The Angel Tree

by Lucinda Riley

  But Cheska had already got up and was at the door, turning the handle. Before either of them could react fast enough to stop her, she was through it and gone. Running after her along the corridor, David saw her disappearing out of the stage door and into the night. Outside in the busy street a few seconds later David looked left and right but could see no sign of her.

  ‘Damn it!’ he berated himself. He should never have let her go. He’d just have to hope she returned to the Savoy. Deciding he’d take a taxi there straight away in case Cheska tried to pack and leave in a hurry, he hailed one and climbed inside.

  When the cab arrived at the hotel, David climbed out and tipped the doorman. As an afterthought, he turned back to him. ‘I was just wondering if you saw my niece, Cheska Hammond, leave the hotel earlier tonight? And whether she’s returned yet?’

  The doorman knew David of old. ‘As a matter of fact, sir, she came out of the hotel at about half past six and asked me to hail her a cab. I got it for her, but then she must have changed her mind, because I saw her walking up towards the Strand. I presumed she’d seen somebody she knew. I remember, because it was just before that nasty accident at the traffic lights. The cabbie I’d hailed was very put out, as he was stuck here with no fare for a good half an hour before the road was unblocked. And I haven’t seen her come back yet, sir.’

  ‘Thanks,’ David said, pressing another note into his hand. Inside, he walked over to reception and explained he was meant to be meeting his niece, Miss Hammond, in her suite, but that she hadn’t yet returned. ‘Would you kindly let me in so that I can wait for her in comfort? She might be some time.’

  ‘We wouldn’t usually, sir, but seeing as it’s you, I’m sure it will be all right. Let me just check with the manager.’

  David waited by the desk impatiently, reeling at what the doorman had just told him. He definitely needed to speak to both Ava and Simon tomorrow, but if Cheska had seen them together outside the hotel . . .

  He managed a smile of gratitude when the receptionist confirmed that the manager would allow him into Cheska’s suite.

  He wandered through the exquisitely furnished rooms, noticing the many carrier bags from Harrods and various designer stores sitting unopened in the dressing room. God only knew how much the suite was costing and what Cheska had spent so far. He was all too painfully aware of how she was funding her excesses.

  Longing for a shower but not wanting to be taken unawares by a returning Cheska, David poured himself a stiff whisky and sat down to wait.

  53

  Greta was fast asleep when she heard the doorbell ring. Switching on the light, she saw it was almost midnight. When it rang again, fear coursed through her. Who on earth could it be at this time of night? The bell rang again, and again, and then whoever it was began hammering loudly on the door. Putting on her robe, she tiptoed nervously towards the front door.

  ‘Mother, it’s me, Cheska! Let me in! Please let me in.’

  Greta froze in shock. This was the daughter David had told her about, who she hadn’t seen for many years, because she was off in Hollywood being a star on the television.

  ‘Please, Mummy, open the door. I—’ Greta heard a loud sob. ‘I’ve come back home.’

  A tremor of sudden terror made its way up Greta’s spine.

  ‘Mummy, please, I beg you. It’s your little girl here, and I need you. I need you, Mummy . . .’ There were more sobs, and Greta stood paralysed, torn between the irrational fear she felt, the horror of her neighbours being disturbed and her fascination that this daughter she’d been told she had was now outside her front door.

  As the sobbing got louder, the neighbours won. Greta walked towards the door and undid every lock except for the chain that would hold it fast, checking through the opening that this really was Cheska.

  ‘Hello? Cheska?’ Greta peered through the gap in the door, but could see nobody.

  ‘I’m down here, Mummy, sitting on the floor. I’m too tired to get up. Please let me in.’

  She peered round then and saw a blonde woman who she recognised immediately from the television. Taking a deep breath, Greta unlocked the chain and opened the door slowly. Cheska, who’d been leaning against it, almost fell into the apartment.

  ‘Mummy! Oh Mummy, I love you. Come and give me a big hug like you used to. Please.’ Cheska held out her arms and Greta caught them. She almost dragged her inside, then closed the door behind them and relocked it. The good news was that Cheska didn’t look scary at all. In fact, she looked the opposite: like a sad, frightened little girl.

