Chapter 48

"Chad's in the City you know," says Tom.

"Is he?" Charlotte's pale still, but she's smiling.

"He is. I ran into him one day down by the arena."

"How is he?"

"He seemed to be doing well. He looked good." Tom sucks at his teeth. "I can see why you were attracted to him." He glances at Michael. "He's married again now, you know."

Charlotte blinks. "Married?"

Tom's lips quirk. "Not to a girl this time."

"Ahh…." Charlotte's eyes widen and she's finally beginning to smile properly. "Well, I hope he's very happy."

Tom sighs. "It's all right, Jenny... Sorry, Charlotte. I know what the problem was. I suppose sooner or later he'll tell his parents and they'll stop blaming you for what happened."

The door opens, and Stanton pushes his head around, gesturing me out. I leave Charlotte with Michael and her old friend….

… I hope….

About time she had some….

Outside the room, Stanton lowers his voice. "His story stacks up with what we know. We took his fingerprints from the glass. He doesn't have a criminal record, but the prints do match with some that were taken from the scene of the break-in to Blessingmoors. It would appear that Tom is the phantom rescuer of all those children and ultimately, the cause of the whole scandal coming to light. We never knew who it was before because he and his sister simply vanished afterwards."

Redemption….

"So, the rest is probably true too," I say, musing. "He was Klempner's, or maybe Corby's spy on Charlotte, at least at that time…. But…."

Stanton casts a long eye me. "If you had a sister being held by people like that, a young girl, what would you have done?"

What would I have done?

*****

As Stanton is about to leave, Michael hails him. "Will, if you have a minute before you go, could I have a word…."

*****

Richard

"Ready to go?" I tuck the last of the papers I need into my briefcase, make a quick scan of my desk to be sure I've not missed anything.

"Ready when you are," replies James.

"Good. Francis, could you ask Ross to bring the car to the front, please. You can tell him he'll be taking me and James to meet the Thorntons at their headquarters."

In the elevator on the way down, tinny Christmas jingles scratch over my skull.

Bloody racket….

Surely, we can do better than that….

Have a word with Francis about it….

We cross the lobby, with its Christmas tree sparkling brightly and the decorations seasonal, but not too overdone.

Kirstie's work?

Quite a good result there….

Charlotte is here, standing by the door, a mug of something steaming in her hand.

"Good evening, Charlotte. Are you alright there?" I ask.

She smiles at me, then nods to James. "I'm fine, thanks. I'm just waiting for Michael to pick me up. He said he was running a bit late, but Kirstie's made me a coffee while I wait." She nods towards the concierge who smiles from where she is working on a large plastic Santa and sleigh in the waiting area, apparently trying to fit Rudolph onto a harness already fully occupied by the other eight of Santa's reindeer.

"Ah, well, we'll wait with you then for a minute or so. Ross is just bringing the car around."

"Richard and I have a meeting with the shareholders," says James. "I should be home around six, but I'll let you or Michael know if I'm going to be any later."

Small talk….

No wonder James hates it….

"So, Charlotte, are you looking forward to Christmas?"

"Oh, yes. I am…." She suddenly sparkles more brightly than the tree. "…. It will be my first real Christmas."

James shifts his stance….

Paying attention?

"How so?" I ask.

"Well, the first Christmas I was here, I didn't really know Michael and my Mas… James, very well…."

Master…

Lol!

Elizabeth has the same problem….

Kirstie's invisible radar perk up, but James spots it and quells her with a look.

But Charlotte is still speaking…. "…. We didn't have Christmas together then, that first year. Although as it turned out, we could have spent more time with each other, but we didn't know it at the time…." She's jittery, twitchy, uneasy on her feet.

What's bothering her?

James frowns. "Sorry, Charlotte, what do you mean? We didn't know at the time?"

"I…. I…. didn't realise until you told me about it later, and I didn't like to say anything then because well, you know how we met…." She looks sidelong to where Kirstie is now paying strict attention to her laptop screen and her voice drops.

"…. and…. but…. I would have loved to spend Christmas with you. But I didn't know we were so close…."

"Close?" James frowns, looking irritated. "I'm not following you, Charlotte."

"When you were in that hotel, The Imperial…. all by yourself that Christmas because your mother had died, and you couldn't get in contact with Michael…."

"Yes?"

"I was in the guest house right across the road…." He lets out a long breath, staring upwards. "…. if we'd known, we could have had that first Christmas together."

James, soft-eyed, leans towards her then, one eye on Kirstie, away again. He touches her hand, just briefly. "Oh, Charlotte…. and instead, we both had to stay by ourselves, with only strangers for company."

