Chapter 20
‘Briony!’
She whirled around. ‘What is it?’
Joss held up the dog lead. ‘I think you’ve forgotten something.’
Briony rolled her eyes at Luna, who was still sitting by Joss’s feet. ‘Luna – come here, girl.’
Luna was still misbehaving. She didn’t budge.
Joss said, ‘Luna – go on, girl.’
Luna stood up immediately, turned to Joss and got a goodbye fuss, then slowly walked towards Briony.
Briony grabbed her lead. She was about to walk out of the door, when Joss said, ‘Are you sure you don’t want to tell me what’s on your mind? Sometimes, it helps to get things off your chest.’
Briony didn’t want to voice what she’d just thought. Saying it out loud might make it seem a lot more plausible, and she did not want that. Briony had just discovered that the first solicitor’s letter that Blythe had received had been sent soon after her mum had discovered that Blythe had sent Briony a letter, asking for her granddaughter to come and see her, and stating that she had something to give her.
Does my mum think that Blythe is going to leave The Beach House to me?If there was one person who might know the situation regarding the deeds of the property, it would be someone who had close links to The Beach House; someone related to Blythe. Her own daughter.
Even though they’d been estranged for years, would her mum really do that – try and get hold of The Beach House, her own mother’s home? Briony thought of the lovely house. Who wouldn’t want to inherit it themselves? How would it feel to discover that the person you assumed would leave it to you might change their will in favour of someone else?
Joss stood up too. He crossed the room to where she was standing. ‘Briony, I just wanted to say something.’ He appeared to be choosing his words carefully. ‘I’m sorry I haven’t got any further, yet, with your case. I don’t want to muddy the waters, but all this might have nothing to do with your grandmother.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Perhaps your great-grandparents had a falling-out with someone years ago over the property, or possibly the land.’
‘You think this might be something to do with my great-grandparents?’ The idea didn’t seem to make sense. ‘But – but they’ve been gone years! Why would someone be doing this now?’
‘You’d be surprised how many people I come across who bear grudges, or have been on the receiving end of them, going back generations.’
Briony stared at him. She nervously chewed her bottom lip, thinking of her mother and grandmother, and said, ‘No, I wouldn’t be surprised.’ But she was thinking about how awful it would be to carry around resentment like that for years. ‘Do you think that’s it then – what this is all about, some grudge?’
‘I don’t know. I’m only speculating, based on my experience.’
Briony was glad he had raised the possibility. What if it were true – that it was a grudge going back to her great-grandparents’ day? She actually hoped that was the case; then it wouldn’t have anything to do with the rift between her mum and grandmother. Of course, she could clear it up straight away if she chose to. She could phone her mum and ask if she had anything to do with the letters.
‘Clarissa will be doing her best to find out who is behind this, and what exactly is going on. I’m sure she’ll be in touch soon for a catch-up with the results of her investigations.’
‘I was thinking of having another Wolf Girls Club meeting, so I’ll see her there.’
‘A what?’
Briony grinned. ‘Oh, um, it’s just something us girls thought up – just an excuse to get together, really. Luna’s in the club too, aren’t you, girl?’ Which reminded Briony that she needed to ask Troy to bring Willow along, perhaps the next weekend. Briony missed Troy’s little five-year-old half-sister with the blonde pigtails and large brown eyes.
The last time she’d seen her was just over a week earlier, the Saturday before last. Briony hadn’t see her the Saturday just gone because she’d been working at Reggie’s shop.
The Wolf Girls Club had been created as a bit of fun. Willow, Emily, and Clarissa were all sworn to secrecy over whatever they talked about together. That meant Willow too – she’d found out about Briony’s pregnancy. One slip and it would all be out there.
A part of Briony wished that Willow would slip up and tell her brother what she’d heard. But knowing Willow, who had taken their Wolf Girls Club very seriously, she wouldn’t repeat a word that the members of the Wolf Girls Club had said.
Thinking of Willow brought to mind Troy. She didn’t know how long Troy was working that day, and whether, when she arrived back at The Beach House, he would have finished work for the day and left.
She hoped that wouldn’t be the case. Briony had left him working in the outbuilding after another really early start, watching the sunrise together. They’d joked that they ought to get some help for their insomnia. Of course, they knew it really was no laughing matter, and that it was an excuse to spend some time together. But Briony’s insomnia was real – she felt as though she had an awful lot on her plate, and a lot of it was of her own making.
