An Untimely Romance: A Time Travel Romance (21 page)

“Hello, Dannika. I bet
you don’t remember me. I’m your aunt, Aunty Heather.”

Dannika smiled, her
lips pressed closely together, so still managing to hum.

“Is that a tune your
mum sings to you?”

Dannika shook her head.
“No, not Mummy.”

“I’ve heard it before.”

“Ring a ring o’ roses,
silly.” Dannika laughed, skipping off.

An unbelievable
coldness ran through Heather, and she could see the boy’s face in her mind as
clearly as when he had sat before her on the train. She could even see the dirt
ingrained into his skin. The mist was starting to clear, and she saw that the
boy was Anna’s son, and quite possibly Frank’s also. Her mind shifted to the
gold pendant on the bed, but it wasn’t a pendant, it was a pocket watch, the
very same one Frank had in his possession when she had met him aged thirteen.
That must have been what Anna meant when she referred to her fancy man; she was
referring to Frank. Yet there was no way Anna could have known Frank was the
father; it was just an unbelievable hope on her part. Heather could still see
the blue tinge to the boy’s lips, the raised red markings visibly marching
across his body, her breath picking up the strong scent of roses. The nursery
rhyme he hummed was the same as the one Dannika was humming now, and it
portrayed the awful way in which he had died in the workhouse. And Heather was
there, beside Anna, witnessing it all, even down to his last breath. She
recited the nursery rhyme aloud.

“Ring a ring o’ roses,

A pocket full of
posies,

A-tishoo! A-tishoo!

We all fall down.”

So much sadness in a
simple children’s rhyme; the rash, the sneezing and coughing, the posies
carried, and finally, the black roses – the symbol of death.

“What do you want from
me? Leave us alone, all of us!” Heather cried, walking over to the picnic
blanket where Dannika had been playing so nicely. She fell to her knees,
horrified; it was only small, but as she picked it up between her fingers she
saw that it was a clear glass marble. Even if the song had been coincidental,
the marble had removed even the slightest question of doubt. Heather now knew
that the boy had already introduced himself to Dannika.

Whenever she felt
stressed or troubled, or just needed time away to think, she went to the lake.
Feeling unnerved by what she’d seen, every bone in her body ached, her mind
heavy. She dragged herself through the gardens, before sinking down on her and
Frank’s special spot. With hardly a breath of air, the lake was mirror-like,
not a ripple distorting its perfection. She looked down into the water,
questioning her own reflection. Was this Anna’s way of taking revenge? A
vendetta for which her family was left to pay the price? It didn’t bear
thinking about. Perhaps Dannika was the key, the boy’s way in somehow? Tricks
could be played on young minds very easily, a continuous overlapping of
pretence and reality. She remembered the Ouija board, and asking Frank what he
wanted, to which he had replied, ‘a life’. Was that the prize he’d come back to
claim?

With all the visions of
Frank, Anna and now the boy, Heather’s coping mechanism was at an all-time low.
She really thought she was losing it. Since it seemed the norm these days for
her to get lost in her thoughts, she never heard the footsteps as Ruben
approached. He knelt behind her, flicking a loose strand of hair from her eyes.
She jumped, though on seeing his face her emotions spiralled out of control,
and an eruption of tears spread against the warmth of his chest.

“What’s the matter?
What’s happened?” he asked, a worried expression taking over his face upon
finding her so upset.

It was a good few
minutes before she calmed down enough to answer.

“I don’t know where to
begin, and if I did, you wouldn’t understand or believe me...”

“Things can’t be that
bad, surely?” he replied, reaching for her hands and taking them between his
own.

Her tear-filled eyes
followed his, stopping at the ring.

“Is this what you’re so
upset over? Where did you get it?”

“I’m really sorry,”
Heather said, before taking a breath. “When I was at the flat. I couldn’t help
myself, the Beth thing just wouldn’t let go of me, and when I saw her stuff in
the boxes... I guess you know the rest. The door went and I panicked, and popped
the ring in my pocket.” She paused, “Later, I put it on; daft, I know.” She
sighed. “And now it’s stuck, I can’t get it off. You must hate me, and I’m sure
your mum will never speak to me again. Ruben, I’m so sorry,” she repeated. “I
don’t normally go through people’s belongings.”

His grip around her
tightened. “Don’t worry, we’ve both made mistakes, there’s no need to get this
upset. I’m not a monster, ya know. Anyway, looks good from where I’m sitting.”

