BB
Out on the garden terrace, BB switched on his laptop and opened the video calling feature. If he’d timed it right, both Mom and Jessica would be home. It was Jessica who opened the connection.
‘Hi, Bro. What’s up?’
‘Nothing. Everything is great. Really great,’ BB said. ‘Is Mom there? I’ve got news to share.’
He waited while Jessica shouted ‘Mom. Golden boy wants to talk to you!’
‘Do wish you wouldn’t call me that,’ BB said. ‘It’s so not true.’ He checked his video was up and running. He wanted to see both their faces when he told them the news.
‘Hi, Mom. How you doing?’ he asked as she appeared next to Jessica.
‘Fine. So what’s this news?’ Marilyn Brael said.
‘I’ve found the perfect boat,’ BB said, failing to fight his urge to tease Jessica, knowing how much she wanted an English connection. ‘It’s a beautiful wooden ketch. Everything I wanted in a boat.’
‘Pleased for you,’ Jessica asked. ‘Is that it?’
‘Yes. No.’ He paused. ‘I’ve also found and met the English connection.’
‘Woah!’ Jessica said. ‘We really do have relatives over there? Seale or Holdsworth? How closely related?’
‘Neither. Connections to both those families appear to have died out. But we do have cousins here for sure. I’ve met with them.’
‘If the link has died out, how come?’ Jessica asked.
‘Great-uncle Lance.’
‘Impossible. He died in the war,’ his mother said.
‘Like Grandpa Randy, he met and fell in love with a local girl,’ BB said. ‘She was pregnant with a baby girl when he was killed. He never knew, so couldn’t have told Grandpa who would, I know, have done his darnedest to find her and help.’
‘So is our great-aunt over there still alive?’ Jessica said.
‘She’s dead but her daughter, Elisabett James, is very much alive. She has a family too. Elisabett is two years older than you, Mom. Her daughter, Cousin Patricia, is in her forties and so is her brother Oliver. Haven’t met him yet. He lives somewhere called Cumbria.’
‘Did you take photos when you met them?’ Marilyn asked.
‘I forgot. Too excited. I’m seeing them again soon. Will take some and email them to you.’
‘Make sure you do. Tell them anytime they want to visit, they’ll be more than welcome.’
‘They’ve already issued the same invitation to you,’ BB said. ‘So hopefully you’ll all get to meet soon. I’m here for another couple of weeks if you want to come over?’
Marilyn shook her head. ‘Too much going on here for the next month. We’ll arrange a visit for next year. Now, tell us about the boat you’ve found.’
For the next five minutes, BB talked about Chevalier, filling them in on its history and saying how much he was looking forward to sailing her back to Southern Carolina.
Fifteen minutes later, he cut the Skype link having been caught up to date by Marilyn and Jessica with things going on back home and sat back, a smile on his face. Marilyn and Jessica were already talking about a holiday in England next year and he was definitely going to hold them to that. He wanted them to meet Rachel too.
With Rachel away on holiday, he’d got into the habit of spending more time in the cottage, enjoying the freedom of having time on his own in such delightful surroundings. It was like a second home to him now. The day Johnnie had introduced him to Rachel had been a fortuitous one for him.
Briefly he wondered if Johnnie had managed to contact Rachel before she went away. Somehow he doubted it. She’d been in a hurry to go. Said something about a lucky cancellation in the hotel of her choice somewhere down in Cornwall. Hopefully she was having a good time, he’d thought she’d looked rather strained before she left.
Before he closed the laptop down, BB checked his emails. Johnnie had arranged for him to crew on Chevalier tomorrow in one of the Regatta races and he lived in fear of it being cancelled. No email to that effect, so an early start in the morning. Couldn’t wait.