Chapter 8

Jack was released from hospital the next day. He had no idea how he was going to get home but found that there was a message saying that a car would be waiting for him outside.

'Your brother sent me to get you, Mr Harkness. I'm to drive you back home today as the family is busy.'

'Typical of Gray; too busy with work to help his only brother' Jack replied getting into the back of the Range Rover.

'The family is attending a funeral, Mr Harkness,' the driver explained.

'Oh,' Jack said, feeling rather guilty about his comment. 'Anyone I know?'

'Yes, Mr Harkness; it was Mr Harkness, senior. He died a week ago of a heart attack. No one knew where you were until we received the phone call from the police yesterday morning.'

Jack sat back in the seat. His father, Franklin was dead. This meant they would all be there when he got to Torchwood House. It also meant that the house and the estate were his, unless his father had changed the will. He had such a lot to think about. He tried to work out what he knew. He remembered that he had been a soldier for some time. He'd joined at 18, done his history degree on a sponsorship and been in the army for 22 years. He'd fought in wars before they'd gone into Iraq; he remembered holding Angelo in his arms and that he'd been injured. Things had changed for him after that. He'd done his years so had chosen to leave. He'd gone home and then told the family that he intended to travel and see the world, especially those bits that had never been war zones. He knew he'd done that for a while, meeting new people, men and women, as he travelled through the Americas and then he'd come back to Britain again. But no matter how much he wracked his brain, he had no idea what he had been doing for the last two years.

'Surely,' he thought, 'it must be possible to find out in this day and age where he'd been.' He needed to get home. There would be things to sort out now his father had died. He wondered how Gray would feel about having him back. His brother had always been the businessman; Jack had hated the company work, but now he supposed it was time to do his bit. There were sure to be new challenges ahead. He remembered that he'd also thought about going into politics and maybe even becoming an MP. He'd contact the local Liberal Party when he returned. The family were Conservatives but he'd always been more Liberal than anything. He closed his eyes. When he opened them he was surprised to find that they were already at junction 36 and nearing Kendal. A few more hours, traffic willing, and he'd be home for the first time in three years.

On the set Ianto was pacing the floor. He'd hardly slept the night before having phoned the hotel and been told that Mr Smith had not returned; his bill remained unpaid and his luggage unclaimed. They had no idea where he was. Ianto phoned the BBC, but they wouldn't even tell him if Smithy had been at the meeting. He kept messing up his lines and Owen was furious with him.

'You're making me look like a bloody idiot. I know you're worried but there'll be a reason. Now get on with it and act!'

Somehow Ianto had worked through the shoot. He tried Smithy's phone but it went straight to voicemail again. There were no e-mails either. Ianto rang as many hospitals he could find and the police but no John Smiths matching Smithy's description had been admitted or arrested. Ianto didn't know what to do.

The journey back to Wales was torture. He got home in the early evening to find Jenny and Alice waiting for him.

'What if he's got his memory back?' he said to them. 'He might not remember us or Myfanwy. He could even have remembered something and be on his way to America for all I know. Perhaps I should go to London.'

Jenny hugged him. 'I'm sorry Ianto, but I've no idea. You've tried all the hospitals and the police. You'll just have to wait and see if he returns. It's all you can do. You need to ring the hotel and get his stuff sent back.'

As the car pulled into the drive, Jack could see Torchwood House through the trees. The estate had been in the family for over two hundred years. Jack's father had gone to America to improve the business links and left the estate in the hands of Jack's uncle, but when he'd died the family had returned to Scotland, hence Jack's dual accent.

'His car is just coming up the drive,' Gray Harkness said. The immediate family were gathered in the house after the funeral, awaiting dinner. Gray was married to Beth, who'd made the perfect corporate wife. She could organise a dinner at the drop of a hat. Martha, Jack's eldest sister, was married to Mickey Smith who had his own security firm and lastly, Mary, Jack's younger sister, had recently married for the second time. Her new husband, Geraint Cooper, had brought a teenaged daughter, Gwen, into the family. She was nineteen, precocious and, being the apple of her daddy's eye, was able to wind him around her little finger.

'I'm dying to see Uncle Jack. Should I call him Uncle even though he's not really my uncle? It's all so romantic, missing those years, and him not knowing what he's been up to or where he's been. It's like some novel – The Uncle who returned from the Dead'

'Or Two Years in deepest Amnesia,' Martha quipped. 'Think of it; where d'you suppose he's spent those years and who with?'

'Just what I've been asking,' Beth said. 'He could have been in jail for all we know; you know how reckless he could be!'

