Written in the Stars (23 page)

Chapter Twenty Seven

Charlize put the phone down and sighed—if only there was something she could do to help Suzi. For a brief moment she thought about making a quick trip back to see how she could help her, but realised it was impracticable under the circumstances, and probably would achieve nothing. And maybe by the time she arrived there, Suzi would probably have it all sorted out.

She gave another little sigh. It was strange how things seem to happen so unexpectedly; in some ways it seemed almost too good to be true. Who would have thought she would be living in a luxurious house overlooking Auckland harbour while she was waiting to get married? Only a few months ago she would have rejected the idea out of hand.

Any qualms she may have had about marrying Lloyd and settling in New Zealand had disappeared without trace. He was all she had hoped to find in a man, and their love for each other became stronger by the day. Lloyd’s parents had insisted that she stay with them until the wedding day so that they could get to know each other better. Meanwhile he had taken the opportunity to have his home redecorated.

‘Two more days to go,’ she murmured, stretching luxuriously as she gazed out onto the sweeping expanse of lawn and beyond it onto the city of sails. She was tempted to phone him at work just to say hello, but resisted the urge. ‘I don’t want his receptionist to think I’m checking up on him.’

However within minutes he called her.

‘Charlize, my darling.’ Lloyd crooned into the mouthpiece. ‘I’ve arranged to meet an old friend of mine who’s looking for a house in the bay area. I thought you might like to come along for the run so that I can show you a bit more of our beautiful country. We’ll all have a spot of lunch together afterwards in a nice little place that specialises in seafood.’

‘That sounds great. I’ll let your mother know I’m going out.’

Half an hour later, he pulled up outside the house and tooted the horn. As they headed north, Charlize told him about Suzi’s phone call. He said nothing, but made the acceptable clucking noises one makes when sympathetic to another’s problems.

‘I don’t regret leaving Britain for one moment,’ she said, casting a glance at the man by her side, ‘but I do miss Suzi. We’ve been such good friends for so many years, and now, when she needs me most, I’m on the other side of the world.’ She sighed. ‘Isn’t it strange? Everything has turned out so wonderfully for me, and yet it all seems to have gone pear-shaped for her.’

‘Do you think she’ll be able to sort it out all right?’

‘I hope so,’ Charlize replied, ‘but it sounds as if she’s at the end of her tether with Mark.’

Half an hour later they pulled into a parking spot outside an office that bore the legend: Wisecombe and Spencer Real Estate Agents and Valuators. As they did so, another vehicle stopped on the opposite side of the street and the driver tooted.

‘Hello, Steve, nice to see you again.’ Lloyd climbed out of his Mercedes as Steve walked towards him. While they shook hands Charlize alighted on the other side of the vehicle. ‘Say hello to my future wife,’ he said, placing a hand under her elbow.

‘Hello Charlize, pleased to meet you,’ Steve said, and when they shook hands he had a strong feeling that he had seen her somewhere else before.

Lloyd grinned widely.

‘Your eyes are popping out, Steve,’ he said, laughingly.

‘Yes, well you told me that your fiancée was beautiful, but I think you understated the obvious.’ Then he turned back to Charlize. ‘I found it hard to believe that Lloyd was contemplating marriage, but now I can understand why.’

‘How very kind of you,’ Charlize said. ‘I think Lloyd and I are two of a kind, although we were both surprised at how quickly it all happened.’ She squeezed her fiancé’s fingers. ‘But it’s the best decision I’ve ever made.’

‘Lloyd said you met in North Queensland, but it’s quite obvious you’re not from that part of the world. Your accent is Welsh, unless I’m mistaken.’

Charlize looked at him in a peculiar way and was about to say something when Lloyd glanced pointedly at his wristwatch. ‘Sorry to rush you, Steve, but I have to keep my eye on the time.’

‘Yes of course.’

‘Come on, I’ll introduce you to Harry and you can tell him what you’re looking for.’ He turned to Charlize. ‘Do you want to wait in the car or come with us?’

