Page 8 of Leafpoint Lighthouse

Call Joseph; he might know about the above issues.

Book a 40-yard skip.

Employ two house cleaners to remove the furniture.

Contact an internet provider.

Contact gas, electric, water companies, council, and so on.

Hire a painter for the outside of the lighthouse.

Update my personal address–urgent!

I circled the last one. That was highly important, and I needed to get a mail forwarding service in place too. It was ten o’clock, so while waiting, I contacted the post office and arranged that. I was finishing changing the address details on my bank when the waitress, Karen, came back with my food.

“Thank you,” I said, sniffing appreciatively. “Do you know a decent hotel, preferably not a chain one, that’s open?”

“Yes, there’s the Gull’s Nest. It’s very old and quirky but really pleasant to stay in. Mrs Penrose runs a tight ship over there,” Karen replied, and I nodded.

I looked up in surprise when Thea plonked herself down with a grin. “Can I have what she’s having, please?” Thea asked. “And perhaps some toast while I am waiting.”

“Did you just arrive?” I shoved a piece of toast at her.

“Yes. I drove home, packed, slept a few hours, and drove down at three in the morning. It avoided all traffic. Let me see,” Thea uttered, snatching the checklist from my hands.

“I’m going to copy this,” she said, and whipped out her own notepad. Amused, I snorted as Thea stole my list and drank my coffee. When Karen returned with Thea’s toast, I ordered a large pot for both of us.

“Have you heard from Poppy and Ophelia?” Thea asked with a wistfulness.

“Not yet, but we only met yesterday.”

“Guess they have families; they don’t know…” Thea broke off and shrugged, not willing to put into words what she felt.

“How lonely it is? No, they don’t, but nobody is alone now. Have you been and seen Seareef yet?”

“Yes. That’s why I need your list; mine’s been neglected,” Thea said.

“Leafpoint has too. I dread to think what germs are breeding there!”

“Leafpoint Lighthouse?” Karen questioned as she approached.

“Yes. I own it, and Thea owns Seareef,” I replied with a smile.

“No, you don’t. They belong to the Jasper family, who fled from here two hundred years ago. No Jaspers remain,” Karen stated, her demeanour changing. Her friendliness dropped and changed to suspicion.

“You’re looking at two; there are six of us still,” I said quickly, doing the math. I suppose I’d best include my father and uncle, who were alive.

Karen looked conflicted and placed Thea’s breakfast down with the pot of coffee I’d ordered. She walked away without another word and brought back extra toast. This time she banged the plate down, and Thea raised her eyebrows.

“Am I wrong, or has her attitude done a one-eighty?” she asked.

“Nope. Let’s eat, then leave. I don’t like bad service,” I replied.

We chatted about a few things whilst eating our breakfast. The town was nestled between our two lighthouses, which surprised me.

“I wonder why? It seems weird to build so close together.”

“Leafpoint Lighthouse sits on a strip of land that has seen more than its fair share of wrecks. The coastline here is notorious for being dangerous. Underlying sandbanks, reefs, jagged rocks, and shifting shoals meant that the Jasper Lighthouses were needed. You rarely get four lighthouses within ten miles of each other. This water has claimed too many lives,” an older woman remarked, settling next to us with a smile. “I’m Mrs Penrose, I own the Gull’s Nest.”