Page 90 of Meet me at the Seaside Cottages

Janey rubs her eyes. ‘I . . . ’

‘I’m going to Edinburgh next week,’ blurts out Essie. ‘I’ve got an interview and I’m going to stay at Connor’s.’

‘Okay, good, that’s great . . . ,’ says Janey, genuinely surprised.

‘I can’t believe you’re surprised,’ says Essie.

‘I’m not . . . honestly, I’m not. I think it’s wonderful.’

‘You weren’t expecting it.’

‘I can’t win,’ says Janey.

‘I didn’t realise it was about winning,’ says Essie.

*

They put on a property show and eat in silence, not even passing the usual remarks about how attempting to put in a circular all-glass extension is a disaster and a divorce waiting to happen.

Janey breaks first.

‘So Al tells me Dwight’s going into business with your city friends?’

‘Oh, my God, this town,’ says Essie.

‘I’m surprised . . . I thought he’d be small fry to them.’

‘It’s property, isn’t it?’ say Essie, not betraying that she’d thought the same thing. ‘Get in, leverage, take over the world.’

‘Hmm,’ says Janey. ‘I’m not sure Dwight is really the taking-over-the-world type.’

‘Dwight can do anything,’ says Essie without thinking, and Janey looks at her curiously. ‘He’s lucky to be in Tris’s fund,’ she adds, quickly. ‘It returns twelve per cent. Nothing does that.’

‘But doesn’t that mean Tris will own those houses, really?’

Essie scowls. ‘It’ll be fine.’

‘I don’t trust anything that I don’t quite understand,’ says Janey.

‘I can tell,’ says Essie, looking round the tiny room.

‘So you’re not going to go to Lowell’s, then?’

Essie frowns. Among everything else happening, she’d pretty much forgotten all about it. But she really, really needs some pin money though, for going back to the city.

‘What does he need me to do?’

‘Just help with the dogs, of course.’

‘Last employment: puppy-wrangler,’ says Essie.

‘Are you saying that in a happy way or a sarcastic way? I can’t tell with young people. And anyway, he might also need some babysitting.’

‘Better and better.’ But Essie’s face is losing its hostility as something occurs to her. ‘Are you going to keep a pup?’

‘Hahaha,’ says Janey. ‘Under absolutely no circumstances.’

‘If you had to choose, which one would you go for?’ says Essie, thoughtfully. It is a truce of some kind.

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