Chapter 4
“Father,I have slipped a few ginger biscuits into my apron pocket. Might I tempt you?” Diana asked as she came into her father’s study where he was sitting alone aftersupper.
“I hope you did not tell yourmother.”
“Sh-h-h… our secret,” she said as she handed the biscuits to her father and sat opposite him at his fire where he was puffing on his pipe and occasionally tapping it against the hearthgrate.
Diana sat back in the chair and enjoyed the comfort of the fire as she smoothed out the apron on herlap.
“Father, I would very much like to know what has been troubling you financially. It is not as though I am an infant with an innocent outlook on life. I would like to see if there might be some way I could helpout.”
Father contented himself with his pipe for a moment or two then said, “I expect you know what a leasehold is, am I correct inthinking?”
“You are. A freeholder owns the land and a leaseholder may own the property on the land but not the land.Yes?”
“And as you probably know we have this cottage as aleasehold.”
“I thought as much, but was not certain,” Dianareplied.
“And our problem is that the term of our leasehold is about to expire. We have just three months before we need to renew the leasehold. And our freeholder wants at least a fifty-year renewed lease at twenty-five hundredpounds.”
“Oh,Father…”
“And that is what the bank loan was for—to renew the leasehold. And, as you know, a university fellow makes a modest salary at best. Your mother’s paintings bring in perhaps another couple of hundred a year, but I have no idea what your royalties might bringyou?”
“Five hundred a year at the very best,” Diana answereddespondently.
“Exactly. It is not a sum we can pull together easily without a loan or a windfall that I do notforesee.”
“What happens if we cannot make the payment?” sheasked.
“We mustleave.”
“But the house is ours. We paid for that,” she insisted, upset by what appeared to be the unfairness of thesituation.
Father nodded in acknowledgement, “But it is a quirk of our system that allows one person to own the land and another to own the property on it. I suppose we could move the house, but how practical is that? And besides we would still need to find land to put the house on and that would cost us perhaps evenmore.”
“Oh, Father…” Diana was heartbroken and tried desperately to think of a possible solution. “And you have nothing set aside? No insurance policies that could be redeemed or assets that could beliquidated?”
“I am afraid not,child.”
They both sat staring into the fire looking forinspiration.
“I do have one thought,” he finally offered. “But I really hate to askthis.”
“Oh, please tellme.”
“Your beau, Adam… I know his father is quite wealthy. Might it be possible to ask Adam if he could broker a loan from his father forus?
“Oh, Father… I do not know… Adam is a good friend but nothing more at this point. That seems to be a terrible imposition to ask of afriend.”
“He is nothing more? I thought there was an imminent engagement in theworks.”
“Alas, I know he would like that to be so, but I just cannot bring myself to enter into such anarrangement.”
“I thought you two were sweethearts,” he said somewhatsurprised.
“I like Adam very much. He is a good friend and a loyal companion. We enjoy taking walks and chatting and discussing important issues. But to be honest, I do not feel any abiding passion forhim.”
