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About the Author

A single parent of two children who has a huge love of


animals, having many as pets. A great cook who enjoys
baking as often as possible.
Loves learning new things, having qualified as an
accountant and a chef in her younger years.

I would like to thank my close family and friends for


their support in my hour of need. Also, Mr. Carl Leavy
Photography in Cornwall and Mrs. Tina White for
pushing me to send this book off to be published, as well
as my two fantastic children whom I love dearly.

Katrina Scarlett

WHAT IS THE POINT


WITHOUT LOVE?

Copyright Katrina Scarlett (2015)


The right of Katrina Scarlett to be identified as author of this
work has been asserted by her in accordance with section 77
and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the
publishers.
Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to
this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil
claims for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the
British Library.
ISBN 9781785545290(Paperback)
ISBN 9781785545306 (Hardback)
www.austinmacauley.com
First Published (2015)
Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd.
25 Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London
E14 5LQ

Printed and bound in Great Britain

Introduction

When Mary Jane goes on to a dating website at the


request of her children to find a partner as they were
growing up, she could never have imagined what was
going to happen to her life, her sanity and her health.
Then she met Terrence, and life changed, but was it
for the better or would it end her?
When Terrence went on the same website, he was
looking for a causal relationship and he never expected
what he got when he met Mary Jane and her children.
Would his life, sanity and health also be at risk of
disintegrating around him?
With many sexually tense events, twists and turns to
keep you reading from the edge of your seat. What must
Mary Jane and Terrence go through to discover if they
have found what they were searching for all their lives?

Chapter 1

It was late one night, around 11.30 pm. The stars were
out, a light breeze filtered in through the back door that
was open for the dogs to come and go as they pleased.
Sat at her computer was Mary Jane, typing away on
a dating website on which her membership was about to
end. You see, as a single Mum, Mary Jane had been
alone for eight years bringing up her children and had
not been near anyone since her break up with the father
of her youngest at nine weeks pregnant.
Three days previously, her two children had said to
find someone as they were growing up and would not be
about much as they had their own social lives.
Mary Jane thanked them and signed up for a trial on
a site that introduces you to single men in the hope that
she would meet a nice guy and be able to start living
again. She had put everything into her kids and bringing
them up but the trail was about to end that night and she
had spoken to a few guys online, some asking for money
to help bring gold back to England. When that happened
Mary Jane stopped talking to them as she knew it was a
scam and she would not see or hear from the guys again.
But half an hour before the membership was to end
someone said hi to her. He looked normal and sweet he

said nice things, so she agreed to talk to him. His name


was Terrence and his I.D was T-bone.
As they spoke they exchanged e-mail and MSN I.Ds
and continued talking until midnight, then the
membership ended, so they continued talking through
MSN. Mary Janes I.D was Bo-peep.
The messages flew backwards and forwards between
Bo-peep and T-bone that night, and they got on really
well. Since they had mutual interests they agreed to meet
up on the following Saturday at the local supermarket
near Mary Janes house.
Terrence lived around forty miles away from Mary
Jane. He had just moved to a place called Bodmin in
Cornwall and Mary Jane lived in a place called
Camborne, which was near Truro.
The area was lovely, full of trees, countryside and
beaches where Mary Jane walked the dogs and took the
kids to play on warm summer days. Mary Jane would
take the dogs and her kids, Michelle and Neville, to the
beach for the day to have a picnic and a swim in the
ocean.
Well, Saturday arrived and the kids had gone to see
their father, so Mary Jane was alone and had no worries.
That morning she showered and got ready. She put on
her makeup and did her hair in a loose pony tail. She
wore jeans and a t-shirt and flip flops, and thought,
thatll do, as she looked in the mirror.
Mary Jane was not a slim girl but she was not huge
either, just a little over weight, but she looked good. She
walked out of the house and drove to the supermarket in
Pool. There were lots of people milling about as the
supermarket was close to the local weekend market. She

waited for Terrence to arrive from Bodmin, reading the


texts he was sending as he drove to meet her.
The text went along the lines of: Im looking forward
to seeing you and getting to know you, and talking about
hobbies. He liked carp fishing and dogs, and although
Mary Jane was not into fishing she thought she could
cope with it as it not football. She hated football.
Terrence arrived and texted, Im here, where are
you babe?
Mary Jane answered, Im sat on the bench by the
front door of the supermarket. Im wearing a red top and
jeans.
Terrence replied, Im wearing track suit bottoms
and an old t-shirt.
He had not made much of an effort to dress up but
that didnt matter, as he walked towards her she saw he
was not overly thin either but he was kind of cute. He
had little cherub cheeks and a sweet smile. He sat next to
her and they talked about the journey from Bodmin and
agreed to go for a drink. They left the supermarket and
went to the McDonalds around the corner. They sat
outside drinking and talking whilst Mary Jane had a
cigarette, they laughed and joked and realised they had
grown up around the same area in Yorkshire and they
knew the places they each spoke about. As their date
ended they agreed to meet again the next day.
When Mary Jane went home that evening she was
thinking what a nice guy he was and how she felt
comfortable in his presence, which she had not felt in a
long time.
As Mary Jane put the kids to bed and sat at her
computer to check the emails from that day, a message
appeared on MSN saying Hi, hows you? I really

enjoyed meeting you today and look forward to seeing


you tomorrow.
Mary Jane smiled and thought the same. Shed really
enjoyed today, it made a change from staying home,
doing the house work and cooking.
They stayed up late messaging each other and when
Mary Jane went to bed Terrence was texting on the
phone until the early hours talking about places in
Yorkshire.
Three hours later Mary Jane got up and got ready to
go meet Terrence again. Off she went with a smile on
her face thinking, I hope this works out.
The second date went really well. They went to
Truro and sat on the quay watching flocks of swans
swim up the waters edge and congregate near the flood
gates. Laughing. They sat there talking for hours about
anything and everything, they even went to a beach
called Portreath whilst sat on a bench, a church
congregation arrived to do a service on the beach and to
baptise one of the congregation. They sat there laughing
at the singing and how the birds tried to join invite was
so funny. They moved a little further away so as to not
disturb the service and when they sat down again he held
her hand and put his arm around her and they sat
snuggled up on the bench enjoying the scenery and
listening to the birds singing along with the service that
was going on.
They watched as the vicar who was wearing shorts
and a t shirt that said I am the Preacher on it walk into
the ocean with three other people and dunk some poor
girl under the water as a wave crashed over the top of
her. They ran out of the water to get dry and warm up. It
was kind of nice but funny.

As the day ended, Mary Jane and Terrence talked


about where this was going and they agreed to start
dating, but slowly. Mary Jane had a friend arriving the
next day to stay for a week from up country and she was
looking forward to catching up with all the gossip and
having a laugh or two.
As the week progressed, Terrence and Mary Jane
were talking via text and MSN on an evening when
everyone else was in bed. Not much sleep was had by
either of them that week.
One night, Terrence arrived without much notice to
see Mary Jane. She welcomed him in and made a brew
and he talked with her friend and had a laugh and they
seemed to get on. Everything was going brilliantly.
When her friend left the following Monday morning
Mary Jane had not had any sleep as she had to take her
friend to the bus station to catch the coach back home. A
relaxing day was needed as everyone was tired and
would need an early night. Whilst she was thinking
about going to bed that evening (around 9 pm) she got a
text message from Terrence saying he needed a hug as
he had just been told some bad news about an aunt.
Mary Jane told him to come down for a brew and a
talk. When he arrived he was looking as though he was
about to cry. When he walked in she opened her arms to
give him the hug that he so badly needed. And he kissed
her, which she was not expecting. They sat on the sofa
talking and he said he had just found out his aunt had
died that morning, so Mary Jane put her arms around
him again to hug him and said, Sorry about your loss
babe.
He started to kiss her and run his hands over her
body. Things got carried away, they went upstairs to the
bedroom and started to make love. It was passionate and
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long. He kissed her from head to foot and ran his hands
over her breasts, taking each in his mouth and sucking
and biting them as he went. He let his hand wander
down between her thighs. When his hand reached what
he was looking for, he found to his surprise that she
had very little hair down there. He took a deep breath
and moved down to where his hand was and started
licking and sucking at her clitoris while his finger dug
deeper in her. He was taking her high in the clouds and
letting her fall down before reaching the edge again, and
when she was wet enough he thrust into her with a
vigour that was not expected and fucked her until she
climaxed from a great height. They fell back on the bed
sweating and breathing heavy whilst they lay next to
each other, kissing and cuddling. She said, I have never
done that before.
He said Nor have I, babe. That was fantastic, and
he held her tight.
During the night they woke up and they continued
where they had left off and saw the sun rise together
through the open window.
When he got up to leave for work that day he said,
Ill see you tonight, and off he went after having a
mug of tea and some toast.
He texted her throughout the day saying how much
he enjoyed last night and she said the same. Over the
next few days the relationship grew and they started to
fall in love with each other and get closer as they talked
about loads of things via text and MSN.
They discussed each others sexual desires and each
time they met up the sex was more intense than the time
before.

Chapter 2

It was early August when this all began. Both Mary Jane
and Terrence were enjoying going with the flow and
meeting up regularly to have sex and act out their desires
Terrence was 6ft 2 tall with short, curly, mousybrown hair, with hair covering his back and chest. He
had no tattoos but was thinking about getting one.
He was quiet and kept himself to himself and hated
anyone talking about personnel things that had happened
in private, as he believed that what happens in private
stays in private, which Mary Jane agreed with. What
happens behind closed doors stays there unless it is
violence.
Mary Jane stood 5ft 9 tall, she had long blonde hair,
piercing green eyes, a cute little button nose and a smile
that would dazzle a king. She enjoyed a laugh and
playing practical jokes on her friends, she was slightly
plump but liked to be called curvaceous rather than fat.
Mary Jane had had bad luck with previous
relationships and was very cautious with Terrence.
The first official date was splendid. He picked Mary
Jane up and took her out for a meal at a local restaurant.
They ate steak with mushrooms and salad with a glass of
red wine, followed by a lemon sorbet and a walk on the
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local beach in the moon light along the waters edge.


When they were hidden by the rocks that were jutting
out, Terrence laid down a blanket and started a small fire
up as they sat and drank more wine on the beach and
talked about life.
There on the beach as they lay next to each other
talking he leaned over and kissed her on the lips, and his
hands started to wander as they always did up her leg
and in to her panties. It was dusk and no one was about
on the beach, only the two of them. The passion took
over and they made mad, passionate love there beside
the rocks and as they were in the middle of making love
a wave came crashing in and swept over them and they
ended up soaked from the ocean and love making. As
they finished making love on the beach Terrence told
Mary Jane a little about his past.
He was forty-six years old, had no family and his
only sibling had fallen out with him and they did not talk
anymore. His ex cheated on him with his best friend and
he had caught them in the act of making love in their bed
at home. He had arrived back from work early and when
he saw them he walked out of the house and left. He
never looked back and moved to Cornwall and that was
nine months before he had met Mary Jane.
Mary Jane had had a similar experience with her
exes. They had all cheated on her, so both Terrence and
Mary Jane knew what it felt like to be cheated on and
both would not do that to each other.
Terrence got to know Mary Janes two children,
Michelle and Neville, and they all got on great. They
went on day trips out and holidays away to America and
Canada, and they made love every chance they had. Life
was going along smoothly for around 12 months.

10

When Terrence went to work one morning Mary


Jane had a feeling that something was wrong. The night
before, Terrence had mentioned that he had to go away
for a week for a stag do with his cousin, but now she felt
uneasy and that something just didnt seem to ring true
about what he had said, so she kept quiet but listened
very carefully to everything that was being or not being
said. That weekend the kids had gone to stay with their
dad and Mary Jane decided to make Terrences one
dream come true; to go to a grave-yard and make love on
someones grave in the middle of the night. So they left
the house to walk along the coast to find a small, remote
grave-yard that was out of the way and no one would be
going to visit at that time of night.
As they found the grave-yard they walked to the
back, amongst the owls tweeting, the bats flying
overhead and the mice and rats running past their feet as
they walked.
The moon was full that night and the stars were
twinkling brightly. There was a light breeze. As they
reached the back part of the grave-yard they sat down
and started to kiss and fondle each other.
As Mary Jane was fondling Terrence he became hard
and she took him in her hand and placed him inside her
mouth. She ran her tongue along the tip and stroked him
up and down, following with him in her mouth at the
same time. She removed his member from her lips and
kissed the end and ran her tongue along the outside edge
so that the breeze caught him after he had been in the
warmth of her mouth. He took a sharp breath in through
gritted teeth and he said that no one had ever given him
one of these before, so she continued to run her lips and
mouth along his length until he came with a violent
shudder. As she laid on her back he climbed over her,
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pulled her skirt up, ripped her panties off and thrust his
fingers inside her with an unexpected thrust. She yelped
out in shock and delight at the hard invasion.
He played with her clitoris with his thumb and fore
finger and went toward her with his tongue as an owl
flew overhead hooting. They were breathing heavily and
perspiring from the anticipation of what was to come.
His tongue flicked in and out of her most intimate place
while his thumb and finger continued to play with her
clitoris. Whilst all her senses were flying high he pulled
away from her and thrust in to her with his engorged
penis. They both yelled out as he entered her in ecstasy.
He thrust in and out, grabbing hold of her legs and
placing them around his neck so he could get deeper
inside her and make her feel the whole length of him
from tip to ground. She ground her hips to his rhythm
and he felt every single millimetre of her sliding up and
down his engorged penis. As they were making love it
started to rain and the drops fell on them, but they were
too engrossed in making love and they never felt the
rain. The thunder and lightning started over head and
this only increased the intense feelings that were flying
within that grave-yard that night. As the thunder gave an
almighty clack they both climaxed together and rode the
wave of emotions back down and laid breathless for an
hour, quietly thinking about what had happened.
She rolled over to face him and he was crying
silently into his arm. She leaned over to make sure he
was ok and he said, Yes, my love, that was the most
emotional sex I have ever had, but Im sorry, I am going
back to my ewe have been talking recently and that trip
for my cousins stag weekend is in fact a week away
with my ex. I never expected to still have feelings for her

12

but I do. I love you both but I have known her for more
than ten years.
Mary Jane sat up and said calmly So youre
choosing the devil you know rather than the devil you
dont. You know what she did to you last time, she will
only do it again, my love, and you will be the one
hurting as you will have lost one of the best things you
ever had.
He threw emotional words at her and said In fact, I
have not stopped seeing her whilst we have been
together. When I was supposed to be in Canada I was
actually in Bodmin with her the whole time.
Mary Jane took a deep breath to stop herself from
crying in front of him and said to him, If you truly
loved her you would not have stayed up late at night
talking to me whilst she lay in bed upstairs and texting
me during the day whilst you were with her.
Yes, but I do care for you both and I thought Ill do
to her what she did to me. But I regret hurting you in the
process and Im not sure if I will tell her I was with you
or not, Terrence told her.
Mary Jane turned her head from him to compose
herself again before she totally broke down in front of
him. She said to him You have to listen to your heart,
my love, and I knew that was what you were doing the
whole time.
How did you know, he asked.
Does that really matter? she said. I just knew that
you were playing this dangerous game, but you dont
know the rules and youre going to end up getting hurt
big time, as she will cheat on you again, she said.
Well that will be my own fault if she does.

13

Mary Jane stood up and collected her panties that


had been thrown to one side and placed them in her
pocket. She turned to Terrence and said, You know, I
genuinely loved you and I will always love you and you
were the only one I have let in to my heart in eight
years.
Terrence said, I thought you were lying about that.
No, she said. I was not.
I will be here when she hurts you again, my love, as
you will need someone to talk to and to help you through
the grief that will follow. She walked over to him, sat
on the floor, leaned over and gave him a kiss on his
cheek and turned to walk away.
When she got home she locked the front door and
climbed in to the shower and cried like a baby under the
droplets of water that fell on her naked body. She
remembered every single touch that she had just felt
from his hands.
Mary Jane stayed in the shower for an hour just
crying and holding herself tight, thinking to herself what
must she have done to have him do this to her.
When she got out the shower she had missed calls
and messages on her phone from Terrence saying Im
sorry babe I feel awful for doing this to you.
Mary Jane answered with grace and dignity: I knew
all along that you were playing this dangerous game and
now you have lost and I have won. You have to know
the rules and conditions of any game you choose to play
and you have not researched these. Your loss, my love. I
loved you dearly and I always will.
As she walked in to the kitchen she smiled to herself.
Terrence had told her he could not have kids but little
did he know she was pregnant with his child.
14

Terrence got up off the ground where he sat and


straightened his clothes and walked back to his car
outside Mary Janes place. As he walked towards her
front door to knock, he saw no lights on and wondered if
she had got home ok. He never knew she was stood
watching him as he turned and got in the car and drove
away.
Mary Jane fell to the floor and curled up, crying
herself to sleep that night on the cold, concrete floor of
the kitchen.

15

Chapter 3

Mary Jane woke to the sun rising through the window of


the kitchen and the dogs laid next to her on the floor
keeping her warm. As she stirred, the dogs woke up and
kissed her face to make sure she was ok.
As Mary Jane stood up from the cold floor to make a
hot mug of black coffee and a slice of fruit from the
fridge, the sun shone right in her face and glistened
brightly. Mary Jane smiled to herself and thought that
things were going to be better from now on and she
wouldnt let that bastard beat her into the ground. She
was stronger than that.
Just then the children came in and asked Whats for
breakfast, Mum? As Mary Jane started to make the
childrens breakfast she was thinking about what to do
next. She thought there is nothing left for me here
anymore and my oldest leaves school this year, so I think
a change of scenery is called for. With that, she placed
bread in the toaster and eggs on the griddle and bacon in
the oven to cook. She went to her iPad and turned it on
and started looking for somewhere to live away from
Camborne. After about 10 minutes there was a place that
caught her eye, it involved looking after the next door
house for a reduced rent on a farm up near Wade Bridge
in Cornwall.
16

As Mary Jane was looking into it further, she became


aware of an alarm going off in the background and
remembered that she was cooking. OH shoot! she said,
looking at the burnt eggs and toast in the toaster. As she
threw the burnt food in to the garbage bag to start again
the phone went off, letting her know she had a call.
Neville, can you do the eggs and toast please, darling? I
must get the phone.
She picked up the phone and said, Hello, Smith
residence, can I help you? OH helloYesSpeaking.
Oh great, yes that would be fantastic! When do you need
me to start and when do I finalize the move to a new
place nearer to work? Oh yes, I will get the information
and get back to you later this afternoon. And thank you
so much.
As she turned around the children were stood behind
her in the hallway leaning against the kitchen door
frame, waiting to hear what had just happened. She
pointed to the kitchen and said, Come on, we need to
talk about something important, darlings.
As they sat down to eat breakfast, Mary Jane sat with
a mug of black coffee in her hands, looking at the floor
and wondering where the hell to start this conversation.
It was going to be hard to tell them they were moving up
to Sowerby in West Yorkshire for a job.
She knew Neville would not want to go as he was in
his final year of school, but Mary Jane needed to leave
Cornwall and get away from the memories of the past
twelve months with Terrence.
Neville spoke first and said, He hurt you didnt he
Mum?
Mary Jane looked at him with tears in her eyes and
said, Yes, darling, he has broken my heart and I need to

17

get away from here and start anew. The phone call I just
had was a job offer in Yorkshire, doing the accounts for
a large commercial farm near the Yorkshire moors, not
far from a place called Sowerby and we can move next
month in to a large for bedroomed house and we dont
have to get rid of the animals, we can take them all with
us. Only problem is, we have to leave next month and
that means leaving everything we know here in
Camborne. So I would like the both of you to think
about it for me and let me know your answer by 3pm
today please.
As Mary Jane went about cleaning up the breakfast
dishes, placing them in to the dishwasher and wiping the
sides down, her phone beeped to say Terrence had texted
her.
I am sorry, babe, I never meant to hurt you. Can we
talk? Can I ring you now?
Mary Jane answered, If you like, but what is the
point, you made your choice last night.
When he phoned moments later, Mary Jane
answered the phone with a strict thought in mind: dont
tell him about the job offer up country, see what he has
to say for himself
Guten Morgan, he said.
Good morning, what can I do for you? She
sounded calmer than she felt, her hands were shaking as
she held the phone to her ear and her legs were going to
give out on her if she didnt sit down soon. The emotion
was still too raw for her liking but she had to remain
strong and sound as though the information she found
out the night before was nothing major.
Can I come see you?

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Mary Jane said, Do you think that would be wise?


We would only end up in bed making love and that is
not going to sort this shit out, is it my love?
She again referred to what she said the night before,
about how you have to choose which way you want to
go with your head or your heart, and when you have
chosen you need to keep going down that road and not
look back. She said I have to go right now, I have to
finish doing what Im doing before it gets worse. Take
care, Terrence, love. Youve got my phone number if
you need to talk later. She put the phone down on him
and finished her cleaning.
When she had finished, the kitchen looked the
cleanest it had ever looked as she had scrubbed the
floors and sides to a bright gleam. You could see your
face in the surfaces.
She sat down with another mug of black coffee and
started thinking about moving to Yorkshire. It was a big
change but she sure did need to leave the house they
were in.
Just then, the kids came in to the room and said, We
have thought about what you said, Mum, and we will
move if you really want to go.
So, the decision had been made; they were moving.
Mary Jane picked up her phone to look into the price of
a removal van for all the furniture they had.
After Mary Jane had arranged a price and agreed
with the company that it was ok to drop off the boxes so
they could start packing up the belongings, she returned
the phone call shed had that morning and confirmed that
she would be taking the position as of the 1st September
and they would arrive on the 28thAugust if that was ok. It

19

would give them time to unpack most of the stuff in the


house and settle in a little.
Sowerby Dairy Farm sent an email to Mary Jane
confirming the moving date and where the keys would
be upon arrival, so that they could move in on the 28th of
August, as well as the directions to the property and
where they were allowed to go and where the animals
could not go.
The excitement started to grow in the Smith family
as they went about the task of packing their belongings.
There was just a week left until the removal van arrived
to collect the stuff and transport it to Yorkshire.
Mary Jane had not heard from Terrence in a few
days. He must have made his decision about staying with
Claire. Mary Jane breathed a sigh of relief as she had no
idea how he would take it that they were moving. She
had felt the baby move for the first time that morning
and felt a little bad for not having told him that she was
having his baby. She had not even told her children yet
that there was going to be a new baby and if they knew
they would not let her move furniture around like she
was doing when they were in bed. She also had to make
sure everything was clean before the removal men
arrived to move it into the van to take away.
Just then there was a knock on the front door. The
kids had gone to see their friends before they left, they
wanted to spend some time with them and take a break
from packing the house up.
As Mary Jane walked to answer the front door she
stepped back in shock. For who should be there but
Terrence, with a large bunch of roses and a shy grin on
his face. She closed the door behind her and stood on the
doorstep to talk to Terrence so he could not see that they
were packing up the house. It was too close to the move
20

to change her mind now and all she wanted to do right


now was run into his arms and cry and tell him she loved
him and that she was pregnant with his child. She
wanted to say that she was sorry but they were moving,
but instead of doing that she stood up tall and took a
deep breath.
Yes, what can I help you with, Terrence?
Can I come in to talk please? he said.
She looked at the door and thought, if we go inside
we will just end up in bed. No, Im decorating the stairs
and it is a right mess, let me get my bag and we can go
to Portreath and get a coffee and have a chat there.
Ok. These are for you, love. Shall I wait in my car
or are we walking?
I think Ill go in my car and you in yours, then we
dont have to come back here.
As Mary Jane walked into the hall to collect her bag,
she saw herself in the hall mirror and thought, I look a
right state. Oh well, it will have to do.
She was wearing a pair of old trousers, trainers and a
grandfather shirt, with her hair scrapped back off her
face into a tight pony-tail down her back. I really should
have my hair cut, she thought as she picked up her bag
and the car keys from the sideboard.
As she walked toward the front door she saw a pen
and some paper and thought, I best leave the kids a note
to tell them where I am and not to worry.
Hi kids. Gone to Portreath for a coffee. Wont be
long. Ive got my phone if you need me. Love you kids
xxxx

21

Then she left and walked to her car and noticed


Terrence looking at her as she walked towards where she
was parked on the pavement.
I must really look a mess, she thought. I bet hes
thinking Im glad I did what I did now.
As Mary Jane started her car Terrence moved his out
of the way so she could pull out without a problem. He
followed her to Portreath and in to the parking space
next to her in the car park near to the cafe where they
would have a coffee.
As Mary Jane went to get out of the car, Terrence
stood next to her door as she opened it and got hold of
her hand. He pulled her into his arms and said to her as
he kissed her, Im so sorry, love. I made a mistake. I
never should have done that to you. Can you forgive
me?
Trying to catch her breath, Mary Jane leaned back
against the car before she fell to the floor and made a
fool of herself for fainting. As she looked up, Terrences
face was white.
Whats the matter, love? he asked .
Nothing, why? You just shocked me by grabbing
hold of me like that. Ill be ok in a minute when I get my
coffee and a cookie. Shall we? She pointed to the cafe
so she didnt have to push past him.
As she walked towards the cafe he followed next to
her, trying to grab hold of her hand as they walked. This
was unusual as he didnt like public displays of
affection, so she kept her hands tight on her bag and her
keys.
When they ordered their drinks they headed to the
window seat so she could look out at the ocean when it

22

was getting too hard to talk without breaking down in


front of him.
It was getting late when their coffee arrived.
Have you eaten today, he asked.
Yes, I had some eggs this morning thanks. Ill be
ok. She started to pick at the cookie she had ordered,
thinking, if I eat this I will be sick. Her hands were
shaking and her legs felt like jelly under the table. Every
time he looked at her heart missed a beat and she could
feel herself getting hot under the collar, just by looking
at him and remembering the last time they were together.
She saw him looking at her again she smiled and asked if
everything was ok?
Yes, he replied. You look good, youve got a
glow Ive not seen before but youre shaking like a leaf.
Are you sure youre ok?
Yes, I am fine thanks, she said as she picked up
her coffee to have a drink of it.

23

Chapter 4

As they were sat in the window talking about the things


that had happened, Terrence said, I love you, babe, you
know that dont you? But I still love her too and I dont
know what I am going to do at that moment.
A seagull flew into the window and made everyone
sat near them jump from the noise it made.
At the back of Mary Janes mind, she was thankful for
the distraction the seagull gave her, so that she could
think what her reply would be to the statement he had
just made. The reply came to her in that instant. They
were leaving on Saturday morning, so she could arrange
to meet up Saturday night to go for a drink and talk
further. She was feeling light headed with him so near.
By the time he found out they had left the area there
would be hundreds of miles between them, and he would
not be able to just turn up like he had just done and
shake her world apart like he had. Her strength was
going to kick the proverbial bucket in a minute and walk
out the door and shed wind up telling him everything,
including about the baby. She still needed to come to
terms with the idea herself as she was only three months
gone and was not yet starting to show, apart from her
skin was glowing and her hair was very shiny and
growing like mad.

24

She then turned to Terrence and said, Look, love,


why dont we go out for a meal on Saturday night as I
will have more time to talk to you then. I have to get
home and finish the decorating before the paint sets in
the tin, as I left the lid off the pot. She smiled at him to
make him feel that everything was ok and not give off
the impression that she would not be in Cornwall
anymore. By the time he realised she had left they would
be unpacking the kettle and making their first brew in
their new home in Yorkshire. Theyd be unpacking their
night clothes and bedding so they could go to bed, before
starting on the unpacking on the Sunday morning.
Terrence smiled at Mary Jane and said, Yes, that
would be nice. What time shall I pick you up?
Mary Jane thought for a second and said, How
about 8pm, love? Ill book us a table in the restaurant
round the corner. Chinese ok for you, yes?
Yes, he replied as he touched her hand which was
laid on the table next to the coffee mug and the cookie
that she had been trying to eat, but felt too sick when she
put any near her mouth.
She wanted him so badly. She could just take him
there and then, but she refrained from doing anything of
the sort. Well, she said. I best get going. I have loads
to do. This was not a lie by any means, she was just
doing something other than painting. They were
finishing the packing.
As Mary Jane rose to leave the cafe she felt herself
starting to fall towards the floor and she blacked out.
Terrence jumped up and caught her before she hit the
floor. His face had turned white with fear. What the hell
had just happened? Why had she just passed out on him?

25

He realised right there that he loved her more than he


had thought was possible, and he knew in that instant
what he was going to do. When he got home hed
arrange to go and talk to Claire about Mary Jane. He had
not told her anything, but Mary Jane knew the whole
truth and yet she had still agreed to go out for a meal
with him on Saturday and she was here right now in his
arms after having spoken to him about it all.
In that instant he was brought back to reality by a
member of staff asking if he needed any help with the
young lady in his arms, and he thought, oh shit yes, call
an ambulance now.
The staff then took over as he seemed to have lost
the ability to do anything. They laid Mary Jane on to the
floor in the recovery position and waited for the
ambulance to arrive. After what seemed like an hour, the
ambulance arrived and Mary Jane was starting to come
around.
Just as the paramedic was walking in, Mary Jane was
starting to sit up. The paramedic rushed over to her and
said, Please stay on the floor whilst I do your vitals and
we can chat, ok? Mary Jane nodded her head to
acknowledge that she understood what he was saying.
She was still feeling light-headed but felt better for
being told to stay on the floor. As the paramedic was
taking her blood-pressure and pulse, she looked over to
Terrence and saw how worried and white he looked at
that moment. He turned his head to look directly at her
as she sat on the floor and he mouthed, Are you ok,
love? Mary Jane felt faint all over again
Just the paramedic spoke to her, asking questions
about her health and what she had eaten that day.
Terrence was about to answer about what she had eaten
that day when she shook her head and said, I have not
26

eaten for six days. I just feel sick every time I try to put
food near my mouth.
Terrence looked mad as he realised she had lied to
him about having eaten earlier. Bang goes the idea that
he would let her walk out of the cafe and go home
without him forcing his way in to the house to make sure
she had something to eat. So she sat there hoping that the
paramedic would say that she needed to go to the
hospital to make sure everything was ok, as then it
would be easier to tell Terrence that she was ok to go
alone and that shed see him Saturday night. But he was
watching her with the paramedic and looked stern.
The waitress came over to ask if there was anything
she could do to assist and just as the paramedic was
about to answer, Terrence said, Can you get me a bowl
of chicken soup and a sweet tea? The waitress looked at
Mary Jane and the paramedic and they both nodded their
heads as if to confirm what he had asked for.
Mary Jane was about to get up off the floor when
Terrence walked over to her, picked her up from the
floor and placed her gently on to a chair at the table
where they were sat previously. He thanked the
paramedic for his help and he looked at her as if to make
sure she was happy with the situation. She nodded at him
and smiled.
Just then, the waitress arrived with the sweet tea and
chicken soup and Mary Jane picked up the spoon and
started to eat. As she was eating she realised she was
famished and started eating with a renewed vigour.
Terrence followed the paramedic out of the caf,
asking him questions about what would have caused her
to black out. The paramedic looked through the window
at Mary Jane as if to check it was ok to answer him. He
turned to Terrence and said, If she has not eaten in six
27

days then that could be the main cause, but there could
be other things at play here. I would advise she visit her
GP in the morning to get checked out. Watch over her
tonight, dont leave her alone, she needs to be with
someone.
When Terrence walked back in, Mary Jane was
passing her bowl to the waitress, smiling at her saying,
Thank you, that was lovely and the tea is nice. Thank
you for all you did whilst I was on the floor. The
waitress said it was ok and asked if she needed anything
else at that moment. Mary Jane saw Terrence walking
towards her and she said, Could I please have a small
bowl of sorbet? And off the waitress went.
When Terrence arrived at the table he looked at
Mary Jane and said, The paramedic said I was not to
leave you alone tonight, so Ill be coming back to yours
to look after you. Mary Jane turned white again and he
crouched next to her looking worried.
She wondered how the hell shed get out of this one.
He couldnt come back to her place as he would see they
had virtually packed up the whole house. She said, Its
ok, I have Neville there to look after me. She gave a
weak smile.
Terrence said, No way. Im staying.
Then Mary Jane thought, why not get a bed and
breakfast? That way he would not see the house.
She mentioned it to Terrence and said the paint
fumes would do her no good. Terrence seemed to
consider the idea and smiled. Ok, he said. That
sounds like a good idea. And so he went off to book a
room for the night.

28

Mary Jane thought that once he had fallen asleep she


would sneak off home and hide the car and ignore the
door.
By the time he had returned with the keys for the
room, Mary Jane had eaten the sorbet she had ordered.
He gently took her arm and walked her towards the front
door of the cafe to lead her towards the room he had
booked for the night. No sooner had he got her outside,
he grabbed her around the waist, spun her to face him
and started kissing her neck, lips and forehead. She
placed her hands on his shoulders to keep from falling to
the ground again and returned the passionate kiss right
outside the front door of the cafe with everyone
watching. He kissed her with an open hunger that she
had not felt before.
He stopped as suddenly as he started and said, If I
dont get you to the room now Im going to take you
right now in front of the cafe with all those people
watching us, and that would not be a good idea. We
would get arrested for indecent exposure, my love. Lets
go shall we?
Looking up to his eyes Mary Jane smiled and nodded
her head. This was not good. She could feel herself
falling under his spell again and she was so close to
leaving. What should she do? There was no other option.
She had to get away now.
He grabbed her hand and started to lead her towards
the chalets on the beach behind the caf. He opened the
first door he came to, picked her up and carried her in to
the room. He placed her gently on the bed. She lay there
looking up at him as he walked back towards the door to
lock it and close the drab curtains that were up against
the windows. The decor was not much better either.

29

As he walked over to her he turned the bed-side lamp


on that was next to where she was laying, he sat down
gently and started to stroke the hair out of her eyes so
she could see better, and he saw her pale face looking up
at him with expectations that he was not sure he could
fulfil. She was not aware of the look on her face as she
watched him moving around the room.
He went over to where the tea facilities were on the
table across the room from the bed, he switched the
kettle on and proceeded to make some sweet tea for her
to drink. Whilst he waited for it to boil he went in to the
bathroom and started to run a hot bath for her, as her
makeup was streaming down her cheeks from when she
had been crying whilst she was out of it on the floor.
As Mary Jane watched him move around the room
with a svelte ease, she dreamed of what his reaction
would be if she told him right now that she was pregnant
with his child.
Her eyes started to droop and she fell asleep right
where she had been placed. The next thing she knew was
Terrence waking her up with a hot sweet tea. He said,
Your bath is ready, my love. Drink up your tea and lets
get you in that bath to wash all that dirt you have on your
face.
She sat up, took the mug from him and started to
drink; it was hot and sweet. She looked at him and asked
how long shed been asleep.
Oh, not long, love. Only about an hour. I was sat
here. And he pointed to the side of the bed next to her.
I laid holding you in my arms, watching you sleep like
a baby.
His eye twinkled like stars as he watched her
drinking her tea, she looked so fragile sat there on the

30

bed holding the mug with both hands and blowing the
steam so she could take a drink without burning herself
on the hot tea.
He looked so content as he sat there watching her
watch him whilst she drank her tea. As she finished her
tea she went to lean over and place the mug on the
bedside table when he took it from her hands and placed
it on the table nearest to him. He gently pushed her back
on to the bed and laid next to her, pinning her to the bed
with a gentle but heavy weight so she could not move.
She didnt want to move.
His hands started to run along the top of her clothes,
towards her breasts under her shirt. He touched them
gently and said they felt different to the last time he
tasted them. He smiled as he kissed her with a fever of
need that was trying to get out, he wanted to take her
right there, to rip every piece of clothing off her body
and keep her in that room forever.
Just then he stopped kissing her and jumped off the
bed. He walked around and picked her up. She looked at
him in a questioning way. What the hell are you doing
now look?
He walked into the bath room and placed her on her
feet next to the steaming bubble bath. When he had got
the bubble bath and the warm towels, she thought
through a fog in her mind.
He slowly started to undress her, taking off her shirt
with ease, button by button. Her breathing grew with
each button he undid, as he got to the button on her jeans
he kissed her nose and undid the jeans and slid them
down her legs to the floor, leaving her stood in the
middle of the room in just her bra and panties. Thank
God they were new and not the old ones she had on
yesterday morning.
31

Chapter 5

He stood looking at her standing in the middle of the


room wearing her peach bra and panties and saw her
rounded breasts breathing heavily; up and down they
went. He walked over and pulled her hair loose from the
hair clip that held it and watched as her hair cascaded
down her back. He put his arms around her as he undid
her bra, from behind he kissed her neck as he unfastened
the clasps that held it in place.
He then started to crouch in front of her as he pulled
her panties down her legs. Mary Jane stood there unable
to move an inch, her heart was missing too many beats,
if she moved she would fall to the floor and that would
not be good.
As his fingers tugged the panties down him followed
with gentle kiss along her stomach and down her thighs.
He stopped just above her pubis and blew gently on it,
making her shiver with delight and anticipation. He then
lifted each foot so as to remove the panties completely.
He threw them to one side where he had thrown the rest
of her clothes and she stood in front of him in her
birthday suit, her hair cascading down her back. His eyes
ran all over her body, making her feel uneasy at being
looked at like that. He turned to face the bath and placed
his hand in the water as if to check it before placing a
32

child in so as not to get burnt. She remembered doing


this for her kids when they were small.
He turned suddenly, making her jump out of her skin
at his sudden movement. He swept her off her feet and
placed her in the bath and proceeded to undress himself
and climb in the tub after her. He found the soap on the
side and proceeded to wash her arms, legs, feet and
between her thighs. Every single touch felt as though she
was going to explode, she tried to hold her breath when
he said, Breathe, baby. Dont pass out on me again. I
could not handle that twice in one day. You scared the
hell out of me. Why did you lie and say you had eaten
this morning? You said you had not eaten in six days.
Mary Jane looked at the water and said to the
bubbles, I just cant seem to face eating right now, but I
enjoyed that soup you ordered and I ate it all like a good
girl. She smiled at him and he seemed to breathe a sigh
of relief.
Well, he said, please eat or you will get ill and I
dont want that, ok?
She smiled and laid back in the water. He stood up
and moved to sit behind her so he could wash her hair
and caress her breasts from behind.
My god, he thought, have they grown or am I
imagining it? He shook the thought out of his mind and
carried on washing her body, every single inch that he
could and some more just for the hell of it. He was
enjoying this.
When he had finished, she was breathing gently and
he thought she had fallen asleep, so he just held her close
to his body as if it was the last thing he would ever do.
He heard his heart say, Dont you ever let her go, you
fool. You wont find anyone else that loves you as she

33

does and you will never feel this way again and if you let
her go what is the point of carrying on without her in
your life?
Then he slipped under the water and woke with a
fright. Had he dreamed that or was it real? As he looked
around the room he thought, where the hell am I? He
saw her stood in the doorway, wrapped in a towel, still
wet and with a white face. He smiled and breathed again,
he had not realised he had been holding his breath. He
stood up, showing himself in all his glory and he looked
at where she was looking and saw his engorged penis
standing to attention.
He stepped out of the bath tub and she backed away
from him as if she was scared of what he was going to
do. He said, Are you ok, love? She smiled and nodded
but turned to walk towards the bedroom and started to
get dressed. He went in after her and said, Just lay next
to me please. I need to hold you.
She sat on the edge of the bed and he pulled her in to
his arms and curled around her, pinning her to the bed.
She squealed with laughter and let herself go limp in his
arms. He placed his lips on her throat and blew gentle
kisses and his hands started to wander as if they had a
life of their own. He cupped her breasts in his hands,
placed one in his mouth and started sucking hard. He
caressed her hair with his other hand clamping hands full
and pulling her head backwards. He knew he was being
rough but he needed that right now. God how he had
missed doing this to her over the last few weeks. He
thought, my God I love this girl so much it hurts like
hell.
As he continued, she started to respond to his touch
and started to writhe and groan. He moved his mouth
from her breast and raped her mouth with his tongue.
34

Savage would be a word you could use for how rough he


was. But she responded to every bit of it with as much
vigour as he.
Her hands started to rub up his back towards his neck
and she played with the hair on the back of his head,
pulling it away from her and making him groan as much
as she was.
He suddenly pinned her deeper into the bed, pulled
her legs apart and knelt between them, kissing inside her
thighs. He then got off the bed and pulled out the curtain
cords and tied her gently to the bed. He laid her spreadeagled across the bed. He started at her feet and worked
his way up to her breasts and her mouth, then he moved
her legs apart with his knees and he thrust inside her.
Strong and wild, he rode her like never before and she
yelled out in glory as she climaxed within seconds of
starting. He then climaxed seconds later and lay on top
of her. He undid her bonds and she placed her hands
around him as he lay on top of her. They fell asleep for a
few hours as they lay together. A few hours later she
woke up feeling stiff and pinned. She realised he was
still laying on top of her, so she gently moved from
under him and went to the toilet. She then promptly got
her clothes and got dressed. She kissed him gently on his
forehead and said quietly, I love you, Terrence, with all
my heart. But you killed me when you did what you did
and Im not sure I can ever trust you again, my love.
Live a safe, long life and be happy. I love you.
She sneaked out of the room and ran to her car in the
parking lot and drove away as fast as she could without
waking anyone up.
When she got home she saw the lights were on and
the kids were finishing the packing in the lounge. As she

35

walked in they said, Are you ok, Mum? Youve been a


long time.
Yes, darlings, she replied. Im on. Come on, lets
go to bed and finish this off in the morning before the
removal men arrive, ok?
Do you want a cup of tea before bed, Mum?
Michelle asked her.
Oh, yes please, darling. Can you bring it up? Im
going to get in to my night clothes and climb in to bed.
Ok, Mum. Ill bring it up for you.
Love you! they both said at the same time as she
walked out of the kitchen towards her bedroom.
Love you too, babies, she shouted back to them
with a smile on her face. She thought how lucky she was
to have such great kids.
The next morning, Mary Jane woke at 4am to the sun
rising and smiled as she saw her cup of tea next to her
bed. Cold. Aw, bless them, she thought.
She climbed out of bed, got dressed and went
downstairs to find that the kids had finished packing and
just left out three mugs, the coffee and toaster with bread
for breakfast. She threw the cold tea out and washed her
mug to make a fresh drink. She sat down looking out the
back door whilst the dogs were having a wee.
She listened to the local radio until the children got
up and the removal men arrived. Then all hell let loose.
She made the drinks and toast, the removal men got to
work removing all the boxes and furniture and stacking
it in the back of the van they had arrived in. As they
were finishing loading the van, Mary Jane put the dogs
in her car and waited until the last box was removed so
she could lock the door and leave.
36

Neville asked if he could drive with the van and


Michelle stayed with Mary Jane. When they were
finished, Mary Jane walked around the house making
sure nothing was missed and then walked out the front
door and locked it. She then hugged her daughter and
said, Come on, babe, lets start the next chapter in our
lives. And she drove away from the house towards the
landlords to return the key and give him her address to
forward any mail she may receive.
As she left the key and got back in the car, she drove
towards Portreath to take one last look at the ocean as it
would be awhile before she would see it again.
As she drove down the hill towards the sea front she
saw Terrences car, still in the car park, and realised this
was risky. She drove straight past and silently blew him
a kiss and said, Farewell my love, youll understand
one day and I love you always.
Just then as she drove past she saw him walking
towards his car looking mad. He turned to look and it
seemed as though he had seen her. She panicked but kept
on driving, saying a pray under her breath as she hit the
A30.She knew he had not seen her and was thankful.
As she drove along the A30 she said, Lets get a
coffee, babe. and pulled in to McDonalds at Indian
Queens. Also known as hamburger hill to the locals.
They ordered the coffee and something to eat and
they carried on the long journey to Yorkshire. As she
drove, the tears started to flow down her face. She
wondered if she had done the right thing by leaving
without saying a word to Terrence.
The sun was shining down that day, but a dark cloud
passed over the sun as they left the A30 and drove on to
the M5.

