Chapter 7
Aria woke with a cricked neck, feeling the dawn chill under her thin quilt.
Her only warmth came from Tiger, who had snuggled himself into the crook of her arm during the night.
She moved him out of the way, telling him he’d need to shift a couple of pounds if he had dreams of becoming a handbag dog.
He responded by snuffling, twitching an ear and making himself more comfortable.
Stretching, she grabbed a fleece, braced herself for the eco loo and decided to bathe in the lake instead of using the primitive shower.
She’d forgotten how glorious it was here in the early morning, so lovely she considered staying another night.
She figured the people policing lake recreation had more important things to do than chase someone out of their own fishing hut.
There was that idiot on the jet ski, but from his behaviour last night she judged he was unlikely to stay upright for long enough to bother her or the ducks.
***
A few hours later, Aria walked into town, wondering if she’d ever be able to afford a car again.
The high street estate agent sat at the top of her list of priorities.
She’d have to wait for all the legal stuff to be completed, but at least she could find out what the hut was worth in the meantime.
Sooner or later, she’d need to sell it in order to get together a deposit for her forever home.
Her savings wouldn’t last very long in rental accommodation, and she needed to start thinking about her future.
As she meandered down the street, she hardly recognised the shop fronts.
Since she’d left, gift shops and boutique hotels had proliferated like spring lambs.
When she arrived at one of the two established estate agents, she was accosted by an image of the house next door to her.
She examined the details on the digital display, impressed by the solar panels and designer kitchen, and blown away by the price.
Her humble hut with its leaking roof and damp patches was never going to fetch that kind of money, but she was even more determined to get it valued.
She looked around for somewhere to tie up the dog.
Spying a water bowl on the ground, she fastened Tiger’s lead to the rail above it.
Inside the shop, she found a harassed agent trying to manage two phones.
She took a seat and waited. When the agent finally finished her conversations, Aria told her she’d inherited a property on the lake, waving vaguely at a fancy brochure on the display stand.
‘I see those properties are selling for a substantial amount and I’m just wondering how much I’d get for mine—’
‘Oh, we’ve had an enormous amount of interest in the Castle Enterprises estate,’ the agent cut in.
‘The properties will all be state-of-the-art, and a boon for people moving up from London who want a luxury second home. And of course they will all have a prime view of the lake. If yours is in a similar location and of a comparable spec, we would certainly be able to help you.’
The word ‘comparable’ made Aria snort before regaining her composure and her sales head.
‘It’s actually in the same location. The views are completely stunning, especially at sunrise and sunset.
And the garden stretches all the way up the hill to the road.
But it is more of a cabin than a house. Well, more of a hut, I suppose. For fishing,’ she confirmed.
The agent wrinkled her nose. ‘A fishing cabin? I’m afraid we are more of a boutique agency, selling luxury properties.’
‘Oh, right, I see. You’re basically only interested in second homes.’
‘Not at all,’ the agent rushed in. ‘But I’m afraid we are quite choosy.
Our clients expect it. You might want to contact your neighbour and ask him if he’d like to take it off your hands.
I believe he’s about to start building the main tranche of houses and is planning a marina too, so he may be keen to purchase the land for further development.
The local caravan park owners have also been buying up the north and west shore so you may want to contact them while you are at it – do you know the Hetheringtons? ’
Aria’s jaw tensed at the mention of her ex’s family name.
But when she caught the woman scrutinising her face, she knew what was coming.
‘Oh! You’re Eddie Wilson’s daughter. I’m so sorry for your loss.
I took all my visitors on his steamer cruises.
He was a lovely man, and so knowledgeable.
He helped my elderly mum keep on top of her garden while she was sick. ’
Aria nodded. ‘That sounds like Dad.’
‘I’m afraid I haven’t the time to take a look at your hut,’ the agent continued.
‘There’s a huge demand from Londoners for top end properties, and interest will get more intense into the summer months when tourists see the potential of living in the Lake District.
So, we are focusing on the bigger sales.
We are horribly short-staffed – in fact there’s only me here now and I have a school refuser at home.
’ As the woman’s phone rang, she looked even more stressed.
‘That’s the Head, chasing me to chase my daughter.
I’ve advertised for temp staff twice but no one with experience of selling, or detailed knowledge of Inglemere, has applied.
