The Easter Egg Hunt – XIV

Since Ben and Joss Beckett took over The Fair Maid and Falcon, they have had to deal with ghosts, gangsters and well dodgy goings-on. Despite that they have their own family of twin daughters and dogs, and a fabulous ‘found family’ of friends. 

That weekend the weather broke spectacularly. We enjoyed the mother of all thunderstorms accompanied by torrential rain and storm force winds. Fortunately for us, The Fair Maid and Falcon is low-slung, flint-walled, and surrounded by similarly strong buildings, all of which stood sturdily against the worst the elements could offer. I worried for the glasshouses in the market garden, but they were carefully constructed and well-maintained, and we lost only one pane of glass. Jed and Finoula also reported their cottage safe, with only one slipped slate that Jed could fix himself.
Not everyone was so lucky, and the countryside around us awoke to missing roof tiles, feral garden sheds, wrecked greenhouses, and wandering rubbish bins. Not to mention flash floods and power cuts.
Home village rallied round those who lost possessions, and, while some of our big strong boys assisted with the clear up, we fired up the generators that live in the barn and provided soup and sandwiches for those who had no means of cooking.
The electricity was back on and the sky was showing the beginnings of a glorious sunset when we had a visitor. He came in quietly enough, but I know dangerous when I see it, and so does Ben who followed the man into my office and leaned negligently against the wall.
I eyed my visitor as coolly as possible, whilst he essayed a thin smile.
“My name is Charles MacAlister. I’m here on behalf of MacAlister and Reagan.”
He presented me with a business card that claimed him as a junior partner in a solicitor’s practice operating out of Southampton. ‘Yes, right, my friend,’ I thought, ‘and I’m the Aga Khan’. But I smiled politely.
“How can we help you?”
He showed his teeth in an approximation of a smile. “I’m here because you recently purchased a parcel of land that adjoins your property.”
“We did.”
“My client would like to buy it from you.”
“Why?”
He bridled. “That is scarcely your concern.”
I raised my brows. “Really? As you yourself mentioned, the land adjoins our property, therefore what happens to it is my concern.”
He glowered at me before reassembling his polite persona. “You do have a point,” he said carefully. “I can assure you that the potential purchaser has no intention of doing anything other than ensuring the land remains undeveloped.”
“In which case why buy it? The land is already protected by covenant and precedent.”
“Which can be broken, with a few words in the right ears. Surely you are enough of a businesswoman to see that.”
He leaned forwards, attempting to pin me with his cold eyes. Meeting his gaze unflinchingly I let the silence between us stretch until it was beginning to be uncomfortable before I spoke as dismissively as I could manage.
“I’m a very successful businesswoman, as you are perfectly well aware. I am also not selling what I just bought.”
He hissed and Ben balled a big fist.
“You are making a mistake.”
I lifted one shoulder. “Mister MacAlister. I don’t think it’s me making a mistake. You offered to buy the land. I refused your offer. Therefore our business is now concluded.”
He bunched his shoulders and the four dogs raised their heads, with Ollie going so far as to growl deep in his chest. Behind our visitor, Ben made a similarly angry noise.
I spread my hands. “You see how it is. There’s no more to be said on the subject. So I will bid you good evening.”
“You’re going to regret this.”
I gave him my blandest most disinterested look.
“Oh. I don’t think so. We own three pieces of relatively useless land. A paddock and an orchard which will remain undisturbed and a small field which has already been incorporated into the market garden it adjoins. You can tell your principals that if it makes your position any more tenable.”
Our eyes met and he must have seen something that persuaded him I was in earnest because he stood up and made me a half bow.
“If I can convince the gentleman concerned that the orchard and paddock are to remain undisturbed I’m sure he will be reassured.”
With that he went as quietly as he had arrived.
Ben came and sat on the corner of my desk.
“What do we think he really wanted?”
“Oh, I think whoever he works for really wants the land. What I can’t fathom is the why.”
While I was thinking Ben’s phone burbled merrily. He looked at it idly then grunted.
“It’s Mark I’d better answer I guess.”
“You do that love. And while you’re about it can you get your backside off next week’s menus that I’m about to enter on the website.”
He chuckled but obligingly lifted a cheek. I got on with my work whilst halfway listening to Ben making noncommittal noises into his phone.
After a pretty lengthy conversation he tapped a finger on my shoulder.
“Can we have a breakfast meeting tomorrow?”
“Who’s we?”
“Us. Mark, his dad, and his cousin James. Plus Finoula and Jed.”
I had a quick think.
“I don’t see why not. Half eight at ours. And, yes, we’ll provide the breakfast.”
Having relayed my acquiescence he ended the call.
“You got much more to do, love?”
“Nope. Five minutes should finish the job. Why?”
“Tapas in the bar? You ain’t eaten since breakfast and I can always eat.”
I was tired enough for that to sound like a grand idea, so I nodded.
“We need to get a wiggle on, though. Before the kitchen closes.”
He grinned his best schoolboy grin. “I already ordered. Was on my way to pry you out of the office before that goblin appeared.”
I grinned back at him. “You go and get me a big glass of wine and I’ll be right there.”
We lingered over our food for a long time, aided and abetted by our good friends Neil and Stella, who put off their chef’s whites and joined us for wine and nibbles.

There will be more from Joss, Ben and their friends, courtesy of Jane Jago, next week, or you can catch up with their earlier adventures in Who Put Her In and Who Pulled Her Out.