The Legacy of Hope House (6 page)

Chapter Eleven

‘Got the keys to your van?’ Anna asked, as she got into her car and pushed in her ignition key. ‘Let’s find somewhere cheerful to brighten us up. It’s late, but I don’t feel like going home yet.’ She gave a wry smile. ‘Shall we go back to the inn?’

‘Yeah, I was about to suggest that myself.’

Anna pulled her car door shut and drove off with David close behind, and it wasn’t long before they were seated with a drink, both laughing and chatting as though there wasn’t a care in the world. But David’s curiosity broke in with, ‘It looks like you’ll have to do a serious search. So what d’you already know about your family history, your distant aunts and uncles and so on?’

‘Nothing. As for the uncle who left me Hope House, I had no contact with him at all; I never even got to know him.’ She looked pleadingly at David. ‘Don’t ask me to question Mum about him. She’s on about the place enough as it is, so I don’t want to harp on about it. She doesn’t want me to keep it, but she is a bit more tolerant of it lately.’

David nodded, then looked across to the doorway and nudged her. ‘Hey, so what about that then? Dot’s just walked in.’

‘Say nothing to her about the family issue yet,’ Anna said. ‘Dot will remember we talked about doing some investigation, but the less said the better in front of her companion – I don’t want others to know my worries.’

But Dot had seen them, and was already making her way across the lounge to where they sat.

‘Aha, a little tete a tete, is it?’ she said, with a naughty wink.

‘Not exactly,’ Anna quickly put in. ‘David’s helping me up at the house. You know there’s a lot to do, and we’re taking a break, that’s all.’

Dot dismissed the reply, and linked her arm through her companion’s. ‘Anyway, my favourite aunt and I have been shopping today, and we’ve popped in to meet some friends for a late drink before going home.’ Dot looked proud. ‘Betty’s an interior designer, so if you need help in that field you know where to come.’ She turned to her aunt, an attractive brunette not much older than she was. ‘I’ve told her about you and Hope House and what you’re doing with it.’

‘Ah, yes,’ Betty said, smiling, and looking straight at Anna. ‘Dot wondered if you’d like me to make some suggestions as to décor. Would you?’

‘I’d have liked that originally,’ Anna said, secretly thinking that the expense of an interior designer was something she did not intend to add to her costs. ‘It would have been great, but it’s a bit late in the day. I think we’ve sorted it all out now, thanks.’

‘Wonderful, but if you ever want access to some wholesale fabrics to save money, just give me a shout.’

Anna took a deep breath, thankful she had avoided involvement with Betty, and made a mental note to tell Dot not to bring her aunt to Hope House with décor in mind.

Betty thought for a couple of seconds, then handed her business card to Anna. ‘Here’s my address. I’m busy most of the time, but I’m available for any good friend of my niece, and at a much reduced price.’

Anna felt relieved that it had all fallen into place without effort, and now she had access to a professional - if needed.

For a short while, all four chatted mainly about how Betty got into the business in the first place. A little later, Dot looked up and waved to a couple as they came in through the door. ‘Oh look, our pals have arrived.’ With that, she and her aunt excused themselves and went over to greet them.

‘Cripes, Anna, that was a bit awkward, but you handled it well. You’d easily get caught up with heavy bills if you took her on,’ was David’s comment, as soon as the women were out of earshot. ‘Look, I suggest we’d better get going now, what d’you think?’

‘Okay.’ Anna leaned across to lay a hand on his arm. ‘Thanks for being such a brick. I don’t know what I’d have done without you. I needed someone I could trust to discuss things with, and that’s the truth.’

‘I’ll wait to hear from you, Anna.’ David gave her a self-conscious grin, his healthy colour running shades deeper. ‘How about we meet here for lunch at one tomorrow?’

Anna nodded effusively, forgetting to hide her enthusiasm. ‘See you tomorrow,’ she called, as she walked towards the door.

By the time she arrived home she was quite composed, and said nothing about her latest meeting with David. Thankfully, Margaret was too busy to make enquiries, so Anna gave her a goodnight peck on the cheek and went upstairs for a well earned rest.

Chapter Twelve

Anna was up early and reached Hope House well before eight o’clock the next morning to meet the local cleaning service she had enlisted to do some housework at the manor.

They were a young and energetic team of four, and quickly made a big difference to the appearance of the old house. They had another appointment straight after lunch, so Anna arranged for them to return for two more mornings, and hoped it was all that would be needed. Having also pitched in herself, by mid-day her energy was spent, and as soon as the girls were ready to move on to their second job of the day, feeling satisfied, but tired from tension and hard work, she flopped into the most comfortable chair she could find in the library, put up her feet, and closed her eyes.

She remembered she was to meet David for lunch, but totally relaxed now, Anna decided there was time to sneak a short rest before going. She took a deep breath, accepting that nothing would be as straightforward at Hope House as she had first imagined, but at least she was making headway.

