Читать книгу The Guestbook at Willow Cottage - Holly Martin - Страница 10

14th - 17th March

Mrs Applecroft.

FRIDAY:

THE LAST TIME I WAS HERE MRS BUTTERWORTH WAS GRIEVING THE DEATH OF HER HUSBAND. THE PLACE WAS A MESS.

I APPRECIATE THAT THE UPKEEP OF WILLOW COTTAGE WAS NOT HIGH ON HER LIST OF PRIORITIES WHEN SHE WAS TRYING TO ORGANISE A FUNERAL BUT STILL I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED SOME STANDARDS. WHEN MY HUSBAND PASSED AWAY, I MADE SURE THE HOUSE WAS STILL CLEANED EVERY DAY.

HOWEVER, WELLS-NEXT-THE-SEA IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE AND AS I HAD BEEN A REGULAR GUEST UP UNTIL THE WEEK OF THE FUNERAL, I THOUGHT I WOULD COME BACK AND GIVE WILLOW COTTAGE ONE MORE CHANCE.

I’M PLEASED TO SEE THE PLACE HAS BEEN REDECORATED AND ALTHOUGH SOME OF THE DÉCOR IS NOT TO MY TASTE, THE HOUSE IS MOSTLY CLEAN.

MRS APPLECROFT

My apologies that Willow Cottage was not up to the usual standards you had come to expect the last time you were here. It’s such a shame that you have stayed away because of that. We have missed you and your very helpful advice on how to improve the cottage. I know Sophia especially will be delighted you are back.

I did let things slip a bit when Nick died and I have never forgiven myself for not being clean and tidy in the months after his death. It is a burden I will have to live with for the rest of my life. Hopefully we can go some way to restoring your faith in us this time. After all Cleanliness is next to Godliness.

Annie Butterworth.

YOU ARE SO RIGHT.

I HAVE JUST BEEN FOR A WALK ON THE BEACH AND THOUGH IT IS STILL BEAUTIFUL I WAS ANGERED TO SEE THERE WERE HORSE FAECES ON THE PATH LEADING DOWN TO THE SEA FRONT. DISGUSTING! IF DOG OWNERS HAVE TO PICK UP AFTER THEIR PETS, HORSE OWNERS SHOULD BE NO DIFFERENT.

HAVE WATCHED FOUR MEN LEAVE SOPHIA LORENZO’S HOUSE IN THE LAST TWO HOURS. HER HUSBAND IS SEEMINGLY AWAY ON BUSINESS. WHILE THE CAT’S AWAY…

THE SIGN TO BUTTERWORTH FARM IS SQUEAKY AND IN NEED OF OILING.

ANNIE BUTTERWORTH SINGING IN HER BACK GARDEN IS DISTURBING MY READING.

SATURDAY:

THE SUN SHINES TOO BRIGHTLY THROUGH MY BEDROOM WINDOW; IT MIGHT BE AN IDEA TO INVEST IN SOME BLACK OUT CURTAINS. THE PILLOWS ARE HARD. THE BIRDS SINGING ALSO DISTURBED ME FROM MY SLEEP.

I SEE YOUNG SHELLIE GILLESPIE STAYED OVER WITH MICHAEL ATKINSON LAST NIGHT, I SAW HER LEAVE HIS HOUSE VERY EARLY THIS MORNING. IT SEEMS THE TINY VILLAGE OF CHALK HILL HAS BECOME A HOTBED OF SIN.

JUST GOT BACK FROM A WALK ROUND THE SHOPS. I WAS DISAPPOINTED TO SEE THE WOOL SHOP HAS BEEN REPLACED BY SOME CRASS LOOKING CAKE SHOP.

SUNDAY:

SOPHIA LORENZO DISTURBED MY BREAKFAST TO COME AND CLEAN. I MUST TELL HER ABOUT THE DUST ON TOP OF THE WARDROBES. I WILL LEAVE A NOTE. I DON’T FEEL COMFORTABLE REPRIMANDING THE HELP.

The help???

Firstly, if you’d had the decency to cancel your booking when we told you about Nick’s death you wouldn’t have come at the worst possible time in Annie’s life.

Secondly, the four men that left my house on Friday night were all builders and decorators who were giving me a quote for a new fitted bathroom. I may be bloody amazing in bed but even I could not satisfy four men in less than two hours.

Thirdly, Shellie Gillespie is now married to Michael Atkinson and was leaving early to go to work, but even if they weren’t married this is the twenty first century and what consenting adults do behind closed doors has nothing whatsoever to do with you.

Fourthly, if you want to climb up on top of the wardrobe and dust it, be my guest.

Sophia Lorenzo

AFTER SPEAKING TO MRS LORENZO EARLIER TODAY I FEEL COMPELLED TO SAY HOW CLEAN I HAVE FOUND THE PLACE. FURTHERMORE I WILL DEFINITELY BE BACK. WILLOW COTTAGE IS DELIGHTFUL. MY SINCERE APOLOGIES IF MY PREVIOUS COMMENTS DID NOT DO THE COTTAGE JUSTICE.

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