Chapter Thirty-Three
The One With the Manic Monday
A half hour later, a stunned Kate followed Dev out of Tremayne Manor. She cast a stern look at the ‘sold’ banners on the adjacent gatehouse and the run of alms-houses on their way down the hill into the centre of Polkerran.
Much as she admired Oliver’s purpose, those property acquisitions had caused no small amount of stress!
‘You’re very quiet.’
Ultra conscious of the man walking along the street beside her, Kate made an effort to harness her cartwheeling thoughts.
‘Well, I was definitely not expecting that !’
A faint laugh came from Dev as they reached the entrance to the sailing club. ‘Nor was I, but we’re back on, whatever the reasons. Tremayne Manor is reinstated.’
‘It makes me a bit edgy – might it happen again?’
‘Try not to think about it.’ Dev pushed the gate aside, but as Kate made to step inside, he stayed her with his hand.
‘Now isn’t really the time, with so many people around, but can you spare some time later to run through what we do next?’
Gladly. Want to come round, stay the night?
The intrusive thought popped into Kate’s mind unbidden, and a hot sensation shot through her body, and – judging by Dev’s slightly taken aback expression – into her face.
She cleared her throat. ‘Yes, of course. Do you and Theo… I mean, would you like to… it would be nice…’
‘Yes.’ Dev’s mouth twitched. ‘Whatever it is. We can come round later on, or just walk back with you?’
For a nano-second, Kate almost went for the former. It would give her time to shower, change into something simple but elegant, put on some make-up…
‘Let’s just go back from here. I’m sure I can cobble us some supper together.’
‘We may not need any,’ Dev said as he pushed open the gate. ‘If the smell from the barbecue is anything to go by.’
Dev had been right. Neither Mollie nor Theo wanted anything else to eat once they’d returned to The Lookout and happily took their cans of Dr Pepper into the snug to play a game. Kate pushed aside the glass doors to the terrace and turned on the lamps. It wasn’t even dusk, but hopefully, Dev wasn’t in any hurry to leave.
The man himself stepped out onto the terrace. The only sounds were the distant echoes of waves rolling onto the beach below the cliffs and the ever-present call of the seabirds, drifting on the thermals above the undulating dark blue blanket of sea.
‘Here you go.’
‘Thank you.’ Kate took the glass of wine from Dev and gestured towards the table and chairs. ‘Take a seat.’
Once they were settled, side by side, Kate raised her glass to his. ‘Here’s to Arabella Tremayne.’
Dev pulled a face, and Kate sent him a quizzical look. ‘So you don’t think she ’s the reason the venue has been reinstated?’
‘Not the reason, no, although don’t get me wrong. I’m grateful to her for putting things right as fast as she has. But she’s clearly been given permission, and we know where that’s come from.’
Kate confusion merely deepened. ‘Why would Alex do that, though?’
‘As Grandy is fond of quoting, “ Cherchez la femme ”.’
Kate sipped her drink, enjoying the sourness of the dry wine on her tongue.
‘You suspect Bella is the missing link? But she hates Alex.’
‘And isn’t hatred akin to love?’
Dev held her gaze, but Kate broke it, heart racing.
‘Maybe…’
‘Anyway, let’s hope everyone’s happy to return to the original plan.’
Kate nodded, unable to speak for a moment. Then, she sighed. ‘I think I’m going to have a very busy time on the phone again tomorrow.’
No truer words had been spoken, but at least Sunday whizzed by, and on Monday, Kate called the journalist at the local newspaper first to explain that there had simply been a miscommunication somewhere, and the Polkerran Village Fayre would proceed as planned.
Conscious the publication was going to print, Kate laughed at the relief in the junior reporter’s voice.
‘Thank goodness,’ she gushed. ‘They’d already dropped the piece because they’ve uncovered a scandal at a fishmonger’s in Port Wenneth. I can’t say any more, but it’ll be all over the paper tomorrow.’
Shaking her head, Kate sent Dev a message to let him know, then headed to work, her feet barely touching the ground as she dealt with the preparations for the two upcoming weddings at the hotel, both of which thankfully had full-time wedding planners attached to them, which would leave her free to be on hand at the fayre throughout the Bank Holiday weekend.
