Did I Mention I Won The Lottery? Page 9

  Sarah phoned, full of concern for her grandmother. Toby sent a text. Annie phoned counting down the hours until the next day when the house sale would complete. The bank manager phoned to clarify the final details for the cash payment of 2,050,000. Susie phoned to see how Rebecca was enjoying her first day without work and was horrified to find that Gwen was in hospital. But Rebecca heard nothing from Daniel. No call, no text. Half a dozen times her fingers hovered over his work’s number only to snap the phone shut again. In the afternoon while Gwen slept, Rebecca caught a taxi back into Leeds and did a little shopping for her mother’s return to Parklands. Gwen may be reliant on her wheelchair but she still had high standards of personal care and with a few weeks of bed rest facing her, Rebecca wanted to make sure that she was well prepared. So she bought three new nightgowns, the sort her mother loved, delicate, flowery affairs that buttoned up to her neck and kept her legs warm. She bought a new bed jacket. Gwen loved the crocheted one she had worn for years but she might need a change and Rebecca also added a beautifully soft mohair shawl that Gwen could throw around her shoulders when the heating at Parklands went through one of its difficult phases. She stocked up on yet more magazines and a couple of the historical romance books that she knew Gwen loved to read before she went to sleep. In the basket went some delicious smelling hand cream, a bottle of Gwen’s favourite perfume and a lavender plant in a pretty little pot for next to Gwen’s bed. Jumping in another taxi Rebecca made a quick visit to Parklands to arrange the items in Gwen’s room, had a cup of tea with Mrs Wendover who was looking more tired and worried than ever and then back to the hospital to see Gwen one last time before making her way back to the hotel.

  Her knees sagging with tiredness, Rebecca asked for a salad to be brought to her room, she really couldn’t face eating anything that required more effort. The minute room service left she threw off her clothes and slid into a lovely deep hot bath full of delicious scented bubbles.

  It was only a few weeks ago that Rebecca had used this bath for the very first time and been awed at the range of toiletries provided. So much seemed to have happened since then. The toiletries she still appreciated but she now had a huge selection in her own bathroom albeit kept in her bathroom drawer away from Daniel’s eyes. She had bought a house, she had left work, she was moving back to Leeds.

  But she still hadn’t told Daniel. That hadn’t changed at all and it was growing into a monumental problem for Rebecca who had to acknowledge that the delay had become quite unreasonable. How did you explain that you had won 15.7 million on the lottery and hadn’t told your husband after four weeks!

  Sighing Rebecca finished her bath and wrapping herself in a huge fluffy bathrobe she sat on the settee to pour herself a glass of wine and eat her salad. Her phone sat on the arm of the settee, silent. Still nothing. Shouldn’t he have at least phoned to see if Gwen was alive? Rebecca tried to remember what she had written in her distressed state. Mum had accident, in hospital, going to Leeds. That was clear enough, he knew that Gwen was in hospital but had no idea how serious it all was. Sighing again Rebecca pushed the salad away and finished her glass of wine. She was exhausted and just needed a good night’s sleep and leaving the phone on the settee she climbed into bed and was asleep within minutes.

  Waking the next morning Rebecca’s first thought was for Gwen but she couldn’t quite place the frisson of excitement that was gathering in her stomach. Then she remembered, today was the day Beech Grange became her own. Rebecca Miles with a 2 million pound house. In the worry and guilt of Gwen’s accident she had almost forgotten all about it!

  She leapt out of bed and phoned the hospital, relieved to hear that Gwen was much better and would be allowed home around lunchtime. Then she flicked open the laptop which she had picked up automatically as she fled the house on Sunday. The balance in her account hadn’t changed, the house wasn’t hers yet. Just then her phone rang.

  ‘Hello?’

  ‘Rebecca, it’s Annie! Are you all set, today’s the day!’

  Rebecca had to laugh at Annie’s enthusiasm even as she explained about Gwen and how busy she would be that day.

