Chapter Twelve
“Gone Girl”
To anyone else, there was little of value in the box, but for Ellie, every piece held poignancy.
Hands trembling, she tipped the contents onto the bed, sifting through the ticket stubs, a keyring bearing a tiny stuffed shrimp, a single earring – one of a pair Will had bought her – the other having long been lost, several shells they’d picked up on their beach and a smooth, flat stone.
Will had skimmed it into the water, then charged after it to try and find it, Ellie dashing after him and shoving him, the two of them emerging dripping wet, hair plastered to their faces, bodies warm against each other as he stole a kiss before plunging his hand into the clear shallow water and raising the stone in triumph.
‘It meant to be found,’ he declared, holding it up against an azure-blue sky to study the intricate lines embedded in it.
Then, he’d handed it to Ellie, urging her to keep it.
‘It’s our token,’ he’d whispered. ‘Years in the forming, shaped by the elements, the sea and the sand, and now it’s come to us. It’s a sign, Ells. Together forever.’
Heart swelling, eyes closed, Ellie had tried to hold on to the moment, the kisses they’d exchanged, pressed close to each other, only parting when the catcalls and whoops began at the other end of the beach, where they’d all pitched up for the afternoon.
Wetness clinging to her lashes, Ellie pressed a kiss to the stone, placing it back in the box and slowly adding each item, only pausing when she picked up the last two things on the bed.
Suppressing a sob, Ellie slipped the cheap ring with its bright gem onto her finger.
It was still way too big, but Will had spotted it in the souvenir shop, in amongst several others of varying colours.
Ellie lowered her head as a memory gripped her, as vivid as though she were watching in on a livestream.
‘Keep it,’ Will had murmured as he’d put it on her third finger. ‘Until I can get you a proper one, only let’s not tell anyone.’
Ellie had willingly agreed. It was their sweet secret, to be kept between themselves until they’d told their parents…
And look how that had gone.
She drew in a short, painful breath as she studied the photo clutched in her other hand.
Ellie could barely see it now through the mist of her tears: a selfie taken minutes before they left Polkerran Point to head back to their homes, Will had been behind her, Ellie leaning her head against his broad chest, his tanned arm holding her close, the plastic ring on her finger and two goofy grins looking into the lens as they faced the future. Together.
For the last time…
Making no attempt to stop the tears now, Ellie switched off the lamp and sank back against the pillows, enveloped in darkness, the ring still on her finger.
She felt all a-jumble, as though the contentment she had striven for in life had been made of nothing but sand, collapsing at the slightest nudge into a pool of despondency.
Ellie didn’t see Anna when she came down the next morning as she’d taken the twins for a routine check-up before the trip away.
Oliver, she assumed, was up in his den working, so she ate a hasty breakfast before heading next door to take the boys to school, giving them both a hug, with Liam shrugging out of it with an ‘aww, not here, Auntie Nellie’, and telling them to have a good day.
Stopping for a brief chat with Phoenix, Ellie then headed to Karma, smiling at a WhatsApp from Liam saying sorry and sending a hug emoji.
Ellie sank into her favourite seat on one of the sofas by the window, sipping an indulgent hot chocolate as she stared out into the street.
She ought to go back, get on with editing the wedding photos or finishing a commission for an eightieth birthday card, but the sun had sent the early-morning cloud packing and, resplendent now against a cushion of blue sky, the outdoors beckoned.
Soon on the cliff path beyond Westerleigh, a gentle breeze stroked the tufts of long grass bordering the track, and Ellie paused to take some shots of the sea and sky, making use of the sunlight to create different shadows.
Reviewing them on the screen, she smiled.
This was such a gorgeous place for atmospheric images.
Footsteps came towards her as someone came up the steps from the beach below, and Anna emerged, pink in the face, Dougal at her heels.
‘You’re back already!’ said Ellie. ‘Where are the twins?’
‘Gemma popped in, so she’s taken them for a stroll. Thought I’d grab the opportunity to walk where I can’t take a double-buggy at the moment.’
Ellie grinned. ‘Thanks so much for dinner last night, by the way.’
Anna sent Ellie a contrite look. ‘Do you forgive Oliver?’
‘I hardly think he needs it. He wasn’t to know it might be difficult.’ Ellie leaned against the sturdy railings as Anna offered Dougal a biscuit from her pocket.
‘True, but it wasn’t the easiest evening for you.’ Anna leaned next to Ellie. ‘Although one thing was clear.’
Ellie sent her a questioning look.
‘Will isn’t indifferent to you.’
‘Hah!’ Ellie fished the lens cap from her pocket and replaced it on the Canon. ‘No, he’s not. He hates me.’
Anna began to shake her head, but Ellie continued. ‘It’s fine. I’ve got used to the idea, and ultimately it did me some good to be put in that situation, as I’m pretty much stuck here for now.’
‘Talking of which, how’s it going with the photography?’
They pushed away from the railing, making their way back along the track.
‘It’s giving me a challenge to focus on.’ Ellie confirmed bookings for the mini-session were flooding in, along with a few other enquiries.
Anna was keen to book a shoot with the twins. ‘It might take some time,’ she warned Ellie as they scaled a stile. ‘But I’d love some photos that aren’t snapped by me on my phone. Nothing formal, just… you know? Ones that capture them .’
‘You’re speaking to my heart, you know. That’s my purpose in life.’
They agreed to do it once the twins were back from the trip, as time was short, and Anna also put in an order for a personalised card for them at Christmas.
