“He can do whatever he wants,” Brenda said. “If he owns it.”
Flick suddenly felt sick. She flopped back in her seat again. “I expected the next owner to love the chateau for what it is. A beautiful building that just needs bringing back to life.” She looked to her mum who seemed equally as saddened.
“Naturally, you don’t have to accept the offer, not straight away,” Dee said, maintaining an air of professionalism. “Especially if you feel that strongly. However, I wouldn’t take too long to think about it if I were you. Not if you’re serious about selling.”
19
While Rufus rummaged about outside, Nate sat on a stool in his workshop staring at the giant lump of wood in front of him. His chainsaw lay silent at his feet. He knew he should get started but he couldn’t bring himself to pick up the bloody thing. His heart wasn’t in it. All thanks to the sense of foreboding that had enveloped him since he’d made the decision not to help Brenda. It was the right decision, of course, he knew that. Even if he hadn’t gotten around to telling the woman yet. Like a coward, he was delaying the inevitable, trying to cling on to the calm around him for as long as he could.
Except he didn’t feel calm. His insides continued to churn, his innards going around and around like a pile of laundry in a washing machine.
His mobile vibrated in his pocket, its buzzing interrupting the silence. Getting up from his seat, he pulled out the handset and checked the number before answering. “Aunt Julia,” he said, not really in the mood to chat.
“Nate. Thank goodness.” She sounded as miserable as him. “Have you heard?”
“Heard what?” Nate struggled to join in with her gossip at the best of times, let alone when he had his own problems to deal with.
“About the chateau?”
Nate rolled his eyes. Whatever news she had, he didn’t want to know. As far as he was concerned, that place had caused him enough grief already. “What about it?”
“Someone’s made an offer.”
“Really?” Nate said, all at once interested.
He suddenly felt the need to sit down, telling himself that maybe there was a god up there, after all. If the offer was a good one, Brenda might forget all about her threat. It could mean he was home and dry. “How much for?”
“What do you mean, how much for? That’s not really the point.”
In Nate’s view it was. Brenda was obviously cash driven and as his aunt’s news continued to sink in, he closed his eyes for a second, a small smile of relief spreading across his face.
“What matters,” Julia continued. “Is that we don’t know who we’re going to get next. As chatelaines go, Flick was perfect.”
Nate found himself silently agreeing, although admittedly his opinion had nothing to do with her role at the chateau. Not that his feelings mattered. Thanks to the buyer, she was leaving town and that was that.
“She might be new to the land-owning game,” his aunt carried on, “but at least she’d have kept the building in one piece instead of turning it into a block of flats.”
Nate’s smile vanished. “Excuse me?”
“Exactly.”
He jumped back onto his feet. “Did I hear that right?Flats?”
“Flats, apartments, who cares what they’re called. Oh, Nate, I could cry when I think about what’s going to happen to it.Chateau D’Enchantementjust won’t be the same once workmen and their sledgehammers move in. Because believe you me, this developer might claim to admire the building’s original features, but that won’t stop him ripping them out and selling them on to the salvagers. It’s the way of the world. Where do you think I got what I needed to turn my little abode back into what it once was?”
Pacing up and down, Nate struggled to take in his aunt’s ramblings. His brain was still stuck on the wordsflatsanddeveloper,both sending him straight into panic mode. If he thought Flick’s mother had shattered his sense of peace, goodness knew how many residents a building that size could accommodate and, once identified, news of his presence would spread like wildfire. Then he really would be in trouble. It would be like living in a goldfish bowl.
He stopped. Putting his hand up to his forehead, he needed time to think. “Look, I’ve got to go.”
“But you can’t. We need to come up with a strategy to prevent this.”
Like Nate needed telling twice.
“I’ll speak to you later, yeah?” he added, silencing his aunt with the end call button.
Nate sat back down on his stool and dropped his head in his hands. Giving in to Brenda felt wrong. And even if she had specified how much money she actually wanted, he couldn’t just hand over a great wad of cash, which is what it would take to turn the chateau around. He thought back to their conversation, not even sure if she even wanted money. The only thing she’d asked for was his help.
As if sensing something was awry, Rufus appeared at Nate’s side. He reached down gently stroking the dog’s back as he tried to formulate a plan. If the sale of the chateau went through, life as they both knew it would be gone. There’d be no more roaming around the woods at will. They’d be prisoners in their own home, too scared to go out in case they were seen. Even when necessity meant they’d have to leave the house, Nate knew he’d be constantly looking over his shoulder. “What are we going to do, boy?”
