Chapter 1 - part 1

Chapter 1

The sun was flooding into the large hall as Max made his way down the sweeping staircase. He smiled to himself as he thought of what his dear Rose would have said on a day like this. Max’s heart still ached when he thought of Rose, they had lived their lives as one and now she was gone, he felt only half alive.

They had shared everything, everything that is except for the business; he had never wanted her to be a part of that. She was too precious to be concerned in that part of his life, no place for a lady, he used to tell her when she asked if she could help him with a problem that was keeping him awake at night, a building site is no place for a lady and his Rose had been the most perfect lady.

Even now he only needed to close his eyes to see her. His beautiful Rose with her soft white skin and flame red hair would always be a young woman in his memory, she would never know the indignity of growing old and lonely.

Recognizing the signs of impending melancholy Max straightened his tie and shot the cuffs of his shirt so that his gold cufflinks peeped out from under his jacket. He was determined that nothing was going to spoil this weekend. He had been looking forward to it for weeks. A whole weekend with his favourite Grandson in his favourite city even if it did mean spending the night in his son’s house before it could start.

Max knew that John thought him a silly old bugger always interfering with the business when he should have been living out his days quietly playing his golf and waiting to die. But Max wasn’t ready to go just yet, there were things he had to do before he would be ready to join Rose, things that this weekend might just put right.

‘You’re looking very dapper Pops’

Dear Laura thought Max, what ever had she seen in his arrogant son?

‘Well we old fogies can show these young men a thing or two when it comes to looking smart.’ Max said looking at grandson who was shovelling down his breakfast cereal.

‘Sorry Grandpa I didn’t realise we were going out on the pull.’ Dom laughed as his grandpa playfully slapped his shoulder. ‘Don’t worry I won’t show you up, I’m on my way up for a quick shower.’

Max loved his young grandson with a depth that he would never have thought possible. This tall handsome young man with his kind eyes and warm heart might look like his father but thankfully it was his mother’s genes that flowed through his veins.