  ‘Please hug me, Mummy. Nobody loves Cheska, you see, nobody loves me.’

  Greta stood awkwardly above her, wanting to feel or hear or see some memory of this daughter she had apparently brought into the world. And, according to David, had brought up and loved until Cheska went off to Hollywood whilst she was in hospital after her accident.

  She’d often wondered why her daughter had never come to visit her or contacted her. As she stared down at the woman, she only wished that the feelings which had once been there for Cheska would suddenly reignite now she was here in front of her. But just as with David when she’d first opened her eyes and seen him, looking at Cheska was like seeing a stranger. She did as she was asked anyway, and knelt down to take Cheska in her arms.

  ‘Mummy, oh Mummy . . . I need you. You’ll keep me safe, won’t you? Don’t let them take me away, please.’

  All Greta could do was listen as Cheska babbled on. It was odd to have a grown woman the same size as she was sitting on her knee behaving like a child. But then, Greta supposed, maybe this was what motherhood was like.

  After a while, she quietly suggested that they move from the floor in the hall to the sitting room.

  ‘Maybe you need something to eat? Or a cup of Horlicks? I like that at night.’

  ‘Mummy, I know you do. We used to have one together, remember?’ said Cheska, as Greta settled her on the sofa.

  ‘Of course I do,’ Greta lied, and, seeing Cheska was shivering, she fetched a blanket from a cupboard and put it around her.

  ‘And what about those sandwiches you used to make me when I came home late from a night shoot? What was it . . . ? Yes! Marmite. I used to love those.’

  ‘Did you?’ Greta asked her uncertainly. ‘Well, I’ll make some for you now if you like.’

  Greta went into the kitchen, amazed that Cheska didn’t seem to know she couldn’t remember anything. Well, she’d just have to pretend. As she switched the kettle on, another shudder of fear crept up on her, but she dismissed it. This woman was her daughter, and no threat to her whatsoever.

  Cheska ate the Marmite sandwiches and drank the Horlicks, and then Greta suggested it was time for them both to go to bed, as it was one o’clock in the morning.

  ‘Can I sleep with you, Mummy, like we used to? I don’t want to be alone. I have bad dreams . . .’

  ‘Everyone does, but if you want to sleep with me, that’s fine. I’ll get you something to wear, as you haven’t brought anything with you.’

  Greta went to her wardrobe and pulled out a nightgown, wishing she could tell David that Cheska was finally here with her. She thought how strange it would be to sleep in a bed with a grown-up female stranger, but it was nice to have someone to look after, someone who seemed to need her.

  Once Cheska had changed, they both climbed into bed.

  ‘This is so wonderful. I feel safe here. I think I can sleep.’

  ‘Good. You look very tired, so you probably need to.’

  ‘Yes. Goodnight, Mummy.’ Cheska reached over and planted a kiss on Greta’s cheek. ‘Sleep tight.’

  Greta switched off the light and lay in the darkness, listening to her daughter’s steady breathing. She touched her cheek where Cheska had kissed it and tears sprang to her eyes.

  Simon was already at Ava’s bedside when David arrived at the hospital the following morning.

  ‘Hello, Uncle David. The doctor says I’m fine and I can go home,�
� Ava said, giving him a kiss. ‘You two have met before, haven’t you?’

  ‘Yes,’ said Simon, exchanging an ironic glance with David.

  ‘At LJ’s party, and last night at the theatre?’ she prompted.

  ‘Yes,’ confirmed David.

  ‘So where’s LJ?’ Ava looked at both of them.

  ‘Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to ask your mother,’ said David. ‘She didn’t go back to the Savoy last night.’

  ‘Oh God.’ Ava put her head in her hands. ‘So now we have two missing people.’

  ‘David, have you seen this?’ Simon said, handing him a copy of the Daily Mail.

  David looked at the front cover and was stunned to see a big photograph of Cheska looking particularly glamorous, her arms folded around an uncomfortable-looking Ava.

  Gigi’s Lost Daughter: The heartbreaking story of how world-famous soap star Cheska Hammond came back to England after eighteen years in search of the baby she’d left behind. FULL STORY ON PAGE 3.

