Page 39 of Sanctuary at MacLeod's Cove
Sam shrugged. ‘Too many unknowns. I’ve a mate who’s a solicitor, he may be able to tell me something. Would you like me to follow it up with him?’
They both looked at Kate who’d turned away. ‘No, I don’t think so.’
‘But Mum.’
‘Jenny, you must understand, I can’t live with hope any longer. It’s too painful. If I thought there was a chance then, yes, maybe. But it’s been so long, and my enquiries have got me precisely nowhere. Or rather, it’s got me less than nowhere — it’s got me stuck in limbo which, believe me, isn’t a good place to be. I stay in this house out of sheer stubbornness. I won’t go until they give me a damn good reason to. But that leaves me in a house which, up till now, I refuse to spend good money on. Why should I when I’d be investing in someone else’s property?’
‘So what’s changed?’ asked Sam quietly. ‘Why are you telling us all this now? Why are you getting the work done now?’
Kate looked from him to Jen. ‘Jenny and Liam have come home. I can’t have the place collapse around, especially on, them now, can I?’
Jen reached out and grasped her mother’s hand. ‘We’ll fight this, Mum, we will.’
‘Of course,’ she said half-heartedly as if humouring her.
Jen frowned. ‘You do want to, don’t you?’
‘You can’t fight a phantom, Jenny. I’ve tried fighting, but I can’t find anyone to fight with. It’s as if whatever happened when Grandmother moved into the house, whatever those arrangements were, have been forgotten in the mists of time. And now I’m the only one who cares.’
‘I care, mum. I care. You’re not alone in this.’
‘I know, love. And I’m grateful, really I am. But I don’t see what can be done.’
Jen’s own stubborn streak kicked in. She tapped her fingers together thoughtfully. ‘We’ll try to figure out what happened through the only contact you have.’
Kate grunted dismissively. ‘Good luck with that.’
‘And if that fails’ — Jen narrowed her eyes — ’there must be other clues to what happened in the past. With Ngaire. Her family.’ She looked around her. ‘The house. Maybe we can piece together what happened that put Ngaire in a house owned by a family trust which, apparently, has nothing to do with our family.’
‘How can we do that?’
‘Talk to whoever was around at the time. Try to figure out what happened. Build a picture.’
‘And the house itself,’ said Sam. ‘I’ll look into ownership at the council if you like?’
Kate smiled weakly. ‘I’ve tried that. But if you can find out anything, that would be lovely. I just don’t want you wasting your time.’
‘I’ve got time to waste,’ said Sam. ‘In fact, you’d be helping me out, giving me something meaningful to do.’
‘What about your house?’ asked Kate.
He shrugged. ‘What about it? I’ve had months to get on with it, but my heart isn’t it.’
‘Why?’ asked Kate. ‘Where is your heart?’
The silence lengthened. It was Sam who broke the silence.
He shrugged. ‘God knows. But all I’m saying is that I’m happy to look into the ownership of MacLeod’s Cottage for you, and I’m happy to do some repairs for you. And don’t worry about the cost.’
Kate drew a sharp breath. ‘You’re certainly not doing anything for free, Sam Boyd. I won’t hear of it. I have the money; I just didn’t want to give it to someone else!’
‘And I can help, too, Mum. I have some funds stashed away.’
Her mother looked dubiously at her.
‘I’ve not left everything for Alistair.’
‘Only the house and his debt covered,’ said Kate, unable to hide the bitterness that her daughter had had to buy her freedom from her abusive husband.
