Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 49458 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 247(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 49458 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 247(@200wpm)___ 198(@250wpm)___ 165(@300wpm)
“That would be horrid!” Sara agreed. “So, where do we start?”
“I think we already have. Ivan Clarke is coming tomorrow to walk through the property. He’s already said something about wood rot. That sounds expensive.”
Sara nodded her head. “It does. But if he’s fixing that while he’s making the improvements you need, that’s efficient. Do you know about Ivan?”
“No. What can you tell me?” Essie asked, leaning in eagerly.
“He’s a good man. Reliable and trustworthy. He won’t try to gouge you on prices, and he’ll work from sunup to sundown. He needs to earn money.”
“Why?”
“His sister has cancer. She discovered the tumor after her divorce. She quickly lost her job and her insurance. Ivan moved her in with him, and he’s supported her for a couple of years. He’ll bring her in to help. Tiffanie is fragile but fierce. She’s also a trained interior decorator with an amazing talent.”
“I bet that’s why Edmund signaled me to hire him,” Essie said.
“Probably. Ivan’s also much better than a big company that will outsource the work to some crew that doesn’t care. The job may take longer, but anything he does will be perfect the first time.”
How would she ever have done this without everyone’s help? Essie popped the last bite of the cookie into her mouth. Thank goodness she didn’t need to. She smiled at Sara and crossed her fingers under the table. Please let this work out. So many lives were becoming entwined in the success of her ideas.
“I almost missed the blue cookies?” Zander observed from the kitchen doorway.
“I thought you were coming back tomorrow?” Essie glared at him.
“Let me freshen up the tea,” Sara said, standing up to turn on the flame under the kettle.
A flashback to how awful she’d looked this morning popped into Essie’s mind. Her cheeks flamed with embarrassment. “Do you always just show up?” she asked.
“I have a standing invitation,” Zander said smoothly as he sat down at the table.
“From whom?” Essie demanded.
“Esther. Thank you, Sara,” Zander said as he helped himself to the cookie Essie had planned to eat next.
Of course, he likes the ones with the most frosting too. Essie bit her tongue to keep from pointing out that her aunt was no longer alive.
“What do you want, Zander? Don’t you have work to do?” Essie asked. When he focused on the file folder sitting next to her, Essie moved it onto her lap.
“That’s not very hospitable coming from my new landlord.”
“What are you talking about?” Essie demanded.
“Your aunt promised to sell Ferguson’s Folly to me. I’m assuming you’ve decided how you’re going to handle your aunt’s agreement with me?”
Sara cleared her throat meaningfully as she poured a cup of tea for Zander. Essie didn’t know who the housekeeper was warning about their manners, but Essie refrained from telling him off like she wanted to.
“Keep in mind, I’m not backing out, Zander. I didn’t agree to anything, so I’m not required to follow through on arrangements my aunt might have indicated she’d consider unless you’ve got a legal document that you can produce.”
He had the honesty to shake his head. “That I don’t have. I didn’t think paperwork was necessary.”
“Why do you want Ferguson’s Folly, anyway?” Essie asked, relieved he’d just confirmed what she’d hoped.
“I need extra land to expand my herds and fields to support them. Your aunt wasn’t using the back pastures and allowed me to graze my cattle there.”
“Did you pay rent?” Essie watched his face carefully, wanting him to say yes so she’d know he hadn’t taken advantage of her aunt. She surprised herself—she wanted him to be a good person.
“Yes, annually. I’ll continue that, of course. I planned to use the manor as well,” he said.
“Why?”
“Tomorrow, I’m homeless.”
Both Essie and Sara stared at him. “Homeless?” Sara repeated. “Did something happen to your home?”
“Bedbugs. Everyone has to get out for up to eight weeks while they seal the house and heat the entire frigging building to roast those creepy crawlers. Maybe longer if the weather doesn’t cooperate,” Zander said. “I’ve slept on a cot in the living room for three weeks. They kick me out tomorrow.”
“So go to a hotel. Don’t buy hundreds of acres and a mansion,” Essie said in disbelief.
“That’s how I ended up with this mess. Guests that came from a hotel with bedbugs in their suitcases. I may never travel again,” he said, shuddering. “And I’m already renting your land that borders mine. Why not own it?”
Essie wanted to laugh that big, strong Zander, who seemed totally undefeatable by any foe, was this weirded out by bedbugs. But, she also resisted the urge to scratch at the thought of teeny bugs in her bed. Essie stared at him, trying to keep her expression neutral. To her surprise, she sympathized with him.
“You can stay here if you want. We have lots of rooms,” Sara said.