Chapter 28
Perry sighed deeply and looked round Fishers Cottage. A place full of memories, mostly happy, but some sad too. His mind cast way back to the earliest memory, when Val had first brought him inside and Emma had been excited to show him her room. Even then as a little girl, she’d loved music and had covered her bedroom walls with posters of various pop groups and singers. She’d played him her Maroon 5 CD with pride and joy. Now Emma would need to clear her bedroom if she wanted to sell or rent the cottage out.
He had to collect all his belongings in order to move into Bunty’s house. Eventually, depending on what Emma chose to do with Fishers Cottage, the whole place would need emptying. Perry seriously doubted Emma would ever live here again, not when considering her present circumstances. He’d never seen his daughter so happy, and she clearly wasn’t leaving Felix or his magnificent house any time soon. Long term, however, he still wanted his daughter to have choices and would be advising Emma to invest her money wisely. Fishers Cottage would fetch a tidy sum, with its quaint stone exterior and characterful interior, and it was also in a very good location, just by the picturesque canal and a walkable distance to the city centre.
Whilst the cottage had been a haven for his small family, he couldn’t deny that it still held painful reminders of losing Val. Within its four walls he’d nursed his wife until her final departure in the early morning hours, peacefully drifting away, out of his and Emma’s lives. He’d never forget that gut wrenching heartbreak or the look of utter despair in Emma’s eyes. The experience had made him even more protective of her. But – he took another deep breath – they were both in a happy place now.
He set about emptying the rest of his wardrobe. A lot of his clothes were already at Bunty’s, but he needed all of them there now, along with his full record collection, his books, photo albums and precious keepsakes. Like the framed wedding photograph of him and Val, with little Emma in the middle. He obviously wasn’t thinking of putting it up in Bunty’s house, but there’s no way he could ever part with it.
Once he’d finished and all his possessions were neatly bagged and boxed up, he sat on the edge of his bed and flicked through the photo albums. Cherished moments waved up at him, from family holidays aboard The Merry Perry to Emma’s first gig as a teenager.
All in all, Perry had mixed feelings about leaving Fishers Cottage. Whilst he was looking forward to a new life with Bunty, he hated to think of this cottage, which had been such a treasured home, being left cold, damp and empty. It needed new life breathing into it, a place of refuge for another family. He decided to try and catch Emma. Hopefully she’d have time for a quick chat, and he brought out his phone to ring her.
‘Hi, Dad,’ she answered.
‘Hi, love. I’m at Fishers Cottage, picking up a few things.’ He swallowed, suddenly overcome with emotion.
‘Dad, are you all right?’ Emma asked with concern, sensing the tension.
‘Yes… yes, just thinking about, you know, the future.’
Emma froze. Don’t say he was having second thoughts about marrying Bunty? Surely not. She coughed nervously.
‘The future?’ she asked.
‘Yes, about what’s going to happen with the place,’ Perry replied.
Emma inwardly sighed with relief.
‘Oh, right. Yes, I’ve given it some thought like you said.’
‘And?’ Perry waited with bated breath.
‘If it’s OK with you, I’m thinking of selling it,’ she said.
‘Probably best,’ he agreed, suddenly feeling like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. The last thing he wanted was for him and Emma to have the responsibility of renting the house out, which would have involved them still having a tie to it and all the hassle that being a landlord entailed. He didn’t like the thought of having to see someone else live in Fishers Cottage when they still had connections to it. Much better to wipe the slate clean and say a final goodbye to the place. Fresh starts all around.
‘Good, I’m glad you think so,’ replied Emma, who had had reservations about telling him of her decision. The last thing she wanted was to cause any offence or upset.
‘Well, after living in the big house, Fishers Cottage would seem like a rabbit hutch now, wouldn’t it?’ he teased.
Emma laughed. ‘The big house, is that how you’ve always referred to it?’
Perry paused in thought. ‘Yes, actually I have.’
