Lord Edwin - 8. Lord Chapter 8

With the house not ready yet, I had booked us into a hotel in Geneva for two weeks, and I had arranged for Aled and Edna to close up Fordell Castle and to come over and look after us here in Switzerland, which they were very happy to do for us. Although the hotel was on the other side of the river from the house, we could see it from that distance, as we waited for the day when we could move in.

In the meantime, I acted as a tour guide for James and his brother Anton, showing them all around the area, and just for the heck of it, I drove on a minor road out of Geneva and into France, before turning around and returning to Swiss territory. “My Lord, why did we just go down this road and turn around and come back?’ Anton asked me confused, “I think I know bro, but I will let Edwin tell you that we just made a quick trip,” James replied smiling, and I just smiled.

“Your brother is correct, I thought it would be nice to make a quick trip into France and back,” I explained, and James laughed, while Anton frowned then smiled. “Sir you have a wicked sense of humour,” Anton said to me, “That he has little bro, that is why I love him,” James replied, and I smiled broadly on hearing this.

After nearly a week in the hotel, we were packing up ready for the move into the house the next day, when Hunter came into the room, and he had this very worried expression on his face, but there was something different about this expression, that I couldn’t quite read.

“Sir, I need to speak to you privately, and it needs to be addressed urgently,” Hunter said to me, “it is ok, I don’t have any secrets from James,” I responded, “That may be the case sir, but this matter, may have slipped your mind, as it is about a private matter when you were here as an 18-year-old University student,” Hunter said to me.

“What was I doing when I was 18, that could be urg…ent… Oh, shit… the UHZ?” I said when I realised what Hunter was talking about, and Hunter nodded his head to confirm. “James and Anton, I have something I need to find out about, but I do promise to fill you in with everything about this matter, when I return,” I said to James and his brother, as I followed Hunter out of the suite, and we headed downstairs, remaining silent the whole time.

Walking into a large park near the hotel, I stopped and looked around to make sure no one was in hearing distance, before facing Hunter. “Ok, tell me what has happened? Has the USZ been trying to get in contact with me?” I asked my bodyguard and friend. “No sir, but this has appeared in a lot of newspapers around Europe, including Scotland, and I was thinking that this could be you,” Hunter said to me as he handed over a London newspaper, then a Geneva Newspaper, with both stories almost identical.

“Brother of dying boy searching for the donor father, to help with medical treatment, that may cure,” was the headline, and I briefly looked up to Hunter, who was watching me closely, as I began to read the news article. “Six-year-old Isle of Man school boy – Koen Thornton and his five-year-old brother - Logan are searching for their biological father, who donated sperm to a Fertility Clinic in Zurich, seven years ago.

Although Koen is only six-years-old, and he comes from a tiny island in the Irish Sea, he has managed to send neat hand-written letters to newspapers in London, Edinburgh, Paris, Rome, Zurich, Brussels, Amsterdam, Bern, Vienna and Berlin, in search of their biological father.

All Koen knows is that his father was 18 at the time, and he was studying science at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, but his nationality was unknown. If this person or anyone who knows of this person, donated to the clinic when he was 18 years old, please contact the clinic as soon as possible so that they can put you in contact with the Thornton Family.”

“By the looks on your face, my guess is correct, and this is you that they are talking about,” Hunter said to me, and I swallowed, before looking at Hunter. “Well… it appears that I am a father of two boys… I just don’t know what to do,” I responded. “Sir, how about we fly to Zurich and visit the clinic using your University alias name, to make some enquiries, and see how things go from there,” Hunter suggested.

“Let me think about it, you head back to the hotel, and I will be back shortly, and please not a word to James or Anton about this please, not until we know for sure at least,” I asked, and I watched as Hunter walked back to the hotel, while I began to wonder around the park thinking about his.

After a while, I stopped at a park bench and sat down, before getting my phone out and dialling a number, but after it rang twice, I decided to hang up as I thought that maybe someone may be listening in. I headed back to the suite at the hotel, to speak to James.

“Sweetness, there is something that I need to tell you, but I can't do that until I find out if it is true or not. I know that this sounds confusing, but please be patient, and you will know all about it soon. Hunter and I have to fly to Zurich for a few days, so I will reschedule the move for after we get back,” I said to James, as soon as I walked in.

