a great first date, but he wanted to ensure it led to a second, and so forth. After careful deliberation, he decided he was going to do it the old fashioned way and take Rebecca for a picnic in the park, therefore avoiding large crowded areas like bars and clubs. It also meant that he could have her undivided attention.
He spent the days leading up to the date carefully and precisely planning what he would wear, what he would say, obsessing over every minute detail. He’d already set his heart on spending the rest of his life with her, and believed after just talking to her that one time for a short while, in Rebecca, he had found his soulmate. Charles made sure he was clean shaven, bar a little facial stubble that covered an inch long scar just along his jaw line that was a remnant of that fateful day in Kuwait; something he was self-conscious of, especially around girls. He visited his regular barber shop and had his jet black hair cut in his customary ‘short back and sides’ fashion, and threw on his finest jeans and shirt before adding his favourite scent. He was ready to go and meet Rebecca.
All his efforts didn’t go unnoticed by Rebecca, as she too had spent the last few days leading up to it carefully pondering over what to wear etc. She was immediately put at ease when they met, though, as Charles’ face said it all. His beaming smile spanned from ear to ear as he saw the slim, attractive Rebecca walk towards him, her floral print maxi dress gently billowing in the warm summer breeze, as strands of her mousey hair that she wore down casually swept across her cheeks. As he greeted her he tentatively leaned in to kiss her cheek, catching a waft of the sweet aroma of her Chanel perfume which drove his senses wild with desire.
‘You look absolutely beautiful, Rebecca,’ he stated.
‘Thank you,’ she said, blushing shyly. She was not accustomed to those kind of compliments. She then remarked on how well he looked and asked him what he had in store for the day, as he had told her it would be a surprise previously. All her anxieties quickly subsided as he produced the laden basket he had carefully hidden behind some bushes just minutes before she had arrived.
‘How does a picnic in the park sound?’ he asked her, praying he hadn’t made a huge mistake.
‘I couldn’t think of anything better, Charles,’ she said, secretly relieved that he hadn’t planned some sort of adrenaline driven adventure day, or dinner in a posh restaurant, as she wasn’t comfortable with either. But a picnic, now that was right up her street, and she loved the romantic notion behind it. She could tell Charles wasn’t like all the other boys her age who had tried it on, to no avail, by trying to take her out to the pubs and bars in the deluded hope of getting her drunk. They had wanted her to let down her guard and become somebody’s one night stand. She knew that with Charles, things would be different, and she looked forward to the day ahead.
The date was a success from beginning to end, and the pair talked and laughed at length about everything and anything over the food he had prepared — they even had a bottle of champagne to accompany their feast. They sat there in the park for the majority of the day and totally put the world to rights, as if they had known each other for years. They both felt a strong connection to one another and sensed that this could be the beginning of something special.
As Charles leaned in to give Rebecca a goodnight kiss after walking her back to her halls of residence that evening, she melted in his embrace, totally smitten and absorbed in his apparent charm and gentlemanly ways. They kissed on the doorstep for a solid five minutes like a couple of love-struck teenagers tangled in a modern day Romeo and Juliet fantasy, hoping they wouldn’t be caught by the on-site security guard. Both of them did not want the evening to come to an end, before finally letting go of one another and bidding each other goodnight.
Over the weeks and months that followed, their feelings for one another and relationship grew deeper and stronger and Rebecca didn’t hesitate when Charles suggested she move in with him into his flat. He even let her add a touch of femininity to his meticulously regimented, minimalist decorated man cave, with flowers, ornaments, pictures and fluffy cushions now adorning once bare walls and furniture. Life was actually good for Charles at that point, and he was feeling positive about his future with Rebecca by his side.
It was now 1995 and Charles and Rebecca had a remaining two year
s of studies left at Lancaster. It was at this point that the couple started making plans for the future, with Rebecca keen to return back to Cumbria to be close to her parents upon finishing her studies. Charles, on the other hand, wasn’t as keen, for Cumbria obviously held unwanted memories of his past — a past he wanted to remain forgotten.