‘I’ll be all right waiting here for you.’

Before Lloyd said goodbye, he invited Steve to visit when they returned from their honeymoon, and then left the two men discussing the available houses in the area.

‘Steve seems a nice guy.’

‘Yes he is,’ Lloyd agreed, ‘he’s a genuine sort. We went through college together, but we weren’t really close. Then a couple of years ago we met at a barbecue and sort of renewed our friendship. Although we don’t see a lot of each other we have a fair bit more in common.’

‘Is he married?’

‘No, he was going to marry, but apparently his girlfriend suddenly walked out on him and went to live with an ex-boyfriend; some chap who had just been released from prison. Not long after that, they were both killed in a car accident.’

‘Oh, how awful. How did Steve take it?’

‘I think he was more upset than he’s prepared to admit.

‘Did this Steve visit Britain recently?’

‘He might have done.’ Lloyd was just about to elaborate when the car phone rang. ‘Hold on,’ he murmured picking it up and identifying himself.

While he talked confidentially to the other person, Charlize began tying up some loose ends in her mind. Although she knew that Suzi shared the inheritance of Caxton Manor with a man called Steve, and that he lived in New Zealand, she couldn’t remember his surname. Charlize knew that Suzi was a bit cut up because the man had a girlfriend back home, but more than that she didn’t know. She kept wondering about it; could this be some incredible coincidence? She shrugged and dismissed it, but then realised that stranger things happen every day of the week. Anyway, the facts should be easy enough to check out if she set her mind to it.

Lloyd headed towards the coast, and by the time he had looked over the proposed development area and talked to a couple of the principal parties, it was nearly midday. ‘What a pity,’ he said. ‘The seafood restaurant is closed. Never mind, we’ll have a quick sandwich at that café over there.’

Charlize was just about to tell him of her thoughts, when the phone rang again.

‘Blast.’

‘It’s okay, answer it,’ she said, as he grimaced. ‘It could be important. Someone might be going to offer you a million dollar deal.’ By the time he ended the call they were on the outskirts of their destination, so rather than resurrect the conversation Charlize decided to leave it be for the moment. It could wait until another day. At her suggestion Lloyd dropped her off at a taxi rank and headed back to his office.

When she returned to his parents’ place, she tried to call Suzi to see what had transpired since the previous day. The restaurant phone remained unanswered, so she dialled the number at Caxton Manor, but there was no response there either. Unable to get through to her friend’s mobile as well, she sent a text message. There was nothing more she could do now, but wait for a reply.

As she packed for their honeymoon, she had to make a concerted effort to dismiss the unbelievable idea that had taken hold of her mind. She and Lloyd had discussed various places, and she felt happy that they had finally decided to spend the week in Wellington. It was one of Lloyd’s favourite places and he hinted that he might like to live there one day. Charlize had been intrigued to learn that many couples chose to exchange vows in a public park. The idea appealed to her, because it was a far better atmosphere than a stuffy register office, and less restrictive than a church. Lloyd had explored the possibility of a church wedding, but had run up against a brick wall. Saturdays were all booked for over two months.

They had finally opted for an open-air wedding in the park, even though the weather was usually unpredictable at this time of year. The day dawned fine and sunny, although it was quite cool. The sun stayed out long enough for the photos to be taken, and then everyone rushed back to the stretch limos to be whisked off to a luncheon at a nearby hotel. Charlize was glad that the celebrations had been kept to the minimum, but she would have liked her best friend to been there to share her joy. The fact that Suzie hadn’t made contact was a major concern, because she had promised to phone and wish her well.

The toasts were kept to a minimum, but it was obvious that Lloyd’s parents were delighted to see their eldest son married at last. She formed an instant rapport with his sister, Beryl, and was amazed to learn that his younger brother already had three children and his wife was expecting a fourth.
I hope Lloyd has no plans to emulate Derek’s efforts
, she thought.

