Buying the Virgin novel Chapter 123

CHARLOTTE

“It’s alright,” I say. “Really, it’s alright. It’s just.… Michael’s found my birth certificate and my parents’ marriage certificate.”

Richard breaks into a broad smile. “Congratulations, Charlotte. I can imagine how important that is to you. Er…. May I look at them? Would you mind?”

“No of course not, Sir.” I give him the envelope.

He slips out the two papers, quickly glances at one, then the other, and bursts out laughing, passing them to Beth. She, just as quickly, quickly glances over them, and again laughs out loud.

My Master and Michael look at him, baffled. I’m confused myself.

“What’s funny?” asks Michael.

Beth is grinning widely. “What’s funny….” says Richard, “….is that Elizabeth’s maiden name was Kimberley.”

I stare at him. “You’re kidding.…”

Richard is also smiling hugely. “Nope. I always thought the two of you looked too much alike for it to be a coincidence,” he says. “Welcome to the family….”

Beth wraps her arms around me. Richard glances briefly at my Master (asking permission?). My Master holds up his hands in a ‘How could I refuse?’ gesture, and Richard hugs me too, giving me a chaste kiss on the cheek.

And for the second time that day, I burst into tears.

After we have all calmed down a little, Michael still looking bemused at the sheer impact of his ‘gift’, my Master says, “Of course, this all begs the question of why Klempner said what he did to Charlotte….”

I sober up quickly. “I felt as soon as spoke, that he had some kind of grudge against me. He said it was because of Jenkins getting killed, that he held me to blame for that. But it didn’t feel right. I’m sure he was lying about that. If his grudge was actually with my mother, or my mother and father…”

Michael interrupts. “I should mention, Charlotte, that this isn’t the only information that Will is trying to find. When these came to light, I also asked him, and he agreed, to try to have any other family connections checked. None came to light….”

“However,” interrupts, Richard, “Now that we know there is a family connection, and we have a starting point, we can start a proper search on your behalf,” says Richard.

“I was always a little surprised, Beth,” says my Master, “That with such a similarity between the two of you, that you didn’t ask your family if there might be a connection?”

Beth blushes. “Actually, I did. They were a bit close-mouthed, but eventually, I got it that my grandfather’s brother, George, had a bit of a reputation for, er….”

“Climbing back-yard fences and bedroom windows?” suggests Michael, with raised brows and a winsome smile

“Er, yes,” she chuckles. “Something like that. No-one really wanted to talk about it very much. There was a bit of a conspiracy of silence.”

The three men burst out laughing. I feel a little indignant. “So, you thought I might be your er.…”

“Second cousin…” interrupts my Master.

“Yes.… illegitimate second cousin? And you didn’t say anything?”

She shrugs. “Well, I had no proof except that everyone says we look alike. Having those papers changes everything. I can ask my family properly now.”

*****

MICHAEL

Charlotte looks depressed. Chin resting on folded hands, she stares out of the window.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“I should have been going back to University in a few days. Here we are, camping in a hotel…. I can’t go back to college. We can’t go home. You can’t even go back to work on either the house or your fitness centre…. and….”

I wrap my arms around her. “It’ll all work out. You’ll see. And the house, the University and the Centre aren’t going anywhere…”

Richard interrupts. “Don’t fret about your studies, Charlotte. I’ve dealt with that on your behalf.”

“You have?”

“Beth told me about the conversation you had a few weeks ago. Your academic work has to be interspersed anyway, with industrial and commercial training for your qualifications. We’re shifting the order around so that you do a lot of the non-academic work now, and over the next few months.”

“And how do I get industrial training locked in a hotel room?”

“You don’t, but you also have to cover basic accountancy, company and commercial law and similar. You can do those from here.”