37

Chapter 6

Whilst Mary Jane and Michelle were driving up the M6


towards Yorkshire, listening to The Rose on CD, both
crying for their own reasons, Mary Jane squeezed
Michelles hand and said, It will all work out, babe.
Come on, chin up, we will be fine.
But back in Cornwall, Terrence had found out that
Mary Jane had gone. The house was empty and she had
left nothing. It looked as though she had never existed or
lived here.
He fell to his knees and held his head in his hands,
he let out a childlike wail, looking up to the sky as if
shouting to him above. He says, Why? What am I going
to do now? I have lost the one thing I never should have
let go and I realise that now! Oh my God! Mary Jane
said I would regret it one day and now shes gone.
He sat on the porch of Mary Janes house crying and
rocking himself back and forth until it turned to dusk and
Mary Janes neighbour came over with a mug of tea and
a blanket and sat next to him. She placed a hand on his
knee and asked, Are you ok, dear? I saw you here
alone.
He looked up at her with a swollen face from crying;
red eyes sending tears rolling down his cheeks and

38

dripping off his chin like a waterfall. He pulled his legs


inward and curled up, crying even harder than before,
because someone was being nice to him when it was his
own fault that he had lost the love of his life. He now
knew what he had to do, but where to begin he had no
idea.
Carol put her hand on Terrence, pulled him nearer to
her and held him in her arms whilst he cried himself to
sleep on that cold porch. The rain started to fall and the
thunder arrived, the storm went on for hours as if all the
anger needed to be shown to everyone. This young
mans heart had been broken.
A couple of hours later Terrence stirred and he
opened his eyes thinking the arms around him belonged
to Mary Jane and he grabbed her to pull her closer to
him. He heard Carol say, No dear, Im not Mary Jane!
He sat up bolt upright and apologised to her and
started to rock again. She said, Come on, lets go make
another drink and talk about it. She stood up and held
out her hand to lead him away from the cold, wet porch
they had been sitting on.
As he sat on the kitchen chair in Carols house,
waiting for her to pass him a hot sweet tea, he smiled at
her and said, Im sorry for showing myself up and
thank you for all your kindness. She smiled back at him
and said it was ok.
She said, What happened between you two? You
both seemed so happy and then you just left without
warning and now Mary Jane has left.
He looked at her with fresh tears rolling down his
face and said, I made all this happen. Its my fault and I
have to make everything right again.

39

With that, Carol passed Terrence his drink, sat next


to him and held his hand. She said, Come on, dear, let it
all out, you will feel better for it. A problem shared is a
problem halved. And with that he started to cry freely
again.
Suddenly he turned to Carol and said to her, You
know, Mary Jane was my hero and everything I wish I
could be. She gave me unconditional love and when I
cheated on her with my ex and walked away from her
and the kids I left my heart with her. I now know that I
never should have let her go. What am I going to do?
Carol said, What youre going to do, my dear, is
youre going to drink that tea and have something to eat,
then youre going to start looking for her and run as fast
as you can to sort this out and if youre meant to be
together, you will be with her soon.
I dont even have a picture of Mary Jane and the
kids, he said.
Carol said, I have one here you can have, my dear,
but you have to rest and get dry, ok? And with that,
Carol showed him to the couch and pulled a clean, dry
blanket out. There you go, get some sleep and you can
start in the morning. He sat on the couch and Carol
placed the blanket over him and he fell asleep with tears
rolling down his face again.
Terrence slept fitfully, he kept waking up and
looking for Mary Jane in the room, but he never saw her.
He thought he saw her once, stood by the back door
waving at him saying, Im here my love, come get me
and make it all right, and with that she turned and
walked away in to the clouds.
He watched the sun rise out of the black sky and turn
a brilliant blue with no clouds to be seen anywhere and

40

from a distance harmony crossed over him and the hope


came in to him that he would find Mary Jane and make
everything right. He would never let her go again, he
would never let her out of his sight and he would be
romantic, loving and attentive to her every need.
Meanwhile, Mary Jane, Michelle and Neville arrived
at the new house in Yorkshire. The storm had arrived
there too, it was tipping it down as they opened the front
door and every one ran indoors, including the dogs. They
searched the house and looked in all the rooms.
The house was huge and the kitchen was a dream. A
huge farmhouse kitchen with an AGA and huge
windows overlooking the fields where the dogs would be
running free in the morning.
Then Mary Jane heard a squeal of delight come from
upstairs that sounded like Michelle. She ran out the
kitchen and upstairs to where the sound had come from
and found Michelle running around a room with a smile
on her face and she said, Mum, can I have this room
please? Look at it, its huge and its got a dressing room
for all my clothes. Please Mum can I have it? Please?
Mary Jane smiled at her and said, Yes of course you
can, darling. And with that Mary Jane walked off to
search all the other rooms. She found what would be her
room, it over-looked the back of the house and fields,
they went for as far as the eye could see and just when
you could see no further a forest appeared on the edge
and went until you could see no further. Right then, as
she looked out of the window, a fork of lightning
appeared over the trees and her heart missed a beat and
made her feel faint. She sat in the middle of the floor and
curled up and cried until she was spent.
From outside, Mary Jane heard the removal men
talking to Neville and went downstairs to see what was
41

wrong. They looked at Mary Jane and said, This


weather is not the best, love. Would it be ok for us to
wait until morning to start bringing in the furniture?
Yes, sure, she said, and offered them a drink of tea
and they all walked in the house for a drink. Neville said
that hed get some bedding sorted and disappeared out of
sight.
As Mary Jane and the removal men sat talking about
where the furniture would go, a peace fell over her and
she felt content for the first time in weeks.
The removal men left to find somewhere to sleep and
left Mary Jane and the children wandering round an
empty house.
As they curled up in the lounge that night they all
fell asleep quickly. Mary Jane had a fitful sleep, it was as
if she was feeling Terrences feelings as well as her own
and she wondered what he was doing right now.
Terrence was sat on the couch at Carols house
thinking exactly the same as Mary Jane, watching the
storm overhead, and he too fell asleep once more.
Mary Jane woke to the birds singing. The storm had
ended. As the sun rose up from behind the forest over
the way she sat up slowly thinking, I could put a huge
Christmas tree in that window and leave the curtains
open so we can see the snow in the background, how
nice that would look.
She stood up and walked in to the kitchen to make a
coffee and open the doors to let some fresh air in to the
house. It smelled a little musty from not being lived in,
the dogs ran outside in to the field and Mary Jane stood
watching them play as she drank her coffee.

42

Just then, she heard a knock on the front door, she


jumped, thinking, he cant have found me so soon. She
went to answer the door
It was the removal men. Morning, love, they said.
Were here to unpack the furniture for you. And with a
smile, she let them in.
Neville and Michelle walked in to the kitchen and
said, Can we go investigate, Mum? We want to see
where the local shops and stuff is.
Yes, sure, darling. When you find the shop, can you
bring some stuff back with you? She gave them a list of
what was needed and gave them some money. Off the
kids went to find out what there was to do.
The removal men walked in with the first bit of
furniture and smiled as they walked past Mary Jane to
place it where it should go. And that was how the day
went; unpacking and moving furniture around until it
was put where it should be.
It was around mid-afternoon when Mary Jane heard
the phone go, she ran to answer it and found it was Carol
who was calling her. Oh dear, she thought, something
must be wrong for her to call, I only gave her the number
for emergencies.
Hi Carol. How are you, darling? Yes its great
thank you, the house is fantastic, you will have to come
and visit us. What about coming up for Christmas? We
would love to have you here and bring in the New Year
as a family. Yes, that would be great, so let me know if
youre going to come and stay with us.
Carol said, I need to talk to you, babe. Terrence was
here last night.
Oh, said Mary Jane, What happened?

43

Well, Carol said, He stayed here on my couch. He


was in a real mess, he was sat crying on your porch all
day. I went out when the storm arrived and sat with him
whilst he cried and brought him home and gave him a
blanket, and he cried himself to sleep on my couch. Hes
upstairs now in the shower. Can you please talk to him?
Mary Jane wanted to shout no, but she said, I cant
talk to him right now, Carol. I need some time to sort
myself out and think things through.
But he loves you, Mary Jane.
If he loved me, Carol, he would not have cheated on
me would he? I bet hes still with Claire and he will be
going back to her after he leaves your place. Carol please
dont tell him where we are, I cant deal with all this
right now, and I need some space. Please, Carol.
Yes, Mary Jane, I promise I wont say anything
about where you are, love.
Just as Carol said that, Terrence walked in and
realised she was talking to Mary Jane and knew that
Carol knew where she was.
Carol quickly ended the call and turned to Terrence
and smiled at him, hoping he had not figured out who
she was talking to just then.
Everything ok, dear? Do you feel better for that
shower? How about a bacon sandwich? That will help
you start the day right. She said as she turned to walk in
the kitchen to start cooking the bacon.
Where is she, Carol? Please tell me. I know you
were just talking to her.
Carol stopped what she was doing and turned to face
him. She said, Dear, I made a promise not to tell you
and I cannot and will not break that promise. I hope you
understand. She turned back to finish cooking.
44

Terrence smiled at her and said, Shall I make the


tea? And he walked over to the kettle to turn it on, but
in his mind he was thinking, how can I make her slip up
and tell me where she is?
They sat down at the table to eat their sandwiches.
When they had finished, Terrence cleaned the dishes
away and put them back in the cupboard for Carol, and
he said to her, Thank you for everything you did for me
last night, you dont know how much it actually meant to
me. He left the house and got in to his car and drove
away. But to where, he had no idea.

45

Chapter 7

As the day was coming to an end, Mary Jane could see


the house coming together. All the furniture was in place
now and all they had to do was unpack the clothes and
ornaments and go shopping for food. Then she could
make a proper meal in the new house. But Neville had
brought the shopping home for today and that would be
enough to have something to eat tonight and go shopping
tomorrow.
Neville and Michelle were upstairs putting the
curtain up at the windows and Mary Jane was just about
to start cooking the dinner. She got out the mince and
onions to start frying them, she opened a bottle of red
wine whilst she cooked and went about her chores.
Around an hour later, Mary Jane was just putting the
finishing touches to the salad to go with the lasagne she
had just made. She went and set the table for them to eat
on and called the kids down to come and eat as dinner
was ready. The children came downstairs laughing at
what they were doing and ran in to the kitchen, nearly
knocking Mary Jane over. She nearly dropped the dinner
but she smiled because they seemed happy
As they sat down to dinner that night it was nearly
8pm, they started to talk about what they had seen when

46

they were out investigating the area. They both started to


talk at the same time and they fell about laughing.
It turned out that the shop was further away than they
thought, but it was a nice village when they found it.
There was a lovely little pub where they could go for
lunch one day and a corner shop that sold the basics.
They had met up with some of the kids in the area and
made a couple of new friends and asked if it was ok for
them to go and meet them the next day.
Mary Jane said it was ok to go but she had to go to
the supermarket to get some food in, as they would
starve otherwise, and that was how the meal continued;
full of laughter and giggles and talking about what they
were going to be doing over the next few weeks.
Mary Jane went upstairs around 10pm that night and
climbed into the shower. She stood under the flow of
water, as it touched her body and she started to wash her
hands, she let them wander between her thighs and she
played with herself under the warm flow of water
cascading down her body. She felt the baby move inside
her and her hands wandered up to her breasts and she
fondled them and massaged them and ran her hands
across her stomach. She stayed in the shower for an hour
and satisfied her needs, but she wished Terrence was
there to share this with her and she released the tears that
she didnt know she had been holding in, and cried till
she was exhausted and cold.
She got out of the shower, dried herself and put on
her night dress. She climbed in to bed and cried herself
to sleep, holding the pillow he had slept on the last time
he was with her at her old house in Cornwall.
Terrence, in the meantime, was at home talking to
Claire and she was shouting at him

47

Where were you last night and the night before?


she shouted.
He turned around to make the tea and smiled as he
said, I was with the girl who I love more than I ever
loved you. He turned to see her reaction to the
statement he had just made and her face fell.
She stopped shouting and whispered her reply.
What do you mean by that remark? she asked. As she
looked at him with wide eyes, a single tear rolled down
her cheek. He started to tell her everything that had
happened since he moved to Cornwall the year before.
He started at the beginning when she had cheated on
him with one of her co-workers from the factory they
had both worked at.
Well, he said, you never turned up for work that
day. In truth you had not told me that you had changed
your shift, so when you had not turned up, I came to
check everything was ok with you and when I walked in
the house I heard noises from upstairs and went to see
where it was coming from. I walked in to the bedroom to
see you sat on top of him, riding him like a wild pony
and you were shouting out, yes, yes! We never had sex
like that, so why with him? he asked. He then continued
with what he was saying to her. I walked out of the
house, got in the car and went to Cornwall that day and
never came back to you. I was hurt and didnt know
what I was going to do after what I had just seen, so I
went to stay with my family and found a job. I worked
hard for the first few months, I only ate, slept and
worked and then I decided to sign up for a dating
website and got talking to a girl on there, she was called
Mary Jane. She had two children and we talked late in to
the night and then texted and emailed each other over the
following weeks and agreed to meet. When I saw her for
48

the first time, sat on that bench wearing those jeans and
that t-shirt, I fell in love with her instantly and knew that
it was going to be a strong bond.
Claire found her voice and said, But it takes you
ages to fall in love and you fell for her instantly?
Yes, he said, I did, but I never realised that until
the other day when she passed out on me in the cafe we
were at whilst you were at work. I booked us in to a bed
and breakfast that night on the sea front and I made
passionate love to her in the bathroom and on the bed.
That night I slept in her arms and woke with her and
made love to her again before I left.
He had lied about that, as in reality, Mary Jane was
the one who had left in the early hours without saying a
word to him, and she had then left Cornwall and that had
killed him inside. He knew at that moment that he must
have really hurt her, for her to pack up and leave without
telling anyone where she was going, apart from Carol,
who he really must go and see again to see if he can
make her slip up about Mary Janes whereabouts.
As he continued to tell Claire that he has been seeing
Mary Jane for twelve months, he told her about the sex
they had together and said, I have never made love with
that much passion before and I probably never will
again.
Claire picked up on the never will again part of the
conversation. She smiled and said to him, You lost her,
didnt you?
He said, No, I have not, I will find her and make her
see that I am sorry for everything I have done to hurt her.
He said to Claire, I would like to say Im sorry to you,
but I wont, as you started this and I made the mistake of
thinking you had changed when it was me who had

49

changed. I think its best if we ended this silly thing we


call a relationship as I know where my heart belongs and
I need to go find her before I lose her forever. And with
that, he walked out of the house again and got in to the
car and went to stay with a friend. As he left him texted
Claire to inform her he would return the next day to
collect his belongings and he would prefer her not to be
there.
As he arrived at Stuarts that night, he sat down and
said, What am I going to dust?
Stuart passed him a beer and said, Find her, thats
what you going to do, boy, and never let her go again.
He thought, thats what I am going to do but where
do I start?
The sun rose on the first of September and Mary
Jane got up and went in to the shower to get ready for
work. She was nervous but looking forward to it, it had
been a while since she had worked.
She pulled her hair back in to a French plait, put on
her drop earrings and applied her make up; she put on a
peach gloss instead of the red lipstick she would have
worn for Terrence. She stepped in to her peach and white
lace panties and matching bra, put her arms in to a pale
pink blouse and her black trouser suit and stepped out of
her room to get breakfast and a mug of coffee. She fed
the dogs and let them out in to the field while she ate.
The kids ran down the stairs after getting ready to
start a new school and off they went. Mary Jane dropped
the kids off at their new schools and headed off to work.
She placed a smile on her face as she walked in the
building where she was going to be working and realised
she was way too overdressed, but she laughed anyway
and walked in and said, HI, Jim.

50

When Jim saw what Mary Jane was wearing he


smiled and said, Aye girl, too much, and laughed.
She said, Yes, I know that now, you fool.
Tomorrow I will wear jeans, ok?
Aye, girl, that would be better. Off he went to
show her around the building and where she would be
working from that day. He said,and when the wee
one comes we can move everything over to your place
and you can work from home if you like, just till you can
come back here. They went for a coffee and to chat
about what needed to be done that day.
Whilst Mary Jane and Jim were drinking their
coffee, Jim said, Do you mind if we call you MJ from
now on? Its just easier to call you that if we need you
for anything.
Sure, she said, and from that day everyone knew
her as MJ and no one ever mentioned the full name of
Mary Jane again.
By the time MJ had sat at her desk she thought, this
is going to be a job and a half. She laughed to herself
because the person who had done it recently had made a
few mistakes that MJ needed to sort out before she could
do this years accounts. She made a start on the task that
needed to be sorted first and she worked until 5.30pm
that day and took some work home with her so she could
get ahead of the game as she needed to start this years
accounts.
When she got home from work her house was full of
people she did not know. She smiled; thats my kids for
you, she thought, inviting everyone back for dinner. She
walked in the house and said, Hi, guys, and walked in
to the kitchen to make a brew.

51

When Neville saw his Mum had arrived home, he


said, Sorry, Mum, it just kind of happened them all
turning up like this.
She said, Its ok, why dont you go to the village
and get pizza for tea and they can stay too if you like.
Thanks, Mum, youre great, and off they went for
pizza. MJ sat in the kitchen to drink her coffee and take a
rest before she started to do the house work and wait for
the pizza to arrive for her to cook.
The work was long and hard that week, what with
catching up on last years accounts as well as this years.
She sometimes didnt get home until after 9pm and the
kids had made the tea and left hers on the side with a
note:
Taken dogs in to the woods for a walk Mum be back
soon.
Once MJ had caught up with the accounts at work
they all fell in to a routine of getting up at 5am to walk
the dogs before work, then work all day, with the kids
taking the dogs out at night, and before anyone knew
what had happened, one week had turned into a month,
then two months. By now, MJ was showing that she was
pregnant and when she had finally told the kids she was
having a new baby they were overjoyed and started to
get the room decorated for the new arrival and bonfire
night was fast approaching.
The phone went on Friday night and MJ answered it
to the familiar voice of Carol saying Terrence was
constantly round hers trying to get the information on
her whereabouts so that he could come and see her. MJ
panicked and dropped the phone, she had been working
so hard recently that she had not had time to think about
him or what had happened in Cornwall.

52

Carol shouted down the phone to her, Are you ok,


dear? Im sorry but I have let it slip, he knows where you
are but not your address. I only said you were near
Sowerby in Yorkshire. MJ spoke further with Carol and
told her not to worry about it and made sure Carol was
alright. She eventually ended the call and went in to the
kitchen to get a glass of red wine. She sat at the table
thinking about everything and going over what should,
could or would have happened if only she had done this
or done that. When she finally went to bed it was after
midnight, she climbed in to bed and slept a deep and
meaningful sleep, she must have needed it, for she felt a
million times better knowing that he knew she was safe
now.
She climbed out of bed and put on her jeans, trainers
and a jumper, also a hat, scarf and gloves and took the
dogs out for a walk in the woods. As she entered the
woods it had just started to snow and it was bitter cold
that day.
She spent hours walking the dogs and ended up in
the village where she got herself a coffee and something
to eat. Then, realising she had left her purse at home she
spoke to Dave (the owner) and asked if it was ok to send
Neville back with the money.
Dave said to her, Aye, love. Sure, thatll be fine.
Should you be out in your condition in this weather?
Oh, get away with ya, Dave, she said. Im
pregnant not dying. She laughed and they sat down
together and talked about what Christmas was like in the
village and the annual panto they always put on, and
what each person needed to do and the lights they put up
all over, making it look like an old fashioned village
when it snowed. They talked for hours whilst the dogs
laid in front of the coal fire inside the pub.
53

When MJ looked at the clock on the wall she nearly


fell off her chair at seeing what time it was, and said to
Dave, I best get going, Hun, look at the time. Its nearly
3pm, I have loads to do at home and the kids will be
wondering where I am.
She got up and walked out, hearing Dave shout to
her, Aye, girl. Be sure to send Neville later or Ill be
after ya. He laughed and she smiled as she set off to
walk home. The snow was falling hard by this time and
settling on the ground. The dogs were loving it, they had
not seen snow before as it rarely snowed in Cornwall
like it was right now. She watched as the dogs ran ahead
of her and rolled in the snow, getting snow balls hanging
from the fur on their bellies. She thought, Im going to
have to bath them when I get home. She smiled to
herself.
It was gone four by the time she arrived home and
Michelle and Neville ran out of the house saying,
Where have you been, Mum? You left your phone here
and it has been going off like mad. As they passed her
the mobile phone it started ringing again.
MJ took the phone off of Michelle and answered it,
she heard a familiar voice and she stopped dead in her
tracks when she realised who it was.
Terrence how are you doing? What a surprise to
hear your voice, she said into the phone, her face
having turned white. She started to shake so Neville got
hold of her arm and lead her indoors whilst she spoke on
the phone. Michelle made her Mum a sweet tea to help
her with the shock she had just had and placed it in front
of her Mum on the dining table. Both Michelle and
Neville left the room to sort the dogs out whilst she
spoke to Terrence in private.
Where are you? asked Terrence.
54

She replied, Why?


I have been looking for you all these last few
months. I am worried about you all.
Dont be, she said. We are all ok. Thank you for
asking though.
Please let me come and see you, he said.
No. Whats the point in doing that, love?
Well, he said, I have realised what I have lost and
I want to make it up with you. Please come and talk to
me, I'll meet you wherever you want, babe.
No, it is ok, Ill stay where I am, love. We are
settled now and we dont need any distractions. She
placed her hand protectively on her swollen stomach and
the baby started to kick as if it knew it was Daddy on the
phone talking and the baby was shouting to him, Im
here, Daddy. Ill be arriving in a few months. Come and
find me.
After an hour of talking to Terrence, MJ had finished
her drink and she had also agreed to go and meet him
when she went back to Cornwall to visit her friend in
Camborne in the New Year.
He kept saying, I need to talk to you before then,
my love, please let me meet you, Ill drive to wherever
you are.
He pleaded with her and she heard the tears in his
voice, it was as if she could see the tears rolling down
his face. I cant get away before the New Year, she
said. I have to go now. She put the phone down and
cried in to her arms on the kitchen table and the kids
walked in and gave her a cuddle and told her it would all
be ok.

55

Chapter 8

The snow that had started to fall on the Saturday


morning when she had the phone call from Terrence
turned in to a real blizzard and they ended up being
stranded in the house for three weeks. They had food and
wood air-lifted to them to eat and keep warm and the
phone lines went down so they had no contact with any
one via phone, post or internet. All they had was each
other and the dogs and it was so peaceful. They had
loads of time to think over everything that had been said
in that phone call.
She knew she loved him no matter what had
happened but could she really forgive him for what he
had done to her? And was he just telling her what she
wanted to hear or had he actually told her everything just
like he had told her? She didnt know what to do
They made the most of being stranded in the house,
they dug out the Christmas decorations that had been left
in the loft of the house and they had moved everything
about to make a little study where she could see the baby
play whilst she worked from home. She had been
warned that if the snow became bad, they had to work
from home and she was ok with that as she could stay in
her PJs and laze about the house. The dogs were loving
all the snow, every time they went out they came in
56

covered in snow. They chased the snowballs the kids


were throwing at each other and all you could hear was
laughter and squeals of delight and barking because the
dogs had missed catching the snowballs that had just
been thrown over their heads.
MJ even went outside to join in at times and they
built a load of new memories of the new house and they
were living the dream, apart from the fact that the love of
her life was not there to share it with them.
She realised during that time alone in the house
stranded that she really did love him, and yes she should
try to forgive him for what he did to her as he had a lot
on his plate and was getting over a load of stuff. She
could offer him another chance, but no way were they
going to rush this, it would take a long time to sort things
out and build the trust back up. This time he would have
a lot of hoops to jump through.
She went to pick up her phone and typed the text and
pressed send, it was not until afterwards that she thought
he wont get that, thankfully, as we have no phone lines
working right now. She didnt think about it again and
went about doing some work and making tea and
cooking some Christmas cakes, mince pies, chutneys and
steamed puddings. They would be eaten over Christmas
that year and at the party that she was having on Boxing
Day for everyone from work, if the snow let off a little
and allowed the council to open the roads again. Or
would she have to get a sledge to allow them to get to
town? Oh, how funny would that be? Sledging in to
town, a pregnant woman and three dogs running behind
her.
By the end of November the snow had been cleared
from the roads enough for her to get about and she
started going back to work daily. The kids returned to
57

school and Jim had ordered a snow mobile for them to


use when the snow came in again like it had recently. He
showed everyone how to drive it and the best places to
go for sledging down the hills, but he said to be careful
in case the bull that lived there was out as he would
chase you across the fields and in to the woods. At being
told this everyone was in stitches, laughing at the
thought of being chased by the local bully.
Everything returned to normal and Christmas was
fast approaching. MJ was now nearly five months
pregnant and the baby was kicking like a mad person
inside of her but she enjoyed the feeling of it inside her
and knowing she had a little Terrence in there growing.
As everyone was making the final preparations for the
Christmas holidays, putting up the decorations and the
snow laying on the ground, still MJ thought about what
Christmas would be like if they were in Cornwall right
now. She continued placing the baubles on the tree as
Neville and Michelle put up the ceiling decorations and
she thought, yes I was right, putting the tree in that
window and looking through at the snow behind the tree.
The log fire in the room was glowing bright and warm
and made it feel cosy and the smell of fresh pine in the
air was just like living in a dream.
MJ heard a car approaching the house down the track
that lead to where they were, the dogs started to bark and
she thought, who is that coming at this time of day? It
was nearly eight in the evening and she had tomorrows
lunch roasting in the oven and pumpkin pies cooking at
the same time. The veg was all prepared so all she had to
do was put them on the stove to cook. The snow was
starting to fall heavily again and just then she heard
someone knock on the front door. She shouted to the
58

kids, Ill get it, and walked towards the front door and
opened it to see someone there that she was not
expecting to see. The next thing she knew she was
waking up on the couch with a sea of faces looking at
her from above and a hot mug of tea was put in to her
hands. She sat up feeling dizzy and shaking like a leaf as
he was stood in her lounge where she had been doing the
Christmas tree.
How did I get on the couch? she asked looking at
Neville as she could not face him right now.
Terrence spoke before Neville did and he said in his
husky voice, I caught you before you hit the ground and
that is the second time, my love, that you have fainted on
me now.
She looked up at Terrence and said, What are you
doing here?
He said, You never said you were pregnant, and he
sank to the floor beside her and Michelle passed him a
sweet tea which he had not seen her holding and he said,
Thank you, darling, as he took it off her. He turned
back to look at MJ and said, We have some talking to
do, dont you think, my love?
MJ sat up and said, I suppose we have. Have you
eaten yet?
He smiled and said, No, I have not as I was having
trouble finding somewhere to stay till I found where this
place was.
Michelle asked, Would you like me to make you a
sandwich, Terrence?
Oh, yes please, if you dont mind, darling.
She gave him a hug and said, It is so good to see
you, Terrence, and walked out of the room to make him
a sandwich.
59

He looked back at MJ and said, Why did you leave


and not tell me you were pregnant? Have you cheated on
me? Because if you have I totally deserve it.
MJ looked him in the eye and said, I am nearly five
months pregnant, Terrence, and she saw the look of
shock on his face as he realised that it was four months
ago that he last saw her and remembered that she had
fainted in the cafe the last time he saw her and thought,
thats why she fainted, because she had not eaten and she
was pregnant.
His face went white and a smile appeared on his
face, lighting it up so that you didnt need a light on in
the room.
Why did you not tell me then? he asked
MJ looked away and said, I was going to tell you I
was pregnant in the graveyard but you started to talk
before I had chance to tell you, and you said what you
said to me about Claire and I walked away and thought, I
dont want you to stay with me just because Im
pregnant, and I left Cornwall soon after so you didnt
have to make the choice between her and a child,
because I dont want you if you only want the child I am
carrying. She turned away from him so he could not see
the tears rolling down her face.
But it was too late he had seen them and he got up
off the floor and sat next to her and grabbed her in his
arms and stroked her hair out of her face. Boy her hair
was really long now and she was glowing with health.
What had he done to have this beauty love him like she
did?
They sat like that for what seemed a lifetime when
Michelle came in with a fresh brew and a sandwich for
Terrence and some cookies for her Mum, as she had just

60

had a shock and the baby would need the sugar to


recover. She smiled at the sight of her Mum being held
like that and put the food and drinks down on the coffee
table and walked out of the room and said, Come on,
Neville, we best go to our rooms, Mum and Terrence
need privacy to talk. They went upstairs to listen to
music and chat together about what this might mean.
Terrence passed the brew and cookies to MJ and
picked up his sandwich of honey roast ham and salad
with homemade chutney. He turned to MJ and said,
Where did you get this chutney?
She smiled and said, I made it, and she drank some
of her tea and looked out of the window. This was going
to be a hard conversation, she thought to herself. It was
quiet in the room whilst Terrence ate the sandwich that
he had just been given and it seemed like time just stood
still. The snow was falling like a blanket on the ground
now, covering everything in its path, the sky was black
outside and MJ got up to turn on the lamps in the room
as they were sat with just the glow of the open fire
flickering in the corner. The air seemed as though you
could cut it with a knife, so she moved and walked over
to check the fire and put more wood on it to make it a
little warmer as she had suddenly turned really cold;
must be the shock, she thought and returned to the sofa
she had just vacated moments ago.
Suddenly she heard a smoke alarm going off in the
background and she flew up off the sofa, ran towards the
kitchen and saw the smoke billowing out of the oven.
She opened the back door and went over to the oven and
all Michelle and Neville heard was, Oh for Petes sake!
I just burnt the bloody pies! What an idiot!
MJ went about the task of cleaning up the kitchen
and getting the smoke out of the room so you could sit in
61

there without smelling the burnt pies. As she turned


around after dealing with the mess she had found,
Terrence was stood smiling at her from the doorway.
She shouted, Its all your fault! Why did you have
to turn up and how the hell did you get my address and
why now, why, why, why?
He smiled at her and said, You sent me your
address, saying if you want to talk Im here. But I could
not get to you because of the snow last month. He
walked over to the dining table, sat down and placed his
hand on the chair next to him and said, Come and talk
to me please.
MJ walked over to the table and took a chair on the
opposite side from where he sat, because if he touched
her hand once more she would not know how she would
cope, the pain in her chest was scaring the hell out of
her, it felt as though her heart was going to jump out of
her chest and fall to the floor and make her watch as it
stopped beating and she would drop down dead right
there.
As she sat down she smiled at Terrence and said,
Well, where shall we start?
He smiled at her and said, In the bedroom would be
good. He had a twinkle in his eyes and he smiled and
she looked at him in shock
No way! You wanted to talk, lets talk right here
and then you can leave.
He looked at her, crest fallen, and started to say why
but thought better of saying it.
Ok, he said. When I saw you at the cafe the night
before you left, I came to see you to talk about if we
could get over this and start anew.

62

But you had her waiting for you at home just in


case I said no, and would you have told her the truth if I
had said yes we can and got back together with you or
would you have kept me a secret still? MJ asked him.
He was not expecting that question and he looked at
her and said, I didnt have chance to think about that
when I turned up at your door, and then you passed out
on me in the cafe and we stayed the night in the bed and
breakfast. I fell asleep in your arms after making love to
you and you left without saying goodbye. Did I hurt you
that night Mary Jane? I would not have been so rough
had I known you were pregnant.
No, you didnt hurt me or the baby that night, and
her face turned a light crimson colour as she thought
back to that nights love making and tear dropped down
her face as she remembered how she had left without a
word to him and drove away the next morning.
He said, I woke up to find you gone and there was
not a sign that you had ever been there with me. I only
had the memories of you touching me, but I recall
feeling a kiss on my forehead, but Im not sure if that
was real or not, I just rolled over and went in to a deep
sleep but I wish I had sat up and made sure you were ok,
because then I would have known you had left and I
would have been able to find you before you left.
MJ said to him. The kiss on your forehead was real,
I kissed you before I left that night and whispered, I will
always love you, darling, and I walked away and never
looked back, because if I had I would not have left and
you would have only broke my heart even more and I
would have died if you had. So I walked away and had
to start anew, away from all memories of you in
Cornwall. So I came here to bring up this child.

63

Would you have ever told me about the child? he


asked her.
Im not sure. She answered him with total honesty
and she looked to the floor in shame as she had not even
thought that far ahead. When would she have told him he
was a dad? Before or after the birth? She would never
know now as he knew she was pregnant and he would
always be in her life whether she wanted him or not.

64

Chapter 9

Terrence started to tell her about what he had done after


he found her gone.
I went to your house and found the house empty.
Nothing was there, it was as if you had never been there.
How did you leave so quickly? The night before I saw
the curtains up at the window and furniture in the
house.
She looked at him from under her eye lashes and
said, We left the curtains until the last minute and we
had packed up the rest of the house during the weeks
before you turned up that day. The removal men were
booked for the next day at 6am to load it all and
transport it here, and when I got home that night I took
the curtains down and waited for the morning to arrive.
Who carried all the furniture? he asked, You were
pregnant.
They moved it all, I have not picked up or moved
anything and they put it where I wanted it here. All we
had to do was unpack the clothes and boxes, the kids put
the curtains up for me here and I started work a few days
after we arrived.
He then said, Well, I sat on your porch and cried
and rocked myself backwards and forwards for what
65

seemed like days, when your friend Carol came over


with a blanket and a cup of tea and she held me whilst I
cried like a baby. I felt such a fool doing that with
someone I did not know, she took me to her place and I
sat in her kitchen and cried some more and I cried
myself to sleep that night on her sofa. I swear I saw you
stood in her doorway smiling at me in the early hours but
I turned to talk to you and you disappeared in a cloud. I
woke the next morning and felt it had all been a bad
dream, but you were still gone. I had a shower and as I
came downstairs I heard Carol on the phone to you and
her saying, I promise I wont tell him where you are,
Hun, and she never did, although I did pester her so
badly that all she did say was that you were somewhere
in Yorkshire. Yorkshire is a huge place but I would have
looked for you until the day I died. I would have never
stopped looking for you. I love you, Mary Jane, and I am
nothing without you in my life and I would rather be
dead than not have you in my arms, he said to her.
What about Claire? Mary Jane asked.
Well, I went back home after that phone call and
told her everything, and I mean everything that
happened. How we made love in the graveyard and the
passion I felt when we made love and that I had never
felt that passion with her and that I loved you so much it
hurt me to the point I wanted to die. I was foolish
enough to let you go before I figured out exactly how I
felt for you. I walked out of the house after I told her and
texted her to say, dont be in the house tomorrow for I
will be coming back to collect my things, and I went to
stay with Stuart and thats where I still am. I returned for
my stuff and she was there crying, begging me to forgive
her and for her making me do what I had done, but I told
her, no way, doll, I thought you were the best thing until

66

I met Mary Jane and now I know you could never


compete with her one single bit.
Every Friday tea time I got in the car and drove a
little further into Yorkshire, asking every single person I
saw if they knew where you were and every time I got
the same answer from them, no, mate, sorry Ive never
seen them around here. So Id go a bit further up the line
and keep asking. The amount of times I slept in my car
at the side of the road, I cant remember how many times
I did that.
I was asleep in my car when a Police Officer
knocked on the car window and he asked if I was ok as it
was snowing really bad. I was in Halifax. I looked at him
and said, yes, officer, Im ok, Im just looking for my
girlfriend. He told me Id best be getting home as a bad
storm was on its way. So I set off towards the motorway
to go back to Cornwall. It was not until I got to Taunton
down near Cornwall that I heard the text message you
had sent. I pulled over and saw it was from you and I
thought, oh my gosh, and when I read it and saw the
address you had put on it I could have kicked myself as I
was only thirty-five miles away from you when that
officer had spoken to me. I went to turn around to head
back, but was told that the motorway was closed up
country for the snow. I nearly died, so I carried on home
to Stuarts and cried myself to sleep that night and every
night until the snow had cleared enough for me to get
here to talk to you and find out whats happening.
That three weeks of bad weather was nearly the death
of me. Stuart was worried and he asked why I didnt
phone you. I told him I had tried but the phone lines
were out of order due to the weather up there. When I
heard the roads were open, I got in the car and came
straight here.
67

Mary Jane was just sat there watching his face as he


spoke and saw the raw pain he was feeling as he told her
how he felt when she had left that day. He stood up
suddenly from the table and made Mary Jane jump from
her skin. Whats he going to do? she thought.
He said, Another drink, love? I need one before I
lose control and come over there and take you to bed.
Mary Jane sighed quietly. She was thinking the exact
same thing. How strange.
She watched him as he walked around the kitchen
looking for the tea things. It was getting late now, it was
after midnight and the snow was still falling and the
roads looked as though they were dangerous, so she said
to Terrence, Look, you can sleep in the spare room
tonight. The roads dont look good and we can finish this
conversation tomorrow. Im shattered. Ill show you
where the room is. She started to walk up the stairs to
show him the room, he followed behind her and she
showed him in to the spare room where a bed was
already made up. She thought, when did that get done? I
had not made that bed up today. Those daft kids had
made it for her; bless them, she thought. Ill thank them
tomorrow. But how did they know he would be staying
that night?
As he went to walk past her in the door way, she felt
the baby kick her and she bent over in shock as it was so
unexpected. He grabbed her and asked, Are you ok?
She smiled and said, Yes, its the little bugger
waking up and playing football in me.
He picked her up off the floor with ease and carried
her over to the bed and placed her on it. He lay down
next to her having shut the door as he walked away from
the door to the bed.

68

She tried to get up and said, Ill go to my room.


He looked at her and said, Please just lay here and
talk a little more. Please. So she laid back on the
pillows.
As they carried on talking, he pulled her in to his
arms and said, Just let me hold you close. Please as
this may be the last time I will be able to, if we cannot
sort this out. So she laid back in to his arms and started
to fall asleep, feeling safe and warm within his arms
again. This was where she should be, not in a cold
bedroom crying every night.
He lay holding her as she fell asleep and he watched
her sleeping in to the early hours. He fell asleep himself.
He wanted to watch her and never stop as he was scared
she would not be there in the morning when he woke up.
As it was around 4.30am, Mary Jane woke up
needing the toilet, so she climbed out of bed and went to
the toilet and had a shower and got changed. No point
going back to bed now, she thought and went downstairs
to let the dogs out and make herself a drink and watch as
the snow continued to fall. She was sat in the kitchen
when she heard shouting.
MARY JANE! WHERE ARE YOU? she heard.
She walked to the bottom of the stairs and shouted up,
Im in the kitchen having a drink.
Then she saw him come round the corner, face as
white as a sheet and she saw him stumble and said, Be
careful! He came crashing down the stairs with a thud
and lay at her feet in a crumpled mess. She fell to her
knees saying, Are you ok, Terrence?
He looked up at her and smiled and said, A little
sore, but Im ok, youre still here.

69

She got to her feet and said, Youre a fool, and


walked in to the kitchen and went to make a fresh drink
for them both and something to eat. She had her back to
him as he walked in the room rubbing his hands
together, they hurt from the fall but he didnt care; she
was stood over there and that was all that mattered right
now.
She turned to him and asked, Are you sure youre
ok? You didnt hit your head, did you?
No, my heart is a little bruised and pounding in my
chest right now. I thought you had gone and left again.
No, she smiled, I was here. I woke early and
came down to have a drink and let the dogs out, she
told him.

70

Chapter 10

As they were eating breakfast, the phone rang and Mary


Jane went to answer it and said, Hi, Jim. What can I do
for you?
He said he was sending a tractor over with wood and
food supplies. The weather was coming in again and
they would be stranded again, so it was best to batten
down the hatches as it was going to get really bad.
Ok, no problem. She put the phone down and
walked in to the kitchen and she said, You best leave,
the weather is getting bad and you wont be able to
leave. His face was a picture when he heard her say
that.
He said, Why? Who is Jim?
Hes my boss, you idiot, she said. And hes
sending over some firewood and food as we going to get
snowed in again.
He told her when they started dating, back long ago,
that he was not the jealous type and here he was going
mad because a guy called Jim had just called her. She
thought to herself that it was kind of nice that he was
jealous, but Jim was sixty and married with grandkids,
but he was not to know that he and his wife was lovely,
offering to babysit for her when the baby arrived.
71

Just then she heard an almighty noise from outside


and thought, that is Jim Junior on that blasted tractor, he
was a fool on that thing. She walked outside to greet him
Hi, Jimmy Boy! she shouted.
Aye lass, he replied. Hows you today, good
lass?
Laughing, she told him to get off himself and waited
for him to bring in the food box and the place the wood
next to the wood stockpile she had. Do you want a
brew? she asked him.
Aye, would not say no to a nice lassie like you, he
laughed.
Oh, get on with it, she said and walked in the
house to make him a brew.
As she was making a fresh brew for everyone, she
saw Terrence looking out the window, watching Jimmy
outside.
He seemed a little over friendly towards you, he
said.
Mary Jane smiled, Aye, he is, but he be ok, boy.
She laughed as she said it.
He turned on a dime when she said that and asked
what she meant by that comment.
Well, he be gay, my love, she laughed, and hes
that way with everybody unless he fancies a guy, then
you need to worry. She walked outside with Jimmys
drink and handed it to him and she saw his face as he
looked over her shoulder and she knew Terrence had
walked out behind her and thought, Oh hell, whats
going to happen now?
Jimmy went over to Terrence and said, Hi, mate,
hows your good self?

72

MJ never said she had company. Pa will be happy


that shes not alone in the weather that is on its way here
right now.
She saw Terrence relax as he spoke to Jimmy Boy as
it was clear to everyone who met him that he batted for
the other team and he was a cheeky sod with it.
When Jimmy Boy had left, Terrence said to her,
Why did he call you MJ?
Well, when I moved here it was easier for them to
shout MJ when they needed me in work and the name
just kind of stuck, even outside of work.
I like it, the name suits you, love. And he smiled at
her. Do you mind if I go for a shower and get
changed? he asked.
Yes, sure. The shower is next-door to where you
slept last night, she said as he walked towards the front
door.
She watched him with a questioning look as he
turned and said, I best go get some clean clothes out of
the car had I not? I cant stay in these. I slept in them last
night, remember?
As he left the house the kids came running in the
kitchen and asked what had happened. She said, Thanks
for making the bed up last night, but what possessed you
to do that?
Well, Neville replied, when we were upstairs we
saw it snowing heavily so we thought we would make
the bed up in case he had no option but to stay and now
it looks like were going to be snowed in again doesnt
it? he said.
Yes, you two. Now, you can go and get dressed and
come down for your breakfast, she told them and went
in to the lounge to try and finish decorating the
73

Christmas tree which she had been doing the night


before. She never heard anyone walk in, as she had put
the radio on to listen to Christmas Carols whilst she
worked on the tree.
As MJ was putting decorations on the tree and
wrapping tinsel around it, she never heard Terrence walk
up behind her and only knew he was there when he put
his arms around her, making her jump with fright.
She turned in his arms to face him and as she looked
up at him he leaned towards her and kissed her. When
his lips touched her she melted in his arms and sank
towards the floor, but not feinting this time, just with the
sheer weight being released from her body.
She wanted him to do this so much, and now that he
was, he had taken the strength right out of her body. He
picked her up and carried her upstairs to the bedroom
they had slept the night before. He shut the door with his
foot, he walked to the bed and laid her down on it and
started to undo the buttons on her dress and run his
hands along her thighs and stomach.
Just then she heard the kids shout, Going out, Mum!
Going to play with the dogs, shout us when lunch is
ready. And it went quiet.
Terrence continued what he was doing with his
hands and said, Thank God they have gone out. He
smiled and he kissed her stomach and felt the baby kick
as he did.
He removed her panties and bra and threw them to
the floor next to where his were laid. When had he got
undressed? She thought. She felt him lay next to her and
his arm lay over her body as he caressed her breasts with
tender care and love and she felt his lips touch hers and
the kiss deepened in to a fever. He rolled her over and

74

took her doggy-style. He was feverish but gentle as he


made love to her and they climaxed quickly and he said
to her as he laid kisses down her back, I wanted to do
that last night when I saw you, but you fell in my arms
and you scared the Be-Jesus out of me and then I saw
you were pregnant and that worried me even more than it
had before I knew. He looked at her and said, I love
you, Mary Jane, with my whole body and soul. Please
can we start again? I want only you and no one else, I
promise.
She turned over to look at him and saw the tears in
his eyes were matching the tears in hers and she said,
Yes, my love, we can. They fell on to the bed crying in
each others arms.
For the next few hours he held her and made love,
then held her again and made love to her for a third time.
She finally got up off the bed and said, Im going
downstairs to put dinner on to cook and Ill make a
brew. She left the room and went downstairs.
When he followed her down she was in the kitchen
making what looked like bread, and she had shouted the
kids in for a bite to eat to put them on until dinner was
ready in a couple of hours.
Terrence sat down next to the kids and started
talking to them as though he had never been away. He
was expecting some sort of anger from them after he had
hurt their Mum so bad, but all you heard was laughter
coming from the kitchen that day as they played board
games and ate dinner of roast lamb, roast potatoes, four
different types of veg and gravy, with Yorkshire
puddings that were big as houses on their own. In the
background there were Christmas Carols playing on the
radio.

