Her family name was indeed a currency in itself... in the right circles. However, unwittingly thrust into a society that has scant regard for gentry without money, was a burden seemingly no human being could tolerate or recover from. Tess resolved to try and talk sense into Katrina before it was too late and slip back aboard the Riviera before they gave up searching for her and left port, sentencing Katrina to an unfamiliar, unfriendly world and a life of certain misery.
Lying on her bed and facing the window, Katrina fell deep in thought. It had only been a day and a half since they had absconded from the Riviera, and the world of the commoner had dragged her spirit down. She had no idea people had to live like this and now she pined for her rightful life of nobility and privilege.
The door quietly opened to the hotel room and Tess entered, tiptoeing over to the corner of the bed, she spoke softly, “Lady Katrina, I wish you would reconsider your attempt at adventure. The life in common society is not for you. If we hurry, we may be able to catch the Riviera before they stop searching for us and she leaves port. The discipline of your father is a small price to pay for the life that is rightfully your future.”
Her lady-in-waiting’s ardent speech was exactly what Katrina had been thinking. She rolled over on the bed to face Tess, her face displaying her emotions and her fear. “Maybe you are right, Tess. This has been a shock to me to see how people are forced to live. I am fully convinced that I could not cast off my life and adopt the life of adventure as a common woman.”
Tess moved swiftly to pack up the small case of belongings the two women had brought along, before her young charge's sense clouded and she reverted back to a notion of nonsense. “Quickly, my lady, let us get ready to walk briskly down to the dock. I will pay the hotelier on the way out and then we can board the Riviera and face whatever punishment that awaits us,” Tess urged, preparing herself and Katrina for the beating that was sure to follow at the duke's hand.
Katrina’s face lit up and an urgency to escape the world she had so carelessly fallen upon crossed her features. “You are right, Tess,” she confided. “I don’t belong here and my father will be searching feverishly to find me.” Katrina smiled at the thought of her father’s relief when she returned. She convinced herself that it would be a joyous reunion and his arms would be open to greet her.
*~*~*~*
Gustav politely made conversation with the lady on the opposite side of the counter as he calculated her and her companion's account. She seemed to be in some kind of nervous hurry, answering his small talk with sharp, but courteous replies and kept glancing over her shoulder toward the door as if she was expecting to see someone.
“Have a good day, madam,” Gustav bid and handed her a receipt.
She nodded politely, scooped up the docket and hurried out the door to join her companion.
The two women walked anxiously down the road toward the dock, but it was hard to see exactly what ships were in port due to the amount of ships present. They entered the long dock area and walked down the crowded pier, searching each vessel in turn, with inappropriate stares and comments from the dock workers following the ladies as they walked. Unable to see their familiar vessel, Katrina began to panic as she became aware of their attention and hurried along to the next ship, but by the time they’d reached the far end of the dock, it had become evident that the Riviera was not there and had sailed without them.
The sudden realisation that her father had left her to her fate tore into Katrina’s heart and she felt faint. Just as Katrina’s emotions crumpled at the shock of his desertion and she was about to collapse on the dock, a large man broke her fall and gathered her effortlessly, like a rag doll, into his arms.
Tess panicked, staring and mouth agape at the close by scene with Katrina enfolded in a large man’s arms. Obviously she had fainted at the knowledge of her father’s decision to abandon her, but the expression on the man’s face suggested he was not completely comfortable with the situation either, and his gallant attempt at chivalry had left him with an armful of feminine vulnerability.
“What am I to do now, Mr Pike?" Desapo begged, obviously out of his depth.
Pike managed a small chuckle. “It seems the audacious and tenacious Mr Desapo can wrestle tigers and rescue hapless sailors, but when faced with a little feminine susceptibility, his courage turns a shade dubious.”
Tess found her tongue and approached the big man. “I..I am thankful for your intervention in rescuing my... friend, sir,” she offered, hoping Katrina would come around so they could make their escape.
