The House that Florence Left (Portuguese Paradise #4)

Chapter 21

Bella watched the pick-up truck drive away with the skip, then walked around the house admiring the space that she had created, and the sense that she had somehow ‘made it better’. But the ‘making it better’ had revealed chipped floor tiles, possible damp patches and quite a lot of missing plaster. The cats followed her around the rooms till she sat down on the floor of the living room, then they climbed on her lap. She stroked their heads, looking around, and took a breath — everything that needed to be done seemed to be superficial. It’s getting easier , she thought, closing her eyes. One of the cats started to purr, and then so did the other one, so she listened to stereo contentment for a few minutes wondering how she had managed to live without cats for so many years.

Glancing at the clock on the wall, she went over to her computer and opened her spreadsheets, but the columns and words looked more like symbols and lines than anything she could make sense of, so she closed them again quickly, rubbing her forehead. She walked outside. The storks were standing on the roof, bright white against the blue of the sky. ‘There’s still so much to do,’ she told them. ‘I can’t stay much longer. Real life is beckoning.’

Have you ever thought that this is real life too? Her inner voice was sounding reasonable. Yes, your job and your flat are in London. Your parents are just outside. And you can’t be far away from them for long. But — but— there may be another way.

Bella rolled her shoulders and ignored the voice, deciding to take a swim in her very own swimming pool that she had ‘made better’. She put on her swimming costume, grabbed a towel and walked outside past what she now called the ‘ambling picture’. Is that what this is? she thought, planning on doing something important and useful, but going for a swim instead? She smiled, stepping onto the patio, the tiles warm under her bare feet, then strode over to the pool and climbed in, pushing herself off through the water, and with each stroke and each breath felt the spreadsheets floating away into the air.

After her swim, she fell onto a sunbed and dozed for a while, enjoying the heat on her back and the singing of the birds, then stood and headed back into the house to try to make sense of the spreadsheets and do some more work, even though she was part-time and it wasn’t one of her official working days.

* * *

‘Hello!’ a man’s voice shouted from the gate.

It was Jorge. He was dressed in shorts and a T-shirt and didn’t look like he had come from work.

Bella waved. ‘Come on in. Do you want anything to drink? I’ve got some homemade lemonade that Layla gave me.’

‘No, no thank you.’ His face was serious, and he couldn’t meet her eyes. ‘I am on my way back to Lisbon for a week or so.’

‘Oh, lovely. A holiday?’ Bella smiled at him, but he didn’t smile back.

‘Not quite. Bella. Can we sit somewhere? I have something I need to explain.’

‘Of course. Shall we sit in the shade under the tree? Is everything all right?’

They sat down.

‘What do you need to explain?’ Bella was beginning to feel uneasy.

‘I got myself involved in a situation that has got a little out of hand and I need to apologise.’ He still couldn’t meet her eyes. ‘About your house. About the land...’

‘Right.’

‘I came to Lagos to get ahead, move up the ladder and make money so I could go back to Lisbon and make lots more money.’

‘Yes?’

‘And then, just after you arrived, I met a woman through a mutual friend...’ He shook his head and sighed. ‘I have been an idiot and I’m sorry.’

‘Sorry about what?’

‘She persuaded me that — no, I allowed her to persuade me because I wanted to believe her.’ He shook his head again. ‘She works for a property development company, and they are looking for land in this area — it’s become very popular. She said there is a shortage of housing, and we need to do something about it, but we could also make a lot of money as we did.’

‘Is this lady connected to Hugo at all?’ Bella shifted uncomfortably.

‘Yes. They were together for a while. It ended very acrimoniously and now I wonder if some of this is because she is still angry with him.’

‘Ah.’

‘And she is not interested in me. You know, Bella.’ He looked at her now, his eyes intense. ‘When you arrived and I saw you for the first time at the bar I thought... I found you... I mean... I liked you immediately. A lot.’ He scratched his head and stared at the table. ‘So please do not think that all of the chats we had were because I wanted to use you to get to the land. It’s just she swept in and turned my head. She’s very intense and... I was flattered. And saw the chance to make some quick money.’

‘Go on.’ A shred of anger was curling its way through her body.

‘She said, why shouldn’t we make lots of money from this? These are only three little houses. My company could build a lot of properties on it, or even three much better houses, she said, and I’d get a slice of it for helping to persuade you to sell. And I would be set for life. I wouldn’t have to worry about money anymore.’ He looked at her again. ‘My father died when I was very young, and my mother always struggled and worked hard to make sure me and my sister could stay at school, so we could get a good education. But it was hard, so hard.’ He shook his head. ‘And I don’t want us to be like that anymore. It felt like I could jump to the front of the queue rather than edge my way forward from the back.’

The anger dissipated for a moment. ‘I understand that.’ Bella looked away for a moment, unable to meet his gaze.

‘And she knew. How did she know? It turns out she has been talking to my friends — some had already moved down from Lisbon. She targeted me.’ He shifted awkwardly in his seat. ‘She knew that Elena is Hugo’s accountant, and when she and Will started to become friendly, she persuaded me to tell her about his situation. That’s why Lenny and Martim were around so much talking to him.’

‘Why are you telling me this now, Jorge?’

