Chapter Thirty-One
‘How are you feeling this morning?’ asked Rose when Hattie appeared in the kitchen the following morning.
‘Great, actually,’ she said. ‘I slept like a log and now I feel I can take on the world! Or Clive, whichever one challenges me first.’
Rose laughed and put a large mug of tea by Hattie. ‘So you’re not daunted by the prospect of a little breaking and entering? Toast?’
‘Yes, please. And no, I’ve sometimes had to be a bit – er – creative – in how I’ve got into some houses I’ve gone to view. Not with clients, of course. But sometimes the doors are completely seized up.’
‘Well, Sam’s left his tools,’ said Rose. She pointed to a worn hessian bag by the back door. ‘They were his dad’s. I’m not sure what’s in there.’
Hattie nodded. ‘I’m sure we’ll find something that does the job.’
‘So, what will you do when you’ve liberated your things, and Mary’s, of course?’
‘Once I’ve got Mary’s things to her, I’ll see if I can go back to the lodge. But I’ll have to make a few calls to rearrange my day first. I need to check if the survey has been done for Nick for one thing.’
Shortly afterwards, Hattie and Rose set off for Mary’s house.
‘You’re quite sure Clive isn’t going to come back and catch us at it?’ asked Rose, not quite so willing to wield a large screwdriver as Hattie appeared to be.
‘I don’t care if he does,’ said Hattie. ‘He kidnapped Mary and put her in a home without her medication.’ She had halted her prowl round the outside of the house by the French doors.
‘In fact, it’s my bounden duty to break in.
Although of course I will try not to make our entry visible.
And I’ll only take what’s mine and what Mary needs. ’
In spite of trying to be careful, there was a certain amount of splintering timber as she eased open the door. In fact, it turned out that the door was fairly rotten. The lock held, but the wood gave way easily. It was all a lot messier than Hattie had intended.
‘It’s a shame that Luke can’t come and repair that for us,’ she said, stepping into the house.
‘Can’t he?’ asked Rose, following her.
Hattie shook her head. ‘He’s away dealing with snagging on a job, and he’s not to know about this.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because he’d come back and fix it and we can manage without him. I don’t want him going to all that trouble. Now, Mary’s things. We’d better find a suitcase.’
‘And another for your things,’ said Rose.
‘Fortunately, I brought a suitcase when I moved in. All my other bits and pieces are in a friend’s stable.’
‘Another reason why you should find a home of your own,’ said Rose. ‘Stables aren’t a safe place really.’
‘True! I share mine with chickens and they do not stick to their half.’
‘No boundaries, chickens. Now, what’s on Mary’s list?’
When they thought they had everything that Mary had asked for, Hattie called her. ‘I’m in the house, Mary.’ She didn’t think Mary needed to know how they got in. She then listed everything she and Rose had got together for her. ‘Is there anything I’ve forgotten?’
‘Did you find my pills? I don’t know what they’re for, but I find myself feeling a little odd without them. They can’t get a local GP to visit for a while, or I could have asked for another prescription.’ She paused. ‘I could contact the chemist who sends them to me but—’
‘I know,’ said Hattie. ‘It’s not simple. But don’t worry, I’ve found them and I’ll pop down with everything later today.’
‘I’m putting you to an awful lot of trouble—’
Hattie interrupted her. ‘Not at all. I’m quite happy to come and see you again.’
‘But it’s so far!’
‘It’ll be fine. Now, is there anything else?’
‘There is one big favour…’
‘Yes?’
‘I want you to take the dresses – you know the ones I mean. I don’t know what Clive has planned but he won’t know the value of them and I don’t want them ending up in a skip.’
‘I can’t bear to think of anything of yours ending up in a skip,’ said Hattie, tears suddenly catching at her throat.
‘Nor can I!’ said Mary. ‘But we must face facts, my dear.’
Hattie didn’t reply. ‘I could arrange to have all the furniture taken away. It could go in…’ She hesitated as she thought of the rustic conditions her own few possessions were kept in. ‘… my lock-up. There’s plenty of space.’
Rose looked horrified. ‘What would Clive say? And you don’t have a lock-up. You have half a stable!’ she said in a stage whisper.
Hattie turned away so she couldn’t see her friend. ‘Would you like me to do that, Mary? Arrange for everything to be taken out before Clive gets back?’
‘He could accuse you of stealing,’ said Rose, a bit louder now. ‘And he wouldn’t be far wrong!’
‘What would you like me to do, Mary?’ Hattie repeated.
Mary didn’t answer. ‘I wouldn’t want you to do anything that could get you into trouble…’
‘But?’
‘Yes, I would like that. If I can go to the home I chose I’ll be able to have a few of my own things around me. The rooms there are a great deal bigger – I could have a bedroom and a sitting room. It would mean a lot to me to have my familiar things.’
