Chapter Nine
For Love and Money
The first part of the conversation had been clearly difficult for all parties and concentrated on the present and immediate future. Kaylen had talked about what she had studied at university and both her and Alex had talked about their holiday so far in New Zealand. Kaylen had avoided any mention of her parents and their death in her discussion because she did not feel it was fair to discuss it in such a forum. The Chapman�s had so far avoided nearly all discussion about themselves, other than the fact Lord Chapman�s money had come from real estate and property development as well as money passed down through the family. They had just received their meals when Kaylen decided she needed some specific answers. Whether or not she really wanted the answers was another story altogether. �I am sorry to bring this up but I really need to know some things. Where is my mother and why is she not here with you? I have not heard anyone talk about her, just you. Why did she give me up for adoption?� The Chapman�s were visibly taken aback with Kaylen�s new line of questioning but did not blame her at all, they were just surprised she felt comfortable enough this soon in their acquaintance.
�We first want to assure you that we loved you from the moment you were born, it was the circumstances surrounding both your conception and birth that we found very difficult. Nothing that happened was by any means your fault and we want to assure you we never meant any harm or hurt to happen to you as a baby or an adult.� Lord Albert set the scene with what he said. Kaylen was taken aback that these people who she had only met would admit this strength of feelings towards her. Sometimes she did not even love herself and these people had from the moment she was born. It almost brought a tear to her eye, but she waited for what Lady Charlotte would say next.
�Our daughter Lady Emily, your mother, was only just fifteen when she became pregnant to her boyfriend. The whole family were thrown into uproar. Friends and family became hostile that we did not send her away when she began to show. We loved our daughter and did not believe she deserved any heartache by being sent away. Lady Emily decided to have you adopted to save her family from further disgrace. We only ever wanted what was best for both her and her child. When the time came for your mother to give birth she was sent to a private clinic and began to suffer the greatest amount of pain. Labour began and the decision was made nearly forty-five hours later that she was not going to be able to naturally give birth and an emergency caesarean section was planned. You were born healthy and big. Our daughter had suffered a great amount of trauma from both the birth and the operation. She contracted an infection, and in conjunction with other complications she died the day after you were born. We kept you for a few weeks and thought we would be able to bring you up ourselves. It was suggested that what would be best for you though would be the chance to be part of a normal family with a mother and a father. The decision was then made to have you adopted and we chose the family.�
The whole table was silent as they remembered the pain they went through at the time, or the realisation of what Lady Charlotte had spoken. Kaylen knew she had to say something but had no idea what possible thing could make up for the pain and the anguish her whole birth and brought about. She stood up in tears and made her way quickly to the door of the restaurant and within a minute was standing on the street in the cold. Alex began to get up and chase after her but Lady Charlotte stopped him and went herself. She caught Kaylen sitting on yet another of Rotorua�s park benches, next to the racecourse.
�I�m so sorry Lady Charlotte. I am very sorry for interrupting dinner, it is a lovely meal. I just needed to know. Now I feel ashamed for asking. I am sorry I killed your daughter. I am sorry if I am such a disappointment. I am sorry for being born.� Kaylen was sobbing and couldn�t care less if her mascara was running.
�My dear child. We do not feel you are the blame of our daughter�s death. You are this wonderful creation that she helped bring into this world before God needed her back in heaven. The only people to blame are the hospital staff who thought that because she was so young she needed to be taught a lesson so she would not want to have any more children. They left her in agony! They are the one�s who made the very late decision to give a caesarean and should have done it sooner. You were this perfect little baby who should never have been made to feel responsible for this awful event. That is one of the reasons people told us for giving you up for adoption, so you would not know until you were old enough about your tumultuous arrival in this horrible world.� Lady Charlotte smiled and Kaylen actually felt the love that was obvious in her words and movements. Kaylen felt safe staying here and talking. She actually felt like she belonged here next to this woman who did not look a day over fifty; her grandmother.
�I have a question, Lady Charlotte, and just tell me if this is none of my business, how old are you? Kaylen wiped her eyes with the tissue Lady Charlotte had given. Lady Charlotte just laughed.
I am fifty-eight, Emily was my oldest daughter, and my next oldest grandchild is sixteen.� Lady Charlotte chuckled and Kaylen decided she was ready to return to the restaurant. They went and finished their meals without discussing this issue anymore. These people who she had known only a few hours put Kaylen at ease the whole evening. They were virtually strangers, had not seen them who whole life yet felt a connection. She knew now what had been missing her whole life. Kaylen had familiarity but she hadn�t experienced true family.
After dessert, Lord and Lady Chapman invited Kaylen and Alex upstairs to their suite for drinks. They all filed off as Lord Albert paid the bill and they chatted during the elevator ride. The Chapman�s talked about their own family; their children and grandchildren. The link with Alex�s family was also discussed. Alex�s mother used to tutor the Chapman�s second daughter, Caroline, in University and they formed a closer friendship in later age. Lord Albert organised with Alex that they would go around and do a bit of sightseeing with a bit of adventure. First stop was the Luge. The women would spend some quality time together souvenir shopping and doing quiet sightseeing. Alex and Kaylen eventually left at 11pm and headed back to their motel. Kaylen immediately went to her computer.
