The Legacy of Hope House Read Free Page B

shrug, the solicitor began to fiddle with the papers in front of him as though he was suddenly in a hurry to conclude the interview. At this point, and for no particular reason, it popped into Anna’s mind that the man wanted her to go.
    Looking slightly uneasy, he shuffled the papers again, finally piled them together and slid the whole lot into a large folder, which he handed to Anna when he walked around to the front of his desk.
    Clutching the package to her chest, Anna stood up and crossed the room, with Mr James close behind her. When he reached the cabinet that stood at the side of the door, he slipped his hand into the top drawer and brought out a soiled linen bag.
    ‘Here are the keys to your property.’ He handed them over with a flourish, and then glanced anxiously at the clock on the wall. ‘I wish you well, Miss Williams.’ He offered his hand and opened the office door with a flourish. The interview was over.
    Anna walked out feeling dazed. All that money. All that detail. She wished she had taken her tape recorder along with her. Now I know what Mum meant by a white elephant, she thought, fingering the bag of keys as she walked towards her car.
    Uppermost in her mind now was that she owned something in need of urgent repair. Something she couldn’t sell; something for which she needed more money than she had. To Anna, the money Uncle Tom had left her was a fortune, but the solicitor was probably right—it would not go far on a place of that size.
    Her mother’s description of the house was pretty near the mark. It really was a misfortune, a huge responsibility, and a devastating worry. And right now she hadn’t a clue what to do with it.
     

 
    Chapter Four
     
    Exhausted from trying to absorb what Mr James had said, Anna slumped into a chair when she arrived home. She tried to tell her mother what he had told her, but it all came out in fits and starts and made little sense.
    For several minutes, she sat quietly, just thinking about the situation, then quietly addressed her mother. ‘Anyway, Mum, you said it was a white elephant, and I think you were dead-right; that’s what it seems to be. Look, I asked for the whole day off, so will you come with me to look at the place?’ She jangled the bunch of keys, and tucked her arm under her mother’s. ‘I’m keen to see what state it’s in, but before we go, I’d like you to take a quick look at these documents.’
    She spread them out on the table, but Margaret only gave them a cursory glance.
    ‘Another time, Anna. They can wait. More importantly, did Tom leave you any money?’
    ‘Yes, a small fortune in my opinion.’ Anna smiled at her mother’s surprised look when she told her how much. ‘I think it’s a lot, but Mr James thinks it’s peanuts, considering the repairs the old house needs. He reckons I’d be wise to pass it up, give it to The Trust. He suggested I should buy myself a nice little property with the money instead; a local one that would leave me with some change.’ She hunched her shoulders. ‘What I do with my inheritance is none of his business; matter of fact, I like his nerve in giving me his opinion. Does he assume I can’t think for myself?’
    ‘I see your point,’ Margaret said, with a sniff, ‘but maybe he thought you needed some good advice. After all, what he suggested is sensible and I think you should consider that option and look after the cash, rather than spend it on a useless old ruin.’
    ‘Anyway, come on Mum, if you’re not going to look at these documents now, let’s have a quick bite then go to see the house. We can talk about what I should do with it after we’ve had a good look at its potential.’
    Within five minutes of eating a light meal, Margaret was ready and waiting by Anna’s Mini. They both climbed into the car and set off on the fifteen-minute journey to Hope House.
    ‘Oh, my gawd,’ Anna exclaimed, as she drove through the open gates. The driveway seemed to go on for ever, but