STOLEN BAIRNS: Scottish Fiction

by Anne Bone

  ‘Oh I know, but at least you two had something in common to share. You know I always felt sort of left out. You two were always so close, and whenever there was anything going on then it seemed to be you two against me.’

  Lucy and Stevie answered simultaneously. ‘That’s not true!’

  ‘That’s how it seemed to me anyway.’

  Stevie found himself getting irritated. This was not the first time Joanne had voiced this view and he believed that she seemed to have a very selective memory of events. He could not help adding, ‘I suppose you are going to tell us next how Mum and Dad neglected you and this is why you can’t settle to anything.’ He could not prevent the irritated tone seeping into his voice.

  Joanne stared across the table, her reply was instant. ‘Of course I was neglected, Mum only had eyes for you two and the bloody Trust. I don’t think she ever really planned or wanted me.’ With these words her eyes filled up with tears, Lucy leant across the table to pat her on her arm, but she flinched got to her feet and rushed off towards the toilet.

  Lucy went to follow her. ‘No, leave her Lucy, she is only having one of her tantrums. For goodness sake, you would think she would have grown out of them by now. She is such a drama queen. Honestly.’

  ‘I just hope she doesn’t spoil it for Mum tomorrow night,’ Lucy whispered.

  ‘She had better not or else she will know about it,’ Stevie’s tone was now very irritated. ‘I don’t think she ever realised how bloody spoilt she was, for Christ sake. She had everything. And as far as Mum and Dad were concerned… it was obvious that they bloody worshipped her. The more attention she had the more she screamed for. Bloody spoilt that was what she was.’

  ‘I suppose she might be right though,’ Lucy ventured. ‘She might also have felt shut out from us. We were close.’

  ‘We still are, except what did she expect? We had a huge readjustment to make. I was very angry and a right little swine to Mum. I blamed her for everything. God, did I give them both a hard time, but especially Mum.’

  Lucy was looking anxiously towards the toilet. ‘I think I will go and check out that she is ok. Won’t be long.’

  She left the table. Stevie stirred his cappuccino and reflected on the memories of what he had been like as a young boy. He knew better now, he loved his mum with a passion, but it had taken many years before he had been able to lay the ghost of his anger which he had directed towards her. He thought it was probably when he was about fourteen that he started to understand what had really taken place. His dad had really lost it with him one day and screamed back at him that if he had only known what his mum had gone through, then he would treat her differently.

  Stevie had always known about the story of how his grandfather ‘sold’ him and Lucy, and how his mum had searched for him. He knew a little about his maternal family, but not the details.

  His dad’s scream that day had wakened something in him. He became curious and wondered what lay behind it. When he had asked his dad the following day to tell him more, Marty had told him that there was nothing to tell other than his mum had had a very hard time.

  The seed had been sown and he had become more and more curious. It was his Uncle Jason who had told him. Uncle Jason was a gamekeeper and lived and worked on a sporting estate in Deeside. Stevie used to love spending summer holidays with Jason who had remained single and enjoyed an isolated existence. He could remember the morning when they had been walking the beat beside the river when his uncle had opened up about what it had been really like growing up in the Menzie household. Stevie had been shocked, especially when Jason had told him how he had dragged his mother out of the river after he and Lucy had been taken.

  It was like something from some Victorian novel. When he had returned home after his holiday he felt closer to her. She had been surprised when he had gone up to her and hugged her. Her eyes had been shinning with tears and he had said the words she had longed for. ‘I love you Mum.’

  As he had grown into adulthood he had found more and more details about what had taken place. His mother had been terribly abused by her family. He could understand why his mother had forbidden his father to tell them. She had been embarrassed and ashamed. Although none of it was her fault. Her biggest fear was about how it would affect Lucy to know that she had been the result of a rape. When Lucy had found this piece of information out she had dealt with it in her sweet way.

  Lucy now stood beside Joanne as she repaired her make-up in front of the large brightly-lit mirror. She listened as Joanne continued to vent her bitterness, as she saw it, about being the one left out.

  Lucy, as ever the peacemaker, smiled at the younger girl. ‘I am really sorry that you feel like this Jo. If you felt you were left out, I can’t alter that other than to tell you that you are my little sister and I love you dearly. I always have. I remember when Mum brought you home from hospital I was just so excited and I loved you the minute I saw you. As did Stevie. Granny Molly loved you to bits.’

  Joanne’s eyes filled with tears again. ‘Oh don’t start me off again; I’ve just done my mascara. Poor Granny Molly I do so miss her. I know I was always number one in her eyes.’

  Lucy nodded. What Joanne failed to understand was that she had been number one in all of their lives. She was not going to voice this though, she had tried so many times to get this message across, but then again it never seemed to penetrate into this silly girl’s head.

  Stevie was relieved to see the two young women reappear from the toilet. He scanned their faces to try and predict whether the mood would be lifted. He was disappointed as Joanne’s face held a scowl which indicated that she was in one of her moods, while poor Lucy’s bright smile was the one she donned when she was trying hard to keep everything upbeat.

