Chapter 5: Richard

The film in the desert did not do too well; it very quickly went to DVD. The premiere in London would not rate Leicester Square nor did it rate a top cinema in Berlin. Helmut offered me his sister in law as escort for me at the Berlin premiere. She was his wife's sister. Together they would have stopped an infantry brigade. Tall, blonde, statuesque and both possessed of high and mighty breasts. After the premiere we went for a meal and then to Helmut's home for 'one more drink ja?' One more drink became another drink until we all had a pleasant glow. I wasn't drunk. Lisa, Helmut's wife made sure of that. Even so, when Helmut wished me goodnight and disappeared with Helga his sister in law I was a little surprised. Lisa didn't turn a hair. She loosened her dress and first one, then the other mammary came into view. They were wonders of nature and not a sign of synthetic anywhere. The dress continued its journey to the floor and Lisa stood there in all her glory, and glory it was. "Ve haf some fun, Richard ja?" We did have some fun and I was not going to let the flag down in yet another England v Germany encounter.

It was twelve years after Andrea. I had fallen into the habit of viewing my days with Andrea as an epiphany, time before Andrea was history, and time after her was real time. I had to be realistic and understood that I would never meet her again, even though I yearned for that. I was a very busy actor, it appeared that Ashley's prediction was correct. No sooner had I finished with a film then another script landed on my doormat. Of course, they were not all for cinema. Many were for television dramas. I had no problem with that, as it appeared that for me exposure generated more work. Once more, I was reminded of the positives of not being the star. Apart from how the screenplay would be viewed, there was little difference in the process. Locations could be anywhere in the world, I had worked in the U.K. of course, but also in Eastern Europe, Australia, South Africa, Norway and India. I was frozen in Norway and had a severe reaction to the food in India.

I had deliberately made some space in my schedule to go back to Broughley for my parents Golden Wedding. If I didn't turn up, I would not hear the end of it from my mother who would bring up my absence at any time I saw her. Would there be a chance to see Andrea? I wished that but knew in my heart that I wouldn't. She was with her husband in London. The party was low-key but enjoyable for all that. It was good to meet old acquaintances and re-discover the things about people that made you like them. One old codger, Harry Bate challenged me. "All right young Carter. When are you going to pay me for that bloody motorbike then?" His accent was very rural, 'all' came out as orl, and 'bloody' came out as bleddy.

"It wasn't your bike in the first place, Harry. I remember asking you at the time and you said it was nothing to do with you."

"You did? Reckon I was drunk at the time then. Get me a drink and we'll call it quits."

A touch on my shoulder brought me round and I was face to face with Viscount Seddon. "Viscount Seddon. It is a pleasure to see you here."

"Well young man, your father has been a tower of strength for years, and your mother even more so for putting up with your father, so it would be remiss of me not come and offer my congratulations." He grinned. "And how is our home grown film star these days. I wanted to meet your wife, Have you brought her?"

"I am well, Sir. Quite busy, thankfully. I'm sorry to disappoint you, I am not married."

"I didn't think you would say that, every time I switch on the television there's some bloody film on with you in it with some gorgeous lovely all over you. I was sure you would have married one." His face crinkled so I knew he was joking. "Look. I have paid my compliments to your parents and I won't stay, else I will put a damper on the festivities. Come up to the house tomorrow morning. We'll have some coffee and you can tell me about all those lovely starlets you must have had lying under you. About ten thirty suit you.?" Then he was gone without my being able to reply.

