Page 65 of The Runaway Wives

‘Thank you.’ Dee breathed a sigh of relief.

‘I’m still happy to donate to the Artists’ Studios, that will be a gift. This,’ he pointed to the proposal, ‘will be a business decision. I’ll get my people onto it, see if we can make it work. I can’t promise to match these figures but I’m with you on the idea of providing for the locals.’ His gaze went from one to the other. ‘This friend of yours who has to leave his property soon… You say he’s an artist. Does he have another job?’

‘He’s a part-time bartender, he has a young daughter to look after, so can only work in the daytime,’ Kenny said.

Gordon nodded. ‘He needs something quickly then.’

Dee saw his point, affordable housing would be too late for Glenn. ‘He might be able to get something temporarily, in the meantime. And there are plenty of others like him,’ she said quickly.

Gordon stood up. ‘I promise you I’ll give it some thought.’ He stepped out from behind the desk, and shook Kenny’s hands. ‘I’ll be in touch.’ Then he gave Dee a hug. ‘Nice to see you again, Dee. Take care of yourself.’

As soon as they were outside, Kenny gave a whoop of joy. ‘That went really well. With Gordon’s input we can finish the Artists’ Studios and open them up.’ He hugged Dee. ‘And it’s all thanks to you!’

She laughed, more to cover the feelings that were sweeping through her at his embrace. ‘Of course it wasn’t, you played your part too.’

‘I can’t wait to tell the others. I’ll WhatsApp the group and see if they can meet up tonight. If you’re up for that?’

‘I’d love to.’ She felt like she was walking on air. They had the grant for the Artists’ Studios, and she really believed that Gordon would do his utmost to provide affordable housing. ‘Do you think Glenn will agree? He might think it’s a betrayal to accept money from Gordon. He’s been one of the biggest protesters about the development.’

‘I don’t know,’ Kenny said thoughtfully. ‘Fancy a drink?’ he asked as they neared the town.

‘Oh, I can’t. Sorry. I’ve an appointment with my solicitor and then back to the café. But I’ll see you in The Pirate’s Head tonight.’ She would have loved to be able to say yes. It had been such a positive morning and they had a lot to talk about, but she needed to get this divorce moving. Edna would be returning home soon.

The solicitor hadn’t heard back from Nigel’s solicitor yet but from what Dee told him about Nigel’s finances the solicitor was confident that she would get enough to afford a decent cottage for herself, and a regular bit of pension each month, too, which would keep the wolf from the door.

It had been a good day all round.

* * *

After work, Dee set off for the Slaters’ to take Betsy for a walk, stopping to have a cup of tea and a chat with them. Then went home for a shower before heading to The Pirate’s Head.

Kenny had waited for her before telling everyone the news, and it was greeted with claps and cries of ‘well done’ by everyone except Glenn. He was sat with a face like thunder, arms crossed. ‘Well, you come sailing down here, wave your magic wand and think you can put everything right. This bloke is only saying he’s thinking about it because he knows you. He’ll dangle you on a thread, then say he can’t afford to do it, you’ll see. Meanwhile, the protests will have lost their momentum, and the building work will carry on.’

‘Gordon has always been a man of his word. If he can do it, he will,’ Dee said.

‘He’s a businessman, he’s in it for the profit. He thinks he can buy us with a few grand to set up the Port Telwyn Artists’ Studios, but how does it help the rest of the villagers? Even if he does make some of the properties “affordable housing”, it won’t help people like me. I can only work part time, as I’ve got Sammi to look after, so there’s no way I can afford that rent.’

‘He’s got a point,’ Cath said.

Just then Kenny’s phone pinged. ‘It’s from Gordon,’ he said, surprised. There was a silence around the table as they all waited for Kenny to read the message.

‘He wants to know if Glenn might be interested in a caretaking job with a live-in two bedroomed flat. It’s on the ground floor with a garden and will be available in a couple of months, meanwhile there is a mobile unit he can live in. He said that he needs someone to look after the development, starting as soon as possible. And it’s a permanent position.’

A silence descended on the table and all eyes turned to Glenn, who was staring at Kenny, speechless.

‘Is he serious?’ he finally asked.

‘He’s asked me to tell you to contact him for a meeting ASAP,’ Kenny said. ‘I can pass you his number if you’re interested?’

Glenn seemed to be struggling to make a decision. Cath leaned over and patted his hand. ‘Don’t let pride get in your way, lovely. This development is going ahead with or without you. You might as well get a job and a roof over yours and Sammi’s heads out of it.’

Glenn swallowed, took a swig of his beer, clearly struggling to contain his emotions. His eyes were wet, Dee realised. He was fighting back tears. He must have been so worried about finding somewhere else for him and Sammi to live. Then he nodded. ‘Send me the number then, and I’ll see what he has to say.’

43

A FEW WEEKS LATER

The sound of her mobile ringing jolted Dee awake on a Sunday morning. Who could be ringing her at this time? She glanced at the clock, eight thirty. She been up early for work all week and had been hoping to get a lie-in. Yawning she reached for her mobile, her breath catching in her throat as she realised it was Annabel calling her.

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