Charles and Rebecca had their ups and downs over the two years that followed like any couple do. Usually the arguments were down to Charles not wanting to commit to returning to Cumbria, and the fact that Charles would never discuss his past. Instead, he chose to lie to Rebecca about his childhood, telling her his parents died in a car accident and he was raised as an only child by his grandmother who had also passed away, and he would always disengage whenever Rebecca brought the topic up. It was just before they both graduated in 1997 that the couple came close to separating as Rebecca was adamant she would be returning north with or without Charles. Charles deliberated long and hard about his options, and he quickly realised that he did not want to be without Rebecca, the girl who had given him a new meaning to his life and helped him put the troubles of his past behind him. Whichever way he looked at it, he just could not imagine a future without her in it.
It was on August 11th of that year, on Charles’ twenty-fifth birthday to be exact, and a month before graduation, that Charles, after coming to the conclusion that he could not live without Rebecca, decided that now was the right time to propose to her. He decided to recreate their first date and took Rebecca back to the exact same spot where they had sat just over two years before, and produced the same picnic basket and contents as the last time. The only difference was that this time, there was an extra parcel that Rebecca instantly spied as they unloaded the basket onto the blanket.
‘What is this, Charles?’ she asked excitedly.
‘Open it up and find out,’ was all he could reply, as the butterflies in his stomach started to become more prevalent.
As she opened the claret coloured velveteen box, and laid her eyes on the diamond-laden golden band before her, tears instantly fell down her cheeks.
‘Is this what I think it is?’ she asked, already knowing the answer, but just wanting to be a hundred per cent certain.
Charles then took her now trembling hand in his, and with a shaky voice, uttered the words, ‘Rebecca, I’ve known from the moment I met you that you are the one I want to grow old with and spend the rest of my life with. Will you make me the happiest man alive and be my wife? I promise to always love you and be there for you no matter where we live, and I will always be by your side.’
Rebecca, ecstatic by this point, threw her arms around him. ‘Of course I will Charles, I don’t ever want to be without you!’
The couple spent the rest of the day in blissful harmony talking about the future, and Charles informed her that he had spoken to an estate agent and that his flat was going up for sale as soon as it had been evaluated, so hopefully they would be able to afford a deposit for a new home and make plans to leave Lancaster. The couple set about looking for properties in the Carlisle area the very next day.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t all plain sailing. Every property they viewed over the following weeks were slightly out of their price range; they had discussed starting a family once they had married and wanted a three bedroom house that they could immediately turn into a family home. So when they saw the slightly rundown cottage in the Newcastleton countryside, they both instantly fell in love with the peaceful surroundings. They couldn’t refuse to bid for the property; its asking price was low due to the dilapidated state of it, but this didn’t put the two off. They finally managed to land the property and Charles immediately set about renovating it over the following months whilst searching for work in the many surrounding veterinary surgeries.
The house was coming along nicely, with Charles doing the majority of the cosmetic work himself to save on costs, whilst Rebecca worked long hours to support the pair of them and help save toward their impending wedding. Charles then found work at a small veterinary practice in Longtown, just eight miles north of Carlisle. The young couple’s future was looking bright; they were settling in to working life and country living with relative ease, and gradually became a part of the local community.
Charles and Rebecca exchanged vows in front of a small gathering of friends and family — mainly the bride’s, with the odd exception of a couple of Charles’ old army buddies — in February 1999, Valentine’s day to be exact, just fifteen months after moving into their new home. Life was all but complete for the newlyweds; all that was left now was to start a family of their own. Charles dreamt of one day having a son of his own, to shower him with love and affection and give him a stability that he never had, whereas Rebecca secretly hoped for a little girl. The couple had already decided that they would have two children when the time was right, so they hoped they would have one of each.
