by Sherri Bryan
Nathan took the ticket and his beer into the living room and opened up Charlotte’s laptop. He logged into the lottery website and tapped in the numbers on the ticket.
“Well?” said Charlotte, as she watched him look repeatedly from the laptop to the ticket and back again.
“I think you’d better come and take a look at this,” he said, taking a long gulp of his beer.
“Why don’t you just tell me how much it is?” she said impatiently. “I can’t bear the suspense!”
Nathan looked at her, a slow grin spreading across his face. “This ticket,” he said, “is one of ten winning tickets.”
“One of ten?” Charlotte laughed. “Just my luck to share the prize money with nine other people. So how much are the winnings?”
Nathan continued. “One of ten winning tickets that have won a share of £2,000,000.”
She looked back at him, a frown creasing her brow. “Huh?” she said.
“Charlotte … this ticket is worth £200,000.”
Chapter 14
Charlotte knocked on the door of the pretty, white house with the blue shutters.
“It’s okay, Dad, I’ll get it,” she heard Ryan call on the other side of the door. “Oh, hi. What are you doing here?”
“Sorry to call round so early on a Saturday morning, Ryan. Could I come in for a while?” she asked.
“Oh, yeah, of course. Come in,” said Ryan, stepping aside to let her pass. “Um, this is my dad. Dad, this is Charlotte Denver. She owns Charlotte’s Plaice on the marina in St. Eves.”
Sitting in a wheelchair in the living room was a distinguished-looking, straight-backed man with a friendly face. His shock of bright, white hair and vivid, grey eyes were a striking combination, and he looked well with his fresh-faced, pink-cheeked complexion.
Had it not been for the small oxygen tank on the back of his wheelchair that delivered air to his weakened lungs through a thin plastic tube, Charlotte would never have known he was ill. She hadn’t given a thought to what Ryan’s invalid father would look like, but she suspected that it wouldn’t have been the attractive, healthy-looking man she found herself looking at now.
She stepped forward to shake his hand. “I’m very happy to meet you, Mr Benson. I hope you don’t mind me calling round unannounced so early on a Saturday morning.”
“No, no, not at all, my dear. It’s nice to see a pretty, young face about the place. All the girls Ryan brings home look like they’ve never seen the light of day. I was relieved to find out it was only because of their makeup.” He winked at Charlotte.
“Yes, thank you, Dad. I’m sure Charlotte doesn’t want to hear about the girls I bring home.” Ryan blushed, but grinned.
“So, I expect you’d like me to disappear?” Ryan’s father began to wheel himself out of the living room, but Charlotte called after him.
“Actually, Mr Benson. I’d like you to stay, if you don’t mind.”
Ryan and his father looked at each other quizzically. “Please, my dear, call me Victor. And you’d like me to stay, you say?”
Charlotte nodded. “Yes please.”
“Well, this sounds serious. You’d better sit down.” He waved her over to the couch and wheeled himself closer to it. “Come on, Charlotte, you can sit down here, next to me, and Ryan can sit beside you. That way, I can hear everything that’s going on.”
When everyone was settled, Charlotte began.
“Mr Benson … sorry, Victor. Ryan is an amazing young man. The most amazing young man I’ve ever met. I know, too, that he’s a very modest young man. For instance, you probably don’t know that he saved my life a few weeks ago.”
Victor Benson shook his head and took on a slightly bewildered look.
“No, I didn’t think he’d have told you.” Charlotte grinned at Ryan, whose face had turned the colour of freshly boiled beetroot.
“Anyway, if it hadn’t been for Ryan, I’m not sure that I’d be sitting here now, so I really do owe him the most enormous debt of gratitude.” She looked down at her shoes as she felt herself becoming emotional. Don’t cry, for goodness sake! She took a deep breath and continued.
“I know how proud Ryan is, and how selfless, too, and I know that he wouldn’t want any reward for what he did. I understand that, I really do, but I hope you’ll understand, Ryan, that I can’t let what you did for me go without recognition.” She pulled an envelope out of her purse and handed it to him.
“Before you open that, I need to tell you that it’s not a loan. It’s a gift. And please don’t think it’s charity, because it’s not. It’s a gift that I’ve recently become fortunate enough to be able to give, as a token of my thanks, and I hope you’ll be able to accept it without being offended or embarrassed.”
Ryan looked at the envelope. He wanted to tell Charlotte that the gift wasn’t necessary and that he didn’t need any reward, but the feeling that was overwhelming him was so awesome, he couldn’t bring himself to say the words.
“Now just hang on a minute,” said Victor. “Before you open that, son, let me ask this young lady a couple of questions.” He wheeled himself over to sit opposite Charlotte so that he could look at her, face on. “Now, young lady … you say my boy saved your life?”
Charlotte nodded. “Yes, he did.”
“And how exactly did he do that?” Victor looked on with interest.
“He got between me and someone who was trying to attack me with a knife. He fought them off and they ran away.” Charlotte shuddered as she remembered the attack with a recollection that was far too vivid for her liking.
