Over dinner, I was asked what I intended to do about a bigger house and I replied that, in all honesty, I didn’t have a clue.
“What about the old mill, darling?”
Karen’s father looked up and smiled, “Perfect.”
“We own an old flour mill just outside the village. It hasn’t been a working mill for over fifty years, so it’s fair to say it needs some work.”
“How much?” I asked.
“I think you should look at it first. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I think you could turn it into a restaurant.”
“Yes,” Karen agreed excitedly. “Yes we could, it’s in a beautiful spot.”
After our meal, we all piled into my car and went down to look at the old mill. It sat on a wide corner of the road, with a lovely little stream meandering at its own pace alongside it.
“The location’s lovely.” I said, but when we went in a rat scurried across the floor in front of us.
“Ugh,” Karen exclaimed, but Poppy drew on her vast knowledge of these things and informed her that Frog would sort the rats out!
“Daddy showed me a rat that Frog killed once,” she said importantly.
“I don’t think frogs can kill rats, darling,” Karen’s mother said with a smile, but Karen saved the day by telling her that Frog, our Frog, was a cat!
“Silly,” laughed Poppy and hugged the lady.
“David, I would much rather you call me Charles and my wife Mary,” he smiled, “And you madam,” he was addressing Poppy, you can call me Granddad.”
“And me, well just call me granny,” Mary added.
Poppy thought about it for a while before announcing that it was all right, then she turned to Charles.
“But you haven’t given me a cuddle yet.”
“Well I think we can remedy that, can’t we, darling?” and I saw sheer happiness on his face as this stern old judge hugged the nearest thing he’d ever get to a granddaughter.
After that, it was a battle between husband and wife to win my daughter’s favours.
As we explored the old place, I could see the possibilities it held even if I didn’t want to think of the cost.
There was certainly no shortage of rats and I was pleased when we’d looked all over the place and we could leave.
“Can we go and get Frog, daddy?” Poppy asked, which reminded me I had to get some money to her mother.
“Well, we can see if she’s home,” I said, “And I’ve got to see your mummy.”
“Aw, daddy, have I got to go home?”
“No, sweetheart,” I smiled, “You’re staying with me now for a while.”
“And Karen?”
“Yes.”
“Can I play with your teddy bears?”
“You can have them darling. I’ll give them to you to keep.”
“Can I take one to bed with me?”
“Of course you can.”
“And the pony?”
“Oh no. The pony will be far too big for that.”
She had to think about that one for a while, but seemed to accept it anyway.
I asked if they’d mind if I went to Poppy’s mum to give her some cash while we were nearer to her place anyway. Tthey all agreed and listened to my daughter telling them all about Frog while I drove.
I stopped at a cash machine and withdrew two hundred pounds before going on to Brenda’s place. When she opened the door to me, I caught a glimpse of a rather large black guy with her. Poppy waved from the car and Brenda saw every one sitting with her.
“Who are all those people?” she asked, but I just handed her the cash and said I’d be in touch later regarding our daughter.
Then, it was on to my place where Poppy, with great self importance, showed her new grand parents my bed in the wall.
“When I grow up I want one like that,” she informed them and Mary promised to buy her one.
“It’s very clean, David,” Mary said admiringly just as Frog made an appearance at the window.
“Can I feed him, daddy, please?” Poppy asked but I shook my head.
“No, darling, we’ll drop him at the mill where he can eat a few rats for dinner.”
I thought we’d be coming back later on, but during the journey back, after we’d dropped the cat off at the mill, Charles asked if I would like to stay at their place for a while.
“We’d love to have you,” he said, “And this little minx of course.”
I had visions of Karen and I having rooms about a mile apart, but he smiled and said.
“We’re modern parents, David. We can put another little bed in Karen’s room for Poppy and you can all sleep there.”
“I don’t want to put you out,” I said but he snorted and said they’d be glad to have us.
“We can all have a drink while I show you around the house, it dates from Charles the second, you know.”
Karen looked delighted when I agreed and told Poppy she could have a bath, but she’d never had a bath, only ever showers and she looked a bit concerned about it!
“Well what did you think of the mill, David?”
“Huge possibilities sir,” I said, “But huge costs as well.”
“What about if I were to let you have it at say one pound more than it cost me?”
I heard Karen giggling in the back, so I agreed to his terms.
Karen handed him a pound coin and said to me, “You now own it, David. It cost daddy absolutely nothing. Oh, but you owe me a pound.”
I was stunned, just three days ago I was only looking forward to seeing my daughter for a day. Now, all of a sudden, it looked virtually certain I was going to adopt her. I was going to get married to a beautiful, sexy girl and I now owned property.
