1
‘So obviously I said no problem.’
‘Absolutely not!’ I said at exactly the same time.
‘Huh?’ My brother took a large swig of the revoltingly strong, expensive coffee I got in for his visits and nabbed another biscuit from the jar.
‘I said absolutely not.’
‘But I’ve already told him now.’
‘Then you’ll just have to untell him.’ I glanced out of the open bi-fold doors that formed one entire wall of my kitchen-diner, over to where my nephew and niece were playing in the garden. ‘Umm. Should he be doing that?’
My brother looked round, rolled his eyes and walked to the threshold. ‘Freddy! What have I told you about hanging your sister upside down? Her tooth will come out when it’s ready, not by you trying to shake it out.’ My nephew and niece looked over at us, from their opposite perspectives. A large sigh escaped from Freddy as he laid his sister on the ground. She hauled herself up, staggered once or twice as though she’d just left a good night at the pub and then ran off to play on the swing.
‘Where was I?’
‘Uninvitingyourfriend tomyhouse.’
‘He’s your friend too.’
I gave Felix a look.
‘Well, you know him, at least.’
‘I know a lot of people but that doesn’t mean I’m about to invite them to stay at my house for an indefinite length of time!’
‘It’s not indefinite.’
‘OK, then,’ I said, hand on hip as my brother fished around in the bottom of his mug for an errant bit of biscuit, following some mismanaged dunking. ‘How long would he be staying for?’
‘Just until he gets himself set back up over here.’
‘Which will take how long?’
‘I don’t know exactly.’
‘Would you say then that, at present, the length of time it will take for your friend to restart a business he abandoned years ago is of an undetermined time?’
‘Possibly.’
‘Which would mean his stay here would be for an unstated duration.’
‘I’m sure it wouldn’t be long. I mean, no offence, Lils, but you’re hardly the life and soul of the party, so I’m sure he’d want to get out and set up in his own place as soon as possible.’
‘Then that works out marvellously.’
‘It does?’
‘Yes. As you quite rightly state, my company would be far below the entertainment level that Jack Coulsdon-Hart is used to courting and, as you say, he would want to set up his own accommodation swiftly. In which case, it’s probably best if we skip the whole “he can stay here” step entirely and just go straight to the bit where he buys or rents his own place. Sound good? Great. I’m glad that’s all settled. Are you done with that?’ I grabbed the empty cup and popped it in the dishwasher before sweeping biscuit detritus from the counter with the side of my hand.
Felix looked at his watch then bellowed out into the garden for the kids to come in as it was time to go home.
‘They can stay if they want.’
‘They can, but poor, homeless Jack can’t? That’s not very charitable of you.’
I pulled a face. ‘It’s not the same thing and you know it. Family is different. Also, he’s very far from poor.’
