Page 52 of Fallen Legacy

“What is that all about?” I ask, frowning at Chester.

“Let’s just say the slimy fucker has his uses for now,” Archer growls as he pulls off onto the path and we head away from college. We drive into the next village, and I sit up and take notice as this is where my mum grew up. The marina is full of fishing boats, and I take it all in wondering if once upon a time my mum’s dad would have been down at there in a boat after a day’s fishing.

“We’re not going on a boat, are we?”

He side-glances at me and shakes his head. “If we were going out to sea, it would be on Libby, my grandfather’s yacht.”

I shake my head and snicker. Of course he’s got a yacht.

We pull up in front of the marina and I look around us, puzzled at where we could be going. I’m dying to know what we’re doing here. Archer holds out his hand to me and I slip mine in his, allowing him to guide me across the road to the row of quaint seafront shops.

“Wow, you’re treating me to a chippy tea!” I exclaim when we come to a stop outside a chippy aptly named ‘The Marina Chippy.’ “This is my kind of treat.”

He chuckles to himself as he pushes open the door. “We’re not actually here for the food, but we can have chippy tea if you want, Scar.”

We walk inside and the place is relatively busy with tables filled with families enjoying tea out and tourists enjoying a spot of food after a boat trip.

Archer walks up to the counter and I trail behind him, looking hungrily at the large plate of fish and chips a waiter brings out from the kitchen.

“Hey, I’m looking for Rebecca?”

The guy behind the counter smiles warmly at us. “She’s out back. I’ll grab her for you.”

A minute later, the large man walks back out with a petite dark-haired woman walking behind him. She’s wiping her hands on her apron and she approaches us, smiling.

“Hi, what can I do for you? I’m Rebecca, the owner.”

“Could we take a seat with you for a second?” Archer asks her. He gestures at the empty table to our right.

Rebecca looks intrigued, and she agrees and directs us to take a seat. I look at Archer, puzzled. What on earth is this all about?

“You’re Martha and Donald’s daughter?”

“I am,” she replies, looking as puzzled as I am right now.

“This is Eliza. She’s Stephanie’s daughter. Your second cousin.”

My mouth drops open at the same time as Rebecca’s does. When I take a moment to study her, I can see it now, the family resemblance to my mother.

“Stephanie’s daughter?” she asks, as if she is uncertain of what she has just heard.

“Yes. This is Stephanie and Andrew’s daughter. She’s living in the bay now with Wilbur,” Archer informs her.

At the mention of Wilbur’s name, her expression turns sour. She turns her attention to me, studying me in shock. “I can see you’re the double of your dad. Although you have your mum’s nose.”

“You’re my mum’s cousin,” I reply, still reeling in shock. “Did you know about me? About us?”

She swallows and nods her head. “Your mum wrote to me only once, with no forwarding address. It was when you were born. Eliza Rose.”

“I didn’t think we had any living family until recently,” I explain, and she nods her head.

“I’m sorry you lost them both. They were wonderful people. So in love.”

I smile. My parents were the epitome of love. “They really were,” I agree, swallowing and trying to fight the threatening tears.

“How did you know they had passed if you weren’t in contact? They changed their names.” I asked her, confused how she knew they were no longer here.

Rebecca looks down at her hands and sighs. “I found out when Wilbur Alderman paid me a visit about five years ago. He walked in here one day and sat at that table over there and he told me they’d both died in a car accident and left two orphaned children.”

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