  Stevie could not help feeling the irritation against his little sister build. ‘Here we go again,’ he mumbled under his breath, ‘another pleasant evening ruined’.

  ‘Now girls, shall I get the bill? This one’s on me, not often I get the chance to wine and dine two beautiful women.’ He tried to lighten the mood.

  The two women nodded.

  ‘And, as a special treat, we will give the tube a miss and get a cab back to my place, unless you want to go on somewhere else?’

  Joanne brightened. ‘I wouldn’t mind going to a club or something.’

  Stevie felt rather than saw Lucy’s shoulders sag. She had never been one for clubbing. He must admit he was not really in the mood either, but then if Joanne wanted to. He thought on his feet. ‘Tell you what Lucy, why don’t we get a cab and Joanne and I will go to a club and the cab can carry on and take you back to mine? I know clubs are not your favourite thing.’

  Lucy smiled gratefully at her brother. As usual Stevie could read her mind and knew exactly that she would really like to be curled up on his large comfortable sofa watching the television, rather than being pushed and shoved in a smokey noisy club.

  Chapter 41

  Lucy was up bright and early the next morning and brewing a large cafetière of strong coffee in the ultra-smart totally gleaming kitchen in her brother’s ultra-modern flat. She wondered whether he actually ever used any of the stainless steel appliances, she suspected that he did not and chose to eat out every day. He had never been one for cooking for himself. She had slept soundly and was only slightly disturbed by the sound of her siblings returning sometime in the early hours of the morning. She had burrowed deeply under the duvet and not allowed her sister rummaging about in the dark trying to undress quietly, unsuccessfully as it turned out, as she fell over before slipping into the twin bed beside her.

  Lucy suspected it would be sometime before she saw the light of day; it was just good that they had the whole day before they had to prepare for the evening event.

  She had just finished drinking her mug of coffee when she heard the sounds of her brother moving around in his room. She refilled the kettle knowing that he would need strong coffee this morning.

  A few moments late
r he appeared in the doorway looking more like he had been dragged through a hedge backwards. ‘My, you look as though you had a good time.’

  ‘It was ok, just drank more than I should have. I think the drink enabled me to blot out our lovely baby sister’s moans. Honestly, I don’t understand her. When we got to the club she moaned about the music, then she moaned that it was too crowded. She was just so disappointed; the club in Inverness has more style.’ He mimicked her voice, making Lucy laugh.

  ‘Honestly though, Luce, she is hard going.’

  Lucy handed him a steaming mug of black coffee. ‘I know, I suppose we all got used to pandering to her tantrums and, even now, we just seem to slip back into old behaviour and do the same. Even though we are now adults, I just hope she doesn’t spoil tonight.’

  ‘She won’t. I told her very clearly last night that she would be expected to be on her best behaviour, and to ditch any thoughts of voicing her opinions about Mum and The Trust.’

  ‘Have you got any food in any of these cupboards?’ She started opening doors to peer in on almost bare cupboards.

  He laughed, ‘Don’t you be so cheeky. If you look in this one it is full of interesting things, bought especially for my guests.’ He opened a door to reveal several boxes of different types of cereals, before then turning to the large fridge freezer where he extracted a bag of frozen croissants.

  ‘Do you ever bother to cook in your kitchen?’ Lucy asked as she began to open a box of cornflakes.

  ‘No need. Far too much trouble. First you have to buy it and then spend too long wondering how to cook it, it is much easier to use the phone to call for a carry out. Or there are so many cafés etc. round here, I can just pop out and there’s no washing up either.’

  ‘You are the limit. What you need is a good woman to sort you out.’

  ‘There are plenty of good women about, but none that I would want to, as you put it so succinctly, sort me out. That is apart from in the bedroom department anyway.’

  Lucy couldn’t help laughing. ‘Too much information!’

  Lucy knew that her brother did not do long term relationships. The longest he had managed was six months and while all the family, especially Granny Molly, had all hoped that the lovely girl would be around for some time, she was not. Stevie had shared with her that he did not believe he would ever get married, he was quite happy to play the field. Lucy was sure that his good looks with his dark hair and deep brown eyes meant he had no trouble in getting exactly what he wanted.

  ‘No, Lucy, sorry there is no chance of me settling down. I think that next year I might be travelling a great deal with the job, I am hoping I will be. It’s the sort of lifestyle which doesn’t fit with having a little woman waiting at home. I don’t seem to need the stability of having just one lady.’

  ‘It’s more likely that you just haven’t met the right one yet and when you do… we’ll see. I bet you will fall so hard that you won’t know what’s hit you.’

