Did I Mention I Won The Lottery? (11 page)

Walking into
the lobby she felt an over-whelming feeling of coming home. How
strange she thought, that a hotel could do that to her but not the
house she had lived in for the last 5 years.

‘I haven't made
a reservation but I was hoping...’

‘Mrs Miles, how
wonderful to see you again. No problem at all, your usual
room?’

And within
minutes the taxi had been paid and dismissed, Rebecca's bag had
been carried up to her room, the bed turned down and a
complimentary bottle of wine left in a cooler on the table. Rebecca
sank onto the settee, the lovely comfortable over stuffed settee
and leant back closing her eyes.

Her mother was
okay and she was back in Leeds at Quebecs. Although unplanned she
couldn't deny it was a blessed relief. She would stay a few days,
just until her mother was back at Parklands and everything was back
to normal and then she would go back to Darlington and stop this
farce. She would show Daniel the bank account and the ludicrous
amount of money it held, tell him about the house, tell him
everything. It was finally time.

Rebecca had a
troubled night's sleep and woke feeling leaden and heavy. Even the
soft squishy pillows and the all-encompassing quilt hadn't helped
her in her quest for sleep. She slid out of bed and wandered to her
handbag to rescue her mobile. She checked to see if she had missed
any calls in the trauma of the previous day but there was nothing.
Daniel had made no attempt to contact her. She had left a message
for him that her mother was in hospital and he hadn't so much as
sent a text. She wondered whether she should ring him, bring him up
to date, see if he wanted to come down and join her before
realising what a ridiculous idea that was. She phoned the hospital
and spoke to the ward sister who told her that Gwen was not quite
as perky as she had been the day before. ‘I think the anaesthetic
has worn off and she's feeling a little more pain today.’

The hospital
decided to keep her on the ward that day, just to keep a close eye
on her and then would let her return to Parklands the following
morning if all was still well.

Rebecca phoned
Mrs Wendover to update her on the news, followed by a call to Sarah
who didn't answer. Rebecca smiled, Sarah could be in a lecture or
still in bed. She left her a message explaining that Gwen was in
hospital and that Rebecca was in Leeds followed by a similar
message for Toby who she also promised to go and visit in a few
weeks. She gazed down at her phone again. Should she phone Daniel?
Did he care? Had he even noticed that she wasn't there? Snapping
the phone closed Rebecca reached out instead for the telephone
sitting on the coffee table and phoned down to reception, ordering
a continental breakfast to be brought to her room and a taxi to
take her to the hospital and then headed for the power shower.

Rebecca spent
as long as she was allowed with Gwen during the course of the day.
Her mother was looking pale and a little shaky and the nurse said
it was quite possibly delayed shock. But she was still smiling and
desperate to get back to her room at Parklands and her friends.
Rebecca took her a pile of magazines, some lemon barley water and a
great bowl of fruit which Gwen promptly shared out amongst the rest
of the ward and the staff.

Sarah phoned,
full of concern for her grandmother. Toby sent a text. Annie phoned
counting down the hours until the next day when the house sale
would complete. The bank manager phoned to clarify the final
details for the cash payment of 2,050,000. Susie phoned to see how
Rebecca was enjoying her first day without work and was horrified
to find that Gwen was in hospital. But Rebecca heard nothing from
Daniel. No call, no text. Half a dozen times her fingers hovered
over his work’s number only to snap the phone shut again. In the
afternoon while Gwen slept, Rebecca caught a taxi back into Leeds
and did a little shopping for her mother’s return to Parklands.
Gwen may be reliant on her wheelchair but she still had high
standards of personal care and with a few weeks of bed rest facing
her, Rebecca wanted to make sure that she was well prepared. So she
bought three new nightgowns, the sort her mother loved, delicate,
flowery affairs that buttoned up to her neck and kept her legs
warm. She bought a new bed jacket. Gwen loved the crocheted one she
had worn for years but she might need a change and Rebecca also
added a beautifully soft mohair shawl that Gwen could throw around
her shoulders when the heating at Parklands went through one of its
difficult phases. She stocked up on yet more magazines and a couple
of the historical romance books that she knew Gwen loved to read
before she went to sleep. In the basket went some delicious
smelling hand cream, a bottle of Gwen’s favourite perfume and a
lavender plant in a pretty little pot for next to Gwen’s bed.
Jumping in another taxi Rebecca made a quick visit to Parklands to
arrange the items in Gwen’s room, had a cup of tea with Mrs
Wendover who was looking more tired and worried than ever and then
back to the hospital to see Gwen one last time before making her
way back to the hotel.

