‘You’re sure?’ asked Jess anxiously.
‘Yes, yes, don’t worry,’ she assured her. ‘I am just slowly falling to bits.’ She managed a smile.
SIXTY-THREE
ALICE
Not for the first time, Alice cursed her increasing immobility. After her walk with Mark the other day, she had been completely exhausted and napped for an hour when she got home. Her body had ached when she woke. It seemed her age really was catching up with her.
Having retrieved the envelopes from the drawer, Alice stretched her back out in a move she remembered from her warming-up exercises as a dancer. She made her way back to the table as, thankfully, it seemed to ease the pain a little, maybe freeing a pinched nerve.
‘Right, well, now that I have you here, I just wanted to bequeath you all a gift,’ said Alice.
‘A gift?’ said Mark. ‘Really, Alice, there is no need for that. Unless it’s someone’s birthday.’
He glanced at Jess and Carol, and they shrugged.
‘My birthday is on the sixth of April,’ piped up Maisie as she licked her fingers of cream from the cake, and Jess handed her a napkin.
‘No, it has nothing to do with anyone’s birthday,’ said Alice. ‘But I want you to have something.’
She slid the envelopes across the table to Jess and Mark and urged them to open them.
Mark’s mouth dropped open when he slid the document from the envelope and glanced at the contents.
Jess was still too dumbstruck to say anything.
‘Tenancy agreements? I don’t understand,’ Jess said, looking up at Alice.
‘It’s quite simple. I am your new landlord,’ Alice said casually as she sipped her tea. ‘Or landlady, if you prefer.’
‘You have bought Wisteria House?’
‘I have indeed.’ Alice was thrilled to be able to impart the news.
Jess could feel her heart beating faster, and she wasn’t sure she was hearing correctly.
‘So we can stay here?’
‘Well, that is the idea. Did you think I would buy the building, then turf you out onto the street?’ Alice laughed.
‘No, but I can’t believe it,’ Jess said, open-mouthed. ‘And I don’t understand; didn’t we all have letters about two months’ notice? I thought the place was sold to someone else?’
‘Ah, about that,’ said Alice. ‘When I enquired about buying the apartments I was told a sale was already going ahead. I asked the estate agent to inform me if the sale was to fall through. And would you believe, it did. I believe someone up there was looking out for us,’ she said, glancing up above.
‘I can’t believe you would do this,’ said Mark.
‘I don’t have long for this world, so what use is my money lying in a bank when it could improve the lives of my dear friends, right here and now?’ she asked them. ‘You will never have the insecurity of fearing homelessness again.’
‘But what if the building is sold again, when—’ Mark broke off.
‘When I am gone? Oh, don’t worry, I know I am not immortal.’ Alice smiled. ‘But I have expressed in my will that you are allowed to remain here for as long as you choose to. My nephews will only inherit the building on the condition they honour the agreement. I’m sure that’s a long way off yet, though.’
‘I don’t know what to say,’ said Jess as she fought back tears.
There was a knock on the door then, and Alice stood to answer.
‘It’s a shame Declan could not be here, as I wonder what he might think about it,’ she said as she strolled to the front door.
