The Chocolatier's Secret (Magnolia Creek, Book 2) Read online

  ‘Good idea.’ Molly stacked their cups and plates by the sink and joined Louis in the lounge, where he’d taken the armchair in the corner, obviously a special one for him. It had a tartan throw over the back, and he pulled it down across his knees. She noticed his legs moving beneath it. She moved closer and, one by one, lifted his legs onto the ottoman in front.

  ‘Thank you, dear. I’m not as strong as I once was.’

  ‘You’re welcome.’ Molly sat on the armchair next to him. ‘Tell me more about Andrew,’ she requested. ‘I want to know what he was like before he met Gemma, before he was a successful chocolatier. He’s told me snippets, but I’d like to hear more.’

  Louis relaxed into the armchair as he recounted the past and his son, all the way from the first time Andrew fell off his bike and had a concussion to the time he got braces on his teeth and vowed he’d never smile again.

  ‘I think I had him laughing by the end of the day,’ said Louis.

  ‘It’s very different now,’ Molly explained. ‘Nowadays all the kids want their teeth straightened. I was so jealous when a girl in my class got braces, everyone was. Perhaps it’s a rite of passage. Maybe it shows you’re growing up.’

  ‘Well, let me tell you, he hated it.’ He cleared his throat. ‘His teeth were perfectly straight and the braces long gone by the time he met Julia. He was smitten from the get-go. They became inseparable, everywhere he went she went and vice versa. But we had no idea they were … having relations.’

  Molly smiled at Louis’ inability to include the word ‘sex’ in his description. It reminded her of the generation gap between them.

  He looked down at his hands, clasped together in his lap. ‘When Andrew told us Julia was pregnant, it was a shock. But I also saw the past replaying itself.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Molly sat forwards in her chair.

  ‘Andrew’s mother and I …’ He hesitated. ‘We were kids, messing around really, and one thing led to another and we conceived Andrew. We got married soon after and when Andrew told me about Julia, I didn’t want the same to happen to him.’

  ‘You didn’t love your wife?’

  His face softened. ‘In those days, if a girl was pregnant, you got married, end of story. But it isn’t as simple as asking whether I loved Penny or not.’

  ‘I’m sorry, I—’

  Louis waved his hand to stop her. ‘Love for us evolved. It came out of friendship, respect, a lifetime together. But if she hadn’t got pregnant, I don’t think we would’ve ended up together. We had fun, got on well enough, but there was never a spark to make me feel we’d be together forever. We had a good life and built a family. I had the business and threw my heart and soul into it, but I wanted my children – Andrew included – to have everything.’ He smiled at Molly. ‘When you have kids, you’ll know what I mean. You want them to have the world at their feet, to know no bounds, to never be constrained by anything.’

  The rain pelted harder against the windowpane. ‘But it sounds like Andrew was happy with Julia, from what he told me,’ said Molly.

  ‘He was, but all we saw were two fifteen-year-olds who would be forced to grow up quicker than they should, forced to clip their wings and stay put rather than spread their wings and fly away.’

  ‘But if he was happy—’

  ‘I know it sounds as though we were callous back then, but when Julia’s mother threatened to go to the police, it made sense to do as she suggested and get those two apart. Let them carry on and lead normal lives, settling down when the time was right.

  ‘I don’t know what you think of me, Molly.’ Louis refused to meet her gaze. ‘But I want you to know I’m not a monster.’

  She moved closer and covered his hand with her own. ‘I know you’re not a monster. I wouldn’t be sitting here otherwise.’

  ‘I felt guilty for years,’ he continued. ‘We’d conspired between ourselves to rip those two apart, to get rid of the baby. God, if Julia had gone ahead with the abortion, you wouldn’t … you—’ He broke off and tried to push himself up from the chair, embarrassed his eyes had filled with tears.

  Molly found the bathroom, gave him a few moments alone, and then brought tissues back with her. Louis was still sitting in the same chair, against the backrest now. She passed him a tissue, and he wiped beneath his eyes.

  ‘You may not think I’m a monster, but I bet you think I’m no man, not with my crying and all.’

  ‘I think you’re human,’ said Molly. She waited for him to compose himself. ‘What made you run away to Australia?’

