Who was the mother? Where were they now? Did she or the kid know about her? Or worse, did they not even know she existed?
A low wind rattled the farm’s old weathervane, Rita thinking its rusty creak sounding today like laughter. Mocking her for the absurdity that she hadn’t had an inkling that her husband had been a father of three!
She stepped inside, her trainers leaving a faint trail of dust on the flagstone floor, the weight of Hilda’s words pressing down with every step.
There was a child.
And as she sat down at the kitchen table, head in hands, every memory of Archie suddenly felt like a puzzle she didn’t have all the pieces for. The question was, were the missing fragments lost… or simply waiting to be uncovered in places she’d never thought to look?
THIRTY-EIGHT
‘I still can’t believe Archie’s got another bleedin’ ankle-biter,’ Kelly relayed through the handset and a mouthful of toast.
Resting her feet in the Den’s window seat and with her mobile on speaker, Rita glanced out to see Teo running a yoga class at the top of the orchard and Zenya on hands and knees, weeding a bed in the fruit and vegetable garden.
‘I can’t either. This is serious shit, though, Kel. I mean, he’s hidden a child from me for all these years. It’s actually quite unbelievable, knowing what a softie he was with our two.’ Her thoughts turned to the way he used to laugh with Thom when he was little, crouched down at eye level, pulling faces until they were both breathless. And the way he had played prince to Sennen’s princesses, telling her that he would always protect her, however old she was.
Kelly reverted to serious mode. ‘How was Hilda when she told you about it?’
‘She was a mixture of relief and regret to release the burden of such a huge secret, I think. I can see why she didn’t tell me, though. She was not only covering for Archie, but I do believe she didn’t want to upset me. She’s not a bad old girl, really. I mean, she loaned me the money to get started on the retreat.’
‘Probably because she knew why you were broke in the first place. Archie was sending the kid or the mother cash?’
‘God, yes, what a mess but money never went missing before, I’m sure. It’s all been recent, this, or I would have known, surely I would have known.’ Rita put her head in her hands, struggling to make sense of it all.
Kelly sneezed loudly. ‘Maybe he led a double life; you see that on the TV.’
‘Kel! No, don’t say things like that.’
‘Sorry, sorry and no way. Archie wouldn’t do that.’ Kelly backtracked.
‘It’s just all very odd. I’m still processing it.’ Rita took a deep breath and remembered she hadn’t updated Kelly on the latest on the will. ‘But on a positive, the solicitor has called me in for a meeting later this week, so I’m assuming the will has been found and allmaybe revealed.’ Rita stood up, stretched, and let out a big yawn. ‘This is all so exhausting.’
‘Are you happy to find out everything, do you think?’
‘Yes, I want to know every sordid little detail.’
‘Really?’
‘Of course I do. I need the whole story. I have to know if he had an affair or not, because if he didn’t, the child would be an adult by now. And whoever they are, they’re still half of Archie and possibly the key to the missing will.’
‘I wonder if they live in Seahaven Bay?’ Kelly was serious now.
‘Part of me hopes so. The Seahaven Bay Facebook Gossip Group might have to disband out of sheer ineffectiveness.’
Kelly laughed. ‘But the will might not give you the answers or worse still it could open up a can of worms.’
‘And that’s the chance I’ve got to take.’ Rita ruffled Henry’s ears as he nuzzled up to say hello.
‘I’m quite jealous, really. If only my Ron was half as exciting to have kept such a clandestine secret for all those years.’
Rita couldn’t help but laugh. ‘Oh, Kel, what would I do without you?’
‘Joking aside, are you all right, Reet? And are you sure you don’t want me to come down and stay?’
‘No, I feel surprisingly calm. And it’s comforting having Michael here, to be honest. I haven’t told him about “the child”, but he said to see him again if I wanted to talk to him about anything.’
‘That’s nice. He’s turned out not as bad as we first thought, then.’
