‘Who do you live here with then, Dayea?’ asked Angie, eyeing the big house.
She got the same look as Nicola. ‘Just me who lives here.’ She pointed at the caravan.
‘Right,’ said Angie, and she shook her head as she got back inside. ‘She’s a sandwich short of a picnic, that one,’ she mumbled.
‘Talking of which; did you enjoy yourhamsandwich?’ asked Lottie. Her mother shut up.
Lottie lowered the side window and Dayea came up to it. She could barely see inside – she was so tiny compared to the Range Rover. ‘If there’s anything at all we can do, please call the house. Okay?’ said Lottie.
‘Thank you, Lottie. You are a very kind girl.’ Dayea went on tiptoe and leaned in through the window. ‘Thank you, Mr Collins. You are kind too,’ she said to Daniel. She glanced at Nicola in the back. Then, as if remembering something, she added to Daniel, ‘But you are also a massiveass hat.’ The women in the car erupted into giggles as Dayea turned and walked up the driveway.
Chapter Twenty-Six
‘Well, that was interesting,’ said Angie from the back seat, as they set off back to Henbourne. ‘I wonder how come she’s staying there.’
‘Maybe it belongs to another elderly gentleman with unstable health,’ said Nicola.
‘Or perhaps the caravan was left to her when someone died,’ said Angie.
‘Not really any of our business, though, is it?’ said Lottie.
‘If she’s got designs on ripping off Bernard then I’d say it is,’ Nicola chipped in.
Lottie looked around to see Angie nodding enthusiastically. ‘You’re right. She’s even keener now he’s in hospital. I suspect she’s thinking she’ll get her hands on his money sooner than she thought.’
Lottie was outraged. ‘You’re wrong. Anyone can see that Dayea adores Bernard.’
‘And his money,’ said Angie. ‘Lottie, you’re very sweet, but do you really think she’d be interested in a cantankerous old man if he didn’t have two pennies to rub together?’
‘Well …’ Lottie didn’t like that she was thinking this over. They were making her question things.
‘Let’s just say it how it is. She’s a gold-digger,’ said Angie.
‘Don’t judge others by your standards,’ said Lottie.
‘I think we should investigate Dayea a bit more.’ Aunt Nicola’s tone was serious. ‘You do hear about people befriending the elderly and then bumping them off for their assets.’
‘Okay, ladies,’ cut in Daniel, ‘this is Bernard’s choice. I don’t think we should get involved. Whether we’re against them getting together – or for it,’ he gave Lottie a look, ‘I think we should all stay out of Bernard’s affairs.’
Lottie was stung. ‘You would say that. You don’t care what happens to him as long as he’s not living at the manor and he doesn’t get in the way of the sale.’And you don’t care what happens to me either, she thought.
It was quiet in the car for a while. Lottie fumed silently and stared out of the windscreen. She didn’t like being lumped in with her unfeeling mother and aunt.
‘Did you open your card from Mother yet?’ Angie asked Nicola.
‘Yes. It said something about there coming a time when you have to let go and move on to the next chapter. I’m not sure what she meant. What did yours say?’ asked Nicola.
‘Oh, nothing significant,’ replied Angie. Lottie could tell her mother was lying. ‘Daniel, have you opened yours?’ asked Angie.
‘Yeah. It said something about there never being a wrong time to do the right thing …’ His voice tailed off.
They returned to a thoughtful silence, mulling over the cards and messages that Rose had sent them. Lottie watched the countryside zoom by as the Range Rover hurtled down the narrow lanes, taking every bump, puddleand pothole in its stride. She wished she could be a bit more Range Rover.
‘Can we stop at the village shop, please?’ asked Lottie as they neared Dumbleford. It would save her a trip out later.
Uncle Daniel gave a little huff. ‘Yeah, okay.’
‘We’re going to drive right past it. You can drop me off if there’s something you need to get back for.’ But what that could possibly be, she had no idea.