Her knees
sagging with tiredness, Rebecca asked for a salad to be brought to
her room, she really couldn’t face eating anything that required
more effort. The minute room service left she threw off her clothes
and slid into a lovely deep hot bath full of delicious scented
bubbles.

It was only a
few weeks ago that Rebecca had used this bath for the very first
time and been awed at the range of toiletries provided. So much
seemed to have happened since then. The toiletries she still
appreciated but she now had a huge selection in her own bathroom
albeit kept in her bathroom drawer away from Daniel’s eyes. She had
bought a house, she had left work, she was moving back to
Leeds.

But she still
hadn’t told Daniel. That hadn’t changed at all and it was growing
into a monumental problem for Rebecca who had to acknowledge that
the delay had become quite unreasonable. How did you explain that
you had won 15.7 million on the lottery and hadn’t told your
husband after four weeks!

Sighing Rebecca
finished her bath and wrapping herself in a huge fluffy bathrobe
she sat on the settee to pour herself a glass of wine and eat her
salad. Her phone sat on the arm of the settee, silent. Still
nothing. Shouldn’t he have at least phoned to see if Gwen was
alive? Rebecca tried to remember what she had written in her
distressed state. Mum had accident, in hospital, going to Leeds.
That was clear enough, he knew that Gwen was in hospital but had no
idea how serious it all was. Sighing again Rebecca pushed the salad
away and finished her glass of wine. She was exhausted and just
needed a good night’s sleep and leaving the phone on the settee she
climbed into bed and was asleep within minutes.

Waking the next
morning Rebecca’s first thought was for Gwen but she couldn’t quite
place the frisson of excitement that was gathering in her stomach.
Then she remembered, today was the day Beech Grange became her own.
Rebecca Miles with a 2 million pound house. In the worry and guilt
of Gwen’s accident she had almost forgotten all about it!

She leapt out
of bed and phoned the hospital, relieved to hear that Gwen was much
better and would be allowed home around lunchtime. Then she flicked
open the laptop which she had picked up automatically as she fled
the house on Sunday. The balance in her account hadn’t changed, the
house wasn’t hers yet. Just then her phone rang.

‘Hello?’

‘Rebecca, it’s
Annie! Are you all set, today’s the day!’

Rebecca had to
laugh at Annie’s enthusiasm even as she explained about Gwen and
how busy she would be that day.

‘Oh what rotten
luck and what terrible timing. But don’t worry, I’ll be around to
help.’

‘When will it
happen exactly?’ asked Rebecca who had never been actively involved
in any of the house moves she and Daniel had made together.

‘It’s
impossible to say. It could be in the next hour; it could be this
afternoon. As soon as the vendor’s solicitor confirms that the
money has transferred over he authorises the release of the keys.
If you’ve got your hands full I can collect those for you no
problem.’

They agreed
that Annie would liaise with the solicitor, collect the keys, phone
Rebecca once it was all finalised and they would meet at Beech
Grange when Rebecca felt that she could leave Gwen.

‘Thank you so
much Annie, you’ve been wonderfully helpful.’

‘Rebecca
darling,’ laughed Annie, ‘you’ve bought a 2 million pound house
from me. I should be thanking you, you’ve saved me from a truly
terrible start to the year!’

Rebecca
couldn’t help but laugh at Annie’s honesty and the genuine
friendship in her voice.

‘Well I’m still
grateful,’ she insisted and the two women said goodbye until
later.

Grabbing a
quick breakfast and shower Rebecca spent the morning with Gwen,
waiting as the ward rounds completed and Gwen was finally
discharged. She ordered a taxi, something she was becoming quite
proficient at she thought to herself, and a short time later she
and her mother were in Gwen’s room at Parklands, Gwen wearing one
of her new nightgowns with the mohair shawl around her
shoulders.

