Page 24 of Lessons in Life

‘I think it’s a huge folly built by rich people with more sense than money. And that it’ll be one of the first things to go once the Sattar brothers get their hands on the home. Just think how many fish fingers and chicken nuggets they’ll be able to churn out once they build a new factory here.’

‘Or…’ Fabian spoke slowly and deliberately ‘…just think how many peoplewecould seat here and cook for, you and me, if we were to turn it into a restaurant.’

Lisa had heard of, but never before witnessed, someone’s jaw dropping, but here now was evidence of such a phenomenon. Jess’s mouth opened but didn’t close again and Lisa wanted to laugh at her daughter’s reaction.

‘Oh, don’t be so bloody ridiculous,’ Jess eventually managed to get out. ‘It’s freezing in here.’ She shivered dramatically as if to emphasise the point. ‘And how would you get any customers in? Through all those rotting vegetables and rhubarb? Women in their best designer gear and high heels tripping up over molehills to get out to this place? Anyway, it’s sold; the Sattar brothers are planning to build one of their factories right here.’

‘Is it actually sold, Jess? It can’t have gone through yet?’ Fabian was calm, his legal training taking over.

‘Well, I got the impression it was…’ Jess trailed off, glancing first at Lisa and then around at the inside of the summer house as if seeing it for the first time.

‘Have you ever actually been up here before?’ Lisa shook her head at Jess, who’d never shown a huge amount of interest in the great outdoors. Apart from on a hockey pitch when she was a kid where she’d shown an almost psychopathic refusal to allow a ball in her net. Shame she’d not had that same resolve to keep bloody Dean Butterworth out of her bed.

‘Yes, of course,’ Jess was saying and Lisa suddenly realised she was embarrassed at being called out in front of Fabian.

‘I’m amazed the owners haven’t looked after this building better.’ Fabian was now tapping at walls, feeling for damp, jumping on the wooden parquet floor for signs of rot. ‘Having said that, it’s amazingly well preserved. I suppose having been built of stone and marble, rather than wood as modern summer houses and orangeries are today, there’s no reason why it should be falling down. Jess, come on, come and look upstairs.’

‘You’re mad,’ Jess said, but nevertheless followed Fabian up to the next level. ‘Goodness,’ she went on, her voice one of surprise as Lisa followed on behind. ‘I’d no idea there was all this room! Blimey, you could sit loads of people – or even have the kitchens – on this second floor.’

‘Definitely sit diners up here.’ Fabian was excited. ‘You wouldn’t want to waste this view on kitchens, would you?’

Jess had moved over to the window once Lisa mounted the steps, and was gazing down and across the gardens and to the rolling hills beyond. ‘They’ve still got snow on them,’ she was saying almost dreamily. ‘And who’d have thought you could see so much of Yorkshire spread out in front of you?’

‘I bet you can see four counties from here,’ Lisa surmised.

‘Four?’ Fabian had joined them at the window.

‘Yorkshire, Lancashire, Derbyshire… and Cheshire at a push…’

‘You could call the place The Four Counties.’ Jess continued to scan the vista.

‘How about The White House?’ Fabian smiled.

‘Too American: people would think you’d just be serving burgers and fries.’ Lisa grimaced. ‘The Eyrie…?’ she began.

‘Eerie what?’ Jess turned, pulling a face. ‘You’d soon put punters off if they thought they were coming to a sort of Hallowe’en do with fake cobwebs and ghostly moans accompanying their starter… oh, right, eyrie as in eagle’s nest? Right.’ Embarrassed once more, she headed back for the stairs. ‘Great dream but a) Hudson House is sold and this building will be flattened and b) it’s hairdresser day and it’ll be curlers at dawn if I don’t get down there to sort them out.’ She headed for the door.

‘Jess, come on, what do you think?’ Fabian wasn’t letting it go.

‘Well, I haven’t got a penny.’ Jess laughed. ‘So, if you’re wanting me to go halves with you on this… Oh, I don’t know why I’m even thinking about it when the Sattars have already laid claim to it. Sorry, I’ll have to go…’ And with that she set off without a backward glance.

‘Hmm, I don’t think she wants us around.’ Fabian frowned.

‘Jess is just very stressed,’ Lisa soothed. ‘She’ll have to find a new job soon, I guess. I could do with a coffee though. D’you think we can go and help ourselves in the kitchens?’

‘Come on, I’ll treat you.’ Fabian shook his car keys in Lisa’s direction. ‘I can’t stop thinking about crumpets – I’ve become addicted to them after moving up to Yorkshire.’

‘Good reason to stay up here, then. There’s a lovely little café down in Beddingfield village where they do crumpets dripping with butter and a pretty mean coffee.’

* * *

‘Best coffee I’ve had since leaving London.’ Fabian smiled, wiping butter from his chin with a gaily coloured paper napkin.

‘We’re not all whippets andeeh by gum, you know.’ Lisa grinned, savouring her own coffee.

‘You’ve not exactly got “Made in Yorkshire” stamped all the way through you.’ His smile was questioning.

‘I was born in Surrey.’

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