Chapter Five
The One With the Squeeze
Rick was no longer by the entrance when Kate emerged from the cloakroom, and she turned her annoyance down to a simmer, but as she approached the private dining room, she fetched up short, her tummy dipping alarmingly.
Although she could only see his back, there was something horribly familiar about the man by the doors: the thickly layered blond hair, the broad shoulders, the stylish tailoring of the suit and the tinge of arrogance to the stance.
A combination of dread and annoyance shot through Kate. Hugo ? His name hadn’t come up on any of the guest lists… She took a hasty step backwards, only for her right heel to slip from beneath her on the now wet tiles, but as she felt herself falling, two strong arms caught her around the middle and hauled her upright.
She glanced down at the hands clasped around her waist, aware of the solid body behind her own, but as she was released, she swung around.
Glaring at Rick as she adjusted her jacket, she bit out a terse ‘Thank you.’
He said nothing, his eyes dropping to Kate’s heels. Then his head flicked up, his expression as guarded as ever as he moved past her, and she turned around just in time to see him greet the man hovering beside the double doors into the private dining room.
‘Tremayne.’
Kate almost laughed aloud at her own stupidity as the blond man turned around. This was clearly the infamous Alex, once the bane of Anna’s life, now of Oliver’s.
Pulling herself together, she walked past them, silently scolding her skin for continuing to tingle at Rick’s touch.
‘Hateful man,’ she muttered through gritted teeth. This was going to be one long evening.
‘Are you okay?’ Anna greeted Kate on her return to Westerleigh.
Summoning a tired smile, she dropped her bag on the table and walked over to join her in the kitchen.
‘I thought you’d have gone to bed.’ Kate looked around. ‘Where’s Oliver?’
‘Nose buried deep in some documents up in his den.’ Anna gestured towards the boot room door, which led out to the garden. ‘I’m just making him a coffee before I go up. Do you want one?’
Kate shook her head. ‘It’ll keep me awake thinking about—’ She caught herself just in time. ‘Work.’
Damn that man. He’d done her a favour earlier, preventing her from making a fool of herself with a full-on inelegant fall, but his overheard comment still rankled.
‘How was Mollie this evening?’
‘Champing at the bit over moving into The Lookout, but seems happy enough. She spent hours watching reels of cats doing cute things. Then, she went up because she wanted to spend time with Podge.’
Anna picked up the mug, from which steam rose in a spiral, the comforting aroma of coffee assailing Kate’s nostrils as it passed by. ‘I’ll take this over. Fancy a nightcap when I come back? Of the grape variety?’
‘I’m on it.’ Kate headed for the cupboard where the wine glasses were kept.
Five minutes later, they settled onto the sofa in front of the log burner, whose embers continued to glow through the glass window. Kate unfastened her hair and kicked off her heels, sending them a fierce look for letting her down earlier.
‘Cheers.’
The clink of glasses was followed by a small silence as they both savoured the wine. Kate leaned her head back against the comfy sofa, cradling the glass in her lap.
‘Tough gig?’
Kate sent Anna a resigned look. ‘Not the gig so much. Bit standard, really, as retirement dos go.’
‘Was this Mr Tremayne senior?’
Kate nodded, and Anna pulled a face.
‘If the rumours are true, the estate has been handed over to Alex, as the only son. Hope it doesn’t bring him back to the cove.’
‘I encountered him tonight.’ She laughed as her eyes met Anna’s. ‘I can see what the attraction was. He’s rather easy on the eye.’
Anna grimaced. ‘Not so easy on the mind, as it happens.’
‘A bit like Hugo.’ Kate leaned her head back against the sofa again. ‘I thought he was him at first. He looked like Hugo from the back.’ Heat rushed into her cheeks as she recalled the arms catching her as she fell, and Anna spluttered on her mouthful of wine.
‘Oh, my God, Kate,’ she exclaimed, wiping her lips with the back of her hand. ‘What did he do ?’
‘Ha! Nothing.’ Kate rested a hand against her warm skin. ‘It was a momentary panic, the similarity, but once I saw his profile, I realised how stupid I was being.’
Anna’s expression sobered. ‘He still haunts you, doesn’t he? Hugo, I mean.’
