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Chapter 28

‘Oh, you made it.’

Abigail was about to step into The Potting Shed when she stopped and looked at Lili. ‘Are you being sarcastic?’

Lili offered her a cheeky grin.

Abigail returned her smile. ‘Okay, I guess I deserved that.’ After the little party at Somerville Hall just a few days earlier, when Lili had reminded her she had not been back to look at her accounts, Abigail had resolved to pay a visit. ‘Now, don’t expect miracles,’ she warned Lili before she started up the stairs to the little office above the shop.

‘What about that nice fat tax rebate you promised?’ joked Lili.

‘I promised you nothing of the kind,’ Abigail said, still smiling. ‘To be frank, the Somervilles were lucky that the small accounting error on the running costs of a place that size went in their favour. They could have owed a lot of tax and got an enormous bill instead.’

That wiped the smile off Lili’s face. ‘I hope I don’t end up owing tax.’

Abigail hoped not too. Even though Lili was her friend, she wouldn’t fiddle the figures if she owed the taxman.

Lili said, ‘They were lucky it was a sizeable sum to put towards fixing the roof too.’

Abigail nodded as she walked up the stairs. Lili was following. ‘Do you think that’s why they’re after the cottage, because they need the money for the Hall?’

Abigail sighed. ‘I really don’t know.’ She didn’t want to talk about the Somervilles and her cottage. Eventually, they were bound to find out who she was, unless … Abigail had a thought. If she sold the property, something she’d been toying with doing since the day she found out she owned the place, they’d be none the wiser. However, she could see the likely repercussions of trying to sell the cottage with a dispute hanging over it.

‘You’re worried Carys and Oliver are going to find out about you and the cottage.’

Abigail took a seat at Lili’s desk, in front of the computer, and turned around in her chair to look at Lili. ‘I’m going to sell.’

Lili nodded. ‘To be honest, perhaps that’s not a bad thing.’

Abigail was taken aback that Lili wasn’t persuading her to stay. ‘You think I should return to London, then?’

‘Oh, no, not at all. I just think the cottage—’

‘Has too many memories of our past – mine and Toby’s, I mean.’

‘Well, I guess there’s that, but …’ Lili trailed off.

‘What is it?’

Lili spoke her mind. ‘At the party, I realised the Somervilles have become good friends of yours.’

‘Well, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that.’

‘I would. I saw the way Lord Somerville and his son and daughter looked at you as you were speaking.’

‘They’re just happy a little windfall fell in their lap, thanks to me.’

Lili shook her head. ‘No, it’s more than that. You’ve become friends …’

‘I get on really well with Carys. She’s like the big sister I never had.’

‘I thought that was me!’ Lili frowned at her, although she was only chiding her.

‘It’s just a figure of speech. You know what I mean. I feel that I’m …’ Abigail didn’t know quite how to put it into words. It almost felt as though she belonged there.

‘Part of their inner circle. I reckon that’s why some of the staff are jealous,’ said Lili.

Abigail frowned. ‘What do you mean?’

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