“Oh. Well, your guardian will be here in about two hours, so if you come with me we will pack some things for you, as she has asked for you to be able to go home.”
Andrew nodded and stood up. She took his hand and led him out.
Jenny arrived, having had a really shitty day up to that point.
She had awoken at seven and gone for a pee, and just popped her head round Rhona’s door as she always did.
The doctor had only been the previous day, when he had been brutally honest.
“I don’t think she has long. Her heart is not at all good. Don’t be surprised if she passes on with the next few days,” he had told her.
As Jenny stared at the immobile and sightless eyes of her friend, she felt a real feeling of despair. She also felt a twinge of uncertain expectancy, as if the changes that this would bring could make things better somehow. Then she felt guilt for feeling what she did.
She had called the doctor, who eventually arrived. When he left, after simply looking at Rhona briefly and muttering, “Hmm, heart, as expected. I’ll issue the certificate.”
Jenny had called the undertakers. Whilst waiting for them, she called the school, telling them that she would be coming to collect Andrew.
The undertakers had been brisk and obsequious, so she had just wanted them to take their bowing and scraping and bugger off.
Then she had called Rhona’s solicitor, Mr John Pegram, to inform him of the death of her friend and his client. It was then she had been given the biggest shock of her life.
“You did know that you and I are the executors, and that you and Andrew are her sole beneficiaries, didn’t you?” he asked.
“She had asked me to be an executor, but no, I didn’t know about the rest.”
“Well, as Young Andrew has his parents’ estates held in trust for him until he is twenty-one. Rhona has left you half her estate, conditional on your becoming Andrew’s guardian. I understand that was fulfilled some time ago, so that leaves you and Andrew secure in the house and you split the rest of the estate between you. Only Andrew doesn’t get his half until he is twenty-one, but it can be used for educational purposes or anything else that would be to his benefit.”
Jenny’s mind was in a whirl, as Mr Pegram then explained how much Rhona had been worth.
As she drove to the school, she found it hard to focus on anything except to be with Andrew, and to release Amber from her imprisonment.
As soon as she pulled up in front of the front door of the school, she felt almost relieved that Andrew was here. She seemed to take strength from the knowledge that she still had him.
She walked straight in, and Linda Hammond came out of her private apartment with Andrew in tow.
He was looking even more sombre and vulnerable, so Jenny almost burst into tears again. Those big eyes of his looked up at him, his lower lip quivering.
She simply bent down and opened her arms up, and he ran into them, holding on to her very tightly. Gerald Hammond brought out Andrew’s small case, while both Hammonds stood feeling rather uncomfortable witnessing such grief in one so young.
“Jenny, don’t worry about his school work. He is so far ahead, as makes no difference. If things prove very difficult, we can arrange for his personal belongings to be sent home. Just keep us informed,” Gerald said.
Jenny nodded her thanks, and carried Andrew to the car, with Gerald carrying the case.
She put him in the car, and turned to the headmaster and his wife.
“Thanks for being so kind. I’m not sure that he’ll be back. Things are very different now. If we don’t come back, it is not because of anything you did or didn’t do. I just don’t know if I want him to board right now,” she said, almost apologetically.
“We understand. He is a very bright child, but it doesn’t take a genius to see he never really settled down here,” Linda said.
Jenny said goodbye and drove out of the school for the last time.
The small figure on the front seat was very quiet. Tears rolled slowly and silently down his cheeks.
“Mummy?”
Jenny caught her breath.
“Yes, my love?”
“Can Amber come back?” he asked, his voice very small and hopeful.
“Of course. But let’s wait a little while, okay?”
Andrew nodded and sat looking miserable.
The house was cold and empty. Jenny cleaned out the fireplace, and Andrew brought in some logs. They got the fire going, and sat and drank hot chocolate sitting on the large fur rug. Andrew was cuddling Jenny, as if he was afraid to let go.
“Mummy, is everything going to be alright?”
“Yes sweetie, now it is.”
The child almost smiled.
“Why don’t you let Amber come?” she suggested.
Andrew instantly disappeared, and returned several minutes later as Amber, dressed in her favourite red dress, with her long fair hair tied back in a ponytail.
She smiled again, and for Jenny it had the warmth of a rising sun.
CHAPTER FIVE.
Flight Lieutenant Gareth Lowe was very busy flying Douglas DC3 Dakotas in and out of various RAF bases in the UK and Germany. The British forces in Germany were being strengthened, and he was part of the process.
He had been working flat out, as the Russians bolstered the E. German Forces, so the whole area was becoming very tense. He was grateful that Charlotte was with his mother, but he felt really bad about Jenny.
He had been unable to get her out of his mind ever since that chance meeting. The two girls had really hit it off, and hardly a day went past that Charlotte hadn’t asked about Amber. It was rare that a woman made such an impression on him, as he had resigned himself to staying a widower for the rest of his life. He found losing his wife so hard, that he was reluctant to get that close to anyone again.
However, he kept seeing her wonderful smile, and he could not help but smile when he thought of her. She was a nice person with whom he found easy to talk, and with whom he just felt safe. He wanted to see her again as much as Charlotte wanted to see Amber, perhaps even more.
His work kept him too busy even to think about trying to locate her. Additionally, he had misplaced her phone number, but by the end of the month he was due to get some leave. With any luck, they could get together over Christmas.
Jenny had registered Rhona’s death on the day after she had brought Andrew home. The solicitor had asked her to attend his office in Abingdon, where she had signed various papers.
“It will take a couple of months to tie up the estate, but to be honest, it shouldn’t be too complicated. Once probate is complete, I imagine we will be all done and dusted by the New Year.
Jenny wasn’t that bothered, as she had a reasonable income from her own parents’ estate, and there was always her cottage. Her prime concern was Amber, or Andrew, whichever.
She suspected that once the funeral was over, Andrew would not be very much in evidence. She was concerned that whichever was selected, she would have to allow the child to keep an open mind. She felt it probably wasn’t necessary.
They got through the first few days, but then the funeral had to be arranged, and then dealt with. Jenny was surprised as to how few relatives and friends Rhona actually had left, as was evidenced by the handful of people who did appear for the funeral. Most of them were from the local church who had known Rhona for the last few years. None seemed that interested in talking to Jenny or paid any attention to the small sombre boy who held her hand throughout.
Jenny watched the RAF cargo plane flying overhead as the small group left the crematorium. Andrew was present in a charcoal grey suit, with short trousers and a black tie. Only half a dozen others had deigned to turn up on this wet November day. No one returned to the church hall for tea, leaving the vicar and his wife extremely embarrassed for Jenny.