asleep on it watching TV. She closed her eyes and let her worries slip away . . . just for a little while.
Five
Emily was woken a couple of hours later by the front door bell. She could see through the living-room window that it was her neighbour from across the road, a man she’d never got on with.
He
wouldn’t be here to wish her well, she was sure. He only usually came across to ask her to join him in complaining about something to the council.
Rachel answered the door, but Emily wasn’t having anyone else dealing with Mr Teddington for her, so got up and straightened her clothes.
There was no sign of Chad on the other sofa, but she could hear water running upstairs in the bathroom.
‘George asked me to keep an eye on the place,’ her neighbour was saying. ‘He told me no one had permission to come into his house. So what are
you
doing here, Mrs Fenwick?’
Emily went out into the hall and pulled the front door wide open. ‘Rachel’s helping me settle in. I suppose
I
am allowed to move back into my own house, Mr Teddington?’
He gaped at her, his mouth opening and shutting like a stranded fish’s. ‘George said you’d not be able to come home again, that you’d need . . . looking after.’ He was staring at her suspiciously.
So he was on first name terms with her nephew. She’d never attempted to get friendly with Teddington or his wife, who were a pair of snobs. ‘George was wrong. I don’t have dementia, if that’s what he told you, and I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself now that I’ve recovered from my accident. You can tell him that when you ring him up to let him know we’re here.’
He flushed, which told her that her guess about what he was going to do was correct.
Oliver moved Rachel gently to one side and joined Emily on the doorstep. ‘I’m Ms Mattison’s lawyer and I’d advise you not to interfere at all, Mr— er?’ He glanced at Emily.
‘Teddington.’
‘Mr Teddington,’ he repeated. ‘You don’t want to find yourself involved in legal action later on. Mr Pilby had no right to move in here. It isn’t his house and his aunt didn’t give him permission. Did you even check that he was her nephew?’
There was silence as the man stared from one to the other then backed away. ‘None of my business.’ He walked across the road, shoulders hunched, hands thrust deep in his pockets.
‘How dare he poke his nose into my affairs?’ Emily muttered. ‘I might have known
he
would get friendly with George. They both think they’re better than anyone else.’
Oliver laid one hand on her shoulder. ‘Ignore him. I’ve got some good news, for a change. I’ve found a company which will pick up and store your nephew’s possessions today! Rachel and I have got most of them sorted out. We dumped them in the dining room. We just need you to check a few things.’
Emily felt instantly better. ‘Wow, you must have worked quickly. Thank you so much.’
‘It was a pleasure.’
Chad came downstairs to join them, hair damp from a shower. He looked younger, even though Oliver’s clothes hung rather loosely on him, and his colour was much better for even that couple of hours’ rest.
She smiled at him. ‘Are you all right?’
‘I’m fine, though my muscles are protesting a bit about the extra exercise yesterday. How about you?’
‘I’m better than I’ve been for a long time. But like you, I’m out of practice at being active.’ Emily turned as the noise of an electric drill started up from the back of the house. ‘What’s happening?’
It was Oliver who answered. ‘We took your consent for granted and hired a security company to do a rush job on this place.’ He gestured as a man came into the hall and opened the fuse box under the stairs. ‘This is Terry. Terry, meet the owner, Emily Mattison.’
The man raised one hand in a quick salute and turned back to deal with some extra wiring.
‘Terry and his staff are not only changing the door locks,’
Five
Emily was woken a couple of hours later by the front door bell. She could see through the living-room window that it was her neighbour from across the road, a man she’d never got on with.
He
wouldn’t be here to wish her well, she was sure. He only usually came across to ask her to join him in complaining about something to the council.
Rachel answered the door, but Emily wasn’t having anyone else dealing with Mr Teddington for her, so got up and straightened her clothes.
There was no sign of Chad on the other sofa, but she could hear water running upstairs in the bathroom.
‘George asked me to keep an eye on the place,’ her neighbour was saying. ‘He told me no one had permission to come into his house. So what are
you
doing here, Mrs Fenwick?’
Emily went out into the hall and pulled the front door wide open. ‘Rachel’s helping me settle in. I suppose
I
am allowed to move back into my own house, Mr Teddington?’
He gaped at her, his mouth opening and shutting like a stranded fish’s. ‘George said you’d not be able to come home again, that you’d need . . . looking after.’ He was staring at her suspiciously.
So he was on first name terms with her nephew. She’d never attempted to get friendly with Teddington or his wife, who were a pair of snobs. ‘George was wrong. I don’t have dementia, if that’s what he told you, and I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself now that I’ve recovered from my accident. You can tell him that when you ring him up to let him know we’re here.’
He flushed, which told her that her guess about what he was going to do was correct.
Oliver moved Rachel gently to one side and joined Emily on the doorstep. ‘I’m Ms Mattison’s lawyer and I’d advise you not to interfere at all, Mr— er?’ He glanced at Emily.
‘Teddington.’
‘Mr Teddington,’ he repeated. ‘You don’t want to find yourself involved in legal action later on. Mr Pilby had no right to move in here. It isn’t his house and his aunt didn’t give him permission. Did you even check that he was her nephew?’
There was silence as the man stared from one to the other then backed away. ‘None of my business.’ He walked across the road, shoulders hunched, hands thrust deep in his pockets.
‘How dare he poke his nose into my affairs?’ Emily muttered. ‘I might have known
he
would get friendly with George. They both think they’re better than anyone else.’
Oliver laid one hand on her shoulder. ‘Ignore him. I’ve got some good news, for a change. I’ve found a company which will pick up and store your nephew’s possessions today! Rachel and I have got most of them sorted out. We dumped them in the dining room. We just need you to check a few things.’
Emily felt instantly better. ‘Wow, you must have worked quickly. Thank you so much.’
‘It was a pleasure.’
Chad came downstairs to join them, hair damp from a shower. He looked younger, even though Oliver’s clothes hung rather loosely on him, and his colour was much better for even that couple of hours’ rest.
She smiled at him. ‘Are you all right?’
‘I’m fine, though my muscles are protesting a bit about the extra exercise yesterday. How about you?’
‘I’m better than I’ve been for a long time. But like you, I’m out of practice at being active.’ Emily turned as the noise of an electric drill started up from the back of the house. ‘What’s happening?’
It was Oliver who answered. ‘We took your consent for granted and hired a security company to do a rush job on this place.’ He gestured as a man came into the hall and opened the fuse box under the stairs. ‘This is Terry. Terry, meet the owner, Emily Mattison.’
The man raised one hand in a quick salute and turned back to deal with some extra wiring.
‘Terry and his staff are not only changing the door locks,’
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