“I suggest you take her up to my car, Mr Desapo, and allow her to regain her composure out of the scorching sun,” Pike urged.
Tess reluctantly agreed as she followed Pike and Desapo carrying the unconscious Katrina.
With one dilemma concluded and thrust involuntarily into another, Pike waved a grateful farewell to Mario as he finished washing down his boat after their misguided adventure out into the realms of Black Dean.
Arriving at Pike’s vehicle, Desapo deposited Katrina into the substantial back seat of the Cadillac and removed himself out of the way so Tess could apply her abilities in bringing Katrina around.
Pike and Desapo watched Tess fanning Katrina’s chalky face and soon the blood began to return to her features as Tess coaxed her out of her shock.
“What caused her to faint?” Desapo’s question struck at Tess harder than he anticipated.
Tess thought for a few seconds and having no idea who these men were and although they seemed gentlemanly, her natural inkling was one of distrust. “Um... we missed our ship and we appear to be stranded here,” Tess’ answer was as tactfully honest as she dared, without deliberately lying.
Desapo and Pike glanced at each other. These women didn’t look like the type to be taking idle journeys on their own.
Pike entered the conversation, “Where do you intend staying then, madam, until you can rejoin your ship?”
Tess began, as Katrina started to regain her composure, “We were staying at the Lightning Harbour Inn, sir. In fact, we had just left and were intent on rejoining our ship, but she’d sailed before we could gather ourselves.”
Pike glanced at the two ladies and from their appearance they were obviously of fine breeding, needing to be rescued from the rigours of the dock workers. “Mr Desapo is about to take a room at the same hotel. May I oblige and drive you all there, considering your friend’s plight?”
Tess appeared concerned at Pike’s offer, but then glanced at the struggling Katrina. “We would be very grateful for your kindness, sir.”
*~*~*~*
Chapter 23
Brett’s afternoon had been completely distracted, with his mind drifting between a myriad of planning meetings and interviews, constant people traffic in and out of his office, vexing phone calls and the copied document he had folded in his pocket. He wasn’t certain what had been said in any of those meetings or what people had asked him, with his mind constantly diverting back to the folded piece of paper and the implications of its contents. Smiley had offered to bury the evidence, allowing life to go on as usual. Although Brett had seriously considered Smiley’s option, he wanted no part conspiring against his wife in a crime she knew nothing about, deciding instead to opt for the risky course to expose the plot, yet he couldn’t help pondering the cost of such a decision. The results of Smiley’s detective work were hard enough for him to swallow, let alone how Becky would take it. The sweet image of his cherished wife kept sidling into his mind, intensifying the need for answers and he decided he needed answers... now!
Grabbing his suit jacket from behind his office chair, Brett threaded his arms through the armholes then harshly pulled open the office door. Jacqui glanced up at the sudden move, startled by Brett’s abrupt and determined emergence, pausing just long enough to give her instructions.
“I’ve got to go out for the rest of the afternoon, Jacqui. Please reschedule all of my appointments.”
; Jacqui’s jaw dropped. “Have you forgotten your appointment at 3 pm with Les Cargill, the managing director?”
A panicked memory toyed with Brett’s mind, weighing up the consequences of postponing a meeting with the big boss, but he conceded he had to go. “This is important, Jacqui, a matter of life and death,” Brett called as he headed for the lifts and out of the busy building.
Jacqui stared after Brett, dismayed and concerned, beginning to panic. People always acted weird after having lunch with Smiley, but that wouldn’t cut it with the managing director and it was up to her to smooth over the raging ripples for Brett with the most important man in the entire newspaper. Biting her fingernails, Jacqui fidgeted, What am I going to say to Les Cargill? I am sorry, Mr Cargill, but Brett had lunch with Smiley and now he has gone nuts and he can’t take your appointment... oh boy!” Running her fingers nervously through her long black hair, Jacqui apprehensively stared at the telephone and timidly began to dial Les Cargill’s number.