In seconds, pictures flashed into her mind one after another, but as she relaxed further into a blissfully comfortable feeling she drifted into that delightful state between reality and fantasy.

In her mind’s eye she watched an elderly man walk briskly towards her; he looked very much like the one in the painting on the staircase, Colonel Thomas Williams, her very own distant grandfather.

He took a pace back, folded his arms, and looked directly at Anna with a bemused expression on his handsome face, then addressed her in a lilting Welsh accent.

‘You are Anna, the daughter of Philip Williams.’

She nodded, wondering just how this man knew who she was, and the name of her father.

He cocked his head to one side. ‘Of course, you know who I am, don’t you my child?’

‘C… Colonel T… Thomas Williams?’ she questioned, in such a fragile voice that to her it sounded strangely disembodied.

‘Correct. I am your great, great, great, great, great grandfather.’ His face lit up with the most delightful smile as he chortled. He perched on the edge of the desk and touched the tips of his fingers together. ‘Now, I would like you to call me Papa. It would sound so much better than calling me Colonel, or repeating all those great greats, don’t you think?’ He smiled benevolently, slid off the desk, and patted her hand.

Anna agreed with another brief nod, and realised the Colonel seemed more aware of where he was than she was at that moment. With his hands clasped behind his back, the Colonel gave a slight nod. ‘I know you have discovered my hiding place,’ he said, with a knowing wink. ‘No need for apologies child; if you hadn’t discovered where I had hidden my journals, you wouldn’t have gained such an insight into my life. You see, reading them placed me solidly in your mind, which is why you are seeing me now.’ He twirled around on the heel of his buckled shoe, and seemed to enjoy it, then gazed at her again with a questioning look in his blue eyes, as though he was waiting for her to speak.

With no notion of what to say, Anna ran her tongue around her lips to moisten them, then broke the silence with a question. ‘Do you miss the warmth of Jamaica, er… Papa?’

‘But of course, all the time.’ He spread his hands and gave a noticeable sigh. ‘I miss the sun and the warmth of the land in which I was born. I miss the fragrance of the blooms that grow there.’ He continued to move around the room, still beaming with pleasure as he looked about him. ‘But it is my own fault, for I decided to come and live in the cool and damp Land Of My Fathers.’

Anna then asked something that was bothering her. ‘What can you tell me about my distant relatives? Are there any living today? I would like to know.’

With his face wreathed in smiles, he cocked his head to the side. ‘Maybe there are, but maybe not. It is something that will reveal itself all in good time. Have patience. First, come with me and look at their portraits and I will tell you about each one.’

Holding this conversation with someone in a dream seemed quite natural to Anna, but her heart throbbed and her knees felt weak as she tried to control her increasing excitement. She rose from the chair and took a step forward, but suddenly felt dizzy. Anna put her hand to her forehead, but as her legs folded beneath her she slumped to the floor. She was vaguely aware that someone was carrying her, but none of this seemed to matter. Her body felt weighted and weary, and all she wanted to do was sleep, sleep, sleep.

Eventually, her eyes snapped open and the first person she saw was David, fast asleep in the large armchair in the corner of the library. She looked up feeling dazed, and wondered what had happened and why he was there.

Then scenes in the dream flashed into her mind and she stared around, fully aware she must just have lived through a nightmare. Grabbing a pen and paper off the side table, she quickly jotted down what she could remember of the dream so it would stay in her mind.

Just then, David opened his eyes, got up and crossed over to her. ‘You didn’t appear for lunch as arranged, so I tried to contact you several times, but when you didn’t answer, I decided to come and look for you. Good thing you gave me a set of keys, ‘cos I found you in a crumpled heap on the floor. I popped you onto that sofa and let you sleep; looks like you needed it.’ He gave Anna’s hand a comforting squeeze. ‘I spun a good yarn to your mother on the phone when she rang to speak to you, so she’s not worrying.’

‘I remember most of it now,’ Anna said, rubbing her eyes and relating what the dream was all about. ‘I made notes to help me remember it.’ The old man seemed so real.’ She shrugged. ‘But then nightmares are always real until you wake.’

‘Okay, there’s still time for a drink before you go home, so come on.’ David pulled her to the front door and out to the car, and in minutes, they were enjoying a drink at the inn. He lifted his empty glass. ‘Want another?’ Anna nodded, and when he returned from the bar, he suggested they took their drinks over to the window seat.

‘I’m serious about researching my ancestors,’ Anna said. ‘I feel there’s something I should know.’ She wriggled closer to him on the window seat, but David’s smile faded when he glanced at his watch. ‘Hey, look at the time; your mother will be expecting you. Get moving. I don’t want the blame for you being late.’

