Page 12 of The Girlfriend’s Secret

EIGHT

LIANE

I’ve managed to keep my increasingly murderous thoughts about my son’s girlfriend at bay long enough for us all to leave the solicitor’s office and make it to a nearby restaurant for a late lunch. Having heard how much he stood to inherit, Scott, unsurprisingly, decided to give himself the rest of the day off from fixing cars. Frederik was done with work, too, and texted his boss asking for the afternoon off after some ‘developments in the family’. Development is certainly one way to describe how it feels for my husband and me to have inherited a vast amount of money almost overnight. As for Joel, as he is currently unemployed, he didn’t have to worry about work today, and given his chunk of inheritance, he might not have to worry about it for a while.

The same could possibly be said for Haven and, judging by the big grin that is still on her face, I’d say she is certainly thinking about the fact that she has gone from being broke to now in a relationship with a guy who has a substantial windfall coming his way. That’s the reason why I’m still watching Haven like a hawk as we take our seats in this restaurant and are handed our menus by a friendly waitress. I’m watching Haven because I’m still trying to figure out if the only reason she is here at all is because she knew Joel was coming into some money and once he has it, she is planning to spend it.

I don’t want that to be the case.

I really don’t want my son to get hurt.

‘Order what you like, everyone. Lunch is on us,’ Frederik says before glancing at me to check I’m okay with that.

I have no reason not to be. I can hardly dispute being a little generous with our money now we are going to have so much more of it very shortly.

‘That sounds good to me,’ Scott says with a satisfied sigh. ‘I think I’ll have the steak.’

‘Me too,’ says Joel.

‘I might order the salmon,’ Haven says. ‘Are we getting starters too?’

That could be an innocent question, or a cheeky one considering someone else is picking up the tab, but I let it go, mainly because Frederik tells her that starters are very much on the menu today as well.

I should make a decision on what I want for lunch, but the truth is, I cannot concentrate on the list of dishes in front of me. Not when there is so much going on in my mind. Mum’s death. Mum’s money. The impact the inheritance will have on mine and my husband’s lives. The practical conversations that need to be had. The changes that might come about from it. But even more pressing than all of that is the worry I have that somebody seated at this table stands to gain from my dear mother’s death despite never really knowing her. Of course I don’t count any social media messages between Haven and Valerie as really knowing each other, whatever Haven might insist.

Maybe it’s just sheer luck on Haven’s part that her boyfriend has just inherited £75,000 at a time when neither of them had any savings, any income or anywhere else other than my house to live.

Or maybe it was a calculated plot on Haven’s part to get exactly what she wanted.

Could Joel have mentioned to her during their time in Australia that his grandmother had saved quite a lot of money and that one day, when she passed, he would stand to gain some of it? It’s possible, and if so, Haven could have taken that private information and made a plan with it. Why bother worrying about what she would do with her life when her travelling days were over if all she had to do was keep herself attached to my son and wait for his inheritance to come in?

‘Are we ready to order?’ the waitress asks after returning to our table, and despite me not feeling ready at all, everyone else seated with me says yes.

As starters, mains of steaks and salmon, as well as champagne and cocktails are ordered, it’s as if I can see my mother’s hard-earned money flittering away before my very eyes. I know Mum would have wanted us to enjoy the money she worked hard over her lifetime to accumulate, and she won’t begrudge any of us having a lavish meal like this one to toast to her and the wonderful woman that she was. But I’m sure she would begrudge somebody enjoying this money who perhaps does not deserve to. Somebody like Haven, who might have seemed all nice and polite in the messages she sent online, but who may very well be hiding a dark ulterior motive beneath that pretty face of hers.

‘Liane?’ Frederik says and I realise everyone is looking at me, including the waitress, who has her pen poised over her notepad to take down my order.

‘Oh, erm, sorry,’ I say, realising I need to figure out what I want to order and fast.

I glance quickly at the menu and see a Caesar Salad on there, so I just order that, along with a glass of sparkling water.

‘Is that it? A salad?’ Frederik cries, feigning mock dismay. ‘You’ve got to get something bigger than that, surely.’

‘I’m not very hungry,’ I say before smiling politely at the waitress as I hand her back the menu.

As she scurries away to pass on our orders to the kitchen staff, the conversation at the table quickly resumes.

‘So, what are you going to spend your money on, bro?’ Joel asks Scott.

‘I think I’ll invest it in the garage,’ Scott replies rather sensibly. ‘I could expand. Maybe hire another mechanic. Take on more work. I think Grandma would have liked that.’

‘I like the sound of that too,’ I say with a smile, glad that my eldest seems to have sensible plans for the money. It could be worse. He could be planning to go to Vegas and blow it all on bad bets and pool parties like I’m sure some single guys in their twenties would.

‘That’s safe,’ Joel says to his brother. ‘Safe and boring.’

‘Okay, so what are you going to do with your money?’ Scott fires back.

‘I’m not sure yet,’ Joel replies.