75

They had finished decorating the house for


Christmas and just sat around playing games until gone
midnight. The kids said, Night, Mum. Night, Terrence,
and went to bed.
When he looked at MJ he smiled and said, Shall we
go to bed too, love? and she nodded and got up to go to
bed, holding his hand.
As they went to bed she slipped off her clothes and
climbed in to bed and fell straight to sleep, so when
Terrence came out of the bathroom he climbed in next to
her and pulled her in to his arms and fell asleep too. He
never let her out of his arms at all that night and he felt
every movement that baby made inside her. He put it all
deep in his memory and started to snore lightly into her
hair and she smiled in her sleep and snuggled in closer to
his body and they stayed there until gone 10am the next
day.

76

Chapter 11

When Terrence woke the next morning Mary Jane was


still laid beside him, asleep and in his arms. He smiled
and kissed her head as she lay there. She stirred and
cuddled in closer and he tightened his arms around her
and laid still until she turned to him and opened her eyes,
he kissed her lips and said, Morning, my love, and
they made love in a tender way.
Afterwards they went downstairs to get a drink, let
the dogs out and see the kids. It had snowed again during
the night and it was even deeper than before they went to
bed last night. Neville and Terrence decided to go
outside to have a snow-ball fight and all you heard was
laughter and for the next two weeks all you heard in the
house was the passion during the night and the laughter
during the day from the kids running around laughing
and playing. It sounded like a happy family, and as the
snow melted reality set in. Terrence and Mary Jane had
not discussed what would happen when the snow had
melted and now Mary Jane was worrying what was
going to happen, as Terrence would need to go back to
Cornwall. She was in Yorkshire but would he come back
to her and keep going between the two of them? She
didnt know what to think or do anymore and thats
when Terrence found her looking deep in thought in the
77

kitchen, sat at the table, drinking tea and eating a cookie


that she had made that morning.
It was nice waking up to the smell of fresh bread and
cookies in the mornings, and fresh coffee on the stove
and the dogs barking at the rabbits in the field next to
where they were playing.
He felt happier than he had ever felt and he knew she
was only downstairs when he woke as he could smell the
fresh baking. He sometimes went down to watch her
from the doorway if it was really early, she never
seemed to sleep more than four hours nowadays and she
never seemed to stop. They had been stuck in the house
for just over two weeks, not seeing anyone but Mary
Jane and the kids in a beautiful place in the countryside
covered in snow.
Then he saw what Mary Jane was looking at and saw
that the snow was melting, and he knew instantly what
she was thinking about and he didnt know how to talk
to her or what to say to her.
He was not sure if he wanted to move back to
Yorkshire, he loved Cornwall but he also knew that
Claire was there and he knew she would do anything to
break this love apart. Mary Jane was happy working
where she was and the house they lived in was totally
perfect to bring a young child into.
He walked back out of the room without letting
Mary Jane know he had been there and went upstairs to
think about what he was going to do next, when he heard
and almighty scream from the kitchen. He ran
downstairs to find Michelle stood in the doorway
screaming, Mum!

78

There, laid on the floor was Mary Jane, covered in


blood and not moving. He ran over to her and saw she
had been shot.
He shouted at Michelle to call for an ambulance and
to get some towels. He sat next to Mary Jane on the
floor, her eyes were closed and her breathing was light
and she was losing blood, when Michelle came in with
the towels. He put them over the wound and held it tight
until the ambulance arrived, and behind them were the
police. When they found out it was a shooting they had
rushed to the scene.
The police took Terrence and cuffed him and he
shouted, Why are you doing this?
They said, Youre covered in blood, my old son.
He looked at where Mary Jane was laying, bleeding
on the paramedic.
Michelle shouted, Look! Whos that running away
from behind the wood pile outside?
The police saw a figure running away from the house
and gave chase. The one remaining officer removed the
cuffs from Terrence and started to ask questions, as he
had realised that it was not him who had shot the young
lady who was laid on the floor in front of him.
The paramedic shouted to them, We have to leave
right now or we might just lose her. How far pregnant is
she? he asked as they wheeled her out of the house and
placed her in the back of the ambulance. Terrence told
him she was around five months gone.
Michelle got in the back of the ambulance with
Terrence and her Mum and went to the hospital.
Terrence held Michelle in his arms whilst she cried,
Dont leave us, Mum, we need you, please dont
leave!
79

When they arrived at the hospital they rushed her


into resuscitation and would not let them in the room as
they needed to treat her wounds, and quickly. Terrence
sat outside holding on to Michelle and crying with her
when Neville arrived and told them it was some female
that the police had caught running away from the house.
He fell in to Terrences arms and cried with his sister.
As they sat waiting to hear what the doctors had to
say, the police arrived to see how things were with Mary
Jane. Behind the police officer were Jim and Jimmy
Boy, looking pale with shock. They went to Terrence
and the kids and shook hands and said, We are here to
help and if you need anything, let us know please.
Just then the doctor came out of the room where
Mary Jane was and looked as though he had bad news.
He said to Terrence, It is going to be touch and go from
hereditys up to Mary Jane now, whether she pulls
through.
What about the baby? Terrence said.
Im sorry, but we had to deliver the baby early and
she has been taken to the neonatal unit as she is
premature, but she has a strong heart and her breathing is
pretty good. She is holding her own.
Terrence was stuck as to who to go and sit with
when the doctor handed him a picture of the baby they
had delivered. He cried. That was his daughter, and she
was his miracle. He never thought he would have a baby
and now he might lose the two things he loved the most.
His beautiful wife and his daughter.
Just then he realised what he had been thinking. His
wife?

80

He asked if he could go and see Mary Jane. The


doctor said he could, but not for long as they were
waiting to transfer her to ICU.
Terrence walked in with Neville and Michelle under
each arm and held them both close to him. He would not
let them go as they were all he had to hold on to right
now as he could not pick Mary Jane up and sit with her
on his knee until she woke up.
She will wake up, he said to himself. He watched the
machine that was breathing for her and the single tear
that was rolling down Mary Janes cheek, as if she knew
she would not see her daughter just yet and she would
have no memory of her being born.
Just over twenty minutes later, a porter arrived to
take Mary Jane upstairs to the Intensive Care Unit, so
Terrence and the kids decided to walk over to Neonatal
to see baby miracle.
As they walked over to the Neonatal Unit, Neville
said, Who would want to kill our Mum? Shes not done
anything to hurt anybody in her life. All she ever did was
help other people.
Terrence asked what he meant by the police saying
they had caught a woman running away from the house.
Neville said she was around 5ft 6 with long dark
hair, quite slender and that she had said to the policeman
that caught her that Mary Jane deserved it after what she
had done to her.
Terrence stopped in mid-step, looked at Neville and
said, Did she have any tattoos on her? Neville said he
seen a heart on her wrist. Then Terrence fell to the floor
right where they were in the middle of the hospital
corridor and screamed, What has that bitch done?!

81

Then a police officer arrived next to him and said,


Are you ok, Sir?
Terrence said, Yes, I will be. Thank you, but I need
to know what that woman has told you as to why she
shot Mary Jane.
The officer looked at him and said, What do you
know, Sir? She has not said a word since she was taken
into custody.
Terrence looked at Jim and Jimmy Boy and asked
them if they would mind taking the kids to get a drink in
the canteen and he would come find them as soon as he
had finished talking to the police about this matter.
Jim took the kids and walked with them towards the
canteen and Jimmy Boy stayed with Terrence and said to
him, Aye, boy. You need support too, duck. He put his
hand on his arm to show Terrence he was not alone in
this.
Terrence smiled at Jimmy Boy and said, Thanks,
mate. They followed the police officer into a side room
and sat down and a nurse came in with sweet tea and
biscuits for them all and as soon as she left, the officer
turned to Terrence and said, Right, mate, what do you
know?
Terrence picked up his tea, took a gulp and tried to
calm himself down before he said anything to the police
about whom he thought it was that they had in custody.
It took him ten minutes before he was able to think
straight and start to answer the questions.

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Chapter 12

Terrence looked at the police officer and asked him what


he was called and the officer said, Im P.C Michael
Short, but you can call me Mike. Can I call you
Terrence?
Terrence answered him with a nod and said, This
woman you have in custody does she have a blue bird
above the heart tattoo on her left wrist?
The officer said, Yes, Sir, she does. Why, do you
know her?
Terrence looked at Jimmy Boy and back to the
officer and said, Yes, I do. It is Claire Philips. She is
forty-four years old, she lives in Cornwall and she drives
a black Renault Clio, 2005 reg.
And how do you know her? the officer asked
Terrence.
He said, She was my girlfriend up until four months
ago when I realised I was in love with Mary Jane and I
didnt want to be with Claire anymore. I thought she had
taken it pretty well but obviously she has not, and I will
never forgive myself that she has hurt Mary Jane.
Jimmy Boy got up and walked out the room so he
could calm down after finding out it was Terrences expartner that had shot MJ.
83

After five minutes Jimmy Boy went back in to the


room and put his hand on Terrence as if to say, sorry, I
needed a bit of air.
The officer said to Terrence, We will need to take a
formal statement from you but if you need to go and see
your daughter and sort out the other children, we can
arrange for you to meet us at the police station. Terrence
thanked him and left the room to find the kids and go
and see his daughter.
When Terrence and Jimmy Boy walked in to the
canteen, he saw Jim and the kids drinking juice and he
said, Thanks, Jim. He hugged each of the kids and said,
Come on, lets go see miracle. He looked at Jim and
said, Do you mind having the kids tonight, mate? I have
to go and speak to the police after we have been to see
miracle and then I will go and see Mary Jane again
before I go to the station.
Jim said, Sure, if the kids are ok with that.
Neville and Michelle looked at Terrence and said,
We want to stay with you please.
Terrence looked back to the kids and said, I need to
sort this out with the police and when I come for you in
the morning to bring you back here to see your Mum, I
will tell you everything I know, I promise. Ok, kids?
They both nodded and said, Thanks Jim for letting
us stay with you tonight, and off they walked towards
the neonatal unit.
As they arrived at the baby unit, a police officer was
walking into the unit and said, I was coming to find you
to make sure you were ok and to tell you that we will be
putting an officer outside the babys and Mary Janes
rooms until we know for sure who it was that shot her.

84

A nurse came up to Terrence and the kids and said,


Would you like to see her?
They all nodded their heads to say yes please and
they were shown in to a little side room where a little
child laid on her back. She had a head full of hair and a
button nose like her Mum and heart shaped lips that
looked pink and wet. She was covered with wires and
tubes which the nurse said were helping her to maintain
her breathing and so they could give any medicines she
might need with ease. She said, Shes a little fighter
you have there, her lungs are strong and when she was
born she was screaming like a banshee, which is a good
sign. She weighs three pounds and six ounces and she
has already had some meds to help strengthen her lungs
and help her adjust to being here early.
As Terrence looked at the baby and the kids he
realised that when this was all over he was going to
make an honest woman of Mary Jane; if she would have
him after she finds out that it was Claire who did this to
her.
If could get his hands on Claire he would kill her
himself and it would not be pretty either But he took a
deep breath and said, Come on, guys, lets take you
back to Jim, I need to go talk to the police and get this
sorted. He then walked out of the unit and back to the
canteen where Jim and Jimmy Boy were waiting for
them.
After Terrence had given the kids a hug, a kiss on
their heads and promised to come for them first thing
tomorrow, he got directions to where Jims place was
and walked out of the hospital and went to the police
station to find out what was going to happen now.

85

When he arrived at the police station he spoke to the


officer behind the counter, asking to talk to P.C Michael
Short and he sat down to wait for the officer to arrive.
When Michael walked through the door to greet
Terrence he shook his hand and said, Hi. Come on, lets
go get this statement done shall we? He showed
Terrence in to a room and asked if he would like a brew
before they started.
In the room down the corridor sat Claire. Across
from her was a detective who was asking her why she
had shot Mary Jane and telling her that she may well be
charged with murder of a child and her mother. Claire
looked at the officer and asked if she was pregnant.
Yes, the detective said. She was just over five
months gone, and if that child dies you have murdered
the baby.
Claire looked up at the ceiling and cried out, Oh my
God! What have I done? She put her head in to her
hands and cried with great big racking sobs, feeling
sorry for herself and then she picked her head up and
said, She cheated on him then, didnt she? Terrence
could not have kids, so there was no way he could be the
father, we have tried for years to have kids and had tests
telling us we could not have them. Ha! He will end up
leaving her in the end anyway and I will get him back
for myself! She laughed so hard she got hiccups.
The detective sat watching all the emotions Claire
was showing and thought she was as mad as a hatter and
waited until she calmed down enough to start talking to
him again.
When Claire had calmed down, the detective asked
her why she had travelled up from Cornwall and how

86

she knew where they were, as it was a hard place to find


unless you knew where it was.
She turned to the detective and said, I followed him
to Yorkshire just over two weeks ago. She told him she
had stayed in the bed and breakfast in the village and
when it snowed she had got caught out in the weather
just as he had, but she walked through the lanes to the
house daily and watched them together, laughing and
going about the daily chores, and every night she went
back to the bed and breakfast and laid on the bed
imagining them making love in that big house each night
and drinking coffee in a morning and eating their meals
together as a family.
I just got more and more mad at what she had done
to me and him, and splitting us up, she said.
The officer pointed out to her that she was the one
who had cheated before Terrence had got with Mary
Jane and that it was after she returned to Terrence that
she found out about Mary Jane, so therefore he was not
the one who had cheated until he had got back with her.
He said, When he realised that he loved Mary Jane
more than he loved you, Claire, you started to plot
against them and attempted to murder Mary Jane and her
unborn child out of jealousy and now you will be going
away for a long time. Yes, Terrence was in the wrong for
what he had done before Mary Jane had moved to
Yorkshire, but they seemed to have sorted everything
out, and whose business was it anyway if they had got
back together? Certainly not the police.
When Terrence got his brew from Michael he said,
Thanks. Where shall I start?
At the beginning would be good, Michael said.

87

Terrence started at the beginning and told him


everything about how he had met Mary Jane and what
Claire had done to him to make him move to Cornwall
and how he ended up getting confused between the two
women and the mistake he had made when he chose to
stay with Claire. Then, he knew he had done the wrong
thing and came to find Mary Jane to sort it all out and to
start a relationship with Mary Jane again. He also told
Michael that when Mary Jane woke up from this, he was
going to ask her to marry him and he would happily
move to Yorkshire to be with her.
That statement shocked him as he thought he would
never leave Cornwall since he had just moved there after
years of wanting to live there. He had thought he would
never get married and never in his wildest dreams did he
think he would be given a child. But now he had
everything he ever wanted in life and they were both
lying in the hospital, fighting for life, all because Claire
could not handle the fact that he had found what she
never would. Especially now.
Back in with Claire, the detective was formally
ending the questioning and saying to Claire, You have
the right to remain silent and anything and everything
you say may be used against you in a court of law, and
he said, Claire Philips, I am charging you with the
attempted murder of Mary Jane Smith and Baby Smith.
Claire cried, Please dont!
The officer said, No, love, you are charged with
attempted murder and you will be held in the court until
we transfer you to the local prison, where you will be
detained until we go to court for your trial. He cuffed
Claire and walked her out of the room.
Just at that time, Terrence was being shown out of
the room and Terrence saw Claire in handcuffs being led
88

away, he shouted, Why did you do it, Claire? Youre


the biggest bitch I have ever known! Why did you have
to try and take her away from me? What has she done to
you to deserve what you did to her? Nothing, thats
what!
Claire looked at Terrence and shouted back,
Forgive me, love, I am sorry! Please come and see me,
I need to talk to you. I am pregnant! she shouted at him.
He looked her square in the face and said, If you
were pregnant, you bitch, you would be showing by now
and it would not be my child. He turned to Michael and
asked to be shown out and he walked away from Claire
without looking back at her.
As he left the police station he thought, I need to get
something to eat before I go back to the hospital, and as
he walked back towards the hospital he passed a chip
shop and went in to order a bag of chips, which he could
eat as he carried on to the hospital.
As he walked, eating his chips, he thought of ways to
ask Mary Jane to marry him. He was not really in to
romance or romantic gestures, but after everything that
had just happened he needed to change that and make the
most of every day he would have with Mary Jane and
baby miracle.
When he arrived at the hospital, he went to the
Intensive Care Unit to find a lot of doctors and nurses
running around. When he saw who they were running
around near, he stopped dead in his tracks. They were
doing something to Mary Jane, and he thought, no
please, God. Please dont let her die. He fell to his knees
to pray and when the nurses started to walk away from
the bed he cried out with pain and he screamed, NO!
Then he looked up at where the bed was that Mary Jane
was in, and he saw her sat up and talking to the doctor
89

and asking him questions. The last time Terrence saw


her she was laid on the bed on a ventilator and not
moving, and now she was sat up talking. Just then, she
noticed Terrence on his knees in the middle of the ward
with red eyes and tears rolling down his face and she
smiled and said, Hi, love.
He got up from the floor and walked over to her and
put his arms around her and said, Im never going to let
you out of my sight again. I love you with everything I
am and will be.
Mary Jane said, Im sorry, Terrence. I was not able
to look after our little girl properly. I let her down and I
let you down. Im so sorry.
She started to cry great, big, racking sobs and he held
her to him and said into her hair, You didnt let anyone
down, my love, it was me that let you down. I never
should have gone back to Claire, then this would not
have happened.
Mary Jane looked at him and asked him what he
meant by that comment and he said, It was Claire that
shot you, and she claims she had no idea you were
pregnant. I have no idea how she found us, I didnt tell
anyone where I was going, I just said I have found Mary
Jane to Stuart and I said I was going away for a few
weeks to try and sort it out with you, and that if he
needed me for anything he could get me on my mobile.
But that was all I said.
As Mary Jane registered what Terrence had just told
her, the nurse arrived to make sure she was ok. Mary
Jane said she was ok but in a little discomfort, but that
she could cope with it.

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Chapter 13

Terrence stayed the night in the hospital beside Mary


Janes bed and watched her all night whilst she slept. He
was not going to miss one second.
When the nurses changed shifts from the night shift
to the morning shift he smiled at the nurses as they came
to make sure Mary Jane was ok and that her wounds had
not changed or caused her to have a relapse. When the
doctors came on their rounds, they talked about moving
her from intensive care to a high dependency unit for a
few days and then they would consider discharging her
from the hospital.
The doctor that saw Mary Jane at the time she was
admitted came over to see how she was, and said, I did
not expect to see you sat up and off the ventilator today.
I thought you might have still been out of it, my dear.
You are one strong lady and youre certainly a fighter
and I know where your daughter gets her strength from.
She has had a good night, I went to see her before I came
on shift, he told Mary Jane and Terrence.
The doctor also said that they would try to allow
Mary Jane to go and meet her daughter soon and that
brightened up her day.

91

Terrence said he was going to go collect the kids


from Jims and bring them in to see her as they would be
worried, and he left the ward to drive to Jims.
The snow had virtually disappeared by this time and
it looked as though it had never been snowing, all you
saw on the road was slush.
When Terrence arrived at Jims, Neville and
Michelle ran out of the house to him and said, Is Mum
ok?
He smiled and said, Yes, kids, she is, she has woke
and sat up in bed talking and they are going to move her
to a different ward today as she has recovered better than
expected. Miracle has had a good night too and she is
growing in strength.
Michelle asked, Are you really going to call her
miracle?
Terrence looked at her and said, I have no idea, lets
see what Mum says when she sees her later.
As Terrence drove back towards the hospital, he
thought, Mary Jane has no clothes, so he said, We had
best call in to the house to collect some clothes for your
Mum as she has nothing to wear.
As they drove up to the house, he realised that the
dogs had been left alone overnight, so he called to ask
Jim if he or Jimmy could look after the dogs for them
until someone was there to look after them.
Jimmy said, Aye, lad, Ill set off now to collect
them for you. Will be ten minutes, ok?
Whilst Terrence and the kids waited for Jimmy to
arrive, they looked at the mess in the kitchen and said,
Mum wont want to come back here, you know, and
they walked upstairs to collect some clothes from her
room. They picked out some night clothes and day
92

clothes, as when she was feeling better, she will want to


get out of bed and walk about and go see miracle. They
all said this at once and laughed and said jinx.
When Jimmy arrived, Terrence took him to one side
and spoke to him quietly so the kids could not hear what
he had asked Jimmy.
Jimmy nodded his head and said, I know of a place
that would suit you down to the ground, and its not far
from here, boy. Ill find out more for you tomorrow and
let you know as soon as I can, ok? He collected the
dogs and left with them and went home with the dogs
running behind his bike as he headed over the fields and
back to the old farmhouse over the way.
When Terrence, Neville and Michelle arrived at the
hospital, Mary Jane had been moved to a different ward
and was waiting for them so she could go and see the
baby.
When they walked in, the children ran to her, crying,
Oh, Mum! Are you ok?
She smiled at them and said, Yes, loves, Im ok.
After Mary Jane had spoken to everyone, Terrence
asked if she wanted to get a wash and put on some of her
own clothes. Oh, yes please, she said, so Terrence
went off to find a nurse and ask if it was ok for her to
have a shower or something.
When he found a doctor, he was told that it would be
ok, but they had no staff to go in the bathroom with her,
so Terrence asked if he went in to assist, would that be
ok?
The doctor said, Yes, that would be ok but dont
over exert her, as the wounds may start to bleed again.
When he got back to the bed he heard laughter from
Mary Jane and it sounded so good to hear her laugh. As
93

he came in to view, she said, I believe you have named


our daughter, Miracle.
He smiled and said, Well, she is a miracle isnt she?
To have come this far.
Mary Jane agreed and they named her Miracle.
As Terrence assisted Mary Jane in to the hospital
bathroom to help her get a wash, she smiled up at him
and asked if he was ok.
Yes, my love. All the better now youre going to be
ok, he said.
Mary Jane sat on the edge of the bath whilst
Terrence filled it with water and helped her out of the
hospital gown she was wearing. He picked her up from
the edge and kissed her lips and she kissed him back
with a hunger that shocked them both. She wanted him
so badly right now and he wanted her but not right now,
not after what she had just been through, and she had
just given birth and that was not good.
He gently placed her in to a warm bath and got hold
of the soap that he had brought with him from home. He
soaped up the flannel and washed her all over and got rid
of all the traces of blood that were on her body. He
washed her hair, and she lay there in the bath watching
him wash her with great tenderness and she loved him
all the more for what he was doing right now. She just
let her body react to the tingling sensation that was
running wild through her body, from the tip of her toes
to the top of her head.
She could see Terrence react to the same sensation
that she was feeling and saw his penis come to life. As
he touched her, he smiled at her and said, Sorry, love,
look at what you are doing to me, even when youre in
hospital.

94

She slid her hand out of the water, unzipped his


trousers and let his penis flop out. She watched his eyes
grow bigger as he realised what she was going to do.
No, he said.
She said, Shut up and leave me to do it. She
grabbed hold of his enlarged member and placed it in to
her mouth. She sucked and licked down the side and
blew a kiss on to the tip and took him in her mouth again
and again as her hand pulled back the foreskin time after
time. She carried on until he cried out when he climaxed
in her mouth and she swallowed and smiled up at him.
She went under the water to rinse her hair from the soap
he had just washed in to her hair, and when she came
back up for air he was just zipping up his trousers.
He said, You should not have done that.
She smiled at him and started to get out of the bath,
and he grabbed her, picked her up and placed her on to
the floor on her feet and started to dry her body, placing
kisses on her shoulders and along her neck to her breasts.
He saw where she had been shot; just to the side of her
breast. It was close to her heart and if it had been any
closer she would not have been here right now. The
doctor had said it was a close call and it had missed all
her organs, but she had muscle damage and that they put
her on the ventilator to give her a break from struggling
to breath, but she had woke up from the medication that
was supposed to make her sleep, but they could not keep
her under, so they allowed her to wake up.
After Terrence had dried her body, he started to dress
her in a loose dress and panties. He had left her bra off,
as it would pull at where she had been shot.

95

When she was dressed she asked for her tooth brush
and tooth paste, and she walked over to the hand basin to
brush her teeth.
Whilst he watched her brushing her teeth through the
mirror in front of her, his mind wondered to the past
three days and he thought he was so lucky to still have
her here with him; stood up and not laid in a coma.
Then he thought, oh my gosh if that bullet had been a
few millimetres to either side she would have been dead,
someone must have been watching over her and the
baby. He said a silent prayer up to Him above. He was
not sure he believed, but someone or something was
looking out for her, and here she was; his miracle, stood
smiling at him.
As she walked over to him she smiled and asked,
Did you pick up my hair brush by any chance?
He thought about what they had picked up and could
not remember picking up her hair brush, or even where it
might have been if he had thought about it, and he shook
his head to say, no, sorry, love.
When they left the bathroom and walked back to the
bed on the ward, Michelle held in her hand a hair brush
and hair bobble.
Oh, thank you, darling, Mary Jane said to her and
sat down on the bed to brush her hair, but Michelle
would not let her, and she sat behind her Mum and
started to brush it for her.
She plaited it in to a French plait and said, You
have to look pretty to go meet Baby Miracle.
Just then, the nurse arrived with a sandwich for her
to eat and said, You cant leave the ward until you have
eaten, and youre not allowed to walk anywhere, you
must go in a chair.
96

Mary Jane rolled her eyes at the nurse, but smiled


and said it was ok. She ate the sandwich and had a drink
of juice whilst they talked about what had happened to
them as a family. When she had finished eating,
Terrence went off to find a chair and to let the nurse
know they were taking her to see the baby.
When he returned, he had a chair and had spoken to
the doctor and got permission to leave the ward.
As they walked to the neonatal unit, they could feel
the nerves building and the anticipation of meeting a
new member of the family. Mary Jane was worried she
would not be able to bond with her, as she had not even
spoken to her or even touched her. It had been the nurses
that had seen to her every need, and nearly four days
after she was born, her mother was only just going to see
her. Mary Jane felt guilty, she should have gone to see
her sooner and she kept quiet, but her tears gave her
away.
Terrence said, She wont remember this, love, she
will only remember how much we loved her from the
moment she was born.
Even though she was born before she should have
been, Mary Jane smiled as he leaned over the back of the
chair she was sat in to kiss her on her nose, and he said,
I love you, babe.
As they went in through the door they were greeted
by a police officer stood outside the babys room and he
smiled and said, Hello. He asked how Mary Jane was
feeling.
Oh, Im ok, thanks. She looked at the incubator
that had machines bleeping away behind the officer. He
stood to one side and let them pass. As Terrence looked
at Mary Jane, he smiled as he saw her smile at the little

97

baby that was moving about. All she had on her was a
drip for meds and a tube up her nose and a light over her
for jaundice, as she looked a little yellow.
As they stood looking at her, a nurse walked in
behind them and made them jump. She asked if they
would like to hold her, as she was a little fighter and was
holding her own.
Mary Jane looked at Terrence and said, Do you
mind?
He shook his head to say, go ahead.
The nurse walked over to the baby and took her out
of the incubator and placed her in Mary Janes arms, and
she cried whilst she looked at her small features and
watched her wriggling in her arms. She spoke softly:
Hello, angel, Im your Mummy and I love you.
Terrence stood there watching it all unfold in front of
him and cried as he realised that was his family right
there in front of him and that was his daughter and he
would always remember this moment until the day he
died.
Just then, the nurse tapped him on his shoulder and he
jumped and he looked at her as if he could not
understand what she was asking him. Then his mind
cleared and he heard her asking him if he would like to
hold her, and she lead him to the chair next to where
Mary Jane was sat. She took Miracle from Mary Jane
and placed her in his arms and walked out of the room.
Just then, he broke down and cried like a baby himself in
great, big, racking sobs, that made his body jerk
violently, but he held on to Miracle and she never
moved, she just looked up at him with her big eyes,
watching the tears fall down his face and slip on to her

98

little hand that had hold of his t shirt. A T-shirt that he


had been wearing for the last four days.
Then he felt Mary Jane touch his arm and he looked
at her and he said, I love you, and Im so sorry for
everything that has happened and thank you for giving
me everything I could ever want.
This made Mary Jane cry and then Michelle and
Neville started too. A nurse came in just as they were all
crying tears of joy and happiness and she said, I have to
put Miracle back in her incubator now. She took her
and they said, Goodbye for now, baby, see you in the
morning.
As Terrence walked Mary Jane back to the ward, she
asked, Where are we going to live, love? I cant return
back to that house, not now, not after what happened and
I dont want to take Miracle back there.
Terrence looked at her and said, Dont worry about
that just yet, love. I have made some enquiries and Im
waiting to hear back and you will be in hospital for a few
more days yet, and Miracle will be here for a while
longer. Leave it to me and I will sort it all out.
What about Michelle and Neville? Where are they
going to stay?
Well, Terrence said. If theyre ok with it, I would
like to look after them until you come home and then we
can decide what to do.
Both Michelle and Neville nodded their heads and
Mary Jane said, Ok. You seem to have it all planned.
She left it there as the conversation was certainly over
with.
They continued to the ward in silence. When they
arrived, they helped Mary Jane to get undressed and
back in to bed. Once they had made her comfortable they
99

left and walked back to the car and drove out of the
hospital car park.
On the way back to the house, Terrence received a
phone call from Jimmy, and he said, Yes, the house is
still free. When would you like to go and see it?
They arranged to go and look at the house the next
morning and then he pulled in to the supermarket to get
some food so that they could have some tea when they
got home.

100

Chapter 14

As dawn broke the next morning Terrence was already


up and he had been cleaning up the mess in the kitchen
to make it look as though nothing had happened in there.
When the kids came in they looked shocked that
there was no blood anywhere, they smiled at Terrence
and said thank you.
Well, he said as he made them breakfast, shall we
go look at a new house and see if your Mum would like
it? Then we can move in before she comes home and
then we can start a new life as a family.
Neville and Michelle looked at Terrence and asked,
When did you find somewhere when you have been at
the hospital every day?
Terrence smiled and said, I asked a few of your
Mums friends if they knew of anywhere and because of
what happened they all agreed that coming back here
would not be a good idea, so they found somewhere
close by that is free and we can move in to as soon as we
want, if we like it.
All Terrence knew was that it was a big house and
lots of outside room and parking. They all got in to the
car and set off to pick Jimmy up so he could show them
where the place was. When they arrived at the farm
101

house, the dogs came bounding out to greet them.


Terrence and the kids got out of the car to say hi to the
dogs and throw a ball for them whilst they waited for
Jimmy to come out.
When Jimmy came out he saw them playing with the
dogs in the front yard and laughed and he thought to
himself that they looked like a perfect family. He hoped
Terrence would not hurt MJ again, like he had before, as
he knew from MJ what had happened and how much she
had been hurt by it all.
As Jimmy walked over to them, all the dogs ran back
in to the house at Jims call of Breakfast kids!
They all smiled and said, Thats all them dogs want
is food, and they climbed in to the car and drove out of
the farm yard. They turned left and went down the lane
for around four miles and then turned right on to a small
lane that led up a long, winding, tree-lined driveway
with open fields on both sides of the drive way that were
filled with wild flowers and butterflies and birds, all
flying amongst the foliage that grew there. The drive
seemed to go on for miles before they rounded a bend of
trees and saw a house sat in the middle of a large, paved
courtyard.
The house looked like it was from 1900 with large
bay windows down stairs and French doors that lead in
to the yard, where a swimming pool stood to the side of
the house. There was garages to the left of the drive and
what looked like a gym above the garage. As they pulled
up in front of the house and got out of the car, Jimmy
turned to Terrence and said, I told you it was a beauty
of a place.
Terrence spoke to Jimmy and said, Youre off your
head, mate, and laughed. This place is huge! We could
get lost in there.
102

As they walked in through the front door they


walked in to a large hall with a winding staircase that
stopped at the top, with a large landing where you could
sit and read stories to the kids before sending them off to
bed.
To the side of the staircase was an open space that
would easily hold a fifteen foot Christmas tree, and there
would still be room to dance around. To the right of the
staircase were French doors in to a large room that could
only be described as a monarch of beauty, with large
windows that over-looked the side of the house and a
lake with fish jumping out of the water, lilies floating on
the top, dragon-flies skimming along the edge and frogs
croaking to a tune that was being sung by the birds in the
trees which stood next to the lake to provide some shade
in the hot summer days.
As they left that room they walked in to a large oak
room which was filled from floor to ceiling with books
and an open fire in the centre of the room. This room
was also filled with windows that over-looked the
beautiful scenery. When they left that room they walked
in to another large room that housed a large dining table
that would easily hold twenty-plus people comfortably to
eat a meal. From the left of that room was the kitchen
and when they walked in they felt like they were in
heaven. Well that is what Mary Jane would think
anyway, as she loved cooking. There were small rooms
off the kitchen that held a pantry, cellar, laundry room
and food preparation area.
In the middle of the kitchen was a large square unit
that had chairs pushed under it so you could sit and read
a paper and have a quick bite to eat whilst looking out
over the tennis court that was outside and next to the
pool. The kitchen units went from floor to ceiling with
103

two large Agas and a large sink that seemed to go so


deep you could swim in it, and just to the right of the
Agas were French doors that lead out to the veranda and
a covered area where you could sit and watch the kids
and dogs playing in the pool and have a BBQ and throw
a huge garden party.
As they entered the house, they came in to a large
room where you could sit comfortably and watch TV,
and he could see them all sat in that room watching a
movie, eating popcorn and drinking a glass of wine after
having a family meal, and laughing at the things in the
movie or playing board games.
As they walked up the winding staircase, they
walked in to the first room and found a large, queensized, four-poster bed with a en-suite bathroom and a
balcony that over-looked the whole of the outside: the
pool and the tennis court, and further away was another
lake, filled again with fish and a hut or two for them to
sit in whilst they were fishing in the rain. Wild ponies
ran across the moors that were on the boundaries of the
property.
When they went in to the room next to the one they
were in, they found a dressing room and an area that
could be used for the baby to sleep in and a play in. Just
to the left of where the cot would be, was an internal
door that led to where they would be sleeping.
Going further up the landing they found four other
bedrooms that would be used for Michelle and Neville,
and play rooms that could be converted in to gamesrooms, dressing-rooms and areas for them to study for
their exams when they did them.
Terrence turned to the kids and asked, What do you
think then? Would your Mum like to live here?

104

Michelle looked at Terrence and said, Mum drove


past this house and said, one day, kids, Ill buy that
place for us to live in. So I reckon she would think she
had gone to heaven.
The house was perfect, and Terrence turned to
Jimmy and asked, Who do I need to see about arranging
to take this place on, and how soon could we move in?
Jimmy turned to them and said, Its all been sorted.
As we speak everyone from the village are at the old
place now, packing, and as soon as we leave, another
group will be here to dust and wash and they will be
putting everything in to the rooms for you. The house
will be ready for you to move in to tomorrow.
Terrence looked at Jimmy with a shocked look on
his face and said, Dont pull my leg like that. But
Jimmy Boy and Jimmy handed him the keys and a letter
from the owner. The letter said:
Dear Mr. T. Constance,
Please accept the keys for the house and enjoy living in
it for as long as you wish, and when Mary Jane is well
enough I would like to see her so I can discuss further
details with her, but only once you have Mary Jane and
baby Miracle home and you have spent Christmas and
the spring at the house.
I look forward to meeting you on June 1st next year to
discuss everything further.
With kind regards,
MR. J. BARTHOMALU
P.S. I will send you the time and place of where we can
meet.

105

With that, Terrence sat down where he was on the


floor and looked at Jimmy and said, You have some
explaining to do, boy.
Jimmy said, No way. I have been told I cant say a
thing. Itll be more than my life is worth. He walked
away from them and as he left he shouted back, See
you tomorrow, and I booked a room for you at the hotel
in town. You cant come back here until I call you
tomorrow, ok mate? and he walked across the field
towards the lake and turned left over the moors.
As soon as Terrence, Neville and Michelle had taken
everything in, they walked out to the car and drove away
to go to the hospital to see Mary Jane and Miracle.
When they arrived at the hospital there were a lot of
police around asking who you were visiting and who you
were and asking for proof of who you were.
As they walked to the door to enter the hospital,
Michael Short approached them and said, Hi, Terrence.
Can we have a word please?
Michael took Terrence to a side room with Michelle
and Neville in tow.
I am sorry to have to tell you this, but Claire Philips
seems to have escaped from custody and we fear she
may come back to try and finish the job, so we have
moved Mary Jane and Miracle to another hospital under
a different name, and we will be putting you all under
protective custody.
Terrence passed out and woke to a nurse standing
over him and asking, Are you ok, Sir?
He nodded and spoke to Michael and asked when
this all happened. He was told it happened that morning
around 8am and that as soon as they heard what had
happened, they came to move Mary Jane and the baby to
106

Leeds General Infirmary. Mary Jane had no idea why


they moved them and they werent telling her just yet as
they didnt want to worry her. Michael said, We will
take you to her in about an hour, as they need to get an
un-marked car. Youll have to leave your car here, as if
Claire is looking for you, all she needs to do is look for
the car, and by leaving it here she will think you are still
here and we can recapture her quickly.
Terrence took Neville and Michelle to the canteen
with a police officer to get a drink whilst they waited for
the car to arrive and take them to Mary Jane and Miracle.
The hour seemed to take a lot longer, but they were
informed the car had arrived and was outside the back of
the hospital, waiting to take them right now. Off they
went and got in to the car and were taken to Leeds
General, which was about an hour away from where they
were.

107

Chapter 15

As they got in to the car they belted up, sat back and
waited to leave. Just as they were about to leave, Claire
appeared in front of the car, holding a gun to a police
officers head and she shot him dead in front of them.
The officer crumpled to the floor in a heap and
Michelle screamed and Neville sneaked out of the door
and hid behind a wheelie bin that was next to the car.
Claire never saw Neville get out of the car and when she
got in the car she locked the doors and drove out of the
hospital.
She drove towards the moors, where Ian Brady and
Myra Hindley had killed all the kids. It was in the
opposite direction to where Mary Jane was, which was
good.
Terrence spoke to Claire as he held Michelle tight in
his arms and said, Look, Claire, this is between me and
you, leave this young girl out of it. Let her out, shes
only eleven years old.
As Terrence looked at Michelle he saw Mary Jane in
her and his heart missed a beat as he didnt know if he
would be able to save Michelle or see Mary Jane or
Miracle or Neville again.

108

Claire started screaming at Terrence and said, Why


did you do it? That bastard kid isnt even yours and I
have proof!
Terrence answered and said, I know she isnt mine
and I was just looking after these kids until Mary Jane
got home and then I was coming back to you, my
sweet. Claire looked at him through the wing mirror as
if she didnt believe him, and he said, Claire, youre my
girl and always will be. As he said this to Claire he
squeezed Michelles arm and winked at her and Michelle
smiled as if she knew what he was doing.
Michelle pulled out of his arms and screamed at him,
You bastard! You have been leading my Mum on and
now youre going to leave her again. Why are you doing
this to us, you bastard? With that Claire stopped the car
ten miles across the moors and in the middle of nowhere
and got out of the car, pulled Michelle out and slapped
her across the face and punched her in the stomach and
shouted, Dont you ever speak to him like that you little
bitch. She pushed her to the ground. Terrence was
going to run to Michelle when he saw her shake her head
as if to say no.
Claire got back in to the car, got the gun and aimed
at Michelle. Terrence shouted, No, Claire! Dont! You
will be in more trouble. Come on, its miles away from
nowhere and it will take her hours to get back to town
and we will be miles away and the police wont be able
to find us. Where are we going to go then, sweet? he
asked her.
Claire looked at him and smiled and said, Lets go
home.
Terrence said, Ok, lets go. He got in the car and
looked over his shoulder at Michelle who said, Im ok.

109

Claire put the car in to drive and set off, leaving


Michelle in a cold wet area of the moors with no way of
getting back to town other than walking. So she stood up
and winced with the pain from the punch she had
received and set off walking back the way they had
came.
Michelle was crying as she walked, and as she
walked around two miles along the side of the road, a
trucker called Steve pulled over and asked if she was ok.
Michelle looked at him and started crying even harder
and Steve got out of the truck and got hold of her, sat her
down and said, Whats the matter, love? So Michelle
told him what had happened and Steve jumped up and
grabbed his phone from the cab and phoned the police.
He told them he had found Michelle and she needed an
ambulance, but he could drive her to the hospital if they
like. The police said, No, wait where you are.
Steve spoke to Michelle and said, Come on, love,
lets get in the cab and Ill make you a hot cup of tea
whilst we wait for the police to arrive.
They both climbed in to the cab and Michelle said,
Thank you, when he handed her a cup of tea. He said it
was ok and he sat with her until the police arrived.
When they arrived with the blue lights going
Michelle asked Steve if he would stay with her as she
had no one else right now. Her Mum was in hospital, her
dad had been taken by a mad woman, she didnt know
where her brother was and she was scared and didnt
know if she could help.
When the police approached the cab, Steve got out
and told them what Michelle had just said to him. They
said if that was ok with him, then they had no problem
with it, but he was technically a stranger.

110

Steve said, Yes, I am, but I was the only one who
stopped to help, no one else did. He would be proud to
help such a brave kid after what she had been through.
So Steve got in the police car with Michelle and they
went to the local station to give a statement and try to
figure out where Claire had taken Terrence.
Meanwhile, Claire was driving at speed towards
Cornwall, but Terrence said, No, lets go home to
Lancaster. Its closer and I know of where we can go.
Claire looked at him and said, Why, what have I
done for you to leave me? And if you know that kid isnt
yours the why were you with her?
Terrence answered her by saying, I thought I loved
her, but in fact I was just infatuated with her and the way
she fucked me. I have never had sex like it. But now I
know I can show you what to do and we wont have to
split up again, and he smiled at her.
Claire said, Ok, lets go home, and set off to
Lancaster. They drove down the motorway heading
towards Blackpool, and Lancaster was thirty miles after
that.
Michelle and Steve had arrived at the police station
and Michael Short walked in and Michelle ran to him
crying, Get him back for us, please.
Michael said, We will do our best, love. He sat her
down and said, Tell me what happened and if you know
where they are going.
Michelle told Michael what Claire had said and had
done to her, and that Terrence had tried to stop her but
Michelle had said: dont, as she would have been shot.
She told Michael that Terrence said about going home
with her and winked at her as if to let her know where
they were going.
111

Michael asked where home was and she told him


they lived in Lancaster before he moved to Cornwall
where he met her Mum. Michael spoke in to his radio
and said to start looking on the motorway leading
towards Lancaster. He told them the car registration and
make of car that they were travelling in and he went
back to speaking to Michelle.
As Michelle explained what Terrence had said to
stop Claire from doing any harm to her, and what she
said to him, she started to cry. She said, I hope he didnt
believe what I said to him, and she sobbed so violently
that Steve got hold of her and sat her on his knee and
rocked her back and forth until she had calmed down
enough to hear what he had to say.
He said, Michelle you were very brave, my dear,
and you said what you needed to say to make this Claire
think that you were mad at Terrence, and I think you did
it so well that when Terrence comes home to you and
your Mum he will say, thank you for being brave and
brainy enough to know that he was doing the same, and
that was to save both of your lives. You were thinking
very quickly and if you were my little girl, I would be so
proud of you and he and your Mum will be too.
Just then, Neville walked into the room and ran over
to Michelle and hugged her, and they cried together.
When they had composed themselves, Neville walked
over to Steve and said, Thank you for everything you
have done for my sister. He walked over to Steve to
shake his hand.
Neville had grown up so much in the last few weeks
and so had Michelle, but this was a new world for him
and he was not sure he liked what it held so far.
Steve said to Michael, Could you drop me back to
my cab please, as I need to be getting back to work now,
112

and my boss will go mental at me for missing my


deadline.
As Steve left, Neville asked him if he could have his
number so his Mum could call him to thank him for what
he did for them, so Steve wrote his number down on the
paper Michael had given him and passed it to Steve. He
said, Take care of that sister of yours and yourself.
Youre good kids and Im sorry I had to meet you in
these circumstances.
He walked out of their lives as quickly as he had
entered and when Steve got back to his truck he climbed
in and his mind wondered back to what had just
happened. He sat there for two hours working it out in
his head: what he would have done in the same situation
and he had no idea if he could have been as brave as that
young girl had been. Or even whether he would have had
as much dignity as that young boy had shown. He must
have only been fifteen or sixteen years old. They were
certainly good kids and he wished them all the best and
forgot he had passed his number to him. He set off to
finish his work for that day and his boss was very
understanding, as the police had called to let them know
he had been helping them with a case and that he was
not involved, he had just helped save a little girl from
danger and the day carried on as it had started. Boring.

