Old Names

It could not have gone better! Apparently the Crofts are quite pleased with the house and yard and furnishings and are happy to agree to all the proposed terms. All reports and reference checks on them come back glowing. Dad met them, and though he usually dislikes to associate with ‘self-made men’, Mr. and Mrs. Croft were able to charm him (with some assistance from Mr. Shepard, the lawyer).

Dad, Beth, Lacy and I all sat down this morning with Dad's lawyer to discuss renting to the Crofts. Here’s a bit of how that went, to give you an idea….

Mr. Shepard: “You know, in addition to their other positive attributes, they have some family connection to this neighbourhood, I believe, Mr. Elliot.”

Dad: “Oh really?”

Dad looked mildly interested for the first time all day. I wanted Mr. Shepard to find something, anything, else to talk about.

Mr. Shepard: “Yes, I believe Mrs. Croft has a brother who lives here, or did.”

Dad: “What was the family name?”

Mr. Shepard frowned: “You know, I can’t remember. And she told me just the other day. Lacy, do you remember - the gentleman who owned the produce market on the corner, what was his name?”

Lacy: “Yes, I think I know who you mean; what was his name?”

At this point I really wanted the conversation to move along, so I thought it best to supply the answer: “Wentworth*, I think.”

Mr. Shepard: “Yes, that’s it!”

Dad: “I see. The market owner. I thought you meant a family of the neighbourhood.”

Mr. Shepard could read Dad’s unimpressed face as plainly as the rest of us, so he quickly dropped that approach and tried another: “They were so impressed with the house and grounds. Mrs. Croft told me it was the most lovely property they had seen, without comparison.”

And on the discussion went for some time, with Mr. Shepard embellishing (I assume) whatever little compliments the Crofts had made. But it seems to be working, Dad appears inclined to agree to have them as tenants!

* A friendly reminder that none of the names I use here are the correct names.  See here for why.