Cinnamon Gardens

by Anna Jacobs

‘Shall I take you home afterwards?’

  ‘No need. I give another girl a lift sometimes, so she can return the favour. I’ll be all right.’

  When she’d gone, the flat felt empty. Nick took out his phone, feeling a bit embarrassed. Would his family understand how quickly you could fall in love?

  Chapter Thirteen

  Early the next morning, as she was continuing to clear Fliss’s house, Nell received a phone call from Edwina Richards.

  ‘Nice to hear from you,’ she said politely, not sure it was true.

  Edwina didn’t bother with idle chit-chat. ‘I’ve been asking my great-aunt about your father and it seems we’re more closely related than I’d realised.’

  ‘Oh?’

  ‘Yes. You and I are first cousins on my mother’s side.’

  ‘My father is your mother’s brother? I have a great-aunt!’ She had only hazy memories of her parents’ families and once they moved to Australia, neither her mother nor her father would give her any details, though her mother had once said she had no siblings.

  ‘Yes. You have an uncle too. Your father’s younger brother and my mother are twins.’

  ‘Good heavens! I can’t believe this. And they’re both alive?’

  ‘Yes. Look, it’s not the sort of thing to explain over the phone. This is my day off, so how about you and I meet for coffee? I’ll tell you what I know so far and you can tell me what happened to your parents in Australia, then we’ll take it from there. I haven’t said anything about you to the rest of my family yet. I wanted to be sure it wouldn’t upset anyone. Now, there’s a café on High Street and—’

  ‘Why don’t you come here for coffee instead?’

  Silence for a moment or two, then, ‘OK. What time?’

  ‘About ten-thirty?’

  ‘Fine.’

  Edwina disconnected without another word and Nell set her phone down gently. She was eager to find out what the quarrel had been about, why her father had been so adamant about never again getting in touch with his family. Once she knew, she could make up her own mind about whether she wanted to get to know her relatives.

  Surely Edwina would have some information that would solve the mystery? It had upset Nell ever since she was a child to know she had relatives in England she could only vaguely remember. Only, unlike friends who were also ‘Poms’, Nell didn’t know where the families were or anything about them, apart from Fliss.

  And when she had later asked Fliss, even her aunt had said that it wasn’t good to dig up the past and she must respect her parents’ wishes.

  Nell continued to clear things out. It was obvious that at some stage or other Fliss had done quite a bit of clearing out, as old people often did, because some of the bedrooms were empty of everything but furniture. It would only take her a day or two to go through the rest.

  She even tiptoed into the front part of the attic, but she’d remembered correctly: the bedrooms there were bare. She didn’t linger, because apart from the safety aspects, the smell seemed to be getting worse by the day.

  Mid morning she tidied herself up and waited for Edwina to arrive, wondering what her cousin would be like out of police uniform. Would she still be stiff and officious, or would she be more friendly? And what were the rest of her Chaytor relatives like?

  The doorbell rang and she hurried to open it, standing for a moment staring at her visitor, who stared back equally intently.

  Edwina definitely looked different now she wasn’t in uniform. She was quite a bit taller than Nell, looking fit and strong, but was more relaxed in posture today. She had grey eyes and naturally blonde hair, slightly wavy and tied firmly back in a ponytail.

  ‘Do come in. We’ll sit in the kitchen, if you don’t mind. The house isn’t in a very good state. But you must know that already. Do I call you Edwina or do you shorten your name?’ She switched the kettle on, had the mugs and some biscuits out ready.

  ‘My friends usually shorten it to Eddie. Look, I don’t actually know the whole story of the quarrel, so we’ll have to compare notes and see if we can fill in the gaps. Just black coffee, please, and no biscuits.’ With hardly a pause she continued, ‘Can I ask what happened to your father? Did he stay married to your mother? He’s the family mystery and was almost never mentioned when I was a child. All I know I picked up by eavesdropping.’

  ‘Yes, they did stay married. They were fairly happy but not … well, not deeply in love.’