Charles, by this point, had all but forgotten his childhood and any ambitions of one day contacting his biological mother. Instead, he focused on being the best husband and provider he could be, preferring to look towards the future rather than dwell upon his miserable past. However, not through lack of trying, it took over a whole year for Rebecca to finally conceive. The couple were both relieved and overjoyed when Molly finally entered into the world in the spring of 2001. Although Charles had secretly hoped for a boy, he was overcome and overwhelmed with emotion when he held his daughter for the very first time; his tears of joy were mingled with tears of sadness as he wondered desperately how his mother could have given him away when all he wanted to do was keep his daughter in his arms and never let go. He vowed to his new-born and wife, then and there, that he would never let them down.
Charles and Rebecca thrived as parents, and loved every minute of raising their daughter. Rebecca only went back to work part-time after her maternity leave — a luxury they could afford now with Charles working full-time on good wages and with a relatively small mortgage. Molly couldn’t have wanted for anything more from her doting parents.
By the time Molly turned four, Rebecca was once again feeling broody and decided now was the right time to have the second child they had talked about previously. This time they conceived relatively quickly and Fiona came into the world the following year in 2006. Again, although it wasn’t the son he had wished for, Charles and Rebecca felt that their lives were now complete. Rebecca never went back to work after her maternity leave this time, as the couple decided that, due to them being reasonably comfortable financially and with Molly just starting school, that it would be better all-round if Rebecca was close by in case of emergency. That way, she could relish every moment of Fiona’s infant years — a luxury she missed out on with Molly due to work commitments.
By the time Fiona had turned three, Charles decided that there was just one thing missing from the family home: the one thing that had brought him joy in his childhood. He surprised the girls one evening when he brought home a black and white Border collie puppy. The two young girls instantly fell in love with her — even more so when their father informed them that they could choose her name. After much deliberation and bickering between the two girls, with Fiona wanting to name her anything from ‘Princess’ to ‘Stinky’, it was finally decided to go with Molly’s suggestion of ‘Tess’, and the family home was now complete.
Charles and Rebecca encouraged the two girls to go after whatever dreams they had as they were growing up, and actively supported them through whatever ambitions they held. The parents never hesitated when Molly stated that she would like her own horse after really enjoying previous riding lessons she had received, and falling in love with all things equestrian from a young age. Due to Fiona’s extroverted nature and natural performing ability, she was signed up to every performing arts class in the area from a young age, and the couple did everything in their capabilities to make it a happy, loving childhood for their daughters. Their efforts were rewarded after Molly’s success in the junior equestrian competition.
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Chapter 10
A month had now passed since Lucy Mitchell’s disappearance had dominated the local news, and it was back to business as normal for Charles at the practice. A new year, a new start he thought to himself as 2014 got underway.
He tried to push any thoughts of the dead schoolgirl to the back of his mind and concentrate on his heavy workload from now on, and managed to do just that for the next couple of weeks, but the thoughts of his actions quickly resurfaced. His resentment towards his mother and Mr Beattie soon weighed heavy upon his mind once more. Once again, revenge was fixed firmly on his agenda.
It was on a cold, dark February evening, whilst Charles was supposedly working late, that his overwhelming urges took a hold of him yet again. Unbeknown to Rebecca, Charles had been leaving the practice early all week, telling his secretary Linda that he was out on house calls, but he was really scouring areas afield in the veterinary practice’s van for potential victims.
It didn’t take him long, as that evening whilst driving around the Penrith area some nineteen miles south of Carlisle, he spotted a young, blonde haired girl who looked no more than fourteen or fifteen years old. She looked to be in some form of distress as she sat sobbing near a bus stop just on the outskirts of town with make up running down the side of her cheeks. Charles didn’t want to miss this opportunity and decided to pull over down a dimly lit side street and make his way out of the vehicle and approach the girl.
He spoke to her in a soft voice so as not to be intimidating. ‘Are you ok?’
The girl looked up with tear-filled eyes. ‘I’ve lost my p-purse,’ she said, in between sobs, ‘and the d-driver wouldn’t let me on the bus. My parents will be s-so worried if I don’t make it home on time.’