Chapter Thirteen
“Location, Location, Location”
Ellie was up early the next day, the last before the Seymour family departed for their trip and was relieved to find Anna baby-free when she came into the kitchen.
‘Gemma took advantage of the early high tide. She’s just this minute taken the twins and Dougal out.’ Anna sank onto the sofa with a soft rabbit clutched in her lap. She was flushed in the face, her ponytail escaping its clasp. ‘I don’t know what I’d do without her.’
She glanced at the clock. ‘I didn’t realise the time. Is everything okay?’
‘Yes, sorry. I just…’ Ellie huffed on a breath. ‘I could do with a chat, and I know you tend to get a houseful around eleven.’
Anna got to her feet. ‘Come on, let’s have a cuppa and you can talk as much or as little as you like. Oliver won’t emerge from the den until later. He and Bella are running through a fact-check of the latest book.’
Sitting at the scrubbed pine table, facing the stunning view, Ellie’s gaze settled on Harbourwatch, perched on its steep cliff face.
‘Kate’s lovely, isn’t she? We had coffee the other day.’
‘We go way back. I was so happy when she moved to the cove and then decided to stay. It does that to people, you know. Be warned.’
Ellie shook her head. ‘I think I might buck the trend.’ She paused, then urged herself to get on with it. ‘The thing is…’ She lowered her mug, then sighed. ‘It’s a bit embarrassing. I mean, I can’t leave, but—’
‘Is it Will?’
Ellie sent Anna a startled look. ‘No! I mean, it’s not great, that he’s here, but… look, it’s the old money thing.’
Anna’s brow furrowed. ‘Didn’t the mini-sessions get booked up?’
‘Oh yes! It’s great, and there’s a second date that’s slowly filling up, but it’s not sustainable income, more a stopgap.’
‘Ah, I see. With such a small community, the market is soon depleted.’
‘Exactly. The thing is, I’ve no idea how long I’ll be here, but I’ve still got bills to pay on my flat.’
As she was speaking these last words, the door opened and Bella came in.
‘Hey.’ Her expression quickly filled with concern, and she hurried over to join them. ‘This sounds troubling. Is there anything I can do?’
Ellie looked between Anna and Bella, who had taken the seat opposite. ‘It’s a bit awkward.’
‘Ellie’s wondering if there’s any work locally to supplement her income. It’s a tough one in the autumn, but you could always try the hotel. It’s the biggest employer in the cove, after all.’
Bella reached across the table to squeeze Ellie’s hand. ‘I wish I could help, but I’m running two households myself at the moment. Luckily, Oliver’s not charging me rent, so I can just about manage.’
They chatted about possible places to contact about the photography, and Ellie tapped notes into her phone, looking up when the door opened, and Gemma returned.
‘They’ve just dropped off,’ she mouthed, pointing at the buggy.
She crouched down to free Dougal from his lead. ‘They’re all on their way, Anna. Saw Great Aunt Dee, Auntie Jay and Cleggie crossing the bridge.’
‘Oh Lord,’ Anna exclaimed with a laugh. ‘Okay, let me take over with the twins. Who can help with the teas and coffees?’
‘I’ll do it,’ Bella offered, heading over to fill the kettle, while Ellie retrieved plates and place mats.
Gemma returned from hanging up her coat and Dougal’s lead, putting some food in his bowl and giving him a good rub before going over to wash her hands.
‘I’ll get some cakes out, but then I’ll head back, or I’ll miss the tide.’
By the time Anna had wheeled the buggy into the quiet of the snug and switched on the monitor, the locals had arrived to claim their usual seats, Old Patrick and Phoenix following in their wake, and Ellie, quietly thanking Anna for being an ear, escaped to the orangery.
It was time she followed up on some of the suggested leads.
Later that morning, having finished the last of the Christmas cards and put a few details on the images for June and July for the calendar, Ellie stretched her arms above her head.
The murmur of conversation through the closed door was sufficient to forewarn the locals were still in situ, but keen for a hot drink, she headed inside.
Anna was now bouncing a very awake Bertie on her knee in the sitting room. Emma sat on the playmat, pounding a very cute-looking soft toy with a teether.
‘Goodness. What did bunny do?’
Anna laughed as she sat Bertie next to his sister. ‘Nothing. She has a penchant for beating things. I dread to think what it’ll be like when she’s old enough to request a set of drums! Matty says it’s her inner musician trying to get out. There’s fresh tea and coffee on the table if you want one?’
‘I’m gasping!’
Ellie approached the table, where a discussion was in progress about someone who’d just died.
‘I says to Foxy Boxey,’ chuckled Old Patrick, his eyes alight, ‘I says, I does, it’s a surprise they was able to close the coffin on her. Not fond of lying on her back, so the word was.’
‘ Pat ,’ Jean admonished. ‘Don’t speak ill of the—’
‘Aye.’ Mrs Lovelace chortled. ‘Bit too fond of the hanky spanky, was Iris.’
‘I think you mean hanky panky , Mum.’ Jean winked at Ellie, who grinned.
Mrs Lovelace and Mrs Clegg, however, exchanged a knowing look. ‘No. Definitely spanky,’ the former concluded, popping a piece of scone in her mouth and munching with satisfaction.
