Chapter Thirty-Two
Hattie came home from the supermarket to find Clive sitting on her bed.
‘Well, well, well,’ he said. ‘If it isn’t the glamorous house hunter I’ve caught squatting in my aunt’s house!’
Hattie put her bag on the floor, glad most of her possessions were safely in her car.
‘If it isn’t the man who made me homeless.
’ She wanted to add ‘totally illegally’ but she hadn’t had time to check if that was actually true.
‘You know perfectly well that Mary wouldn’t mind me staying here.
’ She held his gaze trying to convey confidence.
‘Have you asked her?’
Hattie felt herself blush and hoped Clive wouldn’t notice. ‘She’s got a lot to get used to, being put in a home which was not of her choosing and far away from everyone who visits her.’
If she was trying to make Clive feel guilty she immediately knew she’d failed.
‘She wanted to be in a home and she’s in one. Now it’s up to me to sell this place to make enough money to pay for it!’
‘Well, you’d better get on with it, then.’ Hattie was boiling with rage.
‘How did you get in? I had the locks changed.’
‘I noticed. But this house isn’t very secure, as you must have realised.’
‘I can make it secure.’ He glared at her as if this was a threat. ‘Anyway,’ he went on. ‘I thought you wanted to buy this house.’
This gave Hattie pause. Surely Clive wasn’t going to be helpful? ‘In an ideal world, I would, yes.’
‘I’ll sell it to you. But it needs to be fast. I can give you till the day after the bank holiday, otherwise it’ll go on the market.’
Hattie studied him. Surely there’d be a catch. ‘What price are you hoping to achieve?’
He told her. It was at least twenty thousand less than its market value, even in its current condition. Her heart rate increased. Was her dream home suddenly within reach?
‘OK,’ she said calmly. ‘I’ll undertake to have my mortgage in place by then.’
‘You seem very certain.’
Hattie shrugged. ‘I am in the business. I have contacts.’
The following morning she started early.
She had a lot to do. She needed to chase up some paperwork for Mrs Conway, her lovely client with champagne tastes on beer money, she needed to show another client round another house that she knew wasn’t going to be the one and she needed to see her friend who arranged mortgages. The last one was for her.
By the time she landed at her friend’s place she felt exhausted. It wasn’t the running around after people and searching for rural properties down country lanes, it was the anxiety rumbling in the back of her mind. Could she really buy Mary’s house?
‘Coffee or tea?’ asked Susie, seeing Hattie collapse in the chair opposite her. ‘Or just water?’
‘Water and then tea, please.’
Susie also produced biscuits. ‘Now,’ she said. ‘What’s going on?’
Hattie explained. ‘He’s given me ten days to get it all together, which will not be easy.’ She handed Susie a sheet which had all her calculations on it.
Susie put on her reading glasses and studied the paper. ‘That house is a bit under underpriced, actually, but you know that.’
Hattie nodded. ‘I can just about manage at that price, if you can get me a mortgage – at a decent rate.’
Susie bit on her bottom lip, her eyes still on the paper. ‘I can probably get you a mortgage if you’ve got at least three years’ accounts – which you have, don’t you?’
‘Yes, of course.’
‘And deposit. I see here you have some savings, and you’ve got some Premium Bonds.’
Hattie nodded. ‘I bought them with money my grandmother left me. I don’t have quite enough but I’m hoping I can get there. I could sell my car but I would have to buy another one.’
‘The Bank of Mum and Dad?’ suggested Susie.
Hattie shook her head. ‘They are never open!’
‘Really?’
Hattie shook her head. ‘They never had a hand up when they were starting out; “neither a borrower nor a lender be”; and I have to make my own way in the world, I am not a child.’
Susie laughed. ‘It sounds as if you’ve asked them for money before.’
Hattie shook her head. ‘Not since I wanted to buy a second-hand bicycle when I was ten. And to be fair they didn’t say I wasn’t a child back then, but I’m in no doubt what the answer would be should I ask for help. It’s for my own good,’ she finished.
‘How annoying!’ said Suzie. ‘Have you any other savings?’
‘I could try and get a loan—’
Susie frowned. ‘Mortgage lenders don’t like loans as part of a deposit. They think you’d be over-reaching yourself.’