‘Sadly, yes. Even a year after the divorce, he can’t be civil. He doesn’t even ask about Mollie.’
‘Do you have much contact?’
Kate shook her head. ‘Not really. There’s no need now all the settlements are done. He didn’t contest the full custody of Mollie, as you know, and she seemed to perk up a bit when we moved out last year – well, except for the school thing.’
‘I think she’ll enjoy the one in Fowey.’
‘I hope so. She deserves a break.’
Anna eyed her friend solemnly.
‘So do you.’ She leaned forward to top up their glasses. ‘Now, tell me what happened earlier. You’re uncharacteristically jittery.’
‘Oh, you know,’ Kate waved an airy hand, trying to see the funny side of it, ‘just almost fell on my backside, only to be saved by the last person I’d ever want help from.’
A raised brow was Anna’s only response, and Kate sighed.
‘That man!’ She gestured towards Harbourwatch, invisible in the darkness. ‘It had to be him, didn’t it?’
‘Oooh.’ Anna’s cheeks dimpled. ‘So you’ve met Dev. Do tell!’
‘Dev?’ Kate queried. ‘I thought he was Rick.’
Hadn’t the out-going wife called him Frederick?
‘Rick Devonshire. Goes by Dev.’
Kate rolled her eyes. What was it with that family and nicknames? ‘Anyway, Rick-Dev – or whatever it is – isn’t the most friendly of people, is he?’
Anna’s expression became pensive. ‘I think he’s a bit shy, to be honest. I’ve only got to know him lately; he’s always kept himself to himself, but I think that’s more about being there for his son. The wife hasn’t made herself popular in the cove and she’s such a high-flyer, always gadding off here and there for work. She’s also walked out on the marriage several times, so I think Dev has been keen to provide the stabling influence at home. Oliver knows him better than I do.’
‘I met his wife the other day too, at a meeting.’
Anna looked surprised. ‘We all thought she’d gone for good this time. They’re supposed to be getting divorced.’
Kate wasn’t so sure. ‘She may have vacated the family home, but I got the impression she’s in no hurry to release her grasp on the family.’ Reflecting on Leigh’s behaviour towards Dev – despite his rebuttal – she wasn’t at all sure the lady meant for things to be over.
‘How odd. There’s been all sorts of speculation in the cove, as you can imagine. The turnover in domestic staff and nannies was something else since they came back from the US. Rumour had it Leigh thought everyone was after Dev. Oliver believes she couldn’t bear it if his attention wasn’t solely on her. She replaced the nannies with ones from up country, but they didn’t stay long either.’
‘So,’ Anna prompted, settling back in her seat. ‘What happened this evening?’
‘He was at a meeting – local landowners and such. Anyway, the tiled floors were wet from people traipsing in from the rain, and my heel slipped. I would have been a very inelegant goner if he hadn’t caught me.’
‘How exciting!’ Anna’s eyes sparkled, but Kate rolled hers at her friend.
‘You’re such a romantic. You’re thinking “meet-cute”, I can hear your mind going, but it wasn’t our first encounter.’
Anna blinked. ‘When was that ?’
As they finished their drinks and got to their feet, Kate filled Anna in. It all sounded ridiculous when said out loud, but even though they’d laughed about it, Kate had to assume Dev’s opinion of her must be rock bottom.
Does that bother you , her mind questioned.
‘Of course not,’ she mused as Anna took the stairs to the top floor and Kate headed to Mollie’s room.
Her daughter was fast asleep, as was Podge at the foot of the bed. Turning off the lamp, Kate picked up the discarded tablet and placed it on the bedside cabinet and dropped a gentle kiss on Mollie’s smooth cheek.
Two more days and term would start up again, and as Kate readied herself for bed, she begged the heavens to be kind and let Mollie find her happy place in Cornwall.
Delighted to have a day off on Saturday, Kate settled at the table in the bay window after breakfast, her laptop open as she caught up with social media and emails. Mollie had gone up to shower. They had plans to go over to Port Wenneth to collect Mollie’s uniform and stock up on food. As she had also petitioned for a new school bag, pencil case and shoes, it was likely to be a lengthy trip.
