Brick by Brick

Part Five

Chapter Five

More than a week had passed since Daniel had made his demands and Joel had called with the papers. Sammy had expected to hear from either or both of them in the days that followed, but it seemed both were quiet. She was glad of the time to think, because she'd had far too much hassle, far too much drama than she wanted lately.

She was still angry with Daniel for his complete lack of regard for her situation, and then there was all the financial confusion that Joel was dealing with. It was way beyond what she was able to mentally digest at the moment. Since the day those police officers knocked her door a year earlier, she'd not had any structure to her days, her grief and then her daughter were the only things she had to deal with. The latter few months Eleanor had provided some form of day/night, but other than that she had been in some sort of bubble. Rather dramatically that seemed to be dissolving around her.

And it was a welcome return in some ways, she did miss some sort of purpose, all her life she'd worked, got up, left the house, come home. Not that she was looking for a job, she didn't want to leave Eleanor, but she had maybe been seeking for something more the last few months, something to give her a focus.

If she moved back to Cornwall she knew she'd find that, structure, life, that normality via her friends and her even mother. But that would mean moving away from all that was left of Marcus, and she just wasn't ready to do that. She wasn't sure she ever would be.

She was heading back to Cornwall the following morning, only her second trip since Marcus died...and she was actually looking forward to it, unlike the first time. But as she was packing a bag Joel had called and asked to meet her for lunch. He had more to discuss with her, she couldn't turn that down when he was doing so much for her.

So she was heading across the city when she had planned an afternoon of relaxing, to Joel's office to find out what new information he had for her, good or bad. Because she was having bad vibes.

The angel that was Eleanor was fast asleep, so she broke her own rule and set off across town with her in her pushchair, that meant staying above ground, the tube was far too difficult to negotiate with wheels. But it was a sunny day and Sammy was quite happy to walk along the river to the financial district. It was probably an hour's walk, maybe a little more. But she had time, that was something she had SO much of.

Joel's office suite was on the tenth floor of a tower block near Canary Wharf, a room with a view of the Thames. She'd loved sitting in the window watching the hustle and bustle of London from the reception, but today she was less calm.

Joel looked serious when he came out of the office and that wasn't a good sign. She didn't know why, but since he'd called her she'd had a sense of foreboding.

"I was hoping we'd get out somewhere, change of scenery...is that ok?"

She glanced at Eleanor; it was always hard work negotiating bars and restaurants with a baby, especially one in a pushchair. London venues were notoriously tiny.

Feeling a hand touch hers, she looked to see Janet, PA to Joel and once Marcus beside her, "leave her with me if you want. You know I have experience. Up to you. You'll not be long, and not far away."

Joel lifted an eyebrow, his eyes joining Janet's in watching her intently and she didn't know what to do. She'd not had a moment with Eleanor out of her sight in four months, the thought of leaving her here? She didn't know how that made her feel.

"Janet will call us, at the first sign."

Janet grinned, "I'm a granny you know? Plenty of practice."