Ellie turned to the latter. ‘Lovely to see you out, Mrs Clegg. I hear you haven’t been too well?’
‘Bless you, my lovely.’ The old lady grasped Ellie’s hand and squeezed it. She had a surprisingly firm grip.
‘They various veins playing up,’ Mrs Lovelace expanded.
‘No Ryther today?’
Old Patrick shook his head. ‘Gone up country. Some check-up or other.’
Hoping the gentleman was okay, Ellie poured a mug of tea and returned to the sitting area, taking the sofa opposite Anna.
‘He adored my aunt Meg, you know,’ said Anna.
Ellie’s startled gaze shot to where Old Patrick was currently berating Mrs Lovelace for something, but Anna chuckled.
‘Not Patrick, Ryther.’
‘Meg was the lady whose house this was?’
‘Yes. He gave it to her. It’s so sad. They fell madly in love one summer, but something drove them apart. Neither of them ever got over it, or, as we later discovered, each other.’
Anna went on to explain the story behind her beautiful engagement ring and its connection to the story.
‘That’s so sad. They were never reconciled?’
‘No. It was a permanent estrangement.’
Before Ellie could reflect on this, Phoenix came over to chat about the upcoming scarecrow festival.
‘Liam and Jason are busy sourcing an outfit for theirs.’ Ellie grinned. ‘It sounds quite competitive.’
‘Yes.’ Anna still held Bertie, an open picture book in her hands. ‘The school’s heavily involved, as are most of the local clubs, but now Tremayne Manor is to be the finishing point for the competition, with scarecrows within the grounds.’
‘And it’s a fundraiser?’
Phoenix nodded as Ellie sipped her tea. ‘Partly for the RNLI, but also for village schemes that get little or nothing from the parish council, such as the Christmas lights and some school projects.’
‘Is there a prize for the best one?’
‘Oh yes,’ Phoenix enthused. ‘And this year it’s a fab offering. From that chap who’s renting the whitewashed cottage on the cliffs.’
Ellie was aware of her own stillness, of how cold she suddenly felt. Rubbing her arms, she was conscious of Anna’s swift look.
‘Oh? That’s nice.’ She shook back her hair. It was. Nice.
Well, Will is nice. I haven’t forgotten…
‘Yeah, he’s offered some sort of holiday voucher, but it’s a flexible thing, depending on whether it’s a child – and their age – or a family, or team of some sort. He’s very considerate.’
Towards anyone who wasn’t Ellie.
The next day, with Oliver and Anna off on their long-awaited trip, Ellie spent the evening round at Nicki’s before coming back to the empty cottage, grateful for Heathcliff’s solid body against her legs as she tried to get to sleep in the empty house.
‘This is it for a while, pusscat,’ Ellie murmured sleepily, stroking the downy fur as Heathcliff ramped up the purring and rolled onto her back, paws aloft. ‘Maybe I’ll be able to leave by the time they’re back, if Hamish makes some progress in Exeter?’
Heathcliff didn’t really have a lot to say on this, curling into a ball around Ellie’s hand, and sleep overcame her. By the time she awoke to a sunny morning, the cat sat on the stool by the dressing table having a thorough wash, one leg stuck up like a flagpole.
When she dropped Liam and Jason off at school, she bumped into Kate doing the same with Theo, and as they walked out of the school gates, Kate invited Ellie for a coffee at Karma.
‘I’ve been meaning to talk to you,’ Kate explained as they settled at a table by the window.
She revealed that, in addition to her role at the Point Hotel, she also acted in an advisory capacity at Tremayne Manor, mainly in connection with a newly created event space.
‘Hey, are you free this morning?’
As they emerged from the cafe onto the harbourfront, Ellie tried not to think about the state of the orangery, where she’d been editing photos and had several cards drying in racks.
‘Yes,’ she replied carefully.
‘Tell you what then – come with me.’
Ellie hurried after Kate, as she walked with purpose along the harbourfront.
‘Where are we going, exactly?’
‘Mrs Tremayne saw the photos you shared on Instagram.’
Ellie had been doing reels and stories for over a week, promoting the mini-sessions by using the photos of Nicki, along with images from around the village and harbour.
She cast Kate a curious look. ‘The lady doesn’t sound like someone who goes on the socials.’
‘Nor does she, but I showed them to her. The images seem to have given Mrs Tremayne an idea. She mentioned wanting to meet you to talk it through.’
‘What, now? Where?’
‘Here.’ Kate waved a hand at the castellated roofline of Tremayne Manor, as they approached the rear of the church. ‘This is the local stately pile. Tremaynes have lived there for over three hundred years and haven’t been particularly approachable as lords of the manor. Until now.’
She led the way up a path towards a wrought-iron gate set into stone and flint walls, pushing it open. Ellie almost caved and ran as memories flooded her mind.
‘Come on,’ Kate called over her shoulder, and reluctantly, Ellie followed her across a vast courtyard, bordered on one side by a stable block, with green lawns stretching away towards a bank of trees, the glistening waters of the bay below.
Wrapping her arms around her middle, Ellie forced away an unanticipated swirl of emotion. All her previous visits to this manor house had been filled with delight: love and laughter. She couldn’t help but feel things wouldn’t be quite the same this time around.