The Choices We Made

by Lexie James

  Already in his mind’s eye he was smartening up the paintwork on the building and modernising it here and there; a pool, he thought, would look good over there. Adrienne saw the look in his eye and knew what it meant. If only, she prayed, I can keep him focussed on those thoughts before he bumps into his Lindy, then I shall die a very happy woman.

  Together they walked into the lobby; he with plans already formulating in his head once he had bought this property, she with trepidation for the moment when he would see Lindy again.

  However, she was spared her concern as it was Patrick himself who came to grab her hands in greeting.

  “The beautiful Adrienne, I have been so looking forward to seeing you again. I hope you have had a pleasant journey? This must be your son; if he is anything like his mother I am sure we will get along like a house on fire.”

  Patrick turned and raised his eyes to Christos’s face then looked back at Adrienne in bewilderment.

  “You don’t look very alike do you?”

  “Patrick this is Chris, Chris this is Patrick who owns Branscombe Hotel. I know we don’t look alike, he looks so much like his father that I sometimes wonder if I was ever involved in his creation.”

  She had spoken without really thinking, for she was becoming increasingly concerned at the fallout that would happen to Patrick and the children when Christos and his Lindy finally met again.

  Christos looked at her thoughtfully.

  Swallowing nervously she continued. “Patrick I know you must be busy so perhaps we could catch up later at supper? Chris is rather tired. It was a long drive and I am afraid he has been working far too hard recently to keep me in the manner he believes I should be accustomed to. So if you don’t mind excusing us we will go up to our rooms.”

  Patrick’s eyes twinkled as he smiled at her, Christos noted how possessively he took hold of her hands again. “Of course, of course, you must do that if you are tired. But you do know, don’t you, that I am that looking forward to spending some time with you later. Now Michael will take you up to your rooms.”

  He snapped his fingers and Michael came rushing over to pick up their bags. Adrienne held her breathe as Michael came to stand beside Christos, the likeness was uncanny. Did Patrick see it she wondered?

  Obviously Christos didn’t, as he just stared in disbelief at a child acting as a bellboy.

  They climbed the stairs in silence and Michael unlocked the doors. Without a backward glance at the boy Christos walked past him into the room to look around, before suddenly snapping his fingers to summon him to his side and give him a five pound note.

  Michael looked at the money in his hand as if he didn’t know what to do with it. Finally he looked up perplexed and asked, “What’s this for?”

  Christos had been surveying the room critically; unaware that Michael was still there. Surprised he looked down at him. “It’s for you.”

  Puzzled Michael asked. “Why?”

  Christos looked at the boy with a look on his face that was just as much perplexed as Michael’s.

  “It’s a tip to say thank you for carrying our bags for us.”

  He turned, ignoring the boy completely and looking again at the furnishings, already mentally giving the room a complete makeover.

  Michael sniffed haughtily. “Well, I don’t know why you should think I’d want money from you. Thank you would have done just as well, and I’d have been much happier with that. I don’t need this, thank you very much! I get pocket money from my Mum and that’s all I need.”

  He put down the money down on the table and walked out in a huff.

  Christos’s head swung round, and he stared in amazement as Michael exited the room, then he turned to Adrienne in total disbelief.

  “Did you hear what that boy just said to me?”

  She smiled. “I am very much afraid that you have just offended his sensibilities.”

  Bewildered Christos stared at her. “How could I do that just by giving him a tip?”

  “Well I did tell you that this was an unusual place, which also goes for the people who live here. Now I suggest that you have the shower you wanted. And please, stay under it a nice long time and wash your bad temper down the drain. Then have a rest and perhaps then, and only then, will you be ready to join the human race.”

  Adrienne found herself blabbering because she had so nearly told Christos that Michael was Patrick’s grandson. She hoped it would be a little while before he put together who belonged to whom, consequently she missed the look of amusement that flitted across Christos’s face.

  “Okay, ‘mother mine’ you win I’ll behave. Though I think I’ll feel more relaxed if I had a whisky. Do you suppose they actually have room service? Shall I get you something?”

  Adrienne walked back into her room calling over her shoulder, “Not for me thank you very much, why don’t you ring and ask?”

  Christos was pleasantly surprised at how quickly there was a knock on the door. He called for the person to enter as he finished unpacking his case, turning his head as the door opened. A young girl entered the room carrying a tray with a glass of whisky upon it. Long strawberry blond curls drifted about her head as she walked gracefully over to the table and for a second Christos’s mind flashed back to the moment he had first seen Lindy, his heart thumped uncomfortably against his ribs and he had to stifle a sigh of longing.

  As the child raised her eyes to him he saw that instead of the cool jade green eyes that had been an integral part of Lindy’s charm and beauty, these girls eyes were amber and chocolate and brimming with such joy that gold flecks seemed to shimmer in them as she smiled sweetly at him.

  “Aren’t you rather young to be selling me a glass of whisky?” he enquired.

  The smile turned to an impish grin. “Well of course I’m too young to sell alcohol. I know that and I also know that I’m too young to work behind the bar, even though I can add up really quickly in my head, much better than Tom can.”

  She sniffed contemptuously at the thought of Tom’s incompetence.

