by Katie Ginger
‘I don’t think you RSVP to funerals,’ said Stella, softly.
‘What’s going on?’ Miles asked again, gently. ‘Is there anything I can help with?’
‘I did, Miss Durham,’ Mr Beck confirmed. ‘But the list was rather long and … how can I say this kindly … fanciful.’
‘Fanciful?’ Lexi and Stella replied in unison. ‘What do you mean fanciful?’ Lexi asked.
Stella turned to Miles and his sad, solemn expression softened her heart. ‘We’re discussing the guest list Vivien prepared. Lexi’s concerned Vivien wouldn’t be happy with the turnout.’
Miles nodded.
‘The trouble is,’ said Mr Beck in his dulcet tones, ‘the list included quite a lot of famous actors and singers and arty sort of people. I’m not sure any of them will come. I think we will have to proceed as we are when the hearse arrives.’
Miles turned to Lexi. ‘I know this is hard, Lexi, but the church is quite full inside and there’s still people arriving now. All her friends are here, which is the only thing that matters. I’m sure what would mean the most to her is that you’re here.’
Lexi sucked in a deep breath and looked up to heaven. ‘Okay.’
The hearse arrived and upon seeing it, a flood of tears escaped from Lexi. She pulled out another tissue and Stella found her own. But just as the coffin was removed and they made their way towards the church doors, a large black car parked just outside the church. Then another. Stella’s mouth dropped open as the doors opened and elegant aged singers and some actors she recognised from old Hammer Horror films exited car after car and made their way into the church. One old lady, who walked with a stick and looked as if Lexi’s daughter had done her make-up, greeted Lexi at the door. ‘I can’t believe our dear Vivien has left us,’ she said, carefully wiping at her eyes. ‘I always thought I would go first. She had such vim and vigour. And no one screamed quite like her.’
‘She did,’ replied Lexi, too shocked to cry.
From the doorway, Lexi and Stella looked on as more and more cars arrived and old stars of stage and screen filled the pews in the church. Whispers from the crowd met Stella’s ears and she couldn’t help but smile. Vivien would have been overjoyed at such an exit.
Lexi, Will and their children made their way to the front pews, followed by Miles and Stella. The solicitor sat at the back. During the service Ralph and Taylor looked around slightly dumbfounded, their eyes welling with tears, but holding tight to Will’s hands. Lexi tried to smile at them but couldn’t stop weeping and when Ralph flung himself into her arms, Stella was also unable to hold back any longer. She saw Will take hold of Lexi’s hand and give it a squeeze. It was a wonderful gesture and seemed to calm Lexi a little as she stroked Ralph’s head. Taylor cuddled closely into her arm.
Then the vicar asked Miles to give a reading and Stella’s heart jumped. She looked to Lexi who shrugged; she couldn’t have known he was doing it either. Miles stood up, pulled a piece of paper from his inside jacket pocket and made his way to the front. Where he stood, the great big stained-glass windows lit him from behind. The sun streamed in sending beams of light to the ground and it felt like Vivien was giving one last farewell. Stella had expected a cold speech, but as Miles began, his voice shaking, she was surprised to see tears form in his eyes.
‘Vivien and I have – had – been friends since I was young and a bit of a lonely teenager. She was an incredible woman – an incredible friend.’ He stopped, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed down a great lump of emotion. ‘I know this poem was one of her favourites so I’ll try and do it justice.’
Stella felt her eyes widen in shock. She couldn’t imagine Miles as a lonely teenager. Surely he’d had millions of friends? One of the popular kids according to Jay, always teasing him about not pronouncing his t’s properly. Confusion flooded her brain and she watched him with interest. Miles paused at the end of his first sentence, swallowed again, then took a deep breath as a few tears escaped down his handsome face. Stella could see how hard it was for him. He read beautifully and with a depth of emotion she wouldn’t have credited him with. At the end, as her own tears escaped, Miles took his seat next to her. She heard a deep exhalation of relief and watched the fumbling of his fingers as he refolded the piece of paper and tucked it back into his pocket.