I drove up to Viscount Seddon's home. He must have been waiting for me as he opened the door immediately I arrived. "Come in Richard. I'll get some coffee organised and we'll have it the front room." He indicated the door, then scuttled off, presumably to arrange to coffee. I was uncomfortable. Viscount Seddon had dealings with my father on a regular basis. I had seen him often when I was younger but not to talk to. Now he was treating me as an old friend and I was a little out of my depth. I turned the handle and peeked in. From my perspective, the room was empty and gathering courage I walked in. My intuition told me that he had not invited me here to talk about my supposed conquest of those lovely starlets. It did occur to me that he may have had somehow learned of the episode of Andrea and me in South Devon. He couldn't play the part of the outraged father, after all Andrea was over twenty-one. Nonetheless, he could make me aware of his displeasure and I worried that he could turn that displeasure upon my father. I braced myself as the door opened. Andrea walked in wearing that lovely smile of hers. "Hello Rich." I must have worn a look of shock and she giggled, then took a step towards me, I took a faltering step towards her. She took another step and I, with more confidence took two. The last steps for both were taken hurriedly as I opened my arms and she ran into my embrace.

That embrace lasted, neither of us wanting to give way. Was it two seconds, two minutes or ten minutes? I had no idea except that Andrea was in my arms again and she was weeping. I released her and found my handkerchief. I wiped her eyes then she took the handkerchief and blew her nose. "Who would be a woman? I am so happy to see you again, Rich and I have to cry ruining our re-union."

"I should apologise, Andrea. Seeing you again was the last thought I would have had and I reacted instinctively. Is your husband here?"

She shook her head smiling and tears flicked. "No, Rich. I no longer have a husband. I am divorced."

"Oh. Should I be sorry?"

"Whether you're sorry is up to you. I'm not."

"If you are not sorry, then neither am I. May I ask why?" "Because my husband found out that I had committed adultery."

It shouldn't have, but I felt hurt that Andrea would have been with another man. Not for one moment did I think that the reason for her divorce was her behaviour with me, after all that was twelve years ago. "Did you love this man?" I asked naively.

"It was a lot more than friendship. I had a deep attachment to him and now I am in his arms again I still have that deep attachment."

"Me?" I was astounded and yet a little flame of hope grew inside me. "But that was twelve years ago. How did your husband find out after all that time?"

She smiled. "I think you should meet someone." She went to the door and opened it. She called out. "Charlie!" Leaving the door open, she came back to me. A very pretty girl in her early teens came into the room. "What is it, Mum." She asked rather testily. Then she saw me."Oh!"

"Rich. This is your daughter, Charlotte, known as Charlie."

There are many words in the English language to describe the shock I had just received. Thunderstruck, bowled over, gobsmacked are just three, but they described my countenance at that moment. I had acted this emotion on more than one occasion, but I had never experienced it as such. I knew then my portrayal of the emotion was lacking. Charlie did not seem to be surprised as I as she and her mother watched me with a seemingly detached attitude. At last, I was able to pull myself together. "My daughter?" Andrea and Charlie both nodded. I then asked the most stupid of questions. "But how?" Andrea giggled and asked if she would have to explain as Charlie, laughing said "Oh daddy!" That word brought me out of my extraordinary fog. Daddy! My daughter had called me daddy. Charlie advanced and held out her hand as if for me to shake. I shook my head and opened my arms and the girl, smiling walked into my arms. The emotions ran high as I cuddled my daughter. I looked over to Andrea and tears slipped softly and quietly down her cheeks. I held Charlie with one arm and offered the other to Andrea and she came into the group cuddle.

Novelists and scriptwriters would have used words that suggested my life should now be complete with a lover and a daughter. Andrea in everything she said and her actions indicated that she wanted to be my lover and that she was happy that her daughter had been sired by me. I, having this situation bounced upon me without preparation was in turmoil. Not for having Andrea back in my life, nor for having this lovely young girl call me daddy. My turmoil was because I didn't know how to be a father. Most men learn this difficult role over years, from the birth of their progeny, adapting and growing into the role as their children grow up. I was presented with a lovely girl on the cusp of adulthood who had already developed character. How could I guide her through these formative years? My musing was interrupted by Viscount Seddon who chose this moment to enter the room, followed by the housekeeper carrying the tray with coffee. "Well young man. Now you have met your daughter, what do you think?"

"I have never had such a lovely surprise in my life, Sir."

"She'll run you ragged you know."

"Granpops!" Charlie exclaimed. "I will be very good. After all none of my friends at school will have a film star as a daddy. I will be the girl that all the others will want for a friend."

