Page 43 of Leafpoint Lighthouse

“Sorry?” I shook myself from my thoughts.

“See the lighthouse?” Mrs Penrose smiled. “It’s such a romantic place.”

“Of course, come on, I’ll make some hot chocolate when we arrive!” I exclaimed.

“That would be lovely,” Mrs Penrose stated.

We walked back, and I saw her car parked at the end of the lane. “Why did you park there?”

“This is private property, my dear. Joseph made that crystal clear. He’s a bit of a pit bull, don’t you think?

“Yes. Joseph is incredibly protective of our legacy. My impression is that he has been overseeing it for quite some time.”

“Oh, Joseph isn’t a new solicitor?” Mrs Penrose asked.

“No. He worked with our grandmother, and the impression I’ve got is Joseph has been managing this for at least thirty years,” I replied.

“Ah, he must be familiar with The Trust inside out,” Mrs Penrose said approvingly. “It’s nice to know you girls are being looked after.”

“Oh definitely. We might not have known Sonia, but she left us a hell of a guardian.”

“You didn’t meet her?” Mrs Penrose gasped. Her hand fluttered to her chest. “Shame, she missed out on four wonderful granddaughters. How tragic.”

“Somehow that doesn’t bother me. It sounds like Sonia was a terrible person, and I have had enough negativity in my life. I’m going to concentrate on the positive from this point.” I stomped my feet on the doorstep and opened the door. Heat hit me from inside, and I welcomed Mrs Penrose in.

“This is beautiful. Very nautical,” she approved as she removed her outerwear.

“Thank you. I love it. Let me put the kettle on, and then I’ll give you a tour,” I remarked. Mrs Penrose nodded as I grabbed mugs and spooned hot chocolate into them.

“This way,” I stated, leading her to the stairway.

“I like these,” Mrs Penrose said as we headed up.

“The kitchen and this floor’s staircases are open. There are tiny lobbies on the next few floors as they lead to bedrooms and the stairs are enclosed,” I remarked as Mrs Penrose examined the living area.

“This is very relaxing, although your sofa seems out of place. The light grey and white are very calming,” Mrs Penrose approved.

“I agree. My bedroom is cream with rose pink accents.” I led her to it, and Mrs Penrose let out a small gasp.

“Oh, my dear, I very much approve; you have beautiful taste in decorations!” Mrs Penrose praised.

“Thank you. The bathrooms still needed renovating, but other than that, the restoration is nearly done. The kettle must have boiled by now. Why don’t you wait in the living room, and I’ll bring the drinks up,” I said.

“Can we see the lantern room?” she asked, looking up.

Strangely, my first instinct was to protect it. “Not at the moment. I’ve got some windows being replaced inside.”

Mrs Penrose looked disappointed but followed me down.

William

When Lyra walked out, I wondered what she was sulking over now. I’d been respectful and left her alone after that distasteful scene. How did that fool believe himself a man? No man I knew disrespected a woman like that. However, there had been plenty in town who had. Those I avoided.

While she was out, I puttered around filling the lamp for tonight. I was cleaning the glass when Leafpoint trilled an alarm. Without a second thought, I dematerialised and reappeared in the kitchen. I frowned as the handle on the door twisted back and forth, and I guessed someone was trying to break in.

I flung the door open as I appeared translucently in front of them. The intruder, with a hood pulled tight over his head, yelped and screeched in a high-pitched tone. He took to his heels in seconds, as I wondered whether to chase him. I decided not to, because it left Leafpoint unprotected. I glanced into the dimming daylight. Who was that and what did he want? What exactly was going on here?

Chapter Ten.