by A. O'Connor
Steve Shaw had been speaking for a considerable time, outlining to everyone the seriousness of the situation, as if anybody needed reminding.
“So, Mrs Fallon, what are you going to do to pay back all this money?” demanded Steve.
Kate’s lawyer Michael Delaney sat beside her. He had been one of the few who had stood by her and shown himself to be a true friend.
“As you all know,” began Michael. “Kate was not involved in Tony’s business affairs directly and so this has all come as a considerable shock to her.”
“So what? I saw her being around when business was discussed!” snapped Steve.
“As you well know I never attended any boardroom meetings, Steve,” said Kate. “I accompanied him when he and colleagues were having dinner or to social occasions to support him. In fact, you used to practically insist I attend them to charm your investors.”
Steve scowled at her. “Regardless, you were his wife and as his wife you co-signed contracts, leaving you responsible for the debt.”
“Mrs Fallon is selling all assets at the moment to try and pay back everything,” said Michael. “You’ve taken all business assets including the shopping centres. The house in Dublin is already sold, all jewellery gone. The house in the country is presently on the market. She will be left penniless.”
“There are still millions owing on personal guarantees,” said Steve.
“I know!” Kate raised her voice. “You’ve said it enough times! I’m starting my acting career again. I’ve met with all my contacts and I hope to be earning money to start paying this debt off.”
“Well, let’s just hope you are still a popular enough actress with the public to start earning big money!”
Kate hoped so too.
Kate and Michael walked out of the Eiremerica headquarters.
“When I think how they used to fawn over Tony!” said Kate, in despair at how she was being treated.
“People are false,” said Michael. “Will you be able to get big-paying roles in films at this stage?”
Kate pulled a doubtful face. “I have to believe I can, otherwise I’m finished. I have to go down today to the house in the country and close it up before the auctioneers take it over. Then I fly to New York to try and start working.” She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “Thanks for all your help.”
He watched her walk over to a taxi rank and get into a cab. She waved to him as the taxi drove away.
Kate put the last of her clothes into her suitcase and closed it. She picked up the suitcase and walked out of the bedroom, along the corridor and down the stairs.
As she reached the hall, the front doorbell rang. Putting down the suitcase, she went over and opened the door.
Nico was standing there.
“Hi – how are you?” He stepped inside and hugged her.
“Just finished packing,” she said, hugging him back.
They walked into the drawing room.
“I see Dolans Auctioneers have already put the ‘For Sale’ sign up at the gateway,” said Nico.
“Have they? They must have done it this morning. They don’t hang around, do they? In fact, one thing I’ve learned over the past few months is that nobody hangs around, regardless of what has happened.”
He held her hand tightly.
“When are you leaving for New York?” he asked.
“My flight is tomorrow evening. All the meetings with the accountants, auditors, banks are over. At least I don’t have to go through that any more.”
“What’s the outcome?”
“Well, as I feared. Not only have I nothing left, but I am responsible for a multi-million-euro debt as Tony’s wife. I signed documents during our marriage that hold me responsible in the, quote, ‘untimely demise’ of Tony. Let’s face it, it was very untimely.” She crossed over to the window and looked out at the lake.
Nico had been wanting to ask Kate a question for a long time but hadn’t wanted to upset her. He decided to ask it now.
“Do you think he meant to do it?”
“You read the coroner’s report like everyone else: death by misadventure. It’s kind of apt that they used that word – Tony lived life so adventurously, it’s little wonder a misadventure did him in.”
“And you believe the report?”
“I don’t know what I believe, Nico. I don’t think he meant to kill himself. But he wasn’t himself that night with everything going on. I don’t know what was going on in his mind. I don’t know if he saw the rocks in the lake, if he could have avoided them. Or if he was travelling so fast he couldn’t stop when he did see them. Misadventure sounds as good an explanation as any.”
“So what will you do now, once you get back to New York?”
“I have to figure out a way to pay back these debts I’m saddled with. I’ve been in contact with all my old friends from the film industry to see if I can start acting again. But in all honesty, I don’t believe I’ll ever be able to pay this money back. It will be hanging over me forever, stopping me from moving ahead with my life.”
“Can I do anything to help?”
“I think you’ve been enough help already, Nico.” She smiled at him as she thought back to how he had given her so much support. How she wouldn’t have been able to get through Tony’s funeral or the months after without him.
