When Alice Met Danny Read online

  The little boy had closed his eyes by this time and was drifting off to sleep. Vicky nodded approvingly. ‘Sorry it’s an unpleasant shock for you. But for me it’s wonderful to find that the place is finally going to be cleaned up. And, the fact that the developer is a talented childminder is an added bonus. Danny will be very pleased to see you again. Have you got kids of your own?’

  Alice shook her head. ‘No, not yet.’ No sooner had she said it than she found herself wondering why she had used the word “yet”. ‘I’ve been working in London since I left uni. This is the start of my new life.’ Her eyes flicked over in the direction of the dividing wall. ‘Although I didn’t really expect it to start in a house full of poo.

  Chapter 6

  Alice found accommodation for the night in a charming little bed & breakfast, located in the village of Woodcombe, only a few miles out of town. It was called Drake Cottage. She received a warm welcome from the elderly lady owner. The room was spacious and clean, with a view out over the well-kept back garden to the fields beyond. A young black Labrador was wandering round outside, sniffing the bushes.

  ‘This is a lovely room, Mrs Tinker. Am I your only guest tonight?’

  ‘I’m glad you like it, my dear. I only have the one room now. I used to take up to four or five, but it’s too much work for me now. I’m just glad to have the company from time to time.’

  ‘Is that your dog out there?’ Alice loved the garden and the countryside views.

  ‘That’s Danny. He’s still a youngster, but he’s a very good dog. Do you have a dog yourself?’

  Alice reflected for a moment that she had now been asked if she had a child and a pet, both in the same day. Did this mean that fate was somehow trying to get her to settle down? And a dog and a child with the same name? This reminded her of the other Danny, who would be moving into her London flat in two weeks’ time. Hopefully he wouldn’t pee on any plants. She smiled at the thought.

  ‘No, we had a cat when I was growing up, but I don’t know much about dogs.’

  ‘Well, if you want to come down for a cup of tea once you’ve settled in, I’ll introduce you to him.’

  When Alice had opened her bag and hung a few things in the wardrobe, she went back down the stairs. Mrs Tinker was waiting at the kitchen door.

  ‘Come in here, my dear. It’s warmer by the Aga.’

  The kitchen was indeed very cosy. The old range heated the room to a very comfortable temperature. As Alice walked in, the black dog climbed out of his wicker basket and trotted over to say hello. Alice hesitated, unused to dogs and a bit afraid of such a big animal. She stopped dead and pressed her hands nervously against her sides while the dog sniffed her.

  Mrs Tinker saw her discomfort. ‘Danny, come back here and leave Alice alone.’ The dog turned away as he heard the call and returned to his mistress. ‘That’s a good boy. Now lie down in your basket and leave the lady alone.’ She stroked his head affectionately and then pointed towards the wicker basket. The dog did as instructed. Alice was impressed.

  ‘You’ve got him well-trained already.’

  ‘That’s Labs for you. Give them food and they’ll do anything you ask. I dare say I could get him to play the piano if I had a few spare joints of beef. Now, how do you take your tea?’

  Mrs Tinker gave her a key to the front door. As she handed it over, she winked. ‘But if you should forget it, I never lock the back door. Well, apart from at night, of course.’

  Alice looked up in surprise. ‘But aren’t you afraid of burglars?’

  ‘I’ve lived in this house for over sixty years without anything happening to me. Woodcombe’s a safe place to live. It’s not like London here, you know.’

  They sat and chatted. Alice learned that the village pub, the King’s Arms, served good food. And it was only a few minutes’ walk from the house. She resolved to eat there that evening. The conversation turned to Alice’s reasons for being in Devon. Uncomfortably, she related the story of the house in Lyndhurst Avenue. Mrs Tinker was appalled.

  ‘I’ve never heard anything like it. How could somebody behave like that? You poor thing.’

  ‘It’s my own fault, Mrs Tinker. If I hadn’t been so stupid as to buy the place without viewing it, I wouldn’t be in this pickle now.’

  ‘How were you to know? Really!’ She couldn’t believe it. ‘And you were planning on moving in there yourself?’

  ‘Well, not immediately. I knew there would be a lot of work to be done first. The agents’ particulars made it clear that it needed complete refurbishment.’

