Secrets (20 page)

Chapter Fifty-One

‘So, you
are
still alive and kicking?’ Joe teased.

‘Just about,’ said Janey. She picked up the linen trousers she’d discarded earlier. Rolling them into a neat sausage, she slid them into a gap within the suitcase. The suitcase lid promptly overbalanced knocking Joe, framed in Janey’s iPad, into layers of clothing.

‘What are you doing to me?’ he squeaked, feigning alarm. ‘I’m getting motion sickness this end.’

‘Sorry,’ Janey giggled. She picked up the iPad and righted it. ‘Let me put you against my pillow. How’s that?’

‘Better, ta very much. So, sweets. Any gossip? Tell your baby bruv all about it!’

‘Where to start?’ Janey sighed. She picked up a t-shirt. Pausing, she hugged the garment to her. For a moment she seemed far away.

‘The beginning is always a good start,’ Joe prompted.

So Janey told her brother all about Garth, Emma, and the impending DNA test. ‘Apparently Emma is really looking forward to seeing him,’ Janey fumed.

‘Ooh, you have got him bad, sis.’

‘Do you think?’ Janey asked miserably.

‘Yes. Even from five thousand miles away I can see your eyes flashing, and you’re doing that funny thing with your chin.’

‘What funny thing with my chin?’

‘Jutting it out at a peculiar angle. Don’t worry, it’s quite endearing. If I wasn’t your brother and gay, I’m sure I’d find it quite cute.’

‘Huh!’ Janey folded the t-shirt up and pushed it into another gap within the suitcase. ‘I wish Garth found me cute.’

‘How do you know he doesn’t?’

‘Because his every thought is about Emma. He’s even bought her a Designer handbag. It cost a fortune!’

‘How do you know that?’

‘I was there with him. I helped him choose the blasted thing!’

‘Ooh, that’s tough, sweets.’ He adopted a Mystic Meg voice. ‘I’m feeee-ling your painnnn.’

‘Knock it off, Joe,’ Janey chided gently. ‘I’m actually really tired and quite fed up.’

‘All right, Miss Grumpy. Now look. Here’s the thing. Hang in there. Bat your eyelashes at every opportunity, and hope for the best that everything turns out okay.’

‘Is that the best advice you can offer?’

‘Maybe wobble your boobs too?’

‘Oh for goodness sake, Joe,’ said Janey in exasperation.

‘Ta-ta, sweets. Enjoy Vancouver. Don’t lose too much sleep over this Garth chappie. If it’s meant to be, it
will
be.’

***

By lunchtime of the following day, the Canada Companions had arrived in Vancouver. Garth was as good as his word, and disappeared moments after checking in to their glorious hotel. Janey didn’t know whether Emma had whisked Garth away, or whether he’d opted to take a taxi to meet her. As she stared out of the hotel’s huge windows, the sight of Vancouver’s waterfront with its sweeping view of coastal mountains, harbour and city skyline made little impression. All she knew was that something had shifted in her heart. It had left an empty space. Even the dynamics of the group had changed. James had given up trying to woo Amanda, instead teaming up with Clive, the rep. Suddenly all James could talk about was his ‘wonderful wife’, and how he couldn’t wait to be home sitting with her on the sofa sharing romantic telly dinners.

Meanwhile, Amanda wasn’t taking any chances. She continued to stick like glue to Janey, although now Garth was absent Janey didn’t mind so much.

Rich and Ruth were still loved up. Ruth was now wearing a huge glittery Christmas bauble on her left hand. Rich had bought it for her from Niagara’s Christmas shop. ‘Just until I can buy my Ruthie the real thing,’ he said at every given opportunity.

Clive, conscious of cramming as much as possible into one day, wanted to line up an afternoon outing.

‘We’re not doing anything today are we?’ asked Amanda, looking appalled. ‘We’ve been up since the crack of sparrows and just come off a five hour flight. The only thing I’m good for is a large gin and tonic and maybe a brief explore in the immediate vicinity.’

‘Chillax,’ said Clive imperiously. ‘I’m more than happy to do the same thing. We’ll start properly first thing tomorrow morning with a trip to Whistler. However, if anybody wants to join me and Amanda for that G & T, I suggest a little place five minutes away. We can soak up a bit of,’ Clive paused and waggled his eyebrows for effect, ‘eccentric culture.’

Ruth and Rich declined on the grounds of wanting a nap. James was also quick to opt out saying he wanted to FaceTime Mu-Mu and hear what was happening in EastEnders.

An hour later, Janey found herself in a bar on Davie Street. She was being served by a drag queen that bore a striking resemblance to the ex-husband of a famous glamour model. ‘She’ was all false eyelashes and jangling jewellery, and clearly taken with Clive.

‘Ooh, I love your accent! Are you Australian?’

Clive looked pained. ‘This is the
English
accent, dah-ling.’