Victor sat in silence. “I suppose that’s how you got that cut on your face, was it?” he asked Ryan. “You know what he told me? He told me he got it at work. Said he tripped over while he was carrying a tray of drinks and fell on a glass.”
He looked at Charlotte and winked before turning back to Ryan. “You must think your old man’s gone soft in the head!”
As Charlotte watched the gentle and obvious affection with which father and son communicated, it made her heart ache for her own parents. If she’d had any doubts about what she was planning to do, they’d just been blown away.
“Anyway, sorry my dear, I interrupted you. Please carry on.” Victor relaxed in his chair and took a double-puff from a large, purple inhaler.
“You don’t have to open that now,” she said to Ryan. “I just wanted to speak to you and your dad before you did.”
“No, no, I am going to open it now,” Ryan replied. “I’m just a little embarrassed, that’s all.”
He tore open the envelope, guessing that it would contain a gift certificate, coupons or money – what other kind of gift would come in an envelope? He prayed that there would be enough to have grab bars fitted in the bathroom. On the rare occasions that his dad got out of his wheelchair, Ryan always had to accompany him in case he fell down.
His dad was a proud man, and Ryan knew how much it hurt his pride that he couldn’t go to the bathroom without assistance from his son. Grab bars would help him enormously, and give him back a little independence when it came to activities that he would prefer to perform in private.
Ryan took the cheque out of the envelope and gasped when he saw the amount. £4,000! £4,000! That was enough to fit grab bars all over the house, buy all his college textbooks, take his dad out to dinner, and maybe have a little left over.
Stunned, he passed the cheque to his Dad and leaned across to hug his generous benefactor.
“Thank you, Charlotte. Thank you so much! I can’t tell you how grateful I am … and I’m not too offended or embarrassed to accept it! You’ve no idea what a difference £4,000 is going to make to us. Isn’t it, Dad?”
He turned to his father and was dismayed to see tears running down his cheeks. Then Charlotte started crying, too. Victor put his arms out, beckoning her to him and she got up from the couch and leaned down to hug him. He pulled a tissue from the pack in his wheelchair and dried his eyes before turning to Ryan.
&
nbsp; “Son, I think you need to sit down,” he said, his voice shaky and a weak smile playing on his lips.
“Why? What’s wrong?” asked Ryan, his forehead creasing in a frown.
Victor and Charlotte looked at each other, and Charlotte buried her face in one of Nathan’s handkerchiefs that she’d brought with her, just in case she found herself in a situation like this.
“Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?” Ryan was completely bemused.
Victor took a wheezy breath and said, “This check isn’t for £4,000, son. It’s for £40,000!”
The information didn’t register at first. It took a little while. He took the cheque from his dad and stared at it. Then he stared at it some more. Then he burst into tears.
He sat on the ground in front of his Dad’s wheelchair, rested his head on his knees and sobbed like a baby. Victor stroked his head, too choked with emotion to say anything at all.
This is my cue to leave, thought Charlotte, and quietly let herself out.
Epilogue
It was Friday evening and Charlotte and Jess were sitting on the terrace at Charlotte’s Plaice.
They’d finished stacking up the tables and chairs and were ready to lock up just as soon as they’d finished the glass of wine they were enjoying to herald the beginning of the weekend. The rest of the evening and all the next day stretched before them, and neither of them had any plans whatsoever.
“Aaah, it’s a good feeling not to have to worry about what time you go to bed tonight, because it doesn’t matter what time you get up tomorrow morning, isn’t it?” said Jess.
“Yep,” agreed Charlotte, shielding her eyes from the sun and looking out at the boats. I will never tire of this place, she thought.
She was roused from her daydreams by Pippin, who barked once and sat up from his position at her feet, ears pricked up and alert.
“What’s up, boy?” she asked, at which the little dog ran off down the footpath only to reappear seconds later with Nathan in tow.
“Evening, ladies. I can see that your weekend’s started early!” He laughed as he took a chair off the nearest stack and sat down with them.
“If you want some wine, you’d better get yourself a glass because I’m too relaxed to move,” said Charlotte as she leaned back to take full advantage of the early evening sunshine.
“No, I can’t stop for long. I’ve just come to tell you that Alexander Young called me about ten minutes ago to say that he’ll be calling you between half-six and seven. He tried your number but you didn’t answer, so he asked me if I could let you know. I’m on my way to a meeting, but I thought I’d stop off and deliver the message in person ... and because I’m nosy and I want to know what he’s calling about.”
Charlotte laughed as she checked her phone. “You’re right, I’ve got two missed calls from him. Wonder why I didn’t hear the phone ring?” She scratched her head. “Oh, I know why … he must have called when I was saying goodbye to Leo and Harry. They’re going off on Leo’s boat for a couple of weeks, remember? I left the phone in the kitchen when I came out to wave them off.”
“Who’s Alexander Young?” asked Jess, pouring herself another glass of wine.
“He’s the solicitor dealing with Tom’s estate. I’ve been dreading the call from him to tell me that the cottage has been awarded to Tom’s children. It was nice to have had it for a while though.” She smiled, a little sadly.