  “I know very well that I’m going to have to wait until I’m really, really old, at least eighteen before I can serve alcohol. But you see, it’s like this, Tom’s changing the beer barrels and Granddad said you wouldn’t want to wait until he’s finished that job before you got your drink. Besides that, technically you’re not paying me any money ‘cause it goes onto your room bill so I haven’t sold it to you, have I? Anyway it’s really no different from me getting a drink and giving it to my grandfather is it? And I often do that to save his poor feet.”

  Christos grinned down at her. She was really rather sweet, though he was not impressed by the fact that she obviously considered him in the same light as her grandfather; perhaps, he thought, all children thought anyone the other side of their teen years were ancient. He did however feel that it was not acceptable practise to let an underage girl come up to a man’s bedroom, whether her grandfather knew where she was or not.

  If she had been his daughter or granddaughter he would have considered the protection of the child’s safety more important than the swift service. He surprised himself with that thought, since when did he start thinking about protecting young girls? Maybe it was because she looked so like Lindy and that had reminded him of what he had once done.

  Adrienne had heard Chrissie come in and stood in the doorway watching the two of them. Well that’s two hurdles out of the way; he’s met his children even if he doesn’t know they are his yet. She smiled at her as the young girl turned, rushed over, then stopped short just in front of her.

  “Oh hi, I’m so glad you’re here, Granddad told me as soon as you had arrived and I’ve been dying to come up and see you. He told me to ask you if I could get you a drink too, also I wanted to say thank you for the advice you gave me. I spoke to Granddad, just like you said, and then he spoke to Michael and Michael stopped teasing me.”

  She smiled shyly at Adrienne. “Oh and Granddad’s been looking forward to you coming; I he
ard him tell Mrs Baines yesterday. If you don’t want anything I’d better be off. There is so much to do and do you know that this is the first year we’ve been allowed to help and it’s so exciting ‘cause apart from your son and another lady that’s come with our aunt Sophia, everyone that’s staying over this weekend are old friends so they don’t mind us playing grown-ups. I know we’ve only met you once but Granddad says that we are to look upon you as our newest friend. I’d better be of or someone will be cross with me.”

  And she disappeared through the door in a flurry of hair.

  Christos continued to stare at the door through which she had exited with a look of shellshock on his face, before eventually turning to Adrienne.

  “What was that all about?”

  Adrienne shrugged nonchalantly, studiously avoiding his eye.

  “When I was here last time we had a long discussion. Her brother had been teasing her. I suggested she spoke to her father but as she hasn’t got one, she obviously spoke to her grandfather instead.”

  “Hasn’t got a father? Every child has a father.” Christos stopped and raised his hand.

  “No I don’t want to know. We are looking at this property with a view to trying to buy it and I consider it the height of stupidity to trade personal information with the people who work or live in said property. I’m going to have a shower.”

  He dismissed Adrienne with a stern look.

  She grinned, with no respect for him whatsoever even sketching him a mocking curtsey as she did so as she knew it annoyed him. “Of course my lord and master, you word is law. Whilst you are having a shower and a long rest and trying, in vain, to re-join the human race, I am going to go out for a long leisurely walk.”

  He accepted her comments with a wry smile and firmly shut the door in her face.

  Adrienne stared at the closed door then thought for a moment, a walk is what I need; some fresh air and then perhaps I’ll find some strength to cope with the events I have orchestrated.

  She walked across to her suitcase and found a cardigan, deciding to visit the rose garden again.

  She closed the door of her room quietly and stood for a moment trying to control the frantic beating of her heart. She knew if she didn’t get her emotions in order she was sure she would be unable to eat later and Christos would know that there was something wrong.

  Slowly she breathed in and out and as she began to feel a modicum of calm move over her she turned to walk down the corridor, just as Sophia walked out of her room.

  For a few seconds they both stared at each other in amazed silence, then as Sophia opened her mouth to say hello, Adrienne frantically signalled to her to be silent.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Racing down the corridor to her as quietly as she could she hissed, “What on earth are you doing here?”

  Sophia looked at her in bewilderment. “What am I do....”

  “Shush!” Adrienne stopped her. “We’ll have to talk in your room.” And she pushed Sophia through the door. Following her in quickly; she shut the door firmly, and then turned to find Maria staring at her.

  “Oh my God, no! Not you too! What on earth are you both doing here? God this is my absolute most awful living nightmare. What on earth am I going to do now?” She collapsed into the closest chair and nearly wept with frustration. All her scheming and planning was about to blow up in her face.

  Sophia looked put out as she answered her crisply. “What are we doing here? Well I could ask you the same question. What on earth are you doing here?”

  Maria looked at her immediately forming an assumption. “I’ll bet I know. Christos is here too isn’t he? You are both looking over this property with a view to offering for it, aren’t you? Don’t you know that’s how they acquire new businesses Sophia? They find a business that they are interested in, and then they go in under cover so that they can see how that business runs. Of course they hope that they will find something that will aid their subsequent negotiations and enable them to offer a lower price than the owners may want to sell for. I’m right aren’t I Adrienne? That’s why you are here isn’t it, tell me what role are the two of you playing this time, is he pretending to be your son or your toy boy?”

