“I don’t know. We could try and sell it as a Van Gogh.”
“I think that’s illegal.”
“Not if we let people assume things themselves.” She turned back to her knitting, and the sound of needles clinking once again filled the air.
I shook my head and flipped the page.
Daffodils draft thirty-seven it was.
“What if it was a white and orange daffodil instead?”
Ffion looked at me like I’d slapped her. “Yellow. Always yellow.”
“Daffodils aren’t even the national emblem of Wales,” I grumbled. “Leeks are.”
“Leeks! Leeks my bloody arse. Who looks at a leek and goes, “Bloody hell, that reminds me of Wales,” huh? Nobody, that’s who.”
“I think a huge red dragon is usually what reminds people of Wales. That flag is a little bit extra.”
“Well, we always get forgotten, don’t we? We’re like the awkward middle child, so we need a flag that commands attention. It’s the only time we get any.”
This was veering into very salty territory. I wasn’t entirely sure it was a place I wanted to venture into. Once Ffion got started on a topic that frustrated her, there was no getting out of it until she was done.
Apparently, that included leeks representing Wales.
She did have a point.
Personally, I was a fan of the dragon. I mean, come on. Everyone else had a cross and then there was… Wales.
With a big bloody dragon on the flag.
You had to admire the Welsh for that.
“What are you doing in here?” Matthew asked, leading Christopher into the room. “Hi, Nan.”
“Plotting to overthrow the government,” Ffion replied. “Hello, dear.”
“Yes,” I continued. “With our sketch pads and knitting needles.”
“Never underestimate the power of a knitting needle,” Ffion said sagely. “These bitches hurt when you get stabbed by them.”
Christopher slid a gaze her way and set the tea tray he was carrying down on the table. “Tea, Ffion?”
“Yes, please.”
He poured her a cup of tea and fixed it the way she liked it, then turned to me. “Eva?”
“No, thank you. I’ll stick to water for the time being.” I smiled tightly. The anti-nausea meds might have worked for the most part, but I was still taking it easy
Matthew pulled a bottle of water out from behind Christopher’s back with a grin. “That’s where I come in.”
“Thank you.” I took it with a smile. “What are you doing?”
“I got the survey back for the bed and breakfast. Charles emailed it over for me about half an hour ago. Want to read it?” He held out a large brown envelope. “I printed it out for you.”
“Of course.” I put my sketchpad on the table and took the envelope as he sat down. “Is it bad?”
“We knew about the most expensive things, but the big jobs are that there’s some materials with asbestos that need removing, and the whole place needs rewiring.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Plumbing is all right, but it depends if you want to close later down the line to redo it all.”
“I doubt that’s financially viable. Not to mention the frustration over having to redecorate.” I slipped the papers out and set them on my lap.
“Only an idiot would decorate and then re-plumb the place,” Ffion said, happily knitting away.
What was she knitting? Was it even the same piece?
I could swear she’d been knitting since the moment she got home.
Mind you, it was better than her dodgy rapping of Eminem.
“Thanks, Nan. I happen to agree.” Matthew’s eyes twinkled when he looked back at me. “What do you think?”
“Hold on, I haven’t read them yet.”
“Give the girl a chance, Matthew.” Ffion didn’t look up from her knitting.
Maybe this wasn’t the right place to have this conversation.
Christopher eyed Ffion before turning to us. “Is there anything else I can do for you, ma’am?”
“Yes. Carry this knitting basket. I want to go through to the gift shop and see what the stock on that postcard rack is like. Eva has promised me two new designs next week and I want to get prices from that annoying man in Beaumaris.”
“I did not,” I retorted.
“Oh, well, get drawing, then.” She waved a wrinkled hand at me. “I want two new designs next week for the annoying man in Beaumaris. You know, the one with the printing shop.”
Christopher handed her the walking stick when she stood up and ushered her out, leaving me staring after her, dumbfounded.
“She is something else,” I said, shaking my head. “This isn’t that bad, other than what we already know.”
Matthew leaned back, resting his arm over the back of the sofa. “It’s not. Better than I was expecting, given the price. I can probably get the seller down again on the case of the rewiring, but not by much.”
“It’s better than anything. All you can do is ask. Honestly, the place is already a steal, so I think it’s worth it either way. Can you demolish the barn that’s wrecked?”