With Anna dealing with reinstating the food and drink vendors and the local produce purveyors, and Phoenix contacting all the creatives, it only left Kate to put in calls to the performers, and they were back on track.
Feeling as though she’d done a week’s work by Monday evening, Kate was relieved to arrive home, and as soon as she’d changed into shorts and a T-shirt, she headed for the fridge and poured a glass of wine.
‘How did you get on at Jean’s today?’
Mollie was lying on one of the sofas, continuing her read of Pride & Prejudice .
‘It was mint.’ She tossed the book aside. ‘Lydia’s dumb. And so’s this Wickham. He gives me the ick.’
Kate spotted the linen basket by the larder. Damn, she’d left it there this morning and forgotten to put the washing on.
‘Dad’s as bad. What’s up with him ?’
She assumed innocence. ‘Why?’
‘He messaged me. Which he never does. Says you’ve blocked his WhatsApps.’
‘He’s not wrong. The only matter outstanding between us, as far as I’m concerned, has been resolved.’
Kate picked up the laundry basket and headed for the utility, but Mollie followed her.
‘He’s pretty pissed off.’
‘Molls! I’ve asked you not to—’
‘Soz.’ Mollie held up her hands. ‘It slipped out.’
‘Well don’t let it!’
Placing the basket on the floor, Kate lifted the lid. It was somewhat ironic that the item on the top was the T-shirt she’d picked up in the charity shop the other day, and her lips twitched.
‘What did you do? He says you conned him over the rings. Not that I care,’ Mollie added airily. ‘He had no right to them, they were gifts to you .’
Kate shoved several items into the washing machine. ‘I got rid of them. Sold them, after a fashion.’
‘What do you mean?’
Kate said nothing until she’d finished loading the machine, but then she straightened. Confession time.
‘I told him I’d send him what I got for them.’
‘ Mum! You could always have given the money to me!’ Mollie grinned, and Kate couldn’t help but laugh as she set the machine in motion.
‘True, but then he’d have kept asking for it.’
‘So?’ Mollie persisted, as they went back into the kitchen.
‘I gave them to a charity, to auction.’
‘Sweet!’ Mollie selected a handful of grapes from the bowl on the island. ‘Not that Dad deserves anything. You gave the charity something from the proceeds?’
‘On the contrary,’ Kate said succinctly.
She took a seat at the island, opening her laptop. She needed to get on with some emails. Mollie, however, lingered, popping a grape in her mouth and chewing.
‘I don’t get it.’
Kate fired up the laptop. ‘When I donated the rings and said they could keep one hundred per cent of whatever they could raise at auction, they insisted I accept something from the shop, the one in Port Wenneth?’
Mollie’s eyes were round with rapt attention. ‘And that’s what you sent Dad?’ Going off into peals of laughter, she walked around the island to hug Kate. ‘So proud of you, Mum!’ She stepped back. ‘What did you get? He’s got it, right?’
Kate turned to the laptop. ‘In exchange for the rings, I received – or rather, selected – a couple of… unique 1970s ash trays. They were particularly hideous, especially the one shaped like a swan.’
‘But he has a phobia about birds! And he doesn’t smoke!’
‘No, he doesn’t, does he?’ Kate said and, with a delighted chuckle, Mollie left the room.
Although he’s probably fuming right now.
The following morning, Kate settled at her desk, doing her utmost to concentrate on a proposal for a recruitment company based in Plymouth, who wanted to secure a state-of-the-art business centre with spa facilities for a series of mini-residentials for their management team.
Barely had she opened the file, however, when the urge to check the webcam at the beach came over her, and she opened it up, feeling horribly voyeuristic but also fizzing with hopes of a glimpse of Dev walking Bayley before the daily dog ban came into force.
There were two dog walkers on the beach, but neither had Dev’s tall form. As she watched, however, a familiar figure did walk over to one of the benches: Ryther.
A soft smile touched Kate’s lips. His step was sprightlier than when she’d last seen him, and she hoped he was fully on the mend. Then, recalling she should be working, she closed the page and forced her mind back onto the proposal.