Brett’s heart was hammering as he drove his grey Kia into the driveway of the neat, brick and tile suburban house, noticing the front door was wide open, with the garden hose disappearing around the side of the building. Parking the Kia in the driveway and switching off the engine, Brett untangled himself from the driver seat. Just then, Mr Spock began a halfhearted bark from a pampered basket gracing the house’s porch, lazily announcing Brett’s arrival and alerting the occupants that someone had driven in.
Emma peered around the side of the building, her features erupting into a gentle smile as she recognised Brett and with a shout, called Mr Spock to cease his staccato barking. Turning off the hose, she made her way out to greet Brett with a welcome hug. “Brett, what are you doing here? Is Becky all right?”
“Arr... yes, she’s fine. Do you have a moment?” he pointed to the inside of the house.
Emma caught his troubled expression. “What is it, Brett? You look so grim. Can Jake join us?”
“I’ll explain in a moment and yes, Dad should join us, please. That would be appropriate.”
As Emma and Jacob sat opposite Brett on their lounge, they wondered at his troubled expression. “Please, Brett, this is awful. Tell us what’s happened!“ Emma’s face had turned ashen with the stress.
Brett reached into his suit pocket, his hand trembling as he retrieved the folded document copy. Staring at the paper in a bid to grasp what he was about to do, he unfurled the record, hesitating before handing the certificate across. Thinking for a moment, Smiley’s words kept haunting him. This could do a lot of good or this could destroy a close family.
Emma and Jake followed every move Brett made with concerned eyes, their heart rates responding with the tension developing in the room.
“I..I need you to take a look at this document copy and confirm it for me,” Brett stammered. This was harder than he expected and handed the document over to the older couple and waited for their response.
Emma read through the document, her eyes following each incriminating word, turning her face scarlet with the revelation. Peering over the paper and staring back at Brett, Emma placed her hand over her mouth in shock and whimpered brokenly.
Reading alongside his wife, Jake swallowed hard, knowing that as the man of the house he probably should say something, especially when Emma jumped up from her seat and turned away from the two men, obviously distraught.
The ruse of a happy family had just fallen apart.
“This is true. Becky is our adopted daughter,” Jacob confessed weakly.
Emma burst out sobbing, with the moment she had feared all of Becky’s life arriving like an angel of death.
“Why didn’t you tell her she was adopted?” Brett coerced. “Don’t you understand how this could affect her, thinking she has her happy life sorted out and knows exactly who she is and now, after twenty-eight years, she finds out that her life is a counterfeit. This may spark an identity crisis.”
Emma broke, like a dam bursting and tried to speak through raw emotion, but after a while she calmed, confessing all. “It was so difficult, Brett. After we were married, we got pregnant, only to lose five children one after the other. We buried five children after going full term! I couldn’t face burying another child, so we were advised to adopt. After three years of government prying into our finances, personal lives and police records, case workers finally matched us with a child after many false starts. That’s when beautiful Becky swept into our lives and I can still remember the day we brought her home. We both fell in love with little Becky and I tried to bring myself to tell Becky she was adopted, but each time I did, I could see in my mind someone coming to claim her and take her away. That would have killed me and torn out my heart, so I decided to keep it from her. I just wanted to be a mum. I’ve always only wanted to be a mum.”
Emma’s eyes were swimming and her nose was running, sobbing into her hands as she tried to explain, but it was obvious Smiley’s warning had claimed its first victim. Brett’s emotions were everywhere, his compassion alive for Emma and Jacob, but he knew there was an even bigger disturbance about to blow the roof off his stable home life.
Brett leaned back in the lounge and stared through the window, carefully considering his words before he eventually spoke. “I don’t think it is right for me to broach this subject with Becky. You need to tell her and you need to tell her soon. I’m not sure how she will react, but if it hit me hard, then I can imagine it will hit her harder.”
Jacob folded the paper in his hand, acknowledging Brett with a nod. ”Can we keep this?”
Brett studied the document for a second then nodded. The fallout had already begun from the first explosion and the next one would be even bigger.