"Now that is something we have to discuss." Remarked the Viscount seriously. Andrea had been pouring coffee. She gave me a cup without asking how I took coffee. The Viscount noted that. "See that, Charlie. Your mum doesn't need to ask how he takes his coffee. It's sickening. Your grandmother could never remember if I wanted sugar or not, even after twelve years together." Andrea blushed and smiled.

We sat down and the Viscount broached the subject that needed discussion. "As part of the divorce settlement, Charles had Andrea sign a document preventing her from broadcasting or suggesting in any way that he wasn't the father of Charlie. He believed it would be injurious to his reputation if it became common knowledge. In other words he doesn't want to be labelled a cuckold. That means, Charlie you will have to forgo your celebrity at school. I would suggest you refer to Richard as your mother's good friend. You will still have a lot of friends but not as many as you thought." Charlie pulled a face.

"Charlie!" Andrea got her attention. "You are old enough to understand why. Charles was a good father when he thought you were his daughter and he didn't take against you when he knew you weren't. We must respect his wishes."

"It's unfair, Mum. I meet my real father and within a minute he was hugging me. That's what real fathers do. Charles never hugged me in all of my life. It's unfair to me and to daddy, that he cannot call me his daughter."

I indicated to Charlie that she should come and sit with me. I put my arm around her shoulder and spoke to her softly. "Charlie, we know the truth. Your mum's husband was not a bad man and he did his best for you. Men guard their self-respect and if others learn that a man's wife has been sleeping with someone else it demeans their dignity; making the husband a laughing stock. I fell in love with your mother all those years ago and knew that she would be intimate with Charles when she returned home. That hurt me, it brought tears to my eyes and I had no right to that emotion for she belonged to another. I can understand Charles' feelings. I have hurt him, although he didn't know at the time. Now for his sake and mine I have to bite my tongue. Let it be, Charlie. Let him keep his self-respect. I will call you daughter with pride and love but it can only be amongst our family"

Andrea had joined us we sat on the settee, kneeling down she took Charlie's hand. "What Rich and I did was very wrong, Charlie. Call this our punishment if you will and I am sorry that you have to be involved in that. Rich is right. We have to leave Charles with his self-respect."

Charlie did not like it, but she acquiesced. I hugged her to show my gratitude for her behaving as an adult. "I have some publicity shots. If you like I will sign them and you can give them to your friends, and those who want to be your friend. You can tell them that I am a good friend of your mother." Charlie's face lit up.

Andrea was still kneeling in front of Charlie and she came up with a great suggestion. "If you would like, Charlie, on your birthday you can have some of your best friends here and I will persuade Rich to join us. Would that make things right?" The smile on Charlie's face told us all we needed to know.

The Viscount at watched this interplay with a benign smile. With Charlie happy he mentioned my parents. "Now what are we going to do about Richard's parents. They are your grandparents, Charlie. Do you not think they should be let in on the secret as well?" He was a wily man, asking Charlie, involving her in the decision rather than imposing an action. Charlie thought for just a moment. "Yes." She decided. She turned to me. "When can we go?"

"Whenever. I am here for three more days then I have to get back to Elstree."

"This afternoon, if that's alright. I shall have to change first, I can't meet my grandparents wearing jeans and sweatshirt."

"I suppose that means I shall have to change as well." Andrea added witheringly. She was wearing jeans and sweatshirt as well.

Charlie disappeared, presumably to decide what she should wear this afternoon. She was back in a minute. "Mum. Can I put some lippy on?"

Andrea's face was one of exasperation. "OK, Charlie. Just a tinge and a light colour." Charlie smiled smugly and disappeared again.

Viscount Seddon told us he had work to do. "If no one else in this family wants to work."

Andrea turned to me and came into my arms. "Did I hear you say you had fallen in love with me?"

"I did say that, didn't I? It came out unconsciously. I knew how I felt when you left the cottage that time. I couldn't say anything; I didn't have the right to love you and my telling you would put you in an awkward position. Do you mind?"

