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‘It’s such a shaht not even be here next year,’ Annie commented as they shut the front door on what surely had to be the last delivery

‘Might not be here?’ Lizzie exclaimed ‘What do you mean?’

‘If the estate has to be sold, there’s a ruestate’

‘This developer would knock Rottingdean down?’ Lizzie exclaimed in horror

‘It see the house put on the protected list of historic buildings,’ Annie explained ‘Apparently, it just slipped through the net, and then she was ill—and, well, I should have said so’

‘It’s no one’s fault, Annie,’ Lizzie soothed, sensing Annie was beco about it now If so to rue the day I’ll keep him tied up in court until—’Until what? Until she won the lottery she had never once played?

Lizzie sighed with frustration, knowing her words were nothing h money for the bus into town, let alone for lawyers’ fees But she had to do soive these people who relied on the estate for their living so to look forward to

‘I’ round, so let’s not give up just yet’

‘I believe in you, Lizzie,’ Annie said fir to be a happy Christmas, after all Oh—and there’s another knock at the door I wonder who it is this time’

Lizzie’s thoughts were racing Her heart was thundering too If only she’d found so it was him every time

‘Surprise!’

Lizzie gasped with amazement as her father and Serena pushed Annie out of the way as they entered the hall

He cursed violently as if that couldlast, he was in the air, and with any luck he’d make the funeral He had to pay his respects It was a ht Maria with hi she felt that she and Lizzie’s grandmother were like sisters in arms

Whatever Lizzie thought of hirandmother had rand, it was like the end of an era, and the end of an era one before What mattered nohat happened next, as far as he was concerned, and the only thing he could be certain of was that he and Lizzie had unfinished business to sort out

Just when everything seeht! She knew she shouldn’t have believed ingood, her father had used to say, but Serena and her father in league with each other? Seriously? Only one thing could have united theured well for the future of the estate

Lizzie wasn’t sure of her legal rights when it carandmother’s property, but she felt defensive as her parents strolled around, picking and touching and lifting and showing It was up to her to protect as left To underline her growing concern, she could see the neck of a bottle of her father’s favourite type of Scotch peeping out of the pocket of his overcoat

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nbsp; ‘Coh her parents were already well and truly in ‘Welcome,’ she added faintly

Her parents ignored her Serena clearly didn’t want to waste ti stock

‘Isn’t that a Stubbs?’ Serena said as she eyed the gilt-fra of a horse ‘And this one? Isn’t this a Van Dyck?’

‘In the style of,’ Lizzie’s father said, still without acknowledging Lizzie’s presence ‘Even so, it’s worth soht away’

‘Now just a minute—’ Lizzie hurried across the hall as her father reached up an unsteady hand in an atte from its hook ‘All this is in the hands of the ad’

‘Fro on Lizzie with an iet in our way,’ herAnd we can do it faster without your interference’

Lizzie glanced at Annie, whose normally rosy face had turned ashen Serena had always bullied Annie, but Lizzie was determined to protect the loyal housekeeper from any potential unpleasantness

‘You wouldn’t be stealing fro in front of Annie like a shield ‘Everything will have to be sold to satisfy the creditors The administrator will decide if we can take any personal objects, and until that decision isas it is’

‘These are allaround expansively, staggering as he did so