Chapter 27
TWENTY-SEVEN
With her dad out at the heritage centre, Lark was pottering around Seashell Cottage, tidying up, having just woven a number of tiny plaits into her hair and fixed them with beads.
She’d already booked Zara to work in the shop for the day and didn’t want to mess her about by cancelling, so she decided to make the most of having some time to herself.
She’d do a spot of meditating, hope it would help clear the clutter from her mind, restore its usual sense of calm.
But what was calling out to her the loudest was the suitcase of Betty’s clothes.
She felt the need to take another look at them, which was something she hadn’t had a chance to do all week.
It crossed her mind that maybe she should pass the suitcase and its contents on to the heritage centre too, rather than putting them up for sale in Lark’s Vintage Bazaar.
After all, it wasn’t just a museum about smuggling, it was about the heritage and history of Micklewick Bay.
And Betty’s story was a part of that, especially with the newspaper articles Louisa had unearthed.
She was about to retrieve the suitcase from the cupboard under the stairs where she’d tucked it out of the way, when there was a knock at the door.
She opened it to find Nate standing there, his easy smile making her stomach flip. It took her a moment to register he had Buddy by his side.
‘Nate!’
‘Hi, Lark.’
‘Come in out of the cold.’
He hesitated a moment. ‘Am I okay to bring Buddy inside?’
‘Of course! We can’t leave the poor fella on the doorstep. I should imagine he’s done enough of that recently.’
‘Thought I’d better check since I wasn’t sure how Luna was with dogs, not that I would leave him on the doorstep, of course. I’d take him for a walk instead.’
Buddy’s gaze darted between the two of them as they spoke.
‘I’m sure he’ll be fine in here. Buddy’s a good lad. Come on in, the pair of you.’ She held the door open wide.
Buddy wagged his tail on hearing his temporary name. Taking Nate’s cue he stepped into the vestibule. Lark bent to fuss him, her bracelets jangling, while Nate heeled off his boots and hung up his coat.
‘Ahh, you’re a gorgeous lad, aren’t you?’ She ruffled Buddy’s ears.
‘That’s what all the lasses say,’ said Nate, shooting her a jokey grin.
Lark rolled her eyes. ‘I was talking about this boy here, wasn’t I, Buddy?’
Buddy closed his eyes, basking in the attention, his tail thudding against the door frame. He was oblivious to Luna eyeing him from her chair by the stove.
Lark unhooked the Labrador’s lead and hung it over Nate’s coat. Buddy didn’t waste a moment and trotted off into the living room, giving everywhere a thorough sniffing. He stopped abruptly when he got to Luna’s chair, Lark and Nate observing them.
‘I’d love to know what he’s thinking.’ Lark chuckled.
They watched as Buddy stretched his neck, coming nose-to-nose with the cat, his tail wagging.
Lark was just about to say he’d made yet another new friend when Luna’s paw shot out and swiped Buddy on the nose.
His head darted back, his eyes wide with shock.
After a couple of seconds, he turned to Nate wearing an expression that said, ‘Did you see that?’
Nate and Lark burst out laughing.
‘I think we know what’s going through Luna’s mind,’ said Nate, his shoulders shaking with mirth.
‘Oh, poor Buddy,’ Lark said through her giggles.
‘’Fraid that’s women for you, fella. It’s called keeping you on your toes.’ Nate’s comment earned him a nudge from Lark. Buddy backed away from Luna and plodded into the kitchen, his nose stuck to the ground.
‘Have you got time for a cuppa?’ She tilted her head to look up at Nate.
‘Aye, why not?’ He playfully tugged on one of her plaits as he followed her toward the kitchen.
‘How’re things going?’ She got the feeling he had something on his mind.
Nate pulled out a chair at the table and flopped into it, dragging his hand down his face.
‘I’ve got a massive backlog, but I thought Buddy needed a break.
He’s been very patient just sitting in the workshop, watching me as I work.
And to be honest, I needed a change of scenery myself.
