‘No, no, nothing like that. Believe me, some of the places I’ve been asked to value… asbestos, non-typical construction, staircases you’d only use if you had a death wish…’ Noah grinned. ‘But enough work to guarantee it won’t be saleable for a few months, probably longer.’
He explained the bare bones of the roof issues and the re-wiring. ‘And so, I was wondering, what with you needing to find a place to live… how would you like to be Monty’s tenant back in Grandpa’s cottage?’
Noah watched as a look of surprise crossed Bella’s features. ‘What?’
‘Well, I need someone to be on site while the work’s going on, to let the people who are fixing the issues in and out, that sort of thing. There’s no one around here who could help with that, since the only set of neighbours I know are out of the country, but, given the situation with Monty, and the fact you need somewhere to stay, I thought…’ he shrugged. ‘Two birds, one stone?’
Bella shook her head. ‘But you don’t even know me. What makes you think you can trust me?’
‘I’ve seen the way you are with all of the residents here, especially Monty,’ Noah said gently. ‘And I’m sure, if I asked her, Mollie would give you a glowing reference, as well as Paddy at the pub. Anyone who can work two jobs and stay so cheerful, caring and positive has got to be a decent human being. And Monty only scratches you occasionally, so that’s an even better reference as far as I’m concerned!’
Noah’s heart did a little flip as he saw Bella’s eyes filling with tears. ‘I’m sorry. Have I said something to upset you?’
‘No, no,’ Bella replied shakily. ‘I wasn’t expecting you to make an offer like that.’ She gave a brief laugh. ‘Nothing like this ever happens to me.’
‘Then what were you expecting?’ Noah was touched by this sudden vulnerability.
‘I – I don’t know.’ Bella’s right hand rubbed at her eyes and then she looked up at him again. As their gaze locked, he saw her eyes narrow. ‘What’s the catch?’
‘Well, there is one small catch,’ Noah hedged. ‘I’ll need to stay in the house at the weekend. It’s got two bedrooms, so we won’t be in each other’s way too much, although there’s only one bathroom. I need to sort through the rest of Grandpa’s stuff – my brothers and I spent some time after he died dividing up the more valuable things, but there are a lot of items I want to look at and work out what to keep and what to get rid of. Would you be all right with a house guest at the weekend?’
Bella nodded. ‘It’s your house. You can visit whenever you want to.’
‘But it’ll be your home – yours and Monty’s – first. I wouldn’t want you to feel uncomfortable.’
‘How long would it be for?’
Noah furrowed his brow. ‘To be honest, I’m not quite sure yet. At least three months, but I suspect it will be longer. Then, of course, I’m not sure how it’ll sell when we do put it on the market.’ He shifted on the spot slightly. ‘I haven’t done my homework on that yet.’
‘And you, a hot-shot estate agent!’ Bella was obviously trying to lighten the mood, and Noah smiled at her.
‘I could tell you the average house price on any street in my patch of London, but when it comes to the depths of the Somerset countryside… let’s just say I’ll need to do some research.’
‘Well, Lower Brambleton is quite desirable,’ Bella replied, ‘although most people tend to opt for the new builds on Observatory Field these days.’
‘I’ll bear that in mind.’ Noah paused before adding, ‘So, do you think you might consider my offer?’
‘What about Monty?’ Bella asked. ‘I mean, he’s no spring chicken, but who’s to say he doesn’t have another couple of years in him? Are you thinking of evicting us both when you get a buyer for your granddad’s house? That would upset him even more than leaving him here at Purrfect Paws.’
Noah’s expression grew tentative. ‘If it comes to that, I thought that maybe you could take him with you to your next place, if you’d like to? I’m happy to, er, contribute to his upkeep.’
Bella laughed. ‘That sounds great in theory, but I’m not sure where I’ll be going next, or even whether they’d allow pets!’
‘Like I said, there’s no rush.’ Noah looked Bella directly in the eyes. ‘Even with the best will in the world, house sales can take a while. And I’m not prepared to let the cottage go for less than its market value. Until the right buyer comes along, the place would be yours.’
‘Well, it’s an interesting offer,’ Bella said. ‘I can’t say that moving into Jack’s cottage wouldn’t get me out of a tight spot.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘Marieke’s itching for Gerard to move in, and I haven’t got very far in finding somewhere else.’ She furrowed her brow. ‘But as I said, I’m still worried about Monty. He could live for a few years yet.’
‘Really?’ Noah’s heart sank. He’d explained the situation about the work that needed to be done to Jack’s cottage to Joel last night, who hadn’t exactly been wild about waiting for his share of the money. It had taken all of Noah’s salesman’s patter to convince his brother that this was the way to go, that, eventually, it would be worth it. He’d avoided discussing his plan about asking Bella to house sit, and Joel hadn’t asked. Noah had hung up the phone not entirely convinced that Joel had seen his point, but at least he’d grudgingly agreed for the initial work to go ahead. In his own mind, Monty didn’t have very long left of an already long life. Eighteen years old was already an impressive innings.
‘But who knows, with Monty,’ Bella added. ‘He’s in good health, apart from the heart murmur, but sometimes they just… go.’
‘Well, if he hangs on for a while, I’m in no great rush to get rid of the cottage,’ Noah said. ‘To be honest, it’s been good therapy, coming back here and sorting things out gradually. I don’t mind if it takes another year.’
‘But what about your brothers?’
Noah gave her a grin. ‘They’re both miles away. They’ll have to lump it!’
Bella was silent for a long moment, and Noah was about to speak again when she responded.
