The House That Alice Built

by Chris Penhall

  ‘Alice … come on. Let’s sort this out amicably. The house is our joint property. That means half belongs to me, obviously. Solicitors cost money and cause aggravation. Let’s just put it on the market and split it. Then we can both move on. I don’t know how long you’ve been here, but you can’t be earning anything. How are you paying the mortgage?’

  Alice took a deep breath to calm herself down. ‘On paper it’s joint property, Adam. But I paid for most of it and did most of the renovations. And that means that it is not half yours.’

  Adam rose to his feet and they faced each other across the table. ‘Do you know how much that house is worth now? We bought it years ago and it was a wreck. For God’s sake.’

  ‘I’ll sell it when I want to. And when I do, ninety per cent of what it’s worth is mine.’

  ‘I can force you to sell it.’

  ‘Why? Do you need the money now, Adam? Do you? What for?’

  ‘For our business.’ Veronique smiled, without looking up. ‘Our ceramics business. I have been very successful in Argentina, and we want to bring it to the UK.’

  Alice turned to walk away. ‘Not with my money,’ she said. ‘Now excuse me, I have work to do.’

  Adam leaned across the table and pulled her arm. ‘Oh no you don’t. You can’t keep running away.’

  ‘I haven’t been running anywhere Adam,’ she said quietly. ‘You’re the one that’s been running. And now you want everything to go your way. In your time. And I say NO!’

  Adam’s arm dropped limply to his side as Alice strode away.

  ‘What’s going on? Who is that? Are you okay?’ Carlos appeared by her side.

  Alice was almost hyperventilating. ‘Don’t let him see me cry,’ she whispered.

  ‘Come inside and I will make you a coffee,’ he said. ‘On the house.’

  She played with her phone as she sipped the hot milky galao, wanting to call Luis; longing for him to suddenly appear with Elvis in tow, laughing and flirting and teasing her; wanting not to have heard Marcella’s gossip. Wanting to turn the clock back to the magical day they had spent at his house on the hill – him taking his photos, her creating the mosaic pictures, when the whole world was just Luis and Alice.

  If she called him, would he tell her something she didn’t want to hear? Something she didn’t have the strength to deal with now? Adam’s words crowded her head. He made everything seem grey. He had done for years, she realised. What had happened to him? She remembered falling in love with someone completely different all those years ago. How had he changed so much? Or was it her?

  ‘How are you now?’ Carlos sat down next to her.

  ‘I’m okay. Thank you.’

  ‘That man. Who is he?’

  ‘My ex. With his new partner. They want to sell our house. But I don’t want to.’

  ‘It is cruel that he has brought her.’

  ‘Yes, I suppose it is.’

  ‘Shall I call Ignacio and ask him to get Kathy to collect you?’

  ‘No. No. It’s fine. Kathy’s not very well.’ Alice took a sip of her coffee again. She had to do something. But she wasn’t ready to face Adam again. ‘Actually, are you in contact with Stephano? You know, that landscape gardener?’

  ‘No. I’m not. But Luis is his friend. Try him.’ He stood up and smiled at her. ‘I have to go back to work. You know I can spread the word about that man. He won’t be able to get a glass of water in the square, let alone a meal.’

  ‘Could you?’ Alice felt her eyes light up.

  ‘Yes!’

  ‘No. That’s cruel, although …’

  Carlos clapped his hands together. ‘Leave it to me.’

  She sat back. Adam was bringing out the worst in her. Then she sent a text to Luis asking whether he had Stephano’s number.

  The reply came immediately.

  Yes. Here it is. At the estate agents. Trying to sort things out. See you soon. Xx

  Alice smiled inside, a warm glow suddenly spreading through her, but it soon began to cool as a picture of Marcella crept into her mind. ‘What is it with him and old women?’ Alice gulped as Marcella’s words extinguished her smile and made her heart beat faster again.

  Belem glistened in the afternoon sun; the grey bricks of the Torre and the Monument to the Discoveries reflecting the milky blue of the river. Alice took a photo. The colours would be useful for something.

  What are you doing here? asked the voice in her head.

  ‘No idea.’

