low, croaky voice. Evie stopped and listened. She didn’t want to give her gran a fright by stepping up behind her and making her jump, but that wasn’t the only reason she waited. She thought she’d just heard her mother’s name.
‘… and I said to her “Angela, put that down right now. You’ve had enough already.” Well, you know what she’s like, she just went into one, didn’t she? Do you remember how she screamed the place down? I was so embarrassed. She was nothing like her brother. You never did that, did you, my lovely one? You never screamed or cried or stamped your feet. You were my angel. My angel … my angel …’
Evie held her breath, trying to listen and trying not to listen and wondering what to do. Mavis was mumbling, and her words were indistinct, but Evie had clearly heard the word “brother”. She felt a shiver run up her spine that wasn’t solely to do with the chilly morning. Evie’s mother, Angela Stone, was an only child.
‘Gran.’ She spoke softly, moving into the kitchen and putting on a fake yawn and a stretch. ‘What are you doing up so early?’
Despite Evie’s efforts, Mavis jumped and held her hand to her chest.
‘Evie! Bloody hell, you nearly gave me a heart attack.’
‘Sorry, Gran. I thought I heard someone moving around down here, figured I should check it out.’
‘Did you take me for a burglar? Not sure we’ve got much worth stealing.’
Evie filled the kettle from the water filter and switched it on. She got two cups from the cupboard and popped a teabag in each. Outside the kitchen window it was starting to get light in that dusty, musty way where boundaries between objects suddenly become blurred. She’d read once that more accidents happen on the roads at dusk and dawn than at any other time of the day. She crouched down next to her gran and put her arm around her narrow shoulders.
‘Gran, are you okay?’
‘I’m just fine and dandy. Why wouldn’t I be?’ Mavis stood up and took over making the tea. Evie slid into the vacated chair and watched her. Should she mention what she’d heard? It felt too much like eavesdropping.
‘I went to see Michael Andrews on Saturday,’ Evie said. She hadn’t known she was going to come clean until the moment the words were out of her mouth. She’d spent most of the day before going over and over his words, but she’d had no desire to share them. Now, she had the sudden urge to unburden herself.
Mavis stopped briefly, then carried on pouring the water.
‘Did you, now? A social visit, was it?’
‘Of course not.’ Evie thought about the moments of intimacy she’d shared with him despite herself and winced. Still, it had been worth it. She knew more about the development than she would have done otherwise, and her grandparents had to appreciate that.
She filled Mavis in on Dynamite’s ownership of number three, and of the company’s certain pursuit of the renters’ house.
‘We should ask Pip and Cissy who they rent from,’ Mavis said. ‘Maybe we can go and see them, persuade them not to sell.’
‘Maybe.’ Evie wondered whether she should mention what Michael had told her about some of the residents showing an interest in selling. He could have been bluffing, but Evie doubted it. He just didn’t seem the type.
Not that she trusted herself to be able to tell one way or the other.
‘To think they already own old Sandy Beaumont’s house,’ Mavis said, cradling her cup of tea in both hands. ‘They must have tracked his daughter down in Australia – that’s where she moved to. What do you think of it, Evie?’
‘I think it means that this deal has been on the cards for a long time, Gran. They’ve got an independent surveyor’s report on all the houses in the street. There were plans already drawn up for the medical centre at the community involvement meeting. But the good news, such as it is, is that Michael says they’re not interested in forcing anyone out. He says he’d rather buy
‘… and I said to her “Angela, put that down right now. You’ve had enough already.” Well, you know what she’s like, she just went into one, didn’t she? Do you remember how she screamed the place down? I was so embarrassed. She was nothing like her brother. You never did that, did you, my lovely one? You never screamed or cried or stamped your feet. You were my angel. My angel … my angel …’
Evie held her breath, trying to listen and trying not to listen and wondering what to do. Mavis was mumbling, and her words were indistinct, but Evie had clearly heard the word “brother”. She felt a shiver run up her spine that wasn’t solely to do with the chilly morning. Evie’s mother, Angela Stone, was an only child.
‘Gran.’ She spoke softly, moving into the kitchen and putting on a fake yawn and a stretch. ‘What are you doing up so early?’
Despite Evie’s efforts, Mavis jumped and held her hand to her chest.
‘Evie! Bloody hell, you nearly gave me a heart attack.’
‘Sorry, Gran. I thought I heard someone moving around down here, figured I should check it out.’
‘Did you take me for a burglar? Not sure we’ve got much worth stealing.’
Evie filled the kettle from the water filter and switched it on. She got two cups from the cupboard and popped a teabag in each. Outside the kitchen window it was starting to get light in that dusty, musty way where boundaries between objects suddenly become blurred. She’d read once that more accidents happen on the roads at dusk and dawn than at any other time of the day. She crouched down next to her gran and put her arm around her narrow shoulders.
‘Gran, are you okay?’
‘I’m just fine and dandy. Why wouldn’t I be?’ Mavis stood up and took over making the tea. Evie slid into the vacated chair and watched her. Should she mention what she’d heard? It felt too much like eavesdropping.
‘I went to see Michael Andrews on Saturday,’ Evie said. She hadn’t known she was going to come clean until the moment the words were out of her mouth. She’d spent most of the day before going over and over his words, but she’d had no desire to share them. Now, she had the sudden urge to unburden herself.
Mavis stopped briefly, then carried on pouring the water.
‘Did you, now? A social visit, was it?’
‘Of course not.’ Evie thought about the moments of intimacy she’d shared with him despite herself and winced. Still, it had been worth it. She knew more about the development than she would have done otherwise, and her grandparents had to appreciate that.
She filled Mavis in on Dynamite’s ownership of number three, and of the company’s certain pursuit of the renters’ house.
‘We should ask Pip and Cissy who they rent from,’ Mavis said. ‘Maybe we can go and see them, persuade them not to sell.’
‘Maybe.’ Evie wondered whether she should mention what Michael had told her about some of the residents showing an interest in selling. He could have been bluffing, but Evie doubted it. He just didn’t seem the type.
Not that she trusted herself to be able to tell one way or the other.
‘To think they already own old Sandy Beaumont’s house,’ Mavis said, cradling her cup of tea in both hands. ‘They must have tracked his daughter down in Australia – that’s where she moved to. What do you think of it, Evie?’
‘I think it means that this deal has been on the cards for a long time, Gran. They’ve got an independent surveyor’s report on all the houses in the street. There were plans already drawn up for the medical centre at the community involvement meeting. But the good news, such as it is, is that Michael says they’re not interested in forcing anyone out. He says he’d rather buy
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