Free Dream Cottage by Harriet J Kent Page A

out completely! I couldn’t tell Max; I just couldn’t. After all, it is my dream; he is putting everything into this; our future, my happiness…”
    “A severed hand?” Sophie sounded incredulous. “That must have been flipping awful! Whose was it?”
    “What? I haven’t got a clue! Some poor person whose lost their hand; I don’t know, Sophie, I didn’t exactly want to hold a conversation with it! But when I screamed, I told Max it was a… you know…” Greta paused. Her breathing became laboured.
    “Spider?” Sophie finished for her.
    “Yes, it was the easiest thing for me to think of. No doubt there are legions of them in the cottage. It was the simplest white lie I could tell; you know I hate lying… to Max, to anyone.”
    “Don’t let it ruin your happiness. It was more than likely your imagination was playing major tricks on you. I know what you’re like. You are susceptible to psychic things, aren’t you? House buying is really stressful; it was probably nothing more than your mind working on overdrive.”
    “Yes, I do think I am a bit psychic, but for heaven’s sake, a severed hand; even I couldn’t think up anything as bizarre as that!” Greta started to giggle, as she thought back to her encounter.
    “That’s it, treat it like a joke. It was probably something that Leo said to you, when you first visited the cottage. Him and his silly talk of ghosts and serial murders.” Sophie was reassured that Greta was finding the funny side to her encounter.
    “Oh, I feel so much better having told you about it; it was pure torture pretending it was something else. Come to think of it, meeting up with, you know… them, won’t seem so bad now as meeting up with a stray hand.”
    Sophie sensed the relief in Greta’s voice.
    “You have got a great time ahead of you; all that planning, renovation works, watching it all transform into your dream cottage; it will be bloody fantastic! I am so envious of you!” Sophie replied.
    “Promise you’ll come over and see it soon?” Greta had cheered up.
    “Wouldn’t miss it for the world! And don’t worry, I won’t mention anything to Max; there’s no need for him to know about your hand!”
    “You are such a sweetie; thank you so much! Speak to you soon, bye!” Greta ended the call in a more positive frame of mind. She rose from the bed and closed the lid of the suitcase with a resounding thwack.
    “Okay, Greenacres! Bring it on; I’m ready for you!”

Chapter Nine
    Max and Greta stood in the drawing room at Greenacres. Neither spoke as they took in their surroundings. They smiled at each other. Greta held out her arms indicating she wanted to be hugged. Max obliged. Drawing her close to him, he tenderly kissed the top of her head.
    “Happy?” His question was muffled amongst strands of Greta’s hair.
    “Ecstatic!” was the reply. Greta held Max close to her. “I would’ve never believed that we would be here, in a country cottage, on the Isle of Wight, in the middle of nowhere, in such a short space of time.” Greta glanced up at the mirror and saw the mark her tissue had made to clear the glass. She closed her eyes and snuggled into Max’s embrace.
    “I know.” Max stroked her hair. “It’s surprising what a little money, time and effort can achieve, without any complications too. Rev Oli was keen to get the deal done and dusted once it started, then there was certainly no stopping him!”
    Greta broke free from Max but still held on to his hand.
    “We will be all right, won’t we?” She sought reassurance. “You know, financially, physically?”
    Max kissed Greta in a lustful and passionate manner. He spoke close to her lips amid kiss, “Umm hmmm!”
    In the distance was an enthusiastic halloo .
    Greta smiled and finished their embrace with a brief peck of Max’s nose.
    “They’re here!”
    “Here we go; hold on to your hats!” Max walked towards the doorway where Jeanne and Charles were stood on the threshold, awaiting