the faintest idea why Patrick would be leaving her such a lot of money.
‘Who’s Stella Hallett?’
Amy’s angry demand interrupted the flow of Jonathon’s voice and he looked up at her over his glasses. Before he could answer the woman in the green coat spoke.
‘I am.’
Amy and George turned to her in surprise.
‘You? You’re Stella Hallett?’
‘Yes, I’m Stella Hallett.’
Unexpectedly, she began to cry.
‘I don’t understand.’
Amy turned to George, her bottom lip pushed out in a pout that was somehow ridiculous in a woman her age.
‘Who is this woman? I mean, why did Patrick leave her nine hundred thousand pounds? Who is she?’
Jonathon turned to Stella for an answer but she was crying so hard she couldn’t speak. He turned back to Amy.
‘Stella Hallett is named in Patrick’s will. That’s all that concerns us here,’ he informed her in his dry, clinical voice.
CHAPTER 19
G eorge thanked Jonathon Waterman in his gruff voice and left, followed by Stella Hallett, snuffling into a tissue. She turned in the doorway as if she wanted to thank the solicitor, but catching Amy’s eyes on her, she waved her damp tissue and shuffled quickly out. Amy watched them leave. They made a right pair, both overweight and unattractive, with George’s balding head and beer gut, and the woman’s thinning hair and plain face. As soon as the door closed behind Stella Hallett’s hunched figure Amy sat back down and looked anxiously at the solicitor who gazed solemnly at her over the top of his glasses. She cleared her throat, eager to question him further about her own inheritance.
She had always known about the agreement regarding Mireille when either of its owners died. Patrick had gone first and his toad-like business partner had got the lot. That was bad luck. If George had died first the whole lot would have belonged to Patrick, and she would have inherited it when Patrick died. According to Patrick, it had been a gamble with more than decent odds.
‘He’s overweight, and he smokes like a chimney.’
Other than the restaurant, she had expected Patrick to leave everything to her. The odd woman in her hideous green coat had taken her completely by surprise, but at least everything else was hers, including the house. She just wanted to know how much it was all worth. How much she was worth.
‘I’m ready, so do your worst,’ she concluded, suppressing a smile.
That Patrick had left almost a million to another woman was an outrage she would deal with later. For now she just wanted to be assured of her share of the fortune. She might even pay the smarmy solicitor to go after Stella. Clearly the other woman must have exerted some influence on Patrick. She had no such hold over Amy.
‘The house is yours.’
Jonathon hesitated, glancing down at the documents on the desk.
‘How much is it worth? Three million?’
Jonathon didn’t answer.
‘Don’t worry, I’ll get onto the estate agents tomorrow, have it valued. I might even sell –’
Registering his expression she broke off and dabbed delicately at her eyes again.
‘I’m afraid you’re not as well off as it might at first appear,’ he said gravely. ‘I’m not sure if you’re aware that Patrick remortgaged the house?’
‘Remortgaged the house? What do you mean?‘
She stared at him in bewilderment.
‘The truth of the matter is that the house is currently worthless to you.’
‘Worthless? What do you mean?’
‘The debts owing on the property are quite possibly greater than its value.’
For a moment she stared at him, too shocked to speak.
‘I don’t understand,’ she said at last. ‘This is a mistake, it has to be a mistake. The house is mine.’
The solicitor shrugged and raised his eyebrows.
‘I’m afraid it’s worth nothing to you, Amy.’
‘But– but how can the house be worthless?’ she stuttered. ‘The house over the road sold for nearly three million last year.’
‘It’s worse than worthless,
‘Who’s Stella Hallett?’
Amy’s angry demand interrupted the flow of Jonathon’s voice and he looked up at her over his glasses. Before he could answer the woman in the green coat spoke.
‘I am.’
Amy and George turned to her in surprise.
‘You? You’re Stella Hallett?’
‘Yes, I’m Stella Hallett.’
Unexpectedly, she began to cry.
‘I don’t understand.’
Amy turned to George, her bottom lip pushed out in a pout that was somehow ridiculous in a woman her age.
‘Who is this woman? I mean, why did Patrick leave her nine hundred thousand pounds? Who is she?’
Jonathon turned to Stella for an answer but she was crying so hard she couldn’t speak. He turned back to Amy.
‘Stella Hallett is named in Patrick’s will. That’s all that concerns us here,’ he informed her in his dry, clinical voice.
CHAPTER 19
G eorge thanked Jonathon Waterman in his gruff voice and left, followed by Stella Hallett, snuffling into a tissue. She turned in the doorway as if she wanted to thank the solicitor, but catching Amy’s eyes on her, she waved her damp tissue and shuffled quickly out. Amy watched them leave. They made a right pair, both overweight and unattractive, with George’s balding head and beer gut, and the woman’s thinning hair and plain face. As soon as the door closed behind Stella Hallett’s hunched figure Amy sat back down and looked anxiously at the solicitor who gazed solemnly at her over the top of his glasses. She cleared her throat, eager to question him further about her own inheritance.
She had always known about the agreement regarding Mireille when either of its owners died. Patrick had gone first and his toad-like business partner had got the lot. That was bad luck. If George had died first the whole lot would have belonged to Patrick, and she would have inherited it when Patrick died. According to Patrick, it had been a gamble with more than decent odds.
‘He’s overweight, and he smokes like a chimney.’
Other than the restaurant, she had expected Patrick to leave everything to her. The odd woman in her hideous green coat had taken her completely by surprise, but at least everything else was hers, including the house. She just wanted to know how much it was all worth. How much she was worth.
‘I’m ready, so do your worst,’ she concluded, suppressing a smile.
That Patrick had left almost a million to another woman was an outrage she would deal with later. For now she just wanted to be assured of her share of the fortune. She might even pay the smarmy solicitor to go after Stella. Clearly the other woman must have exerted some influence on Patrick. She had no such hold over Amy.
‘The house is yours.’
Jonathon hesitated, glancing down at the documents on the desk.
‘How much is it worth? Three million?’
Jonathon didn’t answer.
‘Don’t worry, I’ll get onto the estate agents tomorrow, have it valued. I might even sell –’
Registering his expression she broke off and dabbed delicately at her eyes again.
‘I’m afraid you’re not as well off as it might at first appear,’ he said gravely. ‘I’m not sure if you’re aware that Patrick remortgaged the house?’
‘Remortgaged the house? What do you mean?‘
She stared at him in bewilderment.
‘The truth of the matter is that the house is currently worthless to you.’
‘Worthless? What do you mean?’
‘The debts owing on the property are quite possibly greater than its value.’
For a moment she stared at him, too shocked to speak.
‘I don’t understand,’ she said at last. ‘This is a mistake, it has to be a mistake. The house is mine.’
The solicitor shrugged and raised his eyebrows.
‘I’m afraid it’s worth nothing to you, Amy.’
‘But– but how can the house be worthless?’ she stuttered. ‘The house over the road sold for nearly three million last year.’
‘It’s worse than worthless,
Similar Books
