‘I’m beginning to get a feel for this place.’ She smiled at Belle. ‘I think we can do this, you know.’

‘Of course we can. We can do anything we set our minds to. What is it you say, Granny? Nothing a bit of elbow grease won’t fix.’ Belle kissed Sheila on the cheek.

‘Well, now you’re using my own words against me I don’t have a chance, do I? Next you’ll be putting on one of your Disney CDs and encouraging the local wildlife to come in and help you make it spick and span.’ Sheila turned to Rory. ‘I don’t suppose there’s any point in me trying to persuade you out of this? Your dad was a builder. I know how much work is going to be involved in something like this.’

Rory shook her head. ‘No, Mum. There’s no point. I want a house rather than a flat, and we can’t afford one that’s already done up round here on my wages. This is our only option.’

‘In that case, let me give you some…’ Sheila trailed off at the look on Rory’s face.

Rory squeezed her hand. ‘Mum, I’m grateful. But I don’t need your money. You should enjoy the profit from the house. Spend it on gin and Italian waiters.’

Sheila made a harrumphing sound. ‘I might just do that and bring one home for you, my girl.’

Rory shook her head. ‘I won’t have time for amore; I’ll be too busy painting walls and laying carpet.’

Sheila was back on her favourite subject. ‘You will need to make time for it sometime, Aurora. You’re not getting any younger, you know.’

Rory rolled her eyes. ‘I know. I know. But if we’re back to Aurora, it must be time to go.’

As she shuffled the two of them out of the front door, Rory looked back up the hallway and through the door to the sitting room. This place wasn’t so much in need of a facelift as full reconstructive surgery. She knew how it felt. There was an awful lot of work to be done and, apart from following her dad around when she was young, she didn’t actually have any DIY experience. Would she be taking on more than she could manage?

Sheila stood on the front step and it crumbled beneath her feet. ‘Are you really sure about this, Aurora?’

There was a huge oval mirror hanging near the front door. Rory blew the dust from its centre and looked through the scattering motes at her reflection. With a bit of polish, it could be made to look beautiful again.

She’d make a start with that.

Chapter Two

There might have been a long list of lesson planning and photocopying waiting for Rory in her classroom, but at least the place was clean, tidy and the roof wasn’t in danger of falling in. ‘We’ll have you in in no time!’ the estate agent had promised when Rory’s offer had been accepted back in June. After a lot of gratuitous and expensive toing and froing between solicitors, they had eventually got the keys two weeks ago.