What would she live on, then? She’d need to get a job and bang would go her dream of being a full-time photographer. She’d have little or no mortgage though, so it was worth thinking about.
‘We’d have to tidy it up a lot to get that sort of money,’ she said.
‘Maybe not as much as you think. Let’s find out.’ Mali was already pushing open the door to the estate agency.
‘Can I help you?’ A smartly dressed dark-haired man in about his mid-thirties, looked up from the computer screen. ‘Jonathan Connolly’ said the gold-letters-on-black sign on his desk.
‘Yes, we’d like you to give us a valuation for Hattie’s cottage please,’ Mali said, before Hattie could open her mouth.
Jonathan smiled at Hattie. ‘I’m presuming you’re Hattie?’
She nodded. ‘My uncle left his cottage – Fisherman’s Rest – to me and my dad when he died recently. It’s one of the old fishermen’s cottages around the corner from the harbour. We want to sell it, but it does need tidying up a bit. Well, quite a lot, actually.’
She could see the interest on his face ‘I’d be delighted to take a look. There’s a lot of call for those cottages. Do sit down, all of you, while I take down some details.’
Hattie sat in the chair opposite him, whilst Mali sat next to her, pulling Lou onto her lap.
‘Would you like another chair for your little girl?’ Jonathan asked.
‘No, thank you, she’s fine,’ Mali assured him.
‘How about a drink? Would you like some coffee? Tea? Juice for the little girl?’
Hattie shook her head before Mali could reply. ‘We’re fine, thank you. We’ve just had a drink.’
‘Then let’s get on with business, shall we?’ Jonathan flashed a mega-watt smile at Hattie and produced a form. ‘Can we start with your name and telephone number, please?’
Half an hour later, Jonathan had all the details and had promised to visit Fisherman’s Rest that afternoon at about two o’clock to do a valuation, as he was doing one on a house around the corner. ‘We’ll need your father’s permission, of course, to put it on the market, but I can email him a form to sign. Once a sale has been agreed he will have to come over to sign the papers, though.’
‘That won’t be a problem,’ Hattie told him. She and her dad had discussed this and he’d promised to come over as soon as he could get away, and hopefully help Hattie sort out any work that needed to be done.
Jonathan seemed excited to have the cottage on his books, assuring Hattie that there would be no problem selling it, no matter what the condition. ‘We have a waiting list of buyers for these cottages. They make ideal holiday lets,’ he told her.
Hattie felt a bit sad that the cottage Uncle Albert had lived in for most of his life would be inhabited by a succession of holidaymakers instead of being a much-loved home. Don’t be silly, she told herself, it’s good that so many people will get to enjoy the cottage.
‘Well, that’s what I call a success! He was almost snatching your hand off. I bet you won’t have to do much to the cottage at all,’ Mali said. ‘It sounds like it will be snapped up. What are your plans once it’s sold? Where are you going to live? Will you be moving back to Bristol?’
‘I’ve no idea.’ Hattie hadn’t thought any further ahead than coming down to Cornwall for the summer. ‘I guess I will.’
‘Well, you can come and stay with us while you’re looking for somewhere. You know that.’
She did know that; Mali was her lifeline. And Hattie was hers. ‘Thank you.’
‘I want to see the boats,’ Lou said, tugging at her mother’s hand.
‘Okay, Sunshine, we’ll take a walk down by the harbour, and maybe stop for an ice cream. Is that okay with you, Hattie?’
‘Sure.’ Hattie loved walking along by the harbour. ‘Mind the seagulls, though, they’ll swoop down and snatch the ice cream out of your hands if you aren’t careful.’
‘No, they won’t. I’ll shoo them away if they do,’ Lou said determinedly.
Hattie grinned. ‘She’s just like you,’ she told Mali.
Mali shook her head. ‘No, she’s going to be stronger than me. There’s a couple of seagulls I should have shooed away sooner!’
Hattie grinned, knowing that Mali was referring to a couple of bad relationships she’d had. ‘It’s all good now, though. Right?’
‘You bet it is.’ Mali’s face broke into a smile as she looked at Lou, who was now peering over the railings at the boats in the harbour, fascinated. ‘This is such a gorgeous place, Hattie. You’re so lucky to have been left the cottage – well, part of it, anyway. I reckon it will sell in no time. Shame, really, me and Lou could have had some nice holidays down here.’
Port Medden was beautiful, Hattie thought as she looked out over the picturesque harbour with its strip of golden sand. The sun had come out now and the morning chill was lifting. She glanced over at the row of shops opposite the harbour: gift shops, surf-wear, pottery, an artist’s gallery and the little café. Soon, the streets would be teeming with holidaymakers, as they had been when she’d come down for holidays with her parents. She had loved the weeks she’d spent here, and often thought how lucky her uncle was to live in such a beautiful place.
It’s bound to take a few months to sell the cottage, she thought, so I’m going to make the most of the time I’m here. I’m going to use this summer to relax, build up my photography business and sort out my life.
‘Mummy, there’s the ice cream shop!’ Lou shouted, running back to her
