“Yeah,” Olivier agreed, as he sipped his coffee. “I’ve also been thinking about what Louise said. I think Isabel may well be a disturbed character. I mean not in exactly the same way as Simon. But she certainly doesn’t care about anyone apart from herself.”
“Maybe,” Beth nodded. “From what you’ve told me her behaviour certainly puts her somewhere on the scale.”
“Well, what I’ve learnt from all of this is that you can’t change some people so you have to concentrate on changing yourself,” Olivier said thoughtfully. “And that is where I have been going wrong all my life. I have to finally accept I can’t change Isabel and move on.”
“Yep,” Beth replied slowly. “And I’ve worried too much about what other people think. I just have to live for me now and not have all these regrets. I mean it was not my fault I got ill and my brother died. And as for what Richard and Simon did. I cannot take responsibility for it or change the outcomes either.”
“Did you ask Julian if he was related to Simon Fallow?” Olivier asked, as he pushed his sunglasses up onto his forehead.
“I did,” Beth answered. “He’s his son from the first of three marriages, which possibly explains why he is such a bastard. He told me that Simon lives in Whitby, just as we thought, and has made a lot of money from care homes.”
“Do you believe Simon caused the fire?” Olivier asked.
“Who knows,” Beth replied shaking her head. “I just don’t want to waste any more of my life wondering about it.”
“I think that’s the right approach,” Olivier smiled. “I like to think of the last few weeks as extremely painful but at least you and I both learnt a lot.”
“Agreed,” Beth beamed. “And this is a perfect place to run away to and start to heal.”
“I’m glad you feel that way,” Olivier cried, as she sat up in his sun lounger. “That’s exactly how I feel too. I’ve really been so struck by how peaceful it is here. It’s like I’ve finally come home.”
Beth looked across at him. She wanted to tell him that was exactly how she felt too, and yet how could she? It was his home, not hers. So much about the place reminded her of Highlands but without the past.
As soon as she had entered the wooden doorway earlier in the day she had wanted to tell him that this is where she wanted to stay, forever.
“It does feel eerily peaceful,” Beth agreed quietly. “There is so much potential with this place. A lifetime’s work almost.”
“While you were taking a shower I wrote this,” Olivier said, suddenly getting a piece of paper out of his pocket and handing it to her. “I’ve never written poetry before but being in this place with you in these golden moments of Easter inspired me to write it.”
“How lovely,” Beth exclaimed, trying not to look too shocked. “Will you read it to me?”
“Yes,” Olivier nodded, taking the piece of paper back. “But only if you promise to take it seriously.”
“Ok then,” Beth laughed slightly nervously, as she slipped down the length of her sun lounger and closed her eyes.
“I wrote it in French,” Olivier said as he walked over to the old herb garden and slowly started to read.
The Golden Vale
I stand in the courtyard of my youth
Nothing changed for those who chose to remain
Looking out across the golden vale
I feel a breeze surge over me
Flooding my mind with memories long since buried
I stand and smell the wood burning in the hearth
Hear familiar faces joyous in the fields
Reach out and touch this edifice which was my home
Suddenly I hear music and light
I walk slowing on a journey into eternity
A journey which starts where I began …
“That’s beautiful,” Beth said when he had finished reciting it. “It sounds like you really feel like you you’ve found a place where you will be forever.”
“Yes,” Olivier said. “But I’ve not finished reading yet. Come into the water with me.”
“What do you mean?” Beth said, her heart going into her mouth as she sat bolt upright.
“I want you to come into the swimming pool with me,” Olivier repeated as he walked towards her, taking his shirt and trousers off as he spoke.
Despite the perfection of his nude body Beth’s prime emotion was fear of the water. She hadn’t ever been in a swimming pool because of what had happened to Alistair and certainly couldn’t swim.
“Come on you can do this with me,” Olivier urged, as he took her hand and led her to the edge of the pool. “I will only finish the poem if you come into the water with me.”
“Why are you asking me to do this when you know I hate water because of what happened to Alistair?” Beth protested, as the sunlight shone into her eyes and an acidic tasting panic rose from her stomach into her mouth. “Please just finish it now.”
“No,” Olivier said firmly. “You have to trust me and I have to trust you. I will be by your side every step but I want you to be in the water with me. You have to learn to trust people again. And if you come into the water with me it means you trust me.”
“Ok,” Beth replied trembling. “I hope the ending is a good one?”
“I think it is,” Olivier smiled. “It could be life-changing.” And as he spoke he started to undress her, taking in every part of her body as he led her into the water.
“Come on Beth,” Olivier said tenderly. “You have to believe you can do this. When we get to the middle I will finish the poem.”
As Beth walked through the blue shimmering water holding Olivier’s hand she felt oddly safer than she had ever felt in her life. She no longer felt the intense sick feeling of fear but instead she felt a new sensation of a joyous rebirth.
As they got to the middle of the old swimming pool Olivier turned towards her taking both of her hands in his and finally spoke to her in French.
“This is my home but I want it to be yours as well,” Olivier said calmly. “I want you to be the one with whom I walk to eternity with. What do you say?”
“I say YES,” Beth shrieked, jumping up and down in the water, no longer afraid of what it could do to her. And as soon as she answered his question, Olivier took her in his arms and kissed her for what felt like hours, their naked bodies ecstatic to have finally found each other in a world that had almost destroyed them.
And when they had finished kissing they rolled over in the water with their faces to the sun, the water peaceful and cooling, the beautiful dream which she had started to have in London had finally become Beth’s new reality. This twin was never going to be left alone in the water. Finally she was swimming home.
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The Family Affair Page 14