I’m feeling a bit knackered. What with sorting out the stuff from Crayke’s Cottage and making space for it, I’ve been starting early and finishing late.
And on top of that, I’m being hassled by a couple from Lingthorpe expecting their stuff to take priority.
The bloke rang this morning telling me his wife was going to be disappointed if the units weren’t in situ at their house by Christmas.
It was all said in a bit of a weird manner, kind of friendly but with a slightly menacing undertone.
He finished off by saying that he does what it takes to make sure his wife’s never disappointed. ’
‘Ugh!’ Lark shuddered as she went to fill the kettle at the sink. ‘He sounds awful.’
‘Aye, he’s not my favourite customer, I have to say.
He even said he was going to pay the workshop a visit to check on progress.
’ He raked his fingers through his hair.
‘I’m beginning to regret selling the flaming things to him.
Seemed like a good thing at the time, but dealing with the pair of them, with their never-ending phone calls and texts, has started to take the pleasure out of my work.
Would you believe he rang three times yesterday?
And that doesn’t factor in the texts, reminding me what wax finish they want and stuff like that.
It’s not as if I’m likely to forget with the amount of times they remind me. ’
‘I’m really sorry to hear that.’ Nate usually loved his job, and you rarely heard him complain, so things must be getting him down.
Her mind went to what Florrie had told her when they were at the Jolly.
It matched what Nate had just shared and made her think her friend’s theory could be right, which was slightly bittersweet.
Much as she didn’t want him to be ill, she didn’t like the thought of an obnoxious customer piling stress onto him.
‘But a break will do you good, help recharge your batteries. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help, won’t you? ’
‘Thanks, Lark. So, how’s things with your dad? He seemed to be enjoying himself with Louisa on Thursday night.’ It was clear Nate was ready to change the subject.
‘He’s doing really well, actually,’ she said over her shoulder as she gathered a brace of mugs from the cupboard.
‘That’s good to hear. I thought he looked chirpier the other night at The Cellar. He’s lost a fair bit of weight, mind – not that I’m saying it to worry you. It’s probably more noticeable with him being so tall.’
‘You’re not saying anything I hadn’t spotted myself. Though from the way his appetite’s returned since he got here, I think he won’t be too skinny for much longer. You wouldn’t believe the breakfasts he’s been making for us both.’
They shared a pot of tea as she filled him in on everything that had happened with her dad since Thursday night, including catching him dancing in the kitchen that morning which had tickled Nate no end.
‘Now that would’ve been worth seeing – your dad body-popping!’
‘It was hilarious, Luna looked at him like he’d lost the plot.
’ She smiled at the image in her mind of the cat’s look of disapproval.
‘He’s at the heritage centre right now, actually.
From what I can gather, Louisa seems to be as taken with my dad as he is with her.
I only hope she doesn’t have a change of heart.
They’re both in quite a delicate place right now.
I wouldn’t want anything to set him back when he’s come this far. ’
‘I reckon he’ll be all right. She seems a decent person and I certainly didn’t get the impression she’s the sort who’d mess with anyone’s head,’ Nate said casually.
Lark’s brow crumpled, his words striking an unexpected chord.
Did Nate think that’s what she did with him?
Mess with his head? She knew some people struggled to understand how they were able to be such close friends when it was obvious Nate would rather it was so much more.
But then again, she told herself, she’d made her feelings clear right from the start.
He could’ve walked away, kept her at arm’s length if being nothing more than friends was something that wouldn’t work for him.
And they were good friends. Close. Comfortable together.
She flicked a quick glance his way. He seemed okay with her, seemed content with things.
Surely he wouldn’t be there if he wasn’t?
And then there was what appeared to be a throwaway comment to Buddy after Luna had swiped at him, about women “keeping you on your toes”.
Is that how he thought of her? That she was deliberately…
what? Did he think she was keeping him dangling?
Guilt started to swirl in her stomach. Was she being selfish, putting her own feelings first? That was never what she’d intended. She cared deeply for Nate.
And what exactly are your feelings?