Guilty as Sin Page 24

  He didn’t seem offended. ‘Excellent! Your little rat, the one your friend wanted you to keep, comes very much at the bottom end – something to love and cherish for your friend’s sake, I’d imagine.’

  I nodded.

  ‘On the other hand, as you’ve realized, at this end, the values go up. And up. You’d expect this – it’s signed by a master – to fetch at least twenty thousand pounds, perhaps more at an international auction. This one is unique.’ He picked up another. ‘At least I’ve never seen one like it. So I can’t put a value on it except to hazard fifty thousand.’

  At last my mouth said, ‘I could do so much with that much money …’

  ‘You could do a very great deal,’ Waters said repressively, ‘but only within the terms of the will. You can’t just give it away. My client meant it for you. Her cottage – your cottage now – is in need of extensive repair and modernization to make it truly habitable. That will take a proportion of what Mr Jago raises for you. Even when it’s completed, you don’t have to move in unless you want to – you may wish to stay with your Mr Tripp. But if he ever needs care you can’t manage and has to go into a home, the law says that he must sell his assets to support himself. And that’s where Lady Boulton’s bequest will come into its own. It’s either that or, Ms Townend, you simply have to marry Mr Tripp.’

  ‘What the hell …? I can’t believe you said that! It’d be incest!’ Mouth open to scream more abuse, I was on my feet, ready to overturn his massive desk.

  ‘Exactly. Morally if not literally. I believe Mr Tripp and Lord Elham discussed this with my client. So please sit down again and understand exactly how much you need a home that is absolutely your own.’

  Just in time, I managed to control myself. I needed to sit on my hands, but still I sat down.

  He continued seamlessly, ‘You also need to buy Mr Tripp out of your joint business, as much for his peace of mind as for your future.’

  Jago coughed gently. ‘It seems to me that Ms Townend is somewhat overwhelmed.’ I liked his understatement. He turned to me. ‘I sense you need company and reassurance. I’m about to have lunch with my wife, daughter and new grandson. You’d be very welcome if you cared to join us.’

  ‘You’re very kind.’ To my surprise my voice sounded almost normal. ‘But I need to talk to Pa and Griff first.’

  It was Waters’ turn to cough. ‘I too have booked a luncheon table: Lord Elham and Mr Tripp should be arriving there within the next ten minutes. I would like to join you at some time to clarify a few matters and for you to sign some documents. I’ll arrive for coffee, perhaps. But in the meantime, Ms Townend, permit me to offer you my congratulations and also my thanks.’

  ‘Thanks? What on earth for?’

  ‘In my profession, we see many lonely, embittered old people. Your own father, my client too, of course, was decidedly odd at one time, yet now he functions extremely well. As we saw yesterday. Poor Lady Boulton might have spent the last weeks of her life in lonely despair: thanks in no small part to you, she didn’t. The rector spoke of her serenity in her last few days. Of course, her sons did their best to destroy that, but you were there at the end.’

  ‘By sheer chance.’ I swallowed hard.

  ‘Sometimes I think coincidences are meant,’ Jago said kindly. ‘Is that another box, Waters?’

  ‘Yes. It contains the items from her little safe, Ms Townend. I know she’d like you to wear some of them.’

  Jago leant across. ‘That Georg Jensen necklace might have been designed for you. It’s got such chutzpah!’

  My hands shook so much I could barely hold it. Waters had to fasten it.

  As I raised my head I found enough breath to say, ‘Dodie didn’t dwindle, did she?’

  The next few days were very busy. I had to make sure Pa was packed and ready for his UK tour – preening, he insisted it made him sound like the pop star he’d always wanted to be in his youth. Griff had to be nudged and chivvied to the next of his tests, the precise nature of which he still refused to discuss with me. A museum wanted its star ceramic repaired yesterday. The police needed a lot of my time going over statements and so on, and I was asked to be an expert witness in an entirely different trial, this one in France. Carwyn brought over what he called the ‘invitation’ in person. We let each other know where we stood, and because we’d always liked each other as friends, our hug was entirely natural and loving. I promised to dance with both him and Conrad at their wedding.

  Next week, while Griff went on a cruise (the sea-faring sort) with Aidan, who’d booked it as a birthday present for himself, I’d spend a few days at Wesley Jago’s home so he could tell me which of the netsuke he thought I should sell now and which to hold on to. The question of Griff’s icons and enamels still lurked, of course, but that was a problem to deal with another day.

  One Saturday morning, I ran into Freya at the hairdresser’s – at long last I’d made a decision about my new style.

  ‘Going on a date, are you?’ she asked without a smile.

  ‘I’m going for a meal with Phil. But one shared bowl of rice doesn’t mean I see him as a lifetime partner, Freya. He and I have been through a few bad things together, and might as well enjoy a few pleasant times. But the only thing I’m worrying about now is if the weather will clear up for our cricket practice this afternoon.’ I smiled. ‘Bathing Imogen the other night made me realize there might be other things to life than dealing with two cantankerous old men, no matter how much I love them both. There’s a world out there for me, isn’t there?’

  I might not know exactly what it held yet, but throwing a few tennis balls round in the warm autumn sun had to be a pretty good start.