Did I Mention I Won The Lottery? by Julie Butterfield Page A

still smiling and
desperate to get back to her room at Parklands and her friends.
Rebecca took her a pile of magazines, some lemon barley water and a
great bowl of fruit which Gwen promptly shared out amongst the rest
of the ward and the staff.
    Sarah phoned,
full of concern for her grandmother. Toby sent a text. Annie phoned
counting down the hours until the next day when the house sale
would complete. The bank manager phoned to clarify the final
details for the cash payment of 2,050,000. Susie phoned to see how
Rebecca was enjoying her first day without work and was horrified
to find that Gwen was in hospital. But Rebecca heard nothing from
Daniel. No call, no text. Half a dozen times her fingers hovered
over his work’s number only to snap the phone shut again. In the
afternoon while Gwen slept, Rebecca caught a taxi back into Leeds
and did a little shopping for her mother’s return to Parklands.
Gwen may be reliant on her wheelchair but she still had high
standards of personal care and with a few weeks of bed rest facing
her, Rebecca wanted to make sure that she was well prepared. So she
bought three new nightgowns, the sort her mother loved, delicate,
flowery affairs that buttoned up to her neck and kept her legs
warm. She bought a new bed jacket. Gwen loved the crocheted one she
had worn for years but she might need a change and Rebecca also
added a beautifully soft mohair shawl that Gwen could throw around
her shoulders when the heating at Parklands went through one of its
difficult phases. She stocked up on yet more magazines and a couple
of the historical romance books that she knew Gwen loved to read
before she went to sleep. In the basket went some delicious
smelling hand cream, a bottle of Gwen’s favourite perfume and a
lavender plant in a pretty little pot for next to Gwen’s bed.
Jumping in another taxi Rebecca made a quick visit to Parklands to
arrange the items in Gwen’s room, had a cup of tea with Mrs
Wendover who was looking more tired and worried than ever and then
back to the hospital to see Gwen one last time before making her
way back to the hotel.
    Her knees
sagging with tiredness, Rebecca asked for a salad to be brought to
her room, she really couldn’t face eating anything that required
more effort. The minute room service left she threw off her clothes
and slid into a lovely deep hot bath full of delicious scented
bubbles.
    It was only a
few weeks ago that Rebecca had used this bath for the very first
time and been awed at the range of toiletries provided. So much
seemed to have happened since then. The toiletries she still
appreciated but she now had a huge selection in her own bathroom
albeit kept in her bathroom drawer away from Daniel’s eyes. She had
bought a house, she had left work, she was moving back to
Leeds.
    But she still
hadn’t told Daniel. That hadn’t changed at all and it was growing
into a monumental problem for Rebecca who had to acknowledge that
the delay had become quite unreasonable. How did you explain that
you had won 15.7 million on the lottery and hadn’t told your
husband after four weeks!
    Sighing Rebecca
finished her bath and wrapping herself in a huge fluffy bathrobe
she sat on the settee to pour herself a glass of wine and eat her
salad. Her phone sat on the arm of the settee, silent. Still
nothing. Shouldn’t he have at least phoned to see if Gwen was
alive? Rebecca tried to remember what she had written in her
distressed state. Mum had accident, in hospital, going to Leeds.
That was clear enough, he knew that Gwen was in hospital but had no
idea how serious it all was. Sighing again Rebecca pushed the salad
away and finished her glass of wine. She was exhausted and just
needed a good night’s sleep and leaving the phone on the settee she
climbed into bed and was asleep within minutes.

    Waking the next
morning Rebecca’s first thought was for Gwen but she couldn’t quite
place the frisson of excitement that was gathering in her stomach.
Then she