‘Once I’ve got the house I can get a lodger, maybe take on an extra job.’
Susie obviously didn’t approve of this idea. ‘I’ll have a good look and see what I can put together, but every penny you can add to that deposit figure is going to help your chances.’
‘But you might be able to help?’
Suzie made a face. ‘They don’t call me the Mortgage Queen for nothing.’
Hattie couldn’t help laughing. ‘I didn’t know they called you that.’
‘It’s a title I aspire to.’ Susie said primly and then smiled. ‘Don’t look so gloomy. I’m sure there’s something I can do.’
Rose had invited her to dinner, to ‘dilute the mother-in-law’. Hattie accepted gladly.
Rose’s mother-in-law seemed pleasant enough, but she sat in Rose’s gorgeous house, full of pattern and colour, wearing a beige skirt and cardigan as if she was in a strange land, one not of her choosing.
Hattie could see the lengths Rose was going to to make her comfortable and how her mother-in-law was refusing to enjoy the attention.
It wasn’t long before Rose whisked Hattie away on the pretence of showing her something in her garden, so Rose could unburden herself.
‘I try so hard to make her happy but nothing seems to work! And Sam just tuts at me all the time. He turns into a needy child when she’s around. Nothing I do is good enough!’
‘Oh, Rose! That’s awful! I’m so sorry. When does she go?’
‘Tomorrow. I’d have to kill her if she stayed any longer.’
‘Maybe you’re making her too welcome?’
Rose laughed. ‘Perhaps I am! Now, what’s going on with you?’
‘I’m not sure I’ve got time to tell you. Won’t your mother-in-law wonder where we are?’
‘Sam can look after her. I need to know about you!’
‘Clive has given me ten days to sort out my finances. If I do, he’ll sell the house to me. It won’t go on the open market.’
‘Imagine if you could actually buy Mary’s house – the dream!’ Rose squeezed her friend’s hand. ‘And the deposit? Can you get one together?’
‘That’s the problem. Probably not. I have some savings but not enough – and I gather getting a loan from the bank is not usually acceptable.’
Rose hesitated. ‘Have you told Luke about this?’
‘He doesn’t need to know. Besides, he’s miles away on a job. Why should I tell him? We’re just friends!’
‘Honey, I’m your friend. But you’re telling me,’ said Rose quietly.
Hattie took a few breaths. She was worried that if Luke knew she was short of money, he’d offer to lend it to her.
‘Cheaper than a bank loan!’ She could almost hear him say it.
He might offer her his house to live in.
But she didn’t want him to sort out her problems for her. She wanted to do it herself.
She smiled at Rose. ‘You’re different.’
Rose appeared to accept this and changed the subject. ‘So what do you think about my mother-in-law? Sweet old lady? Or a witch?’
Hattie laughed, relieved Rose wasn’t pressing her about her feelings for Luke. ‘She is quite hard work.’
‘Ain’t that the truth! We’d better go back.’
‘I’ll try and engage her in conversation. What does she like?’
‘She doesn’t watch TV or read modern novels. How are you on classical music?’
Hattie came home from a long day to discover that the gas and electricity had been turned off. She stood in the kitchen, breathing deeply before testing the tap. She could manage without power but not without water. Luckily the tap still ran.
She went out to her car to find the box she thought of as ‘for emergency use only’. It included a camping kettle. She brought it in, hoping there was some gas in the cylinder.
She sat at the kitchen table with a couple of candles for light. This was mad behaviour from Clive, and could she trust him to do what he said? But if she got him the money, it would be worth it. She’d have her dream cottage and never have to speak to him again.
She moved one of the candles nearer, and found the calculator option on her phone.
She was redoing her sums, hoping to get a different answer this time.
She had a few days left until Clive’s deadline.
Susie had found her a likely mortgage lender, but the problem was still the deposit.
What with her savings, Premium Bonds, now cashed in, and a small pension from when she’d had a job as an estate agent, she was nearly there.
But nearly wasn’t good enough, she knew.
When her phone rang, she nearly dropped it.
‘Oh, hi! Lennie!’ she said.
‘Hello. You sound a bit startled,’ said her sister.
‘I’m fine. I was just doing some calculations.’
