1.9 - The Reading

Author's Note; hey, guys! Hope you enjoy this latest episode and notice the subtle changes to the blog - I've made a rather flashy new logo for the fic, and also added a disclaimer - I realised today that without it I was liable to be sued!-----A new day on Coronation Street arrives and a reflective tone is present. In the Rovers, Violet sits alone in the snug, remembering the painful previous day. It had all come from nowhere, but then when it happened, she was publicly humiliated in front of the whole pub. At a wake. She curses herself for having been so stupid, but knows its too late now.

Ronnie wakes up in the McDonald household alone. Steve agreed to sleep on the sofa until Ronnie was comfortable. They had barely talked once they had got back in the flat. Ronnie had asked for time alone, time to think. Steve was more than happy to oblige.

In the Baldwin house, everybody's awake. No one is yet downstairs, but all know today is the day of the will reading. Danny is praying the majority of the will will be left to him; selfishly he thinks it would be a reward for the hours he spent looking after Mike. Yet now, Danny cares less about the will after Jamie's announcement. He was going to find a way to try to trick residents into thinking he was giving it to charity when actually he would keep it. He knows this will be a hard task, especially with Jamie interfering.

Jamie wakes after an unsettled night. His dreams were a jumbled mess of memories, past, future... he was haunted by Mike's face and the memories of finding him gone, out of his bedroom on the day he died. He was haunted by Danny, who in his dreams was bigger, taller, more powerful. His voice resounding, almost resonate, terrifying. And he was haunted by the coffin. The coffin containing his grandfather being carried through the church, funeral music being played through the organ louder than it should. Ringing through the air, reaching a crescendo... Danny turning round and smiling sinisterly at him. Knowing he was in the money now...

Now, in the cold light of day, Jamie's dreams slip away from his memory like sand in an hourglass.

Todd lies on the Grimshaw sofa. Even if Jason had obliged, there was no way he would have shared a room with his brother. He was furious with Jason for exposing him in the pub. He didn't know a thing about his life, he didn't understand what had been happening in the years he was in University. He damned his brother for being so ignorant and senseless. Eileen walks into the lounge and Todd pretends to be asleep. Upstairs, Jason is getting up. Another day on the builder's yard would start soon enough. He dreaded seeing his brother, whom he was still angry with, though guilt was almost forcing him to retract much of his anger. When dressed, he cautiously heads downstairs. Stopping in the lounge door frame, he glances nervously down at Todd before proceeding.

'He's still sleeping,' says Eileen, and Todd is almost delighted he isn't. 'Jason, why didn't you -'

'I don't want a lecture, mam...'

'But in front of everyone...'

'I didn't know he was going to walk in, did I?'

'But you still humiliated Violet...'

'I'm not listening to this...' Jason grabbed his coat.

'What about breakfast?' Eileen cries.

'I'll go to the cafe.'

In the Peacock house, Ashley is at the front door with a toolbox when Claire comes downstairs. 'Ashley? she says.

'Morning!' Ashley says in an uncharacteristically bright voice.

'What are you doing?' says Claire, who is still shocked after the previous night's violence.

'I'm fitting one of those spy holes on the door so you can never feel threatened by Matt Ramsden again. I won't let him turn up here and push his way in again. I'm making us safe.'

'Good idea.'

'And I'm also fitting new locks on the back door and windows.'

'Taking it a bit far, aren't you?'

'No, Claire, I'm not!' Ashley says, his happy tone fading fast. 'Do you want to be safe? Do you want Matt Ramsden to come back? I'm doing this to protect us, our children!'

'Of course... all right,' says Claire, half agreeing with him before opting for a more optimistic tack. 'We still haven't thought of a name for our daughter, Ashley, and we need to register it soon...'

Ashley smiles, calmer. 'I'll finish it off and then we'll think about names...'

Claire beams, pushing her glasses up her nose. 'And I'll get the breakfast on!' she says excitedly. Ashley starts drilling a hole in the door.

In the Barlow house, Ken and Adam are in the dining room.

'You all ready for the will reading, Adam?' Deirdre says from the kitchen.

'Yeah,' Adam replies in a rather bored tone.

