Page 12 of New Beginnings on Railway Lane

Katy was somewhat relieved and grateful that she might not have to break out the antiseptic wipes quite yet.

‘And it’s just your dad and you living here?’ she asked, trying to work out the set-up she had got herself into.

‘My younger brother has just headed out to Canada for a three-month work contract and Mum has been living the high life in Spain for the past month,’ Ryan told her, with faked good humour. ‘As you saw the other day, my dad hasn’t taken her leaving very well.’

Katy nodded, glancing around once more. ‘Perhaps once downstairs is tidier, he’ll feel a little better about, er, things.’

Ryan’s smile dropped. ‘I’m not sure anything’s going to comfort Dad,’ he said sadly. ‘He’s still in shock, we reckon.’

Katy knew the feeling all too well. Despite the many years since the bankruptcy, the shock and suddenness of the change in both her and her mum’s lives still resonated deep within. She knew that it would take Bob longer than a month to get over the enormity of what had happened.

She thought back to the much messier downstairs area. ‘May I ask how long it’s been like this?’ she asked.

There was no way that all that clutter had only appeared in the past few weeks, she thought.

‘I don’t know,’ said Ryan, running a hand through thick brown hair. ‘I mean, Dad’s always hung on to things, but this seems to have gone to a whole new extreme. I’ve been working in Italy for the past few years and Ethan, my brother, is away abroad a lot of the time as well. We came back for Christmas but didn’t look downstairs because it’s been locked up for so long. But, according to my grandad, things got worse throughout this year as mum lost interest in, well, everything here.’

Katy nodded, trying to take it all in.

‘Obviously I don’t expect you to tidy the living space up here,’ he told her. ‘I can do that. If you could make any inroads in the downstairs area, then that would be helpful when…’ His voice trailed off.

‘When?’ she prompted after a short pause.

‘If,’ he said, with a frown. ‘If we need to sell.’

‘I see,’ she replied. ‘I didn’t realise you could actually own a railway station.’

‘Oh yes,’ replied Ryan, seeming to relax a little once again. ‘When the line was closed down fifteen years ago, Dad decided to buy the station from the railway company. After all, it had been our home for as long as I remember. And my grandparents had rented it out before then.’ Ryan hesitated. ‘But with a possible divorce between my parents on the cards in the coming months, I guess Mum will want her fair share of the proceeds of any sale. But that’s strictly between us.’

She nodded. ‘I understand. You have my word.’

After all, Bob had seemed in a very delicate mental state already. Perhaps the idea of divorce and the break-up of the family home would make him even more upset. She thought back to her mum’s distress all those years ago and immediately wanted to protect Bob from the same hurt, if she could.

‘Anyway,’ carried on Ryan, clearing his throat. ‘The door at the far end of the room leads through to Mum and Dad’s… er, well, Dad’s bedroom and en suite. You’re in here.’ He turned around to head back down the corridor that they had already come through. There was a door on the right. ‘It’s my brother’s room,’ he told her, with a frown. ‘I hope that’s okay. He was the younger one, so it’s the smallest, I’m afraid.’

He opened up the door and Katy stepped inside. In reality, small was actually a tiny box room with a single bed along one wall. The beams were lower in there, coming down at an angle into the corner of the ceiling, so she would have to crouch to get in and out of bed.

‘It’s had a thorough clean and that’s obviously new bedding,’ said Ryan quickly. ‘There’s a bathroom next door and, er, I’m in the bedroom opposite.’

Katy drew a deep breath and suppressed the dismay of having to sleep in such a space later that day. It didn’t matter, it was just business, she reminded herself.

‘Right.’ She placed her suitcases down next to the bed before turning to look at Ryan. ‘Well, I’d better get started, shall I?’

He looked startled. ‘Now? It’s nearly lunchtime.’

‘Exactly,’ she told him. ‘There’s still many hours left in the working day.’

His brown eyes showed surprise. ‘Okay. Wow. You’re, er, very motivated,’ he replied.

‘Of course,’ she said crisply. ‘I only have seven days and there’s a lot to do.’

He smiled for a moment, making his face appear lighter and more handsome for a brief second. ‘Wish I had you working for me in my kitchen,’ he said, nodding his approval. ‘Sometimes my staff aren’t as driven as I would hope them to be.’

Katy was confused. ‘Your kitchen?’ she asked.

‘I’m a chef,’ he explained, before a ringing sound interrupted him. He brought out his mobile and, looking at the screen, he carried on. ‘Currently on sabbatical from a job in Rome. And, if you’ll excuse me, I need to take this.’

As Ryan wandered away to answer his mobile, Katy took another look at the place where she would be staying for the next week. There were no straight lines and clutter-free space here. Everything was a mess and disorganised. She felt twitchy just being there and gave a shudder. What had she been thinking?