He leant over and
pulled her to her feet. Taking her to the edge of the lake, he placed her hand
into the cool water. Allowing a slow release, the ring was off, and lay in
Ruben’s palm. Heather was relieved it was back where it belonged, with its
rightful owner. Slowly Ruben leant back on the bank, slipping the ring into his
pocket.

“Come here,” he said,
smiling, and reached out his arms.

Heather, returning his
smile, placed herself between his crossed legs, encompassed by his arms. She
snuggled into him, breathing in the potent aftershave, that manly scent on his
clothes, his skin.
Wake up, for God’s sake, Heather. He’s here, he’s real, and
he wants you. Frank can never be, never.
Perhaps Frank was her way of
settling the score, finally making her and Ruben even. It was time to leave the
manor’s ghosts in the past where they belonged, and take Ruben into the future
where he belonged. She was sure the feelings she had had for him were well on
the way to love, and in her own way she was convinced she cared for him.
So
who knows
? she thought.
In time, when my head’s clear of all this
,
maybe
there can be an us, and maybe we can have a future.

Happy Birthday, Heather

T
he days and weeks passed so quickly, rolling by in a heartbeat.
Heather’s relationship with her sister improved slightly; perhaps due to her
age, they now had more in common. She also felt a growing fondness for her
niece, who she often watched playing in the garden, although she never wanted
her to be alone for too long, just in case. She did feel slightly easier of
late, though, as she’d had no more visions, and life had carried on without
complication.

Ruben was now playing a
bigger part in her life, but although she felt she was moving on, she still
couldn’t commit to the relationship fully. With her eighteenth birthday
looming, only twenty-four hours away, she pondered as she sat before her
dressing table, her mind on the following day. She shuddered at the thought,
feeling more than slightly insecure and inwardly uneasy. It should have been a
happy time for her, a time for celebration, but it had been upstaged by the
grand opening and overshadowed by Ruben’s agenda. But she couldn’t say a lot
really, as these were the stipulations she’d laid down herself. The intimacy
between them, on her part, was still very forced, Frank’s memory really never
very far away.

She didn’t sleep well
that night, waking every passing hour and gazing at the time.

~•••~

“Happy birthday, Heather,” she said,
circling Friday, the seventeenth of August on her calendar.

Pulling back the
bedroom curtains, she gazed out onto a beautiful summer’s morning. Although not
yet six o’clock, the red sky from the previous night was true to its word, the
sun a rising ball of warmth. Only the birds joined in her adulation as she
tiptoed from the annex. This was her chance for a last look around at the
unspoilt gardens, the absence of people, just her at one with nature and the
wildlife that always seemed present; company, in a strange way. The rebuild was
all she’d known since being a young girl herself, but from this day forward
life was going to be very different.

She sauntered through
the grounds, enjoying her last few hours of solitude. Everything stood in
readiness. The main car park was nowhere near big enough to hold the expected
number of visitors, so an extensive lawned area to the front of the annex had
been cordoned off with cones. The top of the drive was for VIPs, and their
nameplates had been displayed. She walked on, passing the conservatory,
throwing a smile at Sami and Edison, who were setting tables alfresco for the
forthcoming picnic and barbeque. The greenery of the variegated trees was
lifted by decorative bunting; not overdone, but subtle and effective. Strings
of fairy lights lay in wait for darkness around the lake, while caricature
pedal boats in the shape of long-necked swans with fantail headrests swayed
slowly, bobbing to and fro in the soft undercurrent. A small fair and some
stalls had been erected, with swing boats, teacups and a brightly coloured
helter-skelter for school visits and younger members of the public. Walking
full circle, she passed the DJ booth for the open-air disco at her party later
that evening, and then headed back towards the main building, with its grand
entrance, where large red ribbons hung in wait, their ties to be cut.

She sat on the bottom
step and crossed her arms, watching the cars and the staff members arriving.
Although only just past seven, the hubbub had already begun. She questioned the
validity of what they’d actually built up over the past few years; their
decision to live in the country was to escape all the hustle and bustle of the
city and its everyday life, only now to be descended upon like bees to a hive.
She felt choked at the thought of all those people and strange faces, and she
felt the conformity closing in on her; complete suffocation. She and her
family, the faces of Freesdon Manor, would have all eyes focusing on them; an
age-old task that had now come back to haunt her.

