Chapter 63
SIXTY-THREE
ALICE
Not for the first time, Alice cursed her increasing immobility. After her walk with Mark the other day, she had been completely exhausted and napped for an hour when she got home. Her body had ached when she woke. It seemed her age really was catching up with her.
Having retrieved the envelopes from the drawer, Alice stretched her back out in a move she remembered from her warming-up exercises as a dancer. She made her way back to the table as, thankfully, it seemed to ease the pain a little, maybe freeing a pinched nerve.
‘Right, well, now that I have you here, I just wanted to bequeath you all a gift,’ said Alice.
‘A gift?’ said Mark. ‘Really, Alice, there is no need for that. Unless it’s someone’s birthday.’
He glanced at Jess and Carol, and they shrugged.
‘My birthday is on the sixth of April,’ piped up Maisie as she licked her fingers of cream from the cake, and Jess handed her a napkin.
‘No, it has nothing to do with anyone’s birthday,’ said Alice. ‘But I want you to have something.’
She slid the envelopes across the table to Jess and Mark and urged them to open them.
Mark’s mouth dropped open when he slid the document from the envelope and glanced at the contents.
Jess was still too dumbstruck to say anything.
‘Tenancy agreements? I don’t understand,’ Jess said, looking up at Alice.
‘It’s quite simple. I am your new landlord,’ Alice said casually as she sipped her tea. ‘Or landlady, if you prefer.’
‘You have bought Wisteria House?’
‘I have indeed.’ Alice was thrilled to be able to impart the news.
Jess could feel her heart beating faster, and she wasn’t sure she was hearing correctly.
‘So we can stay here?’
‘Well, that is the idea. Did you think I would buy the building, then turf you out onto the street?’ Alice laughed.
‘No, but I can’t believe it,’ Jess said, open-mouthed. ‘And I don’t understand; didn’t we all have letters about two months’ notice? I thought the place was sold to someone else?’
‘Ah, about that,’ said Alice. ‘When I enquired about buying the apartments I was told a sale was already going ahead. I asked the estate agent to inform me if the sale was to fall through. And would you believe, it did. I believe someone up there was looking out for us,’ she said, glancing up above.
‘I can’t believe you would do this,’ said Mark.
‘I don’t have long for this world, so what use is my money lying in a bank when it could improve the lives of my dear friends, right here and now?’ she asked them. ‘You will never have the insecurity of fearing homelessness again.’
‘But what if the building is sold again, when—’ Mark broke off.
‘When I am gone? Oh, don’t worry, I know I am not immortal.
’ Alice smiled. ‘But I have expressed in my will that you are allowed to remain here for as long as you choose to. My nephews will only inherit the building on the condition they honour the agreement. I’m sure that’s a long way off yet, though. ’
‘I don’t know what to say,’ said Jess as she fought back tears.
There was a knock on the door then, and Alice stood to answer.
‘It’s a shame Declan could not be here, as I wonder what he might think about it,’ she said as she strolled to the front door.
‘Wonder what I might think about what?’ asked Declan, clutching his pink letter as Alice opened the door.
‘Sorry, I’m late, and I did mean to reply to your note,’ he told Alice as he stepped inside. ‘Then the time seemed to just run away with me, and I admit I forgot.
‘Hi,’ he addressed the group around the table, and Maisie, who was sitting playing with a couple of dolls on the sofa, said hello and that he ought to try some strawberry cake.
‘I might just do that.’ He smiled. ‘So, what have I missed, then?’ He turned to Alice. ‘I thought I heard you say something about my reaction to something.’
‘You heard that as I approached the front door? Oh dear, these walls really are paper thin,’ said Alice.
‘Which means you might have to be careful what you get up to,’ Mark said laughing, and Carol laughed too. Declan’s face flushed. ‘Playing loud music and the like,’ Mark quickly added, and Alice could not help but smile.
‘Do come and sit down,’ said Alice. Declan took a seat at the far end of the table, opposite Jess and Carol.
Alice filled him in on the news.
‘Oh, and I forget to mention, I am halving your rent,’ she told her friends.
‘Alice, you can’t do that,’ said Declan. ‘Being able to stay here is enough. I can’t believe it.’
‘But I insist. It will give you the option to save. In a few years, you may have a deposit for a place of your own. But whatever you decide, I know it will help you,’ said Alice.
He shook his head, hardly able to take it in.
‘Declan, it will give you some security as you are soon to become self-employed. And I hope you don’t mind, but I wonder if you might take responsibility for the payment of the rent and the communal charge.’
‘Of course,’ he agreed, still feeling shocked.
