5
Dorrie normally did her own cooking, but tonight Mrs Totty, as a gesture of goodwill or in deference to Sam’s needs, had left a substantial and savoury casserole for supper. When they’d finished – though Dorrie had eaten no more than a spoonful, leaving Sam to demolish the rest – he decided to broach the subject of the school’s offer for the house once more. He’d brought in a bottle of wine, she’d had two glasses and he thought she might be prepared to talk about it. But she wasn’t.
‘I don’t even want to think about it, Sam, I don’t need the money, I’ve more than enough to live on and I’m quite happy here, so why should I let them bully me into selling my home? Just because the school’s suddenly decided they need to build a big new science block?’ Seated in the depths of the big armcha
