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Abigail found her voice. ‘So, he didn’t win the lottery.’
The solicitor looked at her blankly. ‘I wouldn’t know about that. All I know is that the family will have a pretty tough time contesting the trust.’
‘How come?’ Lili asked, the next question already on the tip of her tongue; what connection had he had with the Somervilles?
The solicitor turned to Abigail. ‘The cottage was put into a trust for your husband by Daphne Harris, nee Somerville, the sister of Lord Somerville.’
Abigail stared at the solicitor. As far as she was aware, her husband didn’t know a woman called Daphne Harris. He’d certainly never mentioned her name. ‘There must be some mistake.’
‘I can assure you that there is no mistake.’
‘Well, when did he acquire the cottage?’
The solicitor shifted in her seat. ‘I don’t know exactly. It was a different firm of solicitors that handled it. Your husband came in to see us though about a fortnight before his death, amending his will and adding the cottage. So, I would say it was a fairly recent thing.’
Abigail frowned.
‘Perhaps he wanted to check things were – how shall I say? – legit before he told you the news.’
‘And were they?’ Lili asked. ‘Legit, I mean …’
‘Of course. I looked at the paperwork myself. Although her family are still contesting it, they’ll have a hard time getting anywhere. You see—’
Abigail interrupted. ‘We used to holiday in the cottage a lot. It was a holiday let and we would go there together several times a year.’ She turned to look at Lili. ‘Do you think that was the reason she gave the property to us?’
Lili shrugged. ‘To be honest, Abigail, although it’s a nice thought, I can’t imagine some stranger would give Toby a cottage just because you were her best customer. Besides, why give it only to him? Why not both of you – or you, for that matter?’
Miss Watson sighed. ‘Look, this has nothing to do with you holiday-letting the cottage, I’m afraid.’
Abigail looked at her. ‘How can you be so sure?’
‘I was about to tell you the reason they won’t get anywhere regarding contesting the trust. We went over the paperwork and the cottage was put into a trust for your husband when he was five years old. That’s when the trust was drawn up and he was named as the sole beneficiary.’
Abigail stared at her. ‘The cottage was put into trust to him when he was a child?’
‘That is correct.’
Abigail exchanged a glance with Lili. They both knew how hard she and Toby had been saving for their own place. Abigail turned to Miss Watson. ‘How long had he known about the cottage – do you know?’
‘When he paid us a visit, he acted just as surprised about it as you are now. The property was transferred to him upon Daphne Harris’s death.’
Lili put the glass of water down on the coffee table. ‘What connection does Toby have to Daphne Harris?’
Abigail turned to Lili. That was the question on her lips. She looked at Miss Watson. ‘My late husband’s parents are a nurse and a self-employed window cleaner. I don’t understand why …’
‘We do get these sorts of questions from time to time, but genealogy is not part of our job.’
‘Genealogy?’
‘Family trees, descendants – that sort of thing.’
‘Are you saying my husband is – was – related to the Somervilles?’
‘Honestly, I have no idea. I’m just the messenger. I’d ask his parents or the trustees.’
Miss Watson leaned forward and closed her briefcase on the coffee table.
Abigail and Lili exchanged a glance. ‘The trustees?’ they said in unison.
