Chapter 49

“There they are!” Alfred exclaimed when they finally showed up in the dining room. “I thought I was going to have to eat all alone this morning.”

“Good morning, Uncle Alfred,” said Derek, going over to where his godfather sat, to give him a quick hug. “I thought you would still be sleeping by now.”

“Ah, no. I don’t sleep much but I was pretty knocked out when my body hit my bed after that fabulous party,” he laughed.

“Good morning, Alfred. Thank you again for the party,” said Rachel with a smile.

“If I got a dollar for each time you say ‘thank you’, my fortune might double before your visit is over,” Alfred laughed.

“I just don’t know how else to express my gratitude to you,” she explained.

“It’s ok, dear. You deserved that and more,” replied Alfred. “Oh, is that my Zoe bear?”

“Yes!” Said Zoe with a giggle.

“Come here, darling. Come and give grandpa a hug,” said Alfred with open arms.

She happily ran to him and let him scoop her up on his lap. Elaine walked in from the kitchen and offered to take Zoe but the toddler vehemently refused.

“It’s ok, Elaine. I’ll feed her,” said Alfred.

Elaine nodded but remained where she was, unsure of what to do next.

“Why don’t you join us for breakfast, Elaine?” Said Rachel.

“I already ate,” she replied.

“Well then, you can take the morning off,” said Derek. “We’ll let you know when you are needed. Is that ok with you, Rachel?”

“Of course,” said Rachel, pleased that Derek sought her opinion on the matter. “Go on and relax, Elaine. Even nannies need to rest too.”

“Thank you,” said Elaine, obviously happy with the unexpected break. “May I go to the library? I got a glance of it yesterday when I was taking Zoe to bed.”

“Knock yourself out, sis,” said Alfred, and everyone laughed.

After Elaine excused herself, everyone returned their attention to the proper English breakfast that had been laid out on the table. One thing that Rachel has observed that the rich have in common is that they serve up more food than they can finish eating at a sitting because right now, the table looked like a buffet stand at a wedding reception.

“This is a lot of food,” she remarked, unable to hide her awe.

“You know what they say, variety is the spice of life,” Alfred laughed.

They continued to eat in companionable silence with the occasional funny comments from Alfred about Zoe’s style of eating or something random about the countryside and its allure. By the time they were done eating, Rachel felt that she must have bored two holes into Derek’s face because of how she’d been staring at him, willing him to bring up the matter that inspired their visit to Alfred’s house but he cleverly kept his gaze averted from her the entire time.

“I cannot even begin to express just how happy I am to see you guys,” said Alfred. “This is the best surprise visit I’ve ever had, and that’s saying something because I don’t like surprises.”

Derek chuckled. “I’m glad that you’re happy to see us.”

“It was a necessary visit,” said Rachel meaningfully.

“I agree,” said Alfred, oblivious of the hidden meaning in Rachel’s comment.

Derek shot her a warning look but said nothing.

“I have learned that in this life, family is everything,” Alfred continued. “You have to keep them close and put them first. You three are the only family I have right now and I am happy that Derek made the wise move to come here and give us the chance to get to know ourselves better. Nothing beats this, believe me.”

Rachel smiled but wished that Derek would step up and tell Alfred their real reason for visiting.

“How I wish your parents were here to see little Zoe,” said Alfred wistfully. “They would be so proud of you, Derek. Your father always wanted a bunch of grandkids since he didn’t have many children.”

Rachel noticed how Derek stiffened at the mention of his parents. His jaw clenched and he suddenly looked uncomfortable.

“Yes, about that…” he began tentatively. “There’s something I want to ask you about my parents. I don’t even know how to put the question…”

“Well, just ask,” said Alfred when Derek drifted off and didn’t continue what he was saying. “What do you want to know about them?”

“Their marriage,” said Derek. “How did my father meet my mom?”

Alfred sighed and stroked his stubble thoughtfully. Zoe was playing with a piece of crust and making driving sounds as she ran the bread across Alfred’s knee.

“I wonder why you are asking about that now,” said Alfred.

Derek shrugged. “Curiosity. They didn’t tell me much about their relationship but I’ve just realized that I don’t have any fun stories about my parents to share with Zoe when she grows old enough to ask me about her grandparents.”

“Hmm… Listen, son. You gotta understand that back in the day, things were much different than they are nowadays, you know? Your father was doing his best to create generational wealth for you and the children you may have in the future. He was driven by his passion to succeed especially because he came from a humble background and that sort of hardened him.”

Rachel could see that Alfred was choosing his words carefully and searching for a diplomatic way to tell this story without hurting Derek’s feelings.

“Now, back to your question… Did either of your parents ever tell you how they met?”

“Well, Dad told me that they met in Yale when Mom was still studying there and he’d gone there to visit a professor friend of his. He said he ran into her at the campus library and he was instantly smitten, and the rest was history from there.”

“Oh…” said Alfred. “Sounds quite romantic.”

He became silent and the only sound in the room was Zoe’s voice as she switched her play from driving to neighing like a horse while bouncing a half-eaten sausage on the edge of the dining table.

“Listen, Derek,” Alfred finally spoke again. “The truth about your parent's relationship is not as romantic as you may have been led to believe but then again, what does it matter? They’ve been dead for years, none of that matters anymore. Let’s leave the past in the past and simply focus on the present, ok?”

“Was it that bad?” Derek asked in a low voice.

Alfred exhaled sadly. “I don’t want to break your heart, son. Your dad was a different person in his younger years and your mom… well, life wasn’t so kind to her but everyone judged her harshly without knowing what she was going through.”

Rachel’s stomach clenched with this new information. Had Yasmin James been telling them the truth then?

“You gotta remember that your parents were humans too and that means they weren’t perfect people,” Alfred was saying. “They made mistakes just like the rest of us do, you know.”

“So, are you going to tell me the truth, or do I have to drag it out of you?” Derek asked him quietly.

Alfred saw the determination in Derek’s eyes and he knew he couldn’t continue to refuse his request to know the truth. There was nothing to lose by telling the young man about the bedlam that was his parents’ marriage. He was trying to establish his roots and he was now a father too, so it was time for him to know the true story of how his parents' relationship died on arrival.

“The truth is not pretty, Derek,” he warned. “But if you insist on knowing it, who am I not to tell it?”

“I’m listening,” said Derek.

“You know what? How about we take a walk in the garden? That breakfast is sitting in my belly like a boulder. I need to dissolve it.”

“Zoe and I will go and join Elaine in the library,” Rachel suggested. It was a subtle way of giving the men some privacy.

“I would like for you to come with us,” said Derek, begging her with his eyes. Having her with him when the hammer fell would probably soften the blow.

“Sure, if you insist,” she said with a reassuring smile.

“Great! Let’s get going then,” said Alfred, rising to his feet.