Page 75 of A Family Affair
Looking over to the extremely straight Christmas tree, Clarissa raised her eyebrows and remarked, ‘She certainly is, but thank goodness that one’s done. Only two more to go.’
Chuck’s head almost spun of his neck. ‘Two more? Why does she need two more? I thought the ones outside were spare in case that one wasn’t suitable.’
Clarissa laughed, ‘Oh no, dear man. Jennifer likes to have one in the foyer and one in the dining room so, if I were you, I’d have a little rest because guess what you’ll be doing this afternoon!’
Chuck feigned exhaustion and closed his eyes, just as Jennifer burst into the room, her cheeks flushed as she scooted around Chuck’s long legs and plonked herself by Clarissa’s side on the sofa. Something was up. She hoped it was good news for once. Maybe Tristan had been sentenced to a year of community service and banned from the golf club for life. From the wide-eyed look on Jennifer’s face, and the way she took a deep breath, Clarissa was about to find out.
Placing both hands on her chest, Jennifer said, ‘Oh my goodness Clarissa, I have the most incredible news.’
Definitely community service,thought Clarissa.Picking litter in Chester town centre with any luck.
Chuck recovered from his exhaustion and sat forward in his chair as Jennifer ploughed on. ‘I’ve just been speaking to a young man by the name of Levi Robinson and… well there’s only one way to say this, he’s the great-grandson of your sister, Eleonora Chamberlain and… now you must stay very calm, Clarissa, she’s alive and very well and living in Manchester.’
Nobody moved. The room stood still. As though time had stopped and while outside everything and everyone in the whole wide world moved on, Clarissa simply waited and listened.
‘I asked him a hundred questions to make sure it wasn’t a hoax. In case he’d seen the programme on the television but it’s all true, I’m sure. He told me things that weren’t mentioned on the show, about Robert Jones the teacher from the school who Eleonora was in love with, and she has the silver locket, the one on the portrait.’
At this Clarissa took a sharp breath and her hand rested on her neck. ‘Go on.’
‘It seems that someone wrote a letter, and that letter led this Levi Robinson’s girlfriend to Eleonora. It all sounds rather complicated, but I do believe him.’
Jennifer fell silent, her eyes boring holes into Clarissa who was aware of nothing except the sound of her own breathing, which was good.
In, out, keep doing that, don’t die now. For God’s sake don’t pop your clogs now!
Clarissa didn’t know what to do or how to react so decided that she should check she’d heard correctly and wasn’t dreaming. If it was a dream, it would be the worst one she’d had in her whole life.
‘Could you say that again, dear?’
Jennifer reached over and took Clarissa’s hands in hers. ‘I said that your beloved sister Eleonora Chamberlain is alive and well and living in Manchester and would very much like to see you so she can explain where she’s been for all this time, and at your earliest convenience. Is that clear enough? Oh, and he said Eleonora would expect you to be suspicious so said to tell you she hopes you kept all of her silly books that your mother banned very safe, because she’d like to read them again. Do you know what that means?’
When the room began to spin and Jennifer’s hand felt like jelly, and Chuck’s face dissolved before her eyes, Clarissa feared the worst and then promptly fainted, right there and then on the sofa, like a silly heroine in ones of Eleonora’s silly books.
She came round moments later to find Chuck knelt by her side and Jennifer holding her hand and a tumbler of water. Once she’d regained her composure and allowed Chuck to settle in a more refined position, she took a sip of water and found her voice and, as she did, felt her face crease into a smile that made her cheeks hurt.
‘I knew, I always knew he’d lied about her. So many things didn’t add up, but I was so weak, and…’ she looked to Chuck who knew her truth and after a squeeze of her hand she said, ‘…scared. I was scared of my father and his brother, so I went along with it all. That ridiculous memorial, Mother’s silence. I never forgot Eleonora, though, and wished so hard that she’d come home to me.’
Chuck leant over and gave her a peck on the cheek. ‘And your wish came true and now, we can all be together, maybe for Christmas. Wouldn’t that be swell.’
Clarissa could feel the bubble of something inside and she wasn’t sure what it was. Joy? Not tears, surely. She hadn’t cried since Spirit died and that lasted for months and, afterwards, she had no tears left for anything or anyone.
It was seeing Jennifer wipe her eyes that ignited something in her soul, fire, action, determination but not tears. No, she hadn’t time to weep. She needed to see her sister. Now. Later that day. Tomorrow. Quickly.
‘Jennifer, you must ring him back immediately and tell him we will go today. All three of us. Please go, now, and make the arrangements and then I need you to fetch something from my room: Eleonora’s books. I can finally give the ridiculous things back.’
At least she’d made Jennifer laugh and as they watched her race from the room, Chuck came and sat by her side. He didn’t speak because there was no need. Instead he just gave her hand a gentle squeeze. In the space of minutes, Chuck’s life had once again been pushed off course because they both knew that the discovery of Eleonora and the fact she had a grandson changed everything.
Clarissa’s heart broke a little for Chuck in that moment as they listened to Jennifer’s animated voice, and together, they waited.
Eleonora being alive was all that Clarissa had ever wished for and, seeing as luck was on her side for once, she thought it prudent to make another wish, for the dear man seated by her side. That one day, with a little bit of help from those who’d grown to love him, he’d find happiness too.
CHAPTER57
HONEY
Chamberlain Manor. Eight months later.
Levi and Honey were taking a moment for themselves, seated on the wall that surrounded the lily pond, looking over the perfectly mowed lawn set below the terrace at the rear of Chamberlain Manor.
