Chapter Four

A/N Sorry at the delay, internet crashed at home, had to have a man out to fix the line. But kept writing, so quick chapters to follow!

Enjoy.

"So you'll come to the anniversary party?" Daniel was sat across the cafe table from Sammy. "My parents would love to see you and of course Eleanor." He glanced at the baby asleep in the pushchair beside them.

Sammy couldn't quite believe his cheek; Margaret and Clifford Turner had not crossed the city once since her daughter was born; now he seriously expected them to parade her around at a family event.

She shook her head, "no. No way. I'm not stopping them seeing Ellie, but to be honest some huge society party is not the place for an introduction." She eyed him for a moment, "I don't understand why you think I would agree."

His head dropped for a moment and when he looked up at her he had a needy expression on his face. He had similar features to his brother, blonde hair, a square jaw, large brown eyes, but he had none of his brother's charisma or confidence, he'd always been in his shadow, always been the second son. Never had Marcus looked at her so desperately.

"I promised them you'd come."

She shrugged, "You'll have to un-promise." She was resolute. "I won't sway on this Daniel."

He scowled for a moment, "but if you come it's a chance to sort this out. You have a place in this family."

"I don't NEED them, I am putting Ellie first. You...and they will have to get used to it."

She wondered if she'd have been so determined, so independent if she wasn't sure that she had financial security, they after all had money, and that was something she thought she was about to run out of, but thanks to Joel sorting through things for her she wasn't worried about her future, not in the same way.

He smiled then, "sorry, I have no right to ask that of you...it's just that my mother is so defeated, I thought that bringing you both together...it might be what you both need."

She sighed, "look I don't hate your parents, but they have not thought about me at all over the last year, and I don't mind about that. But look at her, look at Eleanor. Have they done right by her?"

Daniel crossed his arms, "they will love her, but they just need a little coaxing."

She shook her head, "I don't owe them anything."

"It's what Marcus would want."

That was the lowest gibe known to man; she was almost winded by it. She stood immediately and stared at him, "I cannot believe you would say that."

"Sammy, I'm sorry."

Holding a hand to silence him, she shook her head not wanting to hear anymore. Instead she turned and left, pushing a still sleeping Eleanor in front of her.

"He said WHAT?"

Corinne was the perfect friend instantly saying the right thing, instantly at her defence. Sammy leaned back, Eleanor stretched out on her belly, head on her shoulder, just watching her mother.

"Do you want me to go to his house and punch him? I mean BLACKMAIL?? The bastard. I never did like him. I told you he came onto me at your wedding. Made my skin crawl."

When Sammy chuckled Eleanor looked at her quizzically, she was starting to roll and her control was improving every day.

"Even Ellie's agreeing with that comment."

"Aw," Corinne gushed, "I miss the little cherub. Won't you come and visit soon?"

For the first time in ages Sammy felt as though she could make plans, the last week had seen her confidence return, she was starting to feel as though she had a life to plan, a life to live, as she'd told Joel just a few nights ago.

"I will plan it, I promise."

She could hear the pleasure in Corinne's voice as she started to plan, her mother would babysit, they could visit all their old haunts.

A knock at the door disturbed their conversation.

"If it's HIM," Corinne offered, "slam the door in his face."

Sammy laughed as she pulled herself up from laying awkwardly, the phone tucked under her chin, one arm holding Ellie in place, "I could say I was brought up better than that!"

Corinne laughed, "but you'd be lying!"

Crossing the room, she started to say goodbye to her friend, but Corinne wouldn't hang up, "if it's HIM, weird Daniel then I want to know."

Pulling open the door Sammy froze, "it's not him, it's Joel."

Said man looked at her puzzled, but then followed her arm when she gestured him inside.

"Ah, that's ok then, he's good."

Sammy smiled, "I'll call you soon, ok?"

Corinne laughed, "defo, tell Joel I said hello."

Looking up at the tall moody man she smiled, "Corinne says hi."

"Ah. That pocket rocket!"

Corinne burst into peals of laughter right into Sammy's ear and she groaned, just what she needed, outrageous flirting. "Right, I'll call you. Bye!"

With that she hung up and turned to the suited man, he looked tired, his eyes were dark, "you ok? You look shattered."

He groaned, "you got that right. Burning the candle both ends."

That caused her to lift an eyebrow questioningly, "really? Well then I'm glad you took my advice."

She lowered Eleanor to her play mat then turned to him, "coffee? Beer? Wine?"

"Coffee might boost me." He placed down his briefcase, "mind if I take my jacket off."

She swept an arm across the room, "make yourself at home. You eaten?"

Joel wanted to sink into a chair and sleep, for a week. Now she was shouting from the kitchen offering food. He hadn't eaten all day, too busy, and it sounded SO tempting something, anything to eat.

"No."

She peeped around the kitchen door, "I've got some moussaka in the fridge, a Greek treat?"

Groaning he lowered himself down onto the chair nearest him, "my favourite. Do you mind? You're rapidly becoming my mother."

That made her laugh, and he was glad to hear her happy, "that's the problem with living alone, you always make too much for one. I'm glad to share it. You either throw loads in the bin, or you eat the same thing for a week."

"Well you can always send some over to my office," he winked. "You're a great cook.

She appeared a few minutes later, "it's just warming. What can I do for you?"

He took the mug of coffee from her, "I need your bank details to get this money paid in, plus my solicitor needs some information about Marcus' finances. Do you have any paperwork here?"

Joel had half expected some resistance to his request, that she might feel he was prying, but she shrugged and moved to a sideboard.

"This is all I found."

