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Chapter 31
Holly stood inside one of the sheds that Joe had erected. Ethan had been over earlier for a coffee and given her posters with the designs he had amended. Following discussions she’d had with George the contractor, they’d had to make a few minor adjustments. Holly pinned the posters to the wall. Mitch had dropped her artwork up, leaving the small collection with Joe and, weather permitting, she would add the pieces to the shed the following day when the market opened.
Holly felt a little calmer since her most recent visit to Val. She had been propped up in the bed. She had moaned as Holly greeted her with a hug and a kiss. The doctor said it would be a while before her speech would come back but she looked animated as Holly told her about the goods to be sold at the market and about the fair. She had squeezed Val’s hand, promising to take photographs to show her on her next visit.
Holly stepped back to study the plans she had pinned to the wall. The plans held her hopes and dreams and she wondered whether it had all been a waste of time. All this effort would be for nothing if Tom forced her to sell. Holly needed to get the settlement sorted with Tom, she could not wait for months on end. She knew Jill would not approve but she was sick of being at the beck and call of others. Her mind was clouded and needed to be clear. She had to meet him. But Holly did not want Tom to be prepared for her visit. In an effort to catch him off guard, she decided to try him at work.A voice in her head warned her not to go, but she was far from scared of Tom. He was like a spoilt child and she had to have it out with him. She called out to Joe and told him she was popping out.
Holly swungher van into the car park of Bunning’s Motorhomes. All was quiet.Maybe they’re shut?she thought. Holly walked along the periphery of the building passing the showroom, in search of the offices. Holly heard Tom’s voice and she walked towards it until she came to an open door.
‘I’ll book you in for a second viewing for Sunday and we can go over the financials.’ Tom swung around in his chair; his mouth dropped as soon as he saw her. ‘Okay, yes. Look forward to it, bye.’ He replaced the receiver. ‘Babe.’ His spoke in a hushed voice. ‘I’m glad you’ve come. Look, about the other night. I was bang out of order.’ He ran a hand through his hair. ‘Have you reconsidered?’
Holly walked in and crossed her arms. ‘I’m here to settle this once and for all.’
‘Look, why don’t I come over to you later?’
‘No, let’s do this now.’
Tom stood up. ‘I’ll pay for the door.’
‘Yes – you will.’
‘We’ll meet up this evening to discuss settling, maybe over dinner? I guess we both want this done. Solicitors muddy the waters.’
Holly raised her eyebrows and stared at him. ‘You’re the one that appointed a solicitor in the first place.’
‘It seemed the right thing to do at the time. I’m happy to accept thirty-five percent of the property and we’ll call it quits on the money you invested in the hot tubs. To keep it out of the courts.’
Holly looked up to the ceiling shaking her head. She brought her gaze down slowly and it fell on the wall behind Tom’s desk. She could not believe what she saw. ‘What’s that?’ she said pointing to a painting.
Tom coughed. ‘It’s my portrait.’
‘Yes, the one I painted of you.’
‘For my birthday. It’s mine, I never stole it.’
Holly clutched the desk. ‘Trust me, I didn’t want to keep it. But I would like to know how you acquired it?’
Tom’s eyes darted from left to right and then back at Holly. ‘I took it ages ago, to show to my folks. It’s been in Newquay.’
‘Don’t lie to me. You got it the night of the fire, didn’t you?’ She threw her hands in the air. ‘You set the nursery alight.’
‘Woah, babe. Do you think I’m mad? Why would I do that when I’m entitled to half of it?’
‘How did you find the painting in the dark? The electrics had blown.’
‘I used my phone.’
‘So now you’re admitting to it, are you? You did get the painting that night?’
‘What if I did? I never set the flippin’ place on fire. You got it agreed, it was the electrics.’
Holly put her hands on her hips. ‘How did you use the torch on your phone when it had run out of charge? If I remember rightly you asked to borrow my charger and I refused.’
Tom paced the room.
Holly pointed at him. ‘Come on, what did you do? Did you use a match?’
‘No, it was that red candle from the porch. I left it in there. It must have fallen or something. It was a bloody accident okay?’
