Page 43 of Finding Love in Micklewick Bay

‘Oh, yes, yes. I can hear you, lovey, I’m just rushing, that’s all.’ She paused again. ‘I, er… I suddenly came over feeling unwell last night and had to leave quickly. Very embarrassing.’ Alice gave a nervous laugh. ‘I think it was some dodgy prawns I’d eaten earlier in the day.’

Stella closed her eyes and shook her head. It was time to bite the bullet. ‘Are you sure it wasn’t because of that man who walked in, Mum?’

An awkward silence stretched out.

‘Mum?’

‘What man? I didn’t see anyone walk in, I was too preoccupied with the most horrendous stomach ache to notice anyone else.’

‘Mum, please, it’s time to be honest.’ Her mother certainly wasn’t making this easy. ‘It was seeing Johan de Groote that upset you, wasn’t it?’ she said softly.

She heard her mother gasp. ‘You know his name?’ Alice’s voice came out in a whisper, tugging at Stella’s heartstrings.

‘Yes, Mum. I know his name.’ She took a fortifying breath. ‘And I know who he is; I know he’s my father.’

‘Oh, right. I see.’ Her mother’s breathing sounded heavy down the phone line. ‘Just give me a second, I need to sit down.’

‘Of course. Are you okay?’

‘Yes, I’m fine. Just shocked, that’s all.’ Stella thought she sounded as though she’d had the stuffing knocked out of her.

‘That’s understandable after all this time. Is it the first you’ve seen of him since…?’

‘Mm-hm, yes. I recognised him straight away, he has a certain way of carrying himself.’

Doesn’t he just?‘I’d noticed.’

‘Did you speak to him?’ her mum asked.

‘Briefly. He wasn’t at all what I expected. Well, apart from I’d always thought he was a tosser for walking out on you, and the impression he created last night did nothing to change my mind on that score.’

That raised a laugh from Alice. ‘And, in light of what you’ve just said, I’m guessing it wasn’t you who tracked him down, and you weren’t the reason he turned up last night.’

‘No, not at all!’ Stella hadn’t thought that was how it might have looked to her mum. ‘I was a shocked as you when I realised who he was. If I’d had anything to do with it, I’d have spoken to you first before inviting him to turn up, and I certainly wouldn’t choose anywhere as public as an event at The Cellar. I’d like to think you know that, Mum,’ she added softly, the locket and the letter fleeting across her mind, a squeeze of guilt in her chest.

‘Of course I do, sweetheart. Sorry, I’m still making sense of it all.’

‘I get that. Anyway, Pim’s been on the phone this morning – he’s actually connected to all of this – and he wondered if we wanted to meet in the back room at The Cellar so we could all chat. Johan de Groote will be there.’ She couldn’t bring herself to refer to him as her father. ‘Pim suggested ten o’clock.’ She couldn’t decide whether she thought it would be a good idea forher mother to join them or not. The last thing she wanted was for the feelings that would inevitably be dredged up to cause any new heartache, especially when her mum seemed so happy with Rhys. But then again, she might appreciate the chance to give Johan de Groote a piece of her mind. If there was one thing Stella knew about her mum, it was that she liked to get things off her chest. Have her say and move on. Just like Stella herself.

‘Pim’s involved?’ Alice sounded shocked.

‘It’s a long story, I’ll explain all at The Cellar, if you can make it, that is.’ Her mum evidently hadn’t put the Dutch connection together, but then again, Stella wasn’t sure if her mother would know where Pim was from if she hadn’t frequented The Cellar that much.

‘I’m really sorry, lovey, I can’t, I’ve got an important appointment at that time and it’s too late to change it; it would be rude if I did.’

‘That’s a shame. I thought you’d be glad of the chance to get closure after all these years.’

Alice gave a scornful laugh. ‘Closure? That man isn’t worth me wasting another second of my time on. I shut him out of my thoughts years ago; it’s only you who keeps reminding me about him with your incessant questions.’

Stella winced at the bitterness in her mum’s voice.

‘Mum, I?—’

‘Trust me, Stella, I’ve had all the closure I need with that man. If you want to form some kind of father-daughter relationship with him then that’s up to you. But I warn you, don’t believe the promises he’ll no doubt make you; he’ll let you down. Of that I’m certain.’

‘I understand that. I’m not fooling myself about him.’ It was true, especially after what she’d seen of him.

‘Well, just in case, I’ll be here for you when he does.’ Alice huffed out a sigh. ‘Right, sorry, sweetheart, but I’d really better be going. Let me know how you get on, won’t you?’

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