Practically Perfect (11 page)

‘Come and sit down,’ he said eventually when he opened the door. He smiled. ‘I’m sorry to do this to you.’

Anna went into his office and sat on the chair opposite the desk. ‘Then why do it?’ She didn’t return the smile. She was not going to forgive him.

‘It’s my job. I really am sorry.’ His ruefulness would have made her mouth twitch under normal circumstances, but these were not normal.

‘You came into my house under false pretences to spy on me,’ she accused before remembering her determination to behave in a calm and professional manner.

‘No I didn’t! I came in because of Caroline. How is she, by the way?’

‘Fine. Chloe’s got her.’

‘And have you taken her to the vet yet?’

‘No! Now can we get to the point?’ She realised that she shouldn’t have been so belligerent but she couldn’t help herself, she felt so wrong-footed. She should have realised when she first saw the house that what had happened to it wouldn’t have conformed to regulations, but she’d been blinded by the potential, the views and the price.

‘OK.’ He looked down at his papers and then up at her. ‘Obviously, I’ve seen your house. I know what desecrations— Sorry?’

‘I thought for a minute you’d said decorations,’ said Anna, thinking she should open her mouth before it welded itself shut for ever.

‘I’m aware you didn’t eviscerate—’

A stifled whimper emerged from between Anna’s tightly closed lips.

‘I beg your pardon? Did I forget to put my teeth in this morning?’

Anna refused to allow the laugh to escape. ‘No,’ she said solemnly. ‘I just don’t know what you mean.’

‘Eviscerate? I mean rip the guts and heart and lungs out of your house.’

‘Oh. Nothing too emotional then.’

He regarded her quizzically and a little sadly. ‘I’m afraid it’s all going to have to go back.’

‘Well, obviously, I’ve put the floorboards back now.’

‘And the staircase?’

‘Well, hardly! I only got the floor done last week! And have you any idea how difficult—’

‘Staircases are to make? Well, you’ll have to get your cabinetmaker to copy the one in the house next door.’

‘I’ve got my drawings. Of the staircase I planned. It’s very tasteful, and won’t look out of place.’

He shook his head. ‘It’s got to be as near to the one that was taken out as possible. You’ll have to use new timber, I suppose.’

Now she felt a small buzz of superority. ‘Possibly not,’ she said, hiding her new smugness. ‘I’m hoping to use reclaimed timber.’

‘It’s unlikely you’ll be able to get boards wide enough. Those treads are very wide at the end.’

Anna nodded non-committally.

‘And I’m afraid any ideas you might have had about having patio doors into the garden are a non-starter, too.’

‘I was going to have French doors. Much more tasteful.’

‘I’m sorry, Anna, that’s just a matter of semantics. That’s a study of the meaning of words …’ he explained, inviting her to share the joke. When she didn’t, he went on, ‘We just want the house restored to how it should be. That’s a very special row of houses and it’s vital we keep them as near to how they originally were as possible.’

Anna inhaled and exhaled, slowly, to give herself thinking time. It was a shame that she’d got off on the wrong foot with this man, then got back on the right one, and then wrong again. Nor could she respond to his attempts at humour, even if they were quite funny. She was too nervous; he had too much power. She made an attempt at a smile.

‘So what do you want me to have, then?’ She tried not to sound petulant, but feared she’d failed.

‘A plain window out to the backyard, so you can keep an eye on the children playing in the smuts from the ash-pit.’

He’d made another joke, but only his eyes were smiling. It was very unnerving. ‘I haven’t got children,’ she said.

‘But you have got a dog.’

‘I know.’

‘You should take her to the vet to have her checked over. It could prevent any problems she might have getting worse.’

‘I know that, too.’

He sighed, as if despairing of her ever relaxing. ‘What about that indoor kennel? They are a very good idea. Especially if Chloe’s boys ever visit.’

‘They do visit. They’re very good with Caroline—’

‘I’ve got a kennel I can lend you. I’ll drop it round some time.’

