A Jersey Kiss

by Georgina Troy

  I wish I could afford to help you out more,’ Shani said, wrapping her scarf another time round her neck. ‘Why is it so bloody cold, it’s March for heaven’s sake! ‘I’m sick of this weather too.’

  ‘What time is your appointment with the bank manager?’

  Bea groaned. ‘Nine o’clock. It’s the third time he’s seen me and the poor man keeps trying to find ways to help because of my aunt, but we’re not getting very far. He can only do what he’s allowed to do and I suppose I’ll be able to find out exactly what that will be when I see him tomorrow.’’

  ‘Mr Peters will see you now,’ his secretary said, showing Bea through to his wood-panelled office.

  ‘Ahh, Miss Philips,’ he said indicating a chair and opening a file on his desk. ‘I’ve studied your income and expenditure and how much money you’re hoping to borrow.’

  Before he could continue, Bea told him about Shani and how much she’d be contributing by way of rent.

  He listened in silence and made a few calculations. ‘Have to admit I can’t quite see how you’ll be able to make the monthly payments.’ Bea sat up straight, determined not to let him see how much his negativity was upsetting her. ‘Ms Philips, much as I would like to help you here, especially as I am such an old friend of your aunt, I’m afraid that at this moment in time, I simply will not be able to sanction a loan for the full amount.’ Bea opened her mouth to speak, but he continued, ‘Even with your friend moving in to lodge with you, I’m afraid you’ll be rather short on funds.’

  Bea chewed anxiously on her lower lip. ‘I have to find a way to keep the house if I possibly can.’

  ‘I’m sure you do, but I’m governed by procedures and have to make a decision based on those. I suggest you go home and maybe discuss this with family members, see if there is something they can maybe do to help solve this matter.’

  ‘Thank you, I will,’ Bea assured him, knowing full well that she wouldn’t get anywhere with any of her family. ‘My ex-husband needs his money now and I’m not quite sure how my family can afford to help me.’ She stood up and shook the bank manager’s hand. ‘I’ll do what I can and get back to you, if that’s all right?’

  ‘Yes, of course it is. I will be able to arrange for you to have a partial amount, but it would be less than a third of the value of the house and not the fifty per cent you were hoping for.’

  Bea forced a smile. ‘It isn’t enough, but I’d be grateful if you could put the offer in writing for me, so that if my circumstances change in any way, at least I know what I can borrow.’

  ‘Yes, of course,’ he nodded. ‘My secretary will forward the paperwork to you in the next few days and should you find an alternative source of funds, then we can arrange to finalise the paperwork at that time. Best of luck, Ms Philips.’

  Bea walked across the office to the door, and then turned to him thoughtfully. ‘Mr Peters, I’ve been wondering if perhaps you might recall my aunt mentioning something called, A Jersey Kiss?’

  His eyes widened slightly and he thought for a moment. ‘I can’t say that I do. What exactly is it, may I ask?’

  Bea shrugged. ‘I don’t know. My aunt left it to me, but no one seems to have any idea what it could be and we can’t find any records giving more information.’

  He tapped his ink blotter with his pen and stared out of the window, looking as intrigued as she’d been when the lawyer had told her about this mysterious legacy. ‘I do remember her mentioning some sort of gift to you. I know she was very proud of it, but I can’t say for certain that she was referring to this Jersey Kiss. Could it possibly be a piece of jewellery? Her late husband enjoyed commissioning intricate pieces for her.’ He shook his head slowly. ‘I’m sorry, I wish I did know. Maybe it’s a painting, or a sculpture that you’ve not noticed before?’

  Bea hadn’t thought to check the house or garden for sculptures. She smiled gratefully. ‘Thank you, you’ve been very helpful.’

  ‘Right,’ said Shani, when Bea visited her in a flustered state at the yoga studio after her appointment. ‘We’ll have to speak to Paul, and let him know I’ll be moving in with you sooner than we expected. He’ll understand our motives, I should think. You could always consider renting out a couple of the other rooms, too.’

  Bea hoped she was right about Paul, and feeling only slightly less panicky, hurried off to work to make up the time she’d taken for her appointment.