'We'll give you a lift up,' says Ken. 'And support you.'

'Thanks.'

'What time is the reading?'

'Eleven o'clock.'

'So you've got half an hour then.'

'Yes.'

'Adam -' Ken starts, concerned at his grandson's tone. He's ever so quiet, verging on angry ever since Jamie Baldwin stated with seeming certainty the will would be going to Danny. Had they changed the will at the last minute? 'What's wrong?'

'Wrong? Nothing's wrong, I just don't want Danny Baldwin to get the lot, even if Jamie's promised it to charity. Know what I mean?'

'Yes, yes I do,' says Ken, 'but I really wouldn't worry, Mike thought the world of you.'

'Yeah,' says Deirdre, stopping in the kitchen doorframe. 'Mike loved you, Adam!'

'I'm going out for a walk.'

'Okay, but be back in about twenty minutes, you don't want to miss this,' says Ken.

Adam leaves, a moody expression on his face.

Jamie descends the stairs in the Baldwin house and finds Danny on the sofa, again. Frankie was being hospitable towards her ex-husband, but not that hospitable. On Jamie's entrance, Danny sits up.

'Morning,' Jamie says, pleasantly enough. He knows Danny will be furious with him, and this puts him in a bright mood. 'Chop chop, will reading in about twenty minutes. You don't want to miss it, do you?'

'I might as well now you've made your intention for my inheritance clear, Jamie,' Danny says bitterly, rubbing his eyes, as Frankie walks in.

'You've already got Underworld, now you want the rest of his cash? You are one greedy man.'

'Let's not forget here who was the person who let him leave the house on the night he died?'

'That's unfair...!' says Jamie, very hurt.

'Almost as unfair as you donating the contents of his will to the Alzheimer's Trust, Jamie. It's not even been read yet. Adam might get the lot, hell, he might have left it to Alma or something. What'll you do then?'

'That's enough,' Frankie snaps. 'Danny, get up, and Jamie eat your breakfast. Will reading in fifteen minutes, we can't be late.'

'No,' says Jamie, his eyes fixated on Danny, who has his back to him and is standing up. 'We can't.'

Jason leaves the cafe and, as he makes for the builders yard, notices Sarah approaching. She's the last person he wants to see. 'Jason,' she calls, and he turns around as she reaches him.

'Hiya,' she says, kissing him. He returns the kiss, but only briefly. 'How are you?'

'Fine,' he says in a voice which suggests otherwise, and Sarah picks up on this.

'What's happened? Did you confront Violet about... Todd?' she says, and even saying his name is hard for her.

'You could say that... only Todd walked in...'

'Walked in?'

'In the Rovers, last night.'

'Last night? You mean, at the wake?'

'Yeah.'

Sarah looked up at Jason in awe. 'Public...'

'I publicly humiliated both of them, Sarah, and I feel bad about that.'

'Don't,' Sarah says reassuringly. 'I really wouldn't. Violet's a bitch, and Todd had it coming.'

Jason disagrees, but doesn't say anything.

Over in the Rovers, Shelley enters the snug and finds Violet sitting motionless with a cup of tea. 'Violet, love,' she says sadly, 'are you all right?'

'Me?' says Violet, looking up. 'Never been better...'

Shelley sits down and takes Violet's free hand. 'It'll blow over, love... don't let it faze you...'

'It's hard though,' Violet says, and her expression grows more emotional. Her eyes water. 'I always pick the wrong'uns.'

'Don't we all?' says Shelley. 'I mean look at me, a bigamist and Charlie Stubbs!' She laughs nervously.

'I should've known he was a Grimshaw, Shell. Fancy that, falling for two brothers in the same family, then finding out one's gay. How could he do that to me? He kissed me, Shell, how could he have kissed me if he weren't straight?'

'Before you came here,' says Shelley, 'there was huge trouble with Todd, Jason and Sarah.' She pauses, and Violet nods for more. 'Todd was engaged to Sarah, and pregnant with his child.'

Violet's jaw drops.