  Louis’ smile reached his eyes. ‘It was something I’d been thinking about for a while and the timing was right, so I think what happened was the encouragement I needed to stop dreaming and start doing.’

  Louis told Molly all about the plans for Australia and Andrew’s time at school. ‘The kids had a few issues settling in but none we didn’t iron out after a few short weeks. And after a while, Andrew stopped mentioning Julia, he stopped looking so miserable, and gradually he got on with his life.’

  Louis began to look drained, and Molly knew it was her cue to leave.

  ‘Thank you for coming to see me today, Molly,’ he said, when she stood up.

  ‘It was my pleasure. I enjoyed talking to you.’

  ‘Will you come again?’ He tried to push himself from the chair, and Molly stepped forwards to help him.

  ‘Of course. How does tomorrow sound?’

  She helped him up and he linked her arm, patted her hand. ‘It sounds perfect. But for now I need to sleep.’

  Molly helped him to the bedroom. ‘Do you want me to ask Gemma to come over?’

  His eyes were already shut as he pulled the duvet cover over his body. ‘I’m fine, thank you, Molly.’

  Molly closed the curtains for him, took her umbrella from her bag and let herself out of the annexe. The plan had been to get close to Louis and show Andrew the man was more than the lie he’d told for years. He was also a man who knew how to love, how to accept, how to forgive and move on. But as Molly walked down the path towards Gemma and Andrew’s back door, she wasn’t so sure this plan was a good idea. She was getting attached; she was emotional, weakened at the tug she’d felt between herself and Louis. And very soon she’d have to leave this town behind and return to England. And life would probably go on as though she’d never been there at all.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Andrew

  ‘What are you doing home?’ Gemma was drying up a large saucepan when Andrew came through the door. He’d hoped she wouldn’t be there; he’d hoped he wouldn’t have to battle the tension that constantly hovered between them. Not today. His thoughts were on Molly for now. He still hadn’t had the guts to call or text her, and he knew he was running out of time before she left the country.

  He dropped his keys on the bench. ‘I forgot the extra Easter moulds I’d stored up in the loft. I need them to start making the raffle prize for Good Friday.’

  It was small talk, but at least it was talk.

  ‘I think I should go and see Molly, clear the air about the other day.’ He tested the waters to see if Gemma’s anger rose, but it didn’t. ‘I need to apologise.’

  Gemma turned to him and smiled, but his eyes went to the window when he saw a purple and white polka dot umbrella heading down the path from the annexe. She didn’t need to tell him who it was because the back door opened soon enough.

  ‘Molly?’

  ‘Hi.’ She looked from Gemma to Andrew and back again.

  ‘Molly and I have talked things through,’ said Gemma.

  His relief was palpable, and he looked at Gemma, conveying his thanks to his wife for being a far bigger person than he had been these last few days.

  ‘Here, let me take that.’ Gemma stepped forwards and took the umbrella from Molly who was shuffling from one foot to the other, awkward and unsure. ‘I’ll put it in the laundry sink.’

  Andrew pulled out an old towel from the bottom drawer in the sideboard
and mopped up the water pooling by the back door.

  ‘Sorry,’ said Molly. ‘There’s water all over your floor.’

  ‘Don’t be silly.’ Andrew gestured to the table, and when Gemma reappeared she pulled three cups from the cupboard.

  ‘Tea, coffee or hot chocolate?’ Gemma asked.

  ‘Hot chocolate for me, please,’ Molly smiled.

  ‘Me too.’ Andrew watched his daughter, still mesmerised by her, firmly imprinting her face on his mind, knowing she’d soon disappear again. ‘How was Dad?’

  ‘He’s fine. He looks tired, but he’s well and he’s in good spirits. He told me lots of stories about when you were younger.’ She looked at Andrew. ‘I heard all about the braces, I’m afraid.’

  He couldn’t help but laugh. ‘Those braces, the bugbear of my teenage years. Like train tracks, they were!’

  Recounting some of the other anecdotes Louis had shared with her helped all three of them to ease into conversation. She recalled Louis’ tale of a camping trip to North Devon when their tent had blown down in a gale and Andrew had slept through the entire thing. Louis had dragged him from his sleeping bag, bundled him into the car and they’d driven home.

