Did I Mention I Won The Lottery? by Julie Butterfield Read Free Book Online Page A

detached which Rebecca had hated from
the moment she crossed the threshold. In Leeds, although within
easy reach of the centre, they had lived in a small village
surrounded by good friends. The sort of friends who invited you
round on impulse for a Sunday afternoon barbecue. The sort of
friends you could ask at the very last minute to help you out by
collecting your children from school, who sat in your kitchen until
late as you chatted and put the world to rights and emptied several
bottles of wine.
    She had friends
in Darlington, she loved Carol and Susie, their neighbours Elaine
and Dave were okay but it had never been the same and her heart had
always ached to come back to Leeds.
    ‘Yes 2
million,’ said Rebecca firmly, ‘more if you find the right house
but let’s start with 2 million.’
    Once Annie
learned that it was a cash purchase with no existing house to sell,
Rebecca had quickly been upgraded to a seating area at the back of
the shop where she could spread out the brochures that Annie
produced across the polished coffee table. A glass of champagne had
even been forthcoming as Rebecca reduced the selection down to
three possible houses. She made arrangements to see one tomorrow
after visiting her mum and the other two on Friday morning before
she left Leeds, although the thought of sitting on the train back
to Darlington was already depressing Rebecca.
    Having spent a
few wonderful hours in the estate agents she ended up having to
hurry along the busy streets to the bank, arriving with cheeks
flushed from the joint effects of the champagne and the bitter wind
and with the glossy brochures of three beautiful houses tucked
under her arm. She was taken into a small side office for her
appointment and sank into the chair opposite Luke Brady trying to
catch her breath. She had never meet Luke Brady, in fact judging by
his age and the spots still scattered across his chin, Luke was
undoubtedly still at school when Rebecca had opened her account
here several years before.
    But he smiled
politely and tried to look interested in the middle aged woman with
the wind blown hair and red cheeks sitting opposite him.
    ‘Hello Luke,’
began Rebecca. ‘I take it you are the manager here?’
    ‘I’m your
account manager,’ offered Luke smoothly as he straightened his tie.
‘How can I help you today Mrs Miles?’
    Rebecca smiled
to take the sting out of her words. ‘Then I think there’s been a
slight misunderstanding Luke because I asked to speak to the
manager.’
    Luke’s own
smile dropped. ‘Mrs Miles…’
    ‘Luke,’
interrupted Rebecca gently ‘I want to speak to the manager of the
bank. Today, now. That’s why I’ve travelled from Darlington and
that’s why I’m here. To speak to the manager. Please get him for
me.’
    ‘I’m afraid I
can’t…where are you going?’
    ‘The manager
Luke. Now, or I will be taking my deposit, my multi million-pound
deposit to another bank.’
    ‘Mrs Miles I
really can’t … multi-million … please wait!’
    He leapt to his
feet as Rebecca sank gracefully back into the chair.
    ‘I’ll just get
him!’ he squeaked and shot out of the door.
    Five minutes
later Rebecca was upstairs in a much larger office with a coffee in
her hand and an older man sitting at the desk opposite. Rebecca had
nothing against young men. She had nothing against young men called
Luke. But she had no intention of trusting 15.7 million pounds into
his hands.
    ‘So I
understand this is a lottery win Mrs Miles?’
    ‘Please call me
Rebecca. Yes, it’s a lottery win and it should be arriving on
Friday morning. It’s an account I use very rarely and I just didn’t
want any problems, you know? 15.7 million pounds…’
    ‘Is a lot of
money and of course you did the right thing. Now,’ he said
efficiently, turning to the screen before him, ‘you obviously won’t
have had time to decide what you want to do with it all yet but I
imagine you’ll want to make some initial purchases so we need