  ‘Oh, so you say.’ Stevie was not convinced. If the truth was told he was terrified that he would meet someone who he wanted to be with all of the time. He had had one experience of being with someone who he had loved being with. But he backed off, backed off very quick. He found it difficult to let himself go and allow himself to really trust someone when he couldn’t quite trust himself. When he felt himself getting close to someone, he became uncomfortable and he was insightful enough to know that he had emotional barriers up around him. He did not want to be the little boy again. The little boy who was out of control and scared and terrified of letting someone get close to him. No, it was easier to have short passionate, often intense, affairs and then move on.

  Stevie swallowed another mouthful of coffee, reflecting to himself that his inability to share himself and his life was probably another legacy from those events such a long time ago.

  Lucy finished her bowl of cereal and asked, ‘So what are we going to do today? I would love to see where you work. It’s no good waiting for madam to wake up, she will be sleeping it off all day. How about it?’

  ‘If that’s what you want little sister, then your wish will be answered. Although first I need a long hot shower before I will feel ready to face the world.’

  Chapter 42

  Another small party was gathering in the restaurant of a large hotel in the West End. Twenty-five years had taken its toll on the elderly couple who were waiting for the rest of the party to arrive.

  Vicky and Richard had flown in the night before and booked into the hotel. They had been pleased that Nuria and her husband and children were accompanying them. Richard was frail and rarely left the villa in Spain, but this was one occasion he was not going to miss. Vicky on the other hand, although nearly eighty-two, was still active. She had shrunk over the years and the many years in the hot Spanish sun had leathered her skin so that it resembled orange peel. Her mind though was clear, and she too was looking forward to tonight’s events.

  Nuria was looking her usual well-groomed self. She had become a celebrity in her own right after she had entered the world of television and become a national news presenter. She was a well-known face in Spain although she had given up her job when she had her children, but now they were teenagers she had recently returned to the small screen. Things had changed greatly over the years, although she was respected in her profession. She had always been part of the television world as this was where she had met her beloved husband, Antonio; he was a very good looking and talented director. When she had first met him he was a cameraman, she was sure this was the reason why Stevie became so smitten with the idea of becoming a cameraman.

  Her parents would have loved to be with them today, however her mother was not keeping in the best of health and did not want to make the journey. She sometimes found it difficult to make the journey to Malaga let alone to fly to London.

  ‘What time are the others due to arrive?’ Vicky addressed the question to Nuria, who had been the person who had organised everything including booking the hotel. She knew that they were pretty safe here as this was the one place in London where Beth would not be visiting, not until later anyway.

  Nuria glanced at her watch, her brow creased as she thought. ‘Actually, they are late, which is unlike them. I think their flight from Aberdeen was due to arrive early this morning. I will just go and check whether they have booked in or not.’

  She stood, a very elegant and striking woman who carried herself gracefully. They watched as she glided across the restaurant turning eyes and heads of the other diners as she did so.

  She returned a few minutes later accompanied by the missing guests. ‘They were just coming to join us.’

  Daphne was smartly turned out as usual, her fifty-five years hardly showed in either her face or her body. She smiled at her husband whose body had not remained as intact. Des had become rather paunchy and had developed a beer gut over the past few years since he had retired from the police force. He spent a considerable time on the golf course although it did not seem to help him with his weight.

  Jason stood close behind Des, almost as though he was trying to remain hidden from the lunch guests. He found these types of events very difficult. He was not used to travelling by air or staying in posh hotels. He could not have refused this invitation though, however was now wishing he had taken up Lucy’s offer to accompany her and stay with Stevie. He would have if he had been able to take the extra day off, but this was a busy time on the estate, so one day and one night was all he could manage.

  The three couples hugged and kissed each other and shook hands with Jason, before settling down to consider the menu.

  ‘How are my two lovely Godchildren?’ Vicky asked Daphne.

  ‘They are, as usual, doing their best to manipulate their father out of his pension,’ Daphne laughed. ‘Aren’t they darling?’

  Des smiled, ‘They certainly are. Calum at twenty-three should know better now, you would think that he should realise that now, at last, he is earning h
is own money and doesn’t need to tap me at every opportunity. Though it’s a bloody shame that these young people end up in so much debt when they finish university. As far as Victoria is concerned, she’s in the middle of her finals and once she qualifies as a doctor, at least she will be able to look after us in her old age,’ Des joked.

  ‘They are such lovely young people, you are just an old moan,’ Vicky chided.

  ‘He doesn’t change does he?’ Daphne could not help smiling at the man across the table. The one man who had been able to charm her with his Scottish lilt, and his warmth and passion. They had not taken long to get together after the children were found and the case was closed. She had not taken long to make her mind up that she could practice her career as a journalist anywhere and had moved to Aberdeen to be with him. Des had been successful in the police and before he had retired he had reached the position of Chief Superintendent, which meant that he had a good pension and could relax. They had both found the time they had together now nothing more than wonderful. Where many couples would have struggled to spend so much time together, not them, they enjoyed every minute. Daphne still managed to do a bit of work; she had a weekly column in one of the Scottish broadsheets therefore she was more than happy. Their two children had accomplished what they had set out to do and , for Daphne, life was perfect.