'Well, the will was written ten years ago, according to Trulove, the solicitor, so that means that Jack gets the house and the estate and Gray gets the business, or 70% of it, with 15% each for Martha and Mary,' Mickey said.

'It's really not fair that Jack gets the house and estate. He's hardly been here over the last 20 years,' Beth said. 'You've done more to look after it than he has!'

'I know but you don't like living here, as it's too far away from the city and Jack was always father's favourite, you know that,' Gray said.

'Well we'll have to wait and see if it is Jack who's turned up like a ….'

'Bad penny,' Jack said entering the room and smiling at the faces in front of him. Gray was the first to rise and shake his hand.

'Jack, it's good to have you back.'

'I'm sorry I missed father's funeral, Gray. I believe that it went well.' He shook Mickey's hand as well. 'Good to see you, Mickey Mouse.'

'And you, Captain Cheesecake,' Mickey replied, without malice at Jack's use of the old nickname.

'That's beefcake, I think you'll find,' Jack added.

He hugged Martha and Mary. 'This is my new husband, Geraint,' Mary said. 'And this is Gwen, Geraint's daughter. She's been dying to meet you.'

Jack took the girl's hand and kissed the back of it. She was undoubtedly pretty, with a charming gap between her teeth, big brown eyes and glossy dark hair that fell over her shoulders.

'How do you do, Gwen? It's lovely to meet you.' He was rewarded with the most wonderful smile.

'You're just in time for dinner, Uncle Jack,' Gwen explained. 'Here, sit next to me. I'm dying to hear all about you.' She hesitated for a moment. 'Or at least what you can remember.'

'By the way, Jack, Trulove is reading the will tomorrow morning,' Gray explained. 'It's ten years old so you'll get your share which includes the house and estate, I understand.'

'Really,' Jack said. The housekeeper began to bring in the food. Jack had forgotten what it was like to have servants. He noticed that the others were looking at him, as he picked up his fork and began to eat.

'If you're looking for an explanation, I haven't really got one. That's what loss of memory does for you. All I know is that I was in London but I've no idea why. I had nothing with me except a paper and some change. I'd been knocked down by a taxi apparently and I came to in a shop doorway. Before that I can't remember a thing since I was in Cardiff two years ago. I know I'd been to America and I was going to do Wales and Ireland, then head into Europe and onto Africa and Asia. The last two years are a complete blank to me. I've no idea what I've done or where I've been, but hopefully there won't be a string of law suits following me!'

'Or mothers with abandoned babies!' Mary added.

'It's not just women from what I recall,' Mickey joked. 'Jack was always rather free with his favours!'

'Is that true, Uncle Jack?' Gwen said.

'What can I say? I guess I like keeping people happy,' Jack replied. 'I did find this key as well, but I've no idea what it belongs to or where I belong.' Jack felt sad for a moment.

'You belong here, Uncle Jack,' Gwen said emphatically.

'You're very sweet, Gwen,' Jack said touching her hand. She blushed prettily, he thought and she wasn't really his niece so perhaps … She certainly seemed interested in him.

He looked around the table. 'I hope you'll all still visit whenever you like,' Jack said.

'I shall come often,' Gwen replied, placing her hand on his.

The following morning the family began to go their separate ways. Jack stood at the door saying goodbye. Gwen came out with her father.

'I don't think I shall call you uncle anymore. You're really not my uncle, you know.' Jack smiled, knowing exactly the point that Gwen was trying to make. She couldn't have been more obvious if she'd hung a sign around her neck.

'Sit down a minute, Jack,' she continued, grabbing his arm and pulling him towards a nearby bench.

'Jack, aren't you going to be lonely all by yourself in this big old house?'

'Perhaps. Why?' Jack asked.

'Well when people are lonely they're sometimes easily led into foolish relationships, just to pass the time.'

'I see your step mother has been telling tales,' Jack said smirking. 'No doubt she's warned you that I'll sleep with anything with a postcode!'

'Oh I'm not worried about that,' Gwen said confidently. 'I like older, more experienced men and you've seen so much of the world. I expect that there's such a lot you could teach me!'

'And I bet you're an excellent scholar,' Jack replied, 'but you'll be going back to university, won't you?'

'Yes, but I'm not that far away. I'm at St Andrews so I'll be able to visit a lot. It's just that I don't want you to think that I'm just some silly little girl. I could be good for you, Jack.'

'I'm sure that there are many things you could do for me, Gwen, and I appreciate your kind offer; I'll keep it in mind.'

'So it'll be alright if I came here in the holidays, then? I'm sure that father won't mind and Mary will enjoy coming back here as well. I could look after you; a single man needs someone to look after his needs.' Her eyes were wide as she said this.

'Yes,' Jack replied. 'I suppose he does.'