AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Alice recalled where she’d completed the sketch, years earlier, when she and Jeffrey were newlyweds. She recalled her surroundings vividly. She’d been standing on the beach with an easel. Instead of looking out to sea with the beach and sea view, and a fishing boat, or two, bobbing on the water on the horizon, she’d turned inland to face the house where they were staying. It was on a beautiful, unspoilt stretch of Suffolk coastline just a two-hour drive from London. It was a red-brick detached Victorian house, at the end of a street that led to a shingle cove, and it was the most picturesque place she’d ever stayed.
She remembered what she’d been thinking at the time; that she had captured a wonderful likeness of the house. She had been intending to use vibrant pastel watercolours and paint the guest house that sat almost on the beach. But her painting was going to reinterpret what the old place might have looked like in its heyday, before it had ended up with peeling paint, rotting windows and shutters hanging from rusty hinges.
She stared at the sketch, an idea formulating in her mind.
Chapter 5
Alice glanced at Marley, who was sitting in the open suitcase. He meowed at her. She shook her head at him. Marley had found something far better than an old cardboard box. She rolled her eyes at him as he played with the crepe paper left in the bottom, tearing it to shreds before chasing the pieces around the bottom of the case.
She left him to his fun and turned to take the larger case down from on top of the trunk, wondering if there was anything inside. It was empty. She placed it on the floor by the trunk and turned her attention back to the sketch, wondering if she’d ever finish it. She stood it up on the chest of drawers against the mirror so she could stand back and take it in.
Alice sighed as she turned from the sketch, thinking back to those carefree days before Freya. She frowned as she walked over to the trunk with the medium-sized suitcase still on top. She started filling the suitcase with jumpers, some smart woollen skirts she’d forgotten about, a tweed jacket – green but rather nice – and a pair of fur-lined boots. They must have been in fashion a few years earlier. Not that Alice was into buying something just because it was fashionable. She picked up the corduroy trousers, and decided, in the spirit of saving money, to see if she could still fit into those too.
She was just holding them up to see if she could find the size label when she heard voices down below.
‘You can see how that would be a problem, don’t you?’
Alice frowned. That was Theo’s voice.
‘Theo, I’m sure my dad will find a suitable rental. You’re worrying out of hand.’
Alice lowered the trousers. That was Freya.
‘I’m not worrying out of hand.’
Alice moved closer to the loft hatch. By the sound of their voices, they’d been walking up the stairs on the way to their bedroom and had stopped right below the loft hatch.
‘You’re right, Freya, your dad will find a rental, but will it allow pets? I don’t think he’s thought of that – do you?’
Alice stared at the loft hatch.What were they saying?
‘Yes, I don’t expect they’ve rented for years,’ Theo added. ‘It won’t be easy finding one that allows pets.’
It had never crossed Alice’s mind that her pets would be a problem.
‘Apet?’ Freya snorted. ‘Do I need to remind you? Mum hasn’t just got one pet – she’s got three!’
‘I’m sure Percy would be no trouble,’ Theo said.
‘Are you joking with me right now?’ Freya’s voice had gone up an octave.
‘Okay, look, if our purchase goes through—’
‘Did you just sayif?’
‘Calm down. I meantwhen, we could look after the pets until—’
‘No.’
‘Oh, come on Freya, it’s the least we could do. After all, they are selling their house to buy you one. They don’t have to, you know.’
Alice stared at the loft hatch.
‘Just because they’re your parents, they don’t owe you anything.’
‘It’s not that. Of course, I’d have them to stay. It’s just …’
‘It’s just … what?’