  ‘I was so confused!’ Andrew took a mug from Gemma. ‘I’d gone to sleep beneath canvas, and when I woke up I was in my bed, my Transformers lined up on the shelf opposite, the bucket of Lego in the corner.’

  Gemma handed round a tin of biscuits, but Molly declined. ‘I’ve already had banana bread. At this rate they won’t let me on the plane home due to excess baggage … and not the variety that goes in my suitcase!’

  The atmosphere relaxed to something closely resembling normal. And that hadn’t happened around there for a long time.

  ‘I messaged Julia this morning,’ Andrew told Molly and Gemma. He was afraid of ruining the moment, but he was also aware of keeping the channels of communication open, the importance of honesty. He knew nothing of Julia’s circumstances now, whether she’d married, whether she had more children, whether she was happy. And that was what had propelled him to get in touch again. He had had a support system, and although he’d been wronged, he also knew how lucky he’d been.

  ‘Does she know I’ve come to find you?’ Molly asked.

  ‘She does. There’ve been too many lies over the years. I wanted to be upfront. I want us all to be upfront from now on.’

  ‘Has she written back?’ Molly clasped her hot chocolate as she waited for the answer. She had the same long, slender fingers Julia had, the same neat fingernails, unpainted but well looked after.

  ‘No. We haven’t exchanged many messages, and I don’t expect she will for a while.’ Molly turning up had made him revisit his fifteen-year-old self, and in doing so he’d realised how much hurt he had buried since they’d left England. Julia had probably been doing the same for years. ‘I don’t know Julia now. I knew her then, but so much time has passed. All I’ll say to you, Molly, is that hopefully, given time, she’ll come round.’

  Molly didn’t look convinced.

  ‘I’m not sure what her home life was like, even back then.’ Andrew sipped his hot chocolate. ‘She was always out and about with me. We hung out at our place mostly, never hers. She got on well enough with her mum, but I got the sense she never really trusted her, never really knew where she stood with her.’

  ‘I can’t imagine that,’ said Molly.

  ‘You have a good relationship with your parents?’ Gemma held Andrew’s hand beneath the table, and he squeezed her fingers reassuringly when she asked the question.

  ‘They’re the best. I’ve always known about my adoption, but working as a midwife raised questions. My parents were willing to answer any queries I had, help me trace my biological roots.’

  Molly told Gemma and Andrew more stories of her growing up, the scrapes she and her brother got into, about his upcoming wedding in America.

  ‘I don’t think any child would ever say they were glad to be given away, but at the same time, I’m not sorry I ended up with the family I have now,’ Molly explained to them both.

  ‘I’m glad you all found each other.’ He watched Molly. She’d stopped drinking her hot chocolate. ‘What’s wrong?’

  She shrugged.

  ‘Come on, out with it. Everything out in the open, remember?’

  Molly drew her breath. ‘I’m wondering what happens now?’

  ‘With us?’ Andrew asked.

  When Andrew looked at Gemma and saw acceptance in her eyes, the way her head nodded ever so slightly, he said, ‘I’d like to keep in touch.’ His words sounded so weak. ‘I’d like to get to know you properly, Molly. I want you to feel as though you’re a part of this family.’

  She seemed taken aback.

  ‘I’ve scared you now, haven’t I?’ He scraped his chair back and leant forwards, forearms on his knees, unsure of where this left either of them.

  ‘You’ve surprised me.’ Her voice was small, but he could hear warmth in it. ‘In a good way.’

  When Andrew looked up, Gemma had reached across the table and was squeezing Molly’s hand in her own. Both women were looking at each other, both realising the tendrils of family extended in many ways, so many directions.

  ‘Molly, there’s an Easter Egg Hunt, on Good Friday, at Magnolia House.’ Andrew’s voice brightened. ‘Magnolia Creek Chocolaterie is supplying the chocolate eggs, it’s going to be a crazy day, but it’d be really great if you could join us.’

  ‘I’d love to.’

  ‘We’ll be having a raffle, a great prize organised by Gemma, there’s—’

  ‘Andrew, she said she’d come.’ It was Gemma’s voice.