‘And will you take the opportunity to check what’s going on in my house?’ The words were spoken before she’d thought properly and Anna realised she’d been terribly rude. ‘I’m so sorry. I should never have said that. You’re only doing your job. I’m just so anxious …’

‘There’s no need to be anxious. On the whole we’re reasonable people who want the best result for everyone.’ He paused, apparently relieved that she’d softened a little. ‘What those other people did to your house really was dreadful.’

‘And how do you know it wasn’t me who ripped everything out?’ She smiled, making an attempt at light-heartedness.

His smile was wider and more genuine than hers. ‘Gut instinct. Very useful in my job. Or jobs.’

Now she did feel a bit more relaxed. ‘So, what do you want me to do about the staircase? Do some drawings and show them to you?’

‘That’s the best thing. You don’t want to spend a fortune on having it built and then have to alter it all.’

Anna felt her mood shift slightly. ‘How do you know I haven’t got a fortune?’

‘As I said before, gut instinct.’

Anna smiled, not quite ready to laugh, and got to her feet. ‘I’ll start drawing, then.’

‘Who are you going to get to build it?’

She tried to sidestep the question. ‘I haven’t decided yet.’

‘I could recommend some people who are used to conforming to our requirements, but you’d have to get on to them soon. They’ve got a long waiting list.’

‘I said, I haven’t decided—’

‘Let me give you their name. And do get on to them quickly.’

‘Isn’t it unethical to give out names of joinery firms to people? In your job?’

‘Only if I get a backhander out of it.’

Anna was tempted to smile again so she picked up her tube of drawings, none of which were relevant now, and her bag and got up. ‘Thank you for your help,’ she said formally.

Rob Hunter rose to his feet and came round the desk to open the door for her. Anna wasn’t used to having doors opened for her and this was the second time in less than a week. ‘I’ll be seeing you,’ he said.

‘Not if I see you first,’ muttered Anna, inaudibly, knowing it was a cliché and relieved to have got through a meeting with Rob Hunter without a fight.

* * *

When Anna got home, she called on Chloe before she went into her own house, nominally to collect Caroline, but actually with another motive in mind.

‘Give me coffee and let me look at your staircase!’ She accepted Caroline’s greeting while she said this, and got her to sit down again.

Chloe, who was a very satisfactory friend, put the kettle on. ‘Why do you want to measure my staircase? Do you need them both? Or just the first one?’

Anna sank down into the chair, having removed a universe worth of Superheroes from it first. Caroline wandered over so that Anna could stroke her ears. ‘I’ve got to make my staircase exactly the same as yours,’ Anna announced, sounding exhausted. She looked across to where the stairs were revealed behind the half-open door. The treads resembled slices of pie.

‘Oh my goodness,’ said Chloe, diplomatically.

‘And it’s your friend Rob Hunter that’s making me do it,’ said Anna, remembering to be indignant.

‘What on earth are you talking about? Do you want me to whisk the milk and make a proper cappuccino?’

‘Oh, yes please. And I wouldn’t say no to a chocolate biscuit.’

Chloe got out the tin in which all treats were hidden. ‘So what’s Rob making you do? I thought Friday night went very well, didn’t you? Rob obviously liked you a lot.’

‘I don’t think so. He was quite friendly and chatty but that must have been because he felt guilty. He knew he was about to turn my life upside down.’

‘How do you feel about him?’ Chloe fished.

Anna considered. She had liked him, he did make her laugh and she had thought that maybe they could become friends. But the fact that he was the listed buildings officer made it all seem so complicated.

‘Well?’ Chloe persisted.

‘He’s nice, it’s just …’

‘What?’

‘Nothing.’ One day she might tell Chloe all about Max, but not now. ‘Anyway, it was he who said I’ve got to make my staircase exactly like yours. It does tend to put you off a bloke, that sort of thing.’

‘Oh my God!’

Anna nodded, finding Chloe’s reaction entirely appropriate. She sipped at the chocolate-powdered froth. ‘I’ve got every right to hate him, really. He used one job to further the interests of his other one, which I’m sure is immoral, if not illegal.’

‘But you don’t?’ Chloe, having made sure Anna found the biscuit she wanted, helped herself. ‘Hate him, I mean?’