Her phone gave a shrill ring.
“Hello, yes, Charlotte speaking. Hello, Mr Young. Yes, very well, thanks. And you?” She held the phone close to her ear, listening intently as she walked over to the entrance to Pier 4, stopping to lean against the railings to which her bike was chained.
“What d’you think he’s saying?” whispered Jess to Nathan.
“Dunno. He’s probably calling to tell her that things are taking longer to work out than he thought they would. You know how legal things can drag on.”
“Okay, thank you. Yes, I will. Bye.” Instead of going back to the table, Charlotte walked slowly up the pier, Pippin at her heels.
“Oh, dear. Doesn’t look like good news, does it?” said Jess.
“Well, she wasn’t really expecting good news,” said Nathan. “She’d already resigned herself to the fact that Tom’s cottage was going back to his family. She was just waiting to find out when that would be. Between you and me, I think she was hoping for the decision to be delayed for as long as possible.
“You know how fond she was of Tom and I think that having the cottage, even if only for a little while, was helping her to grieve.” Nathan looked at his watch. “Anyway, time for me to go, but I’d better go and give Charlotte a hug before I do. She could probably do with one.”
He walked up the pier, stopping behind Charlotte, and put his arms around her. “I’m sorry,” he whispered against her hair. “I know how much you wanted the cottage to be yours.”
She turned to face him, her eyes brimming with tears waiting to mingle with those that had already fallen onto her cheeks. “It is mine.” Her voice was barely more than a whisper.
“What?” said Nathan.
“It is mine. The cottage – it’s mine! It’s bloody well mine!” She grabbed his hands and jumped up and down in front of him. “The court’s decision went in my favour. I can’t believe it!”
She flung her arms around his neck and he swept her off her feet. As he carried her back down the pier, Pippin ran ahead, stopping every few steps to make sure they were still behind him.
“Jess!” Charlotte called out to her friend, as Nathan swung her round. “Open a bottle of champagne! We’re celebrating ... well, you and me are, anyway! Woohoo!”
As the cork popped and Nathan poured two glasses of bubbly, Charlotte cast her eyes skyward and blew a kiss.
Thank you, Tom. Guess that angel dust must have worked, after all.
The End
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Also by Sherri Bryan
‘Tapas, Carrot Cake and a Corpse’ – Book one in the Charlotte Denver Cozy Mystery Series
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A SELECTION OF RECIPES FROM ‘FUDGE CAKE, FELONY and a FUNERAL’
Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto
Serves 2
Ingredients
8 oz risotto rice (Arborio rice is good for this recipe)
16 oz mushrooms of your choice, thinly sliced (I like chestnut and button mushrooms)
8 oz asparagus, chopped into pieces. (I chop mine into approximately 1” pieces)
4 oz leeks, washed to remove any grit, and thinly sliced. (I’d suggest that you don’t use the very dark green ends, as they can be tough)
2 cloves garlic, crushed (You can leave the garlic out if you don’t like it)
24 fl oz vegetable stock
8 fl oz white wine (or the same quantity of vegetable stock if you don’t want to use wine)
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon olive oil (This is to help prevent the butter from burning)
1 tablespoon freshly tarragon, chopped
4 oz parmesan cheese, freshly grated
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
Salt to taste
Method
Bring the stock (and wine, if using) to a boil and turn down to a simmer.
In another pan (preferably non-stick), melt half the butter with the olive oil and cook the mushrooms and the asparagus until softened. Remove from the pan and put
to one side.
In the same pan, melt the remaining butter and add cook the leeks and the garlic until softened, but not browned.
Add the rice to the pan and cook for a minute or two, stirring well to coat every grain with butter.
Add a ladle of hot stock to the rice and cook over a medium heat, stirring gently. When most of the liquid has been absorbed, you can either **
Continue adding the hot stock, a ladle at a time, cooking and stirring until most of the liquid has been absorbed before adding the next,
or
You can add the stock all at once, cooking and stirring until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Hold back about one ladle of stock to add at the end.
** (I’ve made the risotto using both methods, the second one by accident when I forgot that I was supposed to be adding the stock little by little. It turned out OK though). It takes about 20 minutes for the rice to cook to my liking, but if you like yours a little firmer, start checking it after 15 minutes.
About five minutes before the end of the cooking time, when the rice has plumped up nicely and is almost cooked to your liking, add the mushrooms and the asparagus back to the pan and stir in.
Stir in the tarragon and the grated cheese. If you want a slightly creamier consistency, add the stock that you held back earlier.
Check for seasoning and scatter with fresh parsley.
Eat and enjoy!
Aubergine (Eggplant) with Spinach and a Parmesan Crust
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 large aubergine, cut into slices (About ½ inch thick. If they’re any thicker, they might not cook before the top has browned).
8 oz frozen creamed spinach, defrosted. (You can use ordinary frozen spinach if you prefer, just make sure the excess water has been squeezed out).
8 oz homemade tomato sauce, recipe below (or a jar of shop bought if you don’t want to make your own)
3 oz mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated