Chapter Nine
The One Where Kate Doesn’t Like Mondays
On Monday, Kate worked her way through her Inbox, dealt with a couple of phone calls and then reached for her laptop bag, pulling out a folder Dev had handed over. She supposed she shouldn’t use work time for the festival, but she hadn’t taken a lunch break and it was hardly busy.
It was clear Leigh had made use of her extensive network, none of whom were from Polkerran and Kate wasn’t sure about trying to involve them. There were a couple of copies of the previous year’s glossy – and no doubt expensive – programme, and she noted the advertisers, but there was no information about costs. Surely there must be a spreadsheet somewhere?
Kate put in a call to Dev, purposefully ignoring the momentary pleasure when he answered rather than it going to voicemail, but it may as well have done. He was unable to provide any clue. Wondering if she ought to invite him to meet up to talk through things – especially in the light of absolutely nothing happening so far – the hesitation cost her, as Dev ended the call before she could suggest it.
Despite the frustration, Kate smiled to herself as she tucked the folder back in her bag and got up. She’d started to see enough in Dev to realise Anna’s perception was most likely true: this was a somewhat awkward man through shyness more than anything else.
He also probably thought Leigh had his phone tapped, if the local chat about her paranoia over other women was anything to go by.
Kate headed home, determined to move things forward – if only someone from the committee would respond to her messages! She gave Jean a quick wave as she passed the ice cream shop. It looked almost ready to re-open and soon Jean would be ending her shifts at the hotel to run it again.
Kate paused to admire the rowing boat on the harbourside, newly planted out with spring flowers. Her phone pinged and, hopeful it would be one of the committee, she pulled it from her pocket only to scowl. Hugo. She scanned the message then deleted it. A complaint about how much stuff she had left behind fell on deaf ears and didn’t warrant a response.
She and Mollie had taken the only things that mattered to them, but the unexpected contact was enough to cloud Kate’s day. At least it couldn’t get any worse.
‘You look like you’re in a mood,’ Mollie greeted her when she reached The Lookout, and Kate dropped her bag onto the island, releasing the clip holding her hair in place.
‘I’m not,’ she lied, running her hands through her tresses and flexing her shoulders, as if by doing so she could shake off Hugo’s intrusion into their new life.
‘Whatever,’ Mollie drawled, taking the stairs two at a time.
Kate shrugged out of her jacket, swapped the heels for slippers then looked around at the empty room; she needed more air.
Out on the terrace, the night was drawing in, a cool breeze caressing Kate’s skin. The muffled sound of waves crashing onto the rocks below the coast path drifted across the hedgerow bordering the grounds, and long grasses danced rhythmically; she closed her eyes, letting the sounds and salty smells fill her senses.
The sudden image of Dev in the bookshop, his blue-grey gaze – not assessing, but merely puzzled – swept into place, and Kate’s eyes flew open. Where had that come from? And what had he been trying to say?
There was no denying Dev disturbed her, inexplicable though it was. Kate hugged her arms across her waist as Anna’s words whispered through Kate’s tired mind: ‘You’ve forgotten what it’s like to be attracted to someone. To feel attractive yourself.’
Was Anna right? Was she subconsciously looking for something she’d long lost?
‘Of course not. I’m perfectly happy as I am, free from the past and definitely not in need of a man.’ Kate returned to the house and headed upstairs. ‘And certainly not that man!’
When she emerged from her bedroom fifteen minutes later, make-up free and in her comfiest loungers, she heard giggles coming from Mollie’s room, followed by a hoot of unfamiliar laughter, and Kate tapped on the door – now sporting a sign which read ‘ I’ll be out dreckly… ’ – and opened it.
‘Hey, Molls. What do you fancy for dinner? Pasta or risotto?’
Her daughter hurriedly closed her laptop, and Kate tried to quash the frisson of anxiety as Mollie turned around. Looking decidedly culpable. Hadn’t that been the livestream webcam pointing at the tidal beach below Harbourwatch, along with a still-shot of it?
Unfortunately for Mollie, the phone was still on speaker, and the voices of some of her friends trilled into the silence growing between mother and daughter.
‘Look, look, look! She’s back!’
‘She’s so old . Take another pic!’
Ugly colour fled into Mollie’s cheeks as she snatched up the phone. ‘Sorry, gotta go. Catcha later.’
Kate folded her arms across her chest.
‘What were you doing? And don’t say “nothing”.’
Her daughter leaned back in her chair, a mutinous look on her face, arms folded in defence.
‘Mollie, I’m not stupid. Nor am I blind. You were clearly on a call with one or more mates and it looks to me like you’re all watching the webcam at the beach like it’s some sort of reality TV and saying mean things about those swimming ladies.’
‘Fine,’ Mollie muttered. ‘We were. We share screencaps, that’s all. It’s only like being there and taking photos. It’s just a laugh.’
‘Being mean about people is never funny.’
‘Didn’t bother Dad,’ Mollie retorted. ‘ He used to find it pretty amusing.’
Hugo’s second appearance in as many hours was sufficient for Kate to lose what was left of her thinning patience. She strode over to the desk, scooped up Mollie’s laptop and then her phone for good measure.
‘Twenty-four hours, and you can have them back if you can explain to me why I should let you. And don’t quote school work.’
