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‘Yes, but then it wasn’t like Duncan could contribute more. The estate swallowed up every bit of income he managed to bring in. It was always in the red. Some months he couldn’t even manage the three hundred.’
‘Right,’ Ambra says, still writing. ‘And approximately how big was that debt? How much money was owed by the time you left?’
‘I don’t know.’
Ambra puts her pencil down and looks at me. ‘You didn’t have sight of the finances?’
‘Well, no,’ I admit. ‘I did try to get involved when we were first married – you know, take an interest in how the place was run. But the whole situation was so stressful, and Duncan spent all his time trying to keep the estate afloat, so my asking about it only made things worse. I stopped after a while.’
‘But your income helped pay for the day-to-day expenses?’
‘Right,’ I say.
‘And those were just personal – food, clothing and so on? Or did they involve the business, too?’
‘Well, of course there was always stuff to do around the estate. Repairs, improvements…’ Ambra nods at me to continue, and I list the outgoings I can remember over the last few months. When I get to the golf clubs, she frowns and underlines something on her notepad.
‘And how much of your income went out on these expenses, would you say?’
‘Most of it,’ I say. ‘Well, pretty much all of it. I managed to put the tax money aside, just about, but otherwise…’
‘And did Duncan consult with you on how the money was spent? Did he ask you before he took money from your earnings?’
‘At first, yes. But then… well, it didn’t make sense for him to keep asking. And it wasn’t like I did anything around the estate. I grew up in a city and I’m useless with animals, and as for all the technical stuff, like the salmon farm and the forestry side and the shooting… really, it was only sensible that Duncan and his estate manager did all that. The money was all I could contribute, not that it even touched the sides.’
‘Hmmm.’ Ambra’s expression is carefully blank. ‘Tori, can you think of anything you did that contributed to the life of the estate in some other way? You mentioned a few things earlier – weddings, shooting parties. Were you involved with those?’
‘Oh,’ I say. ‘Well, yes, there were various events and of course, I did a bit of hostessing.’
‘Hostessing?’
‘Yes, you know the kind of thing. Keeping people’s drinks topped up, making sure warring aunts didn’t end up at the same table, wrangling nervous brides, dealing with the caterers. Just normal stuff. And of course if people came to look over the place – engaged couples, or whatever – it was easiest for me to show them round since Duncan was usually out somewhere. I suppose my role was mostly decorative.’
‘Decorative,’ Ambra echoes. ‘It sounds pretty demanding to me.’
‘It definitely could be at moments. Actually, a lot of the time. But it’s nothing compared to what Duncan had to do every day.’
‘It’s different,’ she says firmly. ‘It’s a different kind of work. But, Tori, what you’re describingiswork. Dealing with caterers, managing guests, giving tours – which is a sales role in itself, really – those are all crucial tasks, and they require certain skills. And if you didn’t do them, he’d no doubt have had to pay someone else. Unless you did get some kind of compensation?’
‘Well, no, I didn’t. But that’s just being married, isn’t it? The least I could do was pitch in, since I wasn’t being useful in any other way. That was Duncan’s view, anyway.’
‘Duncan’s view isn’t relevant,’ Ambra says. ‘Tori, what he thinks isn’t what matters here. I need you to see that. All the money you’ve put into the estate, all the work you’ve done for no pay – these are significant contributions. Exactly how this all works out in terms of a settlement is something we need to establish. But if Duncan made you feel anything less than useful, then he wasn’t being fair to you. Do you understand?’
I don’t understand, not really. Not yet. But there’s something nagging away deep in my gut, a cold, urgent, rage-y feeling. ‘I think so,’ I say. ‘Yes, I think so.’
‘Good,’ Ambra says. ‘Thank you for all this information – it was very helpful. We should wrap up for today, but I’m happy to schedule another meeting now if you like. Or you can take some time, think about it, and contact me when you feel ready to talk about your options going forward.’
I’m not ready. The whole conversation has been much, much more than I expected. ‘I think I’d like to take a little time,’ I say. ‘But I’ll definitely be in touch soon.’
‘That’s no problem. I do just want to ask a couple of last questions, though, if that’s all right.’
‘Of course,’ I say.
‘The inheritance you mentioned at the start of our meeting,’ she says. ‘Which is, as I told you, not considered marital property. Does Duncan have access to that account?’
‘No.’
‘Does he know that you have it?’