Rebecca’s phone
rang and glancing down at the screen she saw Annie’s name flashing.
Her heart pounding, she stood up and wandered towards the window
leaving Gwen chatting to the two friends who were sitting with
her.

‘Hello
Annie.’

‘Rebecca - I’ve
got the keys, the house is yours!’

For a moment
all that Rebecca could hear was the beating of her own heart as she
stood mute, staring out of the window at the beautiful rose
garden.

‘Rebecca, did
you hear me. It’s done, I’ve got the keys, the house is yours
Rebecca, all yours.’

It took a while
before Rebecca could leave Parklands. There were lots of hugs and
kisses - from Gwen’s friends who had all come trooping into her
room to keep her company, from the staff who had brought them both
up some lunch, from Mrs Wendover who was delighted that Gwen was
back and who promised to keep Rebecca updated with any changes in
Gwen’s health and Gwen herself who hugged her daughter and thanked
her for dashing to her side. Finally Rebecca was standing outside
the door on a bitterly cold dark April evening, watching a taxi
pull into the driveway, a taxi that was going to take her to her
new house and with a heart that was beating so loudly she felt sure
the taxi driver must be able to hear it, she jumped in and gave him
the address.

Half an hour
later Rebecca stood in her new kitchen. The cream cupboards hugged
the wall and the black granite surface twinkled in the light,
stretching for what seemed like miles. The huge table would seat
her entire family plus everyone she knew and the two small settees
that sat by the French windows invited Rebecca to curl up on the
lovely raspberry and green check seats. It was dark outside until
Annie flicked a switch and then the whole garden lit up showing
graceful trees blowing in the wind and borders curving around the
lawn and down towards the tennis court. Immediately outside the
French windows was a delightful courtyard where Rebecca fully
intended to sit on a morning with a cappuccino from the space age
style coffee machine on the kitchen surface and maybe a chocolate
croissant warmed up in the huge cream range that took pride of
place in its own alcove. Meanwhile, until the summer came she would
curl up on one of the raspberry settees or sit in the garden room
with its blazing wood burner and wait for the sun to emerge and the
garden to flower.

She felt a
gentle touch on her arm and swung round to see Annie smiling at
her.

‘Pleased?’

Rebecca
grinned, ‘Oh Yes, Annie. I’m pleased!’

And with a
shout of joy she hugged the woman who had just handed Rebecca the
keys to her new dream home.

‘I know how
busy you’ve been today,’ said Annie when she was finally released
from Rebecca’s arms, ‘so I thought this might help a little.’

She picked up a
box from the floor and put it on the table so Rebecca could peer
inside. ‘Sorry about the presentation, I suppose really it should
have been a wicker hamper with a great big bow wrapped round it but
I just grabbed a few things to help you out.’

Milk, tea,
croissants, jam, bread butter, bacon, eggs …

‘Oh Annie,
thank you so much!’

‘And of
course,’ twinkled Annie, ‘the obligatory celebration bottle!’

And she
produced a bottle of champagne from behind her back which was soon
opened and fizzing into the glasses she’d also brought and under
the soft lighting of the kitchen the two woman toasted Rebecca’s
new house.

Annie didn’t
stay long. She gave Rebecca a quick reminder of where the vital
switches were, handed her an envelope left by the previous owners
which explained alarms etc., hugged Rebecca one last time and
promised to come and visit in a few weeks when Rebecca was settled.
Which left Rebecca alone in her new house. Her glorious, big, new
house.

She wandered
through all the rooms. It was only the second time she had been in
the house and there were so many things she had forgotten. Like how
gracious the living space was with yet more French windows opening
onto the garden, the large stone fireplace and the beautiful cream
settees that Rebecca had fallen in love with. The majority of the
rooms were still furnished but there were gaps that needed filling,
particularly upstairs. New beds had already been ordered and would
arrive tomorrow and all the things Rebecca had bought on her
previous visits to Leeds could now be delivered. There was still a
lot to buy, mused Rebecca. The kitchen cupboards beautiful as they
looked, were empty. She could spend the next few days organising
the house as she kept an eye on Gwen.