Chapter Forty
The One Where Love is All Around
‘Kate! Yay. Did Daddy tell you I’m staying?’ He puffed out his chest. ‘I’m going to live in the cove for ever .’
He turned to his father. ‘Great-Grandy has gone to lie down for a bit. Can I read him a story?’
‘Not just now, Teds, though that’s a lovely idea. I think he’s tired and needs a bit of rest. Let’s go into the drawing room.’
He led the way along the hall to the beautiful, square reception room Kate recalled so well from Anna’s wedding, and she walked over to admire the stunning views from the windows, which were triple aspect, facing the village, the sea and in between, across the water, Westerleigh Cottage perched on its rocky promontory.
Recalling Ryther’s recounting of his love affair with Meg and its heart-breaking denouement, a fleeting sorrow crossed Kate’s features.
A small hand slipped into hers, and she dragged her gaze away to look down at Theo, her heart melting at his sweet face peering up at her.
‘Don’t be sad. This is the happy room.’
‘Is it?’ Kate allowed Theo to lead her over to a sofa, where he perched, patting the other seat, and she sank into it.
‘Great-Grandy said so when he felt better. He says it…’ The little boy’s brow creased. ‘What did he say, Daddy?’
Dev had taken the seat opposite, and he leaned forward, elbows on his knees. ‘He said it answered his dreams many years ago, and today it fulfilled its final destiny.’
Theo nodded fervently. ‘He said it made him happy again, so don’t be sad, Kate.’
‘I’m not, I promise.’ She sent Dev a slightly self-conscious smile, and he returned it warmly, so much so, as he held her gaze with his grey-blue stare, she could feel warmth travelling along her skin, and she swallowed on rising emotion.
How could this be? It was almost too wonderful for words, although judging by Dev’s expression, conversation wasn’t exactly what was on his mind.
‘Stop it,’ she mouthed, turning her attention to Theo, who wanted to show her his latest puzzle, and she followed him from the room willingly, with a backward glance at Dev, who hadn’t moved but was now grinning at her obvious embarrassment.
Ryther didn’t return downstairs during the evening, although Dev checked in on him, and once Theo had gone to bed – insisting both Dev and Kate took turns in reading to him from his favourite book – they finally had a moment alone and wasted no time in continuing their earlier… discourse.
‘God, I’ve wanted to do that for months,’ Dev mumbled into Kate’s neck after drawing a dreamy, sensual kiss to a close.
Kate leaned back in his arms. ‘You hid it well.’
Dev drew her over to the sofa and they sank down beside each other, fingers entwined.
‘I was fighting the attraction, constantly. On the one hand, I felt like I couldn’t stay away, didn’t want to, but with the divorce stalled after the Conditional Order, I was hardly in a position to act like a completely free man. Telling someone you’ve fallen for them when you’re still technically married to someone else was never on my bucket list.’
‘I tried so hard not to want you, Dev,’ Kate responded. ‘You had so much to deal with, what with things not being finalised and being desperate to do the best thing for Theo.’
This notion brought Ryther’s recent confession to mind, and Kate shifted in her seat so she could see Dev’s face.
‘What happened earlier, for your grandfather to be unwell, and then so happy?’
‘Ah. Well, I’m sure he won’t mind my telling you, but needless to say I think he’s found some much-needed closure.’ Releasing her, Dev pulled Kate to her feet, leading her over to one of the arched windows. ‘Do you remember the problems with the shell frieze?’
‘Yes, of course.’
‘This section,’ Dev pointed to a corner piece, clearly newly restored, ‘had begun to protrude some months ago. It seemed connected to the water damage but it wasn’t. Someone, at some point in time, had forced this piece aside to tuck something behind it, and the frieze finally chose to give up its secret.’
Kate moved past Dev to stare across the water at Westerleigh Cottage. ‘This has to do with Meg.’
‘Yes.’ Dev came to stand beside her, his gaze also on the property opposite. ‘There was a slim envelope, yellowed with age, the hand barely legible, but Grandy knew it instantly as Meg’s. It was addressed to someone called Neb, and—’
‘Oh!’ Kate exclaimed, and Dev turned to look at her.
‘You know the name?’
