Page 35 of The Do-Over

‘Oh, never better. I mean, you’ve seen him, haven’t you? I always thought Rollo would be an only child, but I swear I can hear my ovaries singing that song fromSnow White.’

‘What, “Someday My Prince Will Come”?’

‘No. “Heigh-Ho, It’s Off to Work We Go”.’

I study the man for a moment, trying to work out what’s got Rebecca so worked up. He is good looking, in a rough and ready kind of way. He’s tall, with wavy dark brown hair and dark eyes. He has a bushy beard, wide shoulders and his checked shirt is rolled up to reveal thick forearms. He’s pleasantly rugged, I suppose, but I can’t get past the beard. I’ve never been into beards.

‘Shall we get out of the car then?’ I prompt after a moment.

‘Yes, of course.’

‘Hi. You must be Rebecca and Thea. I’m Ben,’ the man says. He has a deep, resonant voice and his hand is so large that it completely engulfs Rebecca’s and mine in turn.

‘I’m Rebecca,’ she announces. ‘Before you ask, Thea and I are purely business partners and friends.’

Ben looks momentarily confused, which I don’t blame him for at all.

‘I see,’ he tells her. ‘Well, I’ve got the house key if you want to look in there first.’ As he turns away, crossing the courtyard to unlock the door, Rebecca leans close to me so she can whisper without him hearing.

‘Oh, shit,’ she murmurs. ‘Did I make a tit of myself? I think my knickers just melted. Does he come with the house, do you suppose?’

‘Behave,’ I snigger. ‘Do I need to hose you down before we go in?’

‘No.’ She pulls herself up straight. ‘Professional game face on. Ready?’

We follow Ben into the house, which is cold even on this warm summer day. He obviously notices me shivering as he says, ‘It’s the thick stone walls. They keep you cool in the summer and, once you get some heat into them, they’ll keep you warm in winter too. My house is just the same.’

‘Do you live locally then?’ Rebecca asks.

‘In the cottage at the end of the drive.’

So much for professional game face. Rebecca looks like all her Christmases have come at once.

‘Did you know the previous owners?’ I ask, keen to keep the conversation focused on the property while Rebecca tries to recover her composure.

‘Very well. They were my grandparents. My mum and dad were, well, they weren’t good parents so I grew up here. However, my grandad died two years ago and Nan passed away just after Christmas, so it’s time to move it on to someone new.’

‘I’m so sorry,’ I tell him.

‘Don’t be. Frankly, I’m surprised she lasted as long as she did after Grandad died. They were devoted to each other and she was lost without him.’

‘How come you’re not taking it on?’ I ask after a moment.

‘Lots of reasons. The main one is that I’m not the only heir, so I’d have to buy the others out. Plus, and I probably shouldn’t say this to prospective buyers, it’s an awkward size.’

‘How so?’

‘Ten acres. Too much for a garden but not enough for a farm. Grandad used to mow it with a tractor and Nan tried to keep the place neat after he died by letting one of the local farmers graze his sheep here, but the pittance he paid wasn’t even enough to maintain the fences, so that petered out last summer.’

‘Have you had a lot of viewings?’

He smiles. ‘How am I supposed to answer that? I have a vested interest.’

‘It’ll all come out at the auction anyway.’

‘I guess so. A few people have come to look, but I don’t know whether they’ll bid. What are your plans, if you don’t mind me asking?’

‘We’re going to convert it into a modern home but keep the period features,’ Rebecca blurts before I have the chance to stop her. ‘You don’t mind, do you?’

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