Her phone vibrated. It
was an early morning text from Ruben:
Happy birthday, darling, can’t wait
for tonight. Love you loads xxxxxx

She really hadn’t
anywhere to run now, she thought; tonight she was going to be unfaithful, and
unfortunately the person to whom she was being unfaithful was herself.
He’s
trying so hard
, she told herself, and taking a deep breath
she text him her reply.

Entering the kitchen,
she was surprised by its quietness and the way everything was so pristine and
in its place. It was not the explosion of food and mass of utensils, and her
mum’s organisation skills, she had expected.

“Happy birthday,
Heather!”

Her mum, dad and sister
entered, not forgetting Dannika, who was wearing a huge smile and balancing a
small iced cake. With one candle lit, her niece’s face was a picture. Heather’s
mum placed an oval tray on the breakfast bar.

“Couldn’t wait for this
evening to wish you happy birthday,” her mum said, passing her a fluted glass
containing champagne; pink and sweet, the strawberries sweeter.

“Breakfast, with a
twist,” her mum said, smiling. “All your sister’s idea.”

Heather sipped
enthusiastically. “Thanks, Amy. Bit early, but lovely.”

Interrupted by a hand
pulling at her jeans and Dannika’s urgency, she blew out her candle.

“Don’t forget to make a
wish, Aunty.”

Heather smiled.
If
only
, she thought.

Kissing Heather on the
cheek, her dad raised his glass.

“My little girl, all
grown up now,” he said, swallowing hard.

“Walter, save your
speeches for later,” her mum laughed, passing a knowing glance in her father’s
direction.

Heather could have
sworn she saw a tear. But he didn’t hang around long enough for her to be
entirely sure, and excused himself, saying he had a final brief arranged with
his staff.

Their idea of keeping
things under wraps was anything but subtle. After a couple more sips of
champagne, her father returned.

“Heather, you have a
visitor. She’s waiting in the conservatory. I didn’t catch her name.” He looked
over at Faye. “Oh, and the caterers are here, love.”

So Heather and her mum
both left the kitchen together, heading in different directions.

The blinds had already
been closed, and the south-facing conservatory was perfect greenhouse material.
Heather had no idea who her visitor could be, until she saw the mass of red
hair and the telltale pink lipstick.

“Beth...”

She sat, seemingly on
edge, her hands fidgeting awkwardly with a small china sugar bowl. It was early
morning, and Heather could tell due to Beth’s appearance that her hairbrush
hadn’t been used, and bar the smearing of lipstick, there was no visible sign
of make-up, making her face look drawn, her complexion uneven and blemished.

“Yes, I’ve already
ordered. I hope you don’t mind?” a voice piped up. “And happy birthday,” she
said, scurrying towards Heather, and passing her a silver bag with ribbon
handles and a bouquet of tiny white jip and peach roses.

Even the conservatory
had its own facelift for the day; heart-shaped helium balloons were tied to the
back of each chair, and posies of chrysanthemums were the centrepiece on each
table, their sweet scent enhanced by the growing warmth.

“Course I don’t mind,
and thanks,” Heather said, peering down into her bag.

They sat near the door,
a breath of air cooling the temperature, and the slight tension between them.

“I had to see you, not
just to wish you happy birthday, but I think ... no,” she corrected herself, “I
know I owe you an apology, an explanation.”

There was an awkward
silence as the waitress approached, looking very smart in her A-line black
dress. She placed a tray down between them, and took the bouquet of flowers
from the table to arrange them in a vase. Heather suddenly felt hungry having
smelt the aroma of warm scones rising up from the plate to greet her. She gave
Beth only the slightest smile and a touch of the hand, both appearing to
alleviate the atmosphere.

“I had no idea you’d
agree to see me,” Beth began.

Heather laughed to
herself; she hadn’t, not knowingly.
But I suppose this is as good a time as
any to clear the air
, she thought.

“After seeing Ruben’s
mum that evening, he insisted on me going back to his for a nightcap. You know
what he’s like, he doesn’t take no for an answer easily.”

Heather knew this to be
true, but didn’t elaborate.