The service ended and they all made their way outside to the graveside. Lexi said goodbye to her children, cuddling them and assuring them she was okay, and Will too gave her a strong hug. Stella wished their marriage hadn’t ended. They seemed so right for each other and from the tender glances between them, they clearly still cared about each other very deeply. It was such a shame. But then, life didn’t always turn out how you wanted it to.
When Lexi rejoined them, Vivien’s coffin was being slowly lowered into the ground. Her bottom lip wavered and without her children watching, she let the emotion overtake her. Stella wrapped her in a hug and looked up through blurry, watery eyes to see Miles wiping at his own cheeks.
After the burial was finished, the guests walked back towards the front of the church. They left Lexi behind to have a few minutes by herself at the graveside while Miles and Stella walked on, chatting to different people as they went. One of the old ladies Vivien had never really liked said, ‘I meant to ask Lexi what actually killed her,’ and began walking towards her.
Stella opened her mouth to speak when Miles said, ‘Let’s leave Lexi alone for a while, shall we? She was very fond of Vivien. Besides, I believe it was a heart attack.’ Stella silently thanked him for steering them away. Lexi wouldn’t be able to cope with some of their more direct questions right now. As the more famous guests climbed into their waiting cars and departed, everyone stared open-mouthed, probably thinking, as Stella did, that Vivien was still a surprising old lady. Lexi came back to join them and Miles turned to her. ‘Lexi, I know Vivien was fondest of you, but did you want me to go over to the hotel and greet people for the wake? I – I didn’t know if you’d like a few minutes before heading over?’
‘That’d be great, Miles. Thank you.’
He gave her a nod and headed off.
‘What’s got into him?’ asked Stella. ‘It’s like he’s a completely different person lately.’
‘He’s been really sweet. He even sent me some flowers the other day.’
Stella looked up. She couldn’t understand this change in Miles’s behaviour. His relationship with Kiera couldn’t have been to blame for all of it but he had been nicer since they’d split. ‘Shall I wait in the car for you?’
‘Yes, please. I won’t be long.’
From the car window, Stella watched Lexi walk back towards the grave. Suddenly she realised that Jay wasn’t there. There was no reason that he should be really – he’d never mentioned knowing Vivien that well – but when so many of the town had attended, she’d have thought he would too. He was still looking like the only man she could ask to Isaac’s wedding, if she could summon up the courage to speak to him again. Either that or go on her own. Then she saw Miles’s car departing and had a crazy idea. She really wanted to show everyone that she wasn’t a lunatic running off to a new part of the country to follow a silly dream. That was what Isaac’s parents had thought. If Miles came with her, it would show them she’d made friends and was building a new life for herself. And Miles owed her a favour after all, even if it was a pretty big one to ask.
‘Are you okay, sweetie?’ Stella asked, as Lexi opened the door and climbed in.
Confusion flooded her face. ‘Mr Beck has asked me to drop by his office as soon as possible to discuss Vivien’s will.’
‘Really? Why?’
‘I don’t know.’ Poor Lexi looked completely shell-shocked.
‘You could be mentioned in it,’ said Stella. ‘Perhaps she left you a bequest.’
‘As long as she didn’t leave me her debts.’ Lexi’s shoulders slumped down in exhaustion. ‘I’ve got enough of my own.’
Stella’s heart lurched. If only ther
e was something she could do for her friend. Her best friend, she realised with a sudden grateful rush, but she knew there was nothing. Grief had to take its own course and all she could do was be there for her. Which she would be. Every step of the way.
Chapter 22
Despite the kids’ protests that they needed just one more day to get over Vivien’s death, Lexi deposited them at the school and beat a hasty retreat. They had both cried and it had wrenched her heart out when the teachers cajoled them into class while they told them how sad they were. But Lexi knew that what they needed was calm, normality and routine. It was hard for her too, but the more they stayed off school, the harder it would be to go back. The headteacher had kindly rung her an hour later to confirm that the kids had calmed down and were enjoying a normal school day, so she didn’t have to worry. It had been a huge weight off her mind.