‘Sorry to disturb you. I was just confirming that Xander can come back to you – just for the beginning of the term? It’s been so good to have him here, I think he likes Switzerland. He seems to get on with Tom really well…’
With everything else that had been going on, Hattie had totally lost track of Xander’s movements, and had never really grasped when the new term began. When had he gone to Switzerland? She’d thought he was fixed in Scotland for August. ‘So Tom’s been there?’ she said to cover her startlement.
‘The advantage of working in education,’ said Leonie. ‘Very long holidays.’ Her sister was obviously smiling when she said this, something that Hattie was very glad to hear.
Now Hattie laughed. ‘I’d love to have Xander back but I’m just not sure where I’ll be living.’ And whether it will have heat, light and cooking facilities, she added silently.
‘Oh? I thought you were in Mary’s house?’
‘I am, but Clive wants to sell it. I’m trying to buy it.’
‘What’s stopping you?’
‘The fact I’m short on the deposit and his ridiculous deadline is looming. Oh, Lennie! I want this house so badly!’
Her sister didn’t reply immediately. ‘How much are you short? Granny left us both money and I haven’t spent all mine.’
Hattie gave her the figures, and found herself telling Leonie all the things she’d thought of doing to get herself out of this mess.
Leonie interrupted. ‘I’m not absolutely sure how long it will take for me to get the money into your account, but I assume if the money is in the ether, on its way to you, that will be enough?
I can send you confirmation of the transfer request.’
Hattie was overcome. ‘Lennie! You can’t do that! I—’
Her sister interrupted her. ‘Think of all you’ve done for Xander! And anyway, you don’t need to be too grateful, it’s a loan—’
‘Which I’ll pay back as soon as possible.’
‘I’m sure you will.’
Hattie felt tears gather in her throat making it impossible to speak for a moment.
She coughed. ‘Lennie, I can’t tell you what this means to me.
It isn’t only that this is the house of my dreams, but having it will mean I’m not always camping in other people’s houses, wondering when I’ll have to move again.
’ She sniffed, found a tissue in her sleeve and blew her nose.
She looked around her; the building was old and in need of a lot of care, but it would be hers. She could make a life here.
‘Are you crying? No need for that! Go and make yourself a cup of tea.’
When the sisters had disconnected, Hattie’s tears had turned to laughter at her sister’s ever-practical reaction and then did as she was told. Luckily there was enough camping gas.
Clive arrived on the Tuesday morning, at least an hour earlier than they had arranged. Hattie found it very difficult to be civil to him, but grateful that she was dressed, at least.
‘You turned off the gas and electricity,’ she said, as he entered.
He smiled. ‘All part of prepping for the house sale.’
‘How kind,’ she said. ‘But it means I can’t offer you anything to drink now.’
‘That’s fine. I’ve already had a very nice cappuccino and a pastry from the bread van. I don’t need anything.’
Hattie could tell he was hoping that she would be desperate for coffee and a shower, and while both would have been welcome, she’d been having showers at Rose’s house; Rose and Sam had been delighted at the good news about her sister helping her find the money just in time.
She had also bought a new gas canister; he had obviously wanted make her very uncomfortable but hadn’t succeeded: she wasn’t going to feel bullied.
‘Well, as my duties as a hostess are not required we can get down to business. I’ve got the finances sorted.’
She had the satisfaction of seeing him look surprised for a moment.
‘I have a lender—’
‘Prove it.’
Hattie showed him the offer she had in principle.
‘That’s not a firm offer—’
‘You said I had to have everything sorted by today. You didn’t specify I had to have it done’ – she glanced at her phone – ‘by seven twenty in the morning.’
Clive raised an eyebrow, as if acknowledging this.
‘The deposit will be in my account later today.’ Hattie mentally crossed her fingers.
‘And I’ve arranged for the lender’s valuation survey to be done this afternoon.
I am going to visit Mary now,’ she went on.
‘Would you like to give me a message for her? You haven’t been to see her since you put her in that home, have you? ’
‘It’s a perfectly good establishment,’ he snapped. ‘Nothing wrong with it.’
Hattie inclined her head. ‘Apart from the fact it’s many miles away from her family and friends. And it smells.’ She drew a breath. ‘Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got a long day ahead of me. I need to get on.’