  Bea sighed heavily as she walked into her house at the end of the long, arduous day. The only sound to greet her was from Flea, snoring noisily in his bed in the kitchen. Bea took off her best navy coat and hung it over the back of her chair. Great guard dog he is, she thought, comforted by his complete lack of concern with the world, and wishing she could be as laid back about everything.

  Later that evening, as Bea was microwaving a lasagne dinner for one, Paul phoned. ‘Poor babe, the soon-to-be mother has informed me that my loss is to be your gain.’

  Bea’s heart pounded hearing Paul’s voice and tried to make out if he was happy or not about Shani’s news. ‘Yes,’ she acknowledged cautiously. ‘We thought if you didn’t mind, Shani would have much more space living here with the baby, and of course there’s the garden for all the fresh air she needs.’

  ‘Hold it right there,’ he interrupted. ‘You don’t need to give me the prepared speech, I do understand. After all, our lease doesn’t allow children, so we’d only have to move soon anyway. Stop worrying.’

  ‘Tell her everything, you little cheat,’ Shani shouted in the background.

  ‘Shut up you, I was about to.’ Bea could imagine Paul’s large blue eyes glaring at Shani in mock rage. ‘If you must know, Guy has asked me to move in with him and we’ve been trying to figure out a way to break the news to the mother-to-be here. We were even contemplating finding a two-bedroom cottage, so she could move in with us.’

  Bea realised Shani had snatched the phone from Paul. ‘I’m Billy-No-Mates, of course,’ he snapped. Obviously, he had taken it back from her. ‘Bloody hell, can’t a fellow have a simple conversation without being manhandled by some bossy woman? Go away and let me speak to my friend,’ he said. ‘Now Bea, where was I? Oh yes, you mustn’t worry, as now her ladyship is to abandon this unexceptional abode, Guy and I can get on with searching for our love nest sooner than we had hoped.’

  Bea gave a sigh of relief. ‘Well that’s one less problem to worry about. I’m glad to have been so helpful to you both,’ she laughed. ‘Tell Shani to let me know how and when I can help with moving her things here, though I’m not sure about the rent.’

  ‘No, you don’t. This isn’t solely a room I’m renting, it’ll be two soon, and you’re letting me have use of all the house and gardens. I’m not arguing, Bea. If this isn’t arranged in a fair way then I can’t accept your offer to move in.’

  ‘Shani,’ argued Bea. ‘You can’t afford that much.’

  ‘And you can’t afford not to accept it. It is the going rate, after all. I’m not a charity case, and my parents have offered to help me with the rent while I’m not working. Well, my father has. For once he’s over-ruled my mother and I had the feeling she’d been given a stern telling-off, because she was far nicer to me when I popped in to see them and discuss this yesterday.’

  Bea could tell by Shani’s voice that she was calmer about the situation now that her parents seemed to be coming round a little.

  ‘I’ll also make sure Harry agrees to assist in some way,’ Shani added.

  ‘All right, I give in.’ Bea thought through what Shani has told her for a moment. ‘We can each put in a certain amount per week for food, and I’ll cover the household bills myself. Yes, that’s what I’ll do. I’ll feel much happier then.’

  Bea could hear Shani murmuring to Paul and knew by her muffled voice that she had her hand clamped over the receiver as she discussed the finer points of their arrangements. ‘Paul’s nodding at me, so he thinks we’re on the right track. Great, we’ll do it like that then. This is going to be
exciting, don’t you think?’

  Bea giggled. It would be fun, and the thought of having someone to chat to late into the night cheered her up no end. ‘It’ll take us back to our boarding school days.’

  ‘You only boarded for two terms before your aunt insisted you came back to Jersey,’ Shani teased. ‘I was left there for an entire year after you’d gone.’

  Bea still felt guilty for her aunt’s intervention about the boarding school. She’d loved her all the more for bringing her home and it had been after that, when she went to live with her almost full time.

  Bea went back to her notes and added in Shani’s new agreed rental payments. It made her income appear far healthier than before. However, as generous at it seemed, she still couldn’t make the figures succeed in covering the payments she would need to keep a roof over their heads.

  She heard a noise outside and realised she hadn’t checked if she’d received any post that day. Bea went to the hall to see what delights the postman had delivered earlier. ‘Great,’ Bea groaned, opening a Court Order Simon had threatened her with. ‘This is a nightmare,’ she said to Flea, chewing on the end of her biro. ‘Damn Simon for wanting so much.’

