Page 32 of Be More Lucy

‘Is it, though? I usually think of octopuses when I’m having a stressful time.’

‘Perhaps it will ward off awkward people.’

A woman opened the door. ‘Hi, I’m Kerry. Welcome to Octopus Cottage.’

‘Even the name fits,’ said Jack.

Kerry looked puzzled.

‘The door knocker?’ Jack said.

‘Oh, I always forget about that. Mum found it in a car boot sale years ago. The house has been called Octopus Cottage since it was built in the 1880s, even though it’s a bit too big for a cottage. I think there was a previous house here that was called that.’

A whiff of mothballs hit them as Kerry stood back to let them inside.

‘You’re not seeing it at its best.’ Kerry led them into the dining room. ‘Dad’s been in the care home for six months, but I’ve been so busy, I’ve not had time to clean thoroughly, and my brothers live away, so they’re no help. I wasn’t expecting to be showing potential buyers around just yet.’

‘I’m sorry about your father. It must be difficult,’ Jack said.

‘It’ll be odd seeing another family living in this house. Me and my brothers grew up here. But it’s just been Dad rattling around for the last ten years since Mum died. It’s time it was full again. Have you got any children?’

‘Not yet,’ said Jack.

‘Feel free to wander around. Ask if you need to know anything. I’ll be in here,’ Kerry said.

The kitchen was large but needed updating. No surprise there. ‘Good sized dining room and separate living room with original features,’ Em said as they walked into the other rooms.

‘You’re starting to sound like an estate agent. You’ll be telling me it’s in the catchment area for an outstanding school next,’ Jack laughed.

‘Actually, it is. I checked.’

There was a layer of dust over everything, but it looked like it had been well-maintained structurally. Despite the 1990s decor, Em felt it had a good vibe. She was already starting to visualise living here with Jack.

‘Shall we go upstairs?’ Jack said.

They walked into the front bedroom. ’Wow! That view’s even more stunning than I thought it would be,’ Jack said.

‘And the room’s huge,’ Em said.

’You’re thinking about your bath, aren’t you?’

‘Possibly,’ she grinned.

They went back a couple more decades when they walked into the bathroom. ‘Why did anyone ever think this was a good idea?’ Em said, looking at the avocado suite.

‘Give it another twenty years, and they’ll probably be all the rage again.’

‘Not with me.’

‘It’s not just the bathroom that needs ripping out. There’s a lot of work to get it up to scratch,’ Jack said. He didn’t sound as positive about the place as she was feeling.

‘But it means we should get it for a good price and we can make it exactly how we want it. We can carry on living at the flat while we do it up. And we could manage with leaving some of it as it is for a while once it’s been cleaned.’

‘Where would you paint?’ Jack asked as they walked back downstairs.

Kerry must’ve overheard them. ‘Come out into the back garden. I think you’re going to love this.’

She pointed to a big summer house at the end of the garden, with windows along one side.

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