The Somerton Man

Martha's Machinations backfires

Daniel managed to open his eyes just as the sun was starting to make its slow appearance on the horizon the following morning. Everything ached, especially his head, and he felt like hell. When he moved, his body felt stiff. He just let out a groan, and wanted to go back to sleep, but then the events of the day before seeped into his consciousness. The business with Clara over her mothers portrait, and how she accused him of hating her. It had shocked him that she actually would think that, and as he sat in his study turning to his usual comfort in alcohol to take the edge of everything around him, he also found himself looking back on his behaviour towards his daughter, and slowly realising why she would feel that way. After all, he had been deliberately keeping her at a distance all these years convincing himself she was better off without him.

Of course she  had saw his neglect of her as something completely different. Now it pained him that his actions had made her think that he didn't care for her any more, or her dead mother. That had not been his intention but he had been so blinders by his own misery he had failed to see it

Bits and pieces of the night before returned to him that he had been in a bad state, and that Eleanor had helped him get up to his room, Now he was recalling their conversation, realising in his drunken despair, he had said too much.

The one thing that he recalled with clarity, because it was the last thought on his mind before he had drifted off to sleep, had been her words. That if he wanted to put things right, he needed to repair the relationship with his daughter, that would be what Isabella would want. Despite being hungover, his mind was clear enough now to realise the truthfulness of this, and suddenly he was filled with shame, that his wallowing in self pity all these years, he had not been protecting Clara only hurting her, and now he had to try and put it right somehow But where did he even begin?

Filled with shame of his behaviour, and even a little embarrassed of his drunken raving in front of Eleanor, he knew he could not face either her or Clara just yet, until he had a clearer head, and found a way to put things right, but that wasn't going to happen lying in bed.

Filled with the new sense of purpose, he sat up intending to get changed and dressed. He had to go somewhere to help him think straight, somewhere that he had not been too for a long time, and that was to go visit Isabella's grave.

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Because she had got very little rest after the dramatic events of the night before, Eleanor had slept in late, When she awoke and recalled her last interaction with Daniel, and how through his drunken state she had finally realised why what had happened in the past affected him badly, his guilt over betraying Isabella with Gwen then realising it was a mistake and never having the chance to make it up to his wife because she died.

It was certainly a heavy burden to bear, no wonder he had found solace in alcohol to try and help him forget. But recalling how she had managed to get through to him and he agreed that he needed to mend his relationship with his daughter, sparked a bit of hope in Eleanor's chest that he was seeing the error of his ways. Which was why she eagerly got out of bed and got dressed, wanting to speak with him.

But much to her disappointment she discovered from the servants that he had already gone out, without telling them where he was going or when he would be back.

Eleanor felt her heart sink again. Had Daniel woken this morning, and not remembered their conversation because of his drunken state, and then just disappeared to avoid the issue with Clara. As he had been doing since she arrived? She really hoped this was not the case. If he had taken cold feet about trying to make amends, and just returned to liquor to salve his conscience things would not improve for any of them.