‘And I would love to say yes,’ I began, ‘but—’

‘No but,’ said Dolly sharply. ‘There are no buts.’

‘But,’ I carried on nonetheless. ‘I’ll have to think about it.’

‘What’s there to think about?’ she tutted.

‘Well, for a start, I don’t have anywhere to live.’

‘You live here,’ said Dolly, looking about her.

‘For now, yes,’ I said, ‘but I have to think about the future . . .’

‘The cottage is your future,’ said Dolly, sounding impatient. ‘I’m leaving it to you, Hattie. When I’m gone, the cottage and everything in it, including Tiddles, will be yours.’

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

I really didn’t think my mind had the capacity to cope with any more Christmas surprises, but Dolly had other ideas. I sat with her and Beamish that evening and relayed to him everything that the day had held – the two job offers which I had accepted and the extraordinarily generous gift of the cottage from Dolly – and told the pair of them that I felt quite giddy with it all, as if I was celebrating at least a dozen Christmases all at once.

‘Thank goodness my imminent demise will balance things out a bit,’ chuckled Dolly. ‘Otherwise you’d be in danger of completely losing your head.’

‘Dolly,’ Beamish hissed.

‘What?’ she said, blinking and shrugging her shoulders.

‘That makes me feel awful,’ I told her.

‘It wasn’t meant to,’ she said lightly.

‘You shouldn’t say things like that, Dolly,’ Beamish scolded.

‘Why not?’ she carried on. ‘It’s my funeral. I can say what I like.’

I looked at her, wondering how to get the point across without eliciting even more gallows humour.

‘I just wish you’d give folk a chance to take on board what you’re telling them before you go bowling headlong into making such blasé remarks and spouting off ghastly gags.’

Dolly looked thoughtful.

‘Point taken,’ she nodded. ‘I suppose it is a bit of a shock when you first hear it.’

‘It’s still a bit of a shock,’ said Beamish leaning back in his chair and resting his head against me as I stood behind him.

‘It’s not just the diagnosis that’s shocking,’ I carried on, picking up the thread, ‘but your whole attitude towards it, Dolly. You seem too accepting,’ I added, in wonder, ‘almost as if you’re ready for it to happen.’