Page 28 of Be More Capybara

Lucy gave Nigel a look. A reminder of their New Year’s Eve bargain, he guessed.

‘Right then,’ his mother continued. ‘I declare the first 2024 monthly board meeting of Dashford Grange Ltd officially open. Mark, what’s the agenda for today?’

‘Review of the 2023 figures and this year’s bookings to date, followed by agreeing the budget for kitting out the treehouses now I’m interviewing Nigel’s girlfriend as a potential interior designer.’

Mark flinched. Lucy had probably kicked him under the table for that.

‘Helen is an old friend,’ Nigel said calmly. ‘We are not and never have been in a relationship.’

Mark cleared his throat. Nigel wasn’t sure if it was out of necessity or as a comment on the veracity of Nigel’s statement. Nigel wasn’t sure how true it was either, though one kiss hardly constituted a relationship even in the most staid of Victorian novels, particularly as it hadn’t been well received.

‘Shall we look at the sales spreadsheet?’ Klaus suggested.

Mark projected the figures onto the television in the corner.

Nancy got up from the table. ‘One advantage of Zoom was that I didn’t need my glasses.’ She started rooting around in the top drawer of the desk. Just as she found her glasses case, the doorbell rang.

‘Expecting anyone?’ Mark asked, switching to the door cam on his laptop. The television showed the view outside the front door. A woman in dark trousers and a sweater was standing on the doorstep with a clipboard.

‘Probably somebody selling something,’ Klaus said. ‘I’ll go.’

‘Is Nigel here?’ they heard the woman ask Klaus.

Nigel looked up at the sound of his name.

‘Nigel Farnham,’ she continued.

Nigel stood up. He had a horrible feeling he knew what this was.

‘Who wants to know?’ Klaus asked.

‘I’m from Anderson’s Legal. I have something he needs to sign for.’

‘Excuse me,’ Nigel said as he headed into the hallway. Klaus was returning from the front door.

‘There’s a woman outside asking for you. I was going to deny you were here, but it sounded official.’

‘Thanks.’ Nigel gave Klaus a half smile, but he wasn’t smiling inside. He’d been dreading this happening.

He opened the door. The woman consulted her clipboard. Probably checking that the man in front of her matched the photo she’d been given. ‘Nigel Alexander Farnham?’ she asked.

‘Yes.’

‘This is for you.’ She handed him a large brown envelope. ‘Sign here, please.’ She offered him the clipboard and a pen.

He produced a shaky version of his signature, his heart thumping in his chest.

‘Thank you,’ she said, taking the clipboard from him. She walked back to her car. Nigel looked at the envelope, in no hurry to read its contents.

He walked back into the hallway. Open it now. Get it over and done with.

He carefully peeled open the flap and pulled out the papers inside

SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

COUNTY OF NEW YORK

MADISON ELEANOR FARNHAM