  Mrs Tinker was clearly relieved. ‘So, are you going back to London, or are you going to stay down here while the work takes place? Chocolate Hobnob?’ She pushed the packet across the table. A black shadow materialised at Alice’s side. Mournful brown eyes gazed upwards. As Alice took each bite of the biscuit, she felt the dog’s eyes trained on her.

  ‘Don’t mind Danny. He knows he never gets food off the table, but he tries it on with newcomers. Just ignore him.’

  Alice swallowed the last piece and sensed an immediate drop in interest from the floor. She washed it down with a mouthful of tea. ‘I have to go back on Friday, but my plan is to look around for a little place to rent for a few months, while the work gets done.’ She reflected for a moment. ‘Now that I’ve seen the place, I would imagine we are talking about quite a few months.’ She looked round the comfortable kitchen. ‘I don’t suppose I could stay here for six months?’

  ‘I can do better than that.’ Mrs Tinker set down her mug. She was smiling. ‘Much better. You remember I told you I used to have more guests?’ Alice nodded. ‘Well, you see, I used to put them next door. I own both halves of the cottage. There’s this half with two bedrooms upstairs and there’s next door. It’s sort of a mirror image of this place. Since my George died, I don’t need the space, so it’s just been mothballed, so to speak. Would you like to take a look?’

  Alice jumped to her feet. For the first time that day, she began to feel a bit more optimistic. Together, they went out of the back door and through a gate in the fence. The dog was left in the kitchen. Mrs Tinker pulled a key from her apron pocket and opened the back door.

  ‘Welcome to Duck Cottage.’ She ushered Alice inside. ‘Mine is called Drake Cottage. We didn’t name them. They’ve always been called that. Now, don’t be put off by the chill in here. I can soon get it tidied up, heating on and warm as toast.’

  Alice followed her round the little cottage, delighted with everything she saw in there, from the woodburning stove in the lounge to the modern bathroom next to the main bedroom. And the views were, if anything, even better than from next door.

  Mrs Tinker tapped the wall behind the bed head. ‘Your bedroom for tonight’s just the other side of there.’ She led her back down the steep little stairway. ‘Well, what do you think?’

  ‘I love it, Mrs Tinker. It’s exactly the sort of place I was dreaming of.’

  ‘I’m glad you like it. I’m sure you’ll be comfortable there.’ She led Alice back into her cottage. As they walked in, both of them got a friendly nuzzle from the dog. Alice surprised herself by finding it quite natural to pat his head as he did so. Children and dogs in one day?

  ‘Now let me see.’ Mrs Tinker sat down again and did some mental arithmetic. After a few moments, she went on to name a rental figure that was less than half what the two-legged Danny would be paying for the use of the London flat. Alice lost no time in accepting.

  ‘You’ve no idea how happy I am, Mrs Tinker. I thought this was one of the worst days of my life, but I’m feeling an awful lot better now. Now all I need is a good builder. Oh yes, and a surveyor, and a cleaning company with a strong stomach.’ She realised with a start that she was scratching the big dog behind his ear, while he grunted with satisfaction. She carried on in amazement. ‘I don’t suppose you know any good builders?’

  ‘I can do better than that, my dear.’ Mrs Tinker was enjoying her role as Alice’s saviour. ‘I can intro
duce you to my nephew. He’s a surveyor, and a good one, I can assure you. And he knows all the builders in the area.’

  ‘Mrs Tinker, you’re a marvel.’

  ‘I’m just glad I can be of assistance.’

  Chapter 7

  The King’s Arms was almost empty at six o’clock. The young man behind the bar was friendly and attentive, and the food menu impressive. She ordered the mixed seafood platter and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. A sign outside had boasted the existence of free wifi, so she took a table in the corner and pulled out her iPad.

  A check of her e-mails revealed one from Nigel, congratulating her on accepting the severance package and repeating his regrets at the board’s decision. She deleted it with a smile. There was also one from Danny. Two-legged Danny, she thought to herself with a smile. He hoped everything was going well and wondered when she would be back in London. She told him she planned to stay in Devon until the end of the week and gave him a brief summary of the day’s events, doing her best to play down the true state of number 23. She ended by giving him the news that she had already found a house to rent. Just a few moments after she pressed Send, her fish arrived.

