by Nikki Ashton
“Has he?” Niall asked, looking back out to the cold, green sea once more.
“No, he wouldn’t, but unfortunately, he hasn’t had the opportunity to give his side to the story. He wouldn’t anyway; not ever.” Charlotte emphasised, referring to Grant’s ridiculous barb that she had, in fact, slept with her friend’s husband. “He’s spent nearly every day for the past month looking for her. He's desperate without her. The sad thing is I had a letter from her, and she’s broken hearted about him too.”
Charlotte’s eyes filled with tears, she had been so wrapped up in her own problems that she hadn’t given Kerry a thought for the last couple of days.
“That’s deadly sad,” whispered Niall, noticing the unshed tears. “How can two people love each other, let circumstances separate them like that?”
Charlotte wanted to scream at him, making him realised that was exactly what he was doing; lies and circumstances were keeping them apart. She didn’t though, because she knew that it was useless, and she was tired of the whole thing anyway; it was much easier, and less tiring talking about other people’s problems.
“How is your family?” she asked, trying to lighten the mood. “Has your mum been over recently?”
Niall shook his head. “No, although she’s coming for… she’s coming over in March I think.”
Charlotte pretended not to notice the quick change of track. “That will be nice for you, and her.”
“Yes, I can’t wait to see her. I just heard yesterday that one of my little sisters, Helena, is getting engaged. It worries me a bit, sure they are only nineteen, and I don’t think that Declan has a steady job, he works for one of those agencies.” A frown became etched on his brow, merely adding to his sexiness.
Charlotte nodded and gently rubbed his arm, trying to ignore the thrill that ran through her body at touching him. “I can understand your worry, but you have to let her make her own mistakes in life; anyway, it may not be a mistake, they could be exactly right for each other. I wish my little brother would settle down, well I say little he’s recently turned twenty-six actually.”
“He’s still your little brother though, not your fiancé.” Niall grinned at her.
Charlotte blushed remembering that Niall had already met Tom. “Erm, yes and still a pain in the arse most of the time, but I still love him and worry about him. I also have a sister Amanda. She's older than me. She's married with a little boy Archie. He's nearly six now and just started school. Actually, I think that they are trying for another one; they won’t go out on certain nights during the month, but then you can never get a reply on the telephone, and if you do whoever answers is always breathless.”
Niall laughed loudly, and reached across to take Charlotte’s hand, his touch sending shivers down her spine.
“Yer do make me laugh Charlotte. Come on lets go for a walk to get rid of some of those chips lying heavy in yer belly.”
Niall pulled her up from the deckchair and walked off along the shingle beach. He kept hold of Charlotte’s hand for a few seconds and then casually dropped it, putting his own hand deep inside his jean's pocket.
It was getting dark outside and growing much colder now, and as Kerry closed the thin curtains on the gloominess, she looked forward to being in the comfort of her own home very soon. Tomorrow she would be going home. It was the best decision she had made in months. As well as wanting to put things right with everyone her decision to go home had a lot to do with Esme shouting “Daddy” at the radio as a male DJ had started to speak when they were listening to it earlier in the week. Kerry realised that she wasn’t just punishing Kelvin by staying away, but also Esme; and if she was truthful this time away hadn’t really been that helpful. Yes, it had made her realise that there was a lot going on in her head that she needed help with, but as far as she and Kelvin were concerned, they were further apart than ever.
Nervous, yet excited, Kerry took the case from Esme’s room and started to pack. At first, everything was folded carefully, but within a few minutes, she was throwing things in haphazardly. Finally, at eight o’clock, with everything packed away, Kerry plonked herself down and heaved a sigh of relief.
The caravan had been her home for the last month, her safe haven, but now she didn’t need it, or want it anymore. It was time for her to go to bed ready for an early start. She would post the rent owing and the caravan keys through the farmhouse letter box tomorrow, and then she would be on her way home. As Kerry turned out the lights, she heard a car screaming to a halt in the yard, the door slammed followed by the house door opening and banging shut. Kerry froze on the spot, knowing instinctively that Owen was back. At first, she began to tremble, but she remembered that tomorrow she would be gone and would never have to see him again. Taking a deep breath, Kerry picked up her magazine and went through to her bedroom for her last night at the farm.
As the car pulled up the drive, Charlotte could see through the window that everyone had already started dinner. She watched animated, as silent conversations were carried on while the waiters moved around noiselessly, the candles flickering against the brightness of the wine glasses. She was so engrossed watching everyone she hadn’t noticed that Niall had turned the engine off and was watching her.
“What are yer thinking about?” he asked, touching her arm gently.
“Sorry, oh nothing really, just watching all of them go through their business, without seeming to have a care in the world. I envy them.”
Niall looked at her quizzically. “Why?”
“Well our situation isn’t really normal is it?”
Niall dropped his head and started to play with the buttons of his jacket. “Well, at least we are on speaking terms it will make business a lot easier.”
Charlotte gave a small sigh; it was obvious that Niall didn’t want to talk about things. “Yes it will, anyway we should go in before we miss dinner. Thanks for today, Niall, I’ve really enjoyed it.”
