Moving On Read Online Free PDF Page B

Molly’s turn to stare into her wine. ‘Not this time. I do mean that. The worm has turned.’
    ‘Way to go.’ Nikki leaned forward to clink glasses. ‘We should get Di round and have a girls’ night in.’
    ‘Let’s do it. But not yet. Not till I’m feeling better. Besides, I want to make a start on the house.’ She put her hand across the top of the glass. ‘No more. I have too much to do.’
    Nikki looked at her own glass regretfully and put the bottle back in the fridge. ‘And I’m driving, so I’d better be sensible. Will you be all right?’
    ‘Yes, of course I will.’
    But the house felt very empty after Nikki left.
    ‘Get used to it!’ Molly told herself.
    When Craig’s secretary rang to say he’d be sending a removal firm round the following morning to remove all the things she’d put into the garage, all she said was ‘Fine.’
    ‘And would you please tell them which are Brian’s and which are Rachel’s. Mr Taylor’s sending your daughter’s things straight to her flat.’
    ‘Yes.’
    Once the house was cleared and tissied up to look its best, she’d contact some estate agents and made appointments to show them round the house.
    She went to bed at eight o’clock, feeling exhausted. She was coping – wasn’t she? Doing the right thing – wasn’t she?
    Why did it have to hurt so much?
    Euan opened the sales office for the first time on a sunny Saturday. It was a second-hand transportable unit, but had been smartened up and painted the same colour as the houses. He hadn’t forgotten how to cut corners and save money here and there.
    He had a feeling of mild anxiety about today, unusual for him, but a lot depended on how the houses sold. Would people like his lodges? Want to live in his village?
    He usually felt confident of what he was doing because he didn’t go into any business deal without careful research and number crunching, but this was more important to him than other deals. This had been his dream for years.
    He sat behind the desk, trying to look relaxed. An hour passed slowly and no one came to look at the houses. He got angry with himself for wasting time and got out some paperwork, of which there was always a pile needing doing. Penny didn’t help him with the details as Avril had done.
    Just as he was starting on some calculations, a car drew up outside. He didn’t go out to greet them, didn’t want to seem pushy. An older couple got out and studied the row of houses, then the big signboard outside which displayed the artist’s impression of the finished development, the one he’d used on his website. They looked round, pointing things out to one another, taking their time.
    He watched them closely, glad the sun was shining. It was a beautiful setting, not just because the land the village was being built on was attached to a golf course, but because he’d left patches of woodland, here and there, with as many large trees as he could, and had created several small lakes – well, they were closer to big ponds, but he preferred to call them lakes. He’d put a lot of effort into keeping Marlbury beautiful, as well as eco-friendly.
    The couple seemed pleased with what they saw, and turned to come inside the sales office.
    He took them over to the model, then sat them down and explained the set-up and prices. ‘These are second homes only and residents aren’t allowed to live here for one month of the year.’
    ‘We saw that on your website,’ the man said. ‘It wouldn’t upset us because we live mainly in Spain. But we’ve decided we want a foothold here for the English summers.’
    ‘Far too hot in Spain then,’ the woman said with a grimace. ‘But before we even start doing our sums, what we really want to do is to look round and see if we like the houses.’
    ‘The first three lodges are open for inspection, the ones with the bunting across the front. I’m sure you’ll do better going round them on your own than with me hovering over you.’ He saw