  David turned to page three.

  Cheska Hammond, once the biggest box-office draw in England, and more recently achieving worldwide fame as Gigi in The Oil Barons, has returned to England to stay. And the story behind why she has come back is more poignant than any film she has ever starred in.

  I met Cheska in her suite at the Savoy. As stunning in the flesh as on screen, yet with a delicacy and vulnerability that make her seem little older than the child she has come home to care for, Cheska told me her compelling story.

  ‘I was fifteen when I discovered I was pregnant. I guess I was very naive and was taken advantage of by an older man [she still refuses to name the father]. Of course, my career at the time was going really well. I’d just made Please, Sir, I Love You, and Hollywood was beckoning. I could have done what a lot of girls in my position did and had an abortion, even though it was illegal at the time.’

  Cheska’s lips tremble at the memory and tears come into her eyes. ‘I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t kill my baby. I’d made a terrible mistake, but it was my responsibility and I couldn’t murder a tiny, innocent thing because of a stupid error I’d made. Then my mother was horribly injured in a road accident and I suppose that made me even more determined to have my baby. So I went into hiding while I was pregnant and it was arranged after she was born that my aunt should care for Ava. If the studio in Hollywood had found out about her, my career would have been ruined and I would have been unable to support my child.’ Cheska pauses for breath, choking back the tears. ‘I left her in Wales in a beautiful house in the countryside, knowing she was in good hands. Of course, I sent every penny I could to help towards her upkeep . . .’

  Ava had already read it, so she sat quietly, watching David’s face for his reaction.

  ‘. . . I was always writing to my aunt, asking if she wanted to send Ava out to Los Angeles on a holiday to see how she’d like it, but my aunt was never very keen. Of course, I understood why. It would have been very unsettling for a small child. So, even though it broke my heart, I decided Ava was better off where she was. That was until I heard my aunt was seriously ill. I dropped everything and came back to care for both her and my baby. And this is where I intend to stay.’

  I watch Cheska put a hand gently on her daughter’s shoulder. Eighteen-year-old Ava, the image of her mother, smiles up at her. The bond between them is obvious. I ask Ava how she feels about her mother returning.

  ‘Wonderful. It’s wonderful that she’s back.’

  I ask her if she feels any bitterness towards her mother for leaving her for so long. Ava shakes her head. ‘No, not at all. I always knew she was there. She sent me some lovely presents and wrote me letters. I understand why she did what she did.’

  Then Cheska and I discuss her plans for the future. She shrugs. ‘Well, I hope to start working again as soon as I can. There may be a television series in the pipeline and I’d like to try my hand at theatre. That would be quite a challenge.’

  I ask her about the men in her life, and she looks shy and giggles. ‘Yes, there is someone, but I’d prefer not to talk about it just yet.’

  I say goodbye to the actress who was as famed in Hollywood for her high-spirited performances off the screen as those on it. From the calm, contented look of the woman who gazes at her daughter with obvious adoration, there is no doubt that motherhood has now matured and mellowed her. Welcome home, Cheska. We, like Ava, are glad to have you back.

  David finished reading and folded the newspaper firmly shut. He looked at Ava to gauge her feelings.

  ‘I nearly vomited all over the page when I read it. But I couldn’t, because then the doctor might have thought I was still sick and kept me here longer.’ She laughed weakly, doing her best to make light of it. ‘More importantly, where has Cheska gone? She wasn’t with you, was she, Simon?’

  ‘Of course not!’

  ‘I can confirm that,’ said David. ‘And I’m furious with Cheska for putting you through that.’ He pointed at the newspaper.

  ‘I begged her not to make me, but she’s very hard to refuse. I can’t tell you how weird she’s been these past few weeks.’ Ava shook her head in despair. ‘It seemed to get worse after she met you, Simon.’

  ‘Oh great, thanks.’ Simon gave her a smile, then turned to David. ‘But Ava’s right. Last night, when she was attacking me in my dressing room – sorry, Ava – I’m sure she said something about me being your father. Christ, how insane is that?’