‘Anna found photos with it on, and said Meg had kept letters from a Neb.’
‘Grandy’s little in-joke with her. His real name is Benedict. Ben, or Neb if you reverse it. Just as Meg became Gem, which led to him naming his much-loved record label Secret Gem Records.’
Eyes wide, Kate scanned Dev’s face. ‘Wow. And… sorry. I interrupted you.’
‘You can interrupt me any time you like. So long as I get a kiss by return.’
Kate duly obliged, but then she rested her head against Dev’s shoulder as he turned them both towards the window again.
‘There was a brief letter in the envelope and, thankfully, having been a little more protected, it was still legible. Grandy almost fainted as he read it, shed a great many tears, hence my asking you to come over, but given a moment to recover, he spoke. Meg had written it when Oliver was renting the house. She’d apparently taken to coming over, sitting in this very room because here she felt close to Grandy. She never got over losing him, but she did finally forgive him, wanted him to know that… somehow, one day. He’d installed the frieze for her, knowing of her love of shells, so she decided that’s where she would hide it. If he was meant to find it in time, then he would.’ Dev sighed. ‘As it happened, it seems the letter found him instead.’
‘That’s sad, but so romantic. Poor Ryther, and poor Meg. Did the letter hint to him as to why she rejected him so forcefully?’
‘She did imply there was something in her past – a secret she couldn’t bear to impart – and she begged for his forgiveness too in being unable to share it with him.’
‘Thank goodness Anna – and Oliver – were able to help.’
‘Indeed. Grandy’s found a closure he never anticipated after all these years.’
‘Bless him. And bless Meg for writing those words, although it would have been a lot easier if she’d simply posted the letter!’
Dev laughed. ‘True, but she probably didn’t have any other address for him, and there would be no guarantee the right eyes would land on it. And she did tell him, in her one lucid moment, to follow the shells.’
Kate awoke the following morning filled with a delicious sense of anticipation. Saying good night to Dev had been incredibly hard, but they both agreed that they ought to take things at a steadier pace than perhaps they wished for Theo and Mollie’s sake. All the same, it hadn’t stopped Dev from leaving Kate with a good night kiss passionate enough to keep her warm all the way home!
Invited to join the family for lunch, she headed to Harbourwatch, having collected Mollie from her friend’s house, and was pleased to see Ryther very much himself.
Soon after the meal had concluded, Mollie having headed down to the beach with Theo, they stood in the lane outside Harbourwatch as the gentleman steered the stately green Jaguar up the lane, and as it faded from view, Dev slipped his hand into hers.
‘I’m glad Grandy found some peace at last. I’m not condoning what he did, but if ever there was proof of undying love, then surely he and Meg were it?’
Kate sighed softly, squeezing Dev’s hand. ‘You could see how much it affected him – her forgiveness. Who’d have thought it was there all the time, tucked inside that frieze? And “follow the shells”… Anna once said she and Oliver had been the only ones Meg told about that in the midst of her illness, and yet look how the story continues.’
Dev put an arm around Kate’s shoulders, and she slipped her own around his waist as they made their way down the lane towards the beach. The closeness of Dev’s body was stirring all manner of sensations, and Kate couldn’t help but anticipate the intimacy they might soon be able to enjoy, the easy colour washing over her cheeks.
‘What is it?’ Dev was half laughing, half concerned as they reached the edges of the sands, outside the little cafe.
‘Nothing. You. Us.’ Kate quivered as Dev ran a finger down her cheek. ‘Stop it,’ she admonished gently, a smile negating the words.
She flicked a glance towards the cafe. ‘There’s a webcam up there, we could be on view to half the country.’
‘And two significant children,’ Dev added as he took her hand and tugged her along behind him onto the beach, waving at Mollie and Theo, who had thrown their towels on a couple of rocks and were currently paddling in the shallows, hand in hand.
‘Bayley did put a bit of a sulk on at not being able to join us,’ Kate added, glancing at the sign which declared the times of day when dogs were allowed.
‘Okay, three children.’
Dev opened the beach bag they’d brought down earlier and spread a tartan rug on the sands, and soon he had settled with his back to the cliff, Kate nestled in front of him, their legs stretched out together. She leaned back against him, so content she felt her heart – which had been much bruised of late – might burst with sheer, unbridled happiness.
