thought about all the
bad memories I’d had, how I’d wanted to leave years ago. A lovely light feeling
began to settle on me, it was like someone had lifted a boulder from my
shoulders, I could breath easily again. When Janet phoned me later I said yes.
Within two days that Charlie Ford came round. He was a bit brusque but I could
see that he would take care of the house. He gave me a good price, enough to
clear all my debts and buy this lovely place. I thought I would feel sad when I
left Heathville for the last time but I felt so light I almost thought I could
fly! And I love my new home, it’s perfect for me.”
“Sounds
like everything worked out well for you,” Grace said. Charlie stood up and
walked over to the window, he looked out, his hands clasped behind his back.
Emily’s
smile dropped. “Everything was good for me but not James, my son. He’s had to
get a job and ...”
“Where’s
my kiss!” a voice boomed out.
“Oh!”
Emily’s hand flew to her mouth, her cheeks coloured. She looked at Grace and
said, “That’s Ted, my boyfriend.”
Ted
walked into the room, his lips puckered up.
Grace’s
mouth dropped open. Ted was the foreman that she’d seen earlier at Heathville.
Charlie
spun around, he pointed a finger at Ted and yelled, “I remember! I’ve seen him
before, when I was alive. He’s the one who killed me!”
Chapter 17
Ted’s
puckered lips didn’t move, his startled eyes darted between Grace and Emily.
Emily laughed, stood up and kissed Ted.
Ted
muttered, “What’s going on? I didn’t know you had company.”
Emily
said, “This is Grace, she called round to drop some of my belongings off. I’m
afraid I’ve rather bored her with my family history.”
Grace
stood up. “Not at all.” She winced. Charlie was shouting in her ear, something
about room plans and a funny smell. Grace tried hard to ignore him, she would
talk to him later.
Ted
frowned. “I know you, you’ve just been up to Heathville.” His voice rose, “Did
that Amy Ford send you? She’s not getting another penny out of Emily! You can
tell her that!”
Emily
put a hand on Ted’s arm in an effort to calm him down. “Grace doesn’t have
anything to do with Amy. I really don’t understand what you’ve got against Amy.
See that box? It’s got some of my belongings in it, Amy gave it to Grace and
Grace brought it to me, that’s all that’s going on. You need to calm down, Ted,
your face is going red.”
Ted
scowled at Grace. “Are you sure you’ve got nothing to do with Amy Ford?”
Grace
confirmed that she hadn’t. She told him why she had paid Amy a visit earlier.
Grace noticed that Charlie had gone quiet now.
Ted
seemed to accept Grace’s explanation.
Grace
said, “I’d better be going. Thanks for the tea.”
Emily
smiled at her. “It should be me thanking you, listening to my tales of woe.”
“What
have you told her?” Ted blurted out.
Emily
gave him a stern look. “Don’t you talk to me like that, Ted Thomas. I’ll talk
to who I like about what I like. You’re not talking to one of your lads now.”
Ted
gave her an embarrassed smile. “Sorry, love, it’s been a difficult day. Let me
see Grace out.”
“Okay,
and you can apologise to her on the way out,” Emily said. She turned to Grace
and winked.
Grace
said goodbye and followed Ted out through the bungalow. He stopped at the end
of the path. “I am sorry about shouting at you. You won’t know but Emily had
to sell Heathville.”
“I
do know, Emily told me everything. All about the gambling and then having to
sell. I think she felt better for telling me. She said you’ve helped her a
lot.”
Ted
smiled. “I’d do anything for Emily. It just makes me so mad to think that Amy
Ford is now living in Emily’s house.”
Grace
said, “Emily told me it was a relief to sell the house, to clear all her debts.
She mentioned that the woman on the phone, Janet Smith, put Charlie Ford in
touch with Emily. I
bad memories I’d had, how I’d wanted to leave years ago. A lovely light feeling
began to settle on me, it was like someone had lifted a boulder from my
shoulders, I could breath easily again. When Janet phoned me later I said yes.
Within two days that Charlie Ford came round. He was a bit brusque but I could
see that he would take care of the house. He gave me a good price, enough to
clear all my debts and buy this lovely place. I thought I would feel sad when I
left Heathville for the last time but I felt so light I almost thought I could
fly! And I love my new home, it’s perfect for me.”
“Sounds
like everything worked out well for you,” Grace said. Charlie stood up and
walked over to the window, he looked out, his hands clasped behind his back.
Emily’s
smile dropped. “Everything was good for me but not James, my son. He’s had to
get a job and ...”
“Where’s
my kiss!” a voice boomed out.
“Oh!”
Emily’s hand flew to her mouth, her cheeks coloured. She looked at Grace and
said, “That’s Ted, my boyfriend.”
Ted
walked into the room, his lips puckered up.
Grace’s
mouth dropped open. Ted was the foreman that she’d seen earlier at Heathville.
Charlie
spun around, he pointed a finger at Ted and yelled, “I remember! I’ve seen him
before, when I was alive. He’s the one who killed me!”
Chapter 17
Ted’s
puckered lips didn’t move, his startled eyes darted between Grace and Emily.
Emily laughed, stood up and kissed Ted.
Ted
muttered, “What’s going on? I didn’t know you had company.”
Emily
said, “This is Grace, she called round to drop some of my belongings off. I’m
afraid I’ve rather bored her with my family history.”
Grace
stood up. “Not at all.” She winced. Charlie was shouting in her ear, something
about room plans and a funny smell. Grace tried hard to ignore him, she would
talk to him later.
Ted
frowned. “I know you, you’ve just been up to Heathville.” His voice rose, “Did
that Amy Ford send you? She’s not getting another penny out of Emily! You can
tell her that!”
Emily
put a hand on Ted’s arm in an effort to calm him down. “Grace doesn’t have
anything to do with Amy. I really don’t understand what you’ve got against Amy.
See that box? It’s got some of my belongings in it, Amy gave it to Grace and
Grace brought it to me, that’s all that’s going on. You need to calm down, Ted,
your face is going red.”
Ted
scowled at Grace. “Are you sure you’ve got nothing to do with Amy Ford?”
Grace
confirmed that she hadn’t. She told him why she had paid Amy a visit earlier.
Grace noticed that Charlie had gone quiet now.
Ted
seemed to accept Grace’s explanation.
Grace
said, “I’d better be going. Thanks for the tea.”
Emily
smiled at her. “It should be me thanking you, listening to my tales of woe.”
“What
have you told her?” Ted blurted out.
Emily
gave him a stern look. “Don’t you talk to me like that, Ted Thomas. I’ll talk
to who I like about what I like. You’re not talking to one of your lads now.”
Ted
gave her an embarrassed smile. “Sorry, love, it’s been a difficult day. Let me
see Grace out.”
“Okay,
and you can apologise to her on the way out,” Emily said. She turned to Grace
and winked.
Grace
said goodbye and followed Ted out through the bungalow. He stopped at the end
of the path. “I am sorry about shouting at you. You won’t know but Emily had
to sell Heathville.”
“I
do know, Emily told me everything. All about the gambling and then having to
sell. I think she felt better for telling me. She said you’ve helped her a
lot.”
Ted
smiled. “I’d do anything for Emily. It just makes me so mad to think that Amy
Ford is now living in Emily’s house.”
Grace
said, “Emily told me it was a relief to sell the house, to clear all her debts.
She mentioned that the woman on the phone, Janet Smith, put Charlie Ford in
touch with Emily. I
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