113

Chapter 16

Claire pulled in to the drive of a two storey house in a


small cul-de-sac just outside of Lancaster town centre.
The house looked like any other house around town and
you could easily walk past it and not think twice about
the occupants that may live inside. As Terrence followed
Claire inside, his mind was on how Michelle was and if
she was ok, they had drove away from her around two
hours before and he had heard nothing on the news to
say whether they had found her or not.
He looked around the hallway he was stood in and
thought, she has changed everything in here and it is
nothing like I remember or the house I went to look at
this morning. In fact, it looked rather dirty and drab
compared to the way Mary Jane kept her house.
The wallpaper was brown from the cigarettes Claire
smoked daily and the kitchen was a right state; dirty
dishes on all the sides and rotten food turning green with
fungus on the plates that lay next to the kettle that Claire
was stood at making a brew, and Terrence said, Im ok
for a drink, thanks, and walked in to the lounge and
Claire followed him.
Terrence sat on the sofa and looked in to space when
he felt Claire climb on his lap, and Terrence tried his

114

hardest not to throw her to the floor and shout at her as


she still had the gun in her hand and he certainly was not
going to get shot now. He was going to play this game
till the end and hopefully he would return to Mary Jane
and the kids and show her just how much he really loved
them all.
Claire was undoing his trousers and kissing his neck
and trying to kiss him on the lips when she stopped and
asked what was wrong. He looked at her and said, Tell
me what just happened.
Claire stopped and said, Remember I told you years
ago that I would never let you leave me?
Terrence thought back through the years he had been
with Claire and remembered the night Claire had said
just that to him, and he had thought she was joking. They
had been to the pub for a few drinks and come home and
were in bed, she was laid on her back in the missionary
position and thats the only way she liked to have sex, it
was never making love it was always just a quick fuck.
When they had finished she had got up from the bed and
said to him, I wont ever let you leave, youre mine and
if I cant have you, no one else will have you, and she
walked out of the room to go get another drink from the
kitchen. Back then the kitchen was clean and nothing out
of place; it was spotless. But now it was disgusting to
say the least.
Terrence looked at Claire and said, Yes, I
remember.
Well, she said, youre not going to have her,
youre mine and youre never going to leave. Ok? She
pointed the gun at his crotch.
Terrence gulped back the bile he felt in his throat and
smiled at her and said, Yes, sweet, I understand.

115

The smile never reached his eyes like they did when
he saw Mary Jane and that was all he could think about;
about how would Mary Jane and the kids cope with all
this on top of everything else that had happened recently.
It was now four days to Christmas and they had not been
out shopping and he had a new baby he wanted to spend
time with and his family. OMG, he thought, am I going
to see any of them again and will they understand that I
did what I did to save Michelle getting hurt?
Claire stripped off her clothes and straddled him and
continued where she had stopped before they had spoken
and she started to remove his dirty t-shirt and said, Fuck
me.
Terrence thought: I cant do that, but he put his arms
around her in the hope that the police would know where
they were right now and they were on their way to save
him and return him to his family that he loved so much.
As Claire removed his trousers she saw he was as
limp as a dunked biscuit and she looked him in the eye
and said, If thats all you can manage how the hell did
you have sex with her?
Terrence saw red and he pushed her off him and
shouted at her, You know nothing, my dear, youre
fucked in the head and you could not satisfy a fly on a
rancid joint of beef on the sideboard. You cant hold a
candle to her she is so much better than you in every
way and I never knew before but we are meant to be
together and you need to be certified in a mental
institute. As he pulled on his trousers he was glad he
could not have sex right now as he would never forgive
himself and he knew in his heart Mary Jane would never
forgive him either.
He picked up the gun that Claire had held before she
stripped off, aimed it at her and fired it at her; more to
116

shock her than hit her and she ran outside screaming. He
grabbed the phone off the wall and phoned the police
and said, Help me! He gave them the address they
were at and he waited until the police arrived to get this
sorted. As he waited for what seemed like hours he heard
screaming from outside, Hes got a gun! and then the
police Sirens.
Terrence put the gun down on the stairs he had been
sat on and walked outside with his hands in the air. The
police had put a blanket around Claire and had her sat in
the back of the car and she was crying, He tried to kill
me, arrest him. The police officer went over and cuffed
Terrence and led him away from the house so Claire
could go inside to get some clothes on.
Whilst the female officer followed Claire inside to
get dressed, Terrence told the officer to phone Halifax
Police and ask to speak to P.C. Michael Short and he
would explain everything to him. He sat in the back of
the car until they had got in touch with Michael.
Just then another police car came around the corner
and Michael was sat in the passenger seat and he shot
out of the car when he saw Terrence in the back of the
police car. He asked what was going on and Terrence
said, I aimed the gun at her to scare her and I shot it
behind her and she is now claiming that Im trying to kill
her, and if I wanted to kill her I would have hit her in the
heart but I only wanted to scare her until you guys came
and it was me who phoned them.
As the female officer came out of the house with
Claire smiling at her, Michael walked over to her and got
hold of her hands and placed them behind her back and
said, Claire Philips, you are under further arrest for
absconding, kidnap, attempted murder and actual bodily
harm against a minor. You have the right to remain silent
117

anything and everything you say may be used against


you in a court of law. He walked her to the back of the
police car, put her inside the car and shut the door.
He then turned to Terrence and said, Michelle is
safe, a little shaken but otherwise fine.
Terrence breathed a sigh of relief and said. Thank
you.
Then Michael went to speak to the officer again and
he shouted to Terrence, Ill meet you at Lancaster
Police Station, mate, and he got in to the car and drove
off to wait for Terrence to arrive.
Terrence told the officer the gun was on the stairs
where he had left it after he had phoned them. Once they
had recovered the gun they got in to the car and drove to
the police station.
The journey seemed to last forever as they drove past
the Lancaster infirmary and round the one way system to
the police station that was situated across from the
magistrate court.
As they pulled in to the car park beneath the police
station to park the car, they opened the door to let
Terrence out. Michael was stood waiting with the
detective constable in charge. As Terrence got out of the
car the officer was told to release him from the cuffs that
he was wearing.
Terrence thought, that is twice in how many weeks
that I have been cuffed because of her, and he walked to
Michael and said, Thank you, mate.
They went into the police station and he made a
statement about the gun incident and he was given a
talking to but he was not charged as it was under
extreme circumstances that he had the gun and it was a

118

piece of evidence in the attempted murder of Mary Jane


and Miracle.
Claire was in a police cell screaming, Let me out,
he tried to kill me, not me trying to kill him!
The desk officer said, Be quiet, we will get to you
when we can, and he walked away from the cell door
leaving her locked inside.
Michael and Terrence walked out of the police
station and back to the car and they got in and set off to
drive back to Leeds, which would take them just under
two hours.
As they set off, Terrence asked, Whats going to
happen next and does Mary Jane know about whats
happened?
Michael looked him in the eye and said, Mary Jane
knows and she knows about what you said to Michelle
and what she said to you and Michelle hopes you didnt
believe that she meant it.
Terrence had tears in his eyes and said, I never
believed a word of what she said and she reacted better
than I had hoped. It was to just get her out of the car and
be safe.
On the drive back to Leeds Michael and Terrence
talked about everything they could think of to take their
minds off the things that had happened to them in the
last few weeks.
As Michael pulled in to the hospital car park, Mary
Jane and the kids were stood at the main entrance and
they all ran over to Terrence as he got out of the car.
Terrence had no idea who he should grab first, but
Michelle knew she was going to get that first hug and
she started to cry with great, big sobs saying, Sorry, I
didnt mean what I said to you the car, dad!
119

Mary Jane and Neville stood back as Michelle was


holding and talking to Terrence and Terrence looked at
Mary Jane in shock at what Michelle had just called him.
Then Neville walked over to him and got hold of
Michelle and said, Its Mums turn, Mitch. He shook
Terrences hand and said, Alright, dad, and walked
back towards the hospital doors to wait for his Mum and
Terrence to come.
Terrence then grabbed Mary Jane and pulled her in
to his arms and kissed her like he had never done before.
By the time they had stopped kissing they both had tears
rolling down their faces and dripping off their chins on
to their clothes.
Michael, in the meantime, had walked over to where
the kids were stood waiting for them, and to give Mary
Jane and Terrence some privacy, not that there was much
in the middle of a car park.
Mary Jane and Terrence walked over to the others
and they all walked in to the hospital and back on to the
ward where Mary Jane had been taken that morning to
keep her away from Claire.
After the doctors had checked Terrence over after his
ordeal, and checked Michelle over at the same time, he
said, You can all go home tomorrow. So they all sat on
a private ward and waited until morning would come so
they could leave, and no one wanted to leave any of the
others alone, so they slept in the same room that night,
which was against hospital policy, but they overlooked it
under the circumstances.
As dawn rose, Terrence and Mary Jane were already
up and dressed, waiting for the kids to wake up so they
could go for something to eat and see Miracle before

120

they left to go home and Miracle would be transferred


back to the local hospital nearer home.
They went down to the canteen and had breakfast
and they all ate with gusto and chatted like nothing had
happened, which was good right now, it would have to
be talked about some time in the future but right now it
was nice to be a normal family, sat eating breakfast.
As they were finishing their food, a police officer
approached them and said, I have some news for you.
Ms. Claire Philips committed suicide early hours this
morning and we will not be able to bring charges against
her for her crimes as she was pronounced dead at the
scene at 3.45am in Lancaster Police Station.
Mary Jane and Terrence looked at each other and
they both said, OMG, Im sorry to hear that, but
secretly they were both happy that she could not try to
do anything to them anymore and they were finally free
from her.
As they walked to the ward where baby Miracle was,
they held hands and looked like any young family going
to see a new baby and looking forward to what the future
would hold for them.

121

Chapter 17

As Terrence, Mary Jane and the kids left the hospital to


go home, Mary Jane was just about to say, I cant go
back to that house, when the phone rang. Terrence
answered the phone to Jimmy saying, ready when you
are, mate, and Terrence said they were just leaving
Leeds and would be just over an hour before they got
there.
Mary Jane said, What have you done now?
Terrence said to her, Wait and see, my love, and
they got in to the car to drive home.
As they drove along, it had started to snow again and
it was pretty heavy too but they were all together and
they were safe, they only had to wait for Miracle to get
strong enough to come home, then they would be
complete.
As they drove through the countryside they saw the
rabbits and deer playing in the fields and the whole
scene looked unreal. Suddenly, Terrence turned left in to
a private driveway and up a long winding, tree-lined
drive and they all saw the Christmas lights blinking on
and off in the huge old house and the snow falling
around it and it looked like a picture from them old

122

Christmas cards you get sent from your grandmother to


wish you merry Christmas.
As they stopped the car and started to get out, Jimmy
opened the front door and out ran the dogs and all the
people from the village were behind him, smiling and
waving at them as they walked towards the front door.
As they walked in to the hall that Terrence and the
kids had seen the day before, they saw a giant Christmas
tree where they would have put it and a log fire was
burning in the lounge area and loads of people were
milling about giving Mary Jane hugs and kisses and
saying, Welcome home, girl, and, Hows that wee
one, when we going to meet her? We cant wait until
youre all home together again. They then turned to kiss
and hold the kids.
People approached Terrence and shook his hand and
said, Good on you, mate, for protecting your family like
you did. They were treating him as a hero and he didnt
feel like one, he was a fool for having let her go but he
was glad they were working on it now.
Mary Jane approached Terence and said, Whats
going on? Where are we?
Jim came over and smiled, Youre home, girl. This
is where you live now, everyone from the village came
and moved you so you didnt have to go back there and
we are going to demolish it so you dont have to look at
it when you come to work and you can take as long as
you need, but I need the accounts doing before April, ok,
girl? He laughed and hugged her and walked away.
Mary Jane looked at Terrence and he smiled and
said, Welcome home, love, and gave her a kiss.

123

He was beginning to like showing everyone how


much he loved her by kissing her in public, he was really
enjoying these public displays now.
She asked, They moved everything? You mean
absolutely everything?
Yes, he smiled, they did.
Then Jims wife put a hot mug of tea in to Mary
Janes hand and said, Come on, love, let me show you
what Ive done for the babys room, now we know its a
girl, and off they walked upstairs.
When they walked in to the room, Mary Jane saw a
pink and white lace rocking cradle and rocking chair
with a pink blanket on it so she could put it over them as
she fed Miracle, and she saw the snow-filled fields out of
the window and a single deer run across the field. It
stopped as if to say hi and looked straight at her looking
out of the window.
Then Mary Jane walked around, investigating the
whole of the upstairs and thought, what a beautiful house
it was. When she saw the four-poster bed next door to
where the babys room was, she knew that room was
theirs and Mary Jane walked over to it and felt the
mattress and sat down on it and laid down and she fell
asleep right there, fully clothed, so Jims wife covered
her with a peach blanket and shut the door behind her
and went downstairs to tell everyone it was time to leave
them alone and to settle themselves in.
Everyone said their goodbyes and shook hands with
Neville and Terrence and told them if they needed
anything just to ask.
When they had all left, Jims wife said, I have
cleaned all the glass away for you, lad, and Ill pop over

124

tomorrow and make sure everything is ok for you. She


left too.
Terrence walked the kids to their rooms and made
sure they were ok before he left them to get settled in to
bed and he went down stairs to make sure all the doors
and windows were locked. When he had finally checked
everything and the kids were fast asleep he walked in to
their room and saw Mary Jane curled up on the bed fully
clothed, he undressed her carefully and placed her gently
in the bed and got undressed himself and he sat in the
chair next to where Mary Jane laid and fell asleep too.
Terrence woke with a start and wondered what had
woke him and he realised it was Mary Jane screaming,
and he saw her thrashing on the bed screaming and
kicking out, so he climbed on the bed and pulled her in
to his arms and said softly, Im here, love, youre safe,
and he stroked her hair from her face and he kissed her
nose and she calmed down and fell back in to a calm
sleep and snuggled deep in to him and he fell back to
sleep holding her tight.
They woke late the next morning to someone
knocking on the front door, so Terrence put on his
trackers and went to answer the door so as to not wake
Mary Jane. When he answered the door it was Jimmy
Boy with a basket of fresh bread rolls and he said, I put
some coffee beans in too, mate, and he left. Terrence
went to the kitchen to make the coffee and take it up to
Mary Jane in bed.
As Terrence was making the coffee, Mary Jane came
in to the room and smiled. She walked over to Terrence,
gave him a kiss and took over making the coffee and he
looked upset but smiled at her saying, I could have
managed.

125

She laughed, saying, You might have but the


kitchen would not, and she laughed even harder as did
Terrence as he really was no good in the kitchen and he
knew it. So he watched Mary Jane make it look easy
They didnt celebrate Christmas that year as they
were busy running backwards and forwards to the
hospital visiting Miracle and getting things sorted in the
house for when she came home and talking to the police
about everything that had happened and closing the case
and just getting to know each other as a family, as that
was what they were. They were enjoying every minute
they spent together and the memories that they were
building.
Before they knew what date it was, Mary Jane had a
phone call from the hospital saying, Would you like to
come and pick your daughter up? She is ready to come
home now.
Mary Jane screamed as Terrence walked in the front
door from being at work and looked at her and said,
Whats the matter?
She cried, Miracle can come home, lets go get her
please. Off they went to pick up the baby that should
have only been born next week, it was April 8th; a day
they would never forget.
They drove to the hospital to collect that little baby
girl and bring her home to where she belonged; in their
arms and in the cot next to where they slept. As they
arrived to collect Miracle, they could not help but smile
and they walked in to find her already in her outdoor
coat and wrapped up ready to go. They walked out with
her in Mary Janes arms and tears rolled down her face
with pride that her daughter was finally coming home
with them and they could finally forget about the past
and start to live for the future.
126

When they arrived home with Miracle, Neville and


Michelle were there waiting for them, shouting, Really,
Mum, is she home? They ran out to her and asked,
Can I carry her inside?
So Mary Jane passed her to Michelle and said, We
seem to have a live-in nanny right now, and laughed as
they followed them indoors.
Terrence ordered tea that night from the take out in
the village so no one had to leave the room and stop
looking at baby Miracle in her crib in the lounge next to
the sofa, sleeping.
Over the next few weeks every one fell in to a
routine of looking after Miracle, going to work or
school, walking the dogs and doing the chores around
the house. But they had plenty of laughs as each day
passed, and then it suddenly changed the day the letter
arrived addressed to Terrence:
Dear Mr. T. Constance
As promised, I am writing to you with a time and place
for our meeting. I hear that Miracle has arrived home
safe and that Mary Jane is happy and healthy again
after the ordeal you all went through, and Im glad
Michelle is ok and Neville is looking after her so well.
Very protective he is too.
I would like to meet with you and Mary Jane on June 1st
at the Glebes Pub, across from the reservoir in Shipley
at 2pm. I will be waiting by the fireplace wearing a red
carnation in my lapel.
Ask Jims wife, Sue, to look after the kids and I look
forward to meeting you in person, finally.
Kind regards,
Mr. J. BARTHOLAMU
127

Terrence thought, how strange it was that he knew so


much and what the hell did he have to speak to them
about. He was a little unsure as to how to tell Mary Jane
about this and she walked up behind him and saw the
letter and took it off him and asked what it was all about.
As she read it she looked at Terrence and said, I
recognise that name from somewhere, but I have no idea
where. She walked in to the kitchen to make a brew and
a bottle for Miracle.
Mary Jane had been working that morning in the
little office to the side of the lounge whilst Miracle had
been sleeping. Then Neville came running in and said,
Mum, look what I found in my draw.
He passed her a piece of paper with the name Steve
and a phone number on it. She looked at him and said,
Whos that, love? Neville told her he had asked the
guy who helped Michelle for his number so she could
thank him herself and he forgot that he had put it in the
draw when they got home from hospital after that day.
So Mary Jane said, Ok, thanks, and carried on
making the drink as if it was not a big thing. When
Neville had walked out of the room he asked Mary Jane
if everything was ok and she turned to him white-faced
and shaking and said, Im not sure, this is so weird. It
just cant be real! Its not real! No way! She slipped to
the floor crying.
Terrence took the piece of paper off her and read
what it said.
Hi, Mary Jane,
Its Steve from Barnsley. You dated my brother,
Shane, and had your youngest to him. I would love to
catch up with you all but right now is not a good time.
Michelle looks just like you and her dad. I knew who she

128

was the minute I stopped my truck and thats why I


stayed with her until they found Terrence. I look forward
to catching up soon.
Steve x
Tel 07955688234
With that Terrence sat next to Mary Jane and said,
How the hell did that happen? He pulled her close and
they stayed there for a while.

129

Chapter 18

The next morning when the kids had left for school and
Terrence had gone to work, Mary Jane settled Miracle in
her crib then she walked in to the office and sat down
and dialled the number on the paper she had been given.
She thought, what if hes changed the number since
then? He might think I want nothing to do with him, its
been nearly five months now.
As the phone rang she heard him answer, Hi, Steve
here, can I help you?
Mary Jane said, If youre driving I think you need
to pull over, Steve.
With that he pulled over and turned the engine off
and said, Hi, Mary Jane, long time, love.
They spoke to each other as if they had only spoken
the day before and not the twelve years it had been since
she had last seen him. She asked how everybody was
and she was told Shane had sadly passed away three
years ago in the M5 crash on Christmas day, but
otherwise they were all ok and Steve had got two kids
himself; one he called MJ and the other Shane.
They talked for around an hour and Mary Jane told
him where they were living and said, Why dont you
come for Sunday lunch next weekend? and Steve asked
130

if she would make her famous Sunday roast and


chocolate cake, otherwise he would have to say no
thanks, laughing as he said it to her.
Mary Jane said, Youre still the cheeky bastard
from twelve years ago, Steve. What time are you coming
and are you bringing the wife and kids?
Aye, he said, Will do. He put the phone down
and Mary Jane went to make a fresh drink, now she
needed to think how she was going to tell Michelle that
the man who helped her was really her uncle Steve, her
Dads brother, and that her father had died and she
would never get to meet him now.
When Terrence came home he found Mary Jane hard
at work in the office and Miracle was shouting Mama
to the music she had on.
Mary Jane looked up and said, We need to talk,
and walked over to him and shut the office door and sat
back down at the desk.
She told Terrence about the conversation she had
with Steve that morning and that they were going to be
coming over on Sunday at 2pm for lunch, and that they
had to talk to Michelle about it all before he arrived.
Terrence was shocked that Mary Jane was coping so
well after everything else, he would have just shut down
and hid away and not dealt with any of it. She was one
strong lady and he loved her dearly.
He said, You know, Mary Jane, Im so proud of
how strong you are and for coping with everything
recently and I love you so much, baby. He went over to
kiss her.
That night after they had told Michelle about Steve,
she said, I thought he seemed familiar, and she took it
pretty well saying, Well at least I have cousins that I

131

can mess about with. She went to bed leaving Terrence


and Mary Jane in the lounge alone.
Miracle had been put to bed an hour before so all the
kids were sleeping or in their rooms. Terrence walked
over to where Mary Jane was sat and pulled her in to his
arms and kissed her passionately. He fondled her breasts
and removed all her clothes, leaving her sat naked on the
sofa, he walked over to the door and closed it, just in
case anyone walked downstairs. He stripped off too and
made rampant love to her right there on the sofa with the
open curtains looking over the fields. He played with her
clitoris with his tongue and thrust his fingers deep inside,
making her wet. As his penis became engorged he took
first her right breast in his mouth and bit down on it
leaving a mark, then he went to her left breast.
They had not made love like this in months and he
was going to make the most of this tonight. They had
made gentle love but not rough, hard sex
He moved to sit between her legs and opened her
legs and shot his tongue inside her; she withered in
delight and grabbed his hair to hold him there whilst she
came in his mouth and then she pushed him to the floor
as she made him climax in her mouth. She used an ice
cube from her drink and placed him in side her mouth
with the ice cube and it was so hot and then the ice
would touch his penis and make his climax the best it
had ever been. Then she ran an ice cube in her fingers
down his chest down towards his penis again and she
repeated what she had just done and he climaxed again.
As he rolled on top of her he thrust himself deep inside
her and he kept thrusting until she cried out. He rode her
like he had never done before and they both lay on the
floor satisfied and sweating from the sex they had just
had and they fell asleep right there.
132

Terrence woke up first to the birds singing and the


sun rising from behind the trees outside, and he rolled
over and kissed Mary Jane. They made love again that
morning with a loving embrace and they got dressed and
went upstairs to have a shower, get ready for work, feed
the kids and start the days chores.
Whilst in the shower Terrence made love to Mary
Jane again under the droplets of water that were falling
over them and he washed her from head to foot with
kisses and soap and when they came out of the shower
they could have easily gone back to bed to sleep but they
walked out of the room and went to work.
Terrence shouted as he walked out the house, Love
you, Mary Jane!
She replied, Love you too, darling! and walked in
to the kitchen to make a coffee.
Sunday arrived and Mary Jane had spent the day
before baking her chocolate cake and roasting the lamb,
as Terrence could not eat beef any more after seeing the
fungus on it at Claires place. It reminded him of that
day, so they only ever ate pork, chicken, lamb and
goose.
She did honey roast parsnips, cabbage with currents
in an orange sauce, she made cranberry jelly from
scratch with a hint of rum in it, goose fat roast potatoes,
carrots, Yorkshire pudding and a gravy made from the
juices off the meat that she had roasted the day before.
Then she had made a vanilla ice cream to go with the
chocolate cake that had been made and decorated the day
before.
Mary Jane asked Terrence to get a bottle of red wine
out of the cellar and to open it to let it air a little before
they arrived. She had also made some ginger cordial for

133

the kids to drink, as they would not really be drinking


the wine. Then she turned to the coffee and made an
Irish whiskey coffee to drink after they had eaten their
lunch and to take with the mints, and that would be
everything.
Mary Jane walked in to the dining room and set the
table for ten people. She put the crystal water glasses and
wine glasses on the table and set out the cutlery and
placed a vase of roses in the middle of the table. She
opened the French doors on to the lawn as it was a warm
day for the middle of May, and she walked back to the
kitchen to make sure everything was cooking as it
should.
The front door bell went; it was just before. Terrence
walked to answer it as Mary Jane walked up behind him.
There stood Steve on the door step and Mary Jane
walked in to his arms and hugged him and said, Hi,
Steve. Long time, love. Come in. They followed her in
and went to the kitchen for a coffee whilst lunch was
cooking.
Mary Jane introduced Terrence to Steve and his wife
and the kids and they all sat down talking and they
talked as if they had always been in each others lives.
They rose a glass to remember Shane and they
played a few board games with the kids and had a lovely
time catching up after so many years of not talking.
And it was time for them to leave and go home so
they said their goodbyes till next time and they arranged
to visit again in a couple weeks and the left and drove
away waving.
Mary Jane turned to Terrence and gave him a kiss
and said, Thank you, babe, I love you, and walked in
to the house.

134

The kids said, Leave the dishes, we will do them


after this movie.
So Mary Jane and Terrence went up to the bedroom,
made love again and fell asleep in each others arms
feeling content and happy.

135

Chapter 19

June 1st arrived and Terrence and Mary Jane set off to
Shipley. When they got up that morning they had no idea
what to wear. Was it a formal or in formal meeting? So
Mary Jane choose to wear a trouser suit with a peach
camisole, her hair plaited and peach lipstick and the
earrings she had been given by Neville for her birthday
last week.
Terrence wore black trousers and shirt with no tie or
jacket, and they set off at 1pm to make sure they got to
where they needed to be by 2pm.
They didnt speak whilst they drove to the pub and
when they pulled in to the car park of the pub Terrence
leaned over and said, I love you, babe, and I have a
question I need to ask you before we go inside. He
pulled out a ring from his pocket and said, Will you
please make me the happiest guy alive and marry me?
Mary Jane looked at him as if he had just sprouted a
second head with horns on it and laughed. She said,
Dont be daft, you always told me you would never get
married, and she got out of the car and walked inside
the pub to see who the guy was that had sent them that
letter.

136

Just as Mary Jane walked in the pub, Terrence


followed quickly behind her and he touched her on her
shoulder as she saw an elderly gentleman stood by the
fire place wearing a red carnation in his lapel, just as he
had said he would.
The old man looked up just then and smiled as he
saw her and walked over to them and shook Terrences
hand and said, Hello, Terrence, nice to meet you
finally. He looked at Mary Jane and said, You dont
remember me, do you dear? Mary Jane shook her head.
He said, I am called Theodore Bartholamu
He pointed to a table he was sat at and said, Please
take a seat, and he asked if they would like a drink.
Mary Jane shook her head, No thanks, she said but
Terrence asked fora black coffee. So the man ordered a
black coffee, a sweet tea and a large brandy for himself
and he returned to the table, sat down and grabbed Mary
Janes hand. He said to her, Do you remember a pony
ride you went on when you were six years old? The pony
had fallen over after you had finished and the vet had to
come and put the pony to sleep as he had broken his leg
in that fall.
Mary Jane said, Rusty, and tears fell down her face
as she remembered.
Yes, the old man said to her.
Mary Jane looked at his face and said, Grandpa? I
thought you were dead. They told me you had died. She
cried freely. Just then the waitress walked over to them
with the drinks and asked if they needed anything else,
Terrence told her no thanks and handed Mary Jane a
tissue to wipe her nose.
Terrence looked at the old man and said, Why are
you getting in touch now, and not years ago?

137

He looked at Terrence and said, I have been


watching over Mary Jane for years now, thats how I
know about you and the children, but I could never find
the right time to approach Mary Jane before now. But
when everything happened I knew there never would be
the right time, so I just picked a date and here we are
today, sat in this little pub talking, and all I ask is for you
to give me chance to explain before you make up your
minds and walk out of here.
Mary Jane looked at him and said, Ok, Ill give you
that but Im not making any promises.
Theodore said, That is all I ask, and please, call me
Teddy.
Mary Jane said, I remember I used to call you Papa
Ted.
Teddy smiled when she said that, and said, Its been
a long time since I have been called that, my dear. I will
start at the beginning, ok? He ordered a fresh round of
drinks
When you were six, Mary Jane, and we had to have
Rusty put to sleep, you ran in the house crying and you
said you hated me for putting him down and you didnt
talk to me for three days and you never left your room
for that time either. Edna had to take your food to you in
your room.
Mary Jane said, That was the room that looked over
the swimming pool wasnt it?
Teddy said, Aye lass, it was the room Michelle is in
right now. Terrence looked at both Mary Jane and
Teddy and thought, what the hell is going on here?
Mary Jane looked at Terrence and said, Remember
I love you, babe, but I think you might not like what is
going to be said here today. She got up and walked to
138

the bathroom to go to the toilet and have a little cry in


private. Mary Jane stayed in the bathroom of the pub for
at least half an hour and Terrence sat at the table with
Teddy and talked to him.
Terrence asked Teddy what had happened, so Teddy
carried on telling him the story as Mary Jane was
reliving it in the bathroom stall.
Well, after Rusty was put to sleep and she refused
to talk to anyone in the house, I had to go on a business
trip and I could not rearrange the meeting so I left for
Australia. But I missed the plane due to a car accident
and was taken to the hospital in Manchester, and I stayed
there in a coma for three months, but the plane that I was
supposed to be on crashed just a hundred miles from
Sydney in the Indian Ocean. Everyone on that plane
perished and when I woke up from the coma, Mary Jane
had been living with a foster family and she was settled
and doing well in school, so I arranged for the foster
family to not say anything but keep me informed on how
she did and when the time was right I would get in touch
and explain everything to her.
Terrence asked what had happened to Mary Janes
parents and Grandmother. He said that they died when
Mary Jane was three years old, so she would not
remember them very much.
And now he knew why Mary Jane was so intent on
being there for her kids, no matter what, and she would
rather stay at home than go away from the kids.
Mary Jane arrived back at the table just then and
smiled and said, Im sorry, I needed a little time to
recollect my thoughts.
Teddy repeated the story about the plane and car
accident and he said, I have known everything you have

139

done, my girl. I even knew when you had Neville and I


have a picture of you in the hospital just after the kids
were born. When Claire Philips did what she did I put a
private protection service on you all to make sure you
were all safe. They followed you too, Terrence, when
she left Michelle on the side of the road at the moors, so
I called Steve to go collect her as he was only twenty
minutes away from where she was left. Steve has been
working for me for just over seventeen years now,
around the time you met Shane, Mary Jane, and I paid
for his funeral after the accident and Steve was over the
moon when you called him and invited him for lunch
last week.
Mary Jane said to Teddy, So, you have been
following me and watching me all of my life?
Teddy looked to the floor in shame and said, Im
afraid so, dear, but only because I love you.
Mary Jane looked at Terrence and said, I want to
leave now, and walked out of the pub and walked to the
car and waited for Terrence to arrive to open it for her to
get in.
When he arrived to open the car he had a piece of
paper in his hand and said he had got a phone number
off Teddy to give her, and when she was ready she could
call him as she had a lot of information to think about.
He opened the door and helped her in and walked
round the car to drive home, and she cried the whole
way home and for a few hours afterwards, so Terrence
looked after the children and put them to bed. He took
her a cup of tea and some soup that he had found in the
cupboard, as she had not eaten since that morning and
she needed to eat.

140

She said, Thank you, babe, as she took it off him


and ate the soup and drank the tea. Then she rolled over
on the bed and went to sleep thinking all about what was
said today by Papa Ted.

141

Chapter 20

The next morning, Mary Jane woke in Terrences arms,


being held tight. She thought, I really need to go to the
toilet but I dont want to move, I just want to stay right
here in Terrences arms and forget everything that has
happened.
Just then, Terrence opened his eyes and looked at her
and said, Morning, love, how do you feel today?
Mary Jane said, Actually I feel sick, and she
jumped up and ran in to the bathroom to throw up in to
the toilet.
As Mary Jane was in the bathroom being sick, the
front door bell went and Terrence went to answer it and
to his surprise he saw a delivery guy with a huge bunch
of red, pink, white and peach roses with a few pale blue
carnations and ferns in the bunch.
The delivery guy said, I have a delivery for Ms.
Bartholamu, and he handed them to Terrence. As he
walked away he said, Have a nice day, Sir, and he got
in his van and drove away down the drive.
Mary Jane shouted down the stairs, Who was that?
Terrence said, A delivery for you.
She came down stairs to see what it was that had
been delivered. When Mary Jane saw the flowers she
142

walked in to the kitchen and never even took them off


Terrence, so he followed her and placed them on the
kitchen side and went to make a brew.
Mary Jane said, I dont want milk today, I still feel
sick. So Terrence made her a black tea and a slice of
granary toast and jam, which she took and started to eat
slowly.
Then all of a sudden she asked, Who the flowers are
off?
I have no idea, he said to her and went to get them
and passed them to Mary Jane.
As she looked at the flowers she saw a card and a
small black box attached to it and she opened the box to
see a small crucifix with a single diamond at the top and
a twenty-six inch, gold chain that looked old and she
looked at Terrence and said, This was my Mums. I
remember her wearing it when I was a kid. I used to put
it in my mouth when I was upset and on Mums knee.
Then she opened the card and read what it had to say
as she now knew it was from Grandpa Ted.
Mary Jane
I thought you might like to have your mothers chain
back as it was always supposed to go to you when you
were old enough to look after it and not lose it.
I should have given it to you for your 18th but I never did,
so better late than never. I love you, gal, and Im sorry
for the shock yesterday.
Love Grandpa Ted x
Mary Jane placed the chain around her neck and she
felt closer to her mother now than she ever had.

143

Terrence sat across the table from her and watched


her reactions to whole thing and the he asked Mary Jane
about her family as she had never really spoke about
them, she always avoided the question and went off
down a different road whenever the conversation came
up.
So Mary Jane said, Make another brew while I sort
Miracle out and Ill tell you everything you want to
know as I now remember everything after seeing
Grandpa.
As Mary Jane was getting Miracle dressed and fed,
Ethel arrived and said, Shall I take Miracle and the kids
out for a few hours, love?
Mary Jane smiled and said, Yes please, and left
Ethel to finish off getting Miracle ready for a walk.
Just as Ethel was placing Miracle in to the old Silver
Cross coach pram and handing her a bottle, Mary Jane
came to them and kissed each of the kids and said, I
love you, kids. She watched as Ethel walked out the
front door to go walk down by the lake to feed the birds
and watch the dogs chasing them across the fields.
Mary Jane went back to where Terrence was sat and
gave him a kiss and sat down to start telling him the
whole story.
Im sorry I never told you before, she said to him,
but it always seemed like a dream, not real, so I always
put it to the back of my mind. My parents I lived with
were great, they loved me and did the very best all the
time and in recent years I have not seen them a lot but I
always send them cards a and gifts.
I went to live with them just after my sixth birthday.
After Rusty was put to sleep I seemed to lose everything
I ever knew. and a single tear ran down her face as she

144

continues to tell him about her life. I was mad at


Grandpa for killing Rusty, but I now know that it had to
be done, but back then I was only six and I didnt know
the difference. My Grandpa gave me everything a girl
could ever want or need and Edna was the house keeper
and she was lovely. I wander what ever happened to her.
Grandpa was always working, he never seemed to
be around, he was either in London at a meeting or
somewhere else in the world. Just after Rusty was put to
sleep, Grandpa left to go work and he never came home.
I was sat eating my dinner that night when the police
came to the front door and Edna screamed and was sat
on the floor crying and she looked at me and stood up
and said, I have some bad news for you, love. Your
Grandpa was on an aeroplane and it seems to have gone
missing and no one survived. Im so sorry but you must
always remember that he loved you more than life itself
and he would do anything for you, and she led me in to
the kitchen and gave me a glass of milk and a cookie that
she had made that afternoon.
We sat at this very table drinking tea and eating
cookies, crying, and eventually I was put to bed whilst
Edna did whatever she had to do to make sure I was
looked after.
After a few days we went to church to say goodbye
to Grandpa and all those people were sat there crying
and I remember a song being sung in the church. It was
called A Rose and it went something like: Some say
love it is a river that drowns the tender reed and love is a
razor that leaves your soul to bleed, I cant remember
any more.
Terrence handed Mary Jane another drink and said,
Drink up, and as she took a gulp. She realised it was

145

brandy and she pulled a face at the strength of the


burning in her throat.
Mary Jane continue to tell Terrence the story; After
we came home that day a lady was waiting for us and
she said to Edna, Im sorry but we have to take Mary
Jane to a foster home and they led me to the car waiting
for them outside and Edna stood on the stairs by the
front door crying and she was holding her arms out and I
ran to her and gave her a cuddle and said I will always
love you, Ed. I walked back to the car that was waiting
and got in and we drove down the drive and they took
me to this little cottage in Ripponden and then after a
while we moved to Cornwall when I was around ten.

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Chapter 21

Terrence looked at Mary Jane and asked, Would you


have ever told me if he had not got in touch?
Mary Jane sat for a moment and thought about her
reply and she looked at him and said, To be honest,
love, I have no idea, I had put that part of my life in a
box and locked it away. My foster parents are my
parents and I love them for everything they have done
for me in my life; they loved me unconditionally.
Just then, Mary Jane stood up and ran out of the
room and Terrence followed her upstairs in to Miracles
room and she fell to the floor and pushed on parts of the
wood work that was in the bay window that made a little
window seat. She found the loose plank of wood that she
was looking for and pulled it away from the rest of the
seat, and inside was a little box. She removed it and sat
on her bottom and crossed her legs like a little girl would
do and opened it.
Terrence went and sat next to her as she opened it,
and inside were pictures and trinkets from a little girl
and a letter that was still sealed. Mary Jane looked at it
and turned it over and over in her hands and Terrence
took it off her as her body shook with sobbing and the
tears that ran down her face.

147

Terrence opened the letter and inside he saw writing


that could only be described as a young childs. It read:
To whoever finds this box?
My name is Mary Jane Bartholamu, I am aged six and
my parents are dead and now my Grandpa has gone
missing and I have no one to look after me.
The picture you see in the box is of me with my parents
and grandparents before they died and if you could
please return this to me as I may have forgot I ever put it
here.
Thank you.
MJ Bartholamu x
Inside the box were pictures of a young couple with
a small child and old people who looked like they must
have been the grandparents. A rabble of golden
retrievers was sat next to the family group and a small
pony was stood behind with its head on the little girls
shoulder. The little girl was smiling with her hand on the
ponys nose.
Mary Jane looked at the picture and spoke quietly;
That was Rusty, she said, and she curled up and cried
like a baby, so Terrence took her in his arms and held
her until she was spent and he picked her up and took
her to the bedroom where she could sleep for a while.
Last night she had not slept very well; tossing and
turning all night, shouting out in her sleep and crying.
He didnt know what to do so he just held her, hoping
she would know he was there for her and that he loved
her more than life itself and that he would never leave
her again.

148

After he had placed a blanket over Mary Jane and


she curled up in a tight ball, Terrence went downstairs
and walked over to the phone and dialled a number he
had in his hand and waited for the call to be answered.
When the phone was answered Terrence said, Hi
Teddy, its Terrence. Could you please get yourself and
Steve here sometime this afternoon so we can chat about
all this, as Mary Jane needs to get this sorted and quickly
before she has a nervous breakdown and I think if we are
all here we can get it all out. I also know she will kill me
when she finds out I made this call, but she will thank
me for it one day, I hope.
Teddy answered that he would call Steve straight
away and they would be there by 2pm that day. Terrence
put the phone down and went to the kitchen to get
himself a brandy. He didnt usually drink shorts but right
now he needed one, and if he felt like that he could not
imagine how Mary Jane was feeling. He sat at the table
whilst Mary Jane slept and waited until Teddy and Steve
arrived in an hour or so.
Mary Jane was still asleep when Teddy and Steve
arrived, so Terrence took them in to the kitchen and
made them a drink. He spoke to them about the box they
had found in Miracles room and the letter he had read
that was written by a confused little girl who lost
everything she ever knew, and how lost she was feeling
and he showed Teddy the picture of him with the rest of
the family and a tear appeared in Teddys eye.
Steve looked up from looking at the picture and
looked at the doorway that Mary Jane was standing in
and smiled and said, Aye, girl. Hows you? He went to
her and gave her a hug that was so tight he could see the
breath leave her body. Terrence so wanted to go over

149

and tell Steve to get his hands off his girl, but he didnt,
he just waited to see how she reacted.
Eventually Mary Jane relaxed in Steves arms and
cried again, Why didnt you come to find me, Steve?
she asked.
Steve said, I dont know MJ, love.
Just then she looked over to Teddy and she smiled
and he opened his arms to her and she went over to him
and curled up on his lap like a small child would do after
hurting themselves, and he rocked her and said in to her
hair, Now, now, babe. Everything will be ok. I am so
sorry, I should have come for you when I was released
from the hospital and brought you up myself, but I
thought I was doing the right thing by leaving you where
you were with the Smith family. They looked after you
as if you were theirs and I thought you needed a young
mum and dad, not an old fart like me.
After a while Mary Jane looked over to see Terrence
watching her, and she smiled and said sorry to him.
What for you daft girl? he said.
After many hours and lots of tears and hugs and
loads of tea and coffee, Mary Jane stood up and asked if
anyone wanted anything to eat. She made an omelette
and salad for everyone. The kids had been returned and
put to bed by Ethel, the sun had gone down and it was
dark outside. It had started to rain and a crack of thunder
and lightning crossed the sky and lit up the trees in the
distance.

150

Chapter 22

After everything that had happened, Terrence arranged


to take Mary Jane away for the weekend without the
kids, to allow her to relax and to try to sort out her
thoughts and feelings.
Teddy agreed that it would be a good idea and he
said if it was ok he would love to stay there and look
after the kids and spend some time with them to get to
know them better as he had missed out on so much of
their lives already. He didnt want to miss another day or
moment with them.
Terrence agreed and said he would make a phone
call and arrange travel and somewhere to stay.
When Terrence walked back in to the kitchen he
looked crest-fallen, as he could not find anywhere to take
Mary Jane at such short notice, so he said, We will have
to stay here for a few days.
Teddy said, How about if I take the kids to my
place and leave you here alone? It is a lovely place and
its quiet and if you lock the gates no one will bother
you.
As they finished the brew they had, Terrence went
upstairs to get some clothes and toys for the kids and

151

packed them in to a small bag and handed them to


Teddy.
Mary Jane walked in to the kitchen looking like she
had been dragged through a hedge backwards; her hair
was all over the place, mascara was running under her
eyes and lipstick was smudged up her cheek.
Teddy said, Aye, girl, where have you been? and
he smiled as he pointed his finger at the mirror on the
wall.
She turned to see what he was going on about and
when she saw her face she laughed, OMG, what do I
look like? and left the room as Terrence called after her
and asked if she wanted a brew.
The reply was short aye.
When Mary Jane finally returned to the kitchen she
looked a whole load better. She was wearing jeans and
black blouse that was see through, her hair was tied back
in a loose pony tail and she was not wearing any make
up. She sat down at the table and took the drink from
Terrence and took a gulp and thanked him as he kissed
her on her forehead and sat down across from her at the
table.
Teddy smiled at Mary Jane and said, Would you
mind if I took the kids away for a few days? It will give
you a chance to spend some time with Terrence alone
and time to sort out everything you need to. His face
looked at her, pleading for her to say yes.
Mary Jane looked at them both as she said, I have
never been away from my kids for more than a couple of
hours when they have been at school, and that kills me
as it is, she said and smiled weakly.
Teddy looked back at her and said, Well its about
time you had some you time, my girl, and if you really
152

cant cope without the kids for a few days, now how are
you going to cope when they all leave home and start
families of their own?
True, she said. Ok but if I want them home you
will bring them back for me wont you, Grampa?
Aye, lass, he replied and smiled as he thought
about what he could do with the kids and where he could
take them.
Mary Jane gave the kids hugs and kisses as they
climbed in to Teddys car. Terrence and Mary Jane stood
on the stairs waving as they drove off down the drive.
Terrence turned to Mary Jane and said, How about we
go for a swim this morning? He led her towards the
pool out back.
When they got to the pool Mary Jane said, I must
go get my suit. Terrence picked her up and threw her in
the pool, fully clothed, and jumped in after her and when
they both came up for air she shouted, What are you
playing at, you stupid idiot? She smiled and he replied,
Well, we are alone, so we dont need suits do we?
As they climbed out of the pool and took off all their
wet clothes and stood facing each other naked, he laid
her on the sun lounger at the side of the pool and kissed
her face, neck, throat and arms as he allowed his hands
the freedom to wander along the rest of her body. His
hand went across her stomach towards her thighs and he
followed with tender kisses and she wriggled with
pleasure as she moved her hands to touch him, but he
slapped her hands and said, No you dont, my girl. He
looked at her as he said, I am going to make love to you
and you cant touch me, only I can touch you. So she
laid back and said ok.