‘Australian…English…both sound the same to me –
divine
. Perhaps, kind sir, you would accept my apology and care to join me in my private rooms?’

‘I think not,’ said Clive piously. ‘You’re actually talking to a man of the cloth.’

The drag queen’s eyes glittered with mischief. ‘Believe me, hunny-bunny, I can transform into Mother Superior Bare-yoncé in a trice. I can offer confession in my boudoir. You can sweat out your sins, and I will bless you with my special sanctuary cocktail –
Holy Water
.’

Amanda’s eyes were on stalks. ‘If he’s not up for it, I think I could be persuaded.’

‘Er, excuse me?’ interrupted Janey. ‘And what about Brian?’

‘He’s not invited,’ Amanda giggled naughtily. ‘Oh don’t look at me like that, Janey. I’m only kidding.’

The drag queen flicked her long hair over one shoulder and gave Clive a smouldering look. ‘Think about it,’ she murmured huskily, before undulating back to the bar.

‘Not your cup of tea?’ Amanda asked Clive.

‘There are many layers of sexuality,’ Clive sniffed. ‘However, trannies have never done it for me. Not since Dennis.’

‘Who was Dennis?’ asked Janey.

‘A boyfriend. An ex,’ he added hastily. ‘He used to like this sort of thing,’ Clive waved a limp hand as another bewigged busty six-footer fluttered past their table. ‘The moment Dennis put on an outsize negligée and red lipstick, I went right off the boil.’

Janey nearly choked on her gin and tonic. ‘Can I ask why?’

‘If I wanted a bloke who looked like a woman, then I’d be with a woman in the first place.’

‘Are you not even remotely into us doe-eyed creatures then?’ asked Amanda. She pretended to flirt and batted her own eyelashes at Clive.

‘If all women were as lovely as you,’ Clive said graciously, ‘then I’m sure I’d have been a red-blooded male from Day One. However, after that spot of bother at The Ritz with Dennis dressed up as Margaret Thatcher, I had to call time on the two of us.’

‘What happened?’ asked Janey.

‘He was assaulted by a guy sitting at the next table. The man threw a cream scone at Dennis and called him a lot of rude names over the miners’ strike back in 1984.’

‘Oh dear,’ said Amanda.

‘Yes, indeed. Dennis retaliated by bashing him over the head with his natty little handbag. It all turned very nasty. Security banned us from ever going to the Ritz again.

‘Dennis the Menace,’ giggled Amanda.

‘Absolutely,’ Clive nodded. ‘So I’ve never dated a cross-dresser or eaten cream scones since.’

Janey smiled and thought how much Garth would have liked this daft bit of conversation. He’d probably stick it somewhere in a future novel. Sighing, she took another slug of her gin and tonic and wondered how things were going for Garth right now. Perhaps he was currently in a lip-lock with Emma, frantically kissing away her tears of regret. And what of the brother, Janey wondered? How must Adrian be feeling right now? Janey could only imagine…

Chapter Fifty-Two

Once in Vancouver, Garth wasted no time in meeting up with a man called Julian Green. For a premium, Julian could produce DNA results within forty-eight hours, rather than the customary two to three weeks. This was providing the lab had the relevant samples and paperwork in place. Garth was now seated in Julian’s office.

‘The issue here,’ Julian explained, ‘is that you and Adrian aren’t two random men. You’re brothers. You have the same parents. There you both share around fifty per cent of their DNA. This means both you and Adrian are likely to match up at some, or even all, of the tested sites. Consequently you are both likely to pass the same DNA markers to baby Anna. This is where trouble can start. If two brothers happen to share markers at all of the sites tested, then the wrong man can be identified as Pops.’

‘But you
can
work out who Anna’s father is…can’t you?’ Garth could feel tension knotting his stomach. He hoped this guy wasn’t going to waste his time.

‘Fortunately you and Adrian are just brothers – not identical twins. Two brothers will
not
match up at every DNA testing position. So to answer your question, it’s yes. If I look at enough DNA, I’ll be able to work out who Anna’s father is.’

Garth felt himself relax. ‘Thanks, Julian.’ He stood up and shook the man’s hand.

Once outside and on his own again, Garth reached for his mobile. Emma answered on the second ring. Her voice was both tearful and subdued.

‘You’ve stirred up a hornet’s nest,’ she quavered. ‘Adrian is adamant his original DNA test is perfectly satisfactory. He is refusing, point blank, to assist.’

‘That’s fine,’ said Garth briskly. ‘Julian can use my DNA to do more in-depth testing. I just want to know the cast-iron truth. If I’m not Anna’s father, I’ll go away and let you both get on with your lives.’

‘You know, Garth,’ at the other end of the phone Emma was hesitating, sniffing hard. ‘There’s another option you haven’t explored.’

‘Oh?’

‘Anna and I could come back to England with you. You and I could pick up where we left off and pretend none of this ever happened.’

