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Authors: Veronica Heley
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have one. Maybe I haven’t? I suppose I can check it out online. Whatever. Just don’t waste my time. Understood?’
Pushing papers together, eyelids fluttering, he reminded Ellie of a startled horse. Perhaps he was really a shy soul, and not just a dry one? ‘Understood, understood. But have you considered, have you yourself made a will? It would be wise, don’t you think? Be happy to oblige, give me your instructions, are you able to do so now?’
‘No.’ Mia hadn’t had much colour in her face before, now she had even less. Perhaps she hadn’t really believed in her lack of future until he’d taken her at her word?
‘Of course, of course. Will be in touch, any time, you have only to mention. You can be contacted here, of course? Naturally. But, er, what about the business?’
‘Sell it.’ Mia walked out of the kitchen. Just like that.
‘Oh, but – Mia?’ Rose went after her.
Ellie held the door open for the solicitor. ‘I’ll see you out.’ And did so, with him still fluttering his eyelids. Irritating man.
Returning to the kitchen, Ellie found Rose there, shaking her head. ‘Burst into tears, she did. Ran upstairs and bolted the door against me. Overwrought.’
‘I thought she was coping surprisingly well.’
‘Mm. That friend of hers, Ursula, came by this morning while you were out. What a strong personality, a breath of fresh air, made me feel quite tired the way she swept everything along before her. But she did Mia good, at least for the time being, jollied her along, put some backbone into her, told her not to put up with anything she didn’t want to put up with, which was probably good advice though I didn’t expect her to be rude to that solicitor, even though he could do with a dose of Epsom salts, as my mother would have said.’
‘Agreed. Should I go up to Mia?’ It was odd, but Rose now seemed to have taken over responsibility for Mia. ‘I brought back a load of clothes for her to try on, and oh, some stuff for supper.’
‘Leave her be for the time being. She feels safe here with me. Cooking for us seems to calm her down, and I’m not going to stop her, am I, if it makes her feel useful, though as you know highly spiced foods don’t agree with me. But if it helps her then I’ll eat and take some Bisodol afterwards.’
‘Agreed,’ said Ellie.
‘Oh, and Ursula left a folder of stuff for you to look at. She went through it with Mia and me, and I must say I think she’s thought of everything from our point of view, but she wanted to make sure you had someone coming in to move the furniture about and clear up afterwards, which I said you were paying for because you’ll be using your usual cleaning company that you always have, and that they’d been round to give us a special extra clean on Monday, which was when you were out, and they’re looking forward to the wedding, too. Only, Ursula looked serious and said she ought to be paying for that, though I’m sure I don’t know how she thinks she’s going to do it, but she says she’s put a little bit by now and then and her father’s giving her something, which her mother doesn’t like at all, but you know what Mrs Belton is, you couldn’t please her if you gave her a thousand pounds because she’d want it to be five. Thousand, I mean.’
She took a deep breath, and Ellie nodded. ‘And Maria rang and Pat didn’t know what to say to her, so she called me and I went through to your study and had a word with her about the extra that’ll need doing around the house and she said to leave it with her, and knowing her I could do that, though it wouldn’t be many people you could trust in such matters, would there? So I told her – Ursula, that is – that we were all looking forward to her wedding enormously, and not to worry about the cleaning and moving furniture because it was giving us something lovely to think about, and it’s going to be no trouble at all to us to have her wedding reception here, with the
Pushing papers together, eyelids fluttering, he reminded Ellie of a startled horse. Perhaps he was really a shy soul, and not just a dry one? ‘Understood, understood. But have you considered, have you yourself made a will? It would be wise, don’t you think? Be happy to oblige, give me your instructions, are you able to do so now?’
‘No.’ Mia hadn’t had much colour in her face before, now she had even less. Perhaps she hadn’t really believed in her lack of future until he’d taken her at her word?
‘Of course, of course. Will be in touch, any time, you have only to mention. You can be contacted here, of course? Naturally. But, er, what about the business?’
‘Sell it.’ Mia walked out of the kitchen. Just like that.
‘Oh, but – Mia?’ Rose went after her.
Ellie held the door open for the solicitor. ‘I’ll see you out.’ And did so, with him still fluttering his eyelids. Irritating man.
Returning to the kitchen, Ellie found Rose there, shaking her head. ‘Burst into tears, she did. Ran upstairs and bolted the door against me. Overwrought.’
‘I thought she was coping surprisingly well.’
‘Mm. That friend of hers, Ursula, came by this morning while you were out. What a strong personality, a breath of fresh air, made me feel quite tired the way she swept everything along before her. But she did Mia good, at least for the time being, jollied her along, put some backbone into her, told her not to put up with anything she didn’t want to put up with, which was probably good advice though I didn’t expect her to be rude to that solicitor, even though he could do with a dose of Epsom salts, as my mother would have said.’
‘Agreed. Should I go up to Mia?’ It was odd, but Rose now seemed to have taken over responsibility for Mia. ‘I brought back a load of clothes for her to try on, and oh, some stuff for supper.’
‘Leave her be for the time being. She feels safe here with me. Cooking for us seems to calm her down, and I’m not going to stop her, am I, if it makes her feel useful, though as you know highly spiced foods don’t agree with me. But if it helps her then I’ll eat and take some Bisodol afterwards.’
‘Agreed,’ said Ellie.
‘Oh, and Ursula left a folder of stuff for you to look at. She went through it with Mia and me, and I must say I think she’s thought of everything from our point of view, but she wanted to make sure you had someone coming in to move the furniture about and clear up afterwards, which I said you were paying for because you’ll be using your usual cleaning company that you always have, and that they’d been round to give us a special extra clean on Monday, which was when you were out, and they’re looking forward to the wedding, too. Only, Ursula looked serious and said she ought to be paying for that, though I’m sure I don’t know how she thinks she’s going to do it, but she says she’s put a little bit by now and then and her father’s giving her something, which her mother doesn’t like at all, but you know what Mrs Belton is, you couldn’t please her if you gave her a thousand pounds because she’d want it to be five. Thousand, I mean.’
She took a deep breath, and Ellie nodded. ‘And Maria rang and Pat didn’t know what to say to her, so she called me and I went through to your study and had a word with her about the extra that’ll need doing around the house and she said to leave it with her, and knowing her I could do that, though it wouldn’t be many people you could trust in such matters, would there? So I told her – Ursula, that is – that we were all looking forward to her wedding enormously, and not to worry about the cleaning and moving furniture because it was giving us something lovely to think about, and it’s going to be no trouble at all to us to have her wedding reception here, with the
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