“I assure you, sir, that this is an urgent matter, but it will not change anything about how much Sir loves you. I will keep His Lordship safe, and we will return in a few days,” Hunter added to reassure James.

After some quick arrangements, and packing some bags, Hunter and I were on our way to the Geneva Airport, where we were on the next commercial flight to Zurich. I had arranged a two-bedroom suite at the Central Plaza Hotel, which is only two blocks away from the University Hospital of Zurich. Arriving in Zurich in the late afternoon, we checked into our suite, which Hunter booked under his name, and I made a quick call to enquire about speaking to someone from the Fertility Clinic department of the hospital.

I had no problems switching to the German language, to make calls, to make it easier for all to understand the reason for my call. “Hello, my name is James Crawford, I was a student at the SFIT here in Zurich six years ago, when I came to the hospital to donate some sperm. I believe you may be looking for me regarding a newspaper article from a boy in the Isle of Man,” I said to the person in the Fertility Clinic, once the call had been transferred. “Yes, we are. Please what was your name again, and your date of birth, and do you know your donation ID Number?” I was asked, and I gave the lady the information she asked for.

“That information is correct to the information that we have on file here. We have you listed as the Donor Father for Owen Harrison aged 4 and Corey Harrison aged 3, from St Johns, Newfoundland, Canada, plus Koen Thornton aged 6 and Logan aged 5 St Johns, Isle of Man, UK… Hmm, interesting about their hometown connection,” the Nurse manager said to me.

I stumbled at this news, and began to feel faint, as Hunter directed me to a chair to sit down. “I am Mr Crawford’s Business Manager. Did you say that he has four boys from his donation?” Hunter asked. “Yes, that is correct, and there is a note on the records that say that a lab accident resulted in the accidental dropping of the remaining samples, which were contaminated and as a result were thrown out,” the nurse announced.

“Well, that is good to know that there are only four children and no more than that,” I said, sounding a little shaky from the unexpected news. “Sir all we need from you is some Bone Marrow, to assist with trying to cure young Logan from this nasty disease, and there is a very high percentage of success with this procedure which means the receiver will have a long and healthy life afterwards,” the nurse said to us.

I agreed to have the procedure right away, and so began a long two days of tests, of which I had to be admitted to the hospital, and I agreed to pay for all medical expenses for my procedure as well as Logan’s, plus for the emergency transport of my Bone Marrow over to London, and Hunter arranged a Bank cheque from the Swiss bank account, for all the costs, to keep my identity secret, although, I did leave a post office address in Geneva, just in case I need to be contacted again.

Once the procedure was completed, and I had rested for a day in the hospital afterwards, I was discharged, and Hunter and I caught a train back to Geneva, as it was recommended that I not travel by air for a few weeks. Two days after arriving back in Geneva, we made the big move into my new home, and both James and Anton were surprised at how big the property was.

Aled and Edna had moved into their new quarters a few days earlier, to get properly settled before we arrived, and it was while we were settling in, that Hunter received news that my newest yacht purchase arrived at the nearby Yacht Club. “James, I have a little surprise for you, but if you don’t like the idea, we will find a use for it, but I thought that maybe you and Anton would like to keep yourselves busy while here in Geneva for an uncertain length of time,” I announced over dinner that evening.

“A surprise! Now, why doesn’t that surprise me…” James said in reply, and I laughed at this comment, “Since you are a Captain and Anton is a Senior deckhand, I thought that maybe you may like to run your own sailing business in a brand-new Neel 65 Trimaran,” I announced.

“Well, I didn’t expect that. When do we get to see this new Trimaran?” James asked casually, “When? How about right now? Anton said excitedly, and we chuckled at his excitement. “If you like, after dinner, we can wander down to the yacht club and take a peek at her,” I replied, “Yes please, Sir,” Anton answered, and I just smiled. Half an hour later, on a beautiful evening, the four of us wandered down the street and crossed the main road, to get to the yacht club.

“I am already a member here, and I have a long-term lease of a yacht pen for your new yacht,” I announced to James and Anton. “Don’t you mean your yacht?” Anton asked, “No… the yacht is owned and registered to Mr James and Mr Anton Hackney,” I replied smiling.

“What? Really?” James asked sounding surprised, “Yep, she is all yours my dearest,” I replied. “Well, all I can say is thank you, I will put her to good use,” James replied happily, as I told James the code to unlock the security gate, and we walked down the walkway.