I’m sure you think I don’t appreciate it because of the state I’ve let it get into.’
‘No, not at all.’ And it was true. I knew it was all too easy to make sweeping judgements about a situation from the outside. And just how hurtful those judgements could be.
Michael studied me for a moment, assessing me with those incredible eyes and that look that felt like he could see further than I might want him to.
‘My grandfather’s a canny man when it comes to property. He started out with nothing and built up his business gradually, taking on places that needed work and selling them on for a profit. All this area used to be cheap flats run by shady landlords. Maintenance was practically unheard of. Grandad got a couple of places at auction. They were in such a state and in a bad bit of town so there wasn’t a great deal of demand. But he felt that things were going to improve. Of course, everyone thought he was barmy when he said that, but he made similar investments in various parts of London and he got it right every time. There’s no way I’d be able to live here if he hadn’t had that insight all those years ago.’
‘So you bought it off him? He must have still done you a heck of a deal!’ I said, caught up in the story before realising that my comment was probably incredibly inappropriate. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to – ’
‘No, it’s fine. I actually rent it. We talked about me buying it off him a few years ago but he wasn’t ready to let it go. All the time that property values here are going up, it’s the right thing for him to do.’
‘You didn’t mind that he wouldn’t sell?’
He gave me a quick smile. ‘Not at all. In fact, I was pretty damn grateful he didn’t.’
I shook my head. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘When I split up with my wife, she seemed to be under the impression that I owned this and wanted it sold and half the profits.’
‘Oh. You never told her you rented?’
‘I never told her I owned it. She assumed. And I assumed she knew it wasn’t mine. It was all kind of a whirlwind thing, her and I getting together. And then I guess because I did all the maintenance and so on, she just thought I owned it.’
‘She didn’t get a clue from bills and stuff?’
‘Angeline never bothered herself with little things like that. I paid all the bills, handled all the paperwork. Which I was happy to. It wasn’t really her thing.’
‘I’m not sure it’s anyone’s “thing”. You just have to get on and do it.’
‘Unless you have some mug to do it for you.’
I pulled a face, unsure what to say.
‘If I’d have realised what she thought I would have told her, of course! It just never occurred to me that she thought I was wealthy enough to own a place like this.’
‘She never asked to contribute to the mortgage when she moved in?’
Michael pulled a face. ‘No. That’s not really her style.’
‘Oh.’
‘Anyway, the look on her face was pretty priceless when we split up and she realised that nothing to do with the property is in my name. It’s all in Grandad’s. So she couldn’t touch it.’
‘I imagine she was a little put out.’
The lips quirked again. ‘You could say that.’
‘Grandad just smiled when I told him. He told me I’d worked hard in helping him on this house in holidays and stuff, so it would have been wrong to have to split it with someone who didn’t love it like I did.’
‘He didn’t trust her.’
‘No. I don’t think he did. She wasn’t exactly into family the same way I am. It was always a bone of contention between us.’
‘I’m sorry.’
Michael flashed me a look. ‘Thanks. All in the past now though.’
‘So you helped work on this place?’ I said, glancing around and sensing that moving the subject on might be for the best. ‘That’s great! I love Georgian architecture. They really had some wonderful ideas about light and space.’
‘They certainly did. All us kids did bits on various houses when we could. Helping out, you know. But I guess I always felt a connection to this one. It was in a right state but when I saw it in the auction listings, I persuaded Grandad to get it anyway. It was a family decision in the end, as a lot of things are in my family – something you’ve probably already worked out.’
I smiled at him. ‘Their support must have been very greatly appreciated.’
‘Definitely. Quite literally in one instance when I walked into an upper room one day and nearly ended up in the kitchen.’
‘Oh my goodness! Were you all right?’ I leant forward, fascinated at hearing the history of the house.
‘Yeah. My brother managed to grab my arm just as the joist gave way.’
‘That must have been frightening for you both.’
He gave a quick eyebrow raise. ‘More so for me. He was in no great hurry to pull me up and instead made me apologise for every mean thing I’d ever said or done to him.’
‘Really? I imagine you were dangling there for quite some time then.’
He gave a little outward huff of air from his nose, a concession of amusement. ‘Touché.’
***
Michael had been doing his best to help, determined not to give in but in the end I managed to persuade him to sit quietly and just close his eyes for ten minutes. A short while later, his voice cut into my concentration, making me jump.
‘I really hate those curtains.’
‘Oh my…’ I gasped, my hand on my chest. ‘You made me jump. I thought you were asleep.’
‘No. You’d know if I was asleep. Snore like a train, apparently.’
I knew it wasn’t true, but played along. ‘Attractive.’
His lips hinted at a smile.
I glanced around at the curtains he was focused on. ‘What don’t you like about them?’
If I was honest, they weren’t exactly to my taste either but it was obvious to anyone that they were expensive and my next move would depend on what Michael said.
‘I don’t think they suit the room. One of the things I love about this house is the sense of space, the proportions of it. Ideally I want that feel in the rooms too. It’s my own fault though. I said I’d go and look at some with my wife, but kept putting it off when other things came up. She got fed up with waiting in the end and had these made. Cost a bloody fortune and I can’t stand them.’
‘So
