Secrets and Lies (Sequel to Your Lying Eyes)

Secrets and Lies Chapter 15

Over the next few days, Amy and Anna settled in well into their new jobs.  Their new workmates proved to be a friendly and welcoming set of people, helping them with what they had to do.

Amy was more than happy with her new job, especially when Zack was on the same shift.  Usually he would walk her back to the beach hut at the end of the evening.  She was thrilled that he was taking such an interest in her and each evening when she came in, Anna was touched to see the expression on her face.  It was obvious that she was beginning to fall for him.  

Anna found it difficult to keep her thoughts away from home.  For most of the day she'd be busy with her job in the kitchens and once finished, she would take over from Amy once she got back to the beach hut, looking after the children.

They seemed perfectly happy, playing on the beach all day, making sandpies and building sandcastles with Amy and when he had nothing else to do, Zack.  Both of them were turning a beautiful golden brown colour in the sunshine.  At times she would catch a look of Howard in them and her mind would drift back to him.  She wondered how he and Catherine were getting on.  If they had moved into his house.  

Her eyes filled with tears at the thought of them together and she knew that it was going to take some time to get over him, if she ever could.  She wished there was some way of turning back the clock.  She thought back to the night that he'd asked her to go with him to Australia.  The look in his eyes, pleading, willing her to say yes to him.  How he had felt as he'd held her in his arms and kissed her, told her that he loved her.  Why had she told him no?  She'd wanted to do the right thing by Jason, not deny him the chance of him being a father again.  Or so she'd thought at the time.  It would have been his first child.  Now he had none

She looked at Maisie and Matthew playing in the sand by her feet.  Who was she denying now?  What about Howard?  Surely he had as much right as Jason to be a Dad to his two kids?  He had been brilliant with Maisie.  She thought back to when he used to come to visit them at the house.  He'd wanted so much to be a good Dad to her, visiting her in the home of the man he envied so much at the time, Jason.

She'd intended to tell Howard about Matthew as soon as she could.  Maybe it would have been too soon that weekend when he had first returned home.  But he would have known by now.  

As for Jason, it would have been just as difficult to tell him too.  He'd loved Matthew like a son, he believed he was his.  Now she would have been telling him that he had no children.  It had helped him to get over the death of Thomas thinking that he still had a child in Matthew.  Now she would have been taking that comfort from him.  She knew that he would have been devastated.  To say nothing of the fact that she had slept with Howard.  That was something else that she would have been forced to admit to him now.  It would have meant the end for sure for her and Jason.

Anna knew that one day she would have to return to England.  This stay in Australia was meant just as a temporary thing, so that she could come to terms with her feelings and deal with the upset seeing Howard with Catherine had brought her.

She wanted so much to see Howard again and tell him about his son, but at the same time she dreaded it. Suppose he was angry with her, she thought.  That she had denied him the chance of being with his son for the first twelve months of his life.  But she hadn't known that until three weeks ago.  She hadn't suspected a thing until that afternoon in the garden.  Now whenever she looked at Matthew it seemed so obvious to her, the likeness to Maisie.  And to him.  She hoped that he would believe her when she told him she hadn't known.

She called the children to her and took them inside.  It was bathtime for them and once they were washed and in their pjs, straight to bed.  They were soon asleep, worn out by playing in the fresh air all day.  Taking a bottle of wine from the fridge, and picking up a glass, she took herself out onto the veranda, sitting in the cooling air now, watching the sunset and listening to the water at the edge of the beach.  Suddenly she felt homesick for the dark and dreary winter of Manchester.  She knew that she wouldn't be able to stay away for much longer.

"Any room for me?" asked Gemma as she joined Anna and Dot on their break in the staff room.  They'd just finished their lunch and were sat having a drink before going back to the kitchen again.

"Yeah, come and park yourself next to me love," said Dot as she moved up to make room for her.  "You're in early today," she remarked to her as Gemma sat down and placed her laptop on the table.

"It's my day off today but I thought I'd come in and pinch your internet connection for my lappy," she grinned cheekily.  "It can pick it up easily in here!"

"Cheeky bugger!" laughed Dot.  "Typical!  You kids!"  she nudged her as she settled down, logging on and taking out a small device which she plugged into the machine.

"What's that?" asked Anna curiously.  "Looks very high tech to me!"

"It's a webcam," replied Gemma.  "I promised to get in touch with Cat, see how she is.  She's having a baby soon."

"Blimey that passed quickly," said Dot.  "You're right, she'll only have a couple of weeks to go now.  Is everything going ok?"

"Yes, everything's fine.  I'm going to speak to her now.  You can say hello to her if you like Dot," Gemma offered.  "She'll be on the webcam too, so you'll be able to see her and the bump!"

"That'll be good," said Dot.  "I'd love to speak to her again and send her my best.  She's a lovely girl, I was sorry to see her go, but I can understand her wanting to be home with her family again.  You'd have liked her Anna.  She was another from your part of the world."

"Oh yes?" said Anna politely, not really listening to the conversation.  She glanced at her watch, ten more minutes and she was due back on.

"Here, look," said Gemma, nudging Dot, "there she is!  Hi Cat!" she giggled, waving at the screen.  "Bloody hell love, you get much bigger and I'll need a wide angle screen here!"

"Take no notice love, you look radiant!" scolded Dot as she also waved at her.  "Oh you look fit to burst any moment!"

"Oh thanks a lot you two," Cat replied in mock indignation.  "Take no notice of them Bump!  Just another couple of weeks to go now, and it will all be over thank goodness!"

Gemma and Dot chattered and laughed with Cat as Anna finished her drink.

"Well I'll be off to the kitchen again, see you in a bit Dot," she said as she came around the table.  "Bye Cat, hope it all goes well for you when the time comes!  I know how you feel, I've two of my own!"  She waved vaguely at the camera and disappeared off back to work.

"What's that woman's name?" demanded Cat.  "I'm sure I know her!"

Gemma and Dot laughed out loud at this.

"Not you as well!" Gemma giggled.  "Everyone says that!  She reckons she's got one of those faces!"

"No, seriously, what's her name?" she insisted.  "It's not Anna is it?"

"Yes, why?" asked Gemma, as Dot got up to follow Anna back to work.  "Do you really think that you know her from somewhere?  A few of us have been trying to think where we've seen her before and can't place her."

"What's her surname?  Is it Donald?"

"No, Jordan.  Ooh Anna Donald was Howard's ex wasn't it?  Of course that's where we've seen her before.  His photos that he had of her.  We've seen her countless times then, that's why we know her face.  He was always looking at them and showing us his daughter too!"

"Don't say anything to her just yet.  Keep this to yourself, don't even tell Dot or Eddie.  I need to be totally sure about this.  I need to check with someone first before we say anything.  If I'm right about this though, Howard will be paying you a visit very soon!"