Now all she had to stress about was what the solicitor could possibly want with her. She and Vivien had been close but she’d never mentioned leaving her anything in her will. Perhaps she had left her the pretty full-length mirror from her bedroom, knowing how much Lexi liked it. But what if it was something awful? Lexi had no idea what that could be, but she really couldn’t cope with anything else right now. Being with Will at the funeral had brought back a whole heap of memories and feelings, and her heart felt fit to bursting with the weight of it all.
Mr Beck was seeing her at eleven o’clock and Raina had said she could take as much time as she needed. Everyone was being so sweet and kind. Lexi felt her eyes well up again but she looked to the sky to dry them and took a deep breath. She was bored of crying now and there was no point in destroying her eyeliner. The day was warm as the last month of spring had begun and they were edging towards summer. The sky was a bright clear blue, almost shiny, and clouds were few and far between. She’d only worn a cardigan over her dress today and took a moment to enjoy the sun on her skin.
The solicitor’s wasn’t based in a new shiny office building because, thankfully, there weren’t many of those in Swallowtail Bay. It was actually nothing more than a renovated Victorian house. Mr Beck’s office even had an old Victorian fireplace in it, filled with wood stacked in an arty fashion. He sat behind a large old-fashioned dark wood desk, and looked even older in the dim light that struggled to come through the small window behind him, shaded as it was by a large hydrangea bush.
‘Thank you for coming, Miss Durham. Normally we would simply write to anyone mentioned in a will, but Miss Griffen gave us very specific instructions regarding you.’
‘Oh, okay,’ Lexi replied, shifting in her seat opposite him. Her insides felt as knotted as Ralph’s shoelaces when he tried to tie them.
‘Would you like a cup of tea or coffee before we begin?’
‘No thank you.’ Lexi pushed down the uncomfortable feeling in her stomach and felt her shoulders tense up. She couldn’t eat or drink anything right now. Mr Beck picked up a folder, opened it and then peered over the top at Lexi. Patience wasn’t a virtue Lexi had been blessed with and she had to hold herself back from shouting at him to hurry up. Eventually, he spoke.
‘Miss Durham, apart from a bequest of some vinyl records and some books to Miles Parker, Miss Griffen has left all her property and monies to you. The mortgage on the house has been paid for some time and Miss Griffen had a substantial amount in savings. After inheritance tax, over three hundred thousand pounds has been bequeathed to you.’
Lexi’s mouth fell open and she leaned in close, fearing she had misheard. ‘I – I’m sorry, what?’
Mr Beck smiled and his face became softer and more kindly. ‘I understand it may be a shock, but Miss Griffen has left everything she owned to you. We’ll begin the process of transferring everything to your ownership within the next few days. You’re welcome to enter the house as soon as you wish and I understand you have a set of keys already?’
‘Yes. Yes, I do. So – wait – hang on a minute.’ She was now resting on the edge of his desk for support. Her brain was foggy and it was like she was in a dream, or drunk. ‘Do you mean to say she left the house to me?’
He nodded. ‘And everything in it, and all her money too. Apart from the items left to Mr Parker.’
Unable to speak as her mind whirled around, Lexi paused. ‘So what do I do with the house?’ If her brain was a cartoon character it would have its fingers in its ears and be running around in circles shouting ‘aaarrrggghhh!’ Instead of relaxing at such incredible news, the knot in her stomach had tightened so hard it felt like it had pulled in all her other internal organs. Her heart refused to beat and her ribs felt like they were collapsing inwards.
‘Are you sure you wouldn’t like a cup of tea or coffee, Miss Durham?’
‘No. Honestly, thank you. I just – I just don’t understand.’
Mr Beck was being very patient. ‘The house is yours,’ he said with a smile. ‘You may do with what you wish. You can move into it or sell it.’
‘I couldn’t sell it.’ The reaction was pure instinct – a way to preserve Vivien’s memory – but could she live there? In the house her friend had died in?
‘You have some time to think about it. You can’t sell until we’ve transferred the deeds but that won’t take long. Take your time to make a decision.’
‘No. No. I mean I just couldn’t. It was Vivien’s home and it’s such a lovely house.’
‘That’s for you to decide. But we’ll be happy to offer advice or provide any assistance you require. All our fees are on our website.’
‘Yes, of course.’ She nodded. ‘Thank you.’