153

She laid there as Terrence placed a towel over her


eyes and said, You cant look at me, and he placed an
iPod in her ears and turned it on and he whispered, You
will only be able to feel what I am doing to you, my
love, you cannot touch, hear or see what I am going to
do to you, and she nodded her head to acknowledge that
she understood what he said.
As she was laid on the lounger listening to the most
soothing and romantic music she had heard, she felt him
touching her with something; it was not his hands or
fingers, so what the hell was it? But she did as she was
told and never moved her blindfold, she just enjoyed the
feelings that he was creating inside her.
As the item ran down her whole body, she wriggled
with anticipation of what was going to happen next, she
had no idea and then she felt ice being rubbed along her
neck towards her breast as he followed behind with
warm kisses. The ice cube was left to melt on the heat of
her body and it dripped down between her thighs and it
ran across her stomach and down the sides on to the
lounger she was laid on. As she felt his tongue touch her
most intimate parts, she squirmed, then all of a sudden
she felt him place his fingers inside her and behind his
fingers was something cold and he had placed an ice
cube inside her and she thought, OMG, what the - ?!
As he went back to licking and sucking and biting
her clitoris he moved her legs up higher as he placed
more ice inside her and he thrust his engorged penis
inside her. He thrust in and out of her and the ice melted
and all she could feel was the ice numbing her inside and
then the warmth of his penis light the fire again and
again. In and out he went and he kissed her tenderly as
he fucked her senseless outside on that sun lounger in
the cool midday air. The birds were singing and the
154

ducks quacking on the lake as the fish jumped out to


catch the flies that were hovering over the water.
When they were finished, Terrence laid next to her
on the lounger and held her in his arms and they fell
asleep. Mary Jane still had the iPod playing in her ears
and she didnt hear the noise that awoke Terrence
Terrence shot up from the lounger and placed a
blanket over her naked body and ran towards where the
noise was coming from as he put his pants on in mid
stride.
When Terrence got to the front of the house he saw a
group of guys dressed in black with masks covering their
faces, holding a gun. They turned to see him approach
them from behind the house. Terrence asked, What the
fuck do you want? and he heard a voice he had not
heard for a long time and he said, Michael?
One of them turned to see who had called his name
and said under his breath, OH fuck, as he recognised
Terrence and then Terrence fell to the floor as he was hit
on the head. The last thing he thought about was Mary
Jane laid naked on the lounger out back.
When Terrence woke up he was tied to a kitchen
chair with rope, and a gag was in his mouth so he could
not shout out. He looked out the window and he saw the
figure of Mary Jane, still asleep on the lounger, and he
hoped they had not seen her and he hoped to God they
wouldnt touch a single hair on her body as he would kill
those little fucking bastards dead, and he would stand
over their burning bodies and he would laugh as he
watched.
One of the guys walked over to Terrence and said,
Right, mate, where is your safe and cash?

155

Terrence looked at him as if to say, what the fuck you


on about we dont have a safe.
Well he was not sure whether they had a safe and he
never knew where Mary Jane put her items of jewellery
and she only ever seemed to wear the same stuff: a plain
gold band, a cheap Sekonda watch, a pair of plain gold
loops in her ears and a St Christopher around her throat.
He was so glad the kids were not here to witness this and
he hoped to God that Mary Jane didnt wake up as she
could not cope with any more shit.
This was beyond bad luck, this was madness gone
wrong, he thought as he felt a slap across his face and
that voice again, asking him where the safe was.
Terrence shook his head as the gag was ripped out of his
mouth so he could speak and he said, We dont have a
safe, Michael.
But look at this fucking house, he shouted. You
have loads of money, mate.
Terrence said, No we dont, we just about manage
to pay the bills, mate.
Then all of a sudden the guy fell to the floor and the
others turned to see what had just happened as Terrence
was still tied up. How the hell had their mate fallen to
the floor? There had not been a sound and now he was
laid on the floor bleeding.
Then the second guy fell to the floor. Again, nothing
was heard and they looked around to see where and who
was taking each of them out. They didnt see a thing or
any person, all they heard was the noise of the ducks on
the lake and the dogs barking at them.
Then the third guy fell to the floor, and the fourth
guy shouted, Fuck this for a game of soldiers! and he
ran out of the front door and down the drive, but he

156

didnt get very far as he fell to the ground and screamed


in pain.
Terrence sat in the chair thinking, please God dont
let me be next, as he turned to see some one walk
towards him and untie him from the chair.
When Terrence looked in to their face he said, Who
are you? and he passed out. Just before he passed out he
heard a voice say, Mary Jane is ok, she never saw a
thing.

157

Chapter 23

When Terrence woke up again he was on the lounger


next to Mary Jane, but he had on his pants and he
thought surely that was not real but how did I get
dressed? He walked in to the kitchen and saw the chair
he had been sat on and the ropes on the floor but nothing
else; no bodies, no blood.
That cant have been a dream, he thought and he saw
from the corner of his eye a figure walking across the
field and then he noticed a note on the side and it said:
Terrence Constance
Dont say a word to Mary Jane, she does not need to
know a thing about what just happened today, when the
time is right I will come to you and we can talk.
No one died today and no one was badly hurt, they wont
be bothering you again. I am sorry but I didnt have time
to remove the rope so if you could please discard it, that
would be great, and I will be in touch really soon. Dont
worry, Im not a bad person and I am always close by in
case Im needed.
So Terrence put the rope in the shed outside and
replaced the chair under the table and was making a
158

drink when Mary Jane walked in to the kitchen wearing


nothing but the blanket wrapped around her like a
sarong.
Terrence looked at her and smiled, she smiled back
and asked. Is everything ok, love?
Yes, he replied, hoping she believed him and
passed her a drink and said, Did you enjoy your sleep?
Oh yes, she said. When she had finished her drink
she got up and went upstairs to have a shower.
Terrence sat at the table and thought, was it a dream
or was it real? Whoever that person was that left that
note had better hurry up and show themselves, he had
some explaining to do.
Mary Jane walked up behind him and placed a
brandy in front of him and said, Drink up, love. He
looked at her asked why
She said, You look like you just saw a ghost and it
took over your body and planted you back somewhere
youre not sure you belong. She walked back to the
kitchen counter to make a coffee and a sandwich for
them both.
Terrence downed the brandy in one and shook his
head as it hit his throat. For the rest of the day Terrence
sat in the kitchen whilst Mary Jane went about doing the
chores and picking up the wet clothes from outside by
the swimming pool, and he smiled at the memory of
their love making, but when his memory turned to the
next part with the guys, he looked furious and scowled,
then he thought, it cant be real.
When they eventually went to bed, Terrence gave
Mary Jane a kiss and turned over to go to sleep;
welltry to sleep. So Mary Jane turned over herself and
fell straight asleep.
159

At around 1am, Terrence heard someone downstairs,


so he went down to see who it was and he saw the
person who had helped him earlier that day making a
coffee for him and Terrence. He turned and said, Hi,
Terrence. Black coffee, right? and passed him the drink.
He walked to the table and sat down and waited for
Terrence to sit down too and waited for the barrage of
questions that was going to come.
Terrence sat down across from the guy and said,
Who the fucking hell are you and what the fuck
happened today?
The guy looked at Terrence and said, I have been
living in the woods in the old hut on the far side of the
lake for the past twenty years, keeping a watch on the
house and the people who lived in it. Waiting for Mary
Jane to return to where she belongs.
What the hell do you mean, return to where she
belongs? And who are you? he asked him again, this
time looking at him directly and taking in his
appearance.
The guy was around six feet tall, his hair was dark
brown with a hint of blonde but was turning grey at the
edges, his beard was the same colour as his hair, brown
with a hint of blonde in it and his eyes were bright green.
He was very thin and his clothes looked like they had not
been washed in years and were full of holes and rips
from top to bottom.
Ok, Terrence, I am called Jason Blyth and I am
Mary Janes uncle from her fathers side. Nobody knows
I am here, nor have they seen me or heard from me, you
see I was only seven when her parents died and I had to
wait until I was old enough to come looking for her and
when I eventually got here, Mary Jane was nowhere to
be seen. I could not find Theodore, the house was empty
160

and closed up but around the village was talk that one
day Mary Jane would return and when she did life would
return to how it should be, so I moved in to the hut
across the lake and found part time seasonal work in the
area and stayed put in the little hut, its kind of cosy
really, he smiled. I heard snippets of Mary Jane from
the locals as we worked in the fields, they said she was
doing well and she had got children, a boy and a girl,
and they lived in Cornwall somewhere, but she was ok
and she was not aware of her life before she got
fostered.
Terrence sat looking at Jason as if he had three heads
and horns on two of them and the third was breathing
fire, but he stayed in his seat and listened.
Jason said, Another coffee? and went to make one
and handed it to Terrence and sat down to carry on
telling the story.
Well, I heard that Mary Jane was coming back to
the area through Jim, as he had offered her a job and I
thought she would move back in here, but she never did,
she moved in to the barn on Jims property and I used to
go over to watch her and make sure she was ok and
when I saw her for the first time she took my breath
away. She looked so much like her mother with her
fathers eyes and hair and she has his height, and when I
saw Neville well he is the spit of his grandfather at his
age. If you look at a picture of Neville and his
grandfather the only difference would be one picture
would be in black and white and the other would be in
colour. They have the same facial features; the dip in his
chin and the way he smiles and laughs reminds me so
much of my brother that I cried to myself when I heard
him. And when I saw both the kids in the fields playing
with the dogs that reminded me of when I used to visit
161

and go play with my brother and his wife with the dogs
by the lake, laughing and play fighting.
It brought so many memories back and I was happy
and I just could not ruin it by approaching Mary Jane
and telling her who I was as Im not sure she remembers
anything. The brain is a funny thing in how it reacts to
stress, it can make you forget everything that was before
the incident and I didnt want to be the one who woke
them memories up, so I stayed out of sight until all the
trouble started then I stayed near the house and kept
watch even more.
Then when you arrived on the scene. I heard you
talking and I left as I thought you needed time to sort
things out and I knew she would be safe with you, then I
heard about her being shot and I wanted to hurt you
badly, thinking it was you who had shot her, but then I
heard it was a girl.
Terrence said, You were at the hospital the night
she was taken in, werent you?
Jason nodded his head and said, Yes, I was.
How did you get there so quick? Terrence asked.
Well, I managed to catch a lift as the ambulance left
and I arrived with her and watched over her until you
came to be with her. Then I went down the corridor to
watch from a distance and I saw the way you were with
the kids and I knew you cared truly for them all. When
you went to the police station I talked to the nurse and
sat by her bed the whole time, praying she would be ok.
I had gone to the toilet when you came back so I slipped
out without a word.
I was not close enough to help out when that girl took
you from the back of the hospital, and that killed me. I
had failed you all, but I thought Mary Jane would need

162

watching over even more now, so I stayed here to look


after her. Then I heard you were both ok and I saw you
return and when I saw you walk in to the hospital I left
and came home, and I have been close by ever since. I
am so sorry if I have hurt you or your feelings. Jason
looked at the table holding his head in shame when he
whispered Please dont say anything to Mary Jane just
yet, she will not be able to cope with this. Lets wait,
please, he pleaded.
Terrence stood up and walked around the table to
Jason, he shook his hand and hugged him and said,
Thank you for being there today and helping us and not
letting Mary Jane see any of it. Later on another day, we
will talk about what you did and who those guys were.
Jason said, One of them was a school friend of
yours, he was called Donald.
Terrence turned white with fear. Just then they heard
Mary Jane moving about upstairs, so Jason jumped up
and said, I have to go, I will be about and Ill come
back in a few days to talk some more. He ran out of the
house and over the fields.
Mary Jane shouted, Terrence, where are you?
He shouted back, Im down here. I couldnt sleep,
love, do you want a brew? and he went to make it.

163

Chapter 24

When Mary Jane came down stairs she smiled and


kissed Terrence and asked, Everything ok, love?
He nodded, Sure babe. What shall we do today? he
asked.
She said, How about we go for a walk around the
lake and investigate the property? We have not had a
good look around, have we?
Terrence thought that would be nice to go walk a
while and he went upstairs to get dressed and Mary Jane
waited for him to return and whilst she waited she made
a picnic and some toast for breakfast.
About an hour later Mary Jane and Terrence left the
house carrying a rucksack with the food and drink in it
and walked over the field that Terrence had seen Jason
run across not so long ago, hoping they would not bump
in to him.
They arrived at the lake and Terrence said that the
lake was full of fish and he thought this would be a great
place to come fishing and to relax on a warm summers
day.
As they walked in to the woods next to the lake,
Terrence thought he saw Jason jump behind a tree and
smiled, he really was looking out for Mary Jane and at
164

the same time trying to be close to her. As they walked


through the woods they came across a stream that
filtered in to a small pond that then trickled out to
another stream that led to the lake a few hundred metres
from where they stood, they watched it flow gently away
from them.
Mary Jane said, Why dont we sit over there to eat?
It looks a lovely place to sit for a while, and Terence
looked to where she was pointing and agreed. It was a
small clearing with a few stumps laying on the floor
covered in moss. The logs strewn about around the edges
and the stream trickling a few metres away made it look
and sound divine and somewhere that was not from this
planet.
As they sat down to eat Mary Jane set out a cover on
the floor and placed the food on to it. She passed
Terrence his sandwich and a drink and started to eat her
own. Terrence saw Jason wave to say bye, as if he knew
what was going to happen and he watched him from the
corner of his eye walk away without looking back.
When they had finished their food, Mary Jane
packed it all away apart from the cover on the floor and
they sat listening to the stream. He pulled her in to his
arms and kissed her passionately and he pulled up her
skirt and started to make love to her over the fallen log
next to the stream. He started slowly and then increased
the pace as he thrust deeper and deeper inside her until
she called out a name.
He stopped right then and looked at her and said,
Whose name did you just call out?
She looked at him and said, Yours, my love.
He said, No, it was not my name.

165

She told him she had a pet name for him and that it
was the first time she had ever said it aloud. He asked
her what it was and she whispered it in his ear. He turned
red at what she called him.
They sat there for a while cuddling, leaned up
against the log they had just fucked over and fell asleep
for a while, listening to the stream, the birds singing and
the animals moving about the forest floor.
As the sun started to retreat they walked back to the
house and went to have a bath and Terrence made a light
dinner of steak and salad with a glass of red wine and
some coffee. They watched a movie before going to bed
and fell straight to sleep after the miles they had walked
that day around the property. Terrence thought, I never
saw the hut Jason mentioned I wonder exactly where it
is. He closed his eyes and started to snore lightly and
woke the next morning to Mary Jane singing in the
kitchen whilst she was baking bread and cookies.
She was dancing around the kitchen too and
Terrence wondered what the hell was wrong with her.
He had never seen her like this before and she smiled
when she saw him watching her make a fool of herself in
the kitchen. She walked over to him and kissed his nose
and danced away again still singing the song off the
radio; it was some love song from a new artist.
When she had stopped singing the song, he asked her
why she was so happy and she replied, Because I love
you and I can now see a decent future after everything
and I have finally accepted what has happened and Im
still in shock but Im happy Grandpa is here. The kids
look how happy they are and the way they love each
other and everything at the moment. She sat down beside
him, placing some fresh bread, coffee and eggs in front

166

of him and she went off to have a shower before they


went out that day in to Harrogate.
When she had got ready, they left the house and
drove to Harrogate to do a little bit of shopping at the
market. She bought some more fruit and veg, clothes for
the kids, dog food and some fish and asparagus for
dinner that night, as well as new potatoes and a bottle of
strawberry wine to have with dinner.
When they returned home there was a parcel on the
stairs and a bunch of flowers next to the parcel. She
looked at Terrence and asked what he had been up to and
he said, Theyre not from me, love, I dont do that sort
of stuff, you already know that. He picked them up and
walked in to the house and placed the shopping on the
side as Mary Jane looked at the flowers for a card, and
she found the card and read it.
Hope youre ok and coping without the kids. Ill have
them back to you tomorrow lunch time, so be good till
then.
Grandpa Ted x
Mary Jane laughed as she passed it to Terrence to
read, and she heard him laughing and they put the
shopping away and made dinner. They fell asleep on the
sofa watching a series but they missed it.
The next day arrived and Mary Jane was waiting by
the front door for her kids to come back and she heard
the car driving up the drive and yelled into the house,
They are here! She saw the car come round the corner
she smiled as she saw Michelle and Neville laughing in
the back seat and Miracle sleeping in the car seat up
front.
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When they stopped, Neville and Michelle jumped


out and said, Hi, Mum, how you are? and gave her a
huge hug and kiss and ran over to say hi to the dogs,
who had followed them to the door.
Neville kissed her on the cheek said, Right Mum?
and walked over to Terrence and shook his hand and
went inside.
Miracle woke then and saw Mary Jane and shouted
Mama and held her arms up to be picked up and taken
out of the car.
Mary Jane picked her up and got arms wrapped
around her that didnt let go for over an hour. Teddy
came in for a drink and a chat to Terrence, and Terrence
told Teddy about what had happened the day he took the
kids leaving out the sex they had had and all about
Jason.
Teddy said, I thought someone was here, it always
looked clean when I came round. I bet he stayed in the
house when it was empty and theres no hut across the
lake, boy, so he must be living in the woods. When you
see him next, call me and Ill come talk to him with
you. He left then to go home and rest as the kids had
knackered him out, but he would love to have them
again soon. He drove away and they put the kids to bed
that night and kissed them and went down stairs to have
a glass of wine before they went to bed themselves.

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Chapter 25

The next morning as the kids ran around the house, Mary
Jane listened from the kitchen, laughing at the noise in
the house and tried to quietly drink her coffee before
they realised she was downstairs. She had got up early to
get some work done, as she had not done much work
over the last couple days with the children being away
with Teddy. She had been too busy spending time with
Terrence and she was thinking about stuff that did not
seem right and she needed to ask him a few questions
about his past, as she didnt know anything about him
really. All she knew about him was his age and where he
had lived before they had met, so it was about time they
had a conversation about each other to really see what
they were like deep down.
When Terrence finally got up, she spoke to him
about what she had been thinking. She said, I think it is
time we talked about who we really are and about our
pasts.
He looked at her from making the coffee, then he
looked in shock that she had asked, and he asked her,
Why do you need to know now? and shrugged his
shoulders and turned to walk out of the kitchen to the
lounge, instead of sitting at the table looking out over the
lake like he usually did.
169

When Mary Jane followed him in to the lounge she


asked, Do you have something to hide?
He said, No I have not. Can we just forget about all
this? and he walked out of the house and said, Im
going to work now.
When six oclock came and went, Mary Jane
thought, is he going to come home tonight or not? She
walked in to the kitchen and made a drink. She had
finished the accounts that had needed doing today and
she was bored, so after she had made her drink she
walked outside and started to pull some weeds out of the
flower bed. As she knelt there pulling the weeds out,
someone walked up behind her and said hello.
Mary Jane jumped to her feet. She had not heard
anyone approaching her and the dogs had not barked and
she turned around to see a scruffy guy with dark brown
hair with a hint of blonde and grey and his beard. His
clothes had seen better days.
She said, Hi, can I help you?
He said, I hope so, as he sat next to her and started
to pull weeds out with her.
As he sat next to her, she said, Do I know you?
No, but I know you, Mary Jane.
Mary Jane looked at him, backed away slowly from
him and asked, How do you know my name?
As he reached out to touch her arm, she pulled it
away so he could not touch her and she stood up to walk
back in to the kitchen and lock the door, but he followed
her before she had the chance to lock the door. Mary
Jane screamed, Get out of my house
Neville came running in and shouted, Get out of the
house, mate, before I beat ten bells of shit out of you.

170

The guy turned to Neville and said, You can try,


lad, but you wont get anywhere, and he laughed.
Mary Jane said, Ok, who are you? She moved her
hand to tell Neville to back out of the room and go
phone the police without letting him know that was what
he was doing. As Mary Jane kept him in the kitchen,
Michelle took Miracle upstairs and out of the way and
Neville went in to Mary Janes office to phone the
police.
He answered, Mary Jane, I am your Uncle Jason.
Im your fathers brother.
Mary Jane looked at him and said, Why are you
doing this?
He said, I saw Terrence leave this morning, he
looked mad and I thought Id come to see why you made
him mad. Thats what killed your mother and my
brother, they were arguing that day, they went to pick up
your gran to go the opera and he hated opera and now
youre doing the same to Terrence that she did to my
brother. You need to watch what you are doing or you
will lose him and your kids will lose you, like I lost my
brother.
Is that a threat? she asked him.
No, he replied, its a promise, my love.
Mary Jane said, Dont call me that. I am not your
love. Never have been and never will be.
Dont walk away from me you bitch. She stopped
where she was and looked at him and he walked towards
her and she started to scream, Leave me alone!
Neville stood in the office talking to the police whilst
texting Terrence to hurry home as some lunatic was
trying to hurt Mum, and he texted Steve for help too, but
Mary Jane had no idea that he had done this. Steve had
171

replied saying, Look after Michelle and Miracle and


keep them out of it. I will be there in five minutes.
Five minutes seemed like five hours to Neville, but
he did as he was told. He was just about to go see why
his Mum was screaming when he heard glass and pots
smashing on to the kitchen floor and he ran out of the
office. As he got to the kitchen door he saw Steve
beating the guy to the floor and Neville heard the police
coming up the drive, so he ran to open the front door and
said, They are in there! and pointed to the kitchen.
They went in and separated Steve and Jason and
Steve pulled out of the hands of the officer and walked
to Mary Jane. She fell in to his arms crying, Who is he,
Steve?
As the police escorted Jason out of the house to the
waiting car, Terrence walked in the door and said, What
are you doing here?
He said, Putting things right.
Terrence ran in to the kitchen to see Steve holding
Mary Jane and he walked over, pulled him off her and
said, Leave off, shes mine, ok? and he took her in his
arms.
Steve backed off and went to get the brandy and to
let Teddy know what had happened. When he spoke to
Teddy he was told to stay put as he was on his way right
now. Steve took the brandy to Terrence and Mary Jane
and asked, You ok, girl?
Aye, she said.
What the hell is happening? Ever since you guys
came back in to my life I have had nothing but trouble
and threats. I think I need to leave and get a normal life.
And she walked out of the kitchen and upstairs.

172

When Mary Jane had calmed down she went back


downstairs, after checking on the kids and putting them
to bed and kissing them all goodnight.
As she walked in to the kitchen, Grandpa Ted, Steve
and Terrence were sat at the table looking out of the
window. They didnt look as though they had been
talking, just sitting there looking in to space.
Ted looked up first and said, Hi, are you ok?
She replied, No, you guys have a fucking lot of
explaining to do right now. She walked over to the sink
to get a glass and some ice so she could have a scotch.
As she walked to the table she carried the scotch bottle
and a glass full of ice. She picked up the ashtray that
Mabel had left, and the cigarettes she had left there too
from when she was here earlier today for a coffee and a
catch up.
When she sat down she lit a cigarette and poured a
large drink and sat there smoking and drinking. They all
looked at her in shock they had never seen her like
this. Oh boy, she was really mad.
Teddy spoke first and said, That was Jason Blyth,
he was your Dads brother and he took it real bad when
he died. He always blamed your Mum for his death but it
turns out he was so jealous of his brother for marrying
your Mum and he felt that she had taken him away from
him. He cut the brake cables on the car and thats why it
swerved and hit the tree. We have been looking for him
for a while now and we never thought he would be
here.
Terrence spoke to Teddy and said, But he helped
that day that those guys came, and Mary Jane looked at
him and asked, What day?

173

So Terrence told her about the day the kids went


with Teddy and the guys who turned up and tried to rob
them, and how Jason had come to the rescue. Then Steve
spoke and said he must have organised it all.
But how did he know Donald? Terence asked.
Teddy said, Jason had researched your background
and found some of your mates from school that had
broken the law and offered them money to come rob the
house and hurt Mary Jane. But when they got here they
saw that it was you and thats why they never touched
Mary Jane, so Jason came in and thought, Ill get close
by doing it this way, and Ill hurt her myself. So when
you two had a disagreement today and he saw you stomp
out of the house this morning and you didnt come back
when you normally do, he took the opportunity to get
Mary Jane. But he had not planned on Neville being here
and he was shocked when Neville came to assist you and
when he left the room he was thinking about how to hurt
the kids at the same time.
Mary Jane sat there drinking the scotch and she must
have a had two cigarettes in that time so now she felt
sick but she sat and listened.
When they had finished telling her about Jason and
his mental issues, Mary Jane said, I think Ill go to bed
and you can sleep on the couch, she told Terrence, and
she walked out of the room.
Terrence picked up the scotch and refilled his glass
and he took a gulp and said, What next?
By the time everyone left it was 4am and Terrence
laid down on the sofa and fell in to a drunken sleep. He
was hard and fast when Mary Jane came downstairs the
next morning.

174

Chapter 26

Mary Jane was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt when she


went down the next morning and she had heard every
one leave and Terrence go in to the lounge to sleep. She
had made sure he was fast asleep and now she was
quietly carrying a suitcase and some toys downstairs and
out to the car. Neville and Michelle were bringing
Miracle and the last of the bags that she had packed and
when they had put everything in to the car Neville went
to collect the dogs from the kitchen and put them in the
car too. Mary Jane started the car up, she drove down the
drive and instead of turning right she turned left and
headed towards the motorway to head north, further upcountry. Once they hit the motorway, she drove around
eighty miles before they pulled over to get something to
eat and drink and she wondered if Terrence had woken
up yet and found the letter she had left him on the pillow
she usually slept on.
Whilst they was eating at the service station, back at
home Terrence had woke up and thought, its quiet in
here. As he walked in to the kitchen to see where
everyone was, he noticed that nothing had moved from
the night before and thought that Mary Jane would have
cleared that away when she saw it, so she must still be in
bed. But surely the kids would have been running around
175

the house and making a racket, but there was nothing, so


Terrence went upstairs to check on the kids. When he
opened the kids bedroom door, he saw the beds had been
made and left neat and tidy, even Miracles bed, so he
thought Neville must have taken them to the village so
as to not wake anyone. He smiled that he was such a
thoughtful kid and he walked towards where Mary Jane
was sleeping, and thought, Ill wake her up with a smile.
He opened the door, but what he saw was not what he
had expected; the bed was made and the curtains open
and a breeze was blowing through an open window
making him smell the perfume she usually wore. He saw
the letter on the pillow she slept on and walked over to
pick it up and see what she had put. He thought that
maybe it was a love letter, as Mary Jane used to leave
love letters in his lunch box for him to find when he sat
down to eat his lunch when he was at work. He never
had told her he used to look forward to reading them and
finding them in his lunch box and he never knew what
she would put in them, but he always loved reading them
and looked forward to going home to her after work and
making love to her.
What he read at the beginning of the letter was like a
normal love letter and he thought, Ill go get a coffee and
read it downstairs after I have had my shower and got
changed.
He went in to the shower and washed himself and his
hair, before putting on the aftershave Mary Jane had
bought him for his birthday last year. He put on his jeans
and a shirt, brushed his teeth and his hair and made sure
he looked ok. He picked up the letter and walked
downstairs to get something to eat and get a drink.
When he got down stairs he wondered where the
dogs were as he could not hear them playing outside and
176

he thought that maybe Mary Jane had taken the dogs and
kids for a walk in to the woods. He suddenly wondered
if it was safe for her to be out alone right now, after
yesterday and what happened. Then he said to himself,
Mary Jane would not put the kids in danger and they
would be ok. He made his breakfast and a drink and sat
down to read the letter he had found on the pillow.
Terrence.
You know how much me and the kids love you, that we
will always love you and that I have loved you from the
minute I met you in Poole. The time we spent together
has been the best time I have spent with anyone, so just
remember that I will always love you, babe.
I am sorry but I have come to the conclusion that with
everything that has happened in the last few months, it
has become too much to handle and every time I turn
around Im either being shot or attacked by people I
dont know that claim to love me and they are supposed
to be family members. When I asked you to talk to me
about your past you stormed off and didnt come home
until after Jason had attacked me, and Neville and Steve
had to get him off me and when Steve was hugging me to
make me feel safe you pulled me away saying, dont
touch her again.
He is my brother-in-law, Nevilles uncle, and I have
known him for years. I have never thought of him in a
sexual way, ever. He helped me when no one else did
and you just walked in and tried to take over.
Well, I cannot take it anymore. I want the life back that I
had before I met you and the rest of the family. You are
all suffocating me and making me look over my shoulder

177

every second and I cannot and will not bring up my


children feeling like that.
So I have made the decision to leave and I wont be
coming back. I have taken the kids and the dogs and I
will phone when Im ready, but at this moment in time I
need time for me and the kids. I need space from you all
and time to think over everything that has happened and
whether I want to be a part of that lifestyle or if I want to
remain alone with my kids.
Look after yourself and tell Teddy and Steve to take care.
Ill be in touch soon to let you know we are safe.
Love Mary Jane xx
Terrence sat looking at the letter as if he had
imagined what it had said and he re-read it twice, just to
make sure he had not misread it.
Terrence then got up from the table and went to
phone Steve and Teddy to let them know she had gone
and taken the kids and dogs with her and that he had no
idea where she would have gone.
She wouldnt have gone back to Cornwall, there was
nothing left down there anymore. She didnt have
passports for her or the kids or the dogs, so she would
have to be somewhere in the United Kingdom
Where the hell was she, and were they safe? Had
they got enough money? Somewhere to stay? He had no
idea. When he finally got through to Steve he shouted at
him and told him, Get here now! Shes gone and left
and I have no idea where she is.
Steve arrived with Teddy and they started to try to
figure out where she had gone.

178

Chapter 27

As dusk arrived, Mary Jane and the kids were about four
hundred and fifty miles from Leeds and they were
heading in to a place called the Isle of Skye. The last part
of the journey was across the ocean to the Isle of Skye
and they could then book in to a bed and breakfast and
start looking for somewhere to live on the island.
They were just in time to catch the last ferry over to the
island and they pulled in to a village just after the ferry
to get something to eat from the little fish and chip shop.
It was in the corner of a house and was tiny, but it
seemed pretty busy in there. When Mary Jane managed
to get served she ordered fish and chips three times and a
small chips for Miracle, as she would share Mary Janes
fish and some bread and butter. She also ordered three
cans of juice and a bottle of milk for Miracle. Whilst she
waited for the food she asked for directions to the
nearest bed and breakfast. When she was given the food
she went outside and drove to a small area where she
could let the dogs out of the car and they would eat their
tea.
After she had eaten and Miracle was just finishing
her tea and milk, Mary Jane phoned the bed and
breakfast and booked them in under the name of Collier.
They drove to the place and got out of the car and were
179

welcomed by an elderly lady, who seemed very motherly


when she saw the kids and the dogs. They were shown
the rooms and she thanked Mrs. Stevens for allowing
them to bring the dogs in.
She said, Ay, lass, it be ok.
Mary Jane said, Youre not from here, are you?
Mrs. Stevens said, No, lass.
Mary Jane got the kids settled and asleep and said to
Neville, Im going to go for a walk with the dogs,
theyve been locked in the car all day. Keep an eye on
your sisters for me and remember, we are called Collier,
ok?
Mary Jane walked out the front door and walked
along the road until she reached an empty field where
she could throw the ball for the dogs and wait for them
to do their business. She was out in the field when Mrs.
Stevens asked if she was ok. Oh, you made me jump!
she said.
Sorry, I saw you out here and thought Id come
make sure you were ok. You seem a little lost.
Mary Jane said she had left her old place in a little
bit of a rush and she would be looking for a house and a
job and asked if Mrs. Stevens knew of anywhere that
sounded suitable.
Actually, Mrs. Stevens said, Im looking for help
around the bed and breakfast and I also run the local post
office from the dining area of the house. It comes with a
three bedroomed apartment.
She said she would allow the dogs if Mary Jane was
interested and Mary Jane said, Oh, yes please, and she
started work the next day.
Luckily it was off-season at the bed and breakfast, so
there was nobody there to look after. So Mary Jane had
180

time to get used to the way the Post Office work was
done. She picked up the routine quickly and the kids
settled in and Mary Jane was able to have Miracle with
her whilst she worked. Neville found a job in the local
pub and Michelle worked in the chip shop where they
stopped at first and life was good.
Michelle started dating a farm-boy from a farm six
miles west of the village and Neville enjoyed chatting
the girls up in the village and having a laugh. He missed
his bike but said hed cope. They were so busy working
away that they didnt notice the weeks turn into months
and summer turn to autumn and then to winter, and when
it snowed on the Isle of Skye, you were stranded. On
their days off they drove around the island and visited
the ruins of old farm houses. The kids said, How about
living there? and We could build the house again, hey
Mum!
Mary Jane smiled and said, We will see how we get
through our first winter.
A couple months after she left, she phoned Terrence
on a withheld number, so he could not trace the call. She
said, Hi, Terrence. We are safe and we have money. No
need to worry about us, we are doing well and the kids
are happy. Im still not ready to decide what I want to do
yet but I will phone you again in a few weeks. Take
care.
As she put the phone down she missed Terrence say,
I love you, babe, please come home. When he heard
the click of the phone he cried like a baby in Teddys
arms and Steve ran about trying to trace the call. They
had got the police and private investigators looking for
her and the kids.
She had hidden the car in a barn of a local farmer
and she had cancelled the insurance and SORNd it so
181

they could not find her unless she registered her car. Plus
she had Mrs. Stevens car at the, moment as poor Mrs.
Stevens was taken to hospital and Mary Jane had taken
over running the business for her. Mrs. Stevens was
called Mary too, which was funny when customers came
in asking for Mary and they both answered and laughing
about it. Mary had slipped on some ice on Sunday
morning going to church and fractured her hip, she
would be ok but Mary Jane was needed all the more
right now and she was loving it all, the cooking for
guests that got stuck on the island after missing the last
ferry back to the main land.
She didnt actually think about the problems she had
left behind until the beginning of the year. Christmas and
come and gone and they had an almighty New Years
Eve party. The Scottish sure know how to party, Mary
had said to Neville.
Around the middle of January she took a moment to
phone Teddy and let them know they were ok like she
said she would, but a little later than she had planned
since they had been snowed on the island, so could not
leave even if they wanted to.
When she got through she was surprised to hear
Steve on the end. Hi, Steve, you ok, boy?
He said, Aye, lass. How you doing and when are
you coming home? We miss you all. Tears appeared in
her eyes as she spoke to him
How is everyone? she asked.
Well, your Grandpa is ok but could be better. Hes
worried about you and he thinks hes lost you again and
he hates that thought. Terrence is walking around like a
ghost, he has no clue what hes going to do without you
and hes lost some weight and looking ill, and he paces

182

the hall way waiting for the phone to ring and it never
does. My family are cool, they are well, running my wife
round the bend and Im staying with Terrence and Teddy
to make sure they eat and look after themselves. They
need you back, so please come home. We miss you.
Mary Jane was sobbing by the time he had finished
and she said, I want to come home but I cant. Too
much has happened and I need to know why and no one
seems to be telling the truth, or theyre hiding stuff from
me and I cant deal with it. I need the truth, and what
with all these so called people who are related somehow
trying to attack me and the kids, what do you expect me
to do? I cant live my life looking over my shoulder.
Steve, where we are right now I have never looked over
my shoulder once and it feels great.
Where are you, Mary Jane? Please tell me.
No, Steve. Im not ready yet. We are safe and in
need of nothing, and tell everyone to look after
themselves and that I do love them, but I need the truth.
Terrence shouted from behind Steve and asked her to
sign up to messenger again so they could at least talk on
line. So Mary Jane agreed and said, My I.D is still the
same, I never deleted it. I will be online some time
tomorrow night, she told Steve, and put the phone
down.

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Chapter 28

Mary Jane went about finished with the chores that


needed to be completed before she could go and read a
bed time story to Miracle. She was growing up so fast,
she would be two this year and it would have been four
years that she was with Terence soon too. Well in
eight months.
Terrence didnt take it well that Mary Jane had not
spoken to him tonight, but at least she was safe and so
were the kids, but he wanted her home and he would tell
her anything she wanted to know so he could show her
just how much he really loved her and needed her.
He was lost and he had no idea who he was when she
was not near him and he would rather be dead than lose
her. He just felt like all he wanted to do right now was
drink so much that he would never open his eyes again,
but whilst there was a chance that she would come
home, he didnt drink.
Steve saw how unhappy Terrence was without Mary
Jane and said, You know she can be complicated at the
best of times, but when she falls in love, she loves that
person no matter what. But we have all broken her heart
in the last year or so and none of us have really told her
the truth, have we? That is why she wont come home

184

and to be honest, I dont really blame her. If anyone lied


to me like we have to her, I would not come home either.
I think we should find her and tell her everything and I
mean everything or we will end up losing her for good.
When we tell her the truth she will be mad at us for a
while but at least she will be home, Steve said as he
walked out of the lounge to go get a beer from the fridge.
Teddy and Terrence looked at each other and agreed
with what Steve had just said and then they said, Lets
get looking shall we?
What did you hear in the background when she
called you first time? Teddy asked him.
Gulls and seals in the background and a ferry horn
in the distance he said as he remembered the noises.
When Steve came back in the room he said he had
heard the same thing, but he had heard what sounded
like Scottish people talking in the background today. So
they pulled out a map and looked on it to see where there
would be gulls, a ferry, seals and Scottish people.
Scottish people could be anywhere in the country so that
meant nothing much, but they held out the hope that they
would come up with something soon.
A few more months passed and spring was in the air.
The flowers tried to pop out from beneath the snow, the
animals were starting to breed and the holiday season
was about to start.
Mary Stevens had come home and was coping well
and Mary Jane had done a brilliant job of looking after
the business for her. When Mary got her phone bill she
noticed two phone calls to a place in Yorkshire and
wondered if that had anything to do with Mary Jane, so
she waited until Mary Jane and the kids had gone out for
the day, as she had given them the day off to look around

185

as it was pretty due to spring starting on The Isle of


Skye.
Mary Jane wrapped Miracle up warm and Michelle
and Neville got in the car and the dogs jumped in too,
and off they went.
Mary Jane had been thinking more about going home
but there would have to be a lot of changes. No more
liesshe couldnt stand the lies, and it was not good for
the kids.
As they pulled over to watch the otters and seals in
the water, they marvelled at how beautiful it was here,
and quiet.
Mary Stevens was back at home and she picked up
the phone and rang the number she had found. It was
answered by Terrence, Hello, can I help you? he
answered in a grumpy voice.
Mary Stevens said, Hello, yes, I was wondering if
you knew a Mary Jane Collier?
No, I dont, he growled down the phone.
Steve said, Who is it?, so Terrence repeated the
question the woman had asked him and Steve went white
and grabbed the phone off Terrence and said, Does
Mrs. Collier have children and border collie dogs with
her?
Why yes she does, dear, Mrs. Stevens told him.
Her car, is it a dark blue people carrier?
Yes, dear, she said, Its in Malcolms barn down
the way. She drives my car, said theres something
wrong with hers but never seems to get it to the garage
when I ask if she wants me to get them to collect it and
fix it for her.

186

Steve asked for the address where they were staying


and he wrote it down on a piece of paper next to the
phone and turned to Terrence and mouthed, we have
found her and smiled.
Teddy said, Did he just say he found her?
Yes, Terrence said. But are you sure, Steve? he
asked.
So before he put the phone down he asked whether
she describe Mrs. Collier, and Mrs. Stevens told them
that she had green eyes, blonde hair down her back
nearly touching her bottom and the kids looked like her.
Two girls and a boy of about eighteen.
Steve said, Thank you, well see you soon and
please dont tell her you called us and dont say you
have told anyone about her being with you, and he
thanked her, put the phone down and said, Lets go get
them and bring them home.
Terrence sat in the front with Steve and Teddy said
hed wait at home for them as he felt tired and it was a
long trip to be making. So they said, Farewell and see
you in a few days with Mary Jane and the kids. They
set off towards the motorway and sped along faster than
they really should have done, but they wanted to get
there quickly. As they hit the motorway they slowed
down a little as there were a lot of police about and they
didnt want to get stopped as that would delay them
more, so they eased off to around eighty-five miles per
hour.
As it was just after two when they set off they knew
that they would not arrive until the early hours, so they
would sleep in the car and not wake any one up. On the
trip up, Terrence asked Steve how he knew that the name
Mrs. Collier was Mary Jane and he replied by saying,

187

When Shane was with her they met an old lady, Mary
Jane was looking after and she died, and Mary Collier
was her name.
Oh, said Terrence and then he said, Im glad you
were there or I would have been looking for them a lot
longer, and he settled back in the car for the rest of the
trip to Scotland.
Mary Jane arrived back home and went in to the
kitchen to see if Mrs. Stevens needed any help with the
evening meal as the last ferry had left and there was no
way off the island tonight. Mrs. Stevens said, No
thanks, dear, its only us for tea tonight, weve got no
guests.
Mary Jane said, Ill tell you what, Ill go strip the
beds and wash the bedding and hang it out on the line in
the morning.
Mrs. Stevens said, Ok, love, thank you. and off
Mary Jane went to do the bedding.
As Terrence and Steve drove along the road they
stopped for a bite to eat and then they would carry on to
the ferry port at Mallaig and they would only have
around an hour until they were there. After they had
eaten they refuelled the car and set off again and carried
on until they reached Mallaig.
Mary Jane was blissfully unaware of Terrence and
Steve being no more than a hundred miles from her and
she ate her tea with the kids. Mrs. Stevens went to walk
the dogs. Then she went to bed and fell straight to sleep.
During the day she had decided she would give it a
couple more weeks and she would go home.
As Steve drove up to the ferry port at Mallaig, he
saw that it was closed until around six the next morning,
so they parked up at the port and waited until morning to

188

catch the first ferry over. When morning arrived they


were the first and only car to get on the ferry to go across
to Armadale and continue on the forty-five minute or so
trip to Perelandra.
Terrence said to Steve, We follow the A87 until we
reach a sign welcoming us to ARD DOCH. Turn right,
then follow the signs until you reach the bed and
breakfast. As they drove closer and closer Terrence got
more and more nervous; what if she had decided that it
was over and she would not come home? Or that she
would come home but not with him. Oh, what am I
going to do? he thought.
Steve smiled at him and said, It will work out, right
mate? Just be truthful, ok?