“There is one thing you can do for me, I’d arranged to meet Janet from Dolans Auctioneers to give her the keys to the house today. I don’t feel like waiting around to meet her. Will you give them to her?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks, I’ll text her to say to drop in to you at Hunter’s Farm then.” She paused, gazing at the floor. “I should have known in the months leading up to Tony’s death that he was in trouble. His life was falling down around him. I should have known, I should have seen something was wrong. Too busy with this house, with daydreams from the past – with you even.”
“How were you to know?”
“I should have. I’d better get going.” She walked out into the hall.
Nico picked up her suitcase and they walked to the front door and opened it. Kate took a final look around before walking out with Nico and locking the door behind them.
They walked to her car and he put her suitcase inside. She looked up at the house.
“You’d think this place would have bad memories for me after what happened with Tony. But it doesn’t. I just think this was where we spent our last time together. And it’s been my refuge from the world over the past year. I could close that door and just not care about the rest of the world. Now I have to face it.”
She hugged him tightly and got into the car. Looking up at the house, she started the engine and drove off down the avenue as Nico stood there looking after her.
Nico answered the door at Hunter’s Farm and Janet Dolan stood there.
“Hello again,” she said brightly.
“Hi, Janet,” he said, gesturing to her to come in.
“Well, I never expected to be back here selling that house again,” she said, following him into the lounge. “Especially under such tragic circumstances.”
“I can imagine,” said Nico, handing over the keys.
“Awful business, and they were such nice people, Kate and Tony.”
“Yes, they were.”
“Well, when you fly too close to the flame you can get burned,” she said in a jaded seen-it-all-before way. “They were just living the high life too much.”
“I thought you liked all that flash behaviour,” he said irritably.
“Well, I don’t know about that. It’s all very excessive looking back on it, isn’t it?” she tutted. “I don’t know who I’m going to get to buy the house now since the receiver appointed me. “I explained to them the country-house market is all but dead at the moment. We’ve had to diversify into becoming an auction house for antiques as well as property to survive even.” She surveyed the antiques in the sitting room. “Anything good you want to sell?”
She spotted the painting of Clara and went up to examine it.
“Where did you get this?”
“It’s mine. It’s been in the family for years. It’s of my grandfather’s first wife, Clara.”
Janet peered closely at the painting, examining it intently. “But this is a Jonathan Seymour!”
“That’s correct, he knew Clara.”
Janet turned around excitedly. “But Nico, do you know how much Seymour paintings are going for? They’ve shot through the roof. Especially now everyone is worried where to put their money safely! They are investing in fine art.”
“Really?” said Nico, coming closer and staring at the painting.
Kate answered the phone in her hotel room in Dublin.
“Kate, it’s Michael Delaney here,” said the voice on the other end.
Kate fretted at hearing her solicitor’s voice, hoping another issue hadn’t arisen.
“Hi, Michael.”
“Kate, I was wondering if you could come into the office to meet me today?”
“Today! Oh Michael, I’m flying to New York this evening and don’t really have the time.”
“It is very important.”
“But what is it about?”
“I’ll explain when I see you.”
She sighed. “Oh all right, I’ll see you at two.” She hung up the phone.
“Thanks for seeing me at such short notice,” said Michael, opening up a file as Kate sat down opposite him. He studied her. “Kate, you got married to Tony in a Las Vegas ceremony.”
Kate nodded. “Yes, we made the decision to get married quite quickly and just went and did it. You know how impulsive Tony could be.”
“Indeed.” Michael looked rueful. “Kate, going through Tony’s papers I found one on your marriage, and. . . I don’t know how to say this, but it’s appears you were never actually married, in the legal sense anyway.”
“What? But that’s ridiculous!”
“I’m afraid it’s not ridiculous. After you got married and returned to Ireland, Tony was informed that the establishment you got married in did not have the correct licence to officiate a marriage ceremony.”
“But why didn’t he tell me?” Kate was amazed.
“According to the file, he didn’t want to upset you – and,” Michael looked a bit embarrassed, “well, you did get married in such haste, after knowing each other such a short space of time, and he wanted to make sure the marriage was successful before recommitting. As it stood, it wasn’t a valid wedding – well, you know Tony – he always liked to have a hidden clause in any contract –”
“– to let him get out of it if he so wished,” Kate finished the much-repeated expression of Tony’s for him. “Including our marriage, seemingly!”
“Oh, I’m sure Tony meant to fix the situation when he got round to doing it. He left everything to you in his will . . . that was when he had anything to leave.”
“But what does this mean? Other than the fact our marriage was a lie.”
“Your marriage might have been, but your relationship wasn’t. But this means that you are not responsible for all that debt. Anything you signed as his spouse is invalid as you were not his wife.”