  ‘Oh what rotten luck and what terrible timing. But don’t worry, I’ll be around to help.’

  ‘When will it happen exactly?’ asked Rebecca who had never been actively involved in any of the house moves she and Daniel had made together.

  ‘It’s impossible to say. It could be in the next hour; it could be this afternoon. As soon as the vendor’s solicitor confirms that the money has transferred over he authorises the release of the keys. If you’ve got your hands full I can collect those for you no problem.’

  They agreed that Annie would liaise with the solicitor, collect the keys, phone Rebecca once it was all finalised and they would meet at Beech Grange when Rebecca felt that she could leave Gwen.

  ‘Thank you so much Annie, you’ve been wonderfully helpful.’

  ‘Rebecca darling,’ laughed Annie, ‘you’ve bought a 2 million pound house from me. I should be thanking you, you’ve saved me from a truly terrible start to the year!’

  Rebecca couldn’t help but laugh at Annie’s honesty and the genuine friendship in her voice.

  ‘Well I’m still grateful,’ she insisted and the two women said goodbye until later.

  Grabbing a quick breakfast and shower Rebecca spent the morning with Gwen, waiting as the ward rounds completed and Gwen was finally discharged. She ordered a taxi, something she was becoming quite proficient at she thought to herself, and a short time later she and her mother were in Gwen’s room at Parklands, Gwen wearing one of her new nightgowns with the mohair shawl around her shoulders.

  Rebecca’s phone rang and glancing down at the screen she saw Annie’s name flashing. Her heart pounding, she stood up and wandered towards the window leaving Gwen chatting to the two friends who were sitting with her.

  ‘Hello Annie.’

  ‘Rebecca - I’ve got the keys, the house is yours!’

  For a moment all that Rebecca could hear was the beating of her own heart as she stood mute, staring out of the window at the beautiful rose garden.

  ‘Rebecca, did you hear me. It’s done, I’ve got the keys, the house is yours Rebecca, all yours.’

  It took a while before Rebecca could leave Parklands. There were lots of hugs and kisses - from Gwen’s friends who had all come trooping into her room to keep her company, from the staff who had brought them both up some lunch, from Mrs Wendover who was delighted that Gwen was back and who promised to keep Rebecca updated with any changes in Gwen’s health and Gwen herself who hugged her daughter and thanked her for dashing to her side. Finally Rebecca was standing outside the door on a bitterly cold dark April evening, watching a taxi pull into the driveway, a taxi that was going to take her to her new house and with a heart that was beating so loudly she felt sure the taxi driver must be able to hear it, she jumped in and gave him the address.

  Half an hour later Rebecca stood in her new kitchen. The cream cupboards hugged the wall and the black granite surface twinkled in the light, stretching for what seemed like miles. The huge table would seat her entire family plus everyone she knew and the two small settees that sat by the French windows invited Rebecca to curl up on the lovely raspberry and green check seats. It was dark outside until Annie flicked a switch and then the whole garden lit up showing graceful trees blowing in the wind and borders curving around the lawn and down towards the tennis court. Immediately outside the French windows was a delightful courtyard where Rebecca fully intended to sit on a morning with a cappuccino from the space age style coffee machine on the kitchen surface and maybe a chocolate croissant warmed up in the huge cream range that took pride of place in its own alcove. Meanwhile, until the summer came she would curl up on one of the raspberry settees or sit in the garden room with its blazing wood burner and wait for the sun to emerge and the garden to flower.

  She felt a gentle touch on her arm and swung round to see Annie smiling at her.

 
; ‘Pleased?’

  Rebecca grinned, ‘Oh Yes, Annie. I’m pleased!’

  And with a shout of joy she hugged the woman who had just handed Rebecca the keys to her new dream home.

  ‘I know how busy you’ve been today,’ said Annie when she was finally released from Rebecca’s arms, ‘so I thought this might help a little.’