'Yes. And all the while, Todd was having this affair with a gay guy. In the end, it all came out, and Sarah went into premature labour. Their baby died, and they were both devastated. Todd came out to the whole street, and Jason took it badly. You know what he's like, a typical lad, not too fond of gays and everything.'

'Then what happened?'

'Well, I'm not sure, but I think Jason and Sarah slept together, and Todd found out somehow. He left soon after, and that was the last we heard of it. Jason and Sarah stayed apart until you got together with him.'

'Then he cheated on me,' Violet adds angrily, finishing the story. 'With slut-girl again.'

Shelley grimaces.

'Funny how ironic it all is, isn't it?' Violet says, and she smiles sadly, tears in her eyes.

The Baldwin and Barlow families sit nervously in the waiting room of the solicitors office. Glances are exchanged around the room. Politeness between Ken and Frankie, Deirdre and Danny; hatred between Adam and Danny, Jamie and Danny. Jamie is a little more relaxed than Adam, because he knows the unease Danny will be feeling.

After a long while of waiting, they are called. Standing simultaneously, they make for the office one by one. The tension is heavy.

'I was thinking Eleanor,' says Claire in the Peacock house. 'Ellie for short.'

'That's quite nice,' says Ashley. 'What about Melanie?'

'Melanie Peacock,' Claire repeats. 'Nice, but I prefer Eleanor Peacock,' she says, laughing. Megan?'

'Emily?'

'Lisa?'

'Donna?'

'Oh, no!' Claire says. 'Donna's nasty!'

'Why don't we put our two favourite, with one as the middle name?'

'That's a good idea,' says Claire, thinking about it. 'Wait... Melanie Eleanor? Doesn't quite go does it?'

'No,' says Ashley, and they think again.

'I quite like Madeline too,' adds Claire.

'Melanie Madeline?'

Claire laughs. 'Okay, point taken.'

'What about Chloe?' says Ashley.

'I quite like Chloe...'

'Oh, god!' says Ashley.

'What about Ella?' she continues.

'Okay, let's just leave it with Eleanor. Ellie for short.'

Claire beams, and looks down at her baby. 'Ellie... how do you like that, eh?'

Ashley smiles back. 'So Ellie it is?'

'Ellie it is.'

'Sorted.'

The phone rings. 'Oh, that might be the hospital,' Claire says, 'I'll get it. Hold onto Ellie for me!' she adds, laughing. She stands and makes for the phone, picking it up.

'Hello?'

'It's Matt Ramsden.'

Claire's smile fades again, just like it had when he had called by earlier. She says nothing.

'Claire?' he says. 'Look, I want to see my son, and I'm going to see my son. It's up to you if you do it the easy way or the hard way. What do you choose?'

Still, Claire says nothing.

'You fool,' he says, and Claire notices fearfully Matt's voice has grown progressively more threatening, more sinister. He's like a man possessed.

'There's no Barry here,' Claire says, too cheerfully. 'Sorry!'

She puts the phone down, and breathes in and out slowly, before turning around. 'A wrong number.'

'What is wrong with our phone?' Ashley says. 'Someone called today and hung up straight away, weird.'

'Yeah...' Claire says. 'Weird.'

In the solicitor's office, the solicitor puts on his glasses and then picks up the will. 'Last Will and Testament of Michael Vernon Baldwin. I, Michael Vernon Baldwin, a resident of Weatherfield, Manchester,' he starts, and as he continues nerves rise steadily amongst Danny, Jamie and Adam.

'I will, give, and bequeath unto the persons named below, the property described below. To Jamie Baldwin, the sum of twenty thousand pounds. To Adam Barlow, the sum of thirty-five thousand pounds. And to Penny King, the sum of fifty thousand pounds.'

'What?' Danny cries. 'That's it? What do you mean, "and"? You can't seriously -'

'I have not finished,' the solicitor cuts over him. He clears his throat. 'I give, devise, and bequeath the remainder of my estate, of whatever kind and character, and wherever located, to my son, Daniel Baldwin.'

The words seem to echo in the small room. Emotion spills. Danny is euphoric and relieved. Adam is furious and distraught.

And Jamie is delighted. For he knows exactly where Danny's money will be going, and just how much it will pain his gold digger of a father to have to do it.