“You should’ve known I only have eyes for one girl, Jacqui,” Smiley reached over and kissed her cheek.
“Just make sure it stays that way, Mr Williams!” Jacqui teased and then reached for his hand.
Smiley’s demeanour changed and he spoke seriously, directly to Becky, “So, now you know how our week went. Did you sort anything out with your parents?”
Becky sighed. “In fact, I did. Let’s retire to the lounge chairs and get more comfortable and I will tell you all about it.”
“What about the dishes, Becky? I’ll give you a hand and we can clean up the mess. It’ll only take a moment,” Jacqui offered.
Becky placed her hand on Jacqui’s arm. “No, sweet lady. Brett will give me a hand in the morning. Won’t you, honey?” she glanced across at Brett and after their earlier game, he grinned mischievously back.
Becky brought in a pot of brewed coffee and cups, chased with a large bowl of individual chocolates and placed them in easy reach of the lounge chairs while the four adults sat comfortably in the apartment lounge room, facing each other.
Smiley took a sip of steaming coffee from his cup and peered over the rim at Becky as she settled in. “Well?” Smiley urged.
“Well,” Becky repeated, taking her seat next to Brett and folding her legs onto the lounge. “I decided to take your advice, going to see my parents and confronting them the next morning. I was really angry toward Mum for lying to me and to tell you the truth, I was thinking about cutting all contact with them for good.”
“So what changed your mind?” Smiley enquired, speaking over the rim of his cup while blowing on the hot liquid.
“It was when I saw Mum. She was a mess! You were right, Smiley, she’d all but shrivelled up under the suffering of that week and when I arrived, Mum was in bed and Dad was buzzing around me like I was about to explode. Eventually, she shuffled down the passageway holding a photograph album I’d never seen before and with a voice full of pain, she told me to have a look at the contents. There were pictures of me in every part of my childhood, but when I got to the last page and an envelope dropped to the floor, I picked it up with the intention of placing it back into the cover, however, Mum told me to open it.”
Becky paused for a moment, remembering the dreadful scene and pressed the back of her hand against her eyes, sniffing back the tears until she regained her composure. She smiled affectionately when Brett’s arm engulfed her shoulders, offering his support. “I’m sorry,” she trembled, heaving out a massive breath. “I removed the paper from the envelope, only to discover it was my original birth certificate. It had my birth date, my name as Rebecca Ellen Brown and my birth mother’s name as Evelyn Brown... I felt like I had been punched,” Becky sniffed again, pausing for composure.
“Mum started to cry and assumed that now I knew about Evelyn, I would spend all my time looking for her and never give Mum another thought. I know it sounds awful, but I was still feeling pretty angry at her and I just didn’t care if she was hurting. I asked her again what she knew about Contention Island and this girl called Katie, but the only thing she knew about my nightmares and the girl seemed to be coincidental with some kind of revelation or news of Evelyn Brown. It’s no wonder she freaked out, thinking Katie was an apparition of warning and that Evelyn would soon appear to claim me back, and that’s why my nightmares frightened her so much.”
The lounge room drifted into silence, trying to piece together the peculiar saga, but Smiley was elated for Becky, realising she’d already obtained more information over a short space of time than he’d managed throughout his own manic searching in the quest for his mother’s identity.
“So, how did it all end?” Smiley urged, his hope alive for Becky to find out more.
Becky searched the floor for a moment. “Well, the room was a mess of female emotions, then your little pep talk came back into my head.”
Smiley tilted his head, his eyes questioning.
“You know, the one about how they had suffered all my life. When I remembered your words, I saw Mum’s sufferings exactly how you had described it and the raw love she felt for me. My whole outlook changed in those seconds when I put the two together. I forgave them and now Mum even wants to help me find Evelyn.”
Jacqui’s eyes were moist as she tried to come to terms with Becky and her mum's reunion. She held Smiley’s hand tight and her love for him soared. He was a mass of contradictions that continued to surprise her.