  ‘Did he make a success of things? My brother and I often wondered, but Fliss would never talk to us about him.’

  ‘She wouldn’t tell me anything about my English relatives, either. Well, that’s not quite right. She’d talk about previous generations, but not about my parents’ cohort. Did you see a lot of her?’

  ‘No. She was angry with my mother and uncle and I think it was because of the quarrel. We used to visit her sometimes when I was little but after your father left, my parents weren’t made welcome at her house. She hadn’t a good word to say about my father from then on, so he may have been involved in some way too.’

  She waited a moment then went on, ‘After I left home, I used to drop in occasionally to check that she was all right. I’ve had to break into houses where old people have died on their own and I didn’t want a relative of mine to be found like that. She was always pleasant enough but we weren’t really close.’

  Nell sighed. ‘I don’t think I’ve got anything much to add. My father said I was “better not knowing that bunch of cheats and liars”. When I cleared out my parents’ house, there were no family photos from England, not even an entry in an old address book.’

  ‘How did they die?’

  ‘Dad got stomach cancer in his early sixties and died quite quickly. My mother seemed to fade away after that. She hated living on her own, but my ex refused to let her live in our house, even though he’d moved out by then, and I had the three boys to look after so I didn’t fight for it. And then she was gone, too.’

  ‘I’m sorry.’

  ‘I gather your father is still alive, Eddie.’

  ‘Very much alive.’ She gave a wry smile. ‘He’s a prickly old sod. I suppose Denning told you about that. He didn’t waste any time getting on good terms with you, did he?’

  Nell frowned at her. ‘If you bad-mouth Angus, our conversation will be over. And just to set the record straight, he isn’t short of money.’

  ‘Then why the hell does he drive that old wreck around? It’s a danger on the roads. I’m not picking on him like my father does, honestly, but I’ve seen what happens with unsafe vehicles.’

  ‘Angus has been working all hours in the day on an important project, and wasn’t thinking about his car. Anyway, he’s bought a new one now. It’s still second-hand but it’s in good condition. I made sure of that. He was supposed to be getting it today. They were going to deliver it and take his old car to the wreckers for him.’

  ‘About time. You seem to know him well. I didn’t think he’d been to Australia and you haven’t been to England since you were a child. I can’t understand why—’ she broke off abruptly.

  ‘Why Angus and I have got together? In a nutshell, we fell in love.’ It was the first time she’d said it to anyone and the words came out more easily than she’d expected.

  Eddie looked at her in amazement. ‘But you’ve only been here for a couple of weeks.’

  ‘Lightning can strike quickly sometimes.’

  Her cousin got such a sad look on her face, Nell felt sorry for her. ‘Anyway, we were talking about my father and his quarrel with his siblings. What the hell happened?’

  ‘I think my uncle’s friend was involved. Please don’t be offended, but I did wonder if your mother might, you know, have had an affair.’ She waited, head on one side.

  Nell wanted to say that her mother couldn’t have done that, but something stopped her. Once or twice she’d heard her parents arguing and a man’s name had been tossed to and fro, and not politely. ‘Was he called Mike?’


  Eddie stared at her. ‘Yes.’

  ‘They argued about a guy called Mike more than once.’

  ‘That’s a possibility, then. As far as the Chaytors were concerned, Uncle Bob simply vanished and as he’d praised Australia a few times, they wondered if he’d gone there. My mother tried to find him but her letters to people he’d known and the place where he’d worked were returned with “no longer at this address” on them. It wasn’t as easy then to find someone as it is now that just about everyone’s on the Internet.’

  ‘And your mother didn’t try again later, when technology improved? After all, my father was her older brother?’

  ‘By then she and my uncle had decided to let sleeping dogs lie because Bob hadn’t tried to contact them, had he? It’s been, what, about forty years? I think Mum’s always hoped he’d turn up one day, though.’

  ‘I’m surprised Fliss didn’t say something to her. She’s known where we were for over twenty years, because I wrote to her, then we kept in touch, first by letter then by email. I let her know when my parents died as well, naturally.’

