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“… coin… who…” There was another crackle. “Of course you remember Auntie Mary.”

“No, actually,” said Ash. “But—”

She was interrupted by a click and a dial tone. With a sigh, she ended the call. Not exactly all the information she’d wanted, but she supposed it was enough. Her mother had seemed sure she had an aunt, even though Ash herself had no real memory of whoever Auntie Mary was.

That should seal things, right? Mary really was her aunt, the shop really was hers, everything was as it should be. She bit her lip. She should go and tell Pen.

Wait. What?

Why was her first thought that she had to tell her nosy neighbor? That was silly, ridiculous even. Although, while she was in this mode, she supposed she could call Snythe and then, well, then she’d really have occasion to go and tell Pen, wouldn’t she? She might as well. Get all the news over with at once and then… well, then she’d only have to visit once.

Before she really knew what she was doing, she was placing the call to Snythe.

“Offices of Daniel J. Snythe, Esquire.”

“I know that’s you,” Ash said, recognizing his voice immediately. “Why do you answer your phone like you’re someone else?”

“I don’t,” said the solicitor gruffly.

“Yes, you do. It’s a little odd. And this is Ash Wells, by the way.”

“Mmm. I’m well aware. Don’t think I’ve forgotten you, Ms. Wells. It’s not often I grant an inheritance to someone as… un-thrilled about it as you. But as it happens, I’m glad that you called. I really must insist that you make an appointment as soon as possible to sign off on the estate papers.”

“That’s why I’m ringing,” Ash said. “Can you tell me if a property valuation was done as part of the estate process?”

There was the sound of papers being moved around. “Yes,” said the solicitor finally. “Shall I have those papers sent to you?”

“If you could scan and email them, that’d be perfect,” Ash said.

“And that appointment?”

“Let me go through the paperwork and then I’ll call back and make an appointment.”

“So you’ve decided I know how to do my job then?”

“I never questioned that,” said Ash.

“It was quite heavily implied,” said the solicitor.

“There are no other possible heirs?”

“No one mentioned in the will,” the solicitor said. “Your aunt’s financial assets go to various charities, that’s pretty much it.”

“Hm. Alright, thank you,” Ash said.

She hung up and picked up the coffee that George had brought her. Her eye caught her book.

For a second she felt a blooming of warmth in her chest.

Was this really all that it was? For so long she’d thought there was something wrong with her. Not that she let it show at all. But the fact that she never seemed to want what everyone else seemed to want just didn’t sit right.

Now she’d found out that actually, there were more options at the buffet than she’d imagined. And maybe she might be hungry after all.

She downed her coffee, tossed the cup into the bin behind the counter, and grinned to herself. She really did need to see Pen now, it was only fair to keep her in the loop about what was happening with the shop.

“Keep an ear open for the bell,” she shouted down the stairs to George. “I’m going out for a few minutes.”

Chapter Eighteen