So what about you, Kirsty?’
‘I thought you’d never ask.’
She told him then what she was thinking, and worrying and hoping. He listened thoughtfully. Somehow he managed to acquire cups of coffee for them both without her knowing how he had done it.
‘So,’ Kirsty concluded, ‘ I thought I would ask your advice.’
He nodded. ‘You really want to do this, don’t you?’
‘More than anything I’ve wanted for a long time.’
‘And I can see you’ve looked into it, and thought it through. Well, the bank should be able to help. There’s probably no need to sell your house, or your mother’s, unless you really want to. I’m sure we’ll be able to offer you a commercial mortgage. It’s a perfectly viable business you’re looking at here. The bank will be eager to support you. And so will I,’ he added graciously.
Kirsty smiled happily and blew out with relief. ‘I was really just thinking of a loan to bridge the gap, while the houses sell,’ she said diffidently.
‘Keep the two things separate, Kirsty. That would be my advice. One isn’t dependent on the other. Go ahead and sell if you want to, but you don’t have to.’
Matthew made a further proposal.
‘In the meantime, if it would help, I would be happy to open negotiations with the vendor’s agent on your behalf. See if we can knock the price they’re asking down a bit. Do you have their details?’
She liked the idea of “we”. She liked the thought that she wasn’t quite alone with all this.
‘Thank you, Matthew. What a help you’ve been.’
‘What are old school chums for, Kirsty?’
He made a performance out of a self-deprecatory shrug that had her laughing hours later when she recalled it.
‘Oh, yes,’ Joyce said breathlessly. ‘Oh yes indeed! What a wonderful idea, Kirsty. Oh, I do hope it comes off for you.’
‘I’m glad you approve,’ Kirsty said happily. ‘It’s early days yet, but I had to tell someone.’
‘Of course you did. And of course I approve. Alan does, as well, don’t you dear?’
‘Approve what?’ Alan said, looking away from the football match on the television. ‘What are you getting me into now, Joyce?’
‘Kirsty’s going to buy a pub in the Lake District.’
Alan’s expression revealed his total astonishment. His eyes swivelled towards Kirsty. ‘Tell me it’s true?’ he demanded. ‘Tell me she’s not making it up?’
‘It’s an inn, actually,’ Kirsty told him happily. ‘Not a pub.’
‘An inn?’
‘Oh, Alan!’ Joyce said despairingly. ‘Don’t you ever listen?’
‘I’m listening now, aren’t I?’ Turning back to Kirsty, he added, ‘An inn? Will it be the sort of place where old friends can come and stay for their holidays?’
‘As often as you like,’ she assured him. ‘I shall insist on it. And if you do a bit of gardening for me, you’ll get free beer as well.’
Alan switched the television off and pulled his chair closer to hers. ‘Tell me more,’ he insisted.
‘Oh, Alan!’ Joyce and Kirsty chorused in unison.
***
She returned to Fells that weekend, eager to have another look at the inn. Soon, she thought, soon I might not need to make this trip so often. Soon I might be here all the time.
It was a happy thought, one that made her smile and chuckle all the way there. It was only when she reached the bottom of the slope leading into the village that her dreams crashed. She saw in a moment that the “For Sale” sign outside the inn had been replaced by an “Under Offer” sign. It was some minutes before she could even bring herself to get out of the car.
Oh, well, she thought with resignation. At least I’ll still be able to come here to stay, whoever owns it.
Bob wasn’t in any better spirits than she was. He sat at one of the outside tables, watching her emerge from the car.
‘Hello, Bob.’
‘Hi.’
‘Been far?’
‘Not today.’
He returned to his newspaper. She shrugged and made her way inside. Maybe his pills weren’t
‘I thought you’d never ask.’
She told him then what she was thinking, and worrying and hoping. He listened thoughtfully. Somehow he managed to acquire cups of coffee for them both without her knowing how he had done it.
‘So,’ Kirsty concluded, ‘ I thought I would ask your advice.’
He nodded. ‘You really want to do this, don’t you?’
‘More than anything I’ve wanted for a long time.’
‘And I can see you’ve looked into it, and thought it through. Well, the bank should be able to help. There’s probably no need to sell your house, or your mother’s, unless you really want to. I’m sure we’ll be able to offer you a commercial mortgage. It’s a perfectly viable business you’re looking at here. The bank will be eager to support you. And so will I,’ he added graciously.
Kirsty smiled happily and blew out with relief. ‘I was really just thinking of a loan to bridge the gap, while the houses sell,’ she said diffidently.
‘Keep the two things separate, Kirsty. That would be my advice. One isn’t dependent on the other. Go ahead and sell if you want to, but you don’t have to.’
Matthew made a further proposal.
‘In the meantime, if it would help, I would be happy to open negotiations with the vendor’s agent on your behalf. See if we can knock the price they’re asking down a bit. Do you have their details?’
She liked the idea of “we”. She liked the thought that she wasn’t quite alone with all this.
‘Thank you, Matthew. What a help you’ve been.’
‘What are old school chums for, Kirsty?’
He made a performance out of a self-deprecatory shrug that had her laughing hours later when she recalled it.
‘Oh, yes,’ Joyce said breathlessly. ‘Oh yes indeed! What a wonderful idea, Kirsty. Oh, I do hope it comes off for you.’
‘I’m glad you approve,’ Kirsty said happily. ‘It’s early days yet, but I had to tell someone.’
‘Of course you did. And of course I approve. Alan does, as well, don’t you dear?’
‘Approve what?’ Alan said, looking away from the football match on the television. ‘What are you getting me into now, Joyce?’
‘Kirsty’s going to buy a pub in the Lake District.’
Alan’s expression revealed his total astonishment. His eyes swivelled towards Kirsty. ‘Tell me it’s true?’ he demanded. ‘Tell me she’s not making it up?’
‘It’s an inn, actually,’ Kirsty told him happily. ‘Not a pub.’
‘An inn?’
‘Oh, Alan!’ Joyce said despairingly. ‘Don’t you ever listen?’
‘I’m listening now, aren’t I?’ Turning back to Kirsty, he added, ‘An inn? Will it be the sort of place where old friends can come and stay for their holidays?’
‘As often as you like,’ she assured him. ‘I shall insist on it. And if you do a bit of gardening for me, you’ll get free beer as well.’
Alan switched the television off and pulled his chair closer to hers. ‘Tell me more,’ he insisted.
‘Oh, Alan!’ Joyce and Kirsty chorused in unison.
***
She returned to Fells that weekend, eager to have another look at the inn. Soon, she thought, soon I might not need to make this trip so often. Soon I might be here all the time.
It was a happy thought, one that made her smile and chuckle all the way there. It was only when she reached the bottom of the slope leading into the village that her dreams crashed. She saw in a moment that the “For Sale” sign outside the inn had been replaced by an “Under Offer” sign. It was some minutes before she could even bring herself to get out of the car.
Oh, well, she thought with resignation. At least I’ll still be able to come here to stay, whoever owns it.
Bob wasn’t in any better spirits than she was. He sat at one of the outside tables, watching her emerge from the car.
‘Hello, Bob.’
‘Hi.’
‘Been far?’
‘Not today.’
He returned to his newspaper. She shrugged and made her way inside. Maybe his pills weren’t
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