  Well you didn’t accidentally beam in from outer space did you?

  Alice had fled the square, her head a cacophony of Adam and Veronique, of Marcella, of Luis, of houses and solicitors, Stephano and Kathy, of duty and responsibility and not knowing what she wanted. She forced herself to walk, as if her body would move faster than her thoughts and she could leave them behind somewhere on a bench or a wall so they could argue with themselves. Her feet took her to the station, onto a train, and off it at Belem. And somehow for a while she managed to lose herself in the old buildings and narrow streets. But it was always there, somewhere in the background.

  She sat in the park next to the fountain and closed her eyes for a moment. I have to do something, she thought. I can’t let him walk all over me any more. Taking a deep breath she turned on her phone. Five missed calls from Adam and three texts. She deleted them without bothering to read them and blocked his number again.

  She looked up at the Monument to the Discoveries and stood up, taking her small guide book out of her bag.

  Built on the north bank of the Tagus River in 1960 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the death of Prince Henry the Navigator, the Monument to the Discoveries portrays a three-sailed ship ready to depart.

  Alice leaned on the wall, watching the River Tagus ebb out to sea to the west, imagining what it was like for those men sailing off into the unknown. She read the next paragraph of the book.

  The sides are decorated with sculptures of important historical figures such as Vasco da Gama, Magellan, Cabral and other Portuguese explorers, crusaders, monks and cartographers. Prince Henry the Navigator is at the prow holding a small vessel.

  Putting the book in her bag, she sighed. It was time to do something. Hiding from the truth was not an option any longer. Tapping the details of Cooksley and Sons solicitors into her phone, she got an email address and wrote a message asking them to get three valuations on her house as soon as possible.

  Heart beating fast and hands shaking she leaned into the breeze and tried to breathe slowly. For the second time that day Alice wanted to cry. But this time the tears did not come, just something hard and strong and determined. And angry. Her breathing slowly calmed down as her head began to unjumble.

  So the Good Ship Alice Dorothy Matthews is about to set sail into a new world? questioned the voice in her head.

  ‘Not necessarily,’ said Alice.

  Oh I think so, it replied. This is all very symbolic, isn’t it?

  She glanced at the river again and allowed herself a limp smile. ‘I suppose it is.’

  Her phone buzzed. It was a text from Luis.

  Hi. How’s your day? X

  ‘Tell him, tell him,’ she said out loud. But she didn’t.

  I’m okay, thanks. What about you? Still busy? X

  Yes, But I haven’t forgotten your birthday. Day after tomorrow. I will wine and dine you. X

  Looking forward to it.

  But she didn’t believe her own text this time. Because finding out the truth about Luis was something she needed to do but couldn’t face. What if Marcella was right? What if even this was about to crumble away too? Then she’d have nothing.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Despite leaving two voicemails and several texts the previous evening, Stephano was obviously still in no mood to be found. And a listless and fretful night had led to an unwanted and heavy sleep until almost midday. A long and energetic swim had not rid Alice of her irritability or anxiousness, so she had decided to track him do
wn in person.

  Deciding to ask Ignacio if he knew where Stephano was, she walked to the hotel. The foyer was a cool and welcoming respite from the dry heat of the mid-afternoon sun. An airport coach had just dropped off several groups of excited holidaymakers, so Alice paced around, fanning herself with her hat, waiting for Ignacio to arrive.

  I should be dealing with my own problems, she thought. But she was in no mood to talk with Adam until the house valuations had been done. And the nagging doubts about Luis were dragging her down. So she continued to wait.

  ‘Alice. How are you on this lovely day?’ Ignacio appeared from the middle of the crowd of tourists, smiling.

  ‘I’m okay, thank you. How are you?’

  Ignacio looked at her curiously for a minute. ‘I am very well, Alice. But I think you are not.’

  ‘No, I’m fine.’

  ‘I think you are not.’

  ‘I am!’ She tried smiling.

  ‘Ahhh, good, that is better.’

  ‘Do you know where Stephano is?’

  ‘No. No, I don’t. But I think I can find out. Have you asked Kathy?’

  ‘I don’t want to bother her. She’s a bit busy today.’