Once again, images of Hamish Deville towering over him on the staircase flashed into mind. He’d never get over the first impression of the house and how apprehensive he’d felt. But, he reasoned, it wasn’t the house, it was Bunty’s father who had caused that. Hopefully in time he’d learn to like ‘the big house’, especially as it was his daughter’s home now. Which then posed the next quandary for him.
‘Emma, I’d like you to invest the money from the sale wisely,’ he advised in a serious tone.
‘Well, I wasn’t thinking of blowing it all,’ she joked.
‘No, I mean…’ He struggled to find the words. He could hardly say, ‘keep it safe in case Felix decides to throw you out, or you decide to leave,’ could he? But that really was his main worry. He hated to think of his daughter being beholden to anyone. Emma had to have choices, be her own woman. Plus, his daughter was known for being rather impetuous – look how she’d suddenly packed her job in. He also recalled the dreams and ambitions she’d once had for the band. Counselling a secure investment certainly wouldn’t do her any harm.
However, his daughter proved to have a touch more sense than he’d given her credit for, and intuition too.
‘I know what you’re thinking, Dad,’ she said, all flippancy gone.
‘You do?’
‘Yes. You think I could end up on my rear, with no place to go and very little else.’
‘I wouldn’t put it quite like that,’ he calmly objected.
‘There’s no need to worry, Dad, honestly. I might be head over heels in love, but I’m still me, Emma. Haven’t I always been feisty, sticking up for myself?’
He grinned. ‘Yes, you have.’
‘Well then,’ she said, then added, ‘and Felix is a decent man, Dad. Why do you always think the worst?’ Her voice showed more concern than accusation.
‘Because I’m your dad and I worry about you? Because it’s my job?’
She smiled, touched by his words. ‘Maybe it’s time to concentrate on you . You and Bunty.’
‘Maybe,’ he answered.
‘OK, well if that’s everything, I need to get back to keeping the big house running. Bye, Dad.’
‘Bye, love.’
He looked at his phone. Emma’s face appeared as his background photo. His daughter, who had just announced was ‘head over heels in love’. That said it all, didn’t it? She had her life to live, and so did he. With a spring in his step and a new feeling of optimism, he collected his belongings and started to load the car. Once done, he locked the front door of Fishers Cottage for the last time and bid a final farewell.
As expected, the news of Jasmine’s twin pregnancy spread like
wildfire throughout Samphire Bay. After informing their families,
Jasmine and Robin were happy for all to know. When Robin told Jack he
was in fact about to be father to two babies and not just one, he threw
his head back in amusement.
‘You don’t do things by halves mate, do you?’ he’d chuckled.
‘I may need more time off though,’ warned Robin, wanting to be clear from the start.
‘I know,’ Jack nodded, ‘no worries.’
Together they’d decided to employ a small group of builders. Renovating the warehouse into apartments had been an ambitious project from day one, but neither regretted taking it on. Instead of being overwhelmed by the task, they had done the sensible thing and sought help, and having been in the trade for so long meant they had contacts and knew who to employ.
As predicted, both sets of parents had been thrilled by the news of the twin babies. So much so, Jasmine wondered how excited they were going to be once they were born. Her mum had already reached fever pitch and her fussing had gone into overdrive. It was at this point that Jasmine started envying Felix Paschal living on a peninsula, cut off by the tide. How peaceful it must be, she thought, and how convenient. Visions of being bombarded by future grandparents sprang into her mind, filling her with a turbulent mix of glee and dread. Then again, she more than likely would need a helping hand. Having two newborn babies wasn’t going to be easy and at some point Robin would have to return to work. Luckily she would be able to continue working from home, albeit maybe not take as much on, but being a freelance graphic designer meant she was her own boss who could plan her own schedule and workload.