‘Right,’ said Hattie. ‘I’m going to go round the house with my phone, Mary, and you tell me which items of furniture you want to keep. Then we’ll come back with a removal van.’
‘And I’ll stick on a Post-it note as we go,’ said Rose, producing a pad of them from her bag.
‘Why have you got Post-its in your bag?’ asked Hattie.
Rose shrugged. ‘It’s who I am.’
It seemed to take ages to go through the house, letting Mary look at every piece, including ornaments, and make up her mind if she wanted it or not. But at last they were done. They left the cottage through the French doors and then Hattie tried to close the broken door behind them.
‘I think I will ask Luke to sort this out when he’s back,’ she said to Rose, trying to return a bit of wood to its former home with mixed results.
‘How long is he away for?’
‘I’m not sure,’ said Hattie. ‘Clive might be back before he is. We just have to hope he doesn’t notice the house has been broken into.’
‘But aren’t you hoping to get all of Mary’s furniture out before then?’
Hattie sighed. ‘You’re right. A broken door panel won’t really matter then, will it? But I want to make it safe from burglars.’
Rose laughed. ‘Honey, if we broke in that easily, a professional burglar would have no problem.’
Hattie paused in her gentle hammering. ‘So I shouldn’t bother with this?’
‘You’re not making much impression.’
‘I don’t want to risk breaking the glass.’
In the end they left it so the door stayed shut, aided by a large stone propped against it. It was by no means secure but it was the best they could do.
As they drove away, Rose asked, ‘Won’t it be difficult to get removers in before Clive’s back? Aren’t they booked up months ahead?’
‘Usually they are,’ said Hattie, ‘but I’m the house-moving fairy. I can get one when I need one.’ She paused. ‘Mostly because I’ve got a friend with a horse box who’ll do it very cheaply.’
Rose laughed. ‘I must confess to feeling very nervous in there. I thought Clive was going to arrive any minute.’
‘I was nervous too. Although I don’t know why. He made me homeless in a way that I’m sure is completely illegal.’
‘How sure are you?’ asked Rose.
‘I’m sure he shouldn’t have whisked Mary away like that, leaving her medication behind.
Or cut me off from my possessions. I pay rent.
That must afford me some protection. I’ll look it up when I’ve got a minute.
Now, I’d like to get Mary’s things down to her immediately.
Where would you like to be dropped off? At home or at the shop? ’
‘Neither! Let’s have a road trip. I’ll come to Mary’s with you.’
‘I’d love that!’ Hattie said. ‘And Mary would be delighted to see you.’
On the way home, after a very enjoyable visit with Mary and a late lunch in a pub garden, Rose said, ‘Of course, normally you’d be welcome to stay with us as long as you like but Sam’s mother is coming.’ Rose frowned. ‘Could I use you as an excuse so she can’t come?’
‘No. And it’s OK, I’m going to move back to the lodge. It’s perfect for one, though not for the long term when Xander comes back.’
‘Isn’t it an Airbnb now?’
‘Which means I can rent it. I’m sure it’ll be fine!’ She wasn’t quite as sure as she sounded but she didn’t want Rose to worry.
‘And you won’t have to pay?’
‘No, I will have to pay. But when Xander comes back, I can ask Leonie to go halves till I find a long-term rental.’ She paused. ‘She’s so much nicer and more approachable since she met Tom.’
‘Your visions do come in handy, don’t they?’ Rose laughed.
Hattie sighed. ‘Yes, but don’t tell anyone about it.’
‘Hattie! I never would. You know that! I haven’t even told Sam and he benefited from your visions directly.’
‘I know. I just wish I wasn’t so weird, sometimes!’
‘We love you weird.’
‘Well, you do.’
‘And Luke does—’
‘Luke and I are just good friends!’
‘You may see him as a friend, but he adores you. You must know he does.’
‘He’s a very good friend indeed.’
‘And he loves you.’
Did he love her? she wondered. Could he? And could she love him? Hattie sighed deeply. ‘I haven’t got headspace to think about any of that now. I’m practically homeless.’
‘Don’t say that! I feel guilty enough already.’
‘Don’t be silly!’
‘I’d much rather have you there than my mother-in-law. She’s quite sweet really, but I sense her disapproval. She talks about clutter a lot, and you know I hate it when people do that. My house isn’t cluttered; it’s just I’m a maximalist.’
‘I love your home, Rose. I won’t hear a word against it.’
‘And as your reward for your support of my style, I’m going to create some proper labels to put on the furniture. The Post-its might drop off.’
‘That would be very kind.’ Hattie sighed. ‘I’m going to text Clive again,’ she said. ‘See when he’s due back. We need to get the furniture moved before then.’
‘Is he not due to inherit the furniture?’
‘I don’t think so. Mary would have said. She’s very meticulous.’