  ‘I can give you his number,’

  ‘I have it, thank you. He’s not answering his phone.’

  ‘Perhaps he is busy too?’

  ‘Maybe. But it is urgent, so …?’

  Ignacio turned towards one of the receptionists, who was still surrounded by a sea of people. ‘Okay. For you,’ he said eventually. ‘Can you tell me why?’

  ‘Um, no.’

  ‘It is okay, Alice. You are like family. You do not have to say.’

  ‘Oh, that’s kind. Thank you,’ she said, slightly taken aback, and suppressing the sudden urge to throw her arms around him.

  He pushed through the throng to the reception desk and returned with a piece of paper.

  ‘He is here,’ he said. ‘Costa Caparica, the other side of the river. He has rearranged his days looking after the grounds here so he can remodel the gardens of a guesthouse owned by his friends.’

  ‘Thank you. Is there a train or a bus? How do I get there?’

  Ignacio looked at his watch. ‘I can take you. I have had a cancellation already today. I was working very late last night. A trip to Caparica would be a nice break.’

  ‘I will pay you.’

  He held his hand up. ‘No, no, not today. As I said it will be a break. I have not been south of the river for months. It will be good to go.’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Alice, I would not do it if I was not sure. Come.’

  As the car turned onto the bridge over the Tagus, pulling away from the sprawl of Lisbon over to the south of the river, Alice felt her mind quieten with the steady thrum of the engine. Her eyes began to flutter closed and she fell into a calm sleep. She woke as the car stopped, to the sound of Ignacio’s voice shouting into his phone, but it was so fast she could not decipher the Portuguese. Although, from his tone it was obvious he was not very happy.

  Stepping slowly onto the road, her hair was caught by a gentle breeze, heavy with sand and sea. To the left was a beautiful old guest house, enclosed by a tangle of bushes and trees and ahead a wall of sand dunes tumbling to a vast expanse of gold beach stretching into the far distance.

  Kicking off her shoes she followed a wooden walkway to the beach and sat staring, mesmerised, at the sea. Her brain seemed to have emptied of the chaos of the last few days, soothed by the gentle, rhythmic breaking of the waves.

  ‘Excuse me, Alice. I am sorry about that.’ Ignacio sat down next to her. ‘I was asked to collect someone from one of the golf courses, but I said no. They were not happy. Is a man not allowed a few hours rest!’

  ‘This is beautiful,’ she said. ‘So different to the other side of the river. Less rugged, I think. Softer, in a way.’

  Ignacio took his jacket off. ‘I am on holiday.’ He smiled. ‘I will cut loose and be just in my shirtsleeves.’

  ‘Is that the guest house that Stephano is working at?’

  ‘Yes. But he will probably be at lunch. It is not quite three o’clock yet. That means you can stare at the sea for a little while longer.’

  ‘It’s like a meditation aid.’ Alice shook her hair and stretched her arms above her head. ‘I’ve been a bit tense.’

  ‘I have heard that your ex-husband has been here bothering you,’ said Ignacio.

  ‘Word does get around doesn’t it? He’s not my ex-husband though. We never married.’

  ‘More fool him.’

  ‘No. I think I’m the fool here.’

  ‘We can tell he is upsetting you. I know it’s about your house. What will happen?’

  ‘Well.’ Alice closed her eyes and took a deep breath. ‘I cannot ignore him any more. Either we sell the house or I buy him out. He wants more of it than I think he’s entitled to. If I want the proportion that is rightfully mine, then I think I will have to fight him in court. That’s what my solicitor says. I e-mailed her yesterday. And if I win he could go to appeal … and it will cost money. It’s so unfair. All of it.’ She put her head in her hands and fought back the tears.

  ‘Yes, yes, it is unfair,’ said Ignacio quietly.

  They both sat in silence for a few moments.

  ‘Where do you live, Alice?’ asked Ignacio eventually.

  ‘Where? I live in London.’

  ‘So, you don’t live here?’

  ‘I sort of do.’

  ‘Do you want to live in London?’

  ‘It’s where my house is.’

  ‘You didn’t answer my question.’

