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Abigail looked at them. ‘Honestly, I don’t mind.’
Joss handed her the cheese-filled bap. ‘Thanks, Joss.’
‘You’re most welcome. So, how was your morning?’
Abigail repeated what she’d said to Lili, although she did have something to add. ‘Do you mind if you don’t mention to anyone here that I live at Daphne’s cottage in Southwold?’
He was in the middle of unwrapping the cellophane on his roll. He stopped and looked at Abigail. ‘How come?’
She glanced at Lili.
Joss caught something pass between them. ‘What’s going on?’
Abigail breathed a sigh and turned to face him. ‘Look, I’m here doing a favour for my sister, so she can keep her job.’
‘Yes …’ Joss already knew that.
‘The thing is, I inherited the cottage from my late husband, who was the beneficiary of a trust made by a lady called Daphne.’
Joss shrugged. ‘Sorry, but I don’t understand what that has to do with—’
‘Her maiden name was Somerville, and the family are contesting the will, according to my solicitor.’
‘The family?’
Abigail looked over at the house.
‘The Somervilles.’
‘Why?’
‘Why are they contesting it?’
‘Yeah.’
‘As far as I’m aware, my husband is no relation, so they want to know why she did it.’
‘Well, it’s a bit late for that now. She’s dead.’
Lili laughed, almost choking on her bap.
Joss glanced at her. ‘Well, it’s true. Perhaps they pissed her off, and she got his number randomly out of a phone book and hey presto, he lucks out and gets a cottage.’
‘That is one possibility,’ commented Lili.
‘Yes, but it doesn’t explain why she put it into a trust for him when he was five years old,’ blurted Abigail. She hadn’t intended to tell him that.
Joss stared at her. ‘Well, that puts a different spin on things. He wasn’t adopted – by any chance?’
Abigail exchanged a glance with Lili.
Once again, Joss caught that silent exchange. ‘I see. Well then you have your answer.’
‘Huh?’ Abigail didn’t understand.
‘I reckon he’s related to the Somervilles. Why else would she have given him the cottage? Excuse me for saying, but perhaps he was illegitimate and put up for adoption.’ Joss glanced over at the house. ‘I reckon they would be wise not to go poking around into your husband’s, or Daphne’s affairs. They might find something they hadn’t bargained for, like a skeleton in the closet.’ As soon as the words were out of his mouth when Joss realised what he’d said. ‘Shit, sorry, that was bloody insensitive of me. I’m going to shut my mouth right now.’
This time, it was Abigail who burst out laughing. She thought she should have been very cross with him; but the look on his face when he realised the faux pas he had made struck her as funny.
