Chapter Ten
I returned to Home and Hearth in high spirits.
The key to Starlight Cottage was still in my handbag. I dumped the bag under my desk. Sitting down, I gave Lisa a quick shufty. She caught me looking. Noted the wide grin on my face. But she didn’t return my smile. Instead, she gave me a troubled look.
‘There’s been developments,’ she hissed.
‘Developments indeed,’ I beamed, ignoring her ominous tone. ‘I’m well and truly smitten with Starlight Cottage.’
Lisa’s mouth drooped. She jerked her head in the direction of our boss’s office. Beyond, I could hear Leslie on the phone. Suddenly, I had a bad vibe.
‘I’m talking developments, ’ she enunciated.
‘Define developments ,’ I quavered.
‘Two words. Milo Soren.’
‘What about him?’
‘He’s viewing Starlight Cottage.’
‘Yes, I know. You told me that earlier. He’s going this evening.’
‘Was.’
‘You mean… he’s cancelled the viewing?’
‘No.’ Lisa shook her head. ‘On the contrary. He’s so keen, he telephoned while you were out. He asked if he could bring forward the viewing appointment.’
I paled.
‘And?’
‘And’ – said Lisa patiently – ‘Leslie is currently on the phone rearranging his diary so that he can accommodate Mr Soren and personally give him a guided tour of Starlight Cottage. Milo Soren is on his way to Starlight Cottage as we speak.’ She gave a quick glance at her wristwatch. ‘In fact, he’s probably already there. It’s a wonder you didn’t bump into each other.’ She held out her hand. ‘You’d better give me the key.’
‘No way.’ I snatched up my handbag. Hugged it tightly to my chest. ‘You can’t have it.’
Lisa rolled her eyes.
‘Don’t be childish, Tilly.’
‘I’m not being childish,’ I argued. ‘I’m intending to make an offer on the property.’ My chin jutted. ‘As of now.’ I hugged my bag tighter. ‘Starlight Cottage’ – I informed my friend – ‘is officially under offer.’
Lisa sighed.
‘You know perfectly well that’s not how things work and-’
‘Full asking price,’ I interrupted. ‘No quibbles. And if Mr Garroway wishes to sell the cottage fully furnished, that’s fine with me too. Tell him to name his price.’
‘Tilly–’
‘I mean it.’ My chin jutted further.
Lisa knew this look. She’d seen it many times before. Done it herself, too. The chin of determination. Both of us employed the chin of determination on certain occasions. Like the time we’d made a pact to diet together and to stop each other from cheating, no matter what. Then Leslie had brought into the office a vast chocolate cake to celebrate his birthday. Lisa had wanted to break the diet and indulge.
‘But we’re meant to stop each other,’ I’d reminded her. ‘No giving in to temptation.’
She’d responded with the chin of determination.
‘I’ll go back on the diet tomorrow.’
‘No you won’t,’ I’d said, flashing my own chin of determination. ‘Put your hands in the air, and move slowly away from the chocolate cake.’
We’d nearly come to blows over the photocopier.
Unfortunately, right now, my chin of determination was starting to wobble rather alarmingly. Uh-oh. It was rapidly turning into the chin of jellification. It was quivering all over the place. My eyes filled with tears.
‘Phone Mr Garroway,’ I croaked. ‘Go on,’ I urged Lisa. ‘Do it. Now,’ I pleaded.
‘I can and will,’ Lisa soothed. ‘But you don’t need me to remind you that – when the chips are down – you’re not in a position to proceed.’
‘But I will be,’ I bleated, swiping at a tear that had escaped from one eyeball. ‘I simply need to speak to Robin. I’ll call him now,’ I cried. ‘He’s been mithering me over the marital home. Well, he can have it. As of tonight!’
‘Tilly, stop!’ Lisa ordered. ‘You can sort out your sale through the proper channels in due course. For now, give me the key.’
‘Oh dear,’ I said carelessly. My chin of determination had one last stab at defiance. ‘I think I dropped it somewhere. You’ll have to phone Mr Garroway and ask for another key. Meanwhile, I’ll get hold of Mr Soren. Tell him to sling his… I mean… go home.’
‘Ah, ladies.’ Leslie stepped out from his office, beaming widely. ‘I’m off to do a viewing.’
It was obvious from his smile that he thought business with Milo Soren was a done deed. As far as he was concerned, the guy had already made his offer and had it accepted. Maybe even now Leslie was, somewhere in his head, hitting the phone lines, urging solicitors to pull their fingers out and have contracts exchanged by five o’clock, thank you very much.
‘Who has the key to Starlight Cottage?’ he asked, looking from Lisa to me, then back to Lisa again.
‘Tilly does,’ she said.
Traitor.
I cleared my throat.
‘The thing is, Leslie–’
‘Yes?’
‘ I want to buy Starlight Cottage.’
My boss raised his eyebrows.
‘Er, right. That’s nice,’ he said cautiously. ‘I wasn’t aware that your property was on the market.’
For a moment he looked faintly peeved, as well he might. Why wasn’t his employee selling her abode via Home and Hearth Estate Agents?
‘It was all very sudden,’ I gabbled. ‘Robin is buying me out.’
‘Oh, really?’ Leslie looked perplexed. ‘I thought you were refusing to sell to him?’
‘I was,’ I admitted. ‘But now I’m not. I’ve had a change of heart.’
‘I see,’ Lesie frowned. ‘And your respective matrimonial solicitors are up to speed with this new situation? After all, you of all people know that financials need sorting before proceeding with an offer.’
I stared at Leslie helplessly.
‘Please,’ I whispered. ‘Don’t let Milo Soren buy Starlight Cottage.’
My boss gave me a kind look. When he next spoke, it was as if he were speaking to a six-year-old.
‘Hey, it’s just a viewing. There’s no offer on the table.’
‘Yet,’ Lisa muttered.
‘Mr Soren is keen to view,’ Leslie admitted. ‘But he might step inside and declare Starlight Cottage to be ghastly.’
‘He won’t,’ I said miserably.
‘Look, Tilly,’ said Leslie gently. ‘I think you’re getting away ahead of yourself. Mr Soren might loathe the location. The road to Starlight Croft is a nightmare. But, even if he hates the place, I must warn you that I’ve had two further enquiries about the property. Both are chain free with mortgages in place. I’m afraid that even if Mr Soren gets run over by a tractor enroute to the village of Starlight Croft, there are two other potential buyers chomping at the bit.’
‘Oh,’ I said flatly.
It was obvious that I hadn’t a snowball’s chance in the fires of Hell to secure the purchase of Starlight Cottage.
‘Can I suggest you sort out your divorce first,’ said Leslie carefully. ‘And then, when you know your financial position and the conveyancing is underway on the marital home, that will be the time for you to look at a property. That way you’ll be in with a fighting chance on successfully purchasing whatever you’ve set your heart on.’
‘Yes,’ I said despondently.
‘Meanwhile… the key? Please?’ He held out his hand.
Miserably, I rummaged in my handbag. Found the key. Curled my fingers around it. Held it tightly. Briefly closed my eyes and wished with every fibre of my being that this key belonged to me.
And then I gave it up.