“So, Smiley, you were right again,” Becky wiped the tears from her face with her hand.
“Are you going to search out Evelyn, Becky?” Smiley probed.
The room dropped into silence as all eyes focused on Becky, but it was a question Becky hadn’t given much thought too. “I... I guess, but I don’t have much to go on, Smiley, except maybe searching the phone book or the internet.”
Smiley’s face took on a pensive expression as super snoop went into newspaper mode. “Let’s see if we can tease this a bit and see what drops out. The first thing we can assume with Evelyn’s request for privacy... she doesn’t want to be found. That’s obvious by the note next to her name: mother’s identity confidential and if she’s gone to the trouble of shutting off any possibility of information, then we can surmise fairly confidently that Evelyn Brown isn’t her real name, thus making it nearly impossible to find a clue or a trace. As for searching the phone book or the internet, that will just have every nutter and fruit cake claiming to be Evelyn Brown and frustrating your quest, so short of a miracle, I wouldn’t even go there.”
Becky’s shoulders slumped at Smiley’s disclosure and she mumbled, “The chances of finding my birth mother are really slim, aren’t they?”
“You’ve got one thing in your favour, Becky, that I never had. You’ve got a name and a start, and one day, something may turn up out of the blue when you’re least expecting it. Take a page from my crazy book. You know I spent a good chunk of my life chasing a ghost, so if you can put Evelyn out of your mind, for the moment at least, and get on with the people who really love you, it will save you a lot of heartache. Trust me. By all means, check out Evelyn Brown, but I can almost guarantee it will lead to a dead end. When—and if—a lead turns up, then put your life on hold!”
Becky weakly nodded. “You’re preparing me for the inevitable, aren’t you, Smiley? What you’re really saying is I may never find my birth mother.”
Smiley sighed loudly. “I wish I could help you more, Becky, but until Evelyn Brown decides to give us a clue, we don’t have anything more to go on.”
*~*~*~*
Chapter 40
Neddy’s sharp whispered commands were taken in like a secret of great magnitude, with Gustav nodding in all the correct places.
“I have a singular stratagem, sir. I will extricate all personages from the soon-to-be abandoned banquet hall. They, of course, will abdicate their claim upon any portion of investment into the said—and quote—temporary office."
Neddy stared back at Gustav, flabbergasted. ”What?!”
“Of course, the only distraction to the stratagem would be meteorological. Whence a multitude of intendant personages may congregate inappropriately in the vestibule, spilling boorishly into the quote, unquote, temporary office."
“Look, Gustav, all I want is a telephone placed in the diner while no one is using it. I can then train the two ladies in the ways of shopping for supplies which we need to do our job on Black Dean.”
“Precisely, sir. Isn’t that what I have just extrapolated?”
Neddy stared at Gustav and shook his head in disbelief as the hotelier set about to organise the quote unquote... temporary office.
*~*~*~*
Tess and Katie were summoned from their room to attend their first training course, crudely conducted by the infamous Mr Parduck in the diner. Yet being so close to Tess, Neddy found it difficult to concentrate, and Tess blushed on occasion when Neddy met her eyes while explaining the intricacies of dealing with ardent supplie
rs. A list of merchants Neddy had put together lay upon the desk, with the phone numbers written underneath each one. Soon, the blank spaces beside traders’ names filled with costing figures and the description of the goods offered, as the women took it in turns to make contact and explain their needs. So far, Neddy was overjoyed with their success and how the women were coping with the pedantic suppliers and finding the correct information needed to estimate costs for the building of Black Dean Lighthouse. But as they approached the final name on the list, Neddy shuddered.... Hockeye Machinery.
Reuben Leichardt was a tough, no nonsense businessman who didn’t mince his words, being the greatest challenge for Tess and Katrina. Although Leichardt knew his stuff, he could be a mule of a man who didn’t suffer fools, discourteously abrupt in some cases, downright rude in others. Neddy himself had had run-ins with Leichardt, ending with Neddy throwing the phone into the cradle in disgust. Mr Parduck deliberately refrained from warning the women about Leichardt’s temperament, testing their ability to manage a difficult situation and Tess was the first to tackle him.
