‘Well,’ she said. ‘I could certainly do with a place for the next few months, and I’m used to moving about, so for me, your solution is perfect.’ She looked him straight in the eye, and Noah was about to reply before she added, ‘But I want Monty to be at the centre of this, Noah. He’s too old to take much upheaval, and it’s not fair.’
‘I agree,’ Noah replied. ‘You have my word I’ll put him first.’ He fumbled in his pocket for the spare set of keys that he’d grabbed from the car. ‘Here. You can have these now.’
‘Were you that sure I’d say yes?’ Bella joked.
‘I hoped you would,’ Noah murmured. He felt his face growing hot, as if he’d admitted more than just the desire for a tenant for his grandfather’s cottage. ‘I mean, I’m used to persuading people to move into houses, so…’
‘What, by using elderly cats as bait?’ But her tone was lighter than her words. Noah grinned back at her.
‘I can’t say it’s part of my usual sales patter, but maybe I’ll keep it in my back pocket, just in case!’
‘Well, don’t take this the wrong way, but I hope it’s a while until you find a buyer. I’m pretty sure I’d survive being out on the mean streets of Lower Brambleton, I’m not sure Monty would.’
‘I understand. And I promise you, I’m not going to throw either of you out. You’ll be informed every step of the way.’ But even as he said it, Noah wondered if his brothers would be quite so sanguine about his plan, given their desire to take the money and move on.
28
Bella broke the news to Marieke that evening over a pint of cider and a toasted sandwich in the small back garden of the house.
‘Wow!’ Marieke’s brows lifted. ‘That’s so out of the blue. I hope he doesn’t have an angle.’
‘Angle?’ Sometimes Marieke’s grasp of English was a little vague.
‘Yeah. I mean, postponing selling a very desirable cottage for a cat? There’s got to be more to it than that.’
‘The cottage needs work,’ Bella explained patiently, ‘and Noah needs someone on site. That’s all there is to it.’
‘And I’m not sure I’d be jumping for joy about him being able to come and go as he pleases,’ Marieke persisted, the objective Dutch voice of reason, as ever. ‘I mean, you barely know the guy and he’s asking to share your living space? Won’t that be a bit awkward?’
‘It’s no worse than moving into a house with someone I don’t know,’ Bella replied. ‘I mean, that’s always a bit of a risk, isn’t it? And at this point, that’s the other option I’ve got. Noah’s cottage is smack in the middle of the village, so it’s only a short walk from work – at both places. Anything else I could afford is miles away from here.’
‘Well, it does sound like the answer to your prayers,’ Marieke shrugged. ‘I don’t want you to jump into it because you’re worried I’ll kick you out. You know I wouldn’t do that.’
‘I know,’ Bella smiled, ‘but let’s face it, you’d move Gerard in tomorrow if you could.’
‘Not at your expense!’ Marieke protested.
Bella reached out and hugged her friend. ‘But this way, I’ll be a minute down the road, so you can keep an eye on me. If Noah turns out to be an axe murderer, you’ll be the first to know when I don’t show up for dinner once a week!’
‘Oh, you’ll still be doing that, then?’ Marieke deadpanned.
‘Abso-bloody-lutely. Don’t think you’re getting rid of me that easily!’
Marieke laughed. ‘Glad to hear it. So, when are you moving out?’
‘Noah’s asked if I can move in next weekend, the electrician is coming in the following week, so I’ve said I’ll move my stuff, and Monty of course, then.’ She paused. ‘Can I borrow your car to shift it?’
Marieke laughed. ‘Sure! And I’ll get Gerard to give you a hand.’
‘Want to get rid of me even more quickly?’ Bella joked. ‘I mean, that’s your Saturday night sorted, if Gerard moves in on the same day!’
Marieke grinned. ‘I wasn’t thinking that, but since you mention it…’
Bella sat back in her garden chair and smiled. Noah’s proposal might have been a bit left field, but she had the feeling she was making the right decision, both for her and for Monty, who, hopefully, would be delighted to be back in his old home. She was already feeling excited about having a whole cottage to herself – except for some weekends, of course. What would it be like sharing with Noah part time, she wondered. By the time she was sipping her second glass of cider, she and Marieke were in full flow and giggling about the different possibilities.
‘What if he’s really messy?’ Bella said.
‘What if he is? You’re hardly the tidiest of people.’