It was late afternoon when they flew out of Auckland, and within hours they had booked into the Wellington hotel. As the porter closed the door behind him, Lloyd gathered Charlize into his arms. ‘Well, Mrs Bridgestone?’

‘Very well thank you, Mr Bridgestone,’ she replied, loosening his tie.

He looked across at the king-size bed. ‘I wonder if the springs or whatever they put in those things are up to standard.’

‘We should check it out,’ Charlize said, as she continued to undo his shirt buttons. ‘I think they’ll hold our dinner back for us.’

*

As he said goodbye to Lloyd, Steve promised to keep in touch and wished them well for their wedding day. His friend had explained that guests were restricted to immediate family out of deference to Charlize, because she didn’t know anyone in the country.

Harry Wisecombe didn’t have anything that looked remotely interesting on the books, but assured Steve that things could change in the near future.

‘I’ll get in touch with you immediately I find anything that might be suitable,’ he promised, As far as Steve was concerned, it had been a complete waste of time, but, he reasoned, it had given him a chance to look over the area.

On the way back to Auckland he tried to think where had seen Charlize, but it eluded him. Unable to concentrate clearly he pulled off the main road and found a small café and ordered some coffee. As he spooned sugar into the cup he began to put the pieces together in his mind.

Lloyd had only given him sketchy details about how he Charlize had met, but—he had mentioned the name Suzi. When he recalled his conversation with the woman on the sailing boat, it all fell into place. She had told him that Suzi was holidaying with a friend from Wales who had been smitten by a New Zealander. She also mentioned that the girl had said they were sharing a room at the hotel in Airlie Beach. Although he hadn’t been successful when he tried to trace her, a subsequent enquiry revealed that the room had been booked in the name Charlotte Bronwyn-Smythe. So, was that Charlotte the friend whom Suzi called Charlize?

In his mind’s eye Steve re-enacted the scene as the woman toppled over the side of the boat and disappeared beneath the waves. He recalled thinking he had seen a flash of recognition on her face as he reached out for her, and his own feelings as the ambulance officer turned her head towards him when he began resuscitation. He had made every effort to locate her but neither the skipper of the sailing boat, the powerboat operator, nor the nurse in the casualty department at the Base Hospital, had been able to help.

Steve took another sip of coffee and then smiled as he suddenly, remembered that he might have seen a photograph of Charlize in Suzi’s house. ‘That’s got to be it,’ he muttered, cursing himself for not having made the connection when Lloyd said the two women were from Wales.

He gave a laugh and banged the table hard with his fist. ‘Yes, that’s it,’ he exclaimed loudly. Conscious of his outburst, he glanced around the room. It seemed that everyone including the proprietor was staring at him. ‘Sorry folks,’ he apologised, ‘but I’ve just realised something important.’ When their faces relaxed, he smiled.

He paid the bill and left soon afterwards. As he continued driving towards Auckland he allowed the thoughts to surface again. It was quite obvious that until today Charlize did not know that he and Lloyd were friends. So where did he go from here? Should he try to find out what had happened back at Airlie Beach? Did Suzi have any idea that he was the one who rescued her? And if she had, did she try to find him? Moreover, did she want to? That was the big question. He gave a hollow laugh at the incredible turn of possible events. Suzi’s best friend had come to New Zealand to get married to someone he had known for years? Well, no matter what the truth of it was, there was nothing he could do about it right now. He would leave things as they were—for the moment, and then at some opportune moment, perhaps he could broach the subject with Charlize when he visited them at some future date. He just had to be patient.

Steve was still in a pensive mood when he drove into the factory yard. He had been unsettled ever since he had returned from Australia. Nothing in particular had gone wrong, but on the other hand everything seemed insignificant—as if he were waiting for something to happen. He felt that he had done the right thing in refusing Jenny’s invitation to form a relationship, even though he still had a niggling desire to bed her. However, he had also convinced himself that he didn’t want to consider a relationship with anyone at all right now.