The Somerton Man

PART TWO: ( OVER FIVE YEARS LATER) The trouble with Bitterness and Guilt

  Daniel had been putting off this moment for so long... returning to England, to his old life. It was something he had not really planned on doing.

After Isabella's death, the home he had grown up in, that once had been his haven, had become his hell; a constant reminder of how his foolish reckless affair with Gwen had ruined his life. It lost him something precious he had not come to appreciate until it was too late. Which was why he had bought himself a captaincy in one of the British regiments to go and fight against the French dictator Napoleon.

In the beginning his father had not been happy on finding out about Daniel's plan to go of to fight in the war in Europe, With his own health failing he argued indignantly that he needed Daniel on English soil, to care of the business in the Mill and the estate It was his duty as the only son and heir

But Daniel had no interest in the business or his family home, he just wanted to escape, and insisted that his uncle Henry who was his fathers brother-in-law could take on the responsibility whilst he was away

Whenever the chance to go into battle with his regiment, part of him had hoped that some Frenchie would put a bullet through him, and end his miserable existence. But that was not to be. He was doomed to continue living, despite his reckless attempts that he felt sure would end his life.

In the end, all he had managed to do was to get badly injured whilst caught in some cannon fire, when he and his men had been attacking a holding that belonged to their enemy the French.

Ironically he was hailed a hero for his boldness in battle and leading his men to victory. It had been the end of his fighting career which had left him with a bad limp in his right leg, and a nasty scar on the right side of his face just at his temple bone. He remained in Spain and then Portugal, reluctant to return home.

But now the war was over, and his father and his family insisted he return to take care of the family business, As his father's illness made it impossible for him to cope without him.

Despite his reluctance, in the end, it was only Daniel's strong sense of duty to his father as his only son and heir, that finally made him return and do as his family bid. Still, he found himself cursing the fact he was the only child, before his mother died, when he had just turned sixteen,

During his time on the continent fighting in the war, he had found some solace in alcohol, which helped him forget the bitterness in his heart. He was beginning to realise he would probably be relying on it even more for facing what lay ahead of him

His first port of call had been to see his father and aunt and uncle in York, where he found his father was indeed a lot frailer since the last time he set eyes on him, although he was fit enough to gripe about Daniels reluctance to return, but he then seemed genuinely relieved and pleased to have him back. Pointedly reminding, Daniel how his grandfather had built the family fortune and it was up to Daniel to now maintain it for future generations of the Somerton family,

In the end it just deepened the sense of guilt Daniel felt about how his life had turned out, knowing he had neglected everything because he needed to run away and escape from his unhappy memories and the death of his wife which he felt he was solely to blame. Then there was the only surviving member to remind him of Isabella, and that was his daughter Clara.

When he had decided to go off to fight in the war, he had left Clara in the care of Isabella's parents, knowing she would be probably well cared for in a way he felt he never could give her now.

It only felt right when he had basically robbed his daughter of her mother, as well as her parents of their daughter, now he was on his way to their family home be reunited with his daughter after five long years He had received a letters from his in-laws keeping him updated about the progress of his daughter, but he had found it hard to write back more than a few times in return.