“It was only a walk along the beach, a few rides at the fun fair, a couple of games on the bingo and a jackpot on the slot machines. It's the least I could do for someone who has shown me their underwear a couple of times.”
Charlotte blushed as she thought of the day that she had hidden behind the bins, wet and dirty, showing her bra, and when she had fallen flat on her backside in the car park, that time giving Niall a glimpse of her knickers and stocking tops. Despite her embarrassment, Charlotte began to giggle.
“Not always the consummate professional am I?”
“Ah but I love you for it anyway.” Niall instinctively leaned across and kissed Charlotte gently. She started to pull back, but Niall grabbed hold of both her arms. “Charlotte please don’t make me stop.”
“But Niall we can’t, you said…”
“I know what I said, but if you were listening just, then you would have also heard me say I love you. A little clumsily I admit, but I do love you.” He stroked her face gently and looked deeply into her eyes.
“I thought that you hated me, you didn’t believe me.” Charlotte reached up and brushed her hair from her face.
“I didn’t say that I hated you. I’m so sorry, but I was just so hurt. I was willing to give up everything for you. I know I should have listened to your side, but Grant was so convincing. I know now that he was lying.” Niall dropped his head, ashamed that he had let Grant spoil things for them both.
“How do you know?” Charlotte asked, feeling slight elation that she had been proved right.
“He admitted to a mutual friend that he lied, to save me from a fate worse than death apparently. I can’t apologise enough. I truly am pig sick about it all.” Niall rubbed his hand through his wind-swept hair.
Charlotte leaned over and hugged him tightly. “Don’t worry, it’s going to be alright. We could start again, make a fresh go of it. No more lies, no more Grant.”
Niall lifted his head and gently pushed her away, holding Charlotte at arm’s length.
“You don’t know how much I want you,
to be with you all the time. I presume that you know of the wedding?” Charlotte nodded solemnly. “I wish I could cancel it, but I can’t.” Niall’s eyes were now filled with tears, as the pain in his heart began to grow stronger.
“Why, lots of people call off their wedding?” Charlotte had a feeling of dread, after everything she knew that still wasn’t going to happen.
“I can’t sweetheart. I don’t know how to say this except come straight out with it; she’s pregnant, and well, me being a good honourable Catholic boy…”
Charlotte shrank back and leaned against the cold window, trying desperately not to cry.
“Oh I see,” she whispered. And she did see she knew how hard it would be for a good Catholic boy to call off the wedding to his pregnant boss; it was impossible. “How, I mean I know about the birds and bees, but I got the impression that you were a pretty careful sort of person.”
“Ingrid reckons that the condom must have split. It must have been the night that I saw you in Paul’s office. Since I met you, we haven’t exactly had a full relationship, and that night was the one and only time. I was demented and almost grabbed you and ran away there and then sod what supposedly had gone on.” Niall hung his head as he continued. “But I didn’t, did I? I went home and got absolutely plastered. To be honest I’m not sure how I managed it, but I did and even committed the most heinous of crimes; I called out your name at the crucial moment.”
Despite their sadness and despair, they both laughed. Niall reached out and pulled Charlotte into his broad chest. She inhaled his odour and closing her eyes imagined that this wasn’t happening. If she blocked everything out she could believe that they were happy with each other, having a life together. She lifted her head and looked up at Niall.
“What next?” Charlotte whispered.
“I don’t know, you know that I can’t change the wedding. The thing is Charlotte no matter how much I wish that this wasn’t happening, I have to marry her. It’s not just the thing about my religion, I can’t end up like my da.”
Charlotte looked puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“He left Ma so many times that I’ve lost count. Then when his latest lady friend kicked him out he’d come crawling back. Like a fool, Ma would have him. Nearly every time he would get her pregnant, then when the baby was a few months old he’d bugger off again. Do you know my youngest two sisters, Julia and Helena the twins, didn’t even know that families had a father until they were about four, and he turned up one day? He didn’t stay long that time, about two months I think. I was sixteen then, six feet tall and had started going to the gym’. I wasn’t scared of him anymore.” Niall’s angry eyes were brimming with tears as he recalled his childhood. “I remember on my twelfth birthday, when ma was heavily pregnant with the twins, he hit her in the stomach, so I went for him with a rolling pin. I’ll never forget the beating that he gave me; I was black and blue. Siobhan, who was ten at the time, took Clara and Francine next door, in case he started on them. Half the neighbourhood could hear me crying and Ma screaming at him to let me go, but not one of them came to help. Do you know that over the years, he has left my mother with six kids, two broken arms, four cracked ribs and a perforated ear-drum, yet the thing that she hates him for the most is not being there for his kids?" Niall shook his head despairingly. “You see now why I have to go through with it. Most of my life I’ve had to be responsible, and I can’t change, and I certainly don’t want my ma to think that I’ve turned out like that bastard; a good for nothing, weak, selfish man who abandons his children.”
They sat in silence staring at each other. Charlotte trying to take in everything that Niall had told her felt a deep ache in the middle of her chest. She felt extremely sad for him. Her own father was a wonderful man, who loved his wife and children beyond words, so she couldn’t comprehend that Niall’s father could be so different. Niall spoke softly in the darkness.
