Chapter 28
Perry sighed deeply and looked round Fishers Cottage. A place full of memories, mostly happy, but some sad too. His mind cast way back to the earliest memory, when Val had first brought him inside and Emma had been excited to show him her room. Even then as a little girl, she’d loved music and had covered her bedroom walls with posters of various pop groups and singers. She’d played him her Maroon 5 CD with pride and joy. Now Emma would need to clear her bedroom if she wanted to sell or rent the cottage out.
He had to collect all his belongings in order to move into Bunty’s house. Eventually, depending on what Emma chose to do with Fishers Cottage, the whole place would need emptying. Perry seriously doubted Emma would ever live here again, not when considering her present circumstances. He’d never seen his daughter so happy, and she clearly wasn’t leaving Felix or his magnificent house any time soon. Long term, however, he still wanted his daughter to have choices and would be advising Emma to invest her money wisely. Fishers Cottage would fetch a tidy sum, with its quaint stone exterior and characterful interior, and it was also in a very good location, just by the picturesque canal and a walkable distance to the city centre.
Whilst the cottage had been a haven for his small family, he couldn’t deny that it still held painful reminders of losing Val. Within its four walls he’d nursed his wife until her final departure in the early morning hours, peacefully drifting away, out of his and Emma’s lives. He’d never forget that gut wrenching heartbreak or the look of utter despair in Emma’s eyes. The experience had made him even more protective of her. But – he took another deep breath – they were both in a happy place now.
He set about emptying the rest of his wardrobe. A lot of his clothes were already at Bunty’s, but he needed all of them there now, along with his full record collection, his books, photo albums and precious keepsakes. Like the framed wedding photograph of him and Val, with little Emma in the middle. He obviously wasn’t thinking of putting it up in Bunty’s house, but there’s no way he could ever part with it.
Once he’d finished and all his possessions were neatly bagged and boxed up, he sat on the edge of his bed and flicked through the photo albums. Cherished moments waved up at him, from family holidays aboardThe Merry Perryto Emma’s first gig as a teenager.
All in all, Perry had mixed feelings about leaving Fishers Cottage. Whilst he was looking forward to a new life with Bunty, he hated to think of this cottage, which had been such a treasured home, being left cold, damp and empty. It needed new life breathing into it, a place of refuge for another family. He decided to try and catch Emma. Hopefully she’d have time for a quick chat, and he brought out his phone to ring her.
‘Hi, Dad,’ she answered.
‘Hi, love. I’m at Fishers Cottage, picking up a few things.’ He swallowed, suddenly overcome with emotion.
‘Dad, are you all right?’ Emma asked with concern, sensing the tension.
‘Yes… yes, just thinking about, you know, the future.’
Emma froze. Don’t say he was having second thoughts about marrying Bunty? Surely not. She coughed nervously.
‘The future?’ she asked.
‘Yes, about what’s going to happen with the place,’ Perry replied.
Emma inwardly sighed with relief.
‘Oh, right. Yes, I’ve given it some thought like you said.’
‘And?’ Perry waited with bated breath.
‘If it’s OK with you, I’m thinking of selling it,’ she said.
‘Probably best,’ he agreed, suddenly feeling like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. The last thing he wanted was for him and Emma to have the responsibility of renting the house out, which would have involved them still having a tie to it and all the hassle that being a landlord entailed. He didn’t like the thought of having to see someone else live in Fishers Cottage when they still had connections to it. Much better to wipe the slate clean and say a final goodbye to the place. Fresh starts all around.
‘Good, I’m glad you think so,’ replied Emma, who had had reservations about telling him of her decision. The last thingshewanted was to cause any offence or upset.
‘Well, after living in the big house, Fishers Cottage would seem like a rabbit hutch now, wouldn’t it?’ he teased.
Emma laughed. ‘The big house, is that how you’ve always referred to it?’
Perry paused in thought. ‘Yes, actually I have.’
Once again, images of Hamish Deville towering over him on the staircase flashed into mind. He’d never get over the first impression of the house and how apprehensive he’d felt. But, he reasoned, it wasn’t the house, it was Bunty’s father who had caused that. Hopefully in time he’d learn to like ‘the big house’, especially as it was his daughter’s home now. Which then posed the next quandary for him.
‘Emma, I’d like you to invest the money from the sale wisely,’ he advised in a serious tone.
‘Well, I wasn’t thinking of blowing it all,’ she joked.
‘No, I mean…’ He struggled to find the words. He could hardly say, ‘keep it safe in case Felix decides to throw you out, or you decide to leave,’ could he? But that really was his main worry. He hated to think of his daughter being beholden to anyone. Emma had to have choices, be her own woman. Plus, his daughter was known for being rather impetuous – look how she’d suddenly packed her job in. He also recalled the dreams and ambitions she’d once had for the band. Counselling a secure investment certainly wouldn’t do her any harm.
However, his daughter proved to have a touch more sense than he’d given her credit for, and intuition too.
‘I know what you’re thinking, Dad,’ she said, all flippancy gone.
‘You do?’