  She had a very pleasant meal for a fraction of the cost of a similar dish in London, and followed it with a fresh fruit salad. She was just finishing when a man came up to her table.

  ‘Hello. Sorry to interrupt. I’m Peter. Are you Alice Grant, by any chance? I got a call from Auntie Agnes.’ He was a friendly-looking man, maybe in his late forties. ‘She told me there was a maiden in distress and I had to get myself over here as soon as possible.’ He gave her a smile. ‘So here I am.’

  Alice smiled back. ‘She’s a wonder, your aunt. I hope I have even half her energy when I’m that age. Thank you so much for coming. Let me, at least, get you a drink.’ She made to stand up, but he caught her shoulder and pressed her gently back into her seat.

  ‘Maidens in distress don’t buy drinks. What can I get you?’ He pointed towards her empty glass. ‘Another one of those?’

  She sat back and nodded gratefully. ‘This maiden in distress business isn’t as bad as it sounds. That would be lovely.’

  When he returned with the drinks, he lost no time in introducing himself properly. ‘Here’s my card. I’m a building surveyor. I do everything from homebuyer surveys to full design and build projects. My aunt tells me you have a refurbishment project in mind.’

  ‘Slightly more complicated than simple refurbishment, I’m afraid.’ Alice went on to describe the circumstances surrounding her purchase of the house and its present state. She left nothing out, including her stupidity in buying it unseen and the insanitary behaviour of the loony lady. To her surprise, he looked quite unfazed by her revelations.

  Noting the expression on her face, he explained. ‘You wouldn’t believe some of the things I’ve seen over the years. You’ve just finished eating, so I won’t go into graphic detail, but you can believe me when I tell you I’ve seen worse.’

  She found that hard to believe, but she felt it better not to pry, not least as she had a full stomach. ‘So, do you think you could help?’

  ‘Of course. So what exactly would you like me to do?’

  ‘Well, I suppose I need a survey first. But, in order for you to get in to do the survey, I need to find a firm who can go in and clear the place and disinfect it. I don’t suppose you know who might do that?’

  He was nodding. ‘That’s not a problem. There’s a firm in Birmingham who specialise in this sort of thing. I’ve used them before. I’m afraid it won’t be cheap, as they’ll have to send a team down from the Midlands, but they’ll do a good job.’ Alice almost sighed with relief.

  ‘That’s wonderful. Would you please instruct them to get on to it? And then, once you’ve done the survey, I’d like you to draw up a list of the things that need to be done to return it to a decent, habitable state. And then it’ll be a matter of finding builders and so on…’ Her voice tailed off as she thought about the extent of the job ahead. He was quick to reassure her.

  ‘Don’t worry, once it’s all cleaned out, you and I can go in and take a good look round and decide just what needs to be done. If there’s anything that needs planning permission or Building Control consent I can make these applications on your behalf. OK?’

  ‘Absolutely.’ Alice felt as if a very heavy weight had been removed from her shoulders. She had a thought. ‘I’ve only got one key at the moment. I’ll get some duplicates made tomorrow. How do I get one to you?’

  He explained that his offices were right in the town centre, not far from the auctioneers. She agreed to drop him in a couple of keys the next morning. He drained his pint, politely refused the offer of another and stood up.

  ‘If you don’t mind, Ms Grant, I had better get off home. My wife is going out to her art club and I’m keeping an eye on the kids.’

  ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to keep you. And it’s Alice, please.’

  He reached out and shook her hand. ‘See you tomorrow, Alice. Come to think of it, if you delay coming to see me until the afternoon, that’ll give me time to get some prices together for you. That way you’ll have a better idea of what it’s all going to cost you.’

  ‘Thank you so very much.’ She gave him a little wave as he made his exit.

  She sat back with a contented smile on her face. Things were looking better. The bar had filled up a good bit by now. A glance at her watch told her it was almost eight o’clock. She took a sip of wine and began studying the faces of the locals. A bleep from her iPad told her she had received an e-mail. It was from Danny.