  She smiled. ‘No, I didn’t.’

  ‘Because you want to live here.’

  ‘I was just here for a rest.’

  ‘And now?’

  ‘I can’t just give everything up and move here. It’s a bit of a risk. It’s not like moving to Bristol or something. I think I need paperwork and stuff. I need to work and I think I need to get permission to stay? Oh, I don’t know.’

  ‘What will you be giving up?’

  ‘I have to get a job. And that’s where my kind of jobs are.’

  Ignacio looked at her and shook his head. ‘Alice, have you ever thought there are other ways to live your life other than the way you have so far?’

  She pulled up some ragged scrub grass and began to tear it up slowly. ‘In my mind I was supposed to be married, have two or three children, be a successful artist and have my dream house by now. That’s what I wanted when I was a little girl. I wanted the kind of man my stepfather is. Not an irresponsible, selfish, cruel waster like my father. But I chose Adam. Who despite outward appearances has turned out to be exactly like him. My mistake! I got my house though. That’s all I’ve got.’

  ‘I have seen your pictures. You are an artist.’

  ‘I can’t make a living out of them.’

  Ignacio leaned back and shielded his eyes from the sun. ‘My family loved it here. My grandparents owned a farm close by.’

  ‘It’s a beautiful spot.’

  ‘Yes, it is. My parents used to drive us down to stay with them as often as they could. We children used to sit in the back of my father’s truck with all our suitcases and extra food. I don’t know why we needed extra food – we were going to a farm after all … still, that is how my mother is! Even now. We were so happy – all I can remember is long, sunny summer’s days with my family – my cousins and aunts and uncles would all come too. There would be noisy meals on a long table amongst the lemon trees, arguments, laughing, and when my grandfather had drunk too much, singing.’

  ‘It sounds lovely.’

  ‘It was. A lot of them are gone now – either died or moved away, or too busy to keep in touch. But I remember those days and it makes me love this place. And I have let new people into my life as I have grown older, and so I love other places, other things too.’

  ‘Are you trying to tell me something?’

  ‘Just that
you must do what makes you happy. Because it can be gone in an instant and if you always look to the past you may never have what makes you happy there and then. Now.’

  ‘That’s very wise. You sound as if you’ve had some big sadness in your life?’

  Ignacio laughed. ‘No, not at all. My sister reads a lot of self-help books and I read them when I am at her house so I can’t hear my nieces and nephews arguing.’

  Alice wanted to throw her arms around him for the second time that day. ‘Oh Ignacio.’ She laughed. ‘You do make me smile.’

  He stood up and began to put his jacket back on. ‘Come,’ he said. ‘I think Stephano will be back from his lunch now. Do you want me to come with you?’

  ‘No. No, thank you. I need to speak to him in private.’ Alice shook the sand from her feet and put her shoes back on, and as she walked towards the building she turned. Ignacio was pacing along the beach dialling a number on his phone.

  Stephano was standing under a small copse of trees taking photographs of the hotel gardens as Alice walked through the gates. ‘Stephano?’

  He looked up, startled. ‘Ola,’ he said as Alice walked towards him. ‘What are you doing here?’

  ‘I came to see you,’ she said.

  ‘To see me?’

  ‘Yes. I tried phoning you but couldn’t get through. Is the signal bad here?’

  ‘Yes, it is. And I haven’t been checking my phone. I don’t have long to finish the project.’

  ‘Anyway,’ she sighed, sitting on a bench in the shade. ‘Have you got time to talk to me for a few minutes as I’ve come all this way?’

  ‘Of course,’ he said, sitting at the opposite end of the seat.

  ‘Kathy’s not very well. She was rushed to hospital a couple of days ago.’

  He stood up in shock. ‘Is she all right? Is she okay?’ he asked, anxiously.

  ‘Not really. She’s out of hospital though.’

  Stephano sat down, bowing his head and rubbing his temples.

  ‘Why have you not been in contact with her, Stephano?’

  ‘I needed some space. To think,’ he said quietly.

  ‘Now that’s a bit of a luxury, isn’t it?’

  ‘You don’t understand.’

  ‘Understand what?’