“But will they not accuse me of fraud?”
“How can they? You were an innocent party. Oh, I’m sure they will try and fight it, but I’m confident they won’t get anywhere. The signatures are for Kate Fallon, and as we’ve just discovered Kate Fallon does not exist, legally anyway. You’ve always still been Kate Donovan. You’re free, Kate.”
“Maybe that’s why he didn’t get around to marrying me again for real,” said Kate as she started to cry. “He couldn’t get himself a hidden clause to get out of the debt, but he managed to get me one. Oh Tony!” She looked up to the ceiling and started to laugh through her tears. “You clever – stupid – brilliant man.”
106
The auction rooms at Dolans was packed as Nico hovered at the back. The portrait of Clara was positioned at the top of the room beside Janet who stood at the auctioneer’s podium. Nico was still stunned after Janet’s revelation that the painting was very valuable, and she seemed confident she could acquire several hundred thousand euros for it. He hardly dared believe it.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” began Janet causing a hush to fall across the room, “Dolan auctioneers are delighted to bring a Jonathan Seymour painting to the market today. The portrait is of Clara, Lady Armstrong. The portrait has remained in the Armstrong family since it was painted. The renowned artist Seymour has acquired international acclaim . . .”
Nico drifted off as Janet continued to sing the portrait’s merits. This was different from when he was forced to sell the house. This sale would have no liabilities waiting to snare the money. Janet started the bidding, and the offers came fast and furiously until he heard Janet shout “Sold!” The painting was sold to a London art gallery for seven hundred and fifty thousand euros and Nico was glad it was going to be exhibited as opposed to being held in a private collection.
As everyone departed the auction room Nico went up to Janet and the portrait.
“It got even more than I was expecting!” said Janet delighted.
“Or I! Thank you, Janet. I didn’t think there would be that much demand with the economy the way it is.”
“There’s always money, Nico, it just ebbs and flows to different people, that’s all. And it looks like it’s about to flow back to the Armstrong-Collins family. Any plans what to do with it?”
He looked at her and nodded. “Yes, I want to make an offer for the house.”
“The Fallon house?” said Janet, licking her lips at the prospect of a second big sale on the same day.
“Yes – Armstrong House. I would like to offer seven hundred and fifty thousand for it.”
“Seven hundred and fifty thousand!” Janet exclaimed. “But that’s only half of what the Fallons paid for it when it was a wreck, and before they spent all that money doing it up.”
“I know, but as you know it’s a crashed market and it’s all I have to offer.”
“Well, I know but –”
“Come on, Janet, you could be sitting on that house for years in this market and then not get what I’m offering today.”
“Well, I’ll have to check it with the receivers. It’s their decision obviously.” She took out her mobile and went off to make a phone call. She arrived back a few minutes later.
“It looks like we have ourselves a deal. They accepted your offer.”
Nico smiled happily.
“You’re just a speculator, Nico,” snapped Janet huffily.
“No – I’m just bringing the house back into the family – where it belongs.”
107
Kate was back in Dublin having managed to secure a role in a film being shot on location in the city. She had just finished filming a scene and was in her dressing room waiting for a journalist to interview her about the movie. There was a knock on the door.
“Come in,” said Kate and the door opened and in walked the woman journalist. Kate immediately recognised her from the photo in Hunter’s Farm as being Nico’s wife Susan.
“Hi, Kate, I’m Susan Collins from The Times.”
They shook hands.
Kate nodded and smiled at her. “I just want to make sure my agent made it clear I won’t talk about my deceased husband Tony or his business, only the film I’m making.”
“Yes,” said Susan with a chuckle, sitting down. “Your agent made that very clear indeed.”
“Sorry,” apologised Kate. “I’m just asked so much about it, and I don’t want to talk about it at all.”
“Understandable,” said Susan, taking out her miniature tape recorder and turning it on.
They spent half an hour talking about the film and then Susan concluded the interview and turned off the recorder.
Kate looked at her curiously. “You’re Nico’s ex-wife, aren’t you?”
“That’s right. You bought t
he house in the country from us,” stated Susan, surprised Kate knew who she was.
“How is he?” asked Kate.
“Very well actually. You know Nico – never gets too excited about anything, or never gets too down either. Always on an even keel.” She pulled a humorous face.
“That’s a good way to be. I’ve learned to be more like that myself . . . I always felt he hoped you two would get back together?”
“Well, there’s no chance of that. I’m getting married again.” Susan flashed her engagement ring.
“Oh, congratulations!”