Turning to him she held a box file, small by a normal household's financial standard, but for Marcus and all his dealings, this was a drop in the ocean. He hid a groan; he had hit so many dead ends in trying to chase the money that he KNEW his friend had. Toby was as flummoxed as him. Hiding that from Sammy he explained how much money she'd receive monthly, where to sign the forms then nodded enthusiastically when she offered him the box file to take away.

When the oven timer chimed to let them know his dinner was ready, she served him a plate of the greatest smelling moussaka then left him alone to eat it, putting Eleanor to bed. As he ate he digested all that had happened. And the one thing that he couldn't answer was who she thought may have been at the door. She'd looked confused and had sighed with relief, 'it's not him'. Who was she avoiding?

His stomach was full and he was feeling almost content by the time Sammy reappeared.

"She ok?"

Sammy smiled at his question then nodded, passing him on her way to the kitchen. When she finally joined him she was carrying a mug of tea almost gratefully.

"So earlier...when I arrived..." He waited until she was looking up at him with interest.

"Yes?" She wasn't sure she liked the thought of this line of discussion, so she was rather reticent with her answer.

"You said to Corinne that 'it wasn't him' as though you were expecting something bad...is everything ok?"

She sipped her drink for a moment her eyes never leaving his, she had to think, decide how much she told him, how much she opened up.

"Daniel." She sighed, he knew all her financial woes, so what different was this? "He wants me to go to some big Turner party with Eleanor. It's his parents' anniversary. 40 years? Something like that."

"Shit, that's come around quick, Maggie was planning a cruise, but Cliff, you know what he's like...no fuss, he wanted to go for a meal. How do you end up with someone SO different?" He laughed then realised that she wasn't laughing. "You don't want to go?" He tried to guess what made her so...sad.

She hated that he was so much closer terms than she was, Margaret and Clifford had never been Maggie and Cliff; this was more evidence that they didn't care about her, or Eleanor. Instead of showing how upset she felt, she shrugged, "I've no interest in going."

She could tell that surprised him, his mouth hung open slightly. As he tried to speak, she snapped, "they have done nothing for me this last year; I am not about to parade around at their party, showing off Eleanor as they want when they've never even met her."

"WHAT?" He pushed back his chair and jumped to his feet, "you are telling me that no one in his family has seen you or Eleanor?"

She shook her head, pretending that it didn't hurt, "Daniel met her about six weeks ago."

"And he's trying to drag you to a party after a few weeks? The prick."

Sammy smiled, "that's exactly what Corinne said."

"She was always a sensible girl."

"That's EXACTLY what she said about you!"

He paced the room for a minute silent in his own thoughts. "You're not going to go."

It wasn't a question, more a statement, and she responded with a shake of her head, "no way. Can't think of anything worse."

"They don't deserve it. Though I am stunned, Maggie in particular was devoted to Marcus, the idea that she hasn't even seen his daughter, all that she has left of him...words fail me."

Sammy drained her tea then stood reaching for his mug too, "apparently 'it's not what Marcus would want', me staying away."

"Daniel said that?"

His anger was palpable and for a moment she feared he'd march out and find her brother-in-law that very second. Instead he turned back to her, "don't believe that, Marcus loved you, he would hate the fact that they aren't there for you. Don't let him guilt you into anything."

She nodded as she watched him move to his briefcase, "you need to sign these before I forget."

Joel handed her a variety of documents, to allow him access to her finances, one to organise a monthly income, others to hand to solicitors and financial advisors he and Marcus had used.

By the time they had finished it was late.

"So you'll have the first payment next week," he pointed to a sum that was a healthy salary for most people.

"That amount? Every month?" She was incredulous.

Then he smiled and said, "for now." He packed the documents back into his bag, "I'll call you when I have news, ok?"

"So you're telling me you can't find anything?" Joel sat across the table from Toby. He had met his lawyer and friend for dinner as he wasn't hearing any updates on that front.

He and Marcus had met Toby not long after setting up business together, years earlier, but he'd proven to be a trusted friend, in fact, Joel trusted him more than anyone else, because when the chips were down, he had proven to be worth his weight in gold.

"Once he left you, there's nothing I can find."

Joel had to take that in slowly, "so you are telling me that the money...the contacts he took, it dissolved into nothing?"

Toby shrugged, "I'm saying that there's nothing left in his name anywhere that I can find."

"So Sammy has nothing?" The thought that she was left with nothing caused him pain.

He shrugged again, "to the contrary, it seems that you've decided to pay her a wage to bring up your friend's son. And who's to say that she hasn't squirreled the cash away somewhere."

"Don't even think it. She's not like that, and anyway, she came to me, accused me of foreclosing on their home. Did that company turn anything up?"

Toby shook his head, "nope. Other than Marcus borrowed heavily against the apartment before he died, Andersen Financial are well within their right to take the place...oh but they aren't as YOU paid that off too. If only I realised you had money to burn I'd not have worked so hard over the last five years."

Joel rolled his eyes, he wasn't a soft touch in business, in fact he was the opposite, but Toby was right, he had just rolled over and shelled out a phenomenal amount of money to secure the apartment for Sammy, then there was the salary he had started to pay. He honestly believed that he'd uncover a gluttony of wealth hidden somewhere in Marcus' world, but that was looking less likely, paying her that amount indefinitely would cause him to haemorrhage cash, but he also knew that he'd just work harder, because he knew that Sammy hadn't caused this chaos, and Eleanor definitely hadn't. His friend might think he's crazy, and maybe he was, but he wasn't about to change that, he wouldn't seen those two abandoned, homeless, and he wouldn't see his best friend's memory desecrated as a failure.

He was safe in the knowledge that this new soft side wouldn't be exposed by his friend and lawyer, so he relaxed a little. Making money? He was good at that. Working out what the hell Marcus had been doing in the months before his death was a whole different ball game.

{t\z