LITMIR.BIZ

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need to loosen up,’ Freddie replied with a wink.

      ‘Yes, well you might regret saying that when I’m legless,’ Gus laughed. Harriet wished she felt as easy with them as they seemed to be with each other.

      ‘Am I late?’ Pippa asked as she entered the room.

      ‘Just in time for a drink,’ Freddie said, pouring her a Martini and hugging her warmly.

      ‘Fred, did you make a vat of that?’ Harriet asked.

      ‘No, just a jug.’

      ‘Has Mark gone?’ Gus asked.

      ‘Yes, he has to work tomorrow and, well, we need to make a decision, of course. I felt as if it would be impossible but Mark made me see that it’s not necessarily so—’

      They were saved by Gwen appearing. ‘Dinner’s ready, loves,’ she said.

      ‘Gwen, you know we can clear up after dinner,’ Harriet said. ‘It’s been a tough few days and we’d rather you relaxed than waited on us.’

      ‘Are you sure, I don’t mind?’ Gwen replied.

      ‘Honestly, it’s not on. We are big enough to clear up after ourselves, and I know full well you’ll be in that kitchen first thing in the morning making another delicious breakfast. Please,’ Harriet begged. She knew Gwen felt the need to work, but not every minute of every day. ‘Either go and see Connor or watch your soap operas!’ They both laughed. Harriet remembered how her dad hated her watching EastEnders back when she was young so she would sneak to Gwen’s cottage and watch it with her; their secret. Another memory that she had buried. How many more would there be?

      The air was thick with anxiety as they went through to the dining room and they took their seats. It felt formal, serious, and Harriet had a thousand thoughts whooshing round her mind. They all faced each other; their father’s chair at the end of the table conspicuously empty. Plates of food sat in front of them, along with empty wine glasses. Gwen, despite being told that they didn’t need such formality, said she liked doing things ‘properly’. As wine was poured, silence descended. They tucked into their food, Harriet was glad to eat, although she felt a little fuzzy from the Martinis. She barely tasted the food.

      ‘OK, I guess it’s time for us to discuss what we are all thinking,’ Harriet said, taking charge yet again. Yes she was bossy, but she was the oldest and being bossy hadn’t done her any harm. She had become the youngest female Vice President in her department at the investment bank. And she headed up a large team, mainly men, earning a salary that most people could only dream of. So, being bossy worked for her, why change it?

      ‘Well Gwen has surpassed herself again with this dinner. She’s such a treasure,’ Freddie quipped.

      ‘You know what I mean. Dad, his will, or pre-will. Meadowbrook Manor and the animal sanctuary. Am I the only one who’s never seen it?’

      ‘Yup. They’ve built it out past Gwen and Connor’s cottages. Paddocks have been cordoned off, there’s housing for all the animals as well as a specific cat home and dog home,’ Pippa said.

      ‘I’ll see Connor and get him to arrange for me to have a guided tour,’ Harriet replied, efficiently. Despite the Martinis and the wine she was currently drinking, her brain had gone into work mode. She knew full well she wouldn’t be able to do what her father wanted, but she needed to see what her siblings thought before she showed her hand.

      ‘And animal sanctuary aside, what about living here? I mean how random is that?’ Freddie quipped.

      ‘Let’s go round the table and discuss what each of us thinks about it,’ Harriet suggested. ‘I mean, is it even possible for us to put our lives on hold for a year?’ No, she wanted them all to say. The idea that she might be the only one to cost her siblings so dearly seemed unthinkable.

      ‘OK, boss,’ Freddie laughed. He downed some more wine and topped up his glass, spearing a potato with his fork at the same time. ‘Well, I am currently living with my girlfriend, the lovely Loretta.’

      ‘Hey, how come we haven’t heard of her?’ Harriet asked.

      ‘Well I have, actually,’ Pippa replied.

      ‘Me too,’ Gus added, leaving Harriet feeling an outsider yet again.

      ‘Why wasn’t she at the funeral?’ Harriet asked a little more aggressively than she intended. What the hell was wrong with her? She felt a burning jealousy that the three of them all had a part in each other’s lives, but she was the one who took herself away from them. It was her fault.

      ‘She’s overseas, working – she’s a model. So she wanted to come but couldn’t. She’s gone for about a month. Anyway, although I am not sure I can cope living with all of you, I personally think we should honour Dad’s wishes.’

      ‘What about Loretta?’ Harriet asked, surprised by Freddie’s easy compliance.

      ‘What about work?’ Pippa asked, echoing her thoughts.

      ‘Surely they can survive without me for a year. Loretta can stay at weekends and I can still be involved with work, remotely. Did the terms say we could do that?’

      ‘I haven’t read them yet,’ Harriet replied. She had scanned the document, but because of the impossibility of the whole thing, she had yet to properly read it, was there any point? ‘OK, so Fred’s in. Gus?’ Harriet felt her heart sink. Surely Gus would put a stop to this nonsense?

      Gus exhaled. He looked as if he carried the world on his shoulders and he also looked exhausted. His face seemed to wear sorrow which Harriet knew couldn’t just be down to their father’s death. Yes they were all grieving, but with Gus there was definitely more.

      ‘Well, funnily enough, I was thinking of taking some time off work. And Fleur loves it here, so it might help with our relationship. She’s twelve, going on twenty, and I feel that I have no clue how to be with my own daughter.’

      ‘Gus, what’s going on?’ Harriet asked. First Freddie, now Gus?

      ‘Oh, you know, the usual, premature midlife crisis and all that. And, you know with Dad dying, it’s just been a bit tough, but the point is that despite the fact I’m not keen on running the animal sanctuary, I would be open to living here. You see the alternative, not having the house in the family, seems wrong.’

      Harriet had thought about that. Yes it would be terrible not to have Meadowbrook in the family. God, almost unthinkable.

      ‘But say we do this, for a year, then what?’ she asked.

      ‘Who knows,’ Gus replied. ‘I guess we cross that bridge when we need to, at the moment we just need to focus on this year.’ Harriet glanced around, surely they didn’t think this was a good idea? What on earth was going on?

      ‘Mark and I talked, as I started to tell you when we were in the drawing room,’ Pippa explained. ‘He said it was my decision, although like you, Fred, he said that we should probably honour Dad’s last wishes. In fact, he was rather encouraging, quite disproving what Dad said. I know we’ll find it tough being apart all week, but he could come here at weekends. That’s all right in the terms actually, I checked with David.’

      ‘But you are prepared to live apart from your husband all week?’ Harriet didn’t keep the incredulity out of her voice.

      ‘I don’t agree with what Dad said on the video, so don’t think that. We’re happy, Mark and I love each other and he proved that by saying that he would let me decide what to do about this whole thing. So I think that our marriage is strong enough for this, for anything, and I really would like to do what Daddy wanted us to.’ A lone tear rolled down her pink cheek.

      Harriet remembered Pippa’s wedding day, the last time they had all been together. She’d spent a week with her family at Meadowbrook. The wedding was held in the village church and the reception was in a huge marquee in the grounds of the Manor. Pippa was young, not quite twenty-five

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