‘Well, no, not really. I agree that these are very special houses—’

‘Very small houses.’

‘And they should be done properly. I just feel a bit daunted about doing it.’

‘I have huge faith in you, Anna. Think what you’ve done already. Even your sister would be proud of you. The floor is lovely.’

‘Yes, it has worked OK, hasn’t it? I might ring my sister. If I’m going to make this darn staircase, I’d better get my boards. Oh, where are the boys?’

‘Bruno and Tom are playing with Alistair, a friend of Bruno’s from school. Harry’s having a nap. I wondered why you said darn.’

Anna drained her cup. ‘Thank you so much, Chloe. I feel revived now. You’re such a good friend, even if you didn’t tell me Rob was coming to dinner.’

Chloe laughed and patted Anna’s arm. ‘Yes, well, a good
friend
who wants an en suite in her garret,’ she said. ‘When you’ve got a moment.’

‘I’ll do it as light relief from the damn staircase. Come on, Caroline, time to go home.’

Once she’d let Caroline out into the garden and back in again, Anna telephoned her sister. Laura was pleased to hear how Anna had got on, though also worried. ‘Oh my God!’ she said. ‘Are you sure you can do it yourself? I mean a plain staircase is one thing, but one that’s practically spiral is something else.’

‘I know. But the listed buildings man – Rob Hunter – said that was what I had to have.’

‘Can’t you appeal? You mustn’t let these people bully you, you know.’

‘I don’t know if I could appeal, but my heart tells me he’s right.’

‘You and your heart, Anna.’

Anna chuckled. ‘I was wondering about how to get my boards, Laura.’

‘What, in the storage place? It’s funny you should say that, but the bill came the other day, and I was thinking it’s fearfully expensive, and if we haven’t missed the stuff, and I haven’t, we should get rid of it.’

Anna instantly felt guilty. ‘I should pay you something towards the cost of the storage unit.’

‘Nonsense,’ Laura replied resolutely, ‘but if you want your boards and we want to get rid of most of the stuff, we’ll have to come down with a van and collect it.’

‘It’s an awfully long way.’

‘We wouldn’t do it in a day.’ Laura had obviously been thinking about it. ‘We’d stay the night with Sally in London, and drive back the next day, dropping your boards off with you.’

‘Would you want to stay?’ Anna tried not to sound alarmed at the prospect.

Laura laughed. ‘Don’t worry. I’m dying to see how you’re getting on, but one night on a floor will be enough for me. I’m not as young as I was.’

‘What about the boys?’

‘Will’s mother will have them, I hope. I need a night away so badly! You’ve no idea!’

Anna realised her sister did sound rather exhausted. ‘Laura, if ever you want me to come up and stay for a weekend so you can go away, I will.’

‘Sweetie, that’s lovely, but you’ve got enough on your plate at the moment. I’ll ring Will and see what he thinks about the van.’

When Laura got going, the tough lay down and did as she wanted. Within twenty-four hours she had organised time off for Will, a weekend with their grandparents for her sons, and a bed for the night in London for just over a week’s time.

‘Your sister is amazing,’ said Chloe, watching Anna measure her stairs for seemingly the nineteenth time. ‘I can’t wait to meet her. You mustn’t let her come here though, unless you give me plenty of warning.’

‘You could come over and have coffee when she and Will come then,’ Anna suggested.

‘Won’t that be a bit much for Caroline? If I’ve got the boys with me?’

‘Well, it will be a bit. We’ll have to think. Now I must go and make a start on these drawings. I want to have something substantial to show Laura.’

At midnight that night Anna was still sitting at her drawing board, inspection lamps supplementing her old Anglepoise, until Caroline’s whimperings at the foot of the ladder forced her to stop.

‘Poor darling,’ she said, stroking the dog’s ears, ‘you suffer from separation anxiety even while I’m in the house! It’s just those drawings are very difficult to do, and I haven’t made a staircase before. It’s going to take me ages, but I’m going to do it, and it’s going to be beautiful.’ That would show Rob Hunter and his ‘I could recommend some people’, she thought determinedly.

Chapter Seven