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Mary Jane woke early that morning and went downstairs


to make a drink and some toast before she went to hang
the washing on the line to dry in the spring breeze that
was blowing. It was a little foggy right now, but in an
hour or so it would start to clear and it looked like it
would be a warm and sunny day.
She let the dogs out and sat at the back door to have
a cigarette and a coffee before anyone woke up. It was
quiet here and nothing happened, it was lovely to be
living a normal, boring life, but she sure missed
Terrence, Grandpa Ted, Steve and the rest of the family.
She also missed looking out of the bedroom window to
see if she could see that deer that always seemed to stand
looking up at the window, waiting for her to say good
morning to him, and watching the rabbits running
through the field and hearing the morning call of the
ducks on the lake. She missed her kitchen where she
baked fresh bread. Oh, she did miss her life in Yorkshire,
but she did not miss the lies, the uncertainty of whether
she would be attacked again.
She needed this time to sort out her feelings and
thoughts and she went to put the mug on the side by the
kettle, refilled the kettle and went to collect the washing

190

from the machine and carried it outside to start hanging


it on the line to dry.
Whilst she was outside in the back garden she heard
a car approach the house and Mrs. Stevens shouted, I
got it, love, as she walked to the front door. She
answered the door to two men and said, Can I help
you?
Steve said to her, Are you Mrs. Stevens?
Yes, dear, she replied.
Hi, Im Steve, you spoke to me yesterday, we have
come to see if Mary Jane is ready to come home with
us.
Mrs. Stevens said, Shes out back hanging washing.
Come in, Ill make a drink for you, it must have been a
long trip, and she walked in followed by Terrence and
Steve.
As they walked in to the kitchen the dogs barked and
ran inside and they heard Mary Jane shout, Get here,
dogs, you know youre not allowed in there you silly
buggers! and she laughed when Mrs. Stevens said shed
let them in.
Terrence stood in the door way watching Mary Jane
hanging out the bed linen and the breeze blowing her
hair to one side, and he saw she had lost weight, but boy
did she look good stood there in her cut-off jeans and
trainers with a blouse hanging over the top. He thought
he could hear humming, it sounded like a song he knew.
But he thought, no she does not know that song and it
must be his mind playing tricks on him, and he smiled.
Just then, Mary Jane turned to walk back in the
house and saw Terrence stood there watching her from
the kitchen door. She smiled at him and then she fell on
to the grass in a heap and Terrence ran outside, but he
191

never got to her in time to catch her, but he picked her


up and carried her in to the kitchen where Mrs. Stevens
said, Lay her over there, boy, and she went to get a
flannel and wet it so she could wipe her forehead and
wait until she came round.
After five minutes, Mary Jane started to come round
and she opened her eyes and saw Terrence standing over
her and she closed them again and thought, Im
dreaming, hes not real, he has no idea where I am and
he would not travel this far north to come for me. So she
laid there for a while enjoying the memory of him
holding her in his arms and kissing her nose and saying,
I love you baby.
Terrence leaned over Mary Jane as if he knew what
she was thinking and kissed the tip of her nose and said,
Hello baby, open your eyes, Im here and I love you.
She felt arms going around her and being held tight in
his arms and she opened her eyes and looked at him and
said, Are you real or am I dreaming?
Oh baby, Im real, and yes I am here. Come home
please, I need you, and he had tears rolling down his
face which he tried to wipe away before Steve and Mrs.
Stevens saw them.
Then Mary Jane saw Steve stood to the left of
Terrence and he smiled. Alright, girl? he said and she
nodded her head and returned his smile and closed her
eyes again.
Terrence sat with her on his knee for a while whilst
she had her eyes closed and thought, is she ok?
Mary Jane moved in his arms and started to get off
his knee and he held her tighter and said, Im not letting
you go again.

192

Mary Jane smiled and said, I need the toilet, you


fool. Unless you want me to go right here on your knee.
She got off and walked out to the toilet off the kitchen.
When she came back she walked over to the kettle
and made a fresh drink for everyone and started to cook
some bacon and eggs and said, I bet youre both
hungry, and she went back to cooking.
Terrence looked at Steve as if to say, whats
happening? Its as if we are strangers.
Just then the children came in to the room and saw
Steve and Terrence and they shouted, Dad! Uncle
Steve! When did you get here how did you find us?
What do you want? they asked.
Miracle walked in, she looked so grown up. Terrence
thought she would not know who he was, it had been
months since he had seen her, but she walked over and
said, Dada, and held her arms up to be picked up.
Terrence looked at Neville and he said, We show her
your picture every day and tell her that you love her and
that you will see her again and here you are! He walked
over to his Mum to see if he could be of any help
preparing the food but instead he turned her around and
cuddled her and said, Alright, Mum? and she cried in
to his shoulder.
She pushed him away from her and walked out of the
kitchen into the back garden and they all looked after her
and wondered who would be first to go after her. It was
Mrs. Stevens who walked out after her, Say, Neville,
finish that off will you reached Mary Jane at the edge of
the garden.
Mary Jane looked at her and asked, When did you
call them, Mary?

193

Mrs. Stevens looked to the floor in shame, Im


sorry, dear, I was worried about you and I knew you
needed family around you, so I called yesterday and they
drove up overnight. Im sorry, have I done wrong? she
asked Mary Jane.
Mary Jane answered her, No, you didnt, I was just
shocked at seeing them here thats all, and she smiled
as Mrs. Stevens walked in the house, as Terrence had
come out to join them and she turned to Terrence and
said, Look after her this time, boy, and dont go
breaking her heart or you will lose her for good, and
she walked away from them.
Terrence walked over to Mary Jane and held out his
arms for her to walk in to for a cuddle. She looked at
him and said, Why should I, Terrence? You lied to me
and you hurt me too much.
Terrence put his arms down and said, Im sorry,
Mary Jane. When I met you it all went so fast that I
should have said something, and its my fault, I should
have said I wanted to slow down but I never stopped
loving you and when everything happened I just could
not leave, and as the time went by I loved you more.
When you left without saying anything, I fell to pieces
and I lost who I was and I realised that no matter how
quick things happened I was always meant to be with
you, and I never want to lose you again as I would rather
die than live without you. I cant say sorry enough. What
do you want me to do to prove to you just how much I
really love you?
Mary Jane, he pleaded, Please dont look at me
like that! He fell to his knees in front of her and looked
up to her face and said, Please forgive me, my love, I
am so sorry, can you ever forgive me? and he bent his

194

head in shame and looked at the grass under him and the
spring flowers trying to pop out to say hello.
Mary Jane wanted to walk over to him and to touch
him but she was still mad at him and if she touched him
she knew she would fall in to his arms and she would cry
like a baby, and that would not get her the truth from any
of them, would it so she turned and walked out of the
garden and the dogs followed her across the field
towards the secluded beach down below them where she
had previously watched the otters swimming and
playing.
When she reached the beach, she found her favourite
spot on a rock near the waters edge and lit a cigarette.
She looked out to sea and let her mind wander and relive
what had just happened to see if she could sort it all out
before she returned to the house to give them an answer
as to whether she would go home with them that day or
never go home. She was really not sure now, but she was
sure that she truly loved Terrence and she would never
stop him from seeing his daughter, and she cried openly
whilst she sat on the rock.

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Terrence was sat on the grass crying when Steve came


out and asked where she was and Terrence pointed
towards the cove she had walked towards with the dogs
following behind her.
Steve said, Ill go after her and see if I can talk to
her, and off he walked the way Mary Jane had walked
before him.
As he reached the cove he saw Mary Jane sat on a
rock near the waters edge and saw her head leaned
forward, looking into the water below her feet as it rolled
onto the shore around the rock she was sat on. Just to the
left of her were a couple of otters playing in the water
and the dogs were trying to catch them so they could join
in and play with them, but they kept getting wet and
swam back to shore to shake off, wetting Mary Jane, and
he saw her smile at them and he thought, she will be ok
we just need to sort this out and now is as good a time as
ever.
Mary Jane did not hear Steve approach her and he
made her jump when he said, Do you mind if I join
you, girl?
She looked at him and said, If you want to, and
shrugged her shoulders as if showing indifference.

196

When he sat next to her a wave came over and wet


his feet, so he curled them up underneath him so he
could talk to Mary Jane. He turned to face her and asked,
Are we going to be safe sat here or are we going to be
getting wet and stuck on a rock in the middle of the
ocean? He laughed.
Mary Jane looked at him and said, Lets go over
there then, away from the waters edge and talk, as that
is why you followed me, is it not? She got off the rock
before the next wave caught her and walked over to the
rock that was near the cliff and sat down to wait for
Steve to arrive and sit down.
Steve arrived at the rock and sat down next to Mary
Jane and said, Where do you want me to start?
Mary Jane looked at him and said, The beginning
please, and she waited for him to start.
Well, he said, you were about seventeen when
you met Shane and you were the best thing to happen to
him, but he never saw it and when you said you were not
able to have kids, he went off the rails and he had an
affair with Rachel, your best friend. But he came back to
you and you were together for around five years and he
didnt treat you the best, did he, Mary Jane?
She shook her head and answered, No, he didnt.
Steve asked her, He used to beat you, didnt he?
Yes, Mary Jane replied, he did.
I knew it, he said, I should have kicked his ass for
doing that to you. When you were in the garage working
on that car with Dave and Stuart and you found out you
were pregnant, they would not let you do any more with
the car you were fixing and you went off home and then
I heard you had not been seen for a few days and then
Shane came to me and said, she left me and shes
197

pregnant and she fucked off leaving with the kids. And
then he went off to find Rachel and started dating her
and then you know the rest about his life until you left
the area.
Then Shane heard you had a little girl and you took
her to see him and then you went and left without a word
and I never got to see the baby before you left. Not long
after you had left, I was in the pub having a drink and I
was approached by a guy I knew by face, only asking if I
wanted a job and I took the job and it turned out to be
working for Teddy, and when he found you it was just
before Shane had his accident. I had fallen out with
Shane and not spoken to him since you had left, and
when we found you were in Cornwall, I drove down and
watched you for a few days and found you were living
well and that you looked happy and Neville and
Michelle looked happy. I was glad and I didnt think you
were ready for me to appear in your life, so I drove away
with pictures and I have kept them close to my heart ever
since. He took them out of his pocket and showed her
the pictures.
Mary Jane said, I remember that day. It was the first
time Michelle went in to the ocean without me holding
her hand, and she smiled at the memory and at how
proud Michelle had been with herself at going in to the
ocean alone. Shed said, Im a big girl now, Mummy
as she played in the sand and ate her sandwich.
Look at how Neville has changed, Mary Jane said
pointing at Neville in the picture and they smiled
together.
When I returned home I showed Teddy the pictures
and he was happy that we had got them as he didnt
expect me to be able to take any pictures without you
noticing. You always know when someone is watching
198

you and you move so they cant see you very well, but
that day you didnt have a care in the world and when
Jim offered you that job and you took it, we were over
the moon. He had no idea it was you and we had no idea
either. I had seen Terrence about your place over the
times I visited to make sure you were ok and I took
pictures of him with you and Teddy looked in to his
background and checked him out.
Mary Jane looked at Steve and asked, What did you
find out about Terrence?
Steve replied, I am sure he will tell you in his own
time, babe, and it is not my place to say anything. Its
not too good, but that was his past and hes not that
person anymore, and I know he will tell you one day,
you just need to give him time to get used to how he
feels and when he feels strong enough in the relationship
with you to actually tell you, he will.
Mary Jane said, Ok, at what Steve had said and
never pushed the issue further and let Steve carry on
telling his story.
When I came down around the time you left, you
seemed a little distant and I could not figure out why and
I returned home to Yorkshire about two weeks before
you moved here. Then we had a phone call from Jim
saying, Guess who I just hired to do my accounts and
Teddy told him not to be daft and Jim said, I telling the
truth, mate. She had moved in to the old barn out back
and I came over and saw you unpacking and we were
over the moon and now we could find a way of
approaching you to let you know that we had been about
and looking out for you. But things happened and
Terrence appeared on the scene and he seemed to be
looking out for you, and I saw you smiling and laughing
again and it made me happy to see that.
199

And then I saw you had gained weight and you


were blooming. You look so pretty when you are
pregnant, just so you know that. Then, as I walked away
from where I was sat watching you, all I heard was the
gun shot and I saw Claire leaving and I had to choose
whether to run to you or catch the bitch that had shot you
and I saw Terrence run to you so I ran after her.
Mary Jane said, Neville told me the police caught
her, not you.
Steve said, I am the police, love, I work for Teddy
as his private security and I used to be a police officer
and I took her in and you know the rest of the story
about her getting away and what she did when she took
Michelle and Terrence.
Mary Jane said, He has never told me what
happened after he got Michelle out of the car, and how
did you know where Michelle was? And why were you
driving that truck and pretending to be a trucker and not
telling us who you were?
Well, I was driving the truck to deliver some cattle
to a local farmer I know, and I played a character when I
picked up Michelle. I didnt want to scare her more than
she was already. I told the police officer everything and
thats why they let me stay with her when she asked if I
could, otherwise they would have told her that I was not
allowed. But I stayed, and when Neville walked in and
asked for my number so you could thank me yourself, I
used that window to let you know who I was and hoped
you would get in touch. When you phoned me, I jumped
around the room like an idiot, laughing and crying at the
same time. My wife thought I had won the lottery and
lost it at the same time and won it again. And I did that
day we met up, and now Im in your life. I love you,

200

sister, and you will always be that to me, and he hugged


her.
Whilst Steve had been telling her the story, neither of
them had heard Terrence approach from behind nor
notice that he was hidden behind the cliff jutting out. He
had heard everything and he knew that Steve and Teddy
knew about his past and they still allowed him to be
about Mary Jane. He needed to talk to Teddy before he
spoke to Mary Jane, but he wanted her to come home
and be with him and the rest of the family.
Steve said one last thing before he walked away to
let her think. Come home, girl, we miss you and we all
love you. Please come home. He kissed her head and
walked back to the house and waited for her to return.

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Mary Jane was sat on the rock for a while longer before
she stood up to return to the house. She thought about
everything Steve had said to her and wondered what if,
and as she started to walk up the cliff pathway back to
the top, she walked in to Terrence, who seemed to have
been hiding behind the rock and she said, Hello, are
you ok?
Yes, everything is fine. Will you be coming home,
Mary Jane? he asked her with a pleading look.
She shrugged her shoulders, Im not sure yet, love, I
need more time to think before I decide for certain, she
told him honestly.
Terrence said to her, Can we walk a while and
talk?
She said, Sure, why not, and they walked along the
coast path that led around the isle. It was bright now as
the fog had lifted and you could see the seals out at sea
and the otters playing in the waters edge, and the dogs
were running ahead of them, chasing the rabbits and deer
that crossed their path. Mary Jane laughed at them and
said, They will miss doing that, and she meant it and
then she knew she would be going back with them when

202

they left, but she was not going to tell Terrence that yet,
she wanted him to tell her the truth about everything.
Terrence? she asked, If I am to consider returning
back to Yorkshire, I need to know you wont lie to me
anymore and I need to know what happened in the past
and when Claire took you from the hospital.
He looked at her and said, You dont need to know
what happened with Claire.
Mary Jane stopped mid-step and said, Yes I do need
to know, or we will never get past this and that will be
the end of us and Im not promising that I am returning
once you tell me, but I promise we will be over
completely if you dont tell me what happened.
Terrence looked at her and knew instantly that she
meant every word that she had just said to him. Well,
when Claire attacked the police officer, Michelle,
Neville and me were in the car waiting to be brought to
you. Neville managed to get out but me and Michelle
could not get out in time and when she drove off with us
in the car I knew I had to do whatever I had to do to
make sure Michelle got out of that car safe and unhurt.
Whilst Claire was driving along the road she told me
Miracle was not mine and she had proof, I told her I
knew Miracle was not mine.
Mary Jane stopped and looked at him and said, Do
you really believe shes not yours Terrence? and she
started to cry.
Terrence took her in his arms and said, I know shes
mine, Mary Jane, you would never cheat on me and I
have trusted you from the start, and I never really trusted
Claire but I had to say what she wanted to hear so I
could get Michelle away. Michelle called me a bastard
for leading you on and Claire stopped the car and got out

203

and she aimed the gun at her. I managed to get Claire to


leave her at the side of the road, but Claire hit her pretty
bad before she drove off and I was thinking about her the
whole time, wondering if she was ok, but she was safer
at the roadside than in that car with Claire. I honestly
have no idea if she would have hurt Michelle had I not
got her out of the car.
I managed to say, lets go home, so Michelle
knew where we were going so she could tell someone
and I just hoped it would not have been long before she
was picked up. When we got back to the house it was in
a mess and I sat on the sofa in the lounge and Claire took
her clothes off and tried to get me to make love to her,
but I managed to get hold of the gun, aimed it at her and
shot to the side of her, and then she ran outside shouting,
hes trying to kill me and when the police arrived they
arrested me for attempted murder. Michael turned up and
put the officer straight on the matter and I was released
without charge, but I was cautioned for the gun but I was
let off.
Mary Jane looked at him when she asked if he would
have had sex with her if he had not got hold of the gun.
Terrence said, To be honest, love, if it was the only way
to make sure I got to come home to you and the kids, I
would have done anything, but I know you would have
thought of it as cheating. But I was trying not to be sick
at the thought of touching her. I didnt want to be
anywhere near her and she was holding me captive with
the gun and when she thought it was safe to put the gun
down I grabbed it.
Mary Jane turned away from him to look out to sea,
he touched her shoulder and she didnt move and he
knew he had hurt her again.

204

After a while Mary Jane turned to him and said,


Thank you for telling me the truth, and carried on
walking up the path. Terrence followed her and when
they reached a cove about a mile from where they had
come from, they went to sit down. Mary Jane sat on the
sand under an overhanging rock from the cliff, Terrence
sat next to her and pulled her in to his arms to warm her
up as she was not wearing a coat, so he took his jumper
off to wrap around her and she smiled her thanks. He
leaned in to kiss her and she turned her head, so he
kissed her cheek and she said, You know, Terrence, I
really love you, but Im not sure how were going to get
through this or if we can at all.
Terrence said, Please, lets try, I have no idea what
I would do if I lost you. I would not know who I am
without you in my arms, you make me a better person,
you showed me what real love is. I love you Mary Jane,
please, lets try, he pleaded with her.
She leant back and he folded his arms around her and
this time he kissed her on the mouth, gently at first, then
the hunger took over and he laid her on the ground and
started to undress her as he realised that a river was
flowing along the edge of where they was and he took
her deeper under the cliff and carried on. He kissed her
face and arms and hands, sucking each finger, thence
started licking and kissing her palm then he kissed all the
way from her wrist up to her neck and across her face
and down the other side.
When he had kissed her face and mouth again, he
went towards her breasts and suckled on them and said,
I have missed you, Mary Jane. In his mind he thought,
I have missed these too, as he bit her gently, and when
she moaned, he bit her harder and then he kissed them
better and he did the same along her stomach and when
205

he finally removed her pants, he made the most romantic


love to her on that shoreline. As he was climaxing with
Mary Jane, they felt something brush past them and both
looked and saw a pair of otters in a love dance and a
mating ritual and they both spoke and said, Thats true
love.
They laid there for a while to recover from the
passion and got dressed and set off walking back up the
path towards the house. They walked across the fields
towards the back yard and the washing blowing on the
washing line that a few hours ago she had been hanging
out to dry. Mary Jane started to collect the washing so
she could put the next load out on the line, and then she
would need to iron this lot and put it back in the linen
cupboard.
Terrence put his arms around her and said, No,
Mary Jane, go inside and get a drink and something to
eat, you look too thin, love. Ill get this lot. So she
walked in to the house and saw everyone sat around the
table playing cards and waiting for them to return.
Steve said, Youve been a long time, love.
Everything ok?
Yes, she said and Steve asked if she had seen
Terrence and then he walked in the kitchen behind her.
Terrence smiled at the looks on everyones faces
when he walked in carrying the washing, and they all
laughed, Youre a house wife now, hey! They all
laughed for ages after that, especially when he got up to
make a fresh brew for everyone. They played cards for a
couple of hours that day, with Mary Jane and Neville
winning most of the games and every now and then you
would hear a shout of I win from the kitchen door and
laughter following the yell.

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Chapter 32

Steve said, Lets go out for a meal, guys. It was


turning dark and they took Mrs. Stevens with them and
made her a part of the family group that night.
When they got back to the house Mary Jane put the
kids to bed and kissed them goodnight. Neville had gone
to work and would not be home until later. Mrs. Stevens
said good night, leaving Terrence, Steve and Mary Jane
down stairs alone.
Steve asked Mary Jane, What are you going to do,
love? Are you coming home or not?
Mary Jane said, I cant just leave Mrs. Stevens in
the lurch, she needs help with this place and I need to
know for sure that you guys wont lie to me anymore, I
cant take any more lies she told them.
Mary Jane went to the kitchen to make a drink for
them and whilst she was out of the room Terrence spoke
to Steve and said, I heard what you told Mary Jane
today on the beach about you looking in to my back
ground.
Steve looked at Terrence and said, Yes we did. We
had to make sure you were not some murderer.
And what you found outyoure ok with me being
with Mary Jane?
207

Well were not totally happy, but Mary Jane


seems to be happy and you do care for them all and as
long as Mary Jane is ok, we will be ok, and you really
need to be the one telling her, its not my place to tell her
what we know.
As Terrence was about to explain what happened in
his past, Mary Jane walked in with the drinks and
handed them to each of them and smiled. Want a
rematch of cards?
They both shouted, No you cheat! and they all
laughed.
They sat and watched an old black and white movie
on the TV. Mary Jane cried at the end and Terrence was
sat next to her holding her whilst she was crying and
laughing with Steve at her crying over a movie that
wasnt all that good; there was no shooting or fighting in
it.
Steve said he would take the dogs out for a walk and
then go to bed and he repeated the question, When are
you coming home, Mary Jane? and he left the room.
Terrence turned to her and said, Yes, Mary Jane,
when are you coming home?
She looked at him and said, Let me speak to Mary
in the morning and see what we can sort out, and left it
at that. She said, Im going to bed. Terrence looked at
her as if to say, where am I sleeping?
Mary Jane held out her hand to Terrence and said,
You coming? and she walked out of the room to where
she slept.
She had a shower and climbed in to bed and
Terrence was sat in a chair by the window, looking out,
when he saw an owl fly by the window across to where
he could hear the dogs barking. He said to Mary Jane,
208

Do they normally bark like that? He had not seen what


they were like up here and had no idea if it was normal
for them to be like that.
Mary Jane said, No, as she pulled on jeans and a tshirt and her trainers and ran out of the room to the back
door with Terrence following close behind her. As they
reached the kitchen, Neville walked in and Mary Jane
shouted, Get the police and an ambulance here now!
She ran out of the back door to where the dogs were
and when she got there she saw Steve hanging on to the
cliff face, he must have slipped and he shouted, Hi!
Any chance of getting a hand up?
She said, No, mate, sorry!
He shouted, Get back here, girl, and help me, you
bitch!
She laughed and said, Help is on its way, Steve, so
hold on.
He replied, About bloody time too!
Terrence arrived just as he heard Steve saying that to
Mary Jane and she said to Neville, who was behind him,
Tell the police its a cliff rescue, and she laid on the
ground to keep talking to Steve so he didnt slip any
more.
How long you been hanging around here? she
asked him.
He said, Funny girl, aint you?
She said, Yes, I am actually.
Just as Steve was starting to lose his grip on the
rocks, the police arrived and Terrence had begun to
climb down to Steve to try and help him to the ledge that
was to the left of him. When the police arrived they
started to organise a rescue and she heard Malcolm

209

arrive and he said, It could only be that green eyes girl


who can wake up the whole village! and laughed at the
face she was pulling at him. He said, Right, love, do
you want me to rescue or drop him down the cliff?
She looked at Steve and his face and answered over
her shoulder, Oh, I dont care, do what you want. She
laughed as she walked away so they could get to work
on helping Terrence and Steve back up the cliff face and
on to solid ground again.
Mary Jane walked to the house and started to make
drinks and cookies for when everyone returned from the
cliff face and Mrs. Stevens said, Whats going on out
there?
Mary Jane said, Oh, nothing, they just fell off the
cliff face.
Mrs. Stevens said, Are they ok?
Yes, they just have bruised egos, she laughed.
About an hour later, every one walked in to the
kitchen and said, Oh yummy! Cookies and coffee! and
they all sat down to drink and eat and talk about what
had happened. The room was just bustling with laughter
and people talking, they didnt leave until gone the early
hours and then everyone went to bed.
Mary Jane climbed back in to bed and told Terrence,
Youre a fool you know? You should have waited, you
could have been hurt.
Terrence said, I know, and he looked a little
sheepish. I have no idea what made me go down to
help. Well, no one was hurt so its ok aint it? he said to
Mary Jane.
The next day, Mary Jane woke early and got out of
bed. She showered and went downstairs, leaving
Terrence in bed asleep. He would need the rest and when
210

she walked in to the kitchen Mrs. Stevens was sat at the


table with a coffee and she said to Mary Jane, Youre
leaving, arent you, babe?
Mary Jane said, As soon as we get you some help.
You must promise to come visit us, ok?
You try to stop me, Mary Jane. I would love to
come visit you at your place and spend some more time
with your lovely family. You have been such a help.
Terrence woke up alone in bed and when he turned
over he sat up bolt upright, looking for Mary Jane and he
then heard the dogs barking outside and laughter coming
from down stairs, and he recognised the voices and
Miracle giggling at the dogs. He loved hearing them all
laughing, so he got up and got showered and went
downstairs. As he walked in the room Steve shouted,
Alright, Terrence, any chance of a hand?
As Terrence helped Steve in to the kitchen they saw
the bruises he had got from last night and knew they
would not be travelling back to Yorkshire today.
Mary Jane said, Well, Steve, you wont be going
anywhere, my love, will ya? You need to take a few days
to recover from those things, as she pointed to the
bruises.

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Chapter 33

Over the next few days, Terrence and Mary Jane took
time to spend time alone and make love with each other
along the coast. They made love in the weirdest places:
whilst they was swimming in the ocean and next to an
otters den on the beach and in a cave with a fire that
Terrence had lit to keep them warm. They made love in
bed. In fact, where they didnt make love was not worth
mentioning really.
The day before they were due to leave, Mary Jane
went to Malcolms and got her car from the barn and
made sure it was taxed and insured, had the garage check
the brakes and anything else that needed to be checked,
and she parked it up outside the house and packed it with
their belongings and a few extra things that they had
bought whilst they was on the island.
They spent the evening with Mary Stevens. They
gave her their address and phone number so she could
keep in touch and Mary Jane showed the new girl what
jobs needed to be done daily and made sure the girl was
happy being able to do the job before she would leave.
That night, after a game of scrabble, she went to bed and
made love to Terrence and made him lay on the bed and
not touch her. She was the one doing it all tonight.

212

She put on a blindfold and music in his ears from her


iPod, and he said, My god, this music is shite, and
laughed when she slapped him on the chest and she
climbed on top of him and rode him until he climaxed in
a daze, and as he lay there reliving the whole thing,
Mary Jane laid down and went to sleep, leaving him to
his own thoughts.
As he laid there next to Mary Jane, he thought about
how she would react when she was told he had been to
prison for a stupid crime when he was only 17, and for
leaving America, leaving a girlfriend behind and not
telling her he was leaving. It was exactly what Mary
Jane had done to him in Cornwall, and now he knew just
how it felt and he thought, I need to call her to say Im
sorry, so he could then live his life free from guilt and
make the most of his time with Mary Jane and the kids.
When he woke next morning with Mary Jane beside
him still asleep, he smiled. It was good waking up with
her beside him and he curled up around her and held her
close to him and fell back to sleep, kissing her hair, and
she snuggled in to him and groaned when he squeezed
her and she heard him say, I love you, Mary Jane. She
replied in a sleepy voice, I love you too, babe. Then
she said, I need to get up, its a long drive home and I
have to walk the dogs before we leave so they settle
down and sleep whilst Im driving home.
Terrence said, That sounds good. We are going
home and we can be a family.
She smiled at him and walked towards the bathroom
to get ready and went down stairs to find that Mrs.
Stevens had made a picnic for the trip home. Neville was
walking back in the house with three wet dogs and said,
Ive been out with them since 5am,Mum, and we went

213

swimming, so they should sleep for a while when we set


off home.
Steve and Terrence came in the kitchen and said,
Everyone, ok?
They all smiled and Mrs. Stevens was starting to cry
and Mary Jane said, Dont or you will set me off. So
they sat at the table and had some breakfast and went to
say bye to everyone. They had become friends within the
village before they left.
It was almost gone 1pm before they had said their
final farewells to Mrs. Stevens and driven away crying
from the house. Mary Jane had enjoyed living there and
had become attached to Mrs. Stevens and she would
miss her, but they needed to go home.
Mary Jane was driving her car and with her was
Terrence and Michelle and in the car behind them was
Steve and Neville with the dogs jumping about the car
like fools, off their heads on a sugar rush. Mary Jane
smiled as they parked on the ferry to cross the water to
the main land and when they reached the other side they
pulled over to look back at the Isle of Skye and said,
Bye for now. You were there when I needed
somewhere to think and I will be back soon to visit and
to look around some more and get to know you better
than I have so far. She then got back in the car and
headed towards the motorway to go back home to
Yorkshire.
The trip home was not eventful and when they
walked in to the house Teddy was waiting to welcome
them home, and he gave them all hugs and said to Mary
Jane, Please dont do that again, my love. I lost you
when you were young and I could not cope with losing
you again.

214

When Mary Jane managed to get out of his arms and


walked into the kitchen to make a drink, she looked out
of the French doors in to the back yard area of the house.
She saw, stood looking at her through the window, the
wild stag that she always thought was trying to tell her
something, and she smiled; hed come to say welcome
home, and he looked her in the eye and it seemed as
though he winked at her. He turned to walk away from
where he was stood, towards the woods across the field
and he started to run and jump over the fence that had
kept him in the area for so long. Mary Jane had seen that
he had lost his bit of tree from off his antlers and she
made the drink and sat down to drink it whilst Terrence
put the kids to bed and settled down.
Steve came in to say goodbye. He was going home
to his family and they would be back on Sunday for
lunch. He laughed and said, Make your famous dinner
will you? I missed it whilst you were away. He kissed
her on the forehead and walked out to his car and drove
down the drive towards home.
Teddy said his farewells, leaving Mary Jane and
Terrence alone to get sorted and get back in to a routine
and start life together again. Ill see you tomorrow,
Teddy shouted as he left and shut the door behind him.
And he too drove down the drive and Mary Jane thought
that he really needed a new car, the old fool.
Terrence took her in his arms and fucked her
senseless in the kitchen. The blinds were open and if
anyone was outside they would have seen everything
and probably turned a bright red and never look them in
the eye the same ever again. He smiled as they walked
upstairs to bed and they climbed in to bed and fell asleep
in each others arms and woke late the next day.

215

Chapter 34

Life returned to normal. Well as normal as could be


expected after everything that had happened in the last
four years. Although everything had changed, as Teddy
and Steve were around a lot and on Sundays everyone
turned up to have a get together. During the spring and
summer they went swimming, played tennis, had BBQs
and birthday parties and the next big thing to happen was
Miracles Christening on August 30th, and there was the
whole village coming, and Teddy had spoken to
Terrence and said he had a surprise for Mary Jane on
that day and not to worry, but that there would be a few
tears, but it would be happy tears.
Mary Jane came in to the kitchen looking white as a
sheet, and Terrence went over to her and got hold of her.
He led her to a chair and sat her down and Teddy went to
make a drink for her.
Terrence said, Whats the matter, babe?
Mary Jane looked at him and said, Youre going to
go mad. She smiled. And Teddy is going to be
shocked at the same time, she laughed.
Come on, girl, Teddy said, dont keep us waiting,
tell us what the hell is wrong.

216

Teddy brought the drinks over and sat down at the


table across from where Mary Jane and Terrence were
sat. He saw Terrences face turn white and he could see
the cogs in his head working full speed. What the hell
was she going to tell him?
Mary Jane sat on the edge of her chair, she looked
Terrence in the face and she was looking serious.
Well, she said, I do love you, Terrence Constance,
but Im not sure how this is going to work after what I
tell you.
Terrence said, What do you mean?
Just then, Miracle screamed and they all ran outside
to see what was wrong, and they found Miracle on the
floor in the middle of a mud puddle, looking rather silly.
Terrence ran over to her and picked her up and said, Its
ok, darling, youre just a little dirty, but it wont kill
you. Mary Jane smiled. He really was a good dad to her
and she hoped he would be ok with what she was about
to tell him.
Terrence turned around and said, Ok, you spill the
beans and tell us what you have to tell us.
Mary Jane smiled and said, IM PREGNANT!
Teddy shook his head in delight and Terrence placed
Miracle on the floor and went over to Mary Jane and he
picked her up and spun her around in mid-air and said,
When? How?
Mary Jane said, You know how, and as for when
it could have been at any time over the last few months.
Terrence said, But Miracle is not even two yet and
when would the baby be born?
Mary Jane said, We will find this all out when we
go to the hospital for a check-up.

217

The next day Mary Jane woke with a stabbing pain


in her side and saw blood on the bed sheets. Terrence
was nowhere to be found, but she heard him downstairs
playing with the kids.
Mary Jane got out of bed and went to the bathroom
and saw dark red blood dripping when she walked. She
slipped to the floor, feeling feint and when she woke up
Terrence was sat beside her in a hospital bed.
She smiled and said, Fancy meeting you here.
He smiled back at her and asked how she felt she
thought for a second and said she was tired.
What happened, she asked
He said he had come up stairs with a drink for her
and found her on the bathroom floor and they had rushed
her into hospital.
She asked, Whats happened?
He turned to her and said, Im sorry, darling, but
you seem to have miscarried the baby. Im so sorry.
She turned in to the pillow and cried, Oh, its not
fair. Cant I just have something go right for once? She
looked at Terrence and said, Im sorry, darling.
He said, Its ok. As long as youre here I dont
mind. But in his chest his heart was breaking. He held
back the tears that were threatening to appear so he
didnt make her feel any worse than she already felt, and
he held her tight and they both cried.
Two days later, Mary Jane left the hospital and went
home to find it had been decorated with banners and
tables and chairs for the christening in a couple of days .
She thought, at least I have three beautiful kids
already, and she went to find them in the swimming pool
playing with Maggie, the nanny that Teddy had got for

218

them whilst she worked in the office and she was still at
home to listen to them playing.
As Mary Jane walked towards the pool, Miracle
shouted, Mama!, and held up her hands to be picked
up. She was wet, but Mary Jane didnt care, and she held
her tight and kissed her on the top of her head and said,
Love you, babe, and Miracle said, You too, in her
baby voice.
Terrence walked up behind them and put his arms
around his girls and said, No, I love you both more,
and he picked them both up and spun them around.
Miracle giggled and said, Again! So he took Miracle
from Mary Jane and spun her around again. Mary Jane
stood there laughing at the sheer joy that was on both of
their faces as they spun around.
The christening arrived and it was a bright, warm,
sunny day. The birds were singing loudly and Mary Jane
got up to shower, but Terrence pulled her back in to bed
and made passionate love to her over the dressing table
in the bedroom that overlooked the fields.
He bent her over the table and took her forcefully
from behind. He placed his fingers in her to make her
wet, so it was easier to enter her. His penis grew as he
played with her and he kissed her neck and fondled her
breasts with his other hand. She threw her head back and
groaned with pleasure and he felt her become wet and he
thrust his penis inside her that made the dressing table
and its contents shake. When they finished, he kissed her
on her nose and said, I love you, and Im going to take
you again later. He walked to the bathroom to have a
shower and she followed him and joined him in the
shower, where they stayed for a while.
When Mary Jane was dressed, she went to get
Miracle ready. She was sat in the babys room and was
219

just changing her nappy. She had placed talc on her and
was about to put on the christening gown when she felt
she was being watched, and she turned to see who was
watching her, and she thought it was going to be
Terrence but she was in for a shock. It was Edna, who
stood there smiling at her.
She held her arms open and said, Hello, baby girl!
Mary Jane place Miracle on the floor and ran to Edna
for the cuddle that she never thought she would have
again, and they stood there for ages. Miracle watched
with interest and walked over to them and put up her
arms so she could join in with the fun her Mummy was
having. Mary Jane picked her up and Edna said, And
who is this?
Mary Jane placed her in Ednas arms and said, This
is Miracle. Edna asked if she could get her dressed for
the christening.
Mary Jane stood in the door way watching Edna get
Miracle ready and remembered the times Edna used to
help her get ready for the huge garden parties they used
to have here every year, and the Christmas and New
Years parties, which were the best for miles around and
anybody and everybody came to them.
As Mary Jane stood watching Edna, Terrence walked
up behind her and said, Hi.
She turned to look at him and said, You knew
didnt you?
He smiled. I knew Teddy had a surprise for you and
when she turned up I knew instantly that I should let her
come to you alone. She gave Terrence a kiss and told
him thanks.

220

When Miracle was ready, Edna walked over and


passed her to Terrence and said, Shall we? She got
hold of Mary Janes arm and said, Shall we go, girl?
and they walked to the top of the stairs and saw everyone
at the bottom, waiting for them, and they all looked up at
the same time to watch Terrence walk down holding
baby Miracle in his arms, wearing a navy blue suit, a
burgundy tie and a smile on his face that would outshine
the sun outside. Miracle was wearing a satin and silk
old-fashioned christening gown that draped from her
shoulders to Terrences knees, and she had a little bonnet
on that matched the dress and a handmade shawl that
had been Mary Janes mother when she was a baby.
Mary Jane was wearing a peach summer dress with
matching jewellery that Teddy had given her. It had
belonged to her gran. Her hair was up high in a bun, with
tendrils of curls encasing her face and she wore the
crucifix that was her mothers and a diamond bracelet
that matched her earrings. She wore peach court shoes
that just showed her peach toe nails through the front,
and she was holding Ednas arm as if she was never
going to let her go again.
Neville and Michelle stood at the bottom of the
stairs, watching it all with everyone else, and Steve
walked over and grabbed them both in his arms and said,
Alright kids?
They both looked at him and said, Aye, lad! and
they laughed.
They all went outside to get in to their cars to drive to
the village church and get baby Miracle christened.
When the service was finished they all returned to the
house for a huge party that went on in to the night.
During the party, Teddy went to speak to Mary Jane
about something very important and Mary Jane asked if
221

it could wait until the next day as it would be rude to


leave all the guests. So Teddy agreed to wait until the
next morning since he was staying over. He could catch
her first thing.
They went to bed around 2am, and Terrence kept his
promise to her from that morning. He laid her on the bed
and undressed her with annoyingly slow fingers. With
every button he undid, he kissed her neck, face, nose and
cheek, until she was so hot for him she cried, For fuck
sake, just take me will you? And with that, he took her
whilst she was still wearing her dress in the middle of
the room, and they climbed in to bed and fell asleep,
really satisfied and content.
A couple of hours later around 7am, Mary Jane heard
a noise downstairs and left Terrence sleeping and went
to investigate what the noise was. She found Teddy in
the kitchen, making himself a drink, and when he saw
Mary Jane in the doorway he asked, You want one,
love?
She smiled and said, Yes please, and went to sit at
the table to wait for the drink he was making.
When he passed her the drink he had made, he sat
down and she asked, What did you want to talk about
yesterday, Grandpa Ted?
He smiled at her and said, I need to talk to you
about whats going to happen in the next few months,
love, and he looked sad when he said it. She asked him
what was wrong, and he said, Im getting old, my girl,
and I need to sort out my will and get everything in order
before I die.
Mary Jane gulped and said, Youre dying? But I
just got you back in my life! She cried and he got up to
hold her.

222

He said, Im staying around for a while yet, me


girl, and he smiled and went to sit back down.
After a while, Teddy spoke to Mary Jane again, and
said, This house youre living in is yours to keep, my
love, and I have around four million in the bank that is
yours too, and the personal items that belonged to your
mother and grandmother. Also you have your parents
will that you need to sort out, and they left you
everything you have. A house in America on four
hundred acres of land with Arabian horses that are bred
and looked after there. I have been looking after it for
you all these years and it all comes to you. Now youre
of an age to keep it running smoothly I can let go of the
reigns and spend time with you and the family and not
keep jetting off all over the world. Mary Jane, my girl, I
have to tell you that you are a multi-millionaire, babe,
and everything you see here is nothing compared to what
you have around the world.
Mary Jane looked at him as if he had just lost his
mind and said, But you drive around in a clapped out
old Volvo that barely gets you from A to B.
He smiled. I didnt want anyone to know we had
money, my love, so I kept it all low-key for your sake
and to make sure that Terrence loved you for you and
not what money you have. You cant tell him until you
know he truly cares for you.
Mary Jane said, You remember the day we met
you?
Yes, he said.
Well, in the car park outside before I walked in, he
asked me to marry him.
Well, Mary Jane, dont let him get away, girl, he
really loves you and he would die for you if he had to.

223

Mary Jane thought, what do I do now?


Terrence walked in to the kitchen just then and
smiled as he said, Refill any one?
They both looked at him and said, Yes please.
Terrence sat down after he had made the drinks and
said, Everything ok? You both looked deep in
conversation when I walked in.
They both smiled and said, Aye, boy, everything be
ok, and they laughed.
Terrence smiled at them both and said, You two are
like two kids trying to keep a secret, but youre not
doing a very good job at keeping straight faces.
Over the next few months in the run up to Christmas,
everything was great and they enjoyed every day
together as a family, and Terrence said, I need to go to
London for a few days. Will you be ok?
Mary Jane said, Yes, love, we will be fine. Shall we
leave the tree until you come back?
He said, No, babe, you do it. You know what Im
like, I always get shouted at for putting it in the wrong
place.
Mary Jane arranged for the family to get together
that weekend to have a meal and put the Christmas
decorations up and have a laugh. Terrence was way until
Monday.
It would be Miracles third birthday on Wednesday
too. Where had that time gone? So much had happened.
It started to snow on Thursday night and it came
down pretty heavy, covering the ground with a pure
white blanket. The trees in the distance looked like they
had white hats on and a white dress that went on for
miles, and on Saturday morning there was a knock at the

224

door. When she went to answer it, there stood Steve in a


top hat and tails, and behind him was a horse drawn
sleigh and a bright red fur-edged blanket to pull over you
as you sat in the sleigh.
Mary Jane looked at him and asked what he was
playing at. Steve said, Please take a seat and enjoy the
ride. So Mary Jane went inside to get her coat, climbed
in to the sleigh and sat down. Steve placed the blanket
over her knees and got in the front and said, Forward,
to the beautiful black stallions that were pulling the
sleigh. They had plaited manes with red bows placed
meticulously down the plaits.
Steve took the drive half way down and turned to go
through the trees towards the lake, and they rode along
the stream that led to the lake. As they went along, Mary
Jane heard music playing in the distance and she
thought, what the hell is that and where is it coming
from?
She sat back, relaxing and enjoying the ride and the
scenery of pure white snow and the stream rushing along
towards the lake. A deer ran out in front of them and
stood to look at them as they carried on, the antlers on
his head had a tuft of tree stuck to them where he had
been sharpening the ends in preparation to battle for a
lady and the promise of young in the spring.
Mary Jane smiled and watched with delight as he
just walked to the side for them to pass without a care in
the world, and he looked her straight in the eye and the
eyes seemed to glitter as if he knew where she was being
taken.

