Page 30 of Gold Digger
A severance package from a person?
Lottie
Hayley and I both startled at the knock on the door and then exchanged worried looks. Unannounced visitors often did not bode well for us, unfortunately. Not since Brenda and Tony had filed concerns with social services last month in a bid for Hayley to live with them full-time. Laura, our social worker, was lovely, but it was still a scary process. And a slap in the face, to be honest. I knew Brenda and Tony didn’t like me, but I’d gone out of my way to encourage their relationship with Hayley. It wasn’t easy or cheap for me to schlep all the way across London to facilitate contact, and I’d been nothing but nice to them. When they’d first come back into Hayley’s life, I was actually excited. I was naïve enough to think that they might be extra support, even that they might become like family. But I was wrong. They may have considered Hayley family, but the same could certainly not be said for me.
Anyway, I wasn’t in the best of moods after seeing the pictures of Ollie online. I knew he was going to the foundation gala, and I knew it was a high-profile event. I couldn’t go. Not only did I have nothing to wear to something like that, but I’d had to be with Hayley for her session with the new counsellor,and it was lucky I was there given that she made a huge breakthrough.
Ollie wasn’t pleased, and I knew I needed to give him a better explanation, but I just hadn’t been ready to make everything so heavy between us by telling him about Hayley. And my life was heavy. I had alotof baggage. Granted, I would do anything for that particular baggage – she was my only family, and I loved her to pieces. But the story of why I was my sister’s guardian, why she needed specialist counselling, what we’d both been through… I needed some time to explain all that. Time when I wasn’t supposed to be on the clock cleaning his freaking house.
“Don’t worry, lovebug,” I muttered. “It’s probably just Ada about tonight.” It was frivolous, I knew, letting Ada babysit when it wasn’t for work. But I never did anything for myself, and I simply wanted Ollie. I knew it wasn’t going anywhere – people like me did not end up with people like him. But the last few years had ground me down so much that this chink of light, something that wasn’t just the unrelenting pressure and struggle, was impossible to pass up. I know Ollie hadsaidhe was obsessed with me, those words had replayed in my brain over and over again for the last two weeks, but I also lived in the real world. I was essentially a single mother, and there were skeletons in my cupboard that would very likely be deal breakers. But I was going to let myself stay in the light for just a little longer.
The walk from our makeshift kitchen table to the door was only a couple of steps; everything in this flat was only a couple of steps. I wasn’t joking when I said the snug at Ollie’s house was double the size of my entire space. I frowned as there was another knock on the door.
“Ada, I… oh!” I snapped my mouth shut and stared at the Dowager of Buckingham on my doorstep. “Er, Lady Harding. Hi.”
“Hello, dear,” she said, peering around me to wave at Hayley. “Please try to remember to call me Margot. And hello, Hayley. Sorry to pop in like this. Unforgivably rude of me, but I’m afraid this just wouldn’t wait.”
“Oh, right,” I said, moving back from the door. “Please, come in. I’m sorry, but we don’t have that much space. Can I get you a cup of tea? I’ve got some custard creams.” I was rambling now, but having an actualladyin my tiny flat, not least one who was the mum of the man I was fairly certain I’d fallen in love with, was a little overwhelming.
She gave me a kind smile as she moved into the cramped space, glancing around at my charity shop sofa, the chair which I’d tried to jazz up with colourful throws, the tiny kitchen complete with a small, scuffed table and rickety chairs that I’m ashamed to say I retrieved from a skip. I cleared my throat. “Would you like to come and sit down?”
“Thank you,” she said, showing no reaction to any of the décor. “But don’t let me interrupt Hayley’s dinner.”
“Oh, she’s finished anyway,” I said quickly. “Haven’t you, Hails?” Hayley nodded as her eyes flicked between me and Margot. I hated that her default was suspicious caution, but that was how she was eyeing Margot despite how much she’d seemed to like her the last time they met.
“Thank you, Hayley,” said Margot through a smile. “Do you mind if I borrow your sister for a minute?” Hayley shook her head. “I brought you something.” Margot walked over to Hayley, fished in her handbag for a minute and then pulled out a beautiful sketchpad, a huge set of colouring pens and one of the toffee sweets she knew Hayley liked. “I found the drawings you left up in the mezzanine that day. My particular favourite was the rainbow unicorn. I thought you might like these.” Hayley’s eyes went wide as she took the gifts and hugged them to herchest. She looked up at Margot as her free hand went to her chin and out.
I cleared my throat. “She’s signing,thank you,” I said.
“You’re welcome, darling,” said Margot, then she turned back to me.
“Hails, why don’t you go to your room and make a new picture for the fridge.” Hayley smiled at me and shot out of the room. Any excuse not to be around a relative stranger and to draw, she would jump on. Once alone, I cleared my throat again.
“Tea?”
“Lovely, dear.”
“Please take a seat. Oh no not that one!” I stopped Margot just in time before she could sit on the dodgy chair. She looked at me, and I grimaced. “Sorry, it’s just that one is liable to collapse – only Hayley’s got the knack. Maybe we’d be safer on the sofa?”
I ushered her over, feeling my cheeks heat with embarrassment. “Er, could you sit on the left side? It’s just the springs are a bit better there.”
I finished making the tea and brought it over to her. She smiled kindly at me as she took it, then her eyes drifted around the space as she sipped from the chipped mug, which had Best Sister Ever painted on it in Hayley’s rubbish writing from the time I made the mistake of taking her to one of those make-your-own-pottery places. I mean it was great, but they’re rip-off merchants – fifteen quid for a mug? Daylight robbery.
“Lottie, I understand that my son is taking you out tonight.” Her gaze was fixed on me now, and there was a sharp quality to it I couldn’t quite put my finger on. I nodded, not really knowing what to say. The last thing I expected was a visit from someone’s mum before they picked me up for a date. Is this how the upper class did things? Bizarre. “You may or may not know that my Oliver has had some unfortunate experiences… with women.”
My eyebrows went up. “Oh, no, sorry we… I mean, we haven’t discussed exes yet. It’s all a bit new at the moment. But I promise you I could give him a run for his money in the dodgy ex-stakes; some of mine are real pieces of work.”
The dowager nodded. “So you’ll understand why I have to exercise caution. Last time, everything was so horrendous… he hasn’t been himself for years. I know he comes across as a bit…” she paused, searched for the right words, “…sure of himself.” I stifled a laugh; there was an understatement if ever I heard one. “But really, he’s quite a sensitive boy.”
“Oh right, well…” I trailed off, not knowing how to reply. I stared at the dowager, focusing on the energy coming off her – anxiety, pity (annoying, but okay, I get it, given the state of my flat), determination and just the vaguest hint of hostility. She had not come here to tell me how excited she was that Ollie was showing an interest in me. I squared my shoulders. “Margot, why are you here?”
She flinched at my direct approach, then cleared her throat as she set her tea down on the small coffee table. “I know you need money,” she said, and I blinked.
“W-what do you mean?”
“You need money for Hayley. The funding you’re getting via the school isn’t enough to deal with her selective mutism. You are going to have to fund that privately, and that isveryexpensive. I know you’ve had some sessions with a therapist, but you’re going to struggle to afford more. There is also the matter of funding the next module of your Open University degree course.” Margot indicated to the numerous textbooks strewn over the coffee table.
“How on earth do you know all this?” I said in alarm, starting to feel a little sick.
