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Previously…

‘Sam.’

I looked up at the sound of Abby’s voice.

‘Oh!’

Abby had Heather in her arms wrapped in a white blanket!

She came over and with some difficulty I put my arms around our lovely baby.

She looked at me and I looked at her. I smiled, my pain forgotten for the moment. Her little fingers were sort of waving at me and she looked lovely, pink and healthy, although she was small, she was perfectly formed and I was so happy to see her.

‘She can come home with us as soon as you are well.’

I looked up at Abby with delight. I already felt better and this was the best tonic I could ever have!

‘Ooh look, she’s smiling at me,’ I said.

‘That’s the wind,’ said Jo, knowingly.

And now the story continues…

I was in hospital for three weeks. I would have been home sooner, but I caught a slight infection which put me back a bit.

I don’t know if any of you have been in hospital for any length of time, but it can be the most boring place imaginable. Mind you the room was delightful, the food was great and the fact that Heather was able to be with me from time to time was fantastic.

Needless to say I went private–not because I was particularly well orf–as Dotty would say–but as I was a member of BUPA through work, and it hadn’t been cancelled when I left the firm. So, I was waited on hand and foot by the nurses and fawned over by doctors–well, not quite–but the food was excellent. And, wonder of wonders, I wasn’t woken up, pre dawn by people dropping bed pans or trying to take my temperature and then stuff pills down my gullet or even to give me a bed bath.

The police came visiting as soon as I was able to talk. Trevor was there, looking a bit out of his depth and he brought along a plain clothes policeman too. He was tall, thin, quite good looking, about forty, I suppose and had blonde hair. I could see that some girls would think him quite dishy and if I wasn’t deliriously happy and in love, I might consider doing some quite naughty things with him.

As Trevor stood by the door, pencil and notebook poised, the CID man drew up a chair and sat by the bed. ‘Thanks for letting us see you, Ms Smart.’

‘Samantha, please,’ I simpered.

‘Samantha, nice name. Oh I haven’t introduced myself; I’m Chief Inspector Blake,’

‘Of the Yard?’ I asked.

‘No, Porchester; nice thought, but I am just a simple copper, trying to do my best in an evil world.’

‘Oh, I wondered if you might be Sexton Blake,’ I said with a giggle.

He smiled sadly and I wondered what horrific things he might have seen. I shook my head and tried to stay focussed.

‘Right, Samantha, can you tell us in your own words––’

‘–Well I wouldn’t use someone else’s words would I?’

‘Sorry, it’s just an expression.’ He smiled; ‘Please tell us what happened.’

I gave him a blow by blow account of the events leading up to where I was at the moment. If you don’t know what they are, you are reading the wrong chapter.

After I finished, feeling rather upset at recalling once again all that I had gone through, he asked a few more questions.

‘Did you think that you were going to die?’

‘Yes, I had no doubt, otherwise, why would he have told me that he had killed Nigel?’

‘What do you think of Clump’s involvement in all this?’

‘He did what he thought was right and I’m glad that he did the right thing about phoning you when I was abducted.’

He looked at me with those soft brown eyes full of expression and then smiled.

‘You don’t need to worry; the CPS aren’t interested in going after you and the action you took was considered to be in self defence. We’ll leave it at that, but if you could visit the local police station after you get out of here, we would appreciate a signed statement.’

‘Of course.’ I smiled.

‘Well,’ he said standing up. ‘I hope you feel better soon.’

‘Thanks.’

With that he left with Trevor tagging on behind, not saying much and looking a bit out of his depth, poor dear.

I had a succession of visitors while I was in hospital and must have seen half the population of Penmarris Cove. I didn’t know that I was so popular!

Later there was the memorable time when I got a regal visit from Dotty Fairbairn–the local equivalent of royalty.

She breezed in the day after my ‘accident’ if that is what you would like to call it.

The door banged open and in she came like a galleon in full sail. Behind her came Sarah, no longer the thin waiflike maid-servant, but looking very pretty and fetching in a peach dress, flawless makeup and hair, in a nice shoulder length bob.

‘Right, young Samantha, what’ve yer bin up to? Just got back from takin’ young Sarah up ter London for some decent clothes and found out that yer managed to get yerself in a spot of bother again. Leave yer alone fer five minutes and you get up to I don’t know what. Bloody tubes and cables all over yer. Good God, gel, do yer like attractin’ trouble?’

‘Hello, Mummy…I mean Dotty. Come and sit down, you make me go all giddy, pacing about like that. You too, Sarah–you look very pretty by the way. Not that you don’t, Dotty…’

‘Enough of that flannel, you’ll give the gel ideas above her station, don’tcher know. So, how are yer feelin’?’

I took my eyes away from Sarah, who was giggling behind her hand, and tried to answer the question.

‘Very sore, a bit breathless and lucky to be alive.’

‘I heard that the fiend got what he deserves.’

I looked at her.

‘No one deserves to die like that, Dotty.’ I could feel a tear run down my cheek; I was still rather sensitive about everything that had happened.

Dotty patted my hand and gave me a lace handkerchief. ‘Enough of that, young Sam. Don’t cry over someone like that. Deserved what he got. Spoke to the chief constable this mornin’. Seems that the man was a menace to society and should have been hanged years ago. Just be lucky that he didn’t do to you what he evidently did to others. Nice room by the way. Not like in the old days. Long cold wards with no comfort to speak of. When I was your age it was cold bed baths at dawn and matron’s inspection at nine o’clock sharp.’

