Tempted by Trouble by Liz Fielding Page B

quick rundown on the story so far as she folded it up and put it back in the brown envelope, along with the documents and diary.
    â€˜I’ll do some digging on the ‘net. See what I can find out,’ Sorrel said, beating her to the top of the range cellphone and switching it on.
    â€˜I think you should stay away from the Blue Boar for a while. Freddy wasn’t joking about offering you a job,’ Elle warned.
    â€˜I know. He gave me the whole fitting-around-college-work, great-tips hard sell this morning. I told him I’d think about it. I could do with a new laptop,’ she mused. No…
    â€˜I’ll see what I can do,’ Elle said. Maybe there was something in the attic that had been overlooked. That she could sell. ‘Just concentrate on college, get a good degree. When you’re a millionaire you can run this family. Meanwhile, will you turn off that phone and give it to me?’
    â€˜I’m sorry?’
    Not half as sorry as she was, Elle thought, holding out her hand. Sorrel did not hand over the phone. ‘What?’ Elle asked.
    â€˜I’m eighteen, Elle. An adult.’
    â€˜You’re a student—’
    â€˜I’m old enough to vote, fight for my country, buy a bottle of wine and drink it if I want to. I don’t want to “run this family”, but I will run my own life,’ Sorrel insisted.
    â€˜How?’ Elle demanded. ‘You don’t even know how to use an iron!’
    â€˜It’s not rocket science.’
    For a moment the room silently vibrated with years of unspoken resentment. Elle’s dreams and thwarted ambitions, pushed aside while she stepped up to keep them together. A family.
    â€˜No…’ Elle took a deep, shuddering breath. ‘You don’t understand,’ she said. ‘I just don’t want you to be…’
    â€˜What? Like you?’
    â€˜That would be a woman with no qualifications, no career.’ No dream to inspire her. Just living from week to week, from hand to mouth, holding everything together. ‘Point made, I think.’
    â€˜Elle…’ Sorrel shook her head. ‘I could never be you. You saved us from being put into care, saved Gran from completely losing her marbles. But maybe it’s time to think about saving yourself now.’
    â€˜I don’t need saving,’ she insisted. Perhaps a little bit toofiercely, too defensively. ‘But I’ll think about it. If you’ll forget about working at the Blue Boar.’
    â€˜Oh, please. If I want a job, I can do better than skivvying for Freddy.’ Elle was still struggling to catch her breath when she added, ‘In fact, with a phone like this, I’d never have to go near the place again. And you read Basil’s letter. He’s handed everything over to us. Asked us to take care of things’
    â€˜Sorrel…’
    â€˜He’s got messages. Mostly people asking him to give them a ring,’ she said, flicking through them. ‘You can’t ignore them.’
    â€˜Can’t I?’ Elle said dryly.
    â€˜Oh, no, this is different. “Change in schedule.”’ she read. ‘“Need van on Tuesday. Upper Haughton location. Eight a.m. Confirm. KS.”’ She looked up. ‘What do you think that means?’
    â€˜I’ve no idea.’
    â€˜I could call him and find out?’ she offered.
    â€˜If you want to be useful, Sorrel,’ Elle snapped, taking the phone out of her hand and switching it off, ‘prove how adult you are, you can start by organising some lunch for Geli and Gran.’
    Â 
    Sean wasted no time going back with the trailer to pick up Elle’s old crock while she was at work.
    Geli came out, standing pointedly, arms crossed, keeping an eye on him. A couple of neighbours walked slowly past, lingering by the gate. He kept his head down, his mouth shut and wished he’d waited until later. When Elle was home.
    What