The Perfect Match by Katie Fforde Read Free Book Online Page B

chemistry too, just not an insane amount.
    Mrs Macey’s house had originally belonged to her father. She had lived there since she was a bride, over fifty years, she told Bella, and they had not been people to go in for decorating. Their last attempt at updating had been when large brown swirls were the
dernier cri du chic
and no ceiling was complete without Artex swirls to match those on the carpet. It made the already small house look even smaller and darker and altogether very unappealing to the first-time buyer.
    In spite of Bella’s most flattering and tactful efforts, Mrs Macey was not open to suggestions about how her chances of selling could be improved but she did accept that no one had made her an offer and wanted Bella to help.
    ‘What I love about this house is the view!’ said Bella as she walked up the path to the front door where Mrs Macey was standing, arms folded, waiting for her.
    ‘Well, it’s pretty enough, but people still won’t buy my house.’
    ‘I promise you, Mrs Macey, when you make a few very minor alterations, they will. People need to be guided in the right direction.’
    ‘I thought that was your job. You’re supposed to sell my house for me. You’ll be getting enough from me when you do. You think you’d make more effort.’
    Bella smiled. She liked a challenge, and Mrs Macey’s house would have a lot going for it if only it wasn’t in such bad decorative order. ‘I’m going to make just a bit more effort and so are you, and between us we’ll get you living with your daughter by Christmas!’ It was rather an ambitious promise but she went with it anyway.
    ‘Christmas! It’s still only June! I want to be moved by Michaelmas!’
    Bella realised that Mrs Macey had never been through the process of selling a house before and didn’t have any idea of how long it could take. She smiled reassuringly. ‘The end of September is rather optimistic and the whole legal thing takes a while, but if you work with me – and a couple of workmen I know – we might just do it.’
    Mrs Macey shook her grey head. ‘I’m not spending a fortune on work I’ll never get the benefit from.’
    ‘Ah, but you will get the benefit! Your house will sell. Now let’s see what really needs to be done.’ Bella decided that Mrs Macey probably preferred straight talking. ‘Have you still got a cat?’
    Mrs Macey frowned. ‘My Tibby died last back end,’ she said.
    ‘But her memory lingers on! I think we need to get rid of all these carpets. They smell. People think the house is damp.’ Without waiting for permission, Bella bent and lifted the corner of the carpet in the hallway. As she’d thought, under it were stone flags. And yes, they were damp.
    ‘I’m not paying for a new carpet!’ Mrs Macey was weakened but still fighting.
    ‘You won’t need to down here. People love these flags. We’ll just get rid of all the carpets, give the floor a good wash and put down a couple of rugs. Rag rugs would be best,’ Bella added, her fondness for interior design getting the better of her. With luck they could make the damp look as if it was because the flags had just been washed.
    ‘I’m too old to go pulling up carpets. And then what would I do with them? I expect if I left them in the garden, to keep the weeds down, you’d say they made the place look untidy!’
    Bella smiled again. ‘You’re absolutely right, I would say that. What I suggest is that I get my man in, let him do all the heavy work – take away the carpets, maybe give the place a lick of paint here and there, fix a few things – and you’ll sell this house in a brace of shakes.’
    ‘And how much would it all cost?’ Mrs Macey was suspicious, especially of estate agents. Everyone knew they were a bad lot.
    ‘Five hundred pounds, but you’d get that back from the price of the house.’
    ‘How do you know? How can you be so sure? I don’t want to be here another winter with no carpets, do I?’
    ‘That won’t happen,’