Kaylen
What an amazing day. It has been filled with a lot of ups and downs that is for sure. At the beginning of the day I had no idea if I would even see Alex again, or what to say if I did see him. Thankfully that meeting did not go to badly, it was about what we didn�t say to each other that was important. We were both hurting and I think that had a lot to do with the situation being so strained. I am happy to say that everything between Alex and myself seems to be good at the moment. I know that it will never be perfect, but no relationship can boast a perfect record. I am happy with satisfactory at this stage. The day definitely did not end in the way I expected when I woke this morning. I definitely have a lot of questions answered along with the many I still have. I am learning more and more about why I was adopted, I still need to know why my parents chose to hide the fact. I love my birth family thus far; maybe they were scared I would like them more than those I had come to believe were my family. I know I should be very grateful for a mother that loved me, and I suppose a father that provided for us. I should be grateful to him especially for the wonderful house in which I grew up. I would have loved to keep it and would have if I could have afforded the mortgage repayments. On my meagre wages and the repayment of my father�s debt that did not negate on his death, there was no way I could keep the house. I am happy though that it went to a good family with nice children who will now have the opportunity to discover some of the secrets hidden in different parts of the house.
I had never believed the Chapman�s would be so nice. They were absolutely lovely and I know I want to spend more time with them while they are here in New Zealand. I would also like to meet more of the family when I return to England. I have a feeling that the Chapman�s will be a lot easier to get information out of than my own family. I will have to talk to every aunt, uncle, cousin and friend to try and piece together my history. All I want to know is why? I mean the Chapman�s seem like such nice people why wouldn�t my parents want them to have the chance to see me during my life. Why were they so insecure that they could think I would want to go somewhere else? Although this now means I might be able to find my real father. I wonder if Lady Charlotte knew who it was that my mother was seeing at the time. I know it will probably bring up a lot of bad memories but I had a chance to have a wonderful loving mother, it would be nice to also meet my father.
Alex
Kaylen proved to me today that she is an amazing person. I started the day confused and hurt with her and ended the day really happy. I don�t mean what you probably think � you know �happy� as in getting �it�. Whether or not that happens is not up to me, although I think things there might be moving along. I mean there is only one bed and we are going to sleep together, but that is all � sleep � for now. The Chapman�s dealt with the situation really well, I probably should have phoned them before we turned up to dinner but everyone seemed to get on really well. Lady Charlotte clearly took a shine to Kaylen, I knew they would get on well, both sensitive people with a spark that could sometimes take over and turn them fiery. I love that about Kaylen because you never know what to expect.
Tomorrow Lord Albert and I head off to do man things while the women go and do female things. I wonder what things Kaylen and Lady Charlotte will talk about? Wonder if I will come into conversation, I know for sure Albert will ask me about her. Mind you it will not be brought up like normal male conversation, he is a Lord and her grandfather. I better remember that fact when we chat tomorrow. I hear the Luge is a heap of fun; hope the old guy can keep up on those downhill turns! Kaylen has finished her diary and has gone off to have a shower, I suppose I should finish up as well and hit the hay.
Kaylen and Lady Charlotte met at ten o�clock at a little caf� both had agreed upon the previous night. They ate brunch and drank latt�s. The chatter soon moved back to the family issue as Kaylen began talking about her family�s house before her parents� deaths. As Kaylen talked about the pain she felt selling it because she could not afford the upkeep, Lady Charlotte�s countenance changed to one of sadness and anger. Kaylen saw the change before Lady Charlotte could change the face. �What�s wrong? Why did you get so affected by what I said?�
�I was just sad for you, for having to sell your house.�
�You looked more angry than sad. I am a pretty perspective person when it comes to looks. Please be honest with me, Lady Charlotte.�
�Please don�t call me Lady, that�s just a stuffy English thing.�
�Don�t change the subject, that irks me even more than people not telling me the truth. That is how I originally caught my aunt out with this whole mess � she tried covering up something she had said to me on the phone.� Kaylen had put down the spoon she was stirring her coffee with and looked sternly at Charlotte.
�I am sorry Kaylen. We just wanted to ensure you had everything you needed in life and since we could not look after you ourselves we made you the family that did adopt you would be able to give you a good home.� Charlotte sighed and drank her coffee. It was better she knew how much they cared about her and the lengths they took to make sure Kaylen was looked after financially.
�What are you trying to say? I�m sick of all these damn secrets! I wish people would just tell me everything from the start. Then I wouldn�t have to go along the road finding new clues and discovering new secrets!�
�Albert and I gave your parents the money to buy your house. We even helped to choose the eventual abode and town where you lived. The agreement was that it would be put in your name and then when it sold the money would go directly to you � your inheritance you might say.�
�You must be lying. That house was not freehold. When I talked about the upkeep earlier I was meaning the mortgage. There was a �120,000 mortgage remaining on that house when it sold that I had to pay out of the sale price. It was in mine and my mother�s name.�
�What! A �120,000 mortgage! We spent �200,000 on that house so that they could spend the money they would have spent on rent etc. on other things you might need, and saving towards university. We gave them a choice, either the money to put in a trust fund till you turned twenty-one or the house. How dare they do this to you! We are very sorry Kaylen; we intended the whole amount to be distributed to you. I am sure though, that they would have spent the money on other things for you? Did you at least go on nice holidays and you definitely had a good education.� Charlotte was physically and emotionally distressed. The family had intended that Kaylen would have the best of both worlds, a stable family and at least some financial support when she grew up. Kaylen was feeling very sad and low at what Charlotte was saying. How devious and disheartening could this situation get?
�I did not go on any holidays anywhere other than to see relatives. Once we went to France to see one of my aunts for one week. It was fun; we got to go on the ferry. I paid for university; I worked every summer and had part time jobs. My father said that since he never needed to go to university I would do just fine without, if I wanted to go then it would be completely up to me to fund. I also managed to get a few scholarships and a small loan, which I paid back with money from the house.� Kaylen wanted to cry for about the millionth time in the last two days. She was now discovering that to her parents she was noting but a chattel. They had pretty much felt they were being paid to take this screaming whining baby and there was no way they had to do anything except reap the benefits. How could people be that cruel? Kaylen was beginning to see the real worth of both money and love�and how easily the two could be confused.