Yes, Eliza said, enjoying the moment. Because one of her godmothers was that TV soap actress.
It had been Eliza’s pleasure to get Maxie to autograph a dozen photographs for Rose and her family.
In the years that followed, Rose became the friend Eliza had always longed to have. It didn’t matter that they didn’t often see each other face-to-face now. They spoke on the phone, sent emails and photos, always knew exactly what the other was up to.
Rose had also appointed herself as Eliza’s matchmaker. She’d told Eliza that it was her civic duty. That Gillian worked Eliza so hard she had no time to socialise. Outside help was needed. After several excruciating first dates, there’d finally been a spark between Eliza and one of Harry’s friends. The tallest one. Eliza dated him for six months. Until he told her, kindly, that he’d been offered a job transfer to Perth. They mutually decided to call it a day. There’d been no one in the four years since, despite Rose’s best efforts, fully backed by Olivia and Maxie.
Over the years, Rose had regularly met Eliza’s godmothers. They got on very well. In recent years, though, a slight tension had entered Eliza and Rose’s relationship in regard to them. Rose still couldn’t understand why Eliza wouldn’t ask Olivia and Maxie about her father.
Eliza had finally told Rose the little she knew. About the promise her mother had made to tell her the truth on her eighteenth birthday. She’d shared some of the stories Jeannie had made up about him over the years, thinking Rose might enjoy them. Rose hadn’t seemed to find them funny.
She kept raising the subject. ‘Aren’t you even a bit curious about him, Eliza? Wouldn’t you like to know who he is?’
Of course she was curious, Eliza said. Of course she wondered about him. But it had never been straightforward. Her father’s identity had always felt like a special secret between her and Jeannie. A special bond. A birthday promise, unfulfilled for the saddest of reasons. If she hadn’t been able to hear it from her mother, she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear it at all.
In any case, she said to Rose, her godmothers might not even know his name. Jeannie had always said she’d tell Eliza first, then Olivia and Maxie.
Rose had persisted. ‘But they must know something, Eliza. They were best friends. If I got pregnant again, you’d be the first to know. Your mother might have mentioned his name to them even in passing. Perhaps if the three of you sat down together and swapped all the little things she ever said about him, joking or not, you’d figure it out.’
But that hadn’t been possible. For work and family reasons, Olivia and Maxie had only visited Australia separately over the past thirteen years. Eliza told Rose she couldn’t ask them to come to see her together. She wasn’t the only one avoiding the subject, either. Olivia and Maxie had never raised it with her, had they?
‘Maybe they’ve been waiting for you to ask first,’ Rose said. ‘Or waiting for the right time. Perhaps he’s even out there waiting for you to find him. He might have known your mother was going to tell you on your eighteenth birthday. He might not have heard the news about Jeannie. He might be wanting to meet you himself.’
‘Why didn’t he ever come looking for me, then?’ she asked.
‘Maybe your mum asked him to stay away. Or he was with someone else then, or even now, and she’s jealous of his past. There could be hundreds of reasons.’
Rose had apologised eventually. ‘I’m sorry if it feels like I’m nagging. You know I only ever want what’s best for you. So do your godmothers. Because we love you.’
Standing at the window now, Eliza thought back to all those conversations with Rose. She thought about her godmothers too. She pictured Olivia meeting her at Edinburgh Airport in a fortnight. She imagined Maxie’s surprise when she appeared at Gretna Green moments before her wedding. She pictured the three of them in one place again.
She’d known them all her life. They had been her mother’s best friends. They had to have the answers to so many of her questions. Before she could change her mind, she went to her laptop and wrote an email. She’d just pressed send when Rose came back on the line.
‘Eliza, are you still there? Sorry about that. So, will you stay on in Edinburgh long after the wedding? Or go travelling?’
She’d just decided what she was going to do, she told Rose. ‘You’re right. I’ve put it off for too long. This could be my best chance. While the three of us are together. Before Maxie goes to New York.’
Rose stayed quiet. Waiting.
‘I’m going to find out who my father is,’ Eliza said.
CHAPTER FOUR
In Edinburgh, Olivia was in her office at the Montgomery, phone to her ear, impatiently tapping a pen on the antique desk. Another two minutes passed before Maxie finally came on the line.
‘Olivia? Are you there?’
‘I’ve aged ten years, but yes. Where are you? I’ve been leaving messages all day. And when did your publicist’s assistant get an assistant?’
‘Sorry. I’m on an all-day photo shoot. And I left my mobile at home, again. Hazel says I —’
‘Tell me later what Hazel says. Eliza said yes.’
‘She what?’
‘She said yes. On the spot. She’s coming.’
‘Oh my God, Olivia! That’s fantastic! Did you bribe her?’
‘I didn’t have to. Turns out our timing was perfect. I’ll explain why later. I also lied. I told her you know nothing about it. So make sure you act surprised when she arrives in Gretna Green with me.’
‘Act? How do I do that? Liv, I can’t believe it! But what about the flight?’
‘She’s scared witless. But she told me she’s determined to try again.’
‘The fearless Jeannie in her, coming out at last! Oh, this will make my wedding day! Hazel can’t wait to meet her too. What fantastic news!’
‘Yes, except for one thing. She also emailed me. To ask if the three of us could have a few hours together before you go to New York. She said she has lots of questions she hopes we can answer. About her father. Jeannie.’ She hesitated. ‘Jeannie’s family.’
There was a long pause before Maxie spoke. ‘Oh, fuck.’
‘Yes.’
‘What did you say?’
‘I said yes, of course. I could hardly say no.’
‘No. And at least we’ve had warning. There’s time to work out what we can tell her.’
‘What do you mean “can”? We tell her the truth. Everything we should have told her years ago.’
‘We can’t! You know what we promised Jeannie, that —’
‘Maxie, how many times can we argue about this? We were practically kids when we made that promise. We’ve also been waiting for years for Eliza to ask us anything at all.’
‘What if she gets upset? We’ll ruin her holiday. My wedding. She might never talk to us again.’
‘Stop being so dramatic. She’s thirty years old, Maxie. A grown woman. While we’re on the subject, I also think she needs to hear about that night in Carlton.’
‘What? Why? That happened long before Jeannie was even pregnant. It didn’t even go to court.’