‘If you’ve no further questions there’s nothing else I need to tell you at this stage, but please feel free to call me if you think of anything. We’ll send you a letter shortly with full details.’
Mr Beck stood up and Lexi knew that was her cue to leave. Her legs wobbled and her head spun, leaving her light-headed. Then as she left, a huge grin spread across her face. Her stomach unknotted and her heart felt about to explode. How could this have happened to her? She shook her head in pure disbelief as she walked to Stella’s shop.
‘Are you okay?’ asked Stella from behind the counter.
Lexi paused in the doorway, still unsure if she was in a dream. ‘Vivien left me her stuff.’ The words still didn’t quite register with her brain.
‘What stuff?’
‘Everything.’ Suddenly she wanted to laugh. ‘Her house, her possessions … everything.’
Stella stared at her. ‘I can’t believe it. That’s amazing.’ She leapt up from behind the counter and took her in a hug. Lexi was too shocked to even close her arms around Stella and they hung loosely at her sides.
Lexi laughed disbelievingly. ‘I’m not broke anymore and we can move in as soon as we want to. We just have to wait for the deeds to be transferred.’
‘She really was very fond of you, wasn’t she?’ Stella said.
‘I had no idea she’d do this though.’ It was all utterly unbelievable.
‘Well, that’s clear from the look on your face.’ Stella laughed.
‘I’m so shocked. I don’t know what to do. I’d better tell Will and I’ll have to tell the kids tonight.’
‘I can’t think of anyone who deserves it more,’ Stella said. ‘Shall I go and get us celebratory coffee and cake from next door?’
‘I’ll go,’ said Lexi. ‘I need to tell Raina.’
‘You’re not going to quit your job, are you?’ Stella asked, concerned, but the idea hadn’t even entered Lexi’s head.
‘No! Gosh no. I just want her to be one of the first to know, that’s all.’ Just because her luck seemed to be changing a little didn’t mean she could turn her whole life upside down and no one had supported her more than Raina.
‘I’m sure she’ll be happy for you.’
‘She will. I know she will. Can I have another hug first though, please? I’m all shaky and weird.’
Stella obliged. Lexi hadn’t felt this way since they had handed over h
er newborn children. It was a moment of pure pleasure – of peace and tranquillity, and of everything being right with the world. In fact, this was even better than the days the nurses had plonked her wriggly babies on her chest because the house wasn’t going to learn to talk back, she thought with a smile. She’d always known Vivien was a kind and caring soul but Lexi had never expected anything like this. Closing her eyes, she gave thanks to the wonderful old lady for changing her life.
Chapter 23
Miles heard the good news about Lexi from Raina a few days later when he stopped in for a late lunch. His nostrils filled with the smell of cooked bacon and sausages, but in front of him, beneath the glass, was such an array of ingredients he just couldn’t decide what to have. Bright lettuce and tomatoes glistened; a bowl of fresh flaky tuna looked inviting next to a plate of sliced good quality ham and next to that was juicy and tender rare roast beef. Then there were all the cheeses: Stilton, Brie, feta, good old cheddar. Maybe he could get two baguettes and have one for supper. ‘I can’t believe it,’ he said, smiling. ‘So Vivien left her everything?’
‘Oh, yes,’ Raina replied in her soft Irish accent from the other side of the counter. ‘You’re not cross, are you?’ She eyed him suspiciously. ‘She’s a good girl and she deserves it.’
‘No. Not at all.’ Confusion pulled at his features. ‘Why would I be cross?’
‘I think Lexi was worried you might resent her as you and Vivien were close too, you being friends with her since you were young and all that.’
‘Of course I don’t resent her. Vivien and I were friends, but I didn’t do anything near what Lexi does – I mean did – for her.’ A lump formed in his throat, temporarily halting his mounting appetite. He still hadn’t quite got used to speaking about Vivien in the past tense. ‘I used to pop in when I could, but Lexi saw her every week, did her shopping, cleans for her too, sometimes.’ He’d done it again, he should have said cleaned. Miles swallowed down how much he was going to miss her. ‘Lexi deserves it. No one works harder than her.’