The Heath

Chapter 29

Paul dropped into the unusually soft bed of the guest room and groaned at once as his body was almost half buried into the bed. He groaned. The bed was a little too soft for him. It was half past three in the morning and despite being tired to the bone, sleep eluded him. As a consequence of the events of the day before, quarter past ten saw him at Charlotte's house. The night had been much more eventful than he would've liked. He had just got off the phone call ten minutes back. He was desperate to get things done perfectly well and so he had with some reluctance, made the call and was thrilled by the proceedings of the phone call. He knew his boy would never disappoint him. He remembered how fateful the night before was. Talking about fateful, his conversation with Maria was an extremely useful development to his plan. He remembered her entering his room at half past one when he had just been getting ready to sleep after a sumptuous dinner.

"Paul dear, May I come in? "

"Mrs Holmes Ofcourse. Please come in."

"Maria please, honey. I hope I didn't disturb your sleep." she had smiled radiantly at him which reminded him so much of Charlotte.

"No, not at all. Please come in" 

"Paul dear, I wanted to have a word with you about something important. Something that has been bothering me for a few days. You must forgive me if I might sound forward Paul, but this awful murder happening so close to Charlotte has me at the end of the rope. I.. I think you should get married to Charlotte as soon as possible."

Paul remembered just looking at her completely puzzled and a tad bit shocked.

"Now now Paul, honey please don't get me wrong here. Look I don't want to play spoilsport to any plans you and Lottie might have on setting the date. I'm just scared for her. My daughter has never had to struggle ever in her life and has always led an upscale life. She is naive. Since Michael died, there has been a sort of shadow over our household. I.. I think marriage will bring an end to her misery. It did to mine. I'm hoping that marriage brings good luck in her life just as it did in mine" Paul just stood there awkwardly as she sniffled into her handkerchief.

"I'm sorry I just broke down - this is embarrassing, anyway- where was I? Yes yes, marriage. So as I was saying marriage brought me fortune and happiness. I just hope Charlotte is safe. That's all I care about."

"Honestly Mrs Holmes I've been doing some thinking about marriage too. I wanted to actually talk to her about it. She had once told me she wanted to get married as soon as she was done with 'The Risque Choice'. But all that awful business surrounding that Lucas and the killing..."

"Did she say that? Oh my goodness that is great. So talk to her about this, preferably at some nice restaurant in a romantic setting or whatever else you youngsters do these days. It was all different back in the day Michael and I got married. He had taken me to this beautiful cottage he owned down at the Vale of Heath and had proposed to me there. Charlotte was just five months old. A week later we got married there at the cottage in The Heath and it was such a beautiful time. Charlotte loved going there as a kid. I would drop her there every day after school and she'd play with her grandma, Micheal's mother. Oh such happy times! The Heath! It all began there. It was a new beginning for me. Her grandma died a few years later and the house has been empty since. We still visit there with relatives sometimes for a 'small picnic in the woods'.Charlotte still loves it there. Calls it granny's abode." she had smiled with a sad look in her eyes.

"Mrs Holmes, I was wondering if I could use that house for a date with Charlotte. Maybe tomorrow? To talk about the marriage idea you know. If you are okay with it that is."

"Oh yes honey why not. Of course of course. You'd love it there. I'll call our caretaker there, in the morning."

"Great then I'll make some arrangements of my own. I want to make it special for her."

He just felt really happy thinking about it. He looked at the ceiling and inhaled deeply. It was going to be a big day.

Tomorrow would be a new beginning.