Not much better the next year…

"Yes, and last Christmas was no picnic either, was it?" I say. "You three hunted by Klempner's men and, well, getting my offices attacked and set on fire wasn't exactly my first choice from Santa."

She's blinking hard…

Guilt?

Not your fault…

Change the subject….

"I imagine that Christmas when you were a child, in the Blessingmoors Home, was nothing to celebrate either?"

She buries her expression, going still.

When she eventually replies, her voice is tight and slow. "No, the best that ever happened then, was that we were locked in together while the staff just left us to it. They would leave some food and water, but the bigger stronger kids would get most of it and the little ones just went hungry and thirsty 'til the staff came back a few days later."

Children…

Bastards….

"What about after that? You had a few years with that family at the farm. Surely you enjoyed those Christmases?"

She smiles, but it's slight… wistful… "They were good people, yes," she says. "But I never really fitted in. I always felt that I didn't belong there, as though I was…. a gate-crasher at the party. Christmas with them was, well yes, it was nice, but when I see all those old movies, you know, 'It's a Wonderful Life' and 'Christmas Carol' and all the rest, I've never had a Christmas like that."

She blooms, her smile turning wide and white. "But this year, there will be the three of us, me, Michael and my…. James, together properly for the first time. I'll be able to have a real family Christmas, and yes, I am so looking forward to it."

Triad…

Family…

"Just the three of you?" I ask.

Can I tease?

"I thought perhaps Michael's family might drop by?"

Her eyes roll and James shifts beside me. "Um… He wants to see them the next day. Um…. I don't think he wants to rub shoulders with his brother on Christmas Day."

James Hmmmphs…

Can't say I blame you….

Disgust in his voice, "I think I can do without Ben's company as well for that day…."

The glass door opens letting a blast of arctic air inside, followed by Michael, smiling and rubbing his arms warm. "Glorious winter weather out there," he says, leaning in to kiss Charlotte. "All blue skies and sunshine, but it's bloody freezing. And they're forecasting snow." He gives me a nod. "Hello, Richard. Ready for home, Charlotte?"

Beyond the door, the long line of a car bonnet slides forward. "Ah, and there's Ross now," I say. "I'll see you around Charlotte… Michael… James, shall we?"

The pair go one way, James and I the other. "Is she alright, James?" I ask as we get into the car.

"She's fine. Just a bit pensive. It's the time of year, I think. Don't worry. She's with Michael and he knows how to bring her out of herself."

Doesn't even blink that he's just passed his wife to another man…

"He's good for her, isn't he."

James settles back in his seat. "Can't say I'd thought of it like that, but you're right." He examines the lock of his briefcase. "But I think it's fairer to say they're good for each other."

"And you?"

He looks at me from under brows. "Oh, they're both good for me." Then his expression closes.

Enough…

"I was rather wanting to get Charlotte a gift for Christmas," I say. "Something she would like. Any suggestions?"

James brightens but purses his lips. "Don't bother with perfume or jewellery or anything like that…."

Hardly….

"No, she's not really a perfume and jewellery kind of girl is she…." I laugh.

"No, she's not. And nothing too expensive either." He flashes me a look.

Is he trying to be offensive?

"James, money is hardly an issue for me…."

"It is for her." He sighs, scratching into his hair. "She's sensitive about being given money. Even Michael and I have to be careful about it."

Wtf?

"Seriously? Michael's married to her. So are you for all practical purposes. A husband is entitled to give his wife gifts…."

He rocks a hand back and forth. "I don't think she's fully wrapped her brain around that one yet. She started life and grew up with so little. She's not used to being pampered or cared for. I'm not sure she ever will be."

You want to give her everything…

…. but she won't let you…

What would I do?

"As a matter of interest," I ask, "what is Michael giving her?"

His smile turns wry, but there's laughter ghosting around his eyes. "Well, he asked her what she wanted…."

"And?"

"She asked for him to build her some more book-shelves in her room."

I burst out laughing.

She's consistent…

"The last of the great romances. Perhaps I should give her a book then?"

"Good idea," he nods. "You can't go too far wrong giving her books."

"And what are you giving her?"

He rubs at the back of his neck. "I've been struggling to think of something appropriate. I'm not very good at things like that…. Or so everyone always tells me."

It's obvious….

Well, maybe not to you…

Too close to the wood for the trees?

"What?" James leans in, eyes narrowing. "What is it?"

You can be a scratchy bastard when it suits you…

"Um… I didn't want to interfere…. cause offence…."

"Alright, consider me officially non-offended. If you have a suggestion, I'm all ears."

"You heard her back there. Give her what she's never had…. a Real Christmas."

He sits back again, rolls his eyes, then nods.

*****