Garth could hardly believe his ears. There was pause. ‘Excuse me?’ he finally asked.

‘You heard.’

‘And what about Adrian? How does he figure in all this? Or doesn’t he?’

Emma was instantly dismissive. ‘He’s too busy making out with his secretary. Or the babysitter. Or my new best friend – who is no longer a friend on any level.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ Garth said. He genuinely meant it. ‘But you knew what Adrian was like, and you took your chances. As for us…I’m sorry, Emma. There’s no going back.’

‘Why?’

Garth couldn’t believe how this conversation was going. ‘You and I shouldn’t have got together in the first place. You never wanted me. I was just a poor substitute…the stepping stone that enabled you to achieve your goal – trapping my brother with a pregnancy that was supposedly his. In an ordinary DNA test between brothers, either one will show as the father. I think you’d done your research, hedged your bets, and thought you couldn’t lose. I can forgive my bro because he’s a plank who keeps his brain in his trousers. But you! You’re something else, Emma. You set out to deliberately achieve what happened.’ Garth’s voice began to shake with emotion. ‘That’s pretty despicable.’ He took a moment, clenching the mobile phone in his hand.

‘You’d forgive me in time,’ Emma said softly. Her tone became one of wheedling. ‘Why don’t you just give it a go? Say, six months. I’d make it up to you, Garth. You’d see. I’d be the best wife–’

‘Wife?’ The word came out like a pistol shot.

‘Yes, of course,’ Emma ploughed on. ‘Anna can have total stability with two committed parents.’

‘Doesn’t she already have that?’

There was a pause. ‘Look, Garth. Adrian doesn’t love me. He loves Anna. Just Anna. And–’

‘I think we’re getting way ahead of ourselves here,’ Garth interrupted. He wanted to bring the conversation back to what was relevant, and exactly why he’d travelled five thousand miles. This journey hadn’t been undertaken to see Emma, or to engage in wild promises about the future. It was to discover the truth, once and for all, about who was Anna’s biological father. He took a deep breath. ‘Look, one thing at a time.’

‘Yes, yes of course,’ Emma instantly adopted a pacifying tone. After all, Garth hadn’t met her suggestion with an outright no. And until he did, there was hope.

***

The following morning the Canada Companions boarded their minibus. Amanda plonked herself down next to Janey just as Clive grabbed the microphone. He gave an enthusiastic pep talk about their impending trip to Whistler.

‘I can’t imagine him as a vicar, can you?’ whispered Amanda.

‘Actually,’ Janey put her head on one side and considered. ‘Yes, I can. He’s been a very caring rep, and he is extremely personable. I can picture Clive rallying his congregation together, urging everyone to give a rousing rendition of Jerusalem before thanking Jeremy in the overhead gallery for doing wonderful things with his big organ.’

Amanda giggled, ‘You’re right.’

As the minibus lurched off, everybody sat back and enjoyed the changing scenery. Soon the city was behind them and they were trundling along the Sea-to-Sky Highway. This section of road was part of Highway 99, a meandering strip overhanging sparkling blue waters fringed with vast evergreens. Mountains were starting to dominate the landscape now, and then Janey remembered that Whistler was a ski resort and had been home to the 2010 Olympic Games.

After an hour or so, Clive grabbed the microphone again. ‘We’re going to pull over shortly, because there is a beautiful place I want you all to see. I think everybody will really appreciate it. Grab your cameras, mobiles, iPads or simply prepare your brain to forever register this upcoming image.’

The minibus driver swung a right, and the little group were briefly tossed about as the wheels drove over rough terrain and dipped into ruts. The passenger door opened and the Canada Companions stood up stiffly. Janey paused to stretch her arms up to the bluest sky she’d seen in months. Ahead was Lost Lake, surrounded by emerald green fir trees and perfectly reflecting the sky’s clouds in its glass-like waters. Bobbing about at the water’s edge were hundreds of Canadian Geese. As the little group wandered forward, the geese postured and honked, semi-opening their wings and shaking them like wet umbrellas before folding them away again. The bolder ones stepped up the bank and honked warningly, while the less brave ones took off in low flight across the waters.

‘Isn’t it glorious?’ Clive spread his arms wide and beamed at the group. ‘If you have somebody special in your life, this is the place to bring them.’ Ruth and Rich held hands and gave each other sloppy grins. Amanda and James caught each other’s eye and scowled. ‘And if you don’t have anybody special,’ Clive added hastily, ‘make sure you come back here when you’ve met The One.’

Amanda snorted. ‘I’m not sure my Brian would appreciate all this glorious scenery. He’d be more likely to go into raptures if there was a café around wafting the smell of frying bacon.’

Janey grinned, but her smile masked a sudden piercing sadness. The feeling threatened to overwhelm her. How she’d love Garth to see this place. But then again, right now she’d just love to see Garth.