  Sophia looked from one to the other with confusion now stamped all over her face. “But Patrick isn’t thinking of selling the hotel, this has been his life’s work, this is his home.”

  Adrienne glared. “He is pretending to be my son, thank you very much Maria, do I look like the sort of person that would have a toy boy? And yes Sophia, I know very well that Patrick has no intention of selling. However Christos believes that we are here because the property is for sale.”

  “Well?” Maria looked down her nose with disdain. “If it isn’t for sale, and you know that, then what other reason could you possibly have for being here?”

  Adrienne looked at each woman carefully deciding that there was nothing else she could do now but give them the real reason why she had brought Christos here. The reality of her nightmare was glaring her in her face and it looked much worse than it had when she had thought about it in the early hours of this morning. When Maria understood why she had brought Christos here she would have an absolute fit and once she had finished laying into her for not keeping her informed, she would then have a blazing row with Christos. He, in turn, would storm out and then all of her planning and hard work would be for nought.

  She put of the evil moment by asking a question of her own.

  “Well what are you two doing here? Let’s face it Maria this is not really your usual type of hotel accommodation.”

  Sophia answered her. “No, but it is mine thank you very much and I would appreciate some little modicum of respect for what is, almost, a second home to me. Daniel and Patrick Mackay are very old friends and Daniel is godfather to his daughter Emme.”

  Adrienne raised her eyes to the sky - if she could have seen it - and thanked God for small mercies.

  “Would you mind answering me a question first? Then I’ll explain to you both why we are here. Could you tell me if Daniel’s goddaughter used to go to school and college using the name Lindy Jagars?”

  Mystified Sophia replied. “Well yes actually she did, although I don’t understand why you need to know that. Lindy was her mother’s pet name for her and Jagars was Hannah’s maiden name. Patrick married her mother a little while before she died and she insisted that Lindy changed her name to Mackay. Emme stopped calling herself Lindy after Hannah died because she said it evoked too many sad memories. Why on earth did you want to know that? And by the way, what I’ve just told you does not go out of this room.”

  Adrienne visibly relaxed against the chair now, finally, the proof positive.

  “Agreed, I won’t say anything but you will both likewise have to swear that what I am about to share with you does not go out of this room either. In fact to be perfectly honest, for your own sakes, don’t ever let Christos know that you knew what I’m going to tell you.”

  “Christos? What on earth are you talking about Adrienne?” Maria demanded imperiously.

  Adrienne took a deep breath. “Could you please be quiet until I’ve finished explaining? I know that’s difficult for you to do Maria, but if you could just bear with me for a short time it will be easier for you to understand.”

  Maria glared at her, icily pursing her mouth in a tight line.

  Finally she nodded curtly.

  Adrienne smiled slightly, taking a deep breath she began to tell a tale that she knew would both upset and anger Maria.

  “Thank you, Maria, it’s rather a long story and I need to take you right back to the beginning of it, just after Mikolas died. Do you remember that Christos was due to go to college? Well they both were going, weren’t they? Together as usual. You were both so proud that Christos still insisted on going, even though it was so soon after the funeral and he had become so silent and withdrawn. I noticed that each time he returned from college his mood was improving and he almost appeared happy ag
ain, as if there was a light turning on inside him. I didn’t have time to dwell on it or mention it to you because I had so much to do with the business.”

  She paused and smiled slightly at Maria. “You see I was trying to give you both some time to come to terms with Mikolas’ death in the only way I knew how; running the business for you both.”

  She paused again then looked at Maria, concern etched on her face as she knew how much she was going to distress her with her next comment. “I think you were so immersed in your own grief that you forgot to thin.., you forgot about Christos’s grief.”

  She paused again at Maria’s sharp intake of breath as a look of pain passed across her face, Sophia moved beside her and put a comforting arm around her before glaring at Adrienne.

  Adrienne stared back at them defensively. “I’m sorry if I’m hurting you but if you want to know why I am here, you will have to listen to it all. Let me continue, when I registered his change of mood, I assumed that college must agree with him. I considered that there might a girl involved with it; for my son had worn that self-same look on his face when he fell in love with his wife. Anyway when Christos returned after Stephanos had died I thought his unhappiness was because of his father’s death but one night I found him blind drunk and sobbing. He told me about a beautiful girl who he had fallen in love with. Then at the graduation ball when they finally slept together he discovered that she was still a virgin.”

  Maria made a sound as if she was going to interrupt but Adrienne silenced her with a look and continued, she was so determined to get to the end of the tale.

  “The next morning he was still reeling from what he had done to her when his mates found him and started congratulating him. He had been so busy berating himself that he had forgotten his mates had been running bets on whether or not he would sleep with her. In the midst of all that she had found him, heard what the boys were saying about her and ran off. By the time he had felt he could walk away from his mates, without losing face, he couldn’t find her and explain himself. He tried to find her, though nowhere near hard enough in my opinion. Anyway from that day on he hasn’t seen her, but I sincerely believe that he stills carries a torch for her in his heart, and that’s why he can’t settle and form a relationship with anyone else.”