Page 96 of A Letter to the Last House Before the Sea

‘No, it doesn’t.’ Lettie sprang to her feet.

‘The land is left by my brother to Iris and her descendants. I understand that she left her belongings to you, Miss Starcross. Therefore, it makes sense that she would have also bequeathed you the land.’

‘Gran, the deed may not be legally valid after all this time,’ said Corey gently. ‘Who knows if Cornelius made sure this was watertight, and your family might have disputed it at the time.’

‘Oh, they would have. There’s no doubt about that. They needed someone to blame. But it doesn’t matter if the deed is valid or not, does it, Corey? Don’t you understand? These are my brother’s final words. This is what he wanted and his last wish has lain undone for far too long.’

‘It’s your land and—’ began Lettie, but Florence cut her off with the wave of a hand.

‘It seems that it’s not been my land for almost eighty years, morally at least. And I’m tired of fighting over it. That young man who’s in the village now is only the latest in a trickle of people who have tried to persuade me to sell over the last few years, and that trickle will become a stream before long. Times are changing, Miss Starcross, and I’m too old and tired to keep up. All I want to do is what my brother desired all those years ago. That at least is something I can do for him. So take the land and leave me in peace.’

‘I don’t want the land,’ insisted Lettie but Florence had got to her feet, still unsteady but with a steeliness in her eyes that Lettie remembered from their first meeting in the castle ruins.

‘You must have it, Miss Starcross. I want to carry out my brother’s final wishes. Your great-aunt never received the land, but at least her descendant will do and my poor brother can rest in peace at last.’

‘You can’t just give the land away,’ said Corey.

‘Yes, I can. I am.’

‘I really don’t—’ began Lettie, but Florence cut across her.

‘I don’t want to discuss it any further. Corey, will you please help me to my bedroom. I think I’ll lie down for a while. Perhaps you’d leave us, Miss Starcross, and we can work out the details later.’

‘Corey, it’s not how it seems,’ insisted Lettie, as he helped his grandmother from the room.

‘Not now,’ he said coldly.

After they’d gone from the bedroom, Lettie gathered up her belongings and left the house. She couldn’t face Corey right now and she couldn’t accept the land, even if it should have gone to Iris. The land belonged to Florence and, one day, it should pass to her grandson.