I sit down and take a deep breath. Usually I like to be prepared, but I’m at a loss today since I don’t have the paperwork I was asked to bring. It’s embarrassing; James travelled all the way to London to find me, only for me to turn up in Innisfree without so much as a proof of address.
‘I’ll do my best to help sort out the situation with the house,’ Jonathan says before fixing me with a piercing gaze. ‘It’s a bit of a tricky one this… but never mind – we’ll get there, I’m sure.’ He pauses suddenly, looking up from behind his glasses with a twinkle in his eye. ‘So let’s not waste any more time – do you want me to tell you the good news or the bad news first?’ he asks, his face unreadable.
I clench my jaw and take a deep, steadying breath, acutely aware that whichever path I choose, it probably won’t be straightforward. ‘Bad news first…’ I croak out, my voice barely above a murmur.
He lifts a folder. ‘Might as well get the unpleasant stuff out of the way, right?’ He adjusts his glasses on the bridge ofhis nose. ‘I’m afraid the property is in a state of disrepair,’ he says. ‘Not derelict yet, but not exactly an acceptable standard either. Unfortunately, the house insurance policy has lapsed and the company won’t renew it as it’s vacant and in need of modernisation. You’d have to get the house in a habitable state and get insurance so that you can connect the utilities, water, gas and so forth before you can list it for sale. But all those costs are, luckily, covered by the estate, so you’ll not have to worry about more expense.’ Jonathan’s gaze is intense, and I feel my heart thumping in my chest. ‘Presuming you want to sell it, that is? I understand you live in London and have no connection to the house, so I’ve assumed selling the property is the most likely outcome. Please correct me if I’m mistaken.’
‘No, you’re not mistaken. I’ll have to sell it,’ I reply, although now I’m wondering just how simple that’s going to be given what Jonathan has just said. And of course, what Stephen had told me earlier about The Lake House being in such a state.
‘Selling is my only option as London is where my life is – my boyfriend, my job, everything I’ve ever known, really. So, I’m not able to stay here, as lovely as Innisfree is.’
And I mean that. I really love it here. A sudden sadness settles in my chest as I realise that this special place, Innisfree, would soon no longer be a part of my life. My time here would soon be over and it would be back to reality with no promise of return.
‘I thought as much,’ confirms Jonathan. ‘Perfectly reasonable under the circumstances.’ He smiles reassuringly as he opens the folder, pulling out some documents and laying them in front of me.
My eyes scan the unfamiliar words and phrases for what feels like an eternity before I finally get the gist of their meaning. Jonathan confirms my understanding that the title deeds are outdated and need to be in my name for me to legally claimthe house – but it’s going to be a lengthy process that involves multiple rounds of paperwork and endless bureaucracy.
I sit in silence as Jonathan goes through every detail of what needs to be done, flicking through legal papers and speaking in technical jargon that only he understands.
‘Do you have the required documents James asked you to bring?’ he finally asks.
‘Err…’
Right then, James appears in the doorway, turning around and pushing the door open with his back while carefully holding a tray of four coffee mugs. He gives his father a nod, setting one mug in front of each of us. He raises an eyebrow at me and silently mouths, ‘Where’s Kayla?’
I shake my head and mime that she had to work, pretending to type on an invisible keyboard. Jonathan then coughs. James and I both give each other a knowing look, as if we’ve been caught talking during class.
‘Do you have the documents with you, Daisy, at this moment in time?’ Jonathan asks again. His voice is all business.
I squirm in my seat, fidgeting and gripping the chair’s arms. My palms are moist with sweat as my throat tightens, a lump forming as I anticipate the worst. Time to come clean and fess up. ‘At this particular moment in time… no.’
Jonathan’s face is a picture of concern.
‘The thing is, the airline misplaced my suitcase with all the paperwork in it, but they’ve assured me that it’ll show up. It’s not too much of an issue, right?’
His glasses hang on the bridge of his nose, and his mouth is tight. ‘It’s very much an issue. We can’t move forward without verification.’
‘I’m so sorry for the inconvenience,’ I say in a quiet voice.
Jonathan blows out his cheeks. ‘This is quite a setback, indeed.’
James leans in closer to me and asks, ‘If I may?’
I nod in response.
‘Dad, we take the approach that the documents are merely delayed, en route – not lost. With that in mind, I’m willing to go ahead with the repairs and make sure everything meets the insurance requirements,’ James proposes.
Jonathan takes a moment to ponder this, tapping his finger against his lips while gazing upwards.
‘With Daisy as sole heir, there’s no one to contest – we can assume pro tempore guardianship until the papers get here?’ suggests James.
‘Okay.’ Jonathan offers a nod of agreement. ‘Yes, that can work.’ He quickly flips through some papers and pulls out a light-green one. After scanning its contents, he hands it to me. ‘Here, I’ll need you to sign this before we can move forward with the administrative process – without the verification documents, this is as far as we can go today.’
As I finish reading the document, I notice James’ eyes fixate on my signature. His brow wrinkles, and he tilts his head as if trying to decipher it.
‘I know – my handwriting is terrible,’ I say with a sheepish grin. ‘Considering I draw for a living, you’d think I’d have better penmanship. My mother said my words always looked like chicken scratches on paper.’
His gaze rises to meet mine, studying me intently. He’s about to say something but pauses. The air stretches with tension, leaving me feeling exposed.