“We’ll call her tonight and ask her to come over tomorrow. I agree we should have told her years ago,” Jacob whispered to the floor, blaming himself for the looming storm.
Brett could hear Emma’s wailing as he drove out of the driveway and headed for home, but he hadn’t gone too far when his mobile phone started ringing. He considered letting the irksome device ring out, but reconsidered and pulled the vehicle off the road and onto the verge. “Hello, Brett Redden.”
“G’day, Boss. How did it go?”
“Smiley, how did you know where I was and what I was doing?”
“Good snoops, Boss, always stay ahead of the news,” Smiley boasted.
Brett sighed heavily. ”They took it pretty bad and maybe you were right, Smiley. Maybe I should have just played along."
“Then you would have been an accomplice to the crime against Becky,” Smiley retorted, and he was making good sense.
“Yeah, you’re right again.”
“When are they going to tell Becky?” Smiley’s voice was low, feeling somewhat responsible for the crumbling walls of Brett’s family.
“Tomorrow, and if I am right, it will be first thing in the morning after a sleepless night for Emma and Jacob.”
*~*~*~*
The phone rang in the Redden household. With the evening meal over and the dishes done, Brett and Becky were just about to settle down and discuss their day's activities. Becky grimaced but then smiled at Brett, still enjoying the memory of a long hug and kiss they’d enjoyed when he’d arrived home early and surprised her.
“I’ll get it,” she huffed.
Brett listened to Becky’s voice, expecting to hear her affirm a meeting with her parents.
“Daddy...! Tomorrow morning...? No, I’m available... okay, I will see you then... love you too! Bye.”
*~*~*~*
Chapter 24
Squealing brakes indicated Pike’s Cadillac had reached its destination, rolling to a stop directly in front of the Lightning Harbour Inn. Katrina’s conscious, but empty gaze recognised the surrounds and with the shock of her father’s betrayal leaving her weak, she leaned against Tess’ shoulder for support, yet the thought of walking back into the scene of her folly just made her feel weaker.
What was to become of her no
w?
She didn’t recognise the two gentlemen riding in the front seat, or the vehicle, but it was certain something had transpired when she’d fainted, trusting Tess understood more of the situation than she. Tess seemed to have a degree of confidence directed toward the strangers but Katrina was too distraught to even care and when Pike disappeared into the inn and a great ruckus ensued, the three waiting passengers glanced to the hotel doors.
“Wallis, it is an unparagoned auspicious conviviality to excogitate on your magnanimous personality gracing our presence!” Gustav’s excitement bubbled over at the appearance of his friend Pike and continued bubbling out onto the footpath, holding the attention of Pike’s passengers.
“Exuberant greetings to you, too, my wonderful friend. Can I ask a favour of you?” Pike ventured, shaking the hand extended toward him.
Gustav’s face was a glow of joviality. “Ask, my friend, and it shall be yours!”
“I believe you have met Mr Desapo,” Pike ventured.
Gustav nodded enthusiastically and as Pike explained the situation, his face took on an admiring look. Pike described his near-death encounter with Black Dean and Desapo’s hand in his survival; the fact Desapo was a businessman and that Krueger had deliberately set him up in the flea bag; then the mishap on the dock with the lady missing her ship and fainting, closely followed by Desapo’s diligent catch. “So, as a personal kindness to me, would you take great care of my guests, please?!” Pike concluded.
“Of course, my friend! They will be treated like royalty,” Gustav assured.
Pike returned to the three people waiting in his car. “It is all taken care of and your rooms are ready. Would you follow me, please?”
Desapo pushed opened the vehicle’s front access, then stepped toward the back and opened the barrier for the two ladies. Pike, occupied with armfuls of baggage, walked inside the inn while Tess stepped out and then helped Katrina to her feet. However, Katrina went white and her knees buckled under her, once again ready to deposit her ladyship onto the sidewalk. Reading the situation accurately, Desapo intercepted her fall and took hold of Katrina to support her.