  ‘Not quite as mad as it sounds, if Cheska believed you were her first love, Bobby Cross,’ David explained. ‘You do look very like him.’

  ‘Bobby Cross . . . Simon’s impersonating him in the musical he’s in at the moment, aren’t you?’ Ava added.

  ‘The plot thickens,’ muttered David. ‘Did Cheska come and see you in it?’

  ‘She was there on the opening night with Ava. I invited her when I met her at Marchmont. I’d given Ava a lift to Wales to see her great-aunt after she had the stroke. I was just being polite to Cheska, David, nothing more,’ he said pointedly.

  ‘Of course. And you weren’t to know about her past.’

  ‘Uncle David’ – Ava had been listening quietly – ‘was this Bobby Cross my father?’

  David paused before answering. ‘Yes, Ava, he was. I’m so sorry it’s me telling you and not your mother but, under the circumstances, it’s best you know, because it explains quite a lot. Poor Simon’s been the victim of a very confused and troubled mind. I’ll never forgive myself for leaving you. What a mess. I’m so sorry.’

  ‘Don’t be silly, Uncle David. The most important thing now is to find my mother.’ Ava was reeling from what he’d said but decided she would give herself time to think about it once Cheska and LJ had been found. ‘When did you last see her?’

  ‘In Simon’s dressing room. I managed to calm her down and was sorting Simon out when she bolted for the door and ran off before I could catch her. Have you any idea where she might have gone?’

  ‘No, but . . . I’ve been very upset in the past few weeks. And all I’ve wanted to do is run to LJ. Where would my mother’s safe place be?’

  ‘I have absolutely no idea. You?’ David looked at Simon.

  ‘I barely know the woman. She can’t go back to Marchmont, so where would home be for her if it wasn’t there?’

  ‘Doesn’t Granny still live in the same Mayfair apartment Cheska grew up in?’ asked Ava.

  ‘Greta? But Cheska hasn’t been near her mother since the accident,’ said David.

  ‘Still, where else would she run?’ Ava shrugged.

  ‘Ava, do you know, you might just be right. Simon, can I leave you here to take care of Ava?’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘Where will you two go?’ David asked as he rose to leave.

  ‘I’m taking Ava to my place of safety, in other words my unsanitary bedsit in Swiss Cottage.’ He smiled. ‘Let me write down my telephone number for you.’

  David thanked him, kissed Ava and left, sa
ying he’d be in touch with any news.

  ‘Simon?’ Ava said quietly.

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘You know you just said you were taking me to your home when I left here?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Well, actually, I need to go to mine. Can you possibly drive me to Marchmont later on, after your performance?’

  ‘Of course, if you’re sure you’re up to it.’

  ‘I am. I have to be. Oh God.’ All Ava’s reserve cracked suddenly and tears filled her eyes. ‘It’s all so dreadful! Sorry,’ she muttered, embarrassed.

  ‘Ava, you don’t need to be sorry. You’ve had a terrible time,’ said Simon, taking her in his arms and holding her as she sobbed.

  ‘I just . . . promise me that I never have to go anywhere near Cheska again. She’s completely mad, Simon. And I’ve been so frightened because I haven’t known what to do.’

  ‘I promise. Your uncle’s back now, and he’ll sort everything out, I’m sure. And later, as long as you’re well enough, I’ll drive you to Wales and we’ll find LJ, I swear.’

  ‘Thank you, Simon. You’ve been wonderful.’

  ‘So have you. You’re amazing, Ava, really,’ he murmured in admiration, and stroked her soft blonde hair.

  54

  David knocked on the door of Greta’s apartment. As usual, Greta peered out from behind the chain, saw who it was and gave him a big smile of welcome as she undid it and opened the door.

  ‘David, what a surprise! I thought you weren’t home for a couple of months yet.’

  ‘Well, circumstances have changed. How are you?’

  ‘I’m fine,’ she said, as she always did. ‘As a matter of fact, I’m rather glad you’re here. I have a guest. She arrived last night in the early hours and we need to be quiet’ – Greta lowered her voice as she led him into the sitting room – ‘because she’s still sleeping.’