Ester appeared at the kitchen door. ‘Hi, good morning. You looking for something?’
‘Directories.’
Ester wandered to the desk. ‘Be out of date, get the operator. Who are you calling?’
Dolly sighed. Well, I should have a word with the local social services, just to see about the possibilities of opening this place up as a home.’
‘You don’t waste much time, do you?’
‘Nor do you, Ester. You certainly hustled me into this place.’
‘What? Look, it was up to you, love. I mean, I’m not forcing you into anything you don’t want to do.’
Dolly raised an eyebrow. ‘Fine, just don’t bank the cheque yet. I’m not too sure about this.’
Ester moved into action, instructing the women to get the breakfast on the table and to look as if they loved the place. By the time Dolly joined them, the kitchen was filled with the smell of sizzling bacon and eggs, hot toast and coffee, all laid out ready and waiting. Their smiling faces greeted Dolly warmly as she sat down.
‘I been all round the grounds. Place is in a terrible state.’
‘Get a few locals to clear the gardens. It used to be beautiful, in the summer especially.’ Ester continued to sell the manor, hinting time and again what a wonderful place it would be for children.
Angela gave Dolly the number for the social services but it was almost nine thirty when Dolly put in a call and arranged for a meeting at the town hall. She was still unsure and not giving much away. She had only the few things she had brought with her so she would need to do some shopping. Good opportunity to see what the local village was like.
The other women looked at Ester to know what they should or shouldn’t do, exchanging furtive glances and nudges. As soon as Dolly was out of earshot, they whispered questions to each other: Was Dolly serious? How long was she going to keep them all waiting? When would she go for the diamonds? Ester hissed at them to keep their mouths shut, no one was to mention diamonds.
‘Yeah, well, that’s why we’re all here, Ester, and so far she’s not said a dickie about them. All that’s gone down is you’re two hundred grand up. What if they don’t exist?’ Gloria was irritable.
‘They exist,’ snapped Ester. She crossed the kitchen and looked out into the hallway, drawing the door shut. ‘Make her think we’re all behind the project, right? Offer to stay and help out, start clearing the place up. She’s gonna need hard cash to get this place up and rolling so we watch her like a hawk and—’
Dolly called from the stairs, asking if the boiler was working as she wanted to have a bath before she left. Ester opened the door and shouted that the water was on and hot. She waited until she could hear the thud of the old pipes before she went to give the women more instructions. She then paid off Angela and said that when they went into the village she could catch the next train home.
‘I got to go and see Eddie,’ Gloria said tetchily.
‘Fine, you go,’ said Ester.
‘I need my gear.’ Connie pouted.
Ester sighed. ‘Look, all do what you have to but, whatever you do, keep your mouths shut about being here. You don’t say a word to anyone about us being holed up here and especially not about the diamonds. Is that clear?’
By eleven they were all waiting for Dolly, Ester out in the yard in her Range Rover. Julia was looking into the stables. ‘You know, this place must have been something,’ she said.
‘It was. What the hell is she doing in there?’
Ester paced up and down, impatient to go into the village to bank the cheque.
Julia came close. ‘You going to be okay?’
Ester nodded. ‘Yeah. Nobody knows I’m here and besides, I got to bank the cheque to get her the deeds of the house.’
Julia cocked her head to one side. ‘Well, you take care.’
Gloria teetered out with Connie behind her. ‘I’m off, see Eddie. I’m givin’ Connie a lift in. Can you take us to the garage see if me car’s ready?’
Connie put her bag into the back of the Range Rover. ‘I won’t even see Lennie. He always leaves by twelve so I’ll just get my stuff and come straight back.’
Kathleen wandered out. ‘Where you all going?’
Ester sighed. ‘Into the village. Where’s Dolly?’
‘She’s on the phone, the social services again, asking what they want her to bring in. I dunno.’
‘Are you stopping, then?’ Ester demanded.
‘Yeah, I got nowhere else to go, have I?’ muttered Kathleen.
Angela joined them, followed by Dolly, so they all squashed into the Range Rover and departed, leaving Kathleen alone.
‘I’ll need builders’ estimates, see how much the place will cost to get into order,’ Dolly said, as they bounced down the lane. ‘Get these potholes filled in,’ she said, staring out of the window. She looked back at the house. ‘I don’t know about this, Ester, I mean...’
Ester pulled on the brake. ‘Dolly, look at the place. Take a good look. It’s crying out for kids, isn’t it?’ A dull chorus of, ‘Oh, yes, kids’ll love it here.’
Gloria’s car wasn’t ready so Connie and Angela were dropped off at the local railway station. Ester took Dolly on to the Aylesbury town hall. ‘I’ll wait here for you.’ She smiled.
Dolly nodded but seemed ill at ease. ‘I’ll just see what they say. I shouldn’t be too long, then I’ll need to do a bit of shopping, tights and stuff like that.’
As soon as she walked into the town hall, Ester drove straight to the bank. She kept a good lookout for anyone following her and hurried inside.
Dolly waited in the anteroom and eventually a pleasant-faced woman called Deirdre Bull asked if she would come into her office. Dolly was offered a seat and coffee, as Deirdre sat down behind her cluttered desk. The walls were lined with posters for foster carers and adoption societies.
‘Now, it’s Mrs Rawlins, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, Dorothy Rawlins. I’ve come to ask you about opening a foster home. I’ve done a bit of research with a probation officer but I thought I’d just run a few things by you.’
Deirdre nodded and began opening drawers. ‘First there are some forms you’ll need to look over and fill in. Have you ever been a foster carer before?’
‘No, I haven’t, but I’m buying a big house and I could accommodate up to ten or twelve kids easily.’
Deirdre was so relaxed and friendly that Dolly began to ease up, as Deirdre patiently passed her one form after another to look over.
‘Are you married?’
‘I’m a widow.’
Deirdre nodded, not really listening, just passing leaflets across the desk.
‘Do you have children?’
‘No, but I have worked with a lot of babies recently, and I have some letters from...’
Ester handed the cheque to the cashier. Impatient, her eyes on the clock, she’d had to stand in a queue for ten minutes. The cashier’s pace was slow, steady, which Ester found infuriating. He looked first at the cheque, then at Ester’s paying-in slip.
‘There’s nothing wrong, is there?’ Ester asked sharply, leaning closer into the counter. ‘I’m in rather a hurry and I have someone waiting.’
The cashier peered at Ester. ‘It’s Miss Freeman, isn’t it? Could you wait one moment?’
‘Why? All I want are the documents I’ve listed. Can’t you just get them for me? I’m in a hurry.’
‘The manager will need to speak to you, Miss Freeman,’ the cashier said pleasantly.
‘But there’s nothing wrong with the cheque, is there?’
‘No, not that I can see, but he will need to talk to you. Your account has been frozen.’
‘I know that,’ Ester retorted. It was hard for her not to know just what her financial situation was. She was in debt up to her eyeballs, tax inspectors breathing down her neck, and the only asset she had was the manor — and that was frozen like her accounts. Ester had no way of getting any cash without Dolly, and it hurt to hand over the cheque.