When she arrived home, Margaret glanced at the kitchen clock. ‘Just in time, my girl, but you’ve cut it fine. This sort of meal doesn’t improve with being kept warm. I wish you’d keep track of the time when you go out.’

It didn’t take Anna long to eat the her dinner, and then she relaxed in the chair and thought about her recent good fortune, accepting that one of the pleasant outcomes was the liaison with David Rees, even though it was purely business. As yet.

She had to admit she was attracted to him, and now that he had broken up with his girlfriend, maybe there was a chance they would become more than friends. She sighed, acknowledging he had made no exciting moves towards her, but maybe regular contact over the house repairs would help develop something more between them. She wasn’t mad about him, but he was good company, he was single, and he looked good too.

Chapter Thirteen

The shrill sound of the doorbell startled Anna out of her pensive mood. She jumped out of the chair and ran to answer it, only to see Liz on the doorstep, all smiles. ‘Haven’t seen you for a while, so I thought I’d catch up with the latest.’

Delighted, Anna grabbed her arm and drew her inside. ‘Have I got news for you,’ she said, glancing around furtively to see where her mother was. ‘I’ve been dying to tell you, but I could say nothing over the phone because Hope House is definitely not my mother’s favourite topic.’ She pulled on Liz’s arm. ‘Let’s go into the sitting room for a chat.’ Satisfied that Margaret was now absorbed in watching a film on television, she could offload her story.

‘You seem excited,’ Liz said, settling into a comfortable chair. ‘What’s up?’

Anna related a brief account of her fears about losing the manor and told her about the dream she’d had.

‘Oh, my gawd, Anna. Liz shook her head. ‘Does anyone else know about your concern?’

‘Only David, but he won’t tell anyone. But listen, you’ve done family research before, so will you be a pal and help to research mine? I need to know.’

‘Of course, and now that Dot is working in London, she’s on the spot for researching things like that. I can meet her so she’ll be able to help as well.’

‘Please Liz, ask Dot to say nothing about this to a soul, especially my mother, who’s so keen for me to ditch the place, that she’d welcome anyone who could take it away from me. She’d go out of her mind if she knew I intend to go to any lengths to keep it.’

‘Understood. Anyway, I’d never tell your Mum.’ Liz’s eyes were bright with interest by now. ‘Are you going to set much store on that dream? It was only a dream remember.’

‘I know, but it gave me ideas; and it prodded me into doing research.’ She paused as she thought about it, then livened up. ‘So come on, give me your news, Liz. Anything interesting to report?’

‘Yes, and I think it’s relatively exciting.’ She laughed. ‘I lost my job, but found another straight away, that’s what.’

‘What happened?’

‘The firm I worked for suddenly went bust. I phoned the job agency immediately, and they sent me along to a solicitor who wanted a receptionist in a hurry. I think it’s the same one you went to about your inheritance; James and Co.’

‘You were lucky. When do you start?’

‘I’ve already started. It’s not fantastic money, but it’ll fill the gap until I find something better. I’m not the only new one there either. A young solicitor, not long qualified, started at the same time; name of Quentin Hale, and he’s quite some looker too. I’m sure you’d fancy him. I certainly do.’

Her eyes took on a dreamy expression for a moment. ‘Anna, he’s drop-dead gorgeous, very tall; has a Mediterranean look about him - you know the type, black hair, dark velvet brown eyes, sun-tanned skin, white ivories, and on top of all that, he’s quite a charmer. I’d guess he’s about our age.’ She shrugged. ‘He’s spoken to me several times on his way into the office, but he hasn’t really noticed me, if you know what I mean. Pity.’

Liz continued to look doe-eyed and sighed deeply. ‘Sorry about the pun, but he’s the sort of man you dream about; the sort you can’t help noticing and the kind you can’t forget.’ Liz snapped out of her pensive mood, and gave another quick shrug. ‘Anyway, I’ll get to know him better as time goes on. The best part is that he seems okay to work with.’

‘Unusual name, Liz. I’ve never heard it around here.’

‘Not surprised at that; seems he was born in America, but he’s been living in this country for yonks. His accent is more English than anything now, although there’s a hint of American about it, especially on certain words.’ Liz became thoughtful for a moment. ‘He’s the boss’s nephew or something like that. He told me he doesn’t fancy staying permanently with Mr James, but that’s where he is at the moment. He could live there if he wished but he would prefer a place of his own.’

She lifted a finger. ‘Actually, he told me he’s looking for somewhere nice to stay until he finds what he wants, so I told him to ask you about a room. I gave him your phone number, so maybe he’ll ring you soon. I hope you don’t mind.’

‘Cripes, Liz, I’m not ready for guests yet,’ Anna was wide-eyed as she thought of it, but soon realised the potential. ‘But hey, it could earn me a few bob until I get going.’

