Epilogue

Saturday, 10th June 2006

“So, how’re things going then?” asked Judy, leaning back in her deck chair and stretching out her legs to catch the sun. “Tasha looks very settled. Does she like the school?”

They were sitting in the garden of Abi and Gideon’s new house, on the top of the cliff overlooking Sennen Cove. They had been very lucky to find exactly the house they wanted in exactly the place they wanted, and had moved in at the end of February. Natasha had been spending weekends with them until they moved and had then joined them permanently, once she was able to have her own bedroom. Abi stretched out on the grass beside her friend.

“She loves it, as much as any child likes school,” she said with a grin. “Although I’m not sure she likes having me teaching her art. She actually thinks she’s better than me, so she doesn’t really pay attention.”

Judy laughed, but then her face became more serious. “How about your dad? Any progress there?”

Abi shook her head. “No. I went to talk to him. He did know all about what happened with Natasha, and he says he went along with her plan because he thought Gideon had abandoned me. He said I couldn’t have coped with a baby on my own. He claims he didn’t know she visited Natasha, but to be honest, I don’t know if I can believe him or not. There’s still a lot I don’t understand. I really can’t forgive him, Judy. Not yet, anyway. Maybe never.” She stared out to sea, her face inscrutable.

Judy watched her for a moment. “And have you told her about ‘Nan’?” she asked. “Told her who she really was?”

Abi turned haunted eyes to her. “How can we? To find out that the one person she thought was her friend had in fact been the person who took her away from her mother and put her in the home? I can’t do that. Not now.”

A sudden noise behind them made them turn just in time to see Natasha explode out of the french windows and come running over to them.

“Abi, Abi, Chris is here, and he’s brought cake!” she cried, running over and turning a cartwheel in front of them. “It’s a birthday cake for Gideon, an’ it’s got candles an’ everything.” She landed back upright and ran back into the house.

“Still not calling you Mum and Dad, then?” asked Judy, raising her eyebrows.

“No, not yet.” Abi paused. “She refuses to until we’re married. She’s rather judgemental,” she added with a grimace.

Judy laughed. “She’s just like you, you know,” she said. “At least you haven’t got long to wait, only two weeks now.”

Abi and Gideon were getting married on Midsummer’s Day, and they had chosen to have the ceremony at the caravan site in Wales where they’d first learned of Natasha’s existence. Abi grinned and held out her left hand, now sporting a large emerald-and-diamond engagement ring. She let it glint in the sunlight, then rolled onto her back and stared up at the clear blue sky.

“Won’t it be lovely if the weather’s like this,” she said, wriggling with pleasure. “I’m so excited, Judy!”

Judy lifted her sunglasses and looked under them to get a better view of Abi.

“Me too,” she admitted. “Wasn’t it lucky the caravan site have a wedding licence? It’s not every one that does, is it? And I love the idea of being a maid of honour at my age! Are you sure Natasha doesn’t mind me doing it?”

Abi sat up and shook her head. “No, she’s cool about it. Believe me, if she wasn’t, you wouldn’t be doing it!” She grimaced. “Not that our daughter rules us or anything. She’s the flower girl, and gets to lead the dogs, as well.” Abi stood up and smoothed her short flowery dress with her hands. “Good job it’s only two weeks away,” she added casually. “I might not be able to do my dress up if we had to wait any longer.”

Judy stared at her. “Abigail Thomson!” she gasped. “Are you pregnant?”

Abi grinned and nodded, but put a finger to her lips.

“Yes, but not a word about it,” she said, “if Tasha finds out, she’ll give us hell for not waiting until after the wedding. I’ve only just found out myself. We’ll tell her on the honeymoon. Only you, me, and Gideon know, and I’d like to keep it that way until we’re married.” She sat down on the grass at Judy’s feet and caught her friend’s hands. “Oh, Judy, it’s going to be so different this time! Everything will be perfect.”

Judy reached out and gave her a hug.

“You deserve it,” she said simply, smiling at her friend. “One thing, though—What are you going to do about Simon? You can’t let him get away with what he did, can you?”

Abi shook her head, and pulled away from Judy.

“We don’t want to,” she said with a frown. “But to be honest, we can’t be totally sure that he did hide the letters. We decided not to do anything immediately, ’cause we wanted to concentrate all our energies on bonding with Tasha, so we’re going to wait until after the wedding, and then Gideon’ll try to contact him.” She scowled into the distance. “I’m sure it was him, but Gid says we mustn’t go public with it until we can prove it. Said he could sue us, or something…” She shrugged in annoyance.

At that moment, Gideon and Chris came out into the garden carrying a crate of Champagne and a tray of glasses. They put them down on the picnic table, and Gideon called back into the house. “Come on, everyone, drinks are outside.”

Judy’s husband Robert appeared, closely followed by Roger and Caroline Hawk, who were swinging their newly found granddaughter between them. Judy’s two small ones were playing just inside the conservatory, out of the blazing sun.

Abi got to her feet again and ran over to Gideon, reaching up to kiss him on the cheek. Then, taking a bottle of Champagne and a glass, she called, “Let’s drink a toast to the birthday boy!”

She expertly popped the cork out, catching the frothing liquid in the glass. She filled the other glasses, and when everyone had one, Abi raised hers towards Gideon and said, “Happy thirtieth birthday, darling!” and took a sip of Champagne.

The others followed suit, and Judy watched with a grin as Abi surreptitiously emptied the rest of her glass into a large flowerpot.

Gideon raised his glass. “Thanks, guys,” he said. “Now I feel really old.” He put his arm around Abi and pulled her to him. “And I would like to make a toast, to my lovely wife-to-be and our beautiful daughter.” He smiled at them both. “And in two weeks’ time, we can do all this again at the wedding!”

Natasha hopped forward, pulled Gideon’s arm down, took a quick swig of his Champagne and ran off down the garden laughing.

****

Two weeks later Abi and Gideon stood on the top of a large sand dune and gazed out over the huge sweep of Rhossili Bay and out towards Worm’s Head. The bottom of Abi’s ivory satin wedding dress was slightly damp and very sandy, and she had abandoned her shoes at the bottom of the sand dune. Gideon had discarded his jacket, and his tie hung untied around the unbuttoned collar of his starched white dress shirt. He put his arm around her and held her close, dropping a light kiss on the top of her flower-entwined hair.

She looked up at him and smiled. “We did it,” she whispered. “We finally did it.”

A slight puffing sound behind them made them both turn in time to see a dark curly head appear as a little girl in an ivory bridesmaid dress struggled up the sandy path. She was followed by two Rough Collies.

“Here you are!” puffed Natasha, stopping on the top and breathing heavily. “Everyone’s looking for you. We’re ready for the cake.” She looked at them severely. “Mum, Dad, come now. You’re needed.” She wriggled between them, took their hands, and the three of them ran back down the sand dune together.