225

Chapter 35

As they rounded the corner and came out of the woods


near where the lake was, Mary Jane saw a giant tent with
red and white and pink furnishings at the front of the tent
and she heard the music coming from inside it. When
Steve stopped, he walked round to her to help her get
down off the sleigh and he asked if he could escort her to
the door way of the tent, and as they walked to the tent
she saw Neville and Michelle waiting for her and they
said, Thanks, Steve and took Mary Janes hand and
placed a blindfold over her eyes and giggled. She heard
them say, This is fun. Hope she likes it.
They led her in to the tent and walked her to what
she could only think was the middle of it, and she felt a
fire nearby and heard the music change to a more
romantic tune and when they stopped she heard a voice
she knew say to her, Are you ok, girl?
She smiled and said, Grandpa Ted, what are you
playing at? Im not a child anymore! she laughed.
Then he took off the blind fold and what she saw in
front of her shocked her to the core. Knelt in front of her
was Terrence, wearing a red Santa suit and holding a
bunch of white wild orchids and a ring and he said,

226

Mary Jane Bartholamu would you do me the honour


of marrying me and making an honest man of me?
Behind him was every member of her family and the
whole village stood waiting to hear her answer, and she
looked at her kids who smiled and nodded to her and she
looked down at Terrence and said, You dont like
public displays and you never wanted to get married
Terrence looked at her and said, Well, if I didnt
mean it with all my heart, I would not be knelt here
asking you, would I you daft girl? Hurry up and answer
me, my knee is going to sleep, he laughed.
But youre supposed to be in London!
He looked at her again and repeated what he had
asked her. MARY JANE BARTHOLAMU, WILL
YOU DO ME THE HONOUR OF MARRYING ME
AND MAKE A HONEST MAN OF ME?
Mary Jane said, Yes, I will! Terrence jumped up
from the floor and hugged her and everyone in the tent
cheered and the music turned to the tune of
congratulations and the wedding march. Every one
crowded around them to see the ring and when he put it
on her finger she looked at him and asked, How can
you afford this? On her finger was an 8 carat diamond
solitaire.
He said, I have something I need to tell you.
And she said, I have something I need to tell you
too, and smiled at him.
Later, he said, Ill tell you in private. I love you,
darling, and you just made me the happiest man alive.
He kissed her passionately.
When the party came to a close everyone left after
saying congratulations and they all went home leaving

227

Terrence and Mary Jane alone in the tent with the open
fire glowing bright red.
Terrence placed some more wood on the fire and
handed Mary Jane a glass of champagne. They sat down
on the chairs close to the fire to keep warm. Terrence
started to talk.
He said, What I am about to tell you is not a lie. I
never lied to you, I just never divulged the truth. Mary
Jane looked at him and asked what he meant, and he
said, Well, babe. I am not the low paid guy you think I
am. My father owns a business in Saudi Arabia breeding
Arabian stallions and we send them to a place in
America to be trained so they can race in the Grand
National races around the world.
Mary Jane smiled and said, Youre not a skint flint
then!
No babe, Im not, but I needed to make sure you
loved me for me and not for the money, but I knew a
long time ago that you truly loved me no matter what
money I had, I just never realised that until everything
happened.
Mary Jane said, Well, I have to tell you something
too, and its the same, but I only just found out a few
weeks ago myself.
Go on, he said.
Mary Jane told him about the conversation she had
had with Teddy and when he walked in. Terrence now
knew what they were laughing about, and he laughed a
great, big, belly laugh, saying fair dos!
As they sat there in that tent by the side of the lake
with snow falling outside, Terrence pulled a blanket
from behind the table and said, Shall we? They laid
down on the floor and made love like they never had
228

before and they didnt return to the house until gone five
the next morning, having had no sleep, and they climbed
in to bed and fell asleep for a couple of hours in each
others arms.
Baby Miracle was walking and she came in to the
room saying, Mama! and she climbed in with them
and they cuddled up and played tickling with her for an
hour and then went down stairs to get breakfast.
When they got downstairs everyone was waiting for
them and Mary Jane realised that the huge Christmas
tree she had ordered was in the hallway waiting to be
decorated.
So Mary Jane and Terrence said, Give us half hour
to have a drink, then we will start decorating it, ok?
The kids shouted, Yes! and off they ran to look in
the boxes of decorations to see what they found.
As the whole family spent the day decorating the tree
and house inside and outside, putting fairy lights along
the guttering and around the window frames and putting
decorations on the two trees that stood either side of the
front door, Edna kept bringing hot chocolate, cookies
and sandwiches to everyone. They had Christmas Carols
playing loudly from the stereo and everyone was singing
along to them, each getting louder than the person next
to them, and everyone laughed. They were having so
much fun and that would be a day every one
remembered until the end of their days.
Over the following days, the whole family were
running around and getting things ready for Christmas.
Mary Jane was in the kitchen cooking with Edna,
making cookies, pies and roasting the meats and mince
pies and making mulled wine for everyone. And more

229

importantly they had a birthday cake to make for baby


Miracles third birthday.
When the day arrived, they had a small family party.
Just Mary Jane, Terrence, the kids, Steve and his family,
Edna and Grandpa Edit brought back a lot of memories,
but everyone made sure that they created happy
memories that day and they did a good job as the day
was the best they could remember.
Christmas came and went and New Year arrived.
They had a huge party for everyone from the village.
Just like old times, Teddy said.
As the party ended, Mary Jane smiled and said, Yes
it was, Grandpa Ted, and she kissed him on his cheek.
As she went to go to bed, Terrence had gone up to see to
Miracle and she found them sat in the rocking chair,
rocking back and forth, sleeping. Mary Jane watched
them for a while and then she walked in to the room and
covered them with a blanket and shut the window blinds.
She walked in to the bedroom and climbed on to the bed
and fell asleep in seconds.

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Chapter 36

As the year passed, Mary Jane gave birth to a baby boy


and everyone was over the moon as nothing major
happened and everything went smoothly. They all
remained a happy family and they worked together,
played together and made many memoires together. As
the family grew and Terrence stayed home a lot more
and as Christmas approached again, Terrence said,
What about giving me a date for our wedding?
Mary Jane was busy feeding Benjamin and she
didnt look up as she answered his question and said,
How about Christmas day, love? and she went on
feeding the baby
Terrence went in to the village that day and spoke to
the local vicar and asked if it was possible to marry on
Christmas day. He said that it was if he was able to find
a vicar willing to marry you on that day. Terrence looked
at him and said, Will you?, and he smiled.
The vicar thought about it for a moment and said,
Yes, why not. Which Christmas day were you
thinking?
Terrence said, How about this year?
The vicar smiled and said, Ok, what time were you
thinking about?
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Terrence said, Around midday. That gives everyone


a chance to open their Christmas presents and we will
put on the food at our place. Then Terrence went to see
the village florist to arrange the flowers and he called
Teddy and asked if he could arrange the horses again for
Christmas day and if he would be able to come.
By the end of that day, Terrence had sorted
everything out for the wedding in three weeks time and
all he had to do now was get Mary Jane in to town to
choose her dress and the bridal attire for the children.
When he got home Mary Jane asked, Where have
you been all day? She smiled. You been up to no
good? she said to him and he smiled at her and told her
what he had done.
Mary Jane looked at him as if he had just lost his
mind and she said, I never thought you meant this year,
and I only said Christmas day as a joke, but it would be
romantic to marry then. She got all excited and asked if
hed really arranged it all apart from the dress and the
attire. He nodded.
Mary Jane phoned the bridal shop in town and
explained what she needed and the date she needed it for
and they agreed that they would help. She then walked in
to the kitchen and Terrence was making tea for
everyone. He was also making a curry and asked if
everything was sorted and she said that it had.
As she sat down to eat what had been made, they all
chatted about what they had to get done before the day
arrived and how little time they had to be able to do it in.
Then Mary Jane said, Where are you going to stay
on Christmas Eve? We cant be in the same house or see
each other until we are at the church!

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He said, Ill stay over Jimmys that night and Ill


see you at midday in the church.
Mary Jane smiled.
The following three weeks flew by and Christmas
Eve had arrived. Terrence was kissing the kids
goodnight before he left and he said, Ill see you in the
morning. I love you all.
He took Mary Jane in to the bedroom and fucked her
senseless and said, That will be the last time I can do
that. As from tomorrow you will be my wife and it will
be love making, not shagging, he said with a smile.
She turned to him and said, If you change, I will
have no option but to shoot you. She laughed and she
said, But I suppose at least Ill be even richer than I am
right now, and she started to put on her dressing gown
as she would be going in to the shower to wash her hair
and get clean for tomorrow. Her dress was hung up in
the spare room where Terrence would not see it and she
thought, I hope he likes it.
What are you smiling at? Terrence asked her as he
walked in carrying a drink of tea for them both.
Nothing, she replied. Just thinking about
tomorrow and when you see me walking up the aisle,
and I hope you like the dress I chose.
Id like you wearing nothing but a potato sack, and
Id still marry you, he said. As Terrence finished
drinking his tea, he got up to leave and he said, I love
you, babe, see you at the altar tomorrow, and he left,
singing under his breath.
Mary Jane didnt sleep much that night, she just
watched the snow falling from the bedroom window and
at 4.30am she got out of bed and walked downstairs to
get a drink. She found Grandpa Ted sat at the table
233

looking out of the French doors towards the pool. He


turned to look at Mary Jane as she walked in the room
and said, Hi, baby girl. A tear slid down his face.
Why are you crying? she asked.
He said, I was just thinking about your Grandma
and your parents and how they would be feeling right
now, and how proud we are of the woman you turned in
to.
As Mary Jane sat beside him, she held his hand and
asked, Tell me about my parents, please?
Theodore looked at Mary Jane and said, Your Mum
met your dad when they were at school in London,
learning about history and the equine business. Your
Mum said he was an ass when she first met him. They
were sat in a cafe with their friends, chatting, and he was
dared to throw a cream pie in to any of the girls faces,
and he choose your Mum to throw it at. He was
supposed to hit her chest but he hit her smack in the face,
and it got in to her eye and he ended up sitting in the
hospital with her until they cleaned her eye and removed
all the stuff out. He was always saying sorry to her and
he spent weeks sending her flowers and gifts until she
relented and went out on a date with him, and from that
day was history. They married three years later after they
graduated and nine months later, you were born and they
moved here and brought you up together.
The night they died, your Mum and Dad were going to
pick your Grandma up and take her to Leeds to watch an
opera, but it had snowed and there was black ice on the
roads and as they drove towards Leeds a deer ran out in
front of them and your Dad swerved to miss it. The car
skidded and went in to a tree, the tree fell on the car and
killed them all outright. They never knew a thing. We
had them buried in the graveyard on January 22nd and I
234

brought you up with Ednas help, until I had the car


accident. The worst thing I ever did was leave you with
the Smith family and stay away from you until last year.
I should have brought you home to live with me instead
of watching you from afar. He was crying freely as he
was speaking.
Mary Jane said, But Grandpa Ted, the Smiths
looked after me really well. They loved me as their own
and they never once made me feel like I was a burden
and they gave me everything I needed and I enjoyed
being with them. Im glad you chose them to bring me
up as I probably would have never got this far. I would
probably have been married six times, been a drug addict
or something silly, and she laughed. Look, Grandpa
I dont regret any of it. I love you and we are together
now and that all that really matters, isnt it? She kissed
him on the cheek and went to make a brew for them both
and they watched the sun rise a little time later at around
5.30 am, and then the kids came running downstairs.
Its Christmas! Has Santa been?
There were a few presents under the tree, but the
main gifts would be given to them a little later, when
Terrence was with them and they were man and wife at
last. So Mary Jane and Grandpa Ted walked in to the
lounge to open the gifts that were waiting for them.
Neville opened a card that said; Neville. Open Me
First, and he looked at it and read it out loud to Mary
Jane:
Neville, my boy, you are now eighteen and a grown man,
so I think it is time for you to have a big boys toy, and if
you look outside you will find a clue under the tree next
to the front door on the right. Follow those clues and
you will find what you have been given.
235

Mum and Terrence x


Mary Jane smiled when she looked at him and
thought, this will take some time, and she laughed.
P.S. the letter said. You have to wait until after we
get back from the church before you look as the clue will
not be there until we return.
Neville said, That not fair!
Mary Jane laughed as she said, Lifes not fair,
love.
Then Michelle squealed, Look at what I got! and
she showed Mary Jane the box she was holding and
inside it was a pair of earrings, a ring and necklace and
matching bracelet made from rubies and diamonds set in
eighteen carat gold.
Aww, lovely, babe! Mary Jane said.
Michelle said, Can I wear them today please?
Mary Jane said, Sure, babe. Then Neville passed
her a box with her name on it and she thought, that
wasnt there last night. And there was a box with
Nevilles name on it that wasnt there either.
Neville opened his box and inside was a gold Rolex
with a engraving on the back:
To the best son a guy could ask for. Terrence.
And Neville smiled and said, OMG! as he showed
it to his Mum.

236

Mary Jane opened her gift and her jaw dropped as


she saw what was inside.

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Chapter 37

It was a large box that Mary Jane held and inside it was a
picture of Terrence holding Miracle and Benjamin with
Michelle and Neville stood beside him in front of the
Christmas tree in the hallway smiling at her. And written
on the back of the picture was: We love you and we
will see you at the church. I have a surprise waiting to
pick you up to bring you to us.
Underneath the picture was a small box holding a
matching jewellery set, but they were emerald and
diamonds set in eighteen carat gold, and beneath them
was a matching tiara with a note saying:
Wear these on the day.
Love, Terrence xx
There was also a matching bracelet and necklace for
Miracle to wear, which would go with the clothes Mary
Jane had got for her to wear that day.
After everyone was fed and watered, Mary Jane went
upstairs to get herself ready. Edna walked in and said,
Im here to help. Ill sort the wee ones out for you and
get them ready.

238

Behind Edna stood Ednas daughter, who said, Im


here to do your hair and make up for you, Mary Jane,
and she smiled as she followed her upstairs.
Mary Jane had a shower and sat in front of the
dressing table for Mabel to do her hair and makeup and
as they talked Mary Jane said, I thought I was doing
this today.
Mabel said, No, Terrence has asked me to do it.
Mabel did Mary Janes nails in a pale peach with a
French tip and small intricate flowers painted on top.
Mabel then started on Mary Janes hair and asked, Do
you want it up or down? Mary Jane showed Mabel the
tiara that Terrence had asked her to wear, and Mabel
said, Lets put it half up, half down then, and smiled.
She was sat at the dressing table having her hair
pinned up on the top and curled, allowing a few curls to
fall down her face, and the back of her hair was curled
tightly in to ringlets and left to cascade down her back.
Mary Jane looked at herself in the mirror as Mabel
placed the tiara on her head and pinned it in place. Then
she started on her makeup.
She gave her pale pink lips, a hint of gold on her
eyes to show up Mary Janes green eyes and pale skin,
and to show off the freckles she had on the bridge of her
nose. Mabel placed the drop earrings in her ears and
fastened the necklace around her throat and put on the
matching bracelet. She said, Youre ready to put on
your dress now, and walked out of the room.
Edna walked in just then and asked if she could be of
any help.
Mary Jane said, Yes please.
She was putting on her corset and matching
stockings and suspenders when Edna handed her a pale
239

blue suspender belt and she said, This was your Mums
when she got married to your Dad. Its old and blue
you have the new with the jewellery we just need to
get something borrowed.
She passed her a small parcel and inside it was a thin
lace shawl to wear over her shoulders and Mary Jane
said, Thank you.
As she unzipped the wedding dress that had been
hung over the door, Edna said, OMG, that is beautiful,
girl, and helped Mary Jane step in to it. She fastened it
up for her.
The dress was a pale ivory, and it looked almost pure
white with an intricate lace design that went from the
middle of Mary Janes back to the tip of the train on the
floor. It had hand sewn gems on the corset top and it was
a heart shaped strapless dress that went from her chest,
showing off her shoulders, and sat just on her breasts.
The necklace sat just in the right place between her
breasts. When Edna pinned the lace head dress to her
tiara and pulled it over Mary Janes face, Edna was
crying, saying, You look like a goddess or an angel.
She bent down and placed Mary Janes feet in to the
court shoes she was going to be wearing and placed the
shawl over her shoulders and said, What do you think,
Mary Jane? She turned to show Mary Jane in the full
length mirror in front of her.
Mary Jane could not speak or breathe as the person
looking back at her was not the person she was used to
seeing, and she said, He wont recognise me, and
smiled at her reflection.
As she walked out of the bedroom she saw Neville in
his suit and waistcoat, wearing the Rolex Terrence had
given him that morning.

240

Then she saw Michelle holding Miracle in matching


dresses of pale green, holding white rose posies with
their hair in ringlets too. She had white shoes and was
holding a small bag, which held confetti. Then she saw
Benjamin in his matching suit to Nevilles, and she
thought that he looked smart for a three month old baby.
They all stood at the top of the stairs looking at each
other, and they smiled and said, I love you, at the same
time.
Edna broke down in tears, saying, Look at you all!
She started to go down the stairs with the children
following her, leaving Mary Jane alone at the top. When
they reached the bottom, they turned to watch her walk
down the stairs and Grandpa Ted walked out of the
kitchen in his suit and smiled saying, You look just like
your mother did on her wedding day. He held out his
hand to assist her down the last few steps to stand in the
hall way in front of the large Christmas tree, which was
decorated in pale red and gold and the lights were
twinkling behind them all and a camera went off, taking
a picture of them all in front of the tree.

241

Chapter 38

Neville handed Mary Jane a posy of white roses and


wild orchids and said, Ill meet you at the church, and
took the other children to the car waiting for them
outside. When Mary Jane walked out behind them, she
nearly fell over in shock at who was waiting for her by
the horse drawn sleigh.
Her Foster Father was stood holding out his hand
and asked her, Can I have the honour of walking you
down the aisle?
Mary Jane nodded as she could not speak and they
climbed in to the sleigh and sat back to enjoy the ride to
the church in the village. This would be the last time she
would be a free woman, as when they left the church she
would be married.
As they rode down the driveway towards the main
road, it started to snow again and as they went along
Mary Jane heard music; sweet bells tingling, and
alongside the sleigh walked the deer that had been in the
woods when Terrence had proposed to her. She knew it
was the same deer as he had the same bit of tree on his
antlers.
He followed the sleigh right in to the village up to
the church, and he stopped outside as she climbed out of

242

the sleigh. Her Step-Mum was waiting for her in the


door way and said, Hi, babe. You didnt think I would
miss this, did you? and she kissed her on the cheek and
she walked in to the church to take her seat at the front.
The children were waiting for her outside the church
and they all walked in to the church in front of Mary
Jane, with Neville holding Miracles hand and Michelle
holding Benjamin as they walked down the aisle in front
or Mary Jane and her dad.
Terrence turned to look at her as she walked towards
him and when he saw her at the end of the aisle, his heart
missed a beat, and a single tear appeared in his eye as he
watched her walk towards him, and when she was beside
him and the music: Most Beautiful Girl in the World,
stopped, he turned to her and pushed the lace off her
face. He smiled and said, I love you and you look so
beautiful, you melt my heart and Im nothing without
you beside me.
When the vicar finished the ceremony and
pronounced them husband and wife, he said to everyone
there, Please stand and welcome Mr. and Mrs.
Constance Bartholamu.
Every one rose and clapped and cheered as they walked
towards the church door and in to the snow outside and
on to the sleigh to go back to the house for the reception
that had been organised. Everyone followed behind the
horse and sleigh, singing Christmas Carols as they went
along the road.
When they got to the house Terrence picked Mary
Jane out of the sleigh and said, Shall we, wife? and
walked her to the tent in the field next to the house and
they walked in and the party started.

243

Neville walked up to Terrence and said, Thank you


for the Rolex, dad, and gave him a hug and Michelle
hugged him for her gift.
Terrence said, Oh, Neville, the clue is in the tree
now, and off Neville ran to find out what he had been
given.
It took Neville two hours to find all the clues that led
him back to Terrence and Mary Jane, and he looked at
them and said, What is happening? Terrence handed
him a set of keys and said, Its in the garage over there,
boy, and he went over to the garage and there stood a
bike tied up in a huge bow under a blanket. It was a
Harley Davidson with a private number plate that said
nev1 on it.
When he turned around, Mary Jane and Terrence
stood there holding a leather outfit and helmet and said,
No way in this snow, and walked away laughing.
Neville followed them and joined in with the party, the
young ones were put to bed around eleven that night and
the party went on until the early hours.
When they finally got in to bed Terrence said, Well,
my love
And she turned to look at him, smiled, kissed him on
the nose and started to wake him up. She had her way
with him and they made love with each other until
midday and then they slept until gone five in the
afternoon. Then they got up, had tea and went back to
bed and made love again. On New Years Day, they left
as a family to go away for a couple weeks.
They first went to Cornwall to visit family and
friends that they had not seen since they moved away,
and they stayed in Polzeath in a small bed and breakfast

244

and they enjoyed walking on the beach, playing with the


kids, making love every night and waking up each
morning to the kids laughing in the room next to them.
When they got back home the Christmas decorations
had been taken down and the house looked normal and
empty again. Mary Jane walked in to the kitchen to make
a drink for everyone and saw a parcel on the table and
opened it.
Terrence walked in and looked over her shoulder and
saw the picture album form the wedding and saw the
pictures of every one that had attended the day; Mrs.
Stevens, Mary Janes foster parents and many more.
Terrence gave a Mary Jane a kiss and said,
Welcome home, wife, and smiled and said, Im not
sure Ill ever get used to calling you my wife.
Nor me calling you husband, she smiled, and they
walked in to the lounge to sit down with the family and
look through the pictures together. When they had
finished they all went to bed early, as it had been a long
trip home from Cornwall.
They celebrated their first wedding anniversary and
had made plenty of memories together and loved being a
family, but there was a black cloud hanging over
Terrence; he felt the need to talk to Mary Jane and tell
her about his past, as it was coming back to haunt him
big time and if he didnt tell her now she would leave
him for sure. He wasnt sure what to do, so he went to
call Steve to ask his advice on how to go about telling
her about his past.
Steve and Terrence had become firm friends over the
last twelve months and Terrence had gone out for a drink
with Steve one night and told him everything about his

245

past as they had no idea how Mary Jane would take it or


react when she found out.
Steve met Terrence by the lake on the pretence of
going fishing and to try to sort out when they were going
to tell her the truth about Terrence and his past and what
was about to appear in their lives in the next few weeks.

246

Chapter 39

Mary Jane walked in to the hotel restaurant wearing a


red, silk, floor-length dress and her hair cascading down
her back in ringlets. She wore red lipstick and black
heels with a small black clutch bag and Terrence was
wearing a navy suit and burgundy tie and a lipstick kiss
on his cheek where Mary Jane had just kissed him before
they had walked in to the restaurant.
The whole hotel had been booked for three days and
she had no idea that behind that door in front of her was
the whole village and all the family and friends were
there to celebrate the first wedding anniversary and have
a party, as last year it was all a little rushed and not
really planned properly. So Terrence had arranged the
wedding reception a year later that he wished he could
have given her last year when they had got married.
When Mary Jane turned to Terrence she asked him
what he had done. She smiled at him and he smiled back
at her and said, Nothing, love. But she knew that smile
he had on his face; it was the smile that told you he was
up to something, and this time it was huge.
He kissed her nose and put on a black, silk blindfold
and then led her in to the room where everyone was
waiting for her, and when he removed the blindfold it

247

took a minute or two to adjust her sight and she saw


every one stood in front of a huge Christmas tree,
twinkling with gold, silver, red and black decorations
and there was a band playing Most Beautiful Girl in the
World.
She turned to Terrence and said, Thank you. As
she walked further in to the room she thanked everyone
for coming and they partied for the next few hours.
He had secretly been to dance classes to learn to
dance so he could have a waltz with her, as during their
wedding dance last year he just stood still and swayed
back and forth. He knew Mary Jane could dance and she
was pretty good at it too.
After they had eaten the four course meal he had
ordered for everyone and the music had not started again
just yet, he stood up and spoke to everyone in the room
and said, Thank you for coming tonight, I know we
should all really be at home sleeping after getting up
early and opening presents, and I know how that feels.
Our lot woke me up at four this morning and I have not
been to bed just yet, so excuse me if I fall asleep on you
all a little later. Everyone laughed with him.
I would also like to thank everyone for being with
us last year when I arranged a wedding in a short time
frame. You made the day perfect at short notice and I
will never forget any of it, and thank you, Mary Jane, for
arriving at the church and marrying me. You could have
so easily not turned up, but I am, so glad, you did and I
love you more today than I did last year and less than I
will love you tomorrow, as my love for you grows each
day I wake up beside you. And thank you for the four
beautiful kids you have given me and I love each of
them just as much as I love you, and he raised his glass

248

of champagne and said, To my wife, and many years to


come with you beside me. I love you babe! he said.
After the noise calmed down, the music started again
and he held out his hand and walked Mary Jane to the
dance floor and waltzed her around as if he was a
professional and Mary Jane thought, when did he learn
to dance like this? She smiled up at him as he leaned
towards her for a kiss and the music changed and
everyone got up and danced with them in to the night.
At around three in the morning people started to
leave and as they were leaving, Mary Jane smiled at
Terrence and said, Thank you, that was a perfect
wedding anniversary and I could not have wished for a
better evening.
Around an hour later everyone had left, leaving
Mary Jane and Terrence alone, dancing to a radio
playing in the back ground and the staff cleaning away
the room and making it usable for breakfast in a couple
of hours. Terrence had arranged for breakfast in bed at
eleven so they would have a few hours together before
anyone else saw them.
He said, Shall we go to bed, love? and Mary Jane
yawned and nodded her head as he picked her up and
carried her to the room he had booked, and she fell
asleep in his arms as he walked to the room. He laid her
gently on the bed and slowly removed all of her clothes
and covered her up and got undressed himself. He
climbed in to bed next to her and pulled her in to his
arms and fell asleep, kissing her hair, and he snored
lightly and they slept like that for a few hours. Then he
heard the door go and a maid said Morning. Room
service, and she left the trolley in the lounge area of the
hotel suite. Terrence went to collect it and take Mary
Jane breakfast in the bed he had just left.
249

When Terrence got to the trolley he saw a letter laid


on the tray addressed to Mr. T Constance. Terrence
thought, whats this? He sat down to open the letter and
as he read the letter his face turned white and he thought,
oh shite this is happening too quick I have not told
Mary Jane the truth yet and I need to tell her before this
gets out and she should hear it from me.
He put a smile on his face as he walked back in to
the room carrying a tray with scrambled eggs, crispy
bacon, pancakes and syrup and fresh fruit salad with
fresh squeezed orange juice and black coffee. He woke
Mary Jane with a kiss and said, Good morning, wife,
your breakfast is here, and she turned over, smiled at
him and sat up as he placed the tray on her lap, and as
she started to eat it he went back into the lounge to
collect his own tray so he could sit with her and eat his
breakfast.
He was thinking about what he should do and he
thought, Ill arrange to go fishing tomorrow with Steve
and talk to him and figure out how Im going to do this
and hopefully I wont lose Mary Jane and the kids, I
could not cope with that.
Then Terrence heard Mary Jane shout, Where are
you, love? Are you not joining me? He smiled as he
walked back in to the room and joined Mary Jane in bed
and ate his breakfast as they talked about the night
before. They stayed in the room until after two in the
afternoon and when they had showered and dressed they
left the hotel and went home to the kids and spent the
day playing with them with the toys they had got
yesterday from Santa.
As Mary Jane was putting the young ones to bed and
reading them a story, Terrence went to phone Steve and
asked him to meet him tomorrow.
250

Steve said to tell Mary Jane that they were going to


check on the gates down the other side tomorrow, as it
was too cold to go fishing and they would talk whilst
they walked. What time are you going to get here? he
asked as Mary Jane walked down the stairs. Ok, mate,
he said. See you then, and he put the phone down.
As he turned, Mary Jane said, Who was that?
Steve, he replied. Hes coming over to walk
around the grounds tomorrow and check the
boundaries.
Want me to join you? she asked.
No, its ok, love. Ill go with Steve and you stay
home and make some cookies. I think we have run out,
he laughed.
Mary Jane slapped him on the arm and said, Well
you should stop eating them all so quick, then we would
not run out daily. She walked in to the kitchen to get a
glass of red wine and go and watch that movie that was
on tonight that she had wanted to watch for a while.
Terrence went to bed whilst Mary Jane watched the
end of the movie and he heard her go outside to stand on
the patio to have a cigarette before she came to bed. He
waited for her to come up stairs so he could fuck her like
never before, and when she walked in to the bed room a
few minutes later he jumped from behind the door
making her jump, and he was laughing so hard he could
not breathe.
She said to him, You fucking idiot! You could have
given me a heart attack!
He tickled her and they fell on to the bed, playfighting, and as she tickled him back he kicked out.
When they stopped fighting, he started to kiss her from
head to foot and every inch of her body and down to her
251

pubic bone, and he played with her clitoris with his


fingers and his tongue, then he climbed over her and
slowly entered her. He then he picked up the pace and
started to go faster and faster making her breathless as he
reached his climax and she, hers. They fell back on the
bed and fell asleep cuddled up.
When he woke the next morning he noticed a huge
bruise on her arm and he kissed her neck and started to
bite her and she moaned, Thats nice. He turned over
and kissed her and they got up and when they were
downstairs drinking coffee, he noticed a mark on her
neck and realised he had given her a love bite and she
said, Thanks for that, and laughed. She went upstairs
to get a shower and get dressed.
She heard Steve arrive and then shouted Catch you
later, Mary Jane. Love you, babe!
They left the house and started to walk toward the
field.

252

Chapter 40

As Terrence and Steve walked across the field towards


the woods, Terrence handed Steve the letter he had
found on the breakfast tray yesterday morning. Steve
asked when he had got it and how.
When Terrence told him it was left on the breakfast
tray yesterday for him to find, he looked shocked and
said, But Mary Jane could have got to it first, and what
then?
The letter read:
Hello Terrence
It has been a long time since we last met, old boy, and
lots of things have happened in that time. I think it is
time you repaid the debt you owe me and pay upfront for
the hassle you have caused me by leaving without saying
a word and it taking me so long to find you.
Does your beautiful wife know about your past? If she
does not, will she let you near the kids after I tell her the
truth about you, old boy?
Let me see where would I start? Would it be when you
were nine years old, or when you turned seventeen? I
cant really make up my mind just yet, but Im sure when

253

I go to see your wife, Mary Jane, I will know where to


start.
I look forward to meeting her really soon. You have a
couple of weeks before I expect your answer and I will
phone you to get that answer. If its not the answer I
want then I will be calling around when youre not there
to tell Mary Jane all about you.
Think about what I have said to you and decide. Are you
going to assist me or are you going to lose your wife and
kids for saying no?
I look forward to talking to you.
Steve looked at Terrence and said, Oh boy! Youve
got a lot to get sorted, mate.
I know, Terrence said to him, But what to do? I
have no clue what he wants or anything, but I do know
that I do have to tell Mary Jane about my past and she
should hear it from me.
Yes, she should hear it from you, boy, and I wish
you luck. But remember Mary Jane is really good at
forgiving things, so if you tell her the truth and she hears
it from you and sees your reaction to it all and she sees
your feelings, she will understand that youre not that
person anymore. But she will be mad at you for a little
while, so think hard about where youre going to tell her
as she will walk away from you to go and think.
Terrence said, Ill take her to Scotland for a few
days and tell her up there, and we can stay with Mrs.
Stevens. Mary Jane would love to see her again and she
can walk around the isle and think, and I will know she
will be ok as she will go to the cove and watch the otters
playing.

254

When Terrence and Steve got back home a few


hours later, Mary Jane was just cleaning up after making
fresh cookies and coffee. She said, Just in time! as she
passed them a plate of warm cookies and a drink and
they sat down and started to eat the cookies and talked to
the kids as they ran about the house laughing and
chasing the dogs.
Steve asked Mary Jane if it would be ok for him to
take the kids to Cornwall for a week or two with his wife
and their kids.
Yeah, ok. They will love it. Steve, are you sure you
can cope with all of them? she laughed.
Steve said, Im not sure, but it will be fun trying
and Ill look after them for you.
I know you will look after them, Steve, or I would
not let you near them. They arranged for Steve to
collect the kids at the weekend and Terence had just
walked out of the room and was making a phone call to
Mrs. Stevens and asking if it was ok for him and Mary
Jane to come and visit for a few days.
Mrs Stevens was over the moon at them going to
visit and said she would get a room ready for them and
she looked forward to seeing them on Saturday night,
and then she put the phone down.
On Friday, the house was hectic, as Mary Jane
packed the kids clothes to go with Steve, and packed a
bag for her and Terrence to go to Scotland to visit Mary.
Then she shouted Terrence and as he walked in to the
room she asked, What is wrong, love?
Where are the dogs going? she smiled.
Terrence said, They are going with us. I bet they
will love going back.
Mary Jane smiled, Oh, they will love it!
255

The next morning, Steve arrive to collect the kids at


ten and whilst Steve and Terrence put the bags in the
back of the bus Steve was driving to take them all to
Cornwall, Mary Jane was kissing the kids and telling
them to behave themselves. She belted them in to the car
and said to Neville, You best help look after them,
boy.
He smiled and said, I will, Mum. Love you and see
you in a week or two.
Steve got in the bus and drove away with every one
singing The Wheels on the Bus loudly out of the
window, and Mary Jane laughed and said, He will need
a break after he gets back, and walked in to the house to
get her coffee and put their bags in to the car so they
could leave too.
As Terrence locked the house up and Mary Jane was
making sure the dogs were safe in the boot of the car and
checked they had everything they needed for them all,
she got in the front seat and put her iPod on. Terrence
didnt like the radio on high but Mary Jane loved her
music and sat back, closed her eyes and fell asleep,
listening to the music.
Terrence was in the kitchen, checking all the doors
when he heard the car start outside and thought, she isnt
driving I am. He laughed to himself and he carried on
checking the house and as he finished checking the doors
and windows he heard the car drive off and he ran out of
the house to see it going down the drive and away from
him and he thought, whats she playing at?
Mary Jane slept for about two hours as the car went
along and when she woke up and looked at Terrence
driving she sat up and said, Who the hell are you? as
she realised it was not Terrence that was driving, but
someone else that she did not know.
256

Hello, Mary Jane. Hope you slept well, as you


wont be doing much sleeping from now on. I think we
need to talk, and youre going to listen to me very
carefully. And when Terrence gets to us, you will know
everything and he will do as I ask of him.
Mary Jane looked at the guy and said, He has
already told me everything and I am ok with it all.
The guy looked at her to see if she was lying to him
and he saw in her face a strong determination and not a
hint of fear in her eyes, and wondered whether he really
had told her everything, as right now he could not be
sure.
She was stronger than he had expected and way
prettier than he thought she would be. Long curly blonde
hair, green eyes that sparkled with tears and a button
nose with freckles, as well as sweet kissable lips. She
had earrings in her ears; they were Creole drops, and she
had a crucifix around her throat and a she was wearing a
watch and her clothes. She wore jeans and a jumper and
peach lipstick and gloss.
Mary Jane looked at him and said, Where are we
going and where are we now? And what do I call you? I
cant keep saying hey to you, can I?
He said as he held a hand out, Hello. I am Don and
I know Terrence really well.
Mary Jane shook his hand, making sure she was not
shaking with fear and she had no idea how she managed
to keep so calm right now. She sat in the seat and looked
at the roads he was driving down, trying to figure out
where they were so she could run when she got the
chance to get away from him.

257

Terrence had run back in to the house and was on the


phone to Steve, shouting, The bastard has taken her!
Steve said, What do you mean?
Terrence told him what had happened and Steve
said, Thats not good, mate. Ill get a lift back to you
now and let my missus take the kids to Cornwall alone
and keep them out of all this. He turned to Neville and
said, You help with the kids, ok? I need to go back and
help find your Mum He got out of the bus and managed
to get a lift back to where Terrence was and he walked in
to the house to find Terrence pacing back and forth and
shouting in to thin air.
What the fuck does he want from me? I am going to
kill that bastard if he touches a hair on her head!
Steve walked up to Terrence and put his hand on his
shoulder and Terrence turned around and thumped him
in the face. Steve fell to the floor; out cold.
When Steve come around, Terrence said, Sorry,
mate, and they laughed.
Steve stood up and said, Its ok, Ill forgive you this
time, but Ill get you back.
They went to the kitchen to talk about what had
happened and if they had left any note and Terrence said
they had not. As he walked in to the kitchen, he noticed
a note by the kettle with his name on it.
Steve took it off him and started to read it.
Terrence.
We have Mary Jane and if you want to see her alive
again you must stay at the house and wait for further
instructions. If you tell the police or anyone we will have
258

no option but to hurt her and we will send her back to


the children in a bad state or even in pieces.
We will be in touch within 24 hours, so wait patiently
and you can speak to her. Then we will tell you what we
need from you.
Steve turned to Terrence and said, Well, boy, we
will wait, but they have no clue that Teddy has security
that can start looking in to all this. They are technically
not the police and only you and Teddy know of my
police background, so all you have to say is that I am a
friend whos here to keep you company whilst you wait,
ok?
Terrence nodded his head to acknowledge he
understood.
Steve went out of the house to make a phone call to
Teddy and his security team and let them know what
was happening. He told Teddy that they already had
contact with the person involved and that they had a
pretty good idea who had Mary Jane.
As Steve finished talking to Teddy, he said, Youll
sort it out from your end, wont you, Ted?
Ted replied, Yes, boy. I will. I am not going to lose
her. I fought so hard to get her back. He put the phone
down just as Steve heard Teddy shout at his security
team.
Why the hell did you not know this was going to
happen? Youre supposed to be watching over her to
know exactly where she is and what she is doing!
Terrance said.
Steve returned to Terrence and said, Ok, its all
being sorted as we speak. We just have to wait until we
hear from them and make sure she is ok.
259

Terrence was sat at the dining table, rocking back


and forth and Steve got him a large brandy and handed it
to him. Terrence said, No thanks. I need to have a clear
head to talk to this idiot.
Steve said, You will be ok, mate. Just drink it. So
he did and shook his head as he really hated the taste and
smell of brandy. He could really have killed a cigarette.
Whilst Terrence sat in the kitchen with Steve, Mary
Jane had figured out where abouts they were and smiled
when Don said, What you smiling at, bitch?
Mary Jane said, Nothing. Im just thinking about
my children and I hope to see them soon. She thought
to herself, I best not let on that I know where I am or
they will blindfold me so I cant see where we are.
She remembered coming here as a kid with her foster
parents and she loved the area. It was wild but calm and
there was loads of places you could hide if you needed
and she thought, I will get away from this bastard and
get home to Terrence and my kids.
They pulled in to a quiet cottage miles away from
anywhere and there were no neighbours close by and she
knew she would have trouble getting away from here,
but she would not stop until she got away.

260

Chapter 41

As Don led Mary Jane in to the cottage, she saw a small


couch that had seen better days and noticed that the
carpet was thread-bare and could do with being thrown
away. As he took her through the lounge area, she saw
the kitchen and noticed that the doors were hanging off
the cupboards and one of the cupboards was just about to
fall off the wall with all the tins still in it.
He took her further in to the cottage and past the
rancid bathroom with mould all over the walls. Down
the tiles were spider webs and the floor was sticky and
black. She saw a little room right next to it and saw a
small mattress with a holey blanket laid on the mattress
and there was no window and it smelled of damp and
paint.
Don pushed Mary Jane in to that small, dirty room
and said, Make yourself comfortable, girl. You might
be here for a while. He locked the door as she sat down
on the dirty mattress. She cried quietly in to her hands
and thought, whos going to save me? She wondered
whether they hurt Terrence when they took her and
would anyone even look for her. If Terrence was hurt
then no one could find him and help him and he might
not survive any injuries and no one would go to see if

261

they were ok as everyone thought they had gone to


Scotland for the week.
She wondered what it was that Don meant when he
said she would find out the truth about Terrence and she
had thought really quickly when she said that she already
knew everything. She had mentally made it clear that she
had to not be shocked at whatever it was she would find
out, and make it look like she already knew about it. I
hope its nothing too bad, she said in her mind.
Then she heard a noise outside the room and talking;
it sounded like it was a female and another male. A
different one from who had taken her that morning.
Then she heard Don and she shivered when she
heard his voice as he made her skin crawl, and she
wondered what was going to happen.
She felt her stomach rumble; it had been a few hours
since she had last had anything to eat and she had only
had a piece of toast as they would have stopped off on
the way for something to eat. They were going to take it
slow and make the most of the trip up to Scotland.
Just then, Don opened the door and passed her a
sandwich. It was value ham and white stale bread with
a glass of water and an apple. Well it was better than
nothing and she said, Thanks, and took a bite and
instantly felt like throwing up. But she chewed it and
swallowed and took another bite; she needed to keep up
her strength if she was to make a run for it at the first
opportunity.
Don shut the door and locked it again, and this time
she moved closer to the door to listen to what was being
said.
She heard the woman say, Let me at her, Ill beat
ten bells out of her. Its all her fault that he left.

262

The other guy said, No its not, girl. He left you


years before he met her and youre just wanting to hurt
someone for what you had done to yourself. Im not
totally sure it was him that hurt you as much as you
claim he did. You were only sixteen when he left and
that was nearly thirty years ago now, so stop being a
bitch. Youre with Don now, and you should be happy.
The female shouted at him and said, You bastard!
Mary Jane heard a commotion and glass or pottery
smashing on to the floor and Don shouting, Pack it in,
you two. I have not got time to deal with you pair and
your shite right now, and he walked away from them
and went into the lounge to phone Terrence to let him
know what was expected of him to enable him to get
Mary Jane back. That was if he could be bothered
leaving her alive and unharmed.
He dialled the telephone number and waited for it to
be answered.
Terrence and Steve heard the phone ringing and ran
to get it but Steve put his hand on Terrences hand and
said, Stay calm, boy, or you might end up getting her
hurt and that is not good. Listen to what he has to say
and say, Can I speak to Mary Jane.
Terrence took a deep breath and answered the phone.
Hello, Terrence. How are you, boy?
What do you want, Don? he asked
Don replied, You have to come clean about why
you left Emma, and I want money from you. But I am
going to have some fun first and I may just need you to
go rob something for me. I want the deeds to Mary
Janes parents farm in America and make them nonreturnable, so you cant get them back.

263

Let me speak to Mary Jane, Terrence said. I need


to know she is ok and unhurt.
Don went to where he had put Mary Jane and opened
the door and said, Your darling husband wants a word,
no silly business, ok, bitch?
Mary Jane nodded at Don to confirm she understood
and spoke in to the phone. Terrence had the phone on
loud speaker when Mary Jane said, hello. Are you
there, Terrence?
Are you ok, baby? Has he hurt you?
No, Im ok. They have not hurt me, babe. They
have given me something to eat and its a little unclean
but Ill live with it, I suppose.
Where are you, babe? he asked.
Mary Jane said, I am where I went for a holiday
when I was fifteen with the club I went to at the time.
Mary Jane hoped Steve was with Terrence, as he
would know where she was and he would be able to sort
something out. Then Mary Jane asked, Are you hurt,
Terrence babe?
No, Im not hurt, darling. Im ok.
Don took the phone off her and said, Thats enough
smooching. It makes me sick listening to it. Are you ok
babe kissy kissy! Its not right! he shouted at Mary Jane.
Leave her alone! Terrence shouted to Don over the
phone. She has nothing to do with this and you know it.
Meet me, Don, and we can sort it all out ourselves.
Don asked Terrence, Have you already told her
about your past? Because if you have you have spoilt all
the fun of watching her face when she finds out what
youre really like.

264

Terrence thought about what Mary Jane may have


said and Steve nodded his head as to say, yes you have
told her.
Yes. I have told her. Why do you think she agreed
to marry me, you fucking idiot!
Don said, We will see what you really told her. I
will be in touch soon, so you best get a move on with
what I have told you to do. I will be in touch real soon.
He put the phone down and Terrence was left not
knowing what he should do now and he turned to Steve.
Terrence asked Steve, Did you get all that?
Yes, Steve said.
Where is she? he asked him.
Steve said, If I remember right, she went on a
school camp to the Lake District when she was fifteen
and she was close to Lake Windermere.
How do you know that? Terrence asked him.
He said, I used to sit and talk to Mary Jane when
she first got with Shane and that was when I realised
what a great girl she was, so full of life and funny. She
told me they went mountaineering in the Lake District
and they went on the boat around the lake and they
walked around the area for hours. If she is there, then she
will do what she can to get away and she will know
where to hide until she can get away and ask for help
and then she will call us to be picked up.
I hope youre right, but what are we going to do in
the meantime?
Steve said, Im going to call Teddy and tell him to
start looking in the Lake District area and that he needs
to look at old buildings on the outskirts of the area, as I
doubt they would take her to a built up area. They will
want to make sure it is secluded.
265

Steve went to phone Teddy and tell him what they


had found out so far and make arrangements to go
searching for Mary Jane. He then phoned Lucy to make
sure that the kids were safe in Cornwall. He told her to
keep an eye on the kids at all times and not talk to
anyone asking questions about the kids. She knew what
to do, she was not daft and he knew it, but he told her
anyway and as he put the phone down he said, Lucy, I
love you, baby. He then went to talk to Terrence.

266

Chapter 42

Teddy, we have had contact with the guys who took


Mary Jane and she said she is somewhere near where she
went when she was fifteen, Steve told Teddy on the
phone.
Have you spoken to her, Steve? Teddy asked.
Yes. Terrence has and she seems ok and unhurt at
the moment, but Ive no idea how much longer they will
leave her unhurt, so we best get a move on. They are
threatening to tell Mary Jane about Terrences
background, but as shes a bright girl she said he had
already told her.
Mary Jane was sat in that damp, dark room, starting
to feel cold and hungry. She wondered what time it was,
as she could not see her watch as there was no light
coming in to the room. She had no idea how long she
had been in that room when the door opened.
It took a minute or two for Mary Janes eyes to
adjust to the light, and when they did she saw a female
stood in the doorway with red hair and a slim figure. She
was about 5 9 tall and her eyes were dark brown or
they may have even been black, but that could not be so.
Well, bitch, do you need to go to the bathroom and
do you want something to eat? she asked Mary Jane.
267

Mary Jane nodded her head, Yes please, she said


and stood up to walk to the bathroom, and she thought,
Ill get a bit of peace. But the woman stayed in the
bathroom and Mary Jane said, Can I have some privacy
please?
No, she said. You cant. I have to watch your
every movement, bitch.
Ok, if youre going to watch me go to the loo then
you could at least tell me your name.
Why do you want to know my name? You wont be
alive to tell anyone, so why bother telling you what it
is?
Well, if you dont want to tell me then I will have to
call you a slut.
Mary Jane pulled down her pants and went to the
toilet with her watching her, then she heard Don shout,
Where are you?
She said, We are in here. Shes on the loo and then
Im going to give her some of that stew you made.
Ok, but hurry up. I want you here so I can have my
way with you, he said.
The woman said to Mary Jane, Unless you want to
watch or even join in, you had best hurry up, hadnt
you?
Mary Jane finished and went into the kitchen and sat
down to eat what had been left in a dish for her on the
table. It was cold and stodgy. What is it? she asked.
Its cat stew, she laughed.
Mary Jane spat it back out and said, Thanks, but I
dont seem to be hungry anymore.