  Twenty

  April – Home to Roost

  The phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. ‘Bea, it’s Tom, I’ve been thinking.’

  ‘You have?’ she said half-heartedly staring down at the sheet of paper and covering letter from the lawyer’s office in front of her.

  ‘I think I should host a dinner party. Maybe invite several friends, what do you think?’

  A dinner party? Bea was stumped and not exactly sure why he was asking her opinion. ‘I don’t see why not, you haven’t really entertained in your flat yet, have you?’

  ‘No, and I want to show my new friends that I’ve moved on from Vanessa.’

  Bea rubbed her neck; it was painful. She must have been looking down for too long, she decided. Bea leant her chin in her hand. ‘Fine.’

  ‘Will you help me with the food?’

  Aww, so that was it. Bea thought for a second or two. He sounded so unsure of himself, she didn’t like to refuse. ‘OK.’

  ‘Brilliant, thanks, Bea.’ He hesitated for a moment before adding. ‘Is everything all right?’

  ‘I’m having a bad day, that’s all,’ she explained, making an effort to be friendlier. It wasn’t as if he was the one demanding money with menace. ‘Being broke isn’t improving my mood, Tom. Now, who were you thinking of inviting?’

  ‘Us, of course’ he replied, his voice softer. ‘Your two friends, Mel, Grant, Luke and Leilani, and I thought that other couple from the Burns Supper evening. What are their names? Oh yes, Paige and Jeremy. I thought ten would make a decent number.’

  Bea’s mood took another nosedive. So he’d meant her friends then? And what about Guy? ‘Actually, it’ll be eleven with Guy don’t forget.’

  ‘Oh yes, sorry, I’d forgotten about him.’

  She ignored his reaction. ‘Anyway why would you want to invite Luke and Leilani?’ she dared to ask, her stomach doing somersaults. She hadn’t seen Luke since he had sat up with her all night when she was in that dreadful state. She shuddered to think of how humiliating it was going to be to see him again.

  ‘They appear at the same parties we go to and anyway I have to deal with him in business, so why not? I don’t think he and I will ever hit it off, but she seems very pleasant. In fact, she was the one who phoned me the other day and suggested we should all meet up.’

  ‘She did?’ Bea wondered what Leilani’s motive could be for trying to set this thing up. She wondered if Luke knew anything about it, but doubted it. Maybe he’d turn down the invitation anyway.

  ‘Yes, so it seems a little odd if I don’t. I thought if I held the meal, then at least it would be over and done with.’

  ‘I suppose so,’ she replied. ‘As long as you don’t talk business, I’d hate to let anything slip about this damn investigation. Any idea how much longer it should going on for?’

  ‘I don’t know exactly, but it won’t be too long now.’

  Bea sighed. ‘Do they still think he’s guilty?’ She didn’t dare hope he’d give her the answer she wanted.

  Tom didn’t speak for a few seconds. ‘I’m not sure. His partner’s the main culprit, that’s something I’m sure about. Luke is probably guilty by association more than anything, but we still have to make sure we don’t let anything slip about it, OK?’

  ‘Yes, of course.’ She couldn’t help smiling. Guilty by association wasn’t the same as consciously committing a criminal act. That had to be better, surely?

  ‘Fine, then it’s settled. I’ll give everyone a call and plan it for a week on Saturday, and let you know how you can help closer to the time. Speak soon.’

  She put down the phone and took a deep breath. Flea opened one eye to glance at her before immediately falling back into a deep sleep. ‘You lucky bugger, I wish I was a dog sometimes.’

  ‘Blimey, how on earth did you manage to hide all this stuff in your room in the flat?’ Bea said over her shoulder as she carried yet another box of books from her car into the house. ‘Couldn’t you have weeded out the ones that you’ve read and do something with them?’

  ‘I love my books.’ Shani pulled a bag over her shoulder and took a bin bag of clothes in each hand and followed her friend up the stairs and into her designated bedroom at the back of the house. She dropped the bags on to the bed and leant against the window sill, staring out over the orchard beyond. ‘This is a perfect view,’ she panted, turning to Bea. ‘I can’t think why you don’t have this room.’

