The Corrigan legacy (18 page)

The lawyer rang back later. 'We've got a hearing for Monday.'

'Can't you get one sooner?'

'Sorry. Unless you can prove it's an emergency.'

'I don't suppose a day or two will make that much difference.'

'I think you have a very good case and I'm sure you'll get access.'

At Dr Upson's, Kate had to fill in a long questionnaire before she went in to see the doctor. She felt nervous and foggy-brained but she struggled on, ticking the boxes.

Dr Upson studied the questionnaire, nodding and pursing her lips as if it was meaningful to her. 'Now, tell me exactly what's been happening to you, Kate.'

When she'd finished explaining, she leaned back, feeling the room swim around her.

'The pattern is very typical of chronic fatigue,' that quiet voice said. 'Your Australian doctor was quite right about that diagnosis, I'm sure. And it's a serious, debilitating illness, make no mistake about that. There is no instant cure, it takes a year or two to get your body's biochemistry back on an even keel, so you're going to have to be patient and accept incremental progress. But the good news is that we're having a lot more success nowadays, especially with a nutritional approach. I'd like to run a few tests, but I'm fairly certain we can improve some things quite quickly, that foggy brain for one.'

Kate stared at the doctor, unable to believe what she was hearing. 'You can do something?'

'Oh, yes. Though I can't guarantee a full recovery. I think you'll prove to have an iron deficiency, hence the extreme weakness. As for the fuzzy brain, it's likely that you've developed a wheat intolerance, possibly one to milk as well. It quite often happens in these cases, especially in those with Irish ancestry.' She reached for a pad. 'Let's get the tests done as quickly as possible and we'll bring you back in as soon as we get the results to discuss what else we can do. In the meantime, do you think you can give up eating wheat?'

Kate nodded.

'It'll mean reading all the labels. Wheat is in more products than you'd believe. But you can get rice bread in any health store.'

As they walked out, Kate stumbled, and again Mark's arm was there to support her.

She looked at him and smiled, in spite of her tiredness. 'You've been a tower of strength. Thank you.'

'Looks like you're about to get better,' he said quietly. 'Now, let's go and get those tests done.'

When they got back to the hotel afterwards, she turned to him and dared say it herself. 'Dr Upson sounded so confident that she could help me.' And then tears were running down her cheeks and she was sobbing against him.

Hope, she found, was as hard to bear as the lack of it.

Early morning mist drifts across the moors, rags of it trailing down the slopes. Sheep huddle in clusters near the walls. No sign of the sun today, no blue in the sky even.

Judith woke feeling apprehensive. She couldn't have said why. Yesterday she'd been full of hope and enthusiasm. Today it had all evaporated and she had a feeling something was about to happen. The phone rang just as she was setting out her painting materials. She hesitated but decided to answer it because she didn't want any more workmen turning up unannounced.

'Hi, Judith. Andy here. Have you a minute to talk?'

'Of course.'

'Maeve's not been well this week. She's very keen to meet Mitch as soon as possible - and Lena and I are keen to give her whatever she wants.'

There was a pause and she heard him taking a deep breath, as if the subject was painful. She waited patiently for him to continue.

'You said he was coming up this weekend. Could we build in a visit to Saltern House on Saturday, do you think?'

'Of course. I was going to show him round this part of England and it'd be good for him to visit his father's old home.'

'Maeve will be pleased.' He chuckled. 'Though it wasn't their home until they were in their early teens.'

'From the way Des talks about it, his family had lived there since the middle ages!'

'No. Maeve's father bought it after he made some money. It was quite tumble-down then.'

'Des doesn't talk much about his childhood or his family. I'm sure Mitch would love to chat to Maeve about the Corrigan side of the family.'

'I'll tell her. She's had some genealogical research done which goes back quite a long way. So, do you want to use the same ploy as last time to avoid your watcher?'

'He isn't here this morning and if he stays away, I'll just drive straight over on Saturday. It's only for Mitch's sake that I'm even bothering to keep the visits secret. I don't want to get him into his father's bad books.'

'All right. Let me know what you decide to do.'

She put the phone down, glad she'd answered it. When it rang again she picked it up automatically, thinking Andy must have forgotten to tell her something.

'Judith?'

Her heart sank. 'What do you want, Des?'

'I need to see you, to talk to you.'

'Well, I don't need to see you. No doubt you're planning some other nasty trick. When are you going to grow up?'

There was silence at the other end of the line, then he surprised her. 'Maybe I have done.' He let out a mirthless bark of laughter as he added, 'Or maybe I'm just growing old. Look, I'm sorry about the tricks I played on you.' 

'Oh?'

'Really I am. I was annoyed at the way we parted. But it was a waste of time, really. I should have just got on with my life.'

'I can't believe I'm hearing this from you.'