Kate left the room, her spoils clutched in her shaking hands, exercising the last of her restraint in not slamming the door behind her, but when she reached her own room, she sank onto the bed, wiped out.
‘It’s just a trying day,’ she intoned as she flopped onto her back, staring at the ceiling. ‘It’ll be better in the morning.’
Dinner was a fairly silent meal beyond ‘please can you pass the pepper’, but for once, Kate didn’t care, and she let Mollie stew. After she’d loaded the dishwasher and settled into the armchair by the bay window, a figure came to stand beside her, then sank into the adjacent chair.
‘Sorry, Mum.’
Kate threw her daughter a keen glance. ‘Are you? Or are you hoping I’ll reduce your sentence?’
A huff of breath was the only response and for a minute or two they both stared out at the darkening skies. It was a clear night, and a crescent moon could be seen playing peekaboo behind passing wisps of cloud.
Kate sighed, shifting in her seat to look at her daughter. She didn’t want to be too heavy-handed. She understood Mollie had been through a lot this last year or so and she’d faced a massive upheaval with this move to the other end of the country. Getting in with new friends was important, but none of that excused what she’d been doing.
‘You do understand why it’s wrong, don’t you? That’s a livestream – a webcam – and it doesn’t record images. It would be against the law. Capturing what you’re seeing on it and sharing it with your friends is just plain wrong, never mind the cruel comments about people simply enjoying a hobby they love.’
Mollie’s bottom lip was sticking out, which it did when she was about to enter a major sulk.
‘Molls, I mean it. I’m not trying to spoil things for you. I don’t want you to make any missteps, that’s all.’
She didn’t reply, simply got up and headed to the snug, closing the door with a decided snap, and Kate sighed.
Roll on, tomorrow.
Kate had handed Mollie’s laptop and phone back the following evening, her daughter still sulking as she headed upstairs with them. Unwilling to dwell on whether she’d made the right decision to not take things any further, she got on with preparing dinner, relieved it was the weekend.
Mollie was due to start kayak classes on Saturday with Liam and Jason, and Nicki had offered to take her with them to the cinema in the afternoon too, and while Kate savoured the down time, she was again consumed by a hollow sense of isolation.
‘Maybe we should get a rescue dog,’ she mused, striding across the beach below The Lookout, trying to outpace her low mood.
There were two dogs on the beach with their owners, playing cat and mouse with the waves sliding in and out across the wet sands, and suddenly one she recognised came running to jump up on her jeans.
‘Hello, Dougal,’ Kate exclaimed, rubbing his ears, looking up to see Anna coming towards her.
They fell into step together for a while, Dougal enjoying the freedom of chasing up and down the beach, but soon they were the only people left, and they stopped near an outcrop of rocks, perching on its edge.
‘Is it always this quiet?’
‘Only until the Emmets return for Easter. Then there’s a lull, with a small peak for the May Bank Holidays. The summer is off the scale, though, so make the most of it.’
‘So many of the cottages along the waterfront have no lights on at night.’
‘They’re mostly second homes, out of the price range of the locals, especially the younger ones. They tend to move away. It’s why Oliver started to buy property in Polkerran to rent out at affordable prices, giving priority to residents. He’s upset the Tremaynes time and again by beating them to a deal, but now Alex is in charge, they’re selling even more things off.’ Anna sighed. ‘I think Mr Tremayne senior thought by handing the estate to Alex – he’s the only child – he’d come home and run it, but I can’t see him giving up the bright lights and city wage of London.’
‘So instead, he’s selling the estate off, bit by bit? Isn’t that good for Oliver, though?’
‘It would be, but I think I mentioned Alex refuses to sell to him? Oliver’s even had others try to negotiate the deal, but once they ask for proof of where the funds are coming from…’ Anna shrugged, glacing at her watch. ‘I’d best get back. I’ve got an appointment this afternoon.’
They scaled the steps up to the coast path, where Kate was assailed by the recollection of her first meeting with Dev, hoping he might appear with Bayley, but the path was deserted. They paused by the gate to The Lookout for a moment.
‘When’s your brother back? It still seems odd to say that.’
Anna’s eyes lit up. ‘Tell me about it! I spent most of the first year we were in each other’s lives stalling on the word every time I used it.’
Having been orphaned as small children and raised separately, the siblings had been unaware of each other’s existence until a few years ago.
‘He and Gemma will be back by Easter.’
‘Ah, yes. His house-friend.’
‘His what?’
With a laugh, Kate opened the gate. ‘It’s how they introduced themselves to me at the wedding.’
‘Sounds about right. They hadn’t quite found their way to each other at the time. Gemma’s lovely, though, and has been so good for him. I can’t wait until they’re back.’
‘It’s beginning to feel like all roads lead to Polkerran Point,’ Kate murmured. ‘First you came here and stayed, then Lauren arrived and met Daniel, followed by your brother. It’s as though, once here, the cove never quite lets go.’
Anna sent her friend a knowing look. ‘Absolutely. You’d better look out.’
Kate merely smiled, saying goodbye and returning to the house. After all, it was down to Mollie. If she was happy, they’d stay. For herself, she had no interest beyond that.
Firmly extinguishing the little voice whispering ‘liar’ in the back of her head, Kate shed her coat and boots and headed upstairs. She’d have a long soak in the bath, start reading her latest book purchase and enjoy falling in love with a fictitious man.
Real ones had proven to be a waste of space.