‘Oliver will think I’m mad.’ She smirked at Ellie as they approached the lane down into the village. ‘He’s never quite understood my sending cards to Dougal and Heathcliff.’
Ellie chuckled. ‘I can do one of those too, if you like. You’d be surprised about the commissions I get.’
Anna headed home then, as she needed to get on with the packing, and Ellie continued into town.
It was true she had to get back to Oxford.
To her life. To her profession. But the knowledge that Will would be a Polkerran resident right through to the spring brought a wave of temptation fit to sweep her out to sea.
It wasn’t a happy realisation, and Ellie crushed it. Time to focus on her business. Matters of the heart were a waste of her time.
Ellie enjoyed having coffee with Kate. She met her daughter, Mollie, who was fifteen and doing her GCSEs, one of which was in art, so they had a good chat about it and the career possibilities.
Afterwards, they walked down to the tidal beach below the house, taking a vacant bench to watch the water and chat gently about this and that.
Kate had been with Dev for just over a year, moving into his house in the spring. He had a six-year-old son, Theo, and it was clear she was enjoying life to the full, heading off shortly to take him to a party for one of his school friends.
‘Tell me more about your photography business,’ Kate encouraged. ‘I was blown away by what you captured in those images of Nicki. You really got her at this moment in her life.’
‘The weddings are a staple but can be a challenge. You know, making sure everyone’s happy, and as for the weather…
’ She rolled her eyes at Kate, laughing.
‘But it gives me the opportunity to be creative, and I love capturing evocative and unexpected images. And school shoots are fun, although getting the younger ones to sit still takes all my skill and patience. I could do with finding some local assignments, if I’m honest.’
‘I can imagine. I’ll pop the details of your mini-session on the hotel’s events page. We can host the shoots, subject to bookings, if the weather won’t play ball.’
Ellie’s heart swelled with gratitude. ‘That’s very kind of you.’
Kate glanced at her watch. ‘Let’s talk some more another time. I have ideas, but I’d best go and get Theo ready.’
They parted company at Harbourwatch, and Ellie walked back through the village. It was pleasing to see her cards displayed in the Spar and book-shop windows, but was there more she could do?
Tucked behind the village hall was a small building which seemed to double as a community library, tourist office and box office for local events, which Ellie had never noticed before.
She pushed open the heavy door and looked around with interest.
‘Good morning.’ A woman looked up from stacking leaflets into a wall-mounted shelving unit as Ellie approached.
‘Hi.’ Ellie summoned a bright smile. She quickly explained about her sideline of making personalised cards, and the assistant – Valerie – happily took a small stack of business cards – each side showing the dual aspects of Ellie’s talents respectively – to pop into the display unit for local businesses.
Pleased, Ellie stayed to have a look around the library section.
They had made good use of limited space, being a large square room with a counter supporting a till, and posters on the wall advertising events which had long passed.
The opposite wall was devoted to local tourist attractions, maps and local services, and a line of tall bookcases, stuffed with a jumble of genres, ran across the centre of the room, next to a trolley of well-thumbed older books offered in exchange for a small donation.
Ellie flicked through the opening pages of a romance novel, but then Valerie called out.
‘There’s a section on local history, walks and the like on the back wall if you’re interested.’
‘Thanks,’ Ellie responded, heading round the bookcase, but as soon as she espied the broad shoulders and dark hair of the man already browsing the maps, she froze.
Will must have sensed her approach, however, as he glanced over his shoulder, then turned back to resume his study of the leaflet he held.
About to back away, Ellie stalled. Why should she? The walk books interested her. So what if Will was there? He didn’t own the bloody library!
Marching over, she stared unseeingly at the shelves, with no idea what she specifically sought. Will replaced the leaflet, but, typically, they both reached for the same book at the same time.
Ellie’s skin was a traitor. It had not forgotten Will’s touch as his hand all but landed on top of hers. She snatched it away, but he reached for the book and held it out to her.
‘You got there first.’
He held her gaze for a brief moment, and Ellie took it from him, careful not to touch his fingers. Despite his closed expression, Will seemed as though he was about to say something else, but then her phone rang.
‘Oh, hi Marcus.’
Ellie turned away, expecting Will to leave, and tried to focus on what Marcus was saying.
‘Ellie. I love the photos! Can we get together to talk about them? I’m meeting with the website developer next week.’
She bit her lip, not so keen to return to the site, knowing now that Will lived close by. ‘Where and when?’
‘Are you free Monday? To come up to the site office?’
With a sigh, Ellie compromised. ‘Can we make it Tuesday?’
They agreed the details, and Ellie pocketed the phone, then stalled. Was Will still behind her? She whirled about, expecting him to have somehow evaporated, but he remained where he was, clutching another walk book.
What should she say?
Nice to see you again? Hasn’t this been great? Fancy a snog?
Heat gathering in her neck, ready to invade her cheeks, Ellie swallowed quickly. It didn’t really matter, so long as the next words were ‘goodbye’.
‘Bye,’ she croaked, swinging away so fast, her long metal earring slapped her in the face.
Owwww , she wailed silently, a hand to her face as she called farewell to Valerie and closed the door firmly, drawing in a deep breath of sea air.
Scurrying down the street towards the harbour, embroiled in a debate with herself over how well that had – or hadn’t – gone, she was oblivious to Will emerging from the tourist-office-cum-library, or to the conflicted expression lingering in the depths of his eyes as he watched her disappear round the corner and out of sight.