268

She went back in to the damp room she had just been
let out of, and she asked as the door was shutting, What
time is it?
Its 7pm, was the reply.
Thank you, she said, and sat on the damp mattress
to either wait for morning or fall asleep, and then she
would try to get away from them.
Terrence was told to remain in the house and wait for
further instructions and Steve went to talk to Teddys
security team and explain where Mary Jane had gone
when she visited the Lake District.
Meanwhile, Don went about fucking the female who
had taken Mary Jane to the toilet, and he did it in front of
Ben, and eventually Ben said, Let me have a go!
So they both fucked her senseless and she was
screaming in pain as they went at her from both ends;
one from the back and the other from the front. Then she
had to ride Don whilst she gave Ben a blow-job. Ben
pulled her hair to make her take him deeper in to her
mouth and when he climaxed he said to her, Swallow it,
bitch, or I'll slap you silly. So she swallowed.
Don climaxed inside her and said, You can swallow
mine next, and they changed places and did it all again.
It went on for hours and Mary Jane heard every single
minute of it all and she thought, please, God, dont let
them try to do that to me. I would rather die than have
that happen to me.
And the next morning when she opened the door to
let Mary Jane out to go to the toilet and eat some toast,
she noticed bruises on her arms and neck where they had
slapped her and held her head in place for them to thrust
deeper in to her mouth. Mary Jane said, You should not
let them do that to you. Youre worth more than that.

269

My name is Diane, she said to Mary Jane, and I


am only worth what they say I am worth.
No youre not, Diane, youre worth way more than
that, girl, and you should find yourself a decent guy who
loves and respects you.
Mary Jane, do you really love Terrence even though
he cannot have children and he is not very romantic?
Diane, love I have four children and two of them
are Terrences.
No way, Diane said.
"Yes. If I had my bag I could show you a picture of
them.
So as Mary Jane sat eating her toast, Diane got Mary
Janes bag and asked where the picture would be and
Mary Jane said, It is in my purse. Diane passed Mary
Jane her purse and she was shown the picture of
Terrence with the children in front of the Christmas tree.
Diane sat and looked at the picture for a while and
said, He looks happy and the kids are beautiful.
Thank you, Diane. And he was happy in that
picture, that was just before we got married and it was
part of my Christmas present that he gave me.
Diane said, Im sorry, I should not be here. If I had
known that he was married with children I would not
have agreed to this, but I have no idea how I am to get
away from doing it now. She looked at Mary Jane and
said, I am so sorry.
Mary Jane said, Why, what are they going to do to
me, and why are they doing it?
Well, I was doing it to get back at Terrence for
leaving like he did when I was sixteen without a word,

270

and Don is doing it for his own reasons, which Im not


too sure about.
Just then, Don walked in and said, Enough chitchat, get her back in to that room now.
Diane looked at Mary Jane and said, Sorry, as she
pushed her back in to the room she was taken out of a
little while ago. But this time, Mary Jane did not hear the
bolt being shut across the door and she knew Diane had
changed her mind and it looked like she was allowing
her a way out of this situation.
Whilst Mary Jane sat in the damp dark room she
heard them talking about Terrence and Diane telling
them she wanted nothing more to do with it and she
would be going back home as soon as she could, then
she heard a slap and screaming, You bastard! Why did
you do that?
Diane, youre in this too deep to walk away now,
and I wont let you. Ill kill you before you get to walk
away from this, like Im not letting her in there live once
I get what I want from Terrence. Im going to kill her
and leave her to rot in that room.
Mary Jane became scared after she heard that and
she tried the door and found it open, so she waited until
they had gone out before she made a run for it.
After a while she heard don tell Diane, Im going to
tie you to this chair in the kitchen and youll wait until I
get back from seeing Terrence. It will be a few hours, so
get comfy. She heard the door shut and a car starting up
outside and heard it drive away from the cottage.
Mary Jane waited until she thought it was safe and
opened the door slightly and said, Diane, are you ok?
Diane replied, Yes, but Im tied up and I cant help
you out. Sorry
271

Have they both gone, Diane?


Yes, they have. Im sat in the kitchen, tied to a chair
and youre locked in the cupboard.
Then, Mary Jane appeared behind Diane and said, If
I untie you are you going to put me back in that
cupboard or will you let me get out of here?
Diane looked at Mary Jane and said, How did you
get out? Mary Jane thought, Im not telling her she left
the door unlocked.
Wheres my bag, Diane? I need my stuff so I can
get out of here.
Diane told her, Don has it in his car with him. But I
kept the picture if you want that.
Mary Jane took it out of Dianes pocket and said to
her, Well, what are you going to do? Let me go or do I
leave you tied up here for when Don gets back and he
finds me gone? Then what will he do to you?
Mary Jane, I have no idea. If I let you go he will kill
me, and if I go with you and he finds us, he will kill us
both.
Mary Jane said, He wont find us, because when we
get into town we will go to the police station and tell
them everything, and he will get arrested and he will be
put in prison. You will be free.
No, I wont, Mary Jane. I played a part in this too
you know.
Well ok, youll go prison for a short while, then you
can go home and start anew.
Ok, Ill come with you, Mary Jane. Thank you and I
am so sorry for being part of this.

272

So Mary Jane untied Diane and they went out of the


back door in to the dense woodland and made their way
through to the road on the other side.
They didnt go out via the drive in case anyone was
watching and expecting them to leg it.

273

Chapter 43

It was nearly five oclock when they stopped and Mary


Jane said, I think we are lost, Diane. Lets go over
there, it looks like a cave, we can shelter from the storm
that is coming this way and it looks a bad one.
As they walked over to the cave they collected wood
so they could start a fire.
Diane, what is in that bag you are carrying? Mary
Jane finally asked her.
Diane said, Bread and fruit, and a lighter and some
cigarettes and whiskey.
Oh good. Come on, lets run, she said as it started
to rain down hard. They entered the cave; it went fairly
deep, so they walked back in to the depths and found
somewhere they could sit and start a fire without it being
seen from outside.
As Mary Jane started the fire to warm them up,
Diane got out the bread, fruit and whiskey and sat down
near where Mary Jane was lighting the fire. When the
fire was lit, Mary Jane sat back from it and held her
hands to the fire to warm up and then she sat on the
boulder behind her and said, Tell me everything,
Diane.

274

As Diane passed Mary Jane the bread and fruit, she


started to tell Mary Jane about when she was fifteen and
she had met Terrence when he was on holiday and how
they were going to get married.
Then, Mary Jane hushed her as she heard Don
outside shouting and the thunder raging over head. They
heard him say, Find them, and shoot them on sight. Im
not having this again, they can die and I will make
Terrence pay with him having their deaths on his hands,
because he did not help quickly enough.
Mary Jane and Diane went deeper in to the cave and
hoped he would not come to look in the cave, or they
would be shot.
Then they heard someone shout, Over here! I got
footsteps! They went off in the opposite direction and
their voices faded and Mary Jane and Diane sat back
close to the fire to warm up again and Diane told her
everything.
Well, I was fifteen when I met Terrence and it was
July 4th and there was a fair in the town and everyone
was there. I saw him near the roller coaster, waiting in
line and he must have been about sixteen and I spoke to
him and asked if I could sneak in the queue with him and
then we started dating.
It turned out he was only in town for a few weeks
on holiday, but I didnt want him to leave. But when he
came to leave, I told him that I loved him and he said he
had to go. I begged him to stay and he said he would try
his best, and then he went off with my brother Nathan to
go get some beer from the local store and he never
returned. My brother was killed that night by a police
shoot-out after a robbery at the store, so I blamed
Terrence for it all. He killed my brother and Ill never
forgive him for that. Diane cried and Mary Jane sat and
275

watched her thinking, Terrence would not do that, she is


lying about it all.
She sat back and took a swig of the whiskey, then
put more wood on the fire to keep it going and to warm
it up a little more, as the draft coming in from the cave
entrance was nearly blowing out the fire. Mary Jane sat
there watching Diane for a few hours whilst she slept
and she eventually fell asleep herself, but not a deep
sleep as she heard a noise outside again. The fire had
gone out and she could still hear the rain pelting down
and the cracking thunder as it moved away from them. It
was getting quieter and less often, so she slid further
back in to the cave and left Diane sleeping where she
was. Mary Jane took the food and whiskey with her and
the bag that Diane had brought with her. She hid behind
a rock a few feet away from where Diane was and she
heard Don come in to the cave and say, Diane! Where
is she?
Diane looked up and said, Oh shit! Im sorry, Don.
She made me, please dont kill me, I promise when I get
my hands on her ill kill her myself. Mary Jane was not
sure if she was telling the truth or if she was lying to
save her life.
Then Mary Jane saw two other guys stood beside
Don and one of them was lighting the fire again. Don
said to Diane, It is still raining outside, so Im going to
have some fun in here with you and youre going to have
some fun with them, as he pointed to the two guys
stood beside him. Diane looked scared. Mary Jane slid
further back so that when the fire was started she would
not be seen, and she hoped Diane was going to be ok and
hoped she would understand that Mary Jane could not
help her right now.

276

As Don took Dianes clothes off she was crying,


Please dont do this, Don!
One of the guys held Dianes hands above her head
as Don ripped her bottom half off and spread her legs.
The other guy held them open as Don pulled his pants
down and he thrust in to Diane and she screamed in pain.
Mary Jane held her hands on to her ears and kept her lips
shut so she could not scream out as she witnessed Diane
being raped in the cave.
As Don was fucking Diane, the guy who was holding
her hands above her head leant over and started to bite
her boobs, and the guy who was holding her feet kept
saying, Hurry up, I want a turn. When Don had
finished, the guy holding Dianes feet took over where
Don had finished, and Don kept slapping Diane around
the head with stones. The guy who held her hands took
over from the second guy and Diane was crying, Stop,
please, the whole time.
When they had fucked her, they sat down next to the
fire for a while and then they turned Diane over on her
stomach and raped her from behind and made her give
each of them a blow job. They pulled her hair and held
her mouth on them when they each climaxed, and then
they did it a third and fourth time. They spent all day
raping her in that cave and when they had finished, they
fell asleep around the fire. Mary Jane sat there too scared
to move, as if they saw her, what would they do to her?
She was crying in to her hands silently, hoping Diane
was going to be ok, thinking: Please someone, help me! I
cant go through any of that, and please, God, let Diane
be ok.
Diane lay on the ground in the cave and moaned, she
was still only half dressed and she was bleeding from her
legs and private area and her face was so swollen that
277

you could not tell what she looked like or what colour
hair she had, as it was covered in dirt from the cave
floor.
When Don and the guys woke up an hour later, they
raped her up the ass and again made Diane give each a
blow job. They each beat her some more and when they
had finished they said, Come on, lets go find that other
bitch and do the same to her. They walked out saying to
Diane, Hope it dont take you too long to die. No one
will find you here and you will rot away and wild
animals will eat your remains. They laughed as they
left.
Mary Jane waited for half an hour before she came
out of hiding and went to Diane and turned her over and
said, Diane. Are you ok?
Diane tried to open her swollen eyes to look at Mary
Jane and said, What do you think?
Im sorry, Diane. I could not help you but Im here
now.
Its ok, Diane told Mary Jane. As Mary Jane was
trying to get Diane to take a sip of whiskey, Diane said,
Look, Mary Jane, you need to get out of here. They will
do worse than this to you, as you are Terrences wife.
But what has he done to them, Diane? Please tell
me.
Diane grabbed her arm and said, Don was with
Terrence and Nathan when Nathan was killed, and now
Im not totally sure if it was Terrence or Don who started
everything that night. Please, Mary Janego! And when
you get chance, phone for help and tell them where I am
and maybe Ill survive this if I am really lucky.
Mary Jane said she would stay with her for a while,
and she held Diane in her arms and spoke to her gently
278

about life and the weather outside. It was raining again


and she tried to clean up Dianes wounds as best she
could, but Dianes breathing was becoming shallow.
When it turned dark outside Mary Jane lit the fire for
Diane and said, Im going to go get you some help,
Diane. Hang on in there for me please, so we can get you
help and explain that Don was the one who did this.
What were the two guys called that were with him? she
asked before she left.
They were called Ben and Andy Smart. They are
brothers from New York City and Don is called Donald
Archer. Hes also from New York City.
Mary Jane said, Hold in there, Diane. Im going to
go get you some help. She left the picture of Terrence
and her kids next to Diane and said, Look after this for
me and Ill come and get it off you when youre better,
ok?
Diane smiled and said, Thanks, Mary Jane. You
dont have to be kind to me, but thank you for
everything you have done for me.

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Chapter 44

As Mary Jane left the cave, it was still raining outside


and pretty hard. She turned left out of the cave and was
trying to collect her bearings when she heard voices
coming from the right. She hid behind the large tree a
short way from the cave entrance and she saw Ben
coming towards the cave. Mary Jane slid away quietly
without making Ben aware that she was there, and she
walked down the hill, trying not to slip on the mud as
she would be no use if they found her injured and then
what would they do to her? At that thought, Mary Jane
started to run.
Mary Jane reached a dirt track road that led to a
farm. She came out of the trees and walked along the dirt
track towards the farm with the intent of phoning the
police to let them know of Dianes need for help.
When Mary Jane got to the farm she knocked on the
door and waited for it to be answered, and when it was
opened an old gentlemen stood in front of her and he
asked, Can I help you, girl?
She said, Yes, you can.
He invited her in the house and gave her a hot drink
and a sandwich and she told him everything.

280

His wife walked in to the kitchen and said, Are you


ok, love?
Mary Jane said, I will be, but when you phone the
police, could you please not tell anyone Im here as
someone is after me and trying to kill me. Its Diane that
needs help as she had been raped by three guys, and their
names are Donald Archer and Ben and Andy Smart from
New York City.
The old man phoned the police and gave them the
information, and when they asked how he knew this he
told them someone who got away from them before they
hurt the other woman had left a note on their doorstep,
and he had not seen what the person looked like. Mary
Jane smiled and mouthed the words thank you as his
wife ran her a bath so she could change and get a wash
and something better to eat than a piece of fruit and
mouldy bread.
As Mary Jane was in the bath getting washed, she
heard someone knock on the front door and it being
opened. She heard a voice she knew say, I am P.C.
Michael Short from the Yorkshire Police Department. I
am here in reference to the phone call you made about a
woman being in a cave on the hillside near here.
Oh, come in, officer.
As he walked in, Martha went upstairs and knocked
on the door to say a police officer was here and would
she want to talk to them?
Mary Jane looked at her and said, No. Please I
need time to sort out in my head what I found out about
my husband.
Martha said to her, Ok, love. I wont tell him youre
here and Ill come get you when he has left. Ok? Mary
Jane smiled her thanks.

281

When Martha got downstairs she looked at her


husband and shook her head, and he nodded at her as if
to say ok.
Martha offered Michael a drink as they talked and
she made four mugs of coffee. Michael said, Whos that
one for?
Martha thought, you silly fool! She said, Its for my
daughter upstairs in the bath. She just broke up with her
boyfriend and shes upset and she will be going to bed
when she had her bath.
Martha took the drink to Mary Jane and told her to
go in the room next to the bathroom and get some sleep
and she would see her soon as the officer had left.
Michael asked Martha about the note that was left
and they said, Oh sorry, love, the dog and cat were
fighting and it fell into the open fire, so I could not save
it. But it told us that there was a girl in a cave up there.
She pointed out of the window to show in what direction
she meant and that she would need help as she was badly
injured and had been raped.
Did you see who left the note? he asked Martha.
Oh, no, officer. We was in here when Ronald heard
the dog barking at the door and he went to see who was
there and he found the note and brought it back in and
we phoned you.
Ronald, did you see anyone walking away from the
house when you opened the door?
No, he said in a gruff voice as he picked up his
drink to stop himself from saying anything else and left
the rest to Martha to tell.
Michael said that a woman had been kidnapped and
they were looking for her and that they could not find the
cave at the moment. They wondered if they knew where
282

the cave was exactly, and Martha said, The only cave
up there, love, is next to the big tree, and its about a
mile up and to the east of where we are now.
Just then, Michael heard on his radio that they had
found the cave and found a body in the cave. Michael
said, Thank you. Ill be back if I need further
information.
Ok, Martha told him and she walked him out of
the house and shut the door.
Martha went upstairs to see if Mary Jane was ok and
saw her fast asleep on the bed in the night dress she had
laid out for the girl, so she quietly shut the door and went
back to Ronald. She said, Leave her in bed, she is
sleeping and she must need it. So they sat down and
drank their cocoa and then went to bed themselves as it
was getting late.
When Mary Jane woke the next morning, she looked
around the room she was in and sighed a breath of relief
at the fact she was in a cosy room. She went downstairs
to ask where her dirty clothes were.
Martha turned and smiled at her and said, I put
them in the wash, love. They were filthy. She passed
her a pair of jeans and a jumper with a t-shirt and her
underwear, as they were dry.
Mary Jane said, Thank you, and went upstairs and
heard Martha ask whether she wanted tea and toast. Oh,
yes please, she replied, and she went to get dressed and
returned downstairs.
When she got downstairs she could smell fresh bread
coming out of the oven and a fresh pot of tea being
brewed on the hearth.
Thank you for these clothes. Who do they belong
to?
283

They belonged to my daughter and she moved to


London for work and left them behind, so you may as
well use them, love. What happened? Martha asked
Mary Jane. So Mary Jane sat down and told her
everything about the last six years. Martha said, Oh, my
girl, you have had it rough.
When Mary Jane finished telling her about it, she
said, I need time to sort it out and make up my mind
what I am going to do now. Whether to return and risk
this happening again or to leave and never own up to
where I am and leave the kids so they can be safe.
Well, love, you can stay here for a while if that
helps you.
Mary Jane asked, Are you sure?
Ronald came in and said, Aye, lass. Stay here. You
can keep her from nagging me when Im watching my
football and cricket on TV. He laughed and sat down to
eat his breakfast.
That day, Mary Jane was shown around the property
and she asked what she could do to help and pay for her
keep. Ronald said, Keep her busy. He laughed and
they went inside to have a drink and chat further and at
dusk they all went to bed around nine as they had to be
up early to feed the animals.
Mary Jane fell straight to sleep, but back in
Yorkshire Michael arrived to talk to Terrence and show
him what they had found.
As Michael sat down in the kitchen, Terrence was
pacing back and forth. Steve was there too and Michael
handed him the picture they had found beside the body,
as when they had got to the cave the woman they had
found was deceased from her injuries. Terrence shouted,
Is it Mary Jane?

284

Michael said, We cant be sure just yet. Sorry. The


injuries to the females face are so extensive that we
have to do a DNA test to confirm if it is Mary Jane.
Why? What did they do to her? Steve asked.
Michael said, Im not prepared to tell you the extent
of the injuries, apart from they are so bad that you
cannot tell who it is.
Terrence walked over to Steve and took the picture
they had found next to the body, and he fell to the floor
when he saw it was the picture he had given Mary Jane
on their wedding day. Steve went over to him and said,
We have to wait until we find out the truth, Terrence.
Terrence shouted, I have lost her! What am I going
to do now? I cant live without her and what about the
kids they need their mother in their lives. He cried
openly in front of everyone in the room and Steve left
him on the floor to show Michael out. He went back to
Terrence and stayed with him until he was ready to get
up off the floor and sit at the table and talk.
Steve. What about her jewellery? Ill I get it back?
I have no idea, Terrence. But Ill phone Michael
and ask him in a few days. Lets just try to get through
the next few days until we find out for sure if it is Mary
Jane and then we can go from there, and lets not tell the
kids until we know for sure, ok?
Yes, Terrence replied, Im not telling the kids
until I know for certain that it is Mary Jane.
Steve helped put the young kids to bed that night and
sat in the house waiting all night. The phone rang about
3am.Steve answered it, Hello, can I help? he said and
when he heard the voice on the phone he slumped back
in the chair and said, What do you want?

285

Don said, Terrence better keep his end of the


agreement.
Why the hell should he? You have already killed
Mary Jane. What the hell did you do to her and why is it
going to take so long to confirm her identity? he asked.
Don said, I will call you back in a few days. I
expect Terrence to have the items I have requested or I
will be coming after the kids and Terrence and I wont
be holding back on what I will do to them.
Steve put the phone down and phoned to leave a
message for Michael Short, asking him to contact him as
soon as possible on his mobile, as it was now time to
bring the police in as Don was making threats to the kids
and Terrence.
After Steve left the message on the answer machine,
he sat back in the chair and cried, as he had failed Mary
Jane and Teddy. He was supposed to look after her and
he could not save her and it was killing him. How would
he look the kids in their faces when he told them Mary
Jane was dead and that she would not see them again? It
was Steve who should have made sure they were all safe.
As the day rose, Mary Jane got out of bed and went
to help Martha and Ronald feed the animals and fix a
few fences, so they could not get out. When she went
indoors to eat, she saw a fella sat at the table talking to
Martha and laughing.
Martha said, Morning, Mary Jane. Meet my son,
Fred.
Fred stood up and shook her hand and said, Thanks
for helping my parents out, I cant seem to get enough
time away from work to be here to help as much I would
like. He sat back down and ate the bacon sandwich that
Martha had put in front of him and passed one to Mary

286

Jane and she was told, Eat up. Youll need your
strength. She laughed.
Over the next few weeks Mary Jane got in to a
routine with the chores that needed doing around the
farm with Martha and Ronald, and she was enjoying the
time away from the stress and uncertainty of what was
going to happen next.
Fred had been coming more often, and he invited
Mary Jane to go for a boat ride on Lake Windermere.
Mary Jane agreed, as it was a long time since she had
been there and she needed to take a few hours off. So
they arranged it for the following Saturday and he would
pick Mary Jane up at 9am and they would have a picnic
and make a day of it.
Mary Jane was looking forward to it and the week
went really quickly. She woke early on the Saturday
morning and finished her morning chores before 6am,
and she went to shower and put on some jeans and a
jumper, then pulled her hair back in a plain plait and
waited for Fred to turn up to take her out.

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Chapter 45

P.C. Michael Short arrived at the Constance-Bartholamu


residence to inform them of the DNA findings on the
body and he knocked on the door and waited for it to be
answered. When Michelle answered the door she said,
Hi, Michael. What are you doing here?
I need to speak to Terrence, please.
Michelle shouted, Dad! Michael is here to see
you? She let him in and showed him to the kitchen to
wait.
Terrence came running down the stairs with Steve
and said, Michelle, can you go finish sorting Benjamin
out, please? He needs to be dressed.
Michelle said, Sure, and went upstairs to get
Benjamin dressed.
Well, Michael, what have you found out? Steve
asked as Michelle was walking up the stairs.
Please sit down, Terrence, he said and they both
sat down. He said, We have confirmed the identity of
the female body that we found in the cave near Lake
Windermere. I can say without doubt that the body is not
that of Mary Jane. It is a girl called Diane
Before Michael could finish, Terrence said, Moss.
Was she called Diane Moss?
288

Yes, Michael told him. How do you know that?


Terrence told Michael that Diane moss had been
dating Don since Terrence left New York after a holiday
when he was sixteen. He thought they might have ended
the relationship but obviously they were still together. I
am really sorry she is dead, he said. Hopefully she will
be at peace now. But how did she have that picture of me
and the kids with her body? And what were her
injuries?
Michael told Terrence that someone had approached
an old couple on a farm near the cave and left a note, but
nobody saw who left the note telling them to call the
police and notify them of the girls whereabouts. It said
she would need help so it could be assumed that she was
alive when the person left her, and now they dont know
that Diane was dead.
Was it Mary Jane? Steve and Terrence asked at the
same time.
We have no sighting of who it was that left the
note. Michael told them. Im sorry I cant be of any
more help. But as far as we know, Mary Jane is alive,
although we cant be sure if she is injured or not. We can
only hope that she is ok.
Michael stayed talking to Terrence and Steve for
another hour or so and he left promising to keep them
informed of any further developments in the case, and he
drove away.
Terrence said, At least it was not her in the cave. I
would have never forgiven myself if she had died. He
smiled as he knew Mary Jane was alive; he could feel it
in his bones. He asked Steve if they could go to
Windermere to look for her that day.

289

Steve and Terrence set off to Lake Windermere and


arrived about three hours later with the traffic being so
bad on the motorway. They parked up the car and went
towards the lake. As they approached the dock area of
the lake they thought they say Mary Jane waiting in line
to get on the boat that went around the lake. They ran
over and got on the boat and started to look around to
see if it was Mary Jane they had seen getting on the boat.
They saw her sat at the back of the boat looking over the
edge in to the water and Terrence approached her and
said, Mary Jane.
She spun around and threw her arms around him and
said, Darling, Im sorry, I love you. Her legs gave out
on her and she slumped in his arms and cried. Terrence
picked her up and carried her to the closest bench on the
boat and sat next to her and asked why she had not been
in touch.
Mary Jane looked at Terrence and said, I heard Don
talking about when you were younger and what you did
and why you left America. He said that you had spent
time in prison and I kind of needed time to think it all
through, as you never seem to tell me anything about
your past. I know who you are now, but not who you
were when you were younger and it hurts that you dont
trust me enough to tell me anything about yourself. I do
love you more than you realise and you can trust me. I
just need to know the truth about your past.
But if I tell you, Mary Jane, you might leave me.
Well, babe, I may leave if you dont tell me.
Terrence realised that he was stuck between a rock
and a hard place; he was dammed if he did, and dammed
if he didnt.

290

Steve walked up to them with a drink in his hand and


gave Mary Jane a kiss on her head and said Hi He then
walked to the bench next to them and sat down. He
watched everyone that was close by and he noticed a guy
looking at them and he had not turned away. So he went
over to ask him what was wrong, and when he
approached the guy he said, You got a problem, mate?
He turned and said, Yes, I have. You talking to her.
She came on this trip with me.
And who are you? Steve asked.
Im Fred, and Mary Jane is staying at my parents
place.
Well, Fred the guy talking to Mary Jane is her
husband and she has been missing for over a month now.
So lets leave them to talk, shall we? He showed him to
the canteen on the boat and bought him a drink and
talked to Fred some more.
Terrence put his arm around Mary Jane and said,
Ok, love. Its time I told you everything and there are
some things you may not like and I must impress that I
am not that person now and have not been that person
for the last twenty years. I was a young, ignorant, stupid
kid. Ok?
Mary Jane nodded her head and said, Ok.
As Steve was talking to Fred, he noticed that Fred
was constantly fidgeting and looking around the boat as
if looking for someone and said, Fred what have you
done?
Fred said, I needed some money as I am in debt
with gambling and I saw this guy walking around asking
if anyone had seen this girl, and he showed me Mary
Janes picture and I told him she was at my mothers

291

place and they said they pay my debts off if I brought


her on this boat today and handed her over to them.
Steve said, Youd better be joking.
No, Im not, said Fred.
Steve phoned Teddy and said, We need help on the
Lake Windermere boat now, and told him what he had
found out. He sat Fred down and said, Dont you dare
move. He went to tell Terrence they were in trouble, as
Don was somewhere on the boat and he was going to try
and hurt Mary Jane. He said they should come inside and
sit out of sight.

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Chapter 46

Terrence started to tell Mary Jane everything that he had


done as a kid when he visited America:
Well, he started. I went on a school trip to new
York City when I was sixteen and I met up with Don,
Ben, Andy and Nathan, and then I met Nathans sister,
Diane. We hung around, it was a July 4th fair, and there
was loads happening and I kind of dated Diane, and she
fell in love with me but more than I loved her. We were
together every day whilst I was there, and before I left I
went out with Nathan and Don to get some drink from
the local store and I waited outside whilst Nathan and
Don went inside to get it. I heard screaming, so I ran
inside and saw Don raping the cashier and Nathan
empting the register and taking cigarettes and booze
from the store, so I walked out and went back to the car
and waited for the to return.
When they came out, I drove the car away from the
scene and we went to Central Park in Manhattan, and as
we drove towards the park the police caught up with us.
They gave chase and when we could go no further the
police, Nathan and Don had a shoot-out. I hid on the
back seat, hoping that Id be ok, and when it all came to
an end Nathan was dead and Don was hurt in the leg.

293

After a while I got out of the car and was arrested


for helping out in the crime. I was charged with being
party to the crime and sent to prison for a few years. But
then I managed to get a plea deal and I got out in six
months, but only after I told everything. Basically, I
ratted on Nathan and Don.
Don got ten years and when he got out he came
looking for me to get a pay-out. He thinks I owe him, but
I was cleared of all charges when the girl who was raped
told the court I was not a part of it. It was Don and
Nathans DNA they found at the scene, I had not even
been in the shop at all. So, darling I have spent six
months inside a prison, and after that, when I returned
home, I was caught for drunk driving and assault and a
few drug offences around fifteen years ago. I cleaned up
and have never touched anything since and I am really
sorry. I never told you before but I was ashamed of it all
and it was in the past, but I wish now I had told you, as
you would have been able to deal with everything that is
happening at the moment. I hope we can get through all
this and become a family again and live happily, he told
Mary Jane.
Mary Jane looked at Terrence and said, I think we
can overcome this, but you have to promise that you will
never lie to me ever again, love. She was leaning in to
kiss him when they heard a gunshot ring out and Mary
Jane fell over the rail of the boat and she disappeared
under the water. Terrence was hit in the chest by the
second bullet that rang out. Everyone on the boat ran
about screaming and Steve managed to get hold of Don
and tackle him to the ground and held him captive until
the police boarded the boat.
The police arrested Don and Fred and took them
away and police divers went in to the water to find Mary
294

Jane. When they found her she was still under the water
and not breathing. When they pulled her out they did
CPR and managed to restart her heart.
They rushed her off to the hospital with Terrence sat
next to her in the ambulance, and when they arrived at
the hospital she was taken into the resuscitation room
and Terrence was taken in to a hospital bay to have his
wounds tended to.
Mary Jane was laid on the hospital bed in
resuscitation with drips in her arms and her wounds were
tended to. She was exceptionally lucky that she had not
lost a limb or her life after being hit by the boat
propeller. She had a bad fracture to her head and it was
looking like it would take a while to recover from the
injury that she had got from the boat accident.
Mary Jane was moved to a ward and kept under
observation until she woke up. Once Terrences wound
had been seen to, he went to sit next to her bed and wait
for her to wake up. He hoped it would not be long before
she did, as he really hated sitting in hospitals. Steve
found Terrence sat next to Mary Janes bed in the
hospital and brought him a drink and sat with him to talk
about it all.
What happened to Donald? Steve asked.
Well, he was arrested and taken to Kendal police
station, along with that Fred who told Donald where she
would be today. Hes going to be charged with assisting
a criminal in his crime and theyll be going to prison for
a long time.
Terrence said, He should be given the death penalty
and nothing else. He placed his head into Mary Janes
hand and wept, Please, babe come back to me. I need
you, and the children need you too.

295

That day passed without much news about Mary


Janes condition, and they heard from Michael Short that
Donald had been transferred to Yorkshire Police Station
and was being transferred to Wakefield Prison to await a
court date for his crimes. There would be a hearing next
week and it would be good for Terrence to attend, so
Terrence told Michael he would be there and Steve
would be too, as it was Steve who had caught them on
the boat and kept them until the police arrived.
The whole of that week, Mary Jane was in a coma,
and there was no change to her condition, so the doctor
said she would be ok if they left her. Reluctantly,
Terrence and Steve left the hospital that morning to
travel back to Leeds for the court hearing and while they
waited for the proceedings to start, back at the hospital,
Mary Jane had some unexpected visitors.
Ben and Andy Smart were dressed as orderlies and
they entered her room and started to put drugs in to her
drip as she lay there. A nurse saw them and called for
security and the doctor. As Ben and Andy were leaving
the room, the security guys caught them and the doctor
asked them what they had administered to Mary Jane.
They said, She wont be able to tell anybody what
happened, and no witnesses means no proof. They
laughed as they were led away from the room. The
doctors ran over to Mary Jane and saw her heart rate was
racing and her eyes were rolling about in her head with
sweat rolling off her face.
The doctor shouted, Nurse Stapes, get me some
Benzodiazepines and Saline. Stat!
Nurse Stapes ran off to get the drugs the doctor had
requested and came back in the room. As the doctor was
monitoring her vitals, he administered the drugs and

296

said, Nurse Stapes, please stay with her until her vital
signs return to normal, and if required, call me again.
As the doctor walked out of the room, Mary Janes
heart stopped beating, and then all hell let loose as more
medical staff ran in to the room to deal with the
emergency.
Nurse Stapes started chest compressions whilst they
waited for the defibrillator to be brought in the room,
then the first lead was placed on Mary Jane on her upper
sternum, just below her clavicle and the second lead was
placed to the left, with the centre being in the maxillary
line. Stapes shouted, 195 Systolic as the doctor
shouted Clear and shocked Mary Jane. Her body
convulsed and laid back on the bed. Stapes said, No
heart beat detected, doctor, and restarted the
compressions as the doctor turned up the voltage on the
defibrillator. They shocked her again and again until
they had a heart beat and the doctor asked stapes to flush
the fluids through, as she could be dehydrated from the
drugs that she had just been given.
As the doctor stood waiting to see if Mary Janes
heart rate and blood pressure returned to normal, the
police arrived to see what was happening.
The doctor took the police officer to one side and
told him that Mary Jane was in a critical condition and it
would be wise to phone her family, as she may not
survive the day. So the officer radioed base and
requested they contact Terrence to tell him Mary Jane
had taken a turn for the worse.
Terrence and Steve were sat in the court room when
Michael come over to them and said, You need to get
back to Kendal now. Mary Jane has been attacked and
may not make it through the day.

297

Terrence turned white and said, What happened?


Michael said, Ill tell you on the way. Come on,
lets go.
Michael put Terrence and Steve in to a marked car
and they raced to Kendal with the blue lights flashing
and the sirens going. Michael told Terrence and Steve
about Ben and Andy administering cocaine to Mary Jane
through her IV line, and that luckily the nurse saw them
and was able to get the right treatment straightaway. Butt
Mary Janes heart had stopped and she was in critical
condition and was being transferred to intensive care.
When Terrence arrived, he saw Teddy and the
children waiting to be shown in to the intensive care
ward to see Mary Jane.
She was laid on the bed, covered in drips and lines
and monitors that bleeped every few seconds. She was
also on a ventilator and Terrence sat down and held her
hand and said, Mary Jane, I know you can hear me, my
love. Please dont give up. I need you and the kids need
you. Please fight and come home to us. Please Mary
Jane. He screamed out and Steve took him out of the
room to calm down and have a drink.
The children went into see Mary Jane laid there and
they held her hand and said, Please Mummy, we love
you. We promise we will be good from now on, and we
wont fight any more. We promise. Please Mummy, can
you hear us?
The nurse who was sat in the ward watching over
Mary Jane was crying when she heard what the children
had been saying. She watched as the grandfather held the
youngest ones hand. The little boy cried, holding his
hands out, Mama, please, mama! They walked out of

298

the room to sit outside and wait for Mary Jane to recover
from the injuries.

299

Chapter 47

Meanwhile, whilst Mary Jane was in a coma at Kendal


infirmary, the court date for Donald Archer and Ben and
Andy Smart was set, and Terrence went to the court
room dressed in a black suit every day. He then went to
visit Mary Jane at the hospital and sat with her all night,
talking to her and begging her to get better.
As the court proceedings went on, it came out that
Donald had a vendetta against Terrence for telling on
him, as he was hoping he could have got away with
telling them that Nathan had held them captive and
forced them to do it by gun point, but because of
Terrences evidence, he was sent to prison for ten years.
As each day passed he grew to hate Terrence more and
more, and every day Donald was raped in the cells or in
the showers of the prison and he blamed Terrence for
this too and that it was Terrences fault he was now gay.
The prosecutor told Donald that it was not Terrence
who had made him gay, or him being raped either.
Because there is no evidence to prove that going through
that sort of ordeal causes people to change their sexual
orientation, and so that information was removed from
the court records.

300

They went in to detail about the injuries that had


been caused to Diane Moss and told the court that it was
Mary Jane who had escaped from them and informed the
police to try and get Diane some help for her injuries.
But unfortunately she died before they could get to her,
and that was a shame as she was a victim just like Mary
Jane was, and now Mary Jane was laid in the hospital
bed in a coma due to Donald arranging to pay off Freds
debts if he brought her to the boat so he could kill her.
When that failed, he instructed Ben and Andy to
complete the task, and as of yet they were not sure if
Mary Jane would recover. So at the moment it would be
a charge of attempted murder, as Mary Jane was
technically still alive but gravely ill.
After the final deliberations in the court room for the
guilty parties, the jury retired to decide on a verdict. It
took them two hours to reach the verdict of guilty for the
murder and rape of Diane Moss and the attempted
murder and of Mary Jane and threats against the children
and Terrences life. They were sent to prison for a whole
life sentence, meaning they would never get out of
prison, only in a coffin. The whole court room was
cheering at the verdict.
Terrence was happy with the verdict and as he left,
Donald shouted, Youll pay for this, boy! Ill make sure
of it! He was taken down to the cells to wait for
transportation to the prison which he would be serving
his sentence at. Ben and Andy were going to the same
prison.
As Donald, Ben and Andy were being processed at
the prison and given their new uniforms to wear, a group
of guys approached them in the holding cell and they
blocked the view from the prison officers and then
pushed Donald over a chair in the room and raped him
301

and beat him so badly he was taken to the medical wing


to receive treatment for his injuries. Ben and Andy were
told that if they spoke to him ever again they would get
the same and that left Donald alone and without
protection, and whenever the other prisoners got a
chance to get Donald alone, they beat him up and raped
him, as his testimony was the reason they was doing it to
him.
Eventually, Donald could take no more and he hung
himself in the prison cell that night. He died as he lived:
alone without anyone to grieve for his death.
Fred was visited once by his parents and they told
him that they were ashamed of him for getting that poor
girl hurt just because of money and debts. They said they
would never forgive him and he was left without anyone
and he became friends with Ben and Andy.
Ben and Andy became top dogs in prison and they
raped many people whilst in there. Eventually they died
from cancer of the liver within two months of each other,
leaving Fred to fend for himself, which he was never
able to do properly.
Fred struggled with everything he had done and
when he was released from prison he turned to drugs and
died from a drug overdose. He was buried alone without
anyone attending the funeral, as his parents could not
forgive him for being so selfish.
Mary Jane was moved to Leeds general infirmary
whilst the court was being held and every day Terrence
and the children went to visit her and talked to her and
told her everything that had happened at school or
college or work, and every time they left they cried,
Please come back to us, we miss you, and they each
kissed her.

302

Terrence took it hard that she had not woken up yet


and it was two years since the attempted murder and
there was no improvement in her condition until the
fourth of July. Terrence was called in the middle of the
night and was told she had woken up and was asking
after him.
Terrence rushed to the hospital in his tracksuit
bottoms and t shirt and arrived at her bed side and said to
her, Hello, love. Im glad youre back with us.
Mary Jane turned her head to face him and smiled as she
said, Remember this until the end of time, my love. I
forgive you for lying to me and not telling me everything
and I love you with all my heart and soul. Please find
someone else to love you, and she died in his arms with
Terrence crying out, No, Mary Jane! Dont leave me. I
need you! I love you! Terrence laid on the bed next to
Mary Janes body for the next five hours, crying and
hoping she had not died and he could bring her back.
Teddy and Steve arrived and took Terrence home to tell
the children that Mary Jane had died and that she loved
them all.

303

Chapter 48

On the day of Mary Janes funeral, the sun was shining


brightly and a light breeze was blowing. It was midAugust and the children were finding it hard to accept
that Mary Jane was no longer coming home and they
cried for her every night.
The coffin arrived on the back of a horse-drawn
carriage. The horses was black with red ribbons in their
mains and orchids and red roses laid on top of the coffin.
Terrence and the children wore black and red and
walked to the church from the house, following Mary
Janes carriage. The whole village walked behind them
and the news stations were attending the funeral too.
They kept a respectful distance from the procession and
filmed it quietly.
At the church, the vicar spoke to everyone inside and
outside the church via speakers. He spoke of the love
Mary Jane gave to everyone in the village and the fun
she used to have in the snow, playing with the kids and
dogs, and all the help she gave with the pantomimes that
they held every year and the parties that her parents held
when she was younger. Terrence was sat at the front
crying as he held the children close to him.

304

When the church service was finished, he walked


behind Mary Janes coffin to where she would be laid to
rest; next to her parents in the graveyard. He
remembered the graveyard they were in years ago and
how she made him feel and just how much he loved her.
He would never forget her.
As they laid Mary Janes coffin in to the ground and
covered it with soil, Terrence fell to his knees and cried,
Mary Jane! Im sorry! and he stayed there until Steve
came to find him in the middle of the night. He found
Terrence sat where they had left him this morning, next
to Mary Janes grave, talking to her as if she was next to
him. When they got home and were sat in the kitchen
looking through boxes of letters Mary Jane had saved,
they found a letter addressed to Terrence.
Terrence sat looking at the letter thinking, Mary Jane
wrote this when she was alive. How did she know she
would not live? He cried when he heard Steve say to
him, Do you want me to read it to you, Terrence?
Terrence nodded his head. Yes please, he said to
Steve.
Steve sat for a while, trying to compose himself
enough to read whatever it was that Mary Jane had
written in the letter. It was going to be hard to read as he
loved her as a sister and he was just as devastated by her
death as the rest of the family.
If he could have taken her place and died instead, he
would have done, but he would make sure the kids were
well looked after until he died himself, and he promised
Terrence that and said, I will protect each of the kids
with my life.
Terrence told him, Its not your fault, Steve. It is
mine and Ill never forgive myself. If I had never met

305

Mary Jane she would still be alive today, so I blame


myself, and he laid his head on the table and cried some
more. Steve waited until Terrence had calmed down
enough to hear what Mary Jane had written to him.
Steve read the letter aloud:
Dearest Terrence,
From the minute I met you, I fell in love with you and I
knew that one day I would marry you. But life has a
funny way of taking things away from us without notice
and if youre reading this now, I am dead and I am
sorry, my love, that I had to leave you so soon. Please
look after my babies for me and treat them all the same.
They are all you have left of me and I know youre a
good father to them all, no matter what they do, and I
hope they make you as proud of them as I was proud of
you all.
I can see you sitting in silence in the half-moon light of
the room and outside the rain is falling as though crying
with you.
Youre a man who could see and conceal all the things
he feels and let go even though love is around, burning
inside of you and burning so fierce and bright.
I know you so well, my love. As you cry whilst youre
reading this and wishing I was there with you, I just
have to say that I love you always, my love, and Ill be
waiting on the other side for you when your time is up.
I will be waiting for you by the rose bushes that lay by
the stream that runs through the valley.
Find someone to make you happy in your remaining
years, my love. I will understand and you have my
permission to love another.
Love always,
306

Mary Jane xxx


P.S. Give my love to the children and tell them daily that
I am proud of each and every one of them and I love
them.
Steve was crying as he finished the letter, but
Terrence was sobbing into his arms, face on the table,
shaking and wailing.
Terrence went to visit Mary Janes grave every
Friday and laid red roses there and he spoke to her about
the children and everything that had happened.
He told her Michelle had got married and had
children herself and that Miracle was working in a dance
company, doing ballet. Benjamin was looking after the
estate with Terrence, and Neville was now in the police
force, fighting crime in the isles of Scotland. He was to
be married soon and have a new baby, which was due in
January. They all spoke of Mary Jane regularly and they
all came together on her birthday and anniversary of the
wedding and her death without fail.
Terrence died twenty-years later to the date that
Mary Jane had died, and they buried him in the grave
next to Mary Jane, and when Terrence was laid to rest,
Mary Jane was waiting for him by the rose bush next to
the stream, just as she had promised. Terrence had never
met anyone else to love, he was too upset at losing Mary
Jane. She owned his heart and it would not go to anyone
else.

307

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