  Bea emptied the bags. ‘I prefer the view of the veggie garden, although I admit nothing can beat this one when the apple blossoms are in full bloom.’

  Shani leant out of the window and breathed in deeply. Bea couldn’t help smiling. This was going to be so lovely, having someone to share all the wonderful things about this place. ‘I don’t know how to thank you, Bea. You’ve been a life saver offering this room to me.’

  ‘Rubbish.’ Bea shook her head. ‘I need your money and you and the baby need a roof over your heads. I think we’re evens. Don’t you?’ Bea shrugged. ‘Anyway, I’ve been looking forward to having you both here so much. We’re going to have so much fun.’

  Shani turned to face her and leant against the wall, resting both hands on her rounded stomach. ‘Thank you, for not making me feel like a parasite.’

  ‘Stop it,’ Bea said, upset to hear her friend talking about herself in such a way. ‘You’re only feeling like that because of Harry treating you so badly.’

  ‘I suppose so, but at least when he phoned me at work yesterday he did promise he’d help me out financially, not that he has much choice legally. Although he still insists he doesn’t want anything to do with us once the baby is born.’

  ‘Now why don’t you start unpacking and putting some of these clothes away before they crease too badly? I’ll go down and get another couple of bags. If we keep at this, we should be finished in an hour or so.’

  ‘Hey there,’ shouted Paul up the stairs. ‘We’ve brought another car load.’

  ‘Well, grab what you can and start to bring it up here if you want,’ Bea bellowed back at him. ‘Bloody hell.’ Bea laughed seeing Shani’s face reddening as she attempted to fold the mountains of coloured fabrics into neat piles on the crumpled bed. ‘We’re going to have to start putting boxes in the attic soon; there simply won’t be enough room down here for all this stuff.’

  Paul walked into the room and laughing and held up a pair of Shani’s size eight jeans. ‘I doubt you’ll be wearing these for a while.’

  Bea snatched them out of his hand and shook her head. ‘For that mean comment you can take these few boxes up to the attic.’

  ‘What, now?’ He widened his eyes and grimaced. ‘I hate attics; they’re filthy places, full of smelly old things.’

  She laughed but, forcing a stern look on her face, stood with her hands
on her hips and held up the jeans. ‘And while you’re there you can have a rummage to see if you can find any paintings that could be the Jersey Kiss. I still haven’t discovered what it was, but I’m sure it’s probably a painting. I don’t remember Aunt Annabel wearing any unusual jewellery, so I doubt it’s that.’

  ‘All right, I’m going.’ He picked up one of the boxes and left the room. He waved Guy to follow him. ‘You can come with me; I’ll need you to hold the torch.’

  ‘You do know he’s secretly going to have a ball up there,’ Shani laughed. ‘He’s so nosy; it’ll be his idea of heaven, especially if he does find this painting.’

  Bea doubted he’d find anything worthwhile. All she remembered being stored in the attic was old furniture and a few trunks of clothes, some of them dating back to when her aunt was at boarding school decades ago. ‘I’ve been meaning to go through everything, but the thought of all the spiders hiding up there in the eaves is enough to put me right off.’ She shuddered.

  ‘This is so embarrassing. I didn’t realise I had so much. And these things.’ She held up the jeans. ‘Paul’s right, they may as well be thrown away; I can’t imagine ever fitting into them again.’

  ‘Of course you will.’ Bea held them up. ‘You’ll lose all your baby weight in no time; you’ve always been so skinny. Anyway, when you go back to work all that yoga will pull everything back together before you know it.’ She threw the jeans back on the bed.

  They separated Shani’s boxes into items she wanted to keep in either her room or the baby’s and boxes to go into the attic out of the way. ‘Phew, I’m exhausted. All this lifting and moving things around is harder than you think.’ Bea fanned her hot face with a gym brochure. ‘It’ll be good to store that lot out of the way for a bit, at least until we know exactly what’s happening with this place,’ Bea suggested. ‘If I do stay here there’s more than enough room to give you your own living room, if you like.’

  ‘Are you two actually going to help us, or are you expecting me to cart this lot up those rickety steps?’ Paul complained shouldering the half-open door back against the wall and struggling in to the room laden with a box stuffed full of ornaments. ‘I found this on the landing. You don’t half have a mountain of tat here, Shan.’