  She picked up a box from the floor and put it on the table so Rebecca could peer inside. ‘Sorry about the presentation, I suppose really it should have been a wicker hamper with a great big bow wrapped round it but I just grabbed a few things to help you out.’

  Milk, tea, croissants, jam, bread butter, bacon, eggs …

  ‘Oh Annie, thank you so much!’

  ‘And of course,’ twinkled Annie, ‘the obligatory celebration bottle!’

  And she produced a bottle of champagne from behind her back which was soon opened and fizzing into the glasses she’d also brought and under the soft lighting of the kitchen the two woman toasted Rebecca’s new house.

  Annie didn’t stay long. She gave Rebecca a quick reminder of where the vital switches were, handed her an envelope left by the previous owners which explained alarms etc., hugged Rebecca one last time and promised to come and visit in a few weeks when Rebecca was settled. Which left Rebecca alone in her new house. Her glorious, big, new house.

  She wandered through all the rooms. It was only the second time she had been in the house and there were so many things she had forgotten. Like how gracious the living space was with yet more French windows opening onto the garden, the large stone fireplace and the beautiful cream settees that Rebecca had fallen in love with. The majority of the rooms were still furnished but there were gaps that needed filling, particularly upstairs. New beds had already been ordered and would arrive tomorrow and all the things Rebecca had bought on her previous visits to Leeds could now be delivered. There was still a lot to buy, mused Rebecca. The kitchen cupboards beautiful as they looked, were empty. She could spend the next few days organising the house as she kept an eye on Gwen.

  And then she would tell Daniel.

  Sipping at the champagne in her hand, Rebecca spent the next few hours wandering around her new home, familiarising herself with every nook and cranny as she planned how it would look, how she would use the space, which were her favourite parts, what she needed. She ended up back in the kitchen curled up on one of the raspberry settees, contentment pouring out of her as she looked around. She had loved the kitchen in their old house on Greyshott Road. It hadn’t been anything like this in size but it had had the same welcome feel, a room where a family could gather. She would cook the evening meal as the children did their homework at the pine table and when they had finished and disappeared to do something more interesting, she would turn on the little TV tucked into the corner of the pine dresser, pour herself a glass of wine and enjoy the smell of the evening meal as she waited for Daniel to come home. She had hated the kitchen in Darlington. It was long and narrow, soulless and bland and just couldn’t provide them with the family space they had previously enjoyed. The children would come home and go straight to their bedrooms. Rebecca would prepare the evening meal but then sit in the conservatory, far away from the comforting smell of a chicken casserole and wait for the slam of the door which told her Daniel was home and the evening complaints were about to commence.

  Things would be different in this kitchen she decided, things would be very different.

  Despite Annie’s thoughtful gesture Rebecca knew she couldn’t stay in the house that night, not unless she wanted to sleep on the settee, so reluctantly she rinsed her glass in the sink, pulled out her mobile to tap in the number of the taxi firm, a number she now knew by heart and put the food in the fridge ready for tomorrow before returning to Quebecs for another night of blissful sleep on their fluffy cloud of a bed.

  Chapter 9

  Rebecca was up bright and early the next morning leaping out of bed and into the shower before dressing and ordering breakfast.

  She picked up her little phone and dialled Parklands to be told that Gwen was still asleep but had passed a comfortable night and seemed as well as could be expected.

  Then she phoned to check that her new beds would be delivered as promised later that day and that her purchases from Debenhams and House of Fraser would also arrive that afternoon. She sent a quick message to both children keeping them updated with Gwen’s progress and then checked for any missed calls. There were none. Daniel still hadn’t called, left a message or sent a text. Nothing. Again Rebecca’s fingers hovered over the house number. Should she phone him, let him know that Gwen was OK and that she was still in Leeds. Did he care? He certainly hadn’t bothered to phone and ask. Rebecca sighed and phoned instead for a taxi. Maybe she should think about getting a car? She couldn’t rely on taxis for ever. She remembered reading that the first purchase of many lottery winners was a car but Rebecca had never bought a car in her life. She had shared Gwen’s battered little Fiesta for many years and after she met Daniel he took sole responsibility for any car buying. It all seemed so complicated. He would speak of performance, horse power, consumption, emissions. They would spend hours in show rooms looking at cars that all seemed much the same to Rebecca until finally he would make a decision and the next family car would be unveiled. Rebecca really didn’t think that she knew enough about cars to just go out and buy one. Maybe this was the sort of decision best left to Daniel.