'Well, there you are. Look, things are a bit full-on for me at the moment - I've got a few business problems. Could you come down to London, do you think? We can meet for lunch. I'll send a car up to fetch you.'

She didn't know what to say. Was this another trick? Or was he starting to act reasonably about their divorce?

'Please, Jude.'

'I shan't come back to live with you.'

'I wasn't going to ask you to.'

She made a quick change of plans. 'Well, I was thinking of going down to see Mum and Mitch, so I can come this weekend and see you on the Friday. But I'll drive myself, so don't send a car. Where do you want to meet?'

He named his favourite restaurant and put down the phone.

She was baffled. He was usually full of himself and his doings, but this time he'd sounded serious, sincere even.

And quiet. Des Corrigan, quiet? Something must have gone wrong.

Unless this was another trick . . . Only how could it be? She'd be driving herself, only meeting Des in public.

She wondered whether to contact Cal, perhaps even go and stay with him on the Thursday night, but he'd only sent her a couple of short emails in the past three days, so she decided not to. If he didn't want to see her, she wasn't going to cling to him or pester him. Pity, though. She really liked him, had thought they might even have a future together. Silly of her, really. People were into casual sex these days, not marriage. She was old-fashioned, wanting it to be more. Only ... he was a lovely man.

She went back to her painting, trying to capture the dull undertones you got when it was going to rain, but she couldn't settle.

It wasn't until she went to prepare lunch that she realized how little she had in the fridge. She needed to do some serious shopping unless Mitch had changed. He always ate like a horse - two horses.

Wandering round the shops and market in Rochdale was as good a distraction as any, but she kept wondering what Des needed to see her about and then wondering why Cal had stopped emailing her.

Kate lay awake for over an hour in the middle of the night as her body tried to persuade her that it was time to wake up, but eventually she got back to sleep again. When she woke to daylight, she looked at her watch and gasped. Ten o'clock already! She was wasting her life sleeping!

She peeped into the sitting room and saw Mark working on his computer. He looked up and smiled. He had a serenity about him, though that wasn't usually how you described a man his age. But nothing ever seemed to upset him. He was so easy to be with.

He lifted his fingers off the keyboard. 'How are you this morning?'

'One of my better days, I think.'

'You've no medical appointments today, so we can either go up to see Maeve and stay there for the weekend or we can stay in London till your test results come through. Whichever you prefer.'

She looked out of the window at the sunshine. 'I've never been to London, though I'm sure I won't have the energy to do much sightseeing. Could we go and see a few things today, do you think, then go to Maeve's tomorrow?'

'Sure. We can get a car and drive round, which shouldn't tire you too much. Then we'll go up to Cheshire tomorrow.'

'Would my aunt mind us doing that? She's been so generous. I don't want her to think I'm taking advantage of that.'

'Maeve says to do whatever will make you happiest. But you do need to eat breakfast before we set off.' He gestured to a package on the table next to him. 'I've been out and bought some rice bread and a couple of other things for you.'

She went across to examine the special bread, pulling a face at its dryness. 'Not like the real thing, is it?' 

'No. They told me at the health store that it's best toasted. Now, go and get yourself ready. I'll order breakfast and let them toast a couple of slices of this stuff for you.'

She couldn't resist teasing him. 'Right, Mumsie dear.'

But she had an appetite this morning and didn't have to be persuaded to eat.

When they went out, a large comfortable car, complete with chauffeur, was waiting for them. And she managed to see some of the sights she'd dreamed about for years: Buckingham Palace, the Thames, the Tower of London. She knew they were trite old tourist places, but still, she wanted to go there and see them for herself. She looked wistfully at the beautiful shops they drove past but knew she'd never stand up to a tour of them even if she'd had some money to spare, which she didn't.

Mark brought her back to the hotel at one o'clock for a snack and a rest, then took her out again, ending the evening with an early dinner at a restaurant which had no prices on the menu. She didn't dare ask how much it had cost.

The next morning she woke up to find that some of the fog had lifted from her brain. 'Can it really be that easy?' she asked Mark over breakfast.

'I doubt it will be the final answer to your problems, but each step along the way ought to see an improvement from what Dr Upson told us.'

'I can't remember clearly what she said. That's why I wanted you with me. Thank you, Mark. You've been like a fairy godmother to me.'

He gave her a long, slow smile. 'Actually, I don't feel at all godmotherly where you're concerned.'

His steady look promised ... something. Or was she fooling herself? She hoped not.

'But for the moment, it's my job to look after you, help you get better and take you to Maeve.'

'I'm looking forward to meeting my aunt.'

'I'd better warn you that she's being treated for cancer, has lost her hair and is looking very frail. Don't show your surprise. She hates it'

'It seems terrible to discover an aunt, then lose her.'

'She's not dead yet. She'll have a few surprises for everyone yet, if I know Maeve.'