"Mind? I have spent the last twelve years remembering how it was, thinking how it felt to be near you, laying in bed with you, laughing with you. I kept this huge secret from everyone, never daring to let it out because of the trauma it would create. That deep attachment I spoke about is what kept me going in all those banal years. When I heard you say that you had fallen in love with me, it was as if someone had given me the key to happiness. I have loved you, probably from the time I got on your motorbike. I didn't understand my feelings then, now I can see it clearly. I am your woman, Rich. So no. I don't mind, in fact you have just made me the happiest woman in the world." What else could I do? My head dipped and our lips touched, slithered together and connected as tongues fought to take possession of each other's mouth.

Andrea and Charlie slipped into my car as if they had done so many times. "Nice." Charlie commented on my choice of car, a Jaguar XF. It took just six minutes to drive from the Seddon house to the estate compound where my mum and dad had a house. Dad had been Viscount Seddon's estate manager for thirty years. He had tried to retire but the Viscount would not hear of it. Instead dad was semi-retired working in an advisory position, he still got up early as the farming day always started early, but would usually be found at home in the afternoons. Mum and dad were shocked and then delighted to meet Charlie, their granddaughter. They welcomed Lady Andrea who became exasperated until they agreed to address her as Andrea and my mum had some harsh words for me for seducing a married woman. "We didn't bring you up to do that sort of thing."

"No Mrs. Carter." Andrea jumped to my defence. "If anything it was me who did the seducing." Charlie smoothed things over by asking if she could come and see them whenever she was let out of prison, referring to Cirencester Ladies College in a most unflattering manner.

Later that day when Andrea and I were alone she asked if it was possible to go back to the cottage as she said. "Return to the most wonderful few days of my life."

"Anytime you want, Andrea."

"Don't you need to ask that man, Mr. Lillian?"

"You mean Lilman. No. John Lilman decided to move his interests to the States. He asked me if I wanted to buy the cottage and I agreed. It was special to me for some reason." I was grinning as I said that to let Andrea know that I was being humorous.

"So it's yours?"

"Ours. When would you like to go?"

"Now!"

"Sorry. I have to finish up at Elstree. Give me three weeks and we can go."

"Three weeks? I can't wait that long to go to bed with you."

"Well I don't think my mother would view it decent if I took you back down there to sleep with me."

"You, Mr. Leigh. Are staying here with me, and I don't mind at all if Charlie hears me screaming."

"That's what pillows are for." I informed Andrea.

ANDREA

We couldn't go to the cottage until the first week of September. The TV series Rich was making overran, and then we decided to postpone until Charlie had gone back to Cirencester. She was a spitting fury for a few days as she wanted to come to the cottage too, then Rich suggested that he would take her back to school when the time came. The change in expression of Charlie's face was instant. She could flaunt her connection to the absolute, no doubt making enemies as easily as she made friends. I made completely certain that she wouldn't refer to Rich as her father. Rich suggested that he could be a friend of her mother. I said she could say that Rich was my lover, after all these were girls of twelve going on sixteen and unlike me when I was that age, were fully aware of how adult friends demonstrated their friendship.

Rich's Jaguar was not out of place as we drove up the drive to the school. The parent's cars ranged from Rolls Royces through Mercedes, BMW's to Fords; an eclectic collection. However the drivers getting out of the cars to deliver their passenger were not Richard Leigh. He stopped the car where Charlie suggested and got out to open, first my door and then Charlie's. The chatter of the girls greeting each other after the long break died away and a breathless hush fell. With aplomb I didn't know Charlie possessed, she got out of the car and waved to those girls she had befriended before. Then with screams of "Charlie" at least half a dozen girls ran to hug her, their eyes upon Rich rather than the girl they were greeting. I sidled up to Rich. "What do we do now?"

"Leave it to me." He suggested with a smile. "I have had to deal with the press, I doubt that this will be any more difficult." He moved to where Charlie and her friends were talking excitedly. "Charlie! Are you going to introduce me to these pretty young ladies."