Anna was busy cleaning the guest rooms, and Oliver had taken Dougal for a walk. It was a blustery, cold late February day, and pushing aside the laptop, Kate walked to the window to admire the view.
The sky was pale grey, overlain with darker, feathery strands of cloud. White crests adorned the waves out to sea, and ripples flowed steadily towards the harbour, nestled in the curve of the bay. Smoke curled from several chimneys, drifting up past stout, tall evergreens to the manicured grounds of the Point Hotel, just discernible beyond a bank of tall fir trees.
Kate’s gaze dropped down to the centre of the village. To the right of the church spire was a large, turreted building surrounded by a surprising amount of green space – Tremayne Manor.
Recalling the previous evening, Kate turned her back. Pretentious wealthy people were not her thing. Kind ones, she could deal with. The elderly gentleman, for example, whose eighty-fifth birthday party was planned for just before Easter, had been a delight to deal with. The two couples whose weddings she was organising for the summer were warm and friendly and incredibly grateful for every bit of guidance she could offer. The Tremaynes were… an unpleasant bunch.
Kate huffed a breath. Well, Alex Tremayne had put on the charm, but she was no fool. Or rather, she wasn’t about to be a fool again. She’d fallen for a similar type with Hugo: the permanent golden tan, streaked blond hair, flirtatious eyes and a smile to turn you to a pile of mush faster than a rapid thaw after a snowstorm.
How could such angelic, divine looks conceal manipulative, mind-controlling behaviour?
Kate and Mollie had such a busy and enjoyable time shopping, they returned to Westerleigh full of their day. Leaving her daughter to unpack her new purchases, Kate joined Anna and Oliver in the kitchen to lend a hand with dinner.
The next week flew by and Mollie – after an anxious few days – came home on the bus on Friday beaming from ear to ear, running up the lane with a long-absent energy as she raced Liam and Jason, whom Nicki had just collected from the village school.
Relieved it had gone well, Kate tried not to lament the lack of challenge in her new job. This wasn’t the time to change anything. Mollie needed stability, and at least there were people on hand for when Kate was working so she had company before and after school if needed.
Kate had taken to fitting in a walk around her hours at the hotel, often following the narrow road which ran parallel to the water along the side of the harbour opposite Westerleigh.
It was the route she’d walked in those heels on Anna’s wedding day, when the small party of close friends had gathered at Harbourwatch – apparently, as she’d more recently learned – an invitation extended by Dev to Oliver, as a surprise for Anna.
Down on the beach, she would pick up a coffee or hot chocolate from the cute little cafe, sitting on one of the benches to watch the waves claim their bit of sand before retreating – sometimes in gentle rolls, others in more flamboyant splashes, depending on the vagaries of the weather – and despite simply trying to enjoy the moment before heading back to Westerleigh, her thoughts occasionally turned to the man living in the Gothic-style house above the rocks.
Did he feel isolated there? It was a huge property, clearly meant to be a family home. Despite her reservations over whether Dev really was shy, as Anna claimed, or simply rude, Kate pushed her sympathies aside.
‘Thank you,’ she smiled at the kind-faced woman behind the counter as she returned her recyclable cup to the cafe. She turned away but then swung back. ‘Why are people taking photos stood outside your door?’
She gestured to where a young couple were not only taking a selfie, but waving at something above said door.
The lady placed Kate’s cup in the sink. ‘It’s the livestream. They go proper mad for it, those Emmets do. When they go back up country, they check in on it, and when they’re here, they call up the webcam on their phones and get to tekkin’ snaps, doing dance routines, blowing kisses.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘You’ve never seen the like.’
Kate laughed. ‘Madness.’
‘Aye, ne’er a truer word said.’
Heading home, Kate tucked her hands in her pockets. Despite the approaching spring, the skies were heavy with cloud and dusk had begun to drape its veil over Polkerran.
Soon they would be in a new home. Would it be as lonely as the last?
‘At least it’s here,’ she said quietly, as she reached the harbour and paused briefly to survey the scene in the dimming light. ‘You’re free. You and Mollie. And the cove is going to heal us both. I can feel it.’