“Charlotte, I know one thing for definite in my heart. I love you.”
Charlotte could hardly catch her breath. They were the words that she had been longing for, but in the great scheme of things, they meant nothing. Her breath quivered as she fought to find the words.
“N-N-Niall, if we can’t be together I’ll have to cope with that, my hearts broken anyway. I’m going to suggest something now that could make me feel worse in the long run, almost like cutting my own wrists.”
“What, what is it that you are going to say?” Niall asked, placing a tender hand on her cheek.
“You may not want to, a good Catholic boy like you.” An empty laugh tinkled in the air as tears careered down her face. “I know I’m going to feel like shit afterwards, but why don’t we just spend one night together. I sound like a tart I know, and I would never normally proposition someone else’s man, despite what Grant may say, but I love you and have never loved anyone like I love you. You’ve got inside my head and my heart, and I can’t imagine spending the rest of my life without ever having made love with you.” Charlotte finished with a loud sob.
Niall moved towards her and tenderly kissed the salty tears from her cheeks. “You know that you have battered my head Miss Price, and my bloody heart as well. The feelings I have for you are one hundred times stronger than those I’ve ever had before. When I wake up in the morning I’m thinking about you, when I sleep at night I dream about you, yet some other woman is going to have my child and you have to understand that I can’t ignore that,” he paused, taking a deep breath before he could carry on. “I know that we are meant to be together, but cupid hasn’t come around to our way of thinking yet. Charlotte, I know that we only met a few months ago, but I feel like I’ve known you all my life, you’re the girl I always dreamed of. You know I think I loved you almost from the moment we met. I will always love you, will always wonder where you are and what you are doing, my heart will always ache for you, and so I think that one night together is the least we deserve.”
Niall held Charlotte against him, not wanting to let her go, finally after a few minutes, he held her away from his sodden chest.
“Shall we skip dinner then, or would madam like room service?” he asked.
Charlotte smiled, and started to wipe away the tears from her face. “I’m not really hungry, for food anyway, so perhaps room service would be a good idea,” she giggled. “Hang on a minute though, we will have to sneak past Frank and Margaret first. She'll be waiting for our essay on the day that we had at the seaside.”
Niall kissed the top of her head, before ruffling her hair.
“I’ll don’t think that they’ll mind somehow. This is going to be our one night together, a night that has got to last us a lifetime.” Niall sighed heavily.
“You’re right this is our time, and I don’t want to waste a minute of it.”
They got out of the car and together walked back to the hotel, skirting the entrance door and heading toward the back, where Niall was convinced there would be a rear entrance. He was right; overlooking the gardens was a small lounge area with French doors leading into it. Off the lounge were stairs that Niall and Charlotte climbed to get back to their rooms.
As they reached their landing, Niall suddenly realised that they didn’t have a key to either of the rooms. After some playful arguing, they agreed that Niall would go back to reception to retrieve both keys. Charlotte waited impatiently for about ten minutes, tapping her foot rapidly. Just as she was about to go and find him, Niall appeared from out of the lift.
“What took you so long?” she asked, having to stop herself from dragging Niall’s clothes from his back, right there in the corridor.
Niall thrust a key into her hand, and gently pushed Charlotte towards her door. “First the night porter wouldn’t give me your key as well as mine, until I convinced him with a crisp ten-pound note that I wasn’t a burglar. Then Frank spotted me, but I gave him a big wink, that thankfully he understood, and he guided Margaret past me without a word. I was on my way back to the lift when Luca came out of the dining r
oom wanting to know why I hadn’t been for dinner, and did I know where the beautiful Miss Price was. And that,” he sighed pushing Charlotte through the door, “is why it took me so long.” As they entered the room, Niall gasped and looked around him. “Very nice,” he whispered.
“Courtesy of Paul, isn’t yours like this?” Charlotte asked, grinning at him.
“Similar, although I don’t have a four-poster bed,” he said, bouncing up and down on the mattress, “so I reckon this should be where hide out for a while, what do you think?” Niall stood up, and walked over to Charlotte. He pulled her to him, and kissed her passionately, until they both needed to draw breath.
“Well I am impressed Mr Devine, that was better than I remember it, but I reckon that you could do with a nice long shower.”
Niall smiled at Charlotte like a naughty boy, as he took his jacket off then helped Charlotte with hers.
“I reckon you could be right.”
Chapter 33
Kerry had not been sleeping for long when a sound in the living area woke her. At least, she thought that she had heard something, but when she held her breath for a few seconds to double check, she heard nothing, so slipped back down beneath the duvet.
She had just started to drop off again when the bedroom door was flung open. Kerry reached across to turn the lamp on, but couldn’t get to it. Her heart was pumping fast as she tried to focus, just making out a dark figure at the doorway. She opened her mouth to scream, but just like a reoccurring nightmare; nothing came out. Her immediate thoughts were for Esme asleep in the next room. The thought of the intruder hurting her baby was too much to handle; she had to get help. Kerry tried to scramble out of bed, thinking that maybe she could push past the figure and run for help, but the faster she tried to pull her legs free the more they got tangled in the duvet.