  Dear Alice

  How awful. I do hope you manage to get things sorted out. I feel terribly responsible. It was, after all, my idea for you to look at auction sites and I was the one who recommended Beauchamp. Maybe if I hadn’t suggested it, you wouldn’t be in this fix now.

  Can I at least try to make up for this in some small way by buying you dinner on Saturday night? I would love to see you again and to hear all the gory details. That is assuming you are still talking to me….

  Danny

  She pressed Reply and started to type.

  Don’t be so silly. I’m a grown woman and I should have known better. And, of course, there’s no need to buy me a meal. But, anyway, I would be very happy to have dinner with you on Saturday. Why don’t you come round to my place for a drink before we go out? By the way, I spent half an hour holding you, then five minutes scratching your ears this afternoon and you enjoyed it.

  XX

  Alice

  She read it through, hesitated, then removed the last sentence. It sounded a bit flirty. That wouldn’t do at all. After all, she was soon to be his landlady.

  Chapter 8

  The sun was still shining the following day, although it was a cold start. Breakfast in the cosy kitchen would have been even more enormous if she hadn’t stopped Mrs Tinker from filling the frying pan with food. In the end she consumed a bowl of cereal, two fried eggs with bacon, toast and numerous cups of tea. She vowed not to eat again that day assuming, of course, that she could raise herself from her seat. Danny the dog was in a playful mood and she found she actually enjoyed his company. He kept giving her not so gentle nudges under the table when Mrs Tinker wasn’t looking. By the time she had demolished the bacon and eggs, she could feel his head resting on her thigh.

  ‘You can give him the bacon rind, if you like.’ Mrs Tinker was well aware of what was happening under the table. ‘It’s the one exception I allow and he knows it.’ At the sound of her voice, the dog emerged like magic and took the leftovers very delicately from Alice’s hesitant hand.

  ‘He’s very gentle, isn’t he? I thought he might have my hand off.’

  ‘He’s a lovely dog.’ Breakfast over, the dog wandered over to his mistress and sat at her side. She scratched his ears.

  ‘So, you’re staying on for another night?’

  ‘Yes, if that’s all right, but no cooked breakfast tomorrow, please. I
have a dinner date on Saturday night and I need to have a bit of room left over.’

  ‘I was sure a pretty girl like you would have a young man. Have you been together long?’ Mrs Tinker had a distinct twinkle in her eye. It did not waver, even when Alice blushed red.

  ‘Oh no, he’s not a boyfriend or anything like that. He’s a friend from work. He’s going to rent my flat when I come down here.’

  ‘But you did use the word “date”, didn’t you, my dear?’

  ‘Well, yes, but it’s only an expression. We’re just friends, really.’

  Mrs Tinker decided to change the subject. ‘So what are your plans for today?’

  ‘I thought I would do a bit of exploring this morning. This afternoon I’ve got an appointment with your Peter. I need to give him some keys and he’s promised me some prices.’

  ‘Why don’t you start here in the village? The church is eight hundred years old, you know. Danny and I will come and show you the way, if you like. It’s time for his walk.’ At the sound of this magic word, the dog leapt to his feet.

  A few minutes later they set off. The dog was clearly delighted to be out in the fresh air. Alice was very impressed to see that he walked to heel, without the need of a lead, even though the first part of their walk was down a road. As they passed the pub, she could see the church tower sticking up just behind it.

  ‘I didn’t realise I was so close to the village centre last night.’

  ‘Woodcombe isn’t big. There used to be two pubs, but one closed down. Mind you, we’ve still got a shop, sort of a general store.’ She stopped as they reached the lychgate in front of the church. ‘Danny and I will leave you here. We go up in the fields beyond the church for our walk. I’ll see you later. Enjoy yourself.’

  Alice watched them walk off then turned and went through the gate into the churchyard. She walked up among the tombstones, soon realising that the same three or four surnames appeared regularly. The earliest date she could read was 1667, but some of the stones were so covered in moss and lichen she felt sure they must be even older. The church was cold and a bit damp, but surprisingly light. Most of the windows were clear, although there were a few stained glass scenes here and there. George and a very fiery-looking dragon took pride of place behind the altar.