‘My actions have upset Will, and they have very much upset Elena because he wonders who has been passing on information about his personal circumstances.’ He began to talk more quickly, the words spilling out almost angrily. ‘And when Hugo asked me if I knew anything at that charity function, I realised it had gone too far. I saw my aunt cry because she had argued with Will. Hugo said that Lenny and Martim and his ex — who I thought was interested in me—’ He shook his head. ‘Anyway, that they were beginning to intimidate you all and were they anything to do with his great-uncle Francisco Lopes.’

‘Are they?’

‘She works — or worked — for his company. That’s all I know.’

‘This all seems a bit personal, doesn’t it?’ Bella stood up. ‘Hugo’s ex wants his farm, Francisco Lopes — is he still angry with Great-Aunt Flo? I mean—’ she sat down again ‘—It seems so irrational.’

‘Money, money, money,’ Jorge said quietly.

‘That’s what Hugo said when I first met him.’ Bella sighed.

‘So, I am leaving for a while. I have told them all sorts of things I shouldn’t have, and I am sorry. Sorry doesn’t make up for it, but I am.’

He stood and held his hand out. Bella looked at him for a moment, waiting for the anger. But there wasn’t any.

‘I am very ashamed. I shouldn’t have started, but when you told me about your parents and your situation it struck a chord and I should have stopped then. But I sort of got swept away with the whole thing.’

‘Have you spoken to your aunt? Or Will? You need to put it right.’

‘I am on my way to Will’s now. I’m not sure he will be as kind as you, but I deserve it. As for my aunt, I’m planning on telling her quickly then jumping in my car and driving off into the distance.’ There was half a smile on his face. ‘But wait till she tells my mother.’ He shook his head. ‘Oh dear.’

He kissed her tentatively on the cheek. ‘ Adeus , Bella. Good luck with everything. And I’m sorry. So sorry.’

He turned and walked back to the gate.

Bella went to the postbox and opened it, retrieving the card Deanna had put in it when she’d met her. She took it into the house and put it on the table, trying to plan what she wanted to say to the woman. But her thoughts were too tangled. She was too angry to plan anything. So she picked up the phone and, when it went straight to voicemail, said the first thing that came into her head.

‘This is Bella Creswell.’ Her voice sounded even and assertive. ‘I believe you have been using underhand tactics to try to persuade me and my neighbours to sell. This is unprofessional, unethical, and actually a little bit on the creepy side.’ She enjoyed saying the last few words, sensing that glamorous, sleek and ambitious Deanna would hate being called ‘creepy’. ‘I may well phone the police.’

She rang off, then found the number of the office of Francisco Lopes and left him a message asking him to call her.

Then she put on a sundress, grabbed a sunhat and walked down to the café to see if Hugo was there.

* * *

He was sitting outside looking at his phone when she arrived.

‘I’ve just had an email from a potential investor about my business plan.’ He waved the phone at her excitedly. ‘I think this is the beginning of something wonderful, you know. The charity is getting going and now this!’

‘That’s just lovely.’ Bella smiled at him, wondering whether telling him about her conversation with Jorge was a good idea.

He stood up. ‘Is everything all right? I thought that with all the clearing and the progress you were making with the house, you may look a little bit happier than you do right now.’

‘Shall we walk for a moment? I need to tell you something and I don’t want anyone to hear.’ She began to walk towards the beach.

Hugo caught her up. ‘I’m starting to worry, Bella.’

‘No, no, it’s not that bad. It’s unsettling and somewhat private.’ She took a breath. ‘So, Jorge has just been to see me and has told me that he’s been giving information about Will to your ex.’

‘What?’ Hugo stopped walking.

‘These people are really keen on our land, Hugo. And—’ she turned to face him ‘—she works — or worked — for your great-uncle.’

‘I knew he was behind this. I’m going to drive to his office now and get this finished.’

‘I’ve left Deanna and your great-uncle messages. Maybe they’ll stop now. Perhaps you shouldn’t waste your time travelling to see him.’

‘This is so stupid. He knows I won’t sell. I don’t know why they are doing this.’

‘Maybe they thought they could persuade Will and me to sell. I have no emotional connection to the house, after all.’

‘Don’t you?’ He almost smiled.

Bella didn’t answer. ‘I have to go home and do some work.’

‘You said “home”.’ Hugo smiled again.

‘I’ve had a bit of a stressful afternoon, so not too much teasing please.’ Bella couldn’t help herself. She smiled back as her phone buzzed in her bag. ‘I didn’t hear it ring,’ she muttered, listening to a voicemail.

‘ This is a message for Miss Bella Creswell ,’ said a female voice. ‘ I am ringing on behalf of Francisco Lopes. He has asked me to inform you that he has no interest in buying your land or that of your neighbours in Lagos and has no business connection to anyone who may be approaching you about this matter. Thank you. ’

Bella repeated it to Hugo. ‘Unbelievable.’ He shook his head. ‘What are those clowns trying to do?’

‘I don’t know, but maybe they will stop now that he knows one of his employees — or ex-employees — is getting a bit carried away with herself.’

‘Maybe.’

Someone called him from the restaurant.

‘I have to go back to work,’ he said. ‘Thank you for making the call. It probably was better coming from you than me.’

‘No problem. I’ll get back myself now.’

They paused, looking at each other briefly, then they both nodded and walked off in opposite directions.