‘Think it over.’ Liz gave a quick shrug. ‘You can always make some excuse if you don’t want him there, but I doubt he’d mind repairs going on around him. He’d probably be only too pleased to get fixed up, and wouldn’t notice it.’

‘Okay, that’s a good idea,’ Anna called back to her, as she went into the kitchen to make some coffee. When she returned, Liz was on her mobile. She popped it into her bag as Anna came in with the hot drink. ‘That was Dot,’ she said. ‘What does she know of the story about your distant relatives?’ Liz asked.

‘Nothing, yet.’

Liz lifted her brows and looked quizzically at Anna. ‘I don’t want to sound bossy, but I think maybe you should get in touch with her if you want her to help in any way; you know she can get a bit funny if you upset her. Anyway, she’s just heard she’s bagged a good job in London, and her living there could help with your research. She’s starting her new job almost straight away, so she won’t be around here for long.’

‘Okay, I’ll put things right with Dot, don’t worry.’

‘Are we still meeting up on the weekend?’ Liz asked.

‘Yes, but I’d like you to come to Hope House before then.’

‘Done,’ Liz said, getting up from her chair. ‘I’ll pop in tomorrow. Now I’m off home; I’m starving.’

As soon as Liz left, David rang. ‘See you tomorrow,’ he said, ‘and if things work out okay, I’ll come back tomorrow evening.’

*

The following day, Anna was sorting out a delivery of frozen food to stock the freezers when the phone went for the umpteenth time.

‘I’d like to book a room please, if there’s one available,’ the caller said. ‘My name is Quentin Hale. I’ve moved into the area, and until I find a place of my own, I need some comfortable accommodation. That’s not easy in this godforsaken dump.’

Anna’s mind went into overdrive. Although she had taken a number of bookings for a couple of weeks’ time, she hadn’t really considered having guests arrive this soon. The name of the man was the one Liz had mentioned. Could she put him up? Should she, at this early stage? Moreover, was she ready to? It took only seconds to make up her mind. She needed the money.

‘Yes, certainly. Will Saturday be convenient?’ she asked.

‘That’ll suit me fine,’ came the softly spoken reply in a cultured voice that held ever such a slight American accent.

If he was anything like his voice, he’d be delightful. As she replaced the receiver, Anna tried to picture Liz’s description of this drop-dead gorgeous looking Quentin Hale.

David called as promised the next day, but he was so busy he had no chance to talk with Anna, except for a brief exchange when everyone took a coffee break. When he stood back to see how his plastering looked on the area that had been damaged by damp, Anna walked over and stood at his side. ‘That’s as smooth as they come,’ she said, almost cooing her praises. ‘You’ve done a great job. You make difficult work look so easy, David, and I must say I’m ever so pleased with all you’ve done here.’

‘Just a case of practice,’ David said, once again colouring slightly at Anna’s compliment.

While he continued to put the finishing touches to the job, Anna went to check out the pale blue bedroom at the front of the house, having decided to set it aside for Quentin Hale.

The day seemed to have gone quickly, and the boys were gathering their tools ready to leave. David got into the van to drive them home, and then decided to slip back to see Anna. He took one look at her expression and knew in an instant that all was not well.

‘Something’s the matter; I can tell from your face.’

Anna shrugged and turned to go back into the house without answering. She swung around when she realised David was not following.

‘The least you can do is tell me what’s up,’ he said, sharply, as he caught up with her. ‘I kept my promise to help you, so come on tell all.’

‘Sorry, but I think I’ve made a faux pas. Mum reminded me this morning that the planning permission hasn’t come through yet, so I could get into serious trouble letting a room without permission.’

‘That all?’

‘It’s enough. I’ve got a guest coming on Saturday, and I can’t afford to make mistakes.’

‘Don’t worry. Let the guest in on your difficulty, and I’m sure he’ll agree to be considered a personal visitor, rather than a paying guest. That’d cover you.’

‘Brilliant. David, you’re the answer to everything. Thanks so much – that takes a load off my mind.’

He stood back and grinned at her. ‘We’ve both been overdoing things and we both need a rest. I’ll pop in on the weekend to see how things are with you, and then maybe I’ll take a day off work soon so we can go somewhere nice for the day.’ He lifted his finger and wagged it at Anna. ‘It’s common to be upset and sleep poorly when you’re stressed, and sooner or later, it shows. I reckon that’s why you’re having nightmares.’

Through the window at the side of the door, she watched David walk briskly away, and continued to watch as his van disappeared from view down the driveway.

The sharp tone of the telephone made her jump. ‘Sorry, Anna, but I can’t make it tonight,’ Liz said. ‘I’ve been asked to stay late to finish some important work in the office, but I’ll see you on the weekend, okay? Got to dash now.’

Anna suddenly felt very alone, but reasoned she had to get on with what she was doing instead of feeling sorry for herself.