Feeling confident from a steady line of good natured conversations with previous merchants, she dialled the number. “Good morning, sir. My name is Tess and I am representing Parduck Stone Masonry... No! Parduck Stone Masonry!... Mr Edward Parduck! Well, he is..." Tess turned her head to meet Neddy’s gaze, her eyes round with shocked indignity, holding the phone six inches from her head. “He hung up on me and just before he did, he said he'd never heard of Parduck Stone Masonry.”
Neddy gritted his teeth, seething that the bigoted Leichardt was about to derail his whole plan, especially since Desapo had expressly contacted him and explained his good natured scheme. Neddy’s resolve was to ring the fool back and give him a piece of his mind, but then Neddy himself would give the game away.
“May I have a chance to connect with Mr Leichardt?” Katie asked nonchalantly.
Neddy smiled an unbelieving smile and glanced at the dark haired beauty’s determined stance, handing Katrina the phone, but then wondered whether he would have two injured ladies to contend with.
“Good morning, sir. My name is Katr..Katie. I represent Parduck Stone Masonry... I am not interested in whom you have just spoken to and I can assure you there will be consequences if you disconnect my conversation. I require certain items costed for our substantial undertaking here in Lightning Harbour. You will please be quiet and if you understand how to use a pen, copy down the following. If you require, I can spell the words for you.”
Katrina’s phone call ended once she'd finished, and Neddy stood with his mouth hanging open at her straightforward dealings. This girl was a natural and could rival anyone he’d seen in the past, including himself. Moments later, the phone rang, with Neddy staring at the jangling appliance in shock.
“Should I answer that, Mr Parduck?” Tess glanced at Neddy uncertainly.
He motioned with a nod and Tess compliantly reached for the receiver. "Good morning, Tess speaking. Yes, I am the one you hung up on, Mr Leichardt... Accepted, sir... Yes, she is close by... One moment...” Tess handed the phone to Katie.
After Leichardt’s unabashed attempt at flattery and a long, unimpressed pause from Katie, she began to scribble on the piece of paper next to Leichardt’s name. “Thank you, Mr Leichardt... I will, sir... yes, yes, if I require further information. Good day.” Katrina placed the phone back down on the cradle and shot Neddy a glance. “What’s our next assignment, Mr Parduck?” Katrina enquired with a confident smile.
*~*~*~*
After the long day Neddy was exhausted, although being so close to Tess was a reward he coveted and was keen for any opportunity to repeat the situation. When she was close, he found it difficult to think and had to concentrate hard teaching her and Katie the ropes of the stonemason’s industry. That evening as he entered the diner, Tess eagerly invited him to join them for dinner, but Neddy had to reluctantly excuse himself early when Desapo required a private meeting in his room, finalising the estimate for building Black Dean’s unscrupulous lighthouse. This would be a long night.
Neddy lay on his bed with the curtains pulled open, allowing him to gaze through the window and into the star-laden night sky while he waited for Desapo. A gentle breeze teased the curtain through the open window as several meteorites streaked across the darkness, putting on a grand display as they burnt up in the thickening atmosphere. Neddy’s mind kept replaying Tess’ every move and her ladylike laughter, but Katie’s conversation with Leichardt competed for attention, surprising him how the slender beauty could intimidate the gruffest villain. Katie was an attractive woman, there was no doubt about it, but he liked his women sweet and not spirited like Desapo did. She seemed to be used to dealing with difficult people and took control of the situation very easily, yet it was a quandary how two sisters could be so different, both in temperament and in looks.
The dilemma followed Neddy into a developing dream when his eyes became heavy and began to close. Fighting hard not to succumb, Neddy succumbed even faster and had just managed to emit the first delicious snore when he was shaken from his slumber by a loud knock at the door. Jolting awake and stumbling for the door, Neddy threw open the barrier and let his little brother in.