As soon as I stopped the car at my new, if temporary, home, Poppy scrambled out to hold another meaningful conversation with the horses. Mary went with her and picked her up so she could stroke his mane. The three of them were in their own little world of happiness.
Karen linked her arm through mine and we set off with Charles to look around the house. On the way, he gave me a drink, a very large brandy which made my eyes water. They showed me the library, complete with literally thousands of old tomes, dusty through non-usage. The drawing room contained two suits of armour. It was a very different world to the one I was used to.
“I inherited all this,” Charles told me, “And of course Karen will inherit from me.”
“Which means,” Karen put in, “That Poppy will eventually be a very rich young lady.”
“As your future wife already is,” Charles said with a fond smile at his daughter, then he caught the expression of bewilderment on my face and laughed.
“Oh dear, I seem to have put my foot in it.”
“Don’t worry, daddy,” Karen laughed, “I was going to tell him tonight anyway.”
“Tell me what?”
“Later, darling,” Karen said and silenced me with a kiss.
“I’ve found them, Granny.”
Poppy appeared in the doorway and hurtled towards Charles, but skidded to a halt when she saw the suits of armour.
“They’re what gentlemen wore in the olden days, darling,” Mary told her and Charles collapsed laughing when she asked him if he wore one.
“No, darling,” he chuckled, “I’m not quite that old.”
She yawned, making me realise it was just about her bedtime. Karen asked if she could see to her along with her mother. I agreed of course and got myself a sloppy goodnight kiss from her.
Charles took me into their reception room which had a bar and offered me another brandy.
“Or would you prefer a lager?”
“Oh, a lager please, sir.”
“Sir?”
“Sorry Charles, I’ll get used to it soon.”
“No matter, David, no matter. Now, then, we need to do something about the infestation at the mill. I have the address of a company somewhere. Mary will know where it is. She’ll phone them in the morning. Do you think the place is suitable for your purpose?”
“Oh yes, very much so, but I’m concerned about the cost.”
“Well don’t be, I don’t think my daughter will mind if I tell you that she also inherited when my father died. Unfortunately, she is not particularly gifted, academically speaking, which is why she works at the pub alongside you. You see she too wants to run her own business and she wants to learn it all from the bottom before taking the plunge, so to speak. She’s always been averse to having a partner, er, that is until you came along, so you see your ambitions are similar and I can see a very profitable partnership forming.”
“You’ll need a firm of architects to look at it.”
“Yes, among others.”
“Well, Karen and I went into this last year. We’ve had some plans drawn up, but they were for a pub, so there’s only a very small kitchen and no living quarters, but I’m sure we can have them look again to add whatever you want.”
We sat for an hour or more throwing ideas around until Mary joined us wearing a dressing gown and laughing.
“Poppy wouldn’t get into the bath by herself,” she giggled, “So I volunteered. Then she didn’t want to get out.”
“I’d better go up and see her,” but Mary put her hand on my arm.
“She fell asleep the minute we got her into the bed, David, in the middle of about twelve teddy bears.”
Karen joined us then and like her mother she was laughing.
“David you should have seen Poppy in the bath. It was hilarious.”
“There’s no doubt about it: she’s a nutcase.”
“I can’t wait until tomorrow. I promised to take her shopping.”
“Let me give you some money,” I said reaching for my wallet.
“No, David,” Mary said, “Let me enjoy treating her.”
Charles looked at his daughter and said, “I told David about your inheritance darling. Not how much, of course. I’ll leave that to you.”
“Four million,” Karen said.
“What?”
She repeated it with a smile, “And a few properties as well.”
“In that case,” I said, “I’m going to insist on a prenuptial agreement. I’m not having it said that I married you for your money.”
“David I already know you’re not interested in my money, I know about the wallet you found in the pub.”
Turning to her parents, she told them about one Monday night when we’d just closed and were clearing up. I checked the gents toilets and picked up a wallet containing just under a thousand in fifty pound notes. It never occurred to me not to hand it in to the boss. It was claimed the next morning and the owner left fifty pounds for me!
“Very commendable, David.”
“Not really, Charles, it wasn’t mine, end of story.”
“Wel,l I’m having a drink then I’m going to bed,” Karen announced.
I said that I was going up now if that was all right with them. Nods all round, so I went up and sat looking at my daughter surrounded by her newly found teddy bears.
“We’re going all the way, my darling,” I said softly and kissed her forehead.
Soft lips kissed the back of my neck and my future wife said.
“We’re all going there together, David, all the way.”