‘Dotty.’

‘Then there were the doctors. After the matron, they ruled the place with a rod of iron…’

‘Dotty–?’

‘If the surgeons didn’t like what they saw, they whipped whatever it was out or lopped it orf in double quick time…’

‘Dotty–?’

‘–Then there’s––’

‘–Mummy, Sam’s trying to say something.’

‘Eh what? Oh, right; sorry, Samantha.’

Sarah giggled and Dotty, after a frown at her which would have curdled milk, turned back to me and raised one imperious eyebrow, questioningly.

‘Did you know that Heather will be coming home when they let me out of here?’

‘No–good news that. Bein’ her God Mother, I expect to see her on regular occasions, not just on high days an’ holidays.’

‘Well you aren’t strictly her God Mother until after she is Christened…’

‘Technicalities and damned red tape. As far as I am concerned, I became her God Mother as soon as you and young Abby asked me.’

‘Yes, well I agree. Anyway, what have you both been up to? Sarah?’

‘Well, Sam, we had a great time in London. Mummy showed me all the sights and we had tea at Buck House–’

‘–Buckin’am Palace, dear–’

‘Sorry, Mummy; I mean, you know, what she said. Anyway, it was really great.’

‘I didn’t know that they had a restaurant for visitors there?’

‘They don’t. I accidentally on purpose gave one of the corgis a biscuit; her maj didn’t like that, Lady Cam, laughed though.’

I looked at them and then I twigged.

‘You saw–the Queen?’

‘Yes, the flag was up, so we popped in for a cuppa,’ said Dotty, airily, ‘Don’t like the way she’s moved the furniture about though. She said that she fancied a change. Change leads to anarchy, I said. Anyway, enough of that nonsense; when do they let yer out of this prison?’

‘I don’t know yet. I still need to get a bit better, but I hope soon. I can’t wait to be at home with Abby and little Heather.’

‘Only natural. Look, we’d better go, the sister said that we should only be five minutes. Normally I would tell her where to get orf, but I can see that you’re knackered. Sarah, go and get an orange squash or somethin’ I want a word with Samantha in private.’

‘Can I have a coke?’ she said getting up.

‘Only if yer want ter rot yer teeth.’

‘That’s okay, Mummy, I have plenty.’

Sarah came to me, winked, gave me a kiss on the cheek and went out, leaving me to the tender mercies of Dotty.

‘She’ll be the death o’ me,’ she sighed, but judging by the twinkle in her eye, I don’t think that was going to happen, too soon.

She stared at me with a penetrating glare. ‘Yer shouldn’t worry about what yer did to that damn crook, yer know. He was goin’ to kill yer and yer did what any girl with gumption would do.’

I looked at my hand–the one that had unclipped Colin’s seatbelt. It brought back the nasty dream that I had the previous night, where it was me who burnt in the car while he laughed at me.

‘Oh Dotty, it was horrible!’ I found myself crying and she was holding me as tightly as she could with the tubes and everything.

After a minute or so I calmed down slightly. Dotty’s lace hanky was quite wet by now.

‘Feelin’ better?’ she asked gently.

‘Yes, I think so.’ I said trying to hand back the hankie.

‘You keep it, dear. Look, you will have times like that. It reminded me of my husband, when he came back from the war zone, he had nasty dreams. It’s the way yer mind copes with things. It will get better, I promise. Give it time.’

‘Thanks M…Dotty.’

‘That’s all right dear; under this tough breast beats a heart of steel.’

We both laughed at that as we both knew somewhat different.

She got up and kissed me on my forehead.

‘I’ll see yer again when yer feel a bit better. I’d better go and see if Sarah’s teeth have rotted with all that muck she’s drinkin’. I want yer out of here soon and cracking on with me paintin’; the way things are goin’, I’ll be six feet under before I get it!’

‘Thanks for coming.’ I said reaching for her hand. She patted it, smiled and then turned away. As she reached the door, hand on handle, she turned back. She had strange look on her face and tears seemed to glisten in her eyes, although it might have been the light.

‘I might not be yer biological mother, but I don’t mind bein’ a surrogate. I rather like bein’ called Mother, or Mummy, if yer have to. Think about it. I’m a sentimental old fool, but I don’t think that you can have enough children, even if I have never had a baby of my own…as I say, think about it.’

‘I thought you had a son?’

‘Yes, nice boy, don’t see him much now. Got a life of his own, adopted him when he was six. Anyway, must dash. Have a think about what I said...’

‘I have no need to, come back soon–Mummy.’

‘Right–good–must be orf. Somethin’ in me eye, makin it water like this. Can’t leave Sarah for five minutes, That girl–’

Then she was gone, leaving me feeling a lot better–but that didn’t stop me from crying my eyes out as I knew now that I not only had a lover and a daughter; I had, it appeared, managed to acquire a mother too!

Who said I wasn’t lucky?

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To Be Continued…

Please leave comments…thanks! ~Sue

My thanks go to the brilliant and lovely Gabi for editing, help with the plot-lines and pulling the story into shape.