“He just kept going on
and on about how good we were together, how empty the flat felt without me and
the kids. He couldn’t stress enough how much he missed the kids. To be honest,
he was good with them, but usually on his terms, when it suited.” As a slight
deviation from her conversation, she looked down into her mug, as if thinking
what to say next. “I can’t make sense of it now, what happened that night; it
was all over so quickly. All the old familiarities of our lives together just
came rushing back. I’m not trying to make excuses for what happened, but I can
assure you, I’m no threat. I’ll always be in Ruben’s life, probably due to his
mother, and yours, I hope.”

Heather smiled.

“Ruben asked me to come
back, for us to move in together, be a family again, but I couldn’t and said
no.” She shook her head, by way of emphasising the point. “It just wouldn’t
have worked. There were too many ups and downs, it just wasn’t fair on the
kids. He could change in an instant, and try to buy his way back into my
affections. Money may have been his God, but it certainly wasn’t mine. I can’t
help but have feelings for him, and I suppose I’ll always love him in some
small way, but some things are just not meant to be, and so life moves on.”

It was uncanny how
similar their situations really were. Heather couldn’t feel any malice towards
Beth, and actually in some ways she felt rather sorry for her.

“Ruben said my
invitation was still open for your party tonight, but I think it’s best I stay
away.”

Heather placed her
hands on Beth’s affectionately. “No, don’t be daft, you’re more than welcome. I
want you to come. I think we can leave the past behind us, don’t you?”

Beth’s smile was one of
relief, happy they were able to put that night behind them and still remain
friends. They sat for a while chatting over tea and scones, any atmosphere
between them well and truly passed.

“Looks like you’ll be
having a busy day,” Beth said, buttering her second scone.

“Certainly have,” Heather
replied, already feeling tired at the thought. “We’ve got the mayor and press
coming at twelve for the official opening, and the local schools will be
arriving around one o’clock.” Placing her head in her hands, she continued.
“Soon after we have another half-dozen coach loads of the more senior members
of the community. There’s food for every taste, and the different caterers will
be in and out all day. You wouldn’t believe how much organising this has taken
over the last few months.”

“I can well imagine.
Better not keep you any longer, had I?”

“I best be seeing you
later,” Heather joked. “Disco starts at eight, and Dad’s organised a firework
display.”

“I’ll be there,” Beth
assured her, standing.

“Thanks for the perfume
and lovely flowers,” Heather said as she held out her arms, and the two parted
with a friendly hug.

She checked the time
again:
9.30am, and countdown
, she thought. She’d just have time to pop
to see Ruben; whether he was in the wine shop or cellar, no doubt their paths
would cross. The whole lower floor of the manor was full of staff, rushing here
and there under her mother’s watchful eye, who stood dishing out her orders
while she added the odd flower to an empty vase and tweaked misshapen cushions.
In her mum’s eyes, attention to detail was paramount. The door to the wine shop
was closed, but Heather was sure in his text last night he’d said he’d be in at
nine.
He could have gone straight down to the cellar
, she
thought.

Lighting a kerosene
lamp on the counter and gazing around, she saw that every wall was fully
stocked with the finest vintage wines, clarets and rosés. On separate shelving sat
the most expensive champagne – not that she was the greatest connoisseur; after
all, she was only just legal. The door leading down to the cellar stood ajar,
and she could hear muffled voices and footsteps. She was quite surprised to see
her dad, though neither he nor Ruben saw her. She watched as her father patted
Ruben on the back.

“Good on you, son.”

Both were startled by
Heather’s presence.

“How long have you been
there?” Ruben’s tone bordered on rude.

“Oh,” she said,
frowning, “happy birthday to me.” Tutting, she turned to leave.

“No, no, Heather, you
have me wrong.” Ruben quickly manoeuvred himself and blocked her exit. “Just
not for your ears, a surprise for later. And yes, happy birthday to you,” he
said. “Now come here.”

Hardly able to contain
himself, his lips met with hers. With a brief cough from her father, which
neither of them noticed or responded to, Walter left the two alone. Ruben
switched the sign on the door to closed and discreetly closed the blinds; then
he lifted Heather into his arms and sat her on the counter.

“Do you want your
birthday present now or later?” he asked suggestively, leaning closer.

She felt a fluttering rising
in her chest from her stomach, an inner warmth that she actually quite liked.

“The sign says closed...
not do not disturb.” She giggled.

“We can always go
upstairs,” he whispered. “I’m sure there’s time.”

He gazed at her, his
green eyes with their hypnotic pull, the subtle lighting intensifying his
looks, and with it Heather’s feelings. He held out his hands and she took them;
he pulled her close to his side.