  He hadn’t registered because he’d been rambling, nervous at the next step.

  ‘I’ll come, but on one condition.’ Molly’s voice came out small.

  ‘What’s that?’

  ‘You think really carefully about Louis.’ She had his attention now. ‘You said you want me to feel a part of this family?’

  Gemma and Andrew exchanged glances.

  ‘I meant it,’ said Andrew.

  ‘Then I believe you should put the past behind you. Stop seeing Louis as one-dimensional. He lied back then, made mistakes, but I want you to give him a chance. Give me a chance to get to know my grandfather before it’s too late.’

  When Molly went on her way to meet Ben, Andrew and Gemma sat in the kitchen pondering her last request. Her words had taken Andrew by surprise. She’d arrived in town and until now had been polite, a little unsure of herself and had made no demands on him or his family. But today he’d seen how she’d inherited Julia’s determined streak, and it wasn’t a bad thing.

  Gemma was the first to speak. ‘She’s r—’

  ‘Don’t … don’t say it.’

  ‘She’s right though, and you know it.’ From the wobble in Gemma’s voice, she was bracing herself for a showdown, for him to argue back, but this time he couldn’t.

  Deep down Andrew had always hoped he’d reach this point. Always hoped he’d see reason, and realise that if he let his father die without even trying to help him, he’d regret it for the rest of his life. He’d have to live with the knowledge that one mistake had cost Louis not only his son’s respect, but ultimately his life.

  ‘I’ll call the hospital this afternoon, make an appointment to go in and discuss a suitable date,’ he told Gemma as he pulled her into his arms. This was one less thing for her to worry about. It was one less weight on her shoulders.

  ‘That sounds like a great idea.’

  Andrew pulled back. ‘Have I told you lately how amazing you are?’ He tilted her chin up towards his face with his fingers.

  ‘Tell me again, I like hearing it. You know, in case I forget.’

  He laughed and kissed her firmly on the lips, a closeness they hadn’t shared physically or mentally in weeks. ‘I love you, Gemma.’

  ‘I love you too.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘For what?’

  ‘Y
ou know what,’ said Andrew.

  ‘No.’

  ‘You do, but you want me to say it. So I will. Thank you for giving Molly a chance, thank you for giving me a chance to get to know her in the short time she’s here. Thank you for supporting Dad and letting me know how unreasonable I’m being.’ He kissed his wife for longer this time. ‘And in a few weeks, when this is all over, when I’m fighting fit again and Dad is back to his old self, how about we start getting this baby thing sorted.’

  ‘This baby thing?’

  ‘Yeah I know, sounds simple and it’s not. But somehow, Gemma, I feel as though everything is going to work out fine.’ He took her hand and led her up the stairs. ‘And there’s nothing like good, old-fashioned practice, of course.’

  She followed him, giggling, all the way up to the bedroom.

  And in that moment, he really did believe everything would work out fine. They’d had their challenges, had their obstacles. Maybe they were about done?

  But life had a funny way of taking the Bennetts by surprise.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Andrew

  At the hospital Andrew had been declared fighting fit and ready for the transplant, which would be scheduled as soon as possible. But right now he had the order to fill for Good Friday. He’d already made the ten thousand mini chocolate eggs, all wrapped in different coloured foils – pinks, purples, silvers, gold. He’d avoided wrapping any in green, figuring he’d give the kids and any adults helping them at least a fighting chance in finding them in the lush green grounds of Magnolia House. The mini eggs were boxed up and ready to go, but now he needed to make the huge milk chocolate egg and the individual chocolate bunnies to go inside.

  He took down the moulds for the bunnies – this variety of chocolate was sold in the shop anyway, so he’d make six of each for this prize: six white, six dark, six milk. He’d wrap each, again in multicoloured foil, and before he used melted chocolate to secure each half of the giant egg together to look like a whole item, he’d fill it with the wrapped bunnies.

  He checked the thermostat in the kitchen at the shop. Perfect. The autumn rain had cooled temperatures but not so much they needed the heat on, just enough to work at the room’s natural temperature today. Starting with the dark chocolate tempering machine, Andrew filled the mould, moving it from side to side until rich, thick, glossy chocolate filled every space.