were more likely to be looking for a place on the Bay.
“You might need a new roof,” Cam was saying as they looked up at the front of the house.
“It’s not leaking,” she hastened to tell him. “It’s rained twice since I’ve been here and it hasn’t leaked at all. I looked everywhere, even in the attic. The roof isn’t leaking.”
“Looks like it’s at the end of its life span, though.”
“There’s nothing in the budget for a roof.” She moved on around the side of the house with him. “That’s not on the gotta-do-to-sell-the-place list.”
“You will want to clean out those gutters, though, maybe have the downspout replaced.” He pointed up toward the roof. “The gutter’s filled with leaves and the water will just spill over instead of going down the downspout when it rains. Which it can’t do anyway because the downspout’s separated from the gutters. See here?” He pointed to the place where the two pieces disconnected and moved the downspout slightly. “I’m guessing all of the gutters are in the same condition.”
He walked around to the back of the house and she followed.
Cameron grabbed the back-porch railing and wiggled it. “This is an accident waiting to happen. The top rail is loose and could give out if anyone leans too hard on it. Plus there are some rotting floorboards there on the deck, and a few steps are a little weak.” He looked at her somewhat apologetically. “I meant to come back and replace that railing and it completely slipped my mind.”
“You were the one who raked the leaves. You filled the bird feeders and stacked wood near the back door.”
He nodded.
“Jesse said he was keeping an eye on the place. I thought he meant he was doing it himself. I guess he meant you were. Was the estate paying you?”
“No.” Cameron appeared slightly insulted.
“Good Samaritan?”
“I knew Lilly Cavanaugh, a woman who used to live here. She was a very kind, sweet lady and she loved this house and her gardens. I figured the least I could do for her was keep up her place on the outside until someone decided to do something with it. She left the house to a niece who unfortunately never got to live here before she died.” He paused. “You must know that the niece was Lynley Sebastian, since you bought the house from her estate.”
Ellie nodded. “Did you ever meet her? Lynley Sebastian?”
“Sure. She spent some time here.”
“Really? What was she like?” Ellie’s heart skipped a beat.
“She was nice. Beautiful, even when she was sick.”
“Wait.” Ellie grabbed his arm. “She came here when she was sick?”
Cam nodded. “Not as much as she did before she got sick, but yeah. Why?”
“Just … curious, that’s all.” Ellie sought to recover. “I mean, you always saw her in magazines and on the society pages, but I don’t remember seeing pictures of her when she was sick.”
“Well, she came here, whether or not anyone was around to photograph her. I guess she didn’t publicize her comings and goings.”
Ellie tried to remember her mother leaving their home to go anywhere when she was being treated for the cancer that eventually took her life. Of course, Ellie was away at school much of the time, but still, would she have known if Lynley went away for a few days?
“Did she drive here on her own? How long did shestay?” The questions were out of her mouth before she could stop them.
Cam looked at her curiously. “She had a driver. He’d drop her off and she’d stay for … I don’t really know how long. What’s the difference?”
“She was a famous person and she owned the house I live in. It’s just natural to be curious.”
“I guess.”
Cameron walked past her to the center of the yard. “The entire house needs a new paint job.” He turned to his right. “Now, the carriage house needs more than just paint. It needs some hefty repairs.”
She tucked thoughts of her mother aside and tried to focus on what he was
“You might need a new roof,” Cam was saying as they looked up at the front of the house.
“It’s not leaking,” she hastened to tell him. “It’s rained twice since I’ve been here and it hasn’t leaked at all. I looked everywhere, even in the attic. The roof isn’t leaking.”
“Looks like it’s at the end of its life span, though.”
“There’s nothing in the budget for a roof.” She moved on around the side of the house with him. “That’s not on the gotta-do-to-sell-the-place list.”
“You will want to clean out those gutters, though, maybe have the downspout replaced.” He pointed up toward the roof. “The gutter’s filled with leaves and the water will just spill over instead of going down the downspout when it rains. Which it can’t do anyway because the downspout’s separated from the gutters. See here?” He pointed to the place where the two pieces disconnected and moved the downspout slightly. “I’m guessing all of the gutters are in the same condition.”
He walked around to the back of the house and she followed.
Cameron grabbed the back-porch railing and wiggled it. “This is an accident waiting to happen. The top rail is loose and could give out if anyone leans too hard on it. Plus there are some rotting floorboards there on the deck, and a few steps are a little weak.” He looked at her somewhat apologetically. “I meant to come back and replace that railing and it completely slipped my mind.”
“You were the one who raked the leaves. You filled the bird feeders and stacked wood near the back door.”
He nodded.
“Jesse said he was keeping an eye on the place. I thought he meant he was doing it himself. I guess he meant you were. Was the estate paying you?”
“No.” Cameron appeared slightly insulted.
“Good Samaritan?”
“I knew Lilly Cavanaugh, a woman who used to live here. She was a very kind, sweet lady and she loved this house and her gardens. I figured the least I could do for her was keep up her place on the outside until someone decided to do something with it. She left the house to a niece who unfortunately never got to live here before she died.” He paused. “You must know that the niece was Lynley Sebastian, since you bought the house from her estate.”
Ellie nodded. “Did you ever meet her? Lynley Sebastian?”
“Sure. She spent some time here.”
“Really? What was she like?” Ellie’s heart skipped a beat.
“She was nice. Beautiful, even when she was sick.”
“Wait.” Ellie grabbed his arm. “She came here when she was sick?”
Cam nodded. “Not as much as she did before she got sick, but yeah. Why?”
“Just … curious, that’s all.” Ellie sought to recover. “I mean, you always saw her in magazines and on the society pages, but I don’t remember seeing pictures of her when she was sick.”
“Well, she came here, whether or not anyone was around to photograph her. I guess she didn’t publicize her comings and goings.”
Ellie tried to remember her mother leaving their home to go anywhere when she was being treated for the cancer that eventually took her life. Of course, Ellie was away at school much of the time, but still, would she have known if Lynley went away for a few days?
“Did she drive here on her own? How long did shestay?” The questions were out of her mouth before she could stop them.
Cam looked at her curiously. “She had a driver. He’d drop her off and she’d stay for … I don’t really know how long. What’s the difference?”
“She was a famous person and she owned the house I live in. It’s just natural to be curious.”
“I guess.”
Cameron walked past her to the center of the yard. “The entire house needs a new paint job.” He turned to his right. “Now, the carriage house needs more than just paint. It needs some hefty repairs.”
She tucked thoughts of her mother aside and tried to focus on what he was
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