‘And, Jess, the reduction in rent means you could save for Maisie’s future, or whatever you wish. You must have the garden flat of course, for Maisie, when I am no longer here,’ she said matter-of-factly.
‘Oh, Alice,’ whispered Jess.
‘And, Mark, I assume you will want to stay here? I know you have all become great friends.’
‘There is nowhere I would rather be,’ he said, his voice breaking.
The tears of gratitude that Jess had been holding in spilt over then as she stood and embraced Alice.
‘You don’t know what this means,’ she said, wiping a tear away from her eye. ‘Thank you.’
‘Oh, I think I do.’ Alice smiled, happy that Jess had had the good grace to accept the tenancy.
‘Alice, are you absolutely sure about this?’ asked Declan, but if he was honest, she was right. It was exactly the security he needed whilst setting up by himself.
‘Why would you do this for us?’ asked Jess, still teary.
‘Ah, why. That is indeed the question,’ Alice said as she leant back in her chair.
At Alice’s request, Mark went to retrieve her favourite malt whisky from a cupboard.
‘Many years ago, I was given a chance in life.’ She sipped her whisky as she spoke. ‘This was once our family home, as you know, but we lost it,’ she told them.
‘What happened?’ asked Mark tentatively.
‘My father had crippling debt.’ Even after all these years she felt a lump in her throat as she spoke.
‘Which was unbeknown to my mother for a long time.’ She paused for a moment.
‘Watching the horse racing was his passion. I went along myself as a young child,’ she reflected.
‘When the war broke out the racing stopped, apart from at Newbury Racecourse. He would often travel there, which he would explain away as a business trip. He invested a lot of money in a racehorse.’
It wasn’t hard for the friends to anticipate what was coming next.
‘It didn’t perform as promised, and he lost everything. Including the house. We managed to find a rental a mile away. I don’t think my mother ever got over it,’ said Alice wistfully.
‘That must have been hard,’ said Jess, reaching over and gripping her hand.
‘At the time, I was having dance classes run by a wonderful lady called Ida. It was one of the things that had to go, given our financial situation,’ she told her friends, lost in memories from the past. ‘I thought that was the end of my dancing career, but not so,’ she explained.
‘Ida spotted something in me. She gave me classes for free. She even sorted out some accommodation through a lady who ran a guest house in London when I trained as a Tiller Girl. I owe my career to that lady.’
‘How wonderful,’ said Jess, wiping away a tear from her eye.
‘Indeed.’ Alice smiled. ‘So you see, I have always believed in helping others out wherever possible. You never know how it could change their life.’
‘Gosh, Alice, look at the state of me,’ said Jess, wiping her mascara-streaked face with a tissue.
The friends sat quietly digesting the news Alice had imparted. Declan was the first to speak.
‘We can never thank you enough, Alice.’
‘It is my absolute pleasure,’ she assured them. ‘Oh and whilst we are all here, I just wondered what your plans might be for New Year’s Eve?’ asked Alice. ‘And, yes, I know it is a while away, but I find at my age it is good to have a date to aim for.’ She laughed. ‘It keeps me going.’
‘Nothing as of yet. I’ve never been one for New Year’s Eve,’ said Mark, still dazed by Alice’s generosity. ‘Even when Diane was alive, we had a quiet one. A glass of bubbly and Jools Holland on the telly at midnight. If we could stay awake that long.’ He laughed.
‘Same here,’ said Jess. ‘I can never be bothered waiting hours for a taxi home, even if I could get a babysitter.’
‘Then how about a party here?’ suggested Alice. ‘Declan, do you have plans?’
‘I’ve been asked out for a dinner with Ken Watson and some of the staff. It’s an early meal, though; I could join you all later for drinks?’
‘Perfect,’ said Alice with a smile.
‘A party sounds like a great idea,’ said Mark.
‘Wonderful. I will be happy to have you all here,’ said Alice. ‘I will get some caterers in for a special buffet and the finest champagne. I can’t guarantee I will be awake at midnight, but it will be a double celebration as New Year’s Eve just happens to be my birthday,’ said Alice.
‘Your birthday? In that case, I think that would be just perfect,’ said Declan. ‘But I insist on paying for the champagne.’
‘I’ll cover the cost of the buffet,’ said Mark.
‘Can we bring some balloons, Mummy?’ said Maisie.
‘Yes, Maisie, that’s a great idea.’ Jess smiled at her daughter.
As they raised their glasses and toasted Alice’s good health they could hardly take in what had happened here today. Dear Alice had given each of them the security of being able to stay in their homes. Surely there was no greater gift.