Page 37 of A Scottish Love Story
‘Gilda’s mother is a decent sort of person and she sits silent, looking uncomfortable and miserable. I don’t think she really knew the truth either until she saw the baby for herself.’
‘Oh, Tommy, no wonder you are so unhappy.’
‘I was a gullible, headstrong fool. I know that now. Looking back, I think Dad must have suspected, or heard something, or maybe he was wiser than we knew. He tried to persuade me to postpone the wedding until the baby was born, then either agree to support Gilda and her child, or marry her if I still felt the same. I thought I was doing the honourable thing. To tell the truth, I didn’t really want to get married so soon, but I was amazed at our father suggesting such a plan. I flew into a temper. I had enjoyed my time in Australia so much. I didn’t know how I was going to settle down to milking cows and the sort of life Dad expected.’
‘Oh, Tommy, I’m so sorry things are this bad. I wish you had told me what was bothering you. You had never wanted to do anything else but farm, even though you didn’t want to milk cows every day.’
‘It was because of all this mess that I met Mr Robson’s son. He is more knowledgeable about divorce and things than his father. He has advised me not to aggravate Gilda, if I can help it, until we can see how I stand over the baby. But, Roxie — I can’t go on living with her. Truly I can’t. Even before we came back from honeymoon, I knew she didn’t love me. She thought she had married money because we owned a farm.’
‘A lot of people have that impression.’ Roxie nodded. ‘They don’t understand that most of the money is tied up in land and stock and machinery.’
‘Mr Robson says the DNA proves I am not the father. I don’t know what happens now. He says the circumstances are unusual. I suppose what he really means is I was every kind of a fool not to suspect. He’d be right, too. I was too conceited to wonder why she favoured me instead of all the men she already knew at that club.’
‘You did seem to be instantly attracted,’ Roxie admitted. ‘But Gilda is a lovely blonde, and she’s so dainty too.’
‘Yes, well I know now you can’t judge by appearances. Gilda invited me for a meal when I hadn’t known her long. When I arrived at her house, her mother had prepared the meal, but her parents were ready to go out for the evening. Her father plonked a bottle of whisky on the table and told us to enjoy ourselves.’
‘I thought you didn’t like whisky.’
‘I don’t. I only had one small drink and it was well watered. Gilda had two or three. She was either drunk or pretending to be. She got undressed. She wanted me to stay the night with her.’
‘And did you?’
‘Of course not! I hadn’t known her that long. I had never been in favour of one-night stands. Anyway, I expected her parents would be returning. B-but I er... She got into bed. I stayed a while... too long obviously.’ His face had a guilty flush and he looked young and unhappy, almost bewildered. Roxie’s heart went out to him.
‘I suppose Gilda got in a panic when she knew she was having a child and the father had disappeared to China,’ Roxie said. ‘It must have taken a lot of nerve, though, to go through with everything as she has done. I’m sorry I made such a fuss about my furniture. You have far worse problems.’
‘That is only one of several deceitful things she has done, and continues to do.’ He groaned audibly. ‘Her father is sly and he’s not above cheating if he can get away with it. Gilda knows I don’t want either her or her baby living in the house anymore. I pay her an allowance for her and the baby until we can get things sorted out legally, but whenever she is short of money she slips into the house when she thinks I’m at the milking, or working in the fields. She is always taking food. She was hopeless at budgeting.’
‘I’m so sorry, Tommy. Why didn’t you tell me? I longed to hear from you.’
‘I couldn’t confess what a mess I’d made of my life, but I did hanker for a talk with you several times. I lost my mobile and I couldn’t remember your number without it. I bought another recently. I have your number now, since you phoned me. I hope your employer didn’t mind me phoning her on her landline?’
‘Of course she didn’t. In fact, she insisted I must come to help you with the sale.’
‘Gilda deleted all the email addresses. She said she had done it accidentally. That was early on and I didn’t think much about it at the time. It was very inconvenient because a lot of them were business contacts. I have wondered since if she wanted to cut me off from everyone I knew.’
‘It sounds as though Gilda might take after her father,’ Roxie said slowly.
‘She needn’t have worried because I have felt too stupid to keep in touch with any of our friends, but, when they heard about the sale, the Davies twins and one or two others have said they will come to help. I hope they do, but I can’t blame them if they don’t.’
‘I’m sure they will. We both had such a lot of friends in the Young Farmers’ Club and Dad did a lot for the club too with coaching and holding stock-judging classes for them to come and practise.’
‘He did. Anyway, Roxie, if you’re not too tired, I had hoped you might have a glance through the catalogue tonight and then check it properly tomorrow evening for any errors.’ They walked slowly round the cows, then returned to the house both deep in thought.
Tommy telephoned Beth Corby to arrange about the food for those coming to help with the cattle-dressing in the morning, while Roxie had a look through the catalogue, surprised how much she remembered about each of the cows, but she had reared many of them from birth and she had loved her work.She yawned and set it aside. She was on her way upstairs when Tommy shouted to say there was a phone call for her.
‘Someone called Ciaran Baxter.’
‘Oh, thanks.’ Her spirits lifted at the mere mention of Ciaran, in spite of all the troubles she had found waiting. ‘I promised to phone when I got here, but so much has happened. Tell him I will phone him from my mobile in a few minutes. I’d left it in my bedroom. I’m going to the bathroom first. See you in the morning, Tommy.’
Ciaran answered as soon as her phone connected.
‘Hello, Roxie. Are you all right? Your brother says you have had a stressful day. Was it a bad journey?’
‘Oh, Ciaran, I am so very pleased to hear your voice.’
‘Really?’