I think all the young people must have hotfooted it somewhere else. ’
Or been pushed out by the rising house prices and estate agents behaving like you, Aria thought, before blurting out a half-baked idea.
‘I could help! On a freelance basis, as I don’t know how long I will be staying in the area.
I’ve been living down south and haven’t had time to line up a job.
I roughly know the layout of the town, and I was selling timeshare properties before coming back to attend Dad’s funeral, so I have a track record and can sort out a reference if you need it. ’
The agent looked thoughtful as her phone rang again.
‘Let me get this.’ As she picked up a pen and paper, and answered a query, Aria remembered her new responsibilities and nipped outside.
This might actually work, she thought, feeling impressed with herself before remembering she was now the proud parent of a pug, which would restrict her movements. Tiger! Where was he?
‘Bollocks.’ Aria frantically scanned the pavement and prayed her dad’s pup wasn’t lying somewhere on the kerb or stolen by dog wranglers.
‘Is this what you’re looking for?’
‘Double bollocks,’ she muttered, as she caught sight of her ex-fiancé approaching with the dog in his arms.
Justin looked down at his crotch. ‘Nope, just one set last time I looked. But all in good working order!’ The man always did have unbeatably sharp hearing.
He was sharply dressed too, in a blue checked suit with a floral tie.
In an exaggerated move, he flicked his hair back before reaching out to hug her, oblivious to her discomfort.
She took the opportunity to grab the dog back, and winced as Tiger dug his claws into her.
Aria flushed, wishing she’d put on some make-up or even brushed her hair.
She’d always known she’d have to face Justin again and, despite endless mental rehearsals, she still wasn’t ready.
She felt stiff and lumpen as she stood there, saying nothing at all.
‘I heard you were off buddying up with Buddha,’ he said, hands on hips like a pantomime prince.
‘Huh?’
‘Canoeing the Congo. Perusing Peru.’
‘I’m sorry I have no idea what you—’
‘Travelling! I heard you’d gone travelling. Did your dad’s compost toilet prepare you for weeing in the jungle?’
Aria had been prepared for a difficult first meeting but wasn’t expecting it to involve her toilet habits.
She thought back to his offhand and sometimes cruel comments over the years, as well as his audacious behaviour with his new partner.
Who broke off their engagement with a single text before allowing himself to get caught shagging the other woman?
Clutching her hands into fists, she remembered how he’d driven her from the safety of her family and home comforts.
‘At least I haven’t always lived a sheltered life with my parents,’ she fired back.
‘Oh, they’re moving out soon,’ he breezed.
‘After the wedding, Lu-Lu and I will be taking over Hetherington HQ and its mighty fine parks.’ How dare he mention her to Aria!
As he spoke, she scrutinised him. The swimming had always kept him toned but this was another level of physique.
His biceps were bulging against his shirt, while his legs looked like tree trunks.
‘So, you’re back for good?’ he asked.
She wasn’t up for sharing half-formed plans with the enemy.
‘Came home for Dad’s funeral,’ she replied as Tiger licked the bare leg below her cut-off jeans.
‘Can’t say we missed you.’ She cursed silently as the words slipped out.
She didn’t want Justin to think she was mooning around or looking for him.
But instead, he mumbled an awkward ‘sorry for your loss’ and backed away. Clearly his shame was greater than hers at this moment. Aria relaxed her stomach muscles and pushed out a breath. ‘Please don’t run away again, Tiger,’ she instructed her dog.
At that moment, the estate agent dashed out into the street holding out her phone like an unexploded bomb.
‘Thank goodness you’re still here. Can I take you up on your suggestion and maybe offer you a quick interview with my boss?
He’s on the line right now. My child is sick, and I can’t show a home tomorrow.
’ She pushed the phone into Aria’s hand and a man on the other end of the line briefed her on the firm’s mission statement, impressing on her that they could only offer zero hours and minimum wage.
As she wasn’t in any position to negotiate, they came to a quick agreement.
‘You’re a real lifesaver,’ said the estate agent when they disconnected.
‘This feels like it was meant to be. So, tomorrow you’ll be meeting a prospective buyer called Stephen to tour a house a few miles around the lake.
I’ll forward you the address and details in a moment as well as some instructions on how to get in.
Don’t worry, we don’t think he’s a super-
serious viewer for this property, but it’s a good test run.’