“Took your time, didn’t you?” Desapo complained.
Neddy sighed loudly as Desapo pushed past him, trying to fully regain his composure.
“Close the door, Neddy,” Desapo ordered.
“You know, little brother, that Katie would be a great match for you. She’s every bit as bossy as you are,” Neddy quipped, running his tired hands through a thick red mop of hair.
“What are you on about, Neddy? We haven’t got time to talk about fancies. I’ve called a meeting with Pike and his associates tomorrow morning to go through the costs. Did you get the information?”
Neddy pointed to the list on his writing desk while Desapo eagerly grabbed it up and perused it.
“Leichardt is always dearer than anybody else,” Desapo grumbled, “but his product is always more reliable.”
Neddy began to laugh.
“What is it with you tonight?” Desapo protested.
“Your lady love put Leichardt in his place this afternoon.”
“What? How?"
“Tess rang Leichardt to get some quotes and the idiot hung up on her. I was so mad I was going to ring him back and give him a piece of my mind, but I couldn’t, otherwise I would have blown my cover. Anyway, Katie asked if she could have a go at dealing with Leichardt. I shrugged and offered her the phone, expecting another injured lady, but she had him eating out of her hand. She insulted him so badly I thought he would never deal with us again, however, ten minutes later, he phones back and apologises to Tess and then licks Katie’s shoes, giving her all the information we required. I think your little lady is no stranger to getting what she wants, so be careful, little brother.”
Desapo stared at Neddy for a moment, imagining Katie giving Leichardt what for. “Yeah, anyway, can we get on with this? I would like to get to bed sometime tonight.”
*~*~*~*
Chapter 41
Pierre was a hard taskmaster and would not accept tardiness in his kitchen, so the day started early for Tess and Katrina, with reveille drawing the women from their beds long before the sun rose. Each day, however, they learnt new recipes and trade secrets, with Katrina appearing to excel under the Frenchman’s impassioned personality, developing a deep respect for his ability to overcome her powerful selfish streak with just a look and redirecting her energies into improving herself. If she tried to disagree with him, he would launch into a cocktail of French and English and wave his hands around, accentuating his disdain, yet the expert French chef would always be proven right and Katrina learned to trust his judgement.
Gustav was pleased that he had two competent and enthusiastic extra chefs he didn’t have to pay and when he pushed the door open to the kitchen, he was always confronted with two very busy ladies. This mornin
g was no different, but today he had a message from their boss. “U..hum! Ladies, I have a message from Mr Parduck for you. He expects to know the outcome of the project’s acceptance within a day or two, and once they have all the official approvals, a small office is to be opened in town of which you two ladies will be responsible for. He also expects that once the nod, so to speak, is procured, the supplies required, ships and workers will need to be organised with great haste. He added, be prepared for a very busy time. May I offer my humble congratulations to you both on a job well done.”
Stunned, Katrina and Tess stared at each other, then hugged and danced around the kitchen until Pierre’s exasperation called them swiftly to order.
*~*~*~*
“Gentlemen, I call this meeting to order and if you will please take your seats, we can begin,” Pike’s voice cut across the assembled din created by Lightning Harbour’s wealthy businessmen.
Krueger deliberately perched himself in the front row, his brow heavily lined and his face set hard from an uneasy business career. Turning to face the gathered luminaries, he searched the identities represented in the small room and rested his eyes on Draper’s jowly features. The troublesome National Shipping Board’s commander was also present at the meeting, with Krueger’s lip curling at the recognition and the memory of their last stinging meeting still fresh in his mind. At the word of some inferior ship’s captain who’d claimed a near collision experience with Krueger’s missing cutter, Rebellious, Draper had practically accused Krueger of destroying his own ship in a villainous attempt at collecting insurance monies.
With Pike’s squeaking tone interrupting Krueger’s assassination of Draper’s character, Krueger turned his attention to the front of the room as two large men were introduced by Pike.