She knew what would stop the sleepless nights – telling her parents where she really was, for starters. I can’t do that – not yet! she thought to herself.
She remembered the letter in her pocket addressed to Freddie that she had yet to post – at least that would be a start.
She didn’t know what Troy’s excuse was for being awake so early. Perhaps he really didn’t have any issues and he was just getting up at the crack of dawn to see her – although the dark rings under his eyes suggested otherwise.
Then ask him what’s going on.The problem with doing that was then it would spoil the moment. Briony would much rather they didn’t talk about their problems – especially hers – during a beautiful sunrise. Although the previous morning, when Sam had turned up, it had been on the tip of her tongue to tell Troy she was pregnant. The moment had been lost. Now, she had to summon the courage to tell him all over again.
She felt Luna’s wet nose nuzzling her hand and smiled. It was as though Luna sensed she was sad. Briony stroked her soft fur as she asked Joss, ‘Do you think Emily might be free at the weekend?’
‘I’ll certainly ask.’
‘I’ll text her anyway, and Clarissa too.’
He said, ‘You’ll let me know if Clarissa mentions she has come up with anything? Sometimes, I get pretty busy, so if you hear anything first …’ he trailed off.
Briony understood. He had so many clients, but he was trying his best.
She glanced over at the door. Briony could hear people coming into the reception area, and Emily’s mum, Cheryl, in her friendly sing-song voice directing people to get a ticket and help themselves to tea, coffee, biscuits, and homemade cake. She hadn’t seen Cheryl on her way in, but guessed she didn’t work all day, every day. She realised that the afternoon session must be starting soon.
Joss took out a shop-bought sandwich from a plastic carrier bag and started undoing the wrapper. ‘Just going to grab a bite to eat.’ He looked at Briony.
‘And remember, best to keep the fact that your grandmother is in hospital, and in a … and not well, under your hat.’
‘Of course – it’s just between you, me and the Wolf Girls Club.’
Joss smiled. ‘Good.’
Briony appreciated that he hadn’t used the word coma. It just made it sound so serious. In fact, she was relieved that her grandmother didn’t have internet at The Beach House, otherwise she probably would have found herself Googling to find out.
Joss put the sandwich down, walked around the coffee table and surprised her by leaning forward and giving her a hug. ‘I’m a bit of a hugger. Hope you don’t mind.’
Briony felt tears in her eyes. Apart from Troy putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close, keeping warm while they watched the sunrise together, she missed physical human contact. Her dad was a hugger too. Her mum not so much, nor Freddie.
Briony thought of the letter she’d written to Freddie. She had a feeling she was going to put off posting it. Perhaps it wasn’t the right thing to do, to say what she needed to say in a letter. But if we were face to face, could I tell him? She doubted it.
Joss put his hand on the doorknob. ‘I will write to the solicitors and ask them to desist from sending any more letters, and that I am acting on her granddaughter’s behalf as you are looking after the property while your grandmother is away.’
Briony nodded. ‘Sounds good to me.’
‘Obviously, you’ll keep me posted regarding your grandmother because if … when she wakes up, if she does have the deeds, and can tell you where they are, then we can just get them registered and there will be a digital copy. So if anyone does a search with the Land Registry in future, she’s covered.’
Briony was back to thinking what else she could possibly do to try and get Blythe to wake up. Phone your mum, let her know what’s going on. Perhaps if Blythe hears her daughter’s voice …
‘Are you all right?’
Briony guessed he’d caught her downcast expression at the thought of phoning her mum. She knew she had to, quite soon, in case … Briony didn’t want to think about that. I just want one more week, to see if there’s something I can do that will wake her up.
She looked at Joss, wondering if he’d have any suggestions, but he was doing enough already. She sighed.
Joss gave her another hug. ‘Everything is going to turn out all right in the end. Just you wait and see.’
Although she appreciated his kind, reassuring words, Briony felt her bottom lip tremble. She hoped he was right. She knew she was a glass-half-empty kind of person.
‘Now, I’ll be sure to ask Emily if she’s free at the weekend so you girls can get together. What did you say the name of your club was?’
That brought a smile to Briony’s lips. She glanced at Luna. ‘The Wolf Girls Club.’
‘Remember what I said? Everything we’ve discussed is between you and me.’
‘And the Wolf Girls Club.’
‘Who is in that club again?’
‘Oh, just me, Emily and Clarissa.’ Briony didn’t mention Willow. She was just a child.
‘That’s all right then.’ Joss opened the door to the office. ‘We’ll speak soon.’