  ‘I saw her computer. It was nearly an antique. She was thinking of getting a new one, but then she died suddenly. I didn’t like to fiddle with it.’

  ‘I wonder why she kept quiet about Dad.’

  ‘She could be close-mouthed when she wanted to. After she died, I contacted her lawyer to ask if he wanted me to clear out her house, in case there were family things there. But he said it had been left to another family member from Australia and it would be up to that person to do it.’

  After a thoughtful pause, she added, ‘We wondered who it was, maybe even your father. My father said I should contest the will because I’d been keeping an eye on her, but as far as I’m concerned, it was her property and her choice who to leave it to, so I let the matter drop.’

  ‘If there’s anything you want, you’re welcome to it.’

  ‘I’ll have a poke round when you’ve taken what you want, if that’s all right. I’d like a memento. There’s a little statuette I rather like.’

  ‘The 1930s woman?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Take it. I have one similar in storage in Australia.’

  ‘Thanks. Is it all right if I ask Mum and Dad whether they want anything? He’s been looking into the family history since he retired.’

  ‘Of course. But they’d better come and look round soon, because the purchaser is going to bulldoze the house.’

  ‘Thanks. Much appreciated.’

  ‘I’ve always envied people who grow up with families around them. They don’t know how lucky they are to have people to turn to, people who care about them. When I had my problems with Craig, I was on my own. My parents refused to get involved, said only I could sort out what I wanted. They weren’t very good grandparents, either, didn’t seem interested.’

  ‘Hard for you.’

  ‘Yeah. Well, I got through it. Am I going to meet the rest of the Chaytor family?’

  ‘I’ll have to talk to them and get back to you. I’ll bring Mum and Dad round the weekend after next, if that’s OK. They’re coming over from Fleetwood for her friend’s 70th birthday bash. Maybe on the Saturday afternoon? I’ll have to check with them.’

  She hesitated, then added, ‘I doubt you’ll find my father easy to get on with, though, especially if you’re living with Denning. Dad’s dead against people with titles.’ She looked at her watch. ‘It’s been nice talking to you, but I have to go now.’

  ‘You will get back to me about your family, though, as well as your parents? I really do want to meet them.’

  Another of those searching looks, then a nod. ‘Yes.’

  And with that, she had to be satisfied.

  To Nell’s surprise, her middle son rang her soon after Eddie had left. Her delight in hearing from him made her forget for a moment that he wasn’t supposed to have her phone number. Then she realised that Craig might also have got hold of it.

  ‘It’s lovely to hear from you but how did you get my number? We were supposed to be sticking to emails.’

  ‘Robbie gave it me. Don’t get angry with him, Ma,’ Nick spoke as if he could guess what she was thinking. ‘He wouldn’t have told me if it wasn’t special circumstances.’

  ‘How special? You’re all right?’

  ‘I’m fine. Never better.’

  ‘It must be about Steve, then.’

  ‘No, it’s not, and never mind what he’s doing. Dad’s dealing with that. I’m not spoiling this phone call talking about my stupid brother. Ma, I’ve met a girl and we’re engaged.’

  ‘What?’

  He laughed. ‘Took me by surprise, too. I’ll email you a photo of her.’

  He spent the next ten minutes telling her about his Carla and how wonderful she was, ending up, ‘So we’re getting married in a month’s time. Just a quiet registry office wedding. And no, she’s not pregnant. That was the first thing Dad asked. He’s a cynical sod, isn’t he?’

  ‘Then why the rush?’

  ‘We want to be together. She’s the one, Ma, she really is. But her family’s Italian and they’d go mad if we lived in sin. In this day and age, would you believe? So we aren’t even telling them we’re getting married till just before the wedding, because they’d hold things up and insist on a big family party. We both think that sort of thing’s a waste of time and money. We love one another so much and that’s what matters. It’s incredible.’