'Do you know her well?'

'I ought to. She helped plan and fund my business when I started it up.'

'That was kind of her.'

He laughed. 'Kind? No way. She didn't do it out of kindness. It was a shrewd investment and has paid her well. I'm good at what I do.'

'Private investigations?'

'Done with tact and delicacy, along with anything else that's needed.'

'Like looking after me.'

'That's a pleasure as well as a job.'

'Oh.' She felt herself go a bit pink and bustled off to pack. Only when she was closing her suitcase did she realize that she'd done it all herself this time. She was tired now but not exhausted beyond reason. In fact, she really did feel better. Could going without wheat be helping her foggy brain?

Please, let it last! She didn't think she'd ever prayed more fervently for anything in her whole life.

Hilary heard Mitch put the phone down. He'd just asked his mother not to tell Des he was going up to visit her, and that upset Hilary. She didn't like to see a son treading so carefully round his father.

He came into the sitting room and flopped down on the couch beside her.

'Why do you suppose Dad wants a face to face meeting with Mum?'

'I'm hoping he's going to ask her for a divorce.'

'She's already told him she wants a divorce, so it can't be that.'

'Well, you'll find out tomorrow, won't you?'

He shrugged, stretching his legs out, sitting in a position that would have given her backache. Oh, for a supple young body again! she thought. 'We'll have to pack your things tomorrow, then your mother can take them with her on Friday and pick you up from school after her lunch meeting. Could you go up and check there's nothing needing washing?'

'Sure.'

'I'll not be back till about eight o'clock on Sunday evening.'

He turned to grin at her from the doorway. 'I think I'm old enough to look after myself now, Gran.' 

'Of course you are. I just didn't want you worrying about me.' 

She sat staring at the TV, seeing nothing but a blur of colours and movement. Mitch was such a good lad, too good she sometimes thought, as if he did nothing without working out in advance the best way to tackle it. He had a few friends, but didn't usually bring them back here. It was as if he kept his life in several separate compartments, like his relationships with his half-sisters. Judith had been wrong not to encourage that. In Hilary's opinion, the lad was hungry for relatives. A pity her side had so few.

But when she thought of the things some lads his age got into, drugs and stuff, she could only be grateful that Mitch hadn't gone down that path. She'd miss him when he went to university. She didn't really like living alone.

Maybe she wouldn't have to. She hadn't told anyone, but the friend she was going to visit this weekend was a man. Glen had been married to an old school friend of hers who'd died last year, and they'd met at a dinner party a few months later. Since then she'd been seeing him fairly regularly, though that had eased off a bit when Mitch came to live with her because she didn't want her family to know. She enjoyed Glen's company and he'd suggested they marry, but she wasn't sure, felt a fool at her age to be even considering it.

She wondered if Judith would remarry, hoped she would and to someone more suitable this time, someone kind, with a loving nature.

Judith packed carefully, wanting to appear her best for her lunch date with Des. Twice she went and picked up the phone to ring Cal, and twice she put it down with the number only half dialled. He hadn't emailed last night, either, not even a quick reply to her last post.

When she got down to London, she gave in to temptation and drove past her old home because it was almost on the way to her mother's. Goodness, the place looked huge! It was exactly like a child's pile of boxes. She'd never liked that sort of architecture. Des was welcome to keep it.

Her mother came out to greet her, looking at her face searchingly. 'Are you all right, darling?'

'Never better, Mum. But I'm dying for a cup of tea.'

'Just nip up to the tiny bedroom with your case while I put the kettle on.'

As they sat and chatted, she told her mother about Maeve and how she was taking Mitch to see his aunt.

'Good idea.'

'How is Des? Really.'

'He never changes.'

'What about this woman of his?'

'To my surprise, I liked her.'

'You didn't!'

Hilary nodded. 'Yes I did. She behaved impeccably in a difficult situation and although she's very beautiful, it's not that. She's got a kind expression in her eyes, as if she really likes people. She used to be a model, apparently, very successful too, Des says. At the wedding some great-aunt of Lacey's was rude to her and Tiffany put the old hag in her place very cleverly. Did you know she was a writer?'

'I've never discussed her with Des, beyond finding out her name.'

'Well, she's just had her first novel accepted for publication. A romance. She hadn't told him and he looked as surprised as anyone when she announced it to prove to the old aunt that she wasn't just a pretty face.' Hilary smiled reminiscently.

Bitterness welled up in Judith. Des hadn't stopped Tiffany from fulfilling herself, just his wife. She looked at the clock and changed the subject firmly. 'I'm looking forward to seeing Mitch.'

Half an hour later he was there and Judith surprised herself as well as the others by bursting into tears as she gave him a big hug. 'I'd forgotten how tall you'd grown. I've missed you dreadfully.'