She was seated a little apart from the others. Was that because she was an outsider, or had there been an argument, the solicitor wondered, some rift that had happened just off stage and away from her view? Perhaps it was her beauty that they found off-putting? The solicitor had read in a magazine that beautiful people sometimes found it hard to make friends – how her heart ached for them, the poor little darlings. But perhaps that was the case here. She had their attention now, though.
‘You said . . . Tiger . . .’ Hope seemed to hesitate over his name as if she, like the solicitor, found it mildly risible. ‘You said that you were meeting friends abroad next month. So, why don’t you move into Angie’s flat just for the time being? Then, when you need to go on your trip we can look at how the land is lying and decide what to do next.’
‘That’s a good idea,’ said Leon. ‘Thanks, er . . .’ He paused, searching for her name. ‘Hope?’
So, they didn’t know each other, the solicitor thought. This really was the most peculiar arrangement.
Tiger stuck his bottom lip out as he thought about Hope’s proposal and then, finding nothing to object to it in, nodded his head. ‘Okay,’ he said. ‘That could work. And I suppose it’d be good not to have to sofa-surf until then. All right. I’ll do it.’
‘It’s not that big a deal,’ muttered Maggie under her breath. Tiger didn’t appear to hear her or if he did, he chose to ignore her comment.
She was sharp, that one, the solicitor thought, and from what she had seen, an unlikely friend for Angie who, from their meetings, had seemed much more easy-going. She wondered briefly how the pair had ended up being close enough for Angie to ask this enormous favour of her. In fact, what was asked was more than a favour. Angie had given each of these four a chunk of the responsibility for the thing that was most precious to her in the world – Romany. It was a huge ask, whichever way you looked at it.
‘Does anyone have any questions?’ she asked them.
Leon looked as if he wanted to say something but then seemed to think better of it.
‘When do I have to move in?’ asked Tiger.
‘That is a matter for you and Romany to agree,’ the solicitor replied. ‘As far as I am concerned it could happen today.’
Romany gave Tiger a weak smile and nodded as if this proposal was acceptable to her.
‘Well, if that’s everything, my secretary will give you your copies of the documents as you leave. If anything occurs to you later, please feel free to ring.’
The solicitor stood to indicate that the meeting was now over, and one by one the guardians followed suit and then trooped out into the reception area, each nodding their thanks as they passed her.
As Romany left, the solicitor placed a hand on her arm. ‘Your mother was a lovely woman,’ she said. It was unlike her to make such a personal statement and she was surprised that this one had slipped out, but then Angie Osborne had been a surprising person.
As she tidied the meeting room for its next occupants, the solicitor let her mind drift over the oddness of what had just happened. Then she looked at her watch and after that she didn’t give the matter another thought.
2
‘Shall we find a café?’ asked Maggie as the five of them stepped out of the solicitor’s office and into the street beyond. ‘I don’t know about you lot, but I wouldn’t mind a little chat about what just happened.’
‘Café be damned,’ said Tiger. ‘What we need is a pub and a stiff drink.’
Leon nodded and Maggie noticed that his bottom lip was trembling as he fought to control his emotions. He had always been prone to tears, right back from when they were teenagers. It could be irritating at times but now she found it endearing and she would have comforted him, except that Tiger was there. She herself felt strangely calm, her tears, for now at least, boxed away out of sight. It wouldn’t help anyone if she got upset as well.
‘Actually,’ said Romany, ‘I have to get back to school. I’ve already missed double chemistry.’
Tiger shook his head disbelievingly. ‘What does that matter, Romey? They’ll make allowances. Your mum just died.’
Maggie’s head whipped round and she frowned at him. The last thing they needed was for Tiger to start passing his questionable values on to Romany, or the four of them would fail before they had even begun.
‘What?!’ Tiger said, palms and eyebrows raised. ‘She did! And school shouldn’t expect Romey to go in, not so soon.’