Page 9 of Summer at Harbour View House
‘No, it’s not that. I was just thinking, if you really don’t want to look after your sister’s beach house, I could do it for you.’
‘You?’
‘Yes, me.’
‘Is that a good idea? I mean, you didn’t look after your flat very well, did you?’
Natasha grimaced. ‘Technically it wasn’t my fault. It was the woman downstairs. I’ve never actively burned anything.’
‘I’ll think about it.’
‘Okay, sure.’
Natasha turned back to her own pile of work, only for Tina to reach out and tap the edge of her desk with the top of her pen.
‘I’ve thought about it. Let me clear it with my sister. There’ll be a few rules you’ll need to remember, but I can write those down for you so you don’t forget. If she agrees, it’s yours.’
Suddenly a world of possibilities opened up. A summer in a luxurious beach house—what better way to spend the summer? It would give her a bit of breathing space, time to save a little money, and figure out her own rental situation. And maybe she could do something creative and constructive, like write a book or learn to play a musical instrument.
She couldn’t wait to get back to her hotel and pack.
Her smile dropped.
Hannah.
She couldn’t just turf her former neighbour out on the street, but Hannah was technically homeless too. And seemingly helpless. Perhaps there was someone else she could stay with? But Hannah had kept Natasha up half the night lamenting how little her family cared about her, and how none of her friends had offered to help. How she had spent all her money, lost her job, and was on the verge of losing her sanity.
It would be a complete nightmare.
But it would be nice to have a little company.
And it sounded like a big house, so they probably wouldn’t run into each other….
‘Ah, Tina?’
‘What?’
‘Would it be okay if I brought a friend?’
4
A Bus Stop in the Middle of Nowhere and a Lucky Encounter
‘Doyou think there’ll be shops?’
‘I imagine so. It’s not so far from St. Austell. That’s a decent sized town.’
‘What about Wi-Fi? I mean, I might need to order something.’
‘It’s owned by a rich divorcee. It’s quite likely to have Wi-Fi.’
‘What about bugs? Will we need any vaccinations?’
‘It’s Cornwall, not some jungle. There might be some midges, but we’re probably not going to get malaria.’
‘Aren’t Cornish people a little dangerous? I’ve heard they’re all farmers with no teeth who put the cream and jam on the scones the wrong way around.’
‘You’ve been listening to too many people from Devon. I don’t really think it matters that much.’