After a long day, however, with back-to-back meetings most of the afternoon and last-minute checks to do on this evening’s silver wedding party, Kate stopped around six to drink a hastily made cup of tea. She had ten minutes before she needed to go along to check everything was ready in the private dining room. Five minutes to enjoy the brew, she mulled, casually opening the beach livestream, and then five to tidy her appearance.
As her gaze drifted over the scene, taking in the familiar and now comforting view, watching the waves roll rhythmically onto the sands – free of families today because of the weather – she noticed some of the ladies who enjoyed swimming in the sheltered cove emerging from the water and chattering to each other.
They passed by the webcam on their way out of sight, around the corner of the coffee shop to the shelter where they tended to don their dry robes before grabbing a hot drink, but all of a sudden, Kate’s attention was caught as a very familiar figure darted past. A small figure, that flashed a quick look up at the camera, before disappearing out of sight to where the swimming ladies had just gone.
Mollie!
The tea forgotten, Kate walked on auto-pilot to the cloakroom, made a perfunctory effort to tidy her hair and remove the shine from her nose, her mind spinning over her daughter’s purpose.
Arriving home later that evening, she found Mollie in the snug.
‘Hey, Mum,’ she said, without taking her gaze from the vast screen, across which characters leapt and fought.
Kate reached over and removed the controller from Mollie’s grasp, and she scowled at her mum.
‘I was on my last life!’
‘Tough.’ Kate came to stand between Mollie and the screen. ‘What did you do after leaving Freya’s?’
‘Came home.’ Mollie folded her arms across her chest, her expression mutinous.
Weary now, Kate sank onto the adjacent leather recliner. ‘Before that, Molls. I saw you on the beach.’
Mollie looked momentarily dumbstruck before she giggled. ‘You’ve been on the livestream! I wonder who you were looking for?’ She pretended contemplation, a hand stroking her chin, then grinned.
‘Fine.’ Kate sighed. ‘But I did see you there. After what happened a few months ago, I’d really appreciate the truth, Molls.’
‘Nice to have your mother’s trust. I made some more of these.’ She indicated the clay bracelets on her wrist. ‘I liked using the watery colours, you know, the greens and blues. I added the words “beach” or “waves” to them and wanted to give a few away.’
A combination of relief and guilt swept through Kate. ‘I’m sorry, Molls, for suspecting you of something… are you saying you made bracelets for the swimming ladies?’
The colour that so easily stained Kate’s cheeks flew into her daughter’s. ‘Might have done.’ She lowered her head for a moment, then looked up at Kate. ‘I didn’t know what to do, but I felt bad. I mean, they didn’t know I’d been rude, like. But…’ She waved her hand vaguely.
With a small laugh, Kate leaned right over and hugged Mollie, who wriggled fiercely.
‘Aww, gerroff, Mum!’
‘So proud of you, Molls.’ Kate got up. ‘What d’you fancy for tea?’
‘Can I have cheesy nachos?’
Handing back the controller, Kate mentally sifted through the contents of the fridge and larder. ‘Probably. Leave it with me.’
Her phone pinged as she closed the snug door and she picked it up, kicking off her heels and wriggling her toes as she sank onto the nearest sofa.
Dev.
‘For heaven’s sake,’ she admonished her trembling midriff. ‘Calm down.’
‘How did it go?’
Kate’s eyes closed. God, she loved his voice!
‘Kate? Can you hear me?’
‘Yes! Sorry. All fine. Matt’s sorting the cabling and Gemma’s coming over to help too. Anna is overseeing Jago and Cobber, who’ve agreed to put up the bunting along the harbour. Everyone’s lined up for Friday morning, so we can get tables set up ready for when people arrive to prepare their stalls, and so on. Arabella Tremayne’s arranging to have the lawns cut before then and has even offered cups of tea on tap.’
In fine bone china cups, of course, and served by her housekeeping team, but it was a kind gesture all the same.
‘Oh, and Dickie the Chippy has made a couple of fantastic wooden direction posts with signage to things like the loos, story-telling tent, the performance area, and more.’
‘Excellent. The forecast is looking good too.’
Such inane conversation, when all Kate wanted to do was sit and talk to Dev about anything but the fayre. As it was, he ended the call and she was left with nothing to do but pull together some cheesy nachos and something a little healthier for herself and then spend the rest of the evening staring out of window at the distant sea, her head full of unrealistic dreams.