Already they’d designated which would be the nursery room in her cottage. Originally, Jasmine had planned the smaller of the two remaining bedrooms. Now, it was to be the bigger bedroom, allowing space for two cots as well as the rocking chair which Robin had inherited from his grandmother. Also, in order to make room for Robin moving in, they’d had to rearrange Jasmine’s bedroom. Moving the king size bed to the opposite wall of the window meant that another wardrobe could be placed beside hers and, as an added bonus, they had splendid views of the bay. Not that either of them envisaged having time to sit in bed admiring it.
‘What with two babies and a warehouse to convert, I’m going to be well and truly knackered,’ said Robin as he was unpacking his clothes.
‘Yep,’ Jasmine replied with a grin.
Robin smiled devotedly at her. She was beginning to show. The swell of her abdomen was evident in the denim dungarees she wore. Never had he loved her more. The very thought of this wonderful woman carrying his children filled him with awe. He’d do anything for her, anything for them . Which meant he needed to make more money, quick. Yes, he was due to earn a pretty penny once the warehouse renovation was completed, but that was at least a year off, with help. He’d need money well before that. Becoming a father wasn’t going to come cheap and, despite Jasmine’s good intentions, he didn’t really think she’d have the time or energy to continue working.
So, he too had decided to sell his apartment and gain some welcomed cash. The work and finish that had gone into his home was of top quality, the fixtures and fittings all done to a high spec. Plus, having a balcony which gave such stunning views of the sea was also a good selling point. Robin knew full well that it wouldn’t take any time at all for his apartment to sell. Samphire Bay was a premium location. People tended to stay once settling there, which meant property very rarely came on the market and was in high demand.
Instead of going through an estate agent, Robin had chosen to put it on the market himself. By advertising in local newspapers, magazines and online, he’d already gained much interest and had arranged a few viewings. A part of him had wished he’d never sold the cottage next door to Jasmine’s. He and Jack had renovated that property and at the time had had reservations selling it. It was bigger, as they’d converted the attic space into a loft bedroom with sky-light windows, and now he couldn’t help but think that would have made an ideal nursery for his twins. When saying as much to Jasmine, she’d disagreed.
‘But I wouldn’t have had Bunty for a neighbour.’ Then she gave a little laugh. ‘You could always renovate the loft here too, in time,’ she quickly added at seeing his face.
‘Yeah, ’cos I’m gonna have lots of time on my hands, aren’t I?’ he replied dryly.
‘No, I meant when they’re,’ she pointed to her bump, ‘a bit older.’
‘Hmm, maybe. The extra room would mean we’d never have to move,’ conceded Robin, who refused point blank to even contemplate leaving Samphire Bay. Seeing Jasmine frown, he explained, ‘If we had any more children.’
Jasmine’s eyes widened. Did he want a house full? Before she could respond, they were interrupted by a knock at the door. She looked out of the window to see Bunty at the back and, opening it, called for her to come inside.
‘Door’s unlocked, we’re upstairs!’
Bunty made her way up and joined them, looked around the bedroom and smiled.
‘Me and Perry are about to do the very same,’ she said. ‘Only I doubt there’ll be as much space for his stuff. I’ve way too many clothes to get rid of my huge wardrobe.’
‘Then why not take it out and make your smallest bedroom a dressing room?’ suggested Robin.
‘What a good idea, Robin,’ replied Bunty in glee. ‘You don’t fancy putting up some shelving and storage space in there, do you, darling?’
At this Jasmine burst into giggles.
‘Bunty,’ said Robin assertively, ‘as lovely as you are, no, I don’t.’
‘Oh.’ Bunty looked crestfallen.
‘He’s going to be a bit busy,’ said Jasmine giving her a playful nudge while rubbing a hand across her bump.
‘Yes, I expect so,’ Bunty nodded her head. ‘A job for Perry then.’
Robin and Jasmine exchanged knowing looks. No doubt Bunty was going to keep Perry on his toes. Did the man really know what he was letting himself in for?