  Half an hour later she was at Parklands and went upstairs to find Gwen not only awake but looking bright and cheerful. Her close friend in the home, Betty, was sitting next to her knitting and chatting away and Mrs Wendover was giving the room a quick tidy as she cleared away Gwen’s breakfast tray.

  ‘Oh darling you look so much better, come in!’ said Gwen as she spotted Rebecca popping her head around the door.

  Rebecca laughed, ‘It’s you we’re worried about Mum, not me!’

  ‘Well, maybe but it’s still nice to see you looking so well and happy.’

  Rebecca smiled, it was easy to look happy when you had millions in the bank.

  ‘How are you Mum?’

  ‘I’m fine my darling absolutely fine which is why I don’t want you to stay today.’

  Rebecca’s eyebrows shot under her fringe. ‘You don’t want me to visit?’

  ‘I don’t mean that. It’s lovely to see so much of you even if it is in less than happy circumstances,’ Gwen half lifted her arm with the cast on. ‘But you can’t spend the whole day hovering over me. Enjoy yourself, make the most of being back in Leeds!’

  ‘But mum I…’

  ‘No. You can pop in and see me later but go make the most of your day, I’m absolutely fine here with Betty and Mrs Wendover.’

  ‘But mum...’

  Mrs Wendover bustled over, picking up Gwen’s tray as she headed for the door. ‘Your mother’s quite right Rebecca. Go make the most of a day in Leeds. We all know how much you miss the place. I’ll phone you straight away if there’s any change at all with your mother, she’s in good hands.’

  And so Rebecca was gently shooed away, finding herself outside the front door on a bitterly cold April morning watching as yet another taxi pulled into the driveway to collect her.

  She opened the door and jumped in to escape from the biting, cold wind.

  ‘Where to love?’

  She looked at her watch. She had just over 3 hours before she needed to be at the house to take delivery of her new beds.

  Rebecca sat back and smiled at the cheerful face looking at her in the rear view mirror.

  ‘Leeds please - I’m going shopping!’

  Exactly 2 hours later the same taxi driver helped Rebecca carry the last of the bags and bags and bags of shopping into the kitchen loading them all onto the table.

  He looked around approvingly. ‘Nice place you’ve got here love, very nice.’

  Rebecca smiled. She realised that this was the only person apart from Annie who had seen her new house. In fact, a
part from Annie, her solicitor and bank manager, he was the only person who knew she had a new house.

  ‘Well, I like it,’ she grinned and took out her purse to pay him, including a very large tip.

  Protesting at first but then taking the proffered notes with a happy smile the taxi driver left, leaving Rebecca to walk back into the kitchen and her piles of shopping. Her house, her lovely house. How good it felt to be able to show someone this beautiful house and say, this is my home.

  It took Rebecca a while to get to grips with the central heating but she soon had it working and turned up high so that every room felt cosy and warm. She unpacked the bags which were full of the bits and pieces that turned a house into a home. Enough toiletries to rival Quebecs now sat in the bathrooms; the living room had some ruby red and gold cushions sprawling across the cream sofas along with a deep red throw that Rebecca could imagine snuggling under while watching TV tonight. A pile of books sat on the glass topped coffee table and a basket of DVDs sat in the space where the TV would go. The sort of DVDs that Rebecca loved, Pretty Woman, Wuthering Heights, Miss Congeniality, Bridget Jones. Tonight she wouldn’t watch a single programme about cars being rescued.