Free Loving Alex by Sarah Elizabeth Ashley Page B

“I always felt, oh I don’t know, not right. Like,
even though they were my mum and dad, and I believed they were, there was
always something, just something not quite right. I could never put my finger
on what it was. It was almost, oh,” I sigh, “although I’d never known anything
else I didn’t really belong!” I try and explain that even though I’d always
lived with them and my memories were always of my mum and dad and nothing else,
that even as a young child I felt like I didn’t belong there , like an
outsider almost. Subconscious feelings that often would keep me awake at night,
I remember being very young, maybe even seven or eight and lying in my little
bed thinking why am I here?
    We stop strolling for a moment, Gia turns to me. “I can’t
begin to understand how you felt Alex, but I know a little of what happened.
Ramiro was devastated when he found out what Maggie had done, even though he
still loves her now, even though she’s gone, I don’t think he’ll ever quite
forgive her for what she did, you know keeping you away from him so completely,
he never even had a picture of you! When we eventually found him, when he came
back and made contact again, well, he went through a really bad time Alex,
really bad.” She sighs.
    I look at her, I can’t believe what they did. Maggie and my
parents. Why did they not say anything, not do anything?
    “Oh Gia! I know and to be honest, even though I have to
thank my lucky stars that Maggie left me all this, so that I could get
away from Lewis I don’t think I’ll ever forgive any of them, my mum, dad or Maggie
for not telling me who I was. Actually, I think it’s unforgivable! I really do.
When I sat with the solicitor, Tom Chandler, the one that read Maggie’s will
and last wishes to me he said that they didn’t tell me when I was eighteen
because my dad was ill. I sat in his office looking at the stranger who was
delivering the biggest and most life changing news of my life, and thought to
myself, so what happened when I was nineteen, twenty, twenty-one….? ”
    She squeezes my arm again in her reassuring way as we stroll
along passing the time until we need to head off to meet Archie. We walk slowly
back towards the corner of Brompton Road and Hans Road, Archie can’t be far
away now. As we turn into Hans Road I swear I see Muriel again, that blonde
hair cannot be mistaken, but I can’t see her face. I stop, “Gia, do you see
that woman?” I indicate with a nod in the general direction of the blonde
haired woman who appears to be lurking at the far end of Hans Road.
    “The blonde one?” She questions.
    “Yes, I’m sure that’s Muriel, my house keeper. She phoned in
sick today!”
    “Well, she wouldn’t be here if she was ill – would she?” Gia
looks up at me, frowning.
    “I hope not, but I’m sure it’s her. If I could only see her
face.” I look down, but she’s stood in such a way that I just can’t see her
clearly.
    I stand watching the blonde woman, Gia holding my arm as
Archie pulls up. He gets out of the car and opens the door for us. I’ve given
up doing it myself or insisting that he doesn’t do this for me.
    “Mrs. Drake,” he says as he opens the door, “pleasant
shopping trip?”
    “Yes, very good, thank you.” I don’t bother with the Mrs.
Drake thing either.
    Once we’re both in the car he asks where we’d like to be
taken to.
    “Do you want to go straight home?” I ask Gia.
    “I tell you what, I’d love to see Reid’s – you know I’ve
never been, never seen where James works.”
    “Archie, we’ll both go to Reid’s please, Gia can go home
from there.”
    “Very well.” The reply comes from the front of the car.
    I smile at Gia and whisper, “He’s so formal.” She smiles and
laughs at my comment, I feel like we’re two naughty school girls giggling in
the back.
    We pull up outside of the hotel and Archie does his stuff.
As we walk through the entrance and into the foyer Gia looks amazed at