  ‘I can hear the love in your voice,’ she said softly. ‘If she’s the one, you go for it, Nick. Look, is it OK if I just send you a present? I’d love to be there but I simply can’t face that horrible flight again so soon. Do you mind?’

  ‘Not at all. We’ll do a face-to-face call another time. Now, enough about me. How’s the house?’

  So she explained briefly about that. ‘But I’ve found somewhere else to live, and I’m getting a nice lot of money for the house from a developer.’

  ‘Good for you.’ He chuckled. ‘I’d like to see Dad’s face when he hears.’

  ‘I don’t intend to tell him anything and you keep what I’ve told you to yourself. Now, fill me in about Steve. I’ll only worry if you don’t.’

  ‘He got into more trouble, so Dad’s paid his debts and found him a job in the country.’

  ‘Your father did?’

  ‘Yeah. Steve isn’t happy about the job, but he was desperate, so he had to agree.’

  ‘What exactly happened?’

  ‘Nothing you need to worry about. I told you: Dad fixed it and put the hard word on him. Got to go now, Ma. Bye.’

  Nick had never sounded so grown-up, or been so protective of her. She might ring Craig and— No, she wouldn’t! Let him deal with Steve. He wouldn’t let anything really bad happen to one of his sons, if only because it would reflect badly on himself. No, she was wronging him. He did care about the boys, as much as a selfish man like him could care about anyone.

  She realised she was still holding the phone, which was purring gently in her ear, so put it down. She could understand how Nick felt about his Carla. The same coup de foudre had struck her when she met Angus. She’d been instantly attracted to him and fallen in love so quickly it took her breath away even to think of him.

  She wasn’t going to tell her sons about it yet, though.

  She realised she was smiling like a fool, so told herself to stop wasting time. She grabbed a quick snack then went back to work.

  There wasn’t much more to clear out now, after which she had to decide what to keep and what to sell. She wasn’t keeping a lot. The objects had little sentimental value for her, so the Chaytors were welcome to anything they fancied.

  She was sure Angus would let her store the stuff she was doubtful about. There were one or two pieces of furniture that might be worth selling carefully at auctions or to dealers, and some china and small silver items. Well, she thought they might be worth it. She wasn’t an expert, had only watched antiques programmes on the TV.

 
Was she doing the right thing, moving in with Angus?

  She smiled involuntarily at the thought. Of course it was the right thing to do. If her son could dive in at the deep end of love, so could she.

  Angus was the one. No doubt about that. It was strange how certain she felt.

  She’d rushed blindly into marriage the first time, young enough to be sure that everything would work like a dream. This time she didn’t feel she was blinded by her love, but was quietly sure they could be happy together. And if there were problems, they could fix them.

  And oh, the deep joy of that!

  Steve seriously considered running away. Only where would he run to? He had no money left now, none at all, and no way of earning more without his father’s help. And whatever his father said, he did not want to get into drug dealing.

  Only why did he have to go and work in the country? He was a townie, had never had anything to do with life in the bush.

  His father came into the living room. ‘Ah, there you are. Owen’s car has just drawn up outside. He told me he wanted to have a chat with you before you leave, but I am telling you now that if you don’t take his offer, I’ll throw you out immediately. What I’ve arranged for you is the best chance you’re likely to get to turn your life around.’

  ‘Yeah, yeah.’

  ‘Do not talk to me like that.’

  Steve blinked in surprise. ‘Like what?’

  ‘“Yeah, yeah”,’ his father mimicked. ‘That tone of voice is an insult in itself. Is that how you talked to your mother?’

  ‘It’s how you talk to my mother.’

  ‘I don’t … do I?’ He looked at his son in shock.

  Steve nodded, but didn’t push his luck by saying anything else.

  ‘How she’s put up with you lately I don’t know. I should have got involved earlier. I owe her an apology for that.’

  The doorbell rang and Craig rushed to answer it, returning with a giant of a fellow, dressed casually in jeans and a faded sweatshirt. It had ASPIRE written across the front. Steve hoped this Owen wasn’t a member of the holier-than-thou squad.