‘Are you comfortable?’
‘More than you’ll ever know,’ Dev replied close to her ear, blowing softly on her neck.
Kate giggled. ‘That tickles. I meant with your back against the rocks.’
‘I’ll let you know. Now, we have more important things to talk about. You suggested last night we continue our dating, but with the children to start with?’
With a gentle sigh, Kate picked up one of Dev’s hands and dropped a kiss on it. ‘I-I mean, we , need to be feeling our way—’
Dev’s chest heaved, and she sat up and craned her neck to look at him. ‘What’s so funny?’
He lowered his mouth to her ear. ‘I’m not going to object.’
Laughing, Kate nestled back against him. ‘Feel our way with Mollie… and Theo, of course.’
‘And Bayley. Don’t forget him.’
‘Or Podge.’ Kate sat up again, this time shuffling round on her knees, then sitting back to address Dev. ‘Do you think they’ll get on?’
Dev took Kate’s hand. ‘How about our dating alternates between The Lookout and here? I’ll bring Bayley when I come to you with Theo.’
‘I like that idea.’
‘Daddy!’
They looked over to see Theo jumping up and down, waving them over. Dev got to his feet and Kate followed him across the wet sand to the shoreline, where Theo excitedly showed them two small crabs in his bucket, then thrust his colourful net at Dev.
‘These are the best pools,’ Mollie called from where she stood on the flat rocks exposed at low tide, and for a moment, Kate watched Theo, clinging tightly to his dad’s hand as they made their way to join her, then turned to look around.
Settling on a nearby patch of sand, she dug her bare toes into the soft grains, raising her head, eyes closed, as the sun kissed her skin. She had no fears for the future, only a glowing happiness that filled her entire body with joy. Recalling the sensations of the previous evening as she and Dev began the delightful expression of their mutual affection, something pulsated through Kate’s body, but sensing someone’s presence, her eyes flew open.
‘Damn,’ Dev said quietly, as he sat beside her, stretching out his long legs. ‘I was going to steal a kiss.’
‘You can’t,’ whispered Kate, as she watched Mollie and Theo abandon their nets and buckets to go paddling in the shallows, ‘steal something that’s willingly given.’
He leaned over and pressed his mouth to her cheek. ‘That will have to do for now.’
They sat in silence for a moment, their mutual gazes on Theo and Mollie, then Dev spoke softly.
‘I didn’t expect this… you… my life to feel so complete.’
Moved, Kate could feel emotion welling behind her eyes, and she lifted his hand to press a firm kiss into his palm.
‘Nor did I.’
Although I think it was on a list somewhere…
They returned their gaze to the children, and Kate rested her head on Dev’s shoulder.
‘I’ve been thinking. Mollie goes on her archaeological trip to France in a fortnight. Isn’t that when the two-day camp for the early years pupils is taking place on Exmoor? I’m sure I heard Nicki talking about it.’
‘It is. Theo is desperate to go, but I wasn’t sure if he was too young.’
Kate lifted her head to look at him. ‘Did you know Nicki’s going along as one of the chaperones? I’m sure she’d be happy to keep an eye on him.’
He held her hopeful gaze for a moment, then the edges of his mouth twitched.
‘And what was it you were thinking?’
‘Weeell…’ From the way Dev was now looking at her, she was pretty sure he had a good idea what was coming. ‘I might get lonely up there at The Lookout… on my own… at night. I wondered if you’d like to… you know.’
‘Yes, please.’
Laughing, he put a finger under her chin and raised it for a quick kiss.
‘I’d more than like to.’
With that, Kate had to be content, and she relaxed into him as he placed his arms around her, almost overcome with gratitude for her present life.
Kate closed her eyes again, conscious of the steady beat of Dev’s heart, of his solidity, his strength. She could hear the shouts of children playing, the distant chug of a boat coming into the bay, the waves sliding onto the sands and the caw-caw of the gulls overhead.
Polkerran Point had, after all, become the perfect fresh start and a new beginning, filled with hope for the future.
For Kate, for Dev, Mollie and Theo… and not forgetting Bayley and Podge. It seemed the cove had worked its magic once more, and healed them all.