Chapter Twenty-Five
“Clueless”
Ellie gulped down a welcome glass of water, gave herself a good talking to, and settled back at the island. She had to keep things in perspective, get on with the job she’d been given.
The pictures were natural and atmospheric, and Ellie became lost in her delight over the overriding mood of them, but as the next images became more landscapes, Ellie clicked back to the ones of Will.
Trying to quell rising emotion, she was nonetheless powerless to stop herself reaching out to rest a gentle finger on his face, but then she started as the doorbell rang out.
‘Hi. I hope it’s okay – I thought I’d drop by to pick up the walk book you mentioned?’
Ellie stared blankly at Chloe for a second, then shook her head slightly. ‘Yes. Sorry, come on in.’
Chloe followed her back to the kitchen.
‘Take a seat.’ She gestured to one of the stools tucked under the island. ‘I’ll just go and fetch it.’
‘Sorry, am I interrupting?’ Chloe pointed to the open laptop.
Ellie shook her head. ‘No, it’s fine. I won’t be a sec.’
She hurried into the orangery. Where the hell had she put the damn thing? She hadn’t even taken it out of the paper bag.
She moved a stack of cards from by the printer, lifted a discarded scarf and got on her knees to shuffle through some papers.
Nothing. Turning on her heel, she looked around the room.
There was nothing on the small sofa beside the doors to the terrace other than a jumper, two throws, some spare camera leads and a half-read novel.
‘Aha!’
Ellie shot over to the small bookcase, where she’d stacked her boxes of inks. Underneath the top box was the bag.
‘Sorry. I’m such a clutter box; I never can find anything!’
Chloe started as Ellie returned to the room, shoving her phone into her pocket and taking the paper bag.
‘Thanks so much.’
‘Are you alright? You look a bit flushed.’
‘Oh yes,’ Chloe said in her breathy voice. ‘Just distracted. I swear I ought to switch the phone off, sometimes. There’s no peace from them, is there?’
Ellie grinned. ‘I’d say I occasionally turn mine off, but in truth, it’s usually dead because I forgot to charge it. Oh!’ She went to retrieve her bag, which she’d dropped onto the island on returning home. ‘As shown by Exhibit A.’ She waved the evidence as she popped it on charge.
Chloe had edged towards the door, the book clutched to her chest, still flushed pink. ‘I’ll leave you to it. I can let myself out.’
She was gone, and Ellie resumed her seat and her study of Will’s silent image.
‘She’s still a bit odd, that one,’ Ellie mused, soon lost in flicking between the images of Will. ‘Now, which of these shall I give top stars to?’
Marcus phoned just as Ellie finished some more edits to her favourite shots.
‘She’s asked if it’s okay to bring a friend!’
Frowning, Ellie stood and walked over to admire the view from the tall windows. ‘Phyllida? Well, that’s okay. People sometimes do these days, on first dates.’
‘But does it mean it’s not a date? If she’s bringing another man?’
‘A man?’
‘Yes. Look, Ellie, will you come with me? To balance out this Clifford bloke?’
‘Oh, I’m not sure that’s a—’
‘Pleeeease,’ Marcus pleaded. ‘She said it was okay.’
‘You’ve already asked her?’
‘Sorry. I panicked!’
Trying not to laugh, Ellie conceded, jotting the date and time down before ending the call, reassuring Marcus it would all be fine.
‘Come and join us.’ Anna greeted Ellie when she entered the sitting room, patting the rug where she sat with the twins who were gnawing on carrot sticks.
‘I’d love to, but I need to drop a fresh stock of cards in at the book shop, and I want to grab a sandwich when I’m out. I’ll catch you later.’ Ellie tickled Emma, who giggled and held on to Bertie’s hand for a moment. ‘Bless them – I’d far rather stay and feed these two.’
‘Oh, that reminds me.’ Anna got to her feet. ‘Fancy joining us for dinner? No,’ she added, laughing at Ellie’s wide eyes. ‘No surprises. Oliver needs to talk to Nicki. She can bring Liam and Jason too.’
‘Fab, see you later.’
Ellie said a quick goodbye as she passed the table, but Oliver, who had made his coffee and was heading out as well, followed her.
‘How’s it going with the book?’
‘All done, thanks to Bella.’
They emerged into the garden, making their way along the path, but pausing where it divided.
‘Oliver, you don’t have any of your other properties available, do you?’
He said nothing for a moment, his steely blue eyes on Ellie, who found looking up at him quite the challenge. Had she spoken out of line? He was a bit of a closed book, after all.
‘Are you not happy here?’
‘No! I love it. It’s Mrs Clegg. I shouldn’t poke my nose in, I realise, but she’s having a few problems now she can’t manage stairs very well, and it seems her stove has stopped working too.’
Oliver blinked. ‘Why on earth didn’t she say?’
‘I think she feels so grateful to you for giving her a home it feels wrong to her to say anything.’
Rolling his eyes, Oliver took a sip of his coffee. ‘Sounds very like her. She was in service, you know, all her life, until she came to housekeep for me in her retirement. Always believes everyone else’s needs come before her own. Thank you.’
Marcus sent a WhatsApp just as Ellie sat down to dinner with Anna, Oliver and Nicki. As it consisted of one word – help! – and a frantic-faced emoji, she excused herself and hurried into the hall.
The poor man was becoming increasingly nervous about meeting up with Phyllida the following evening, obsessing over her wish to bring the faceless Clifford.
‘Does he sound tall?’ Marcus asked, as Ellie giggled.
‘Why would he be tall because he’s called Clifford?’
‘I don’t know,’ he exclaimed. ‘Isn’t there a Clifford Tower somewhere?’
‘Yes, it’s in York, Marcus, and it’s short and round. Now stop worrying. I’m your plus one.’
‘At least Phyllida’s met you before.’
Shaking her head, Ellie repeated her belief that it was perfectly understandable in this day and age for taking a backup.
Fairly confident there was a mutual attraction, Ellie didn’t hold the same trepidation for her friend, but she did her best to reassure him, and he promised he wouldn’t message again. At least, not for an hour…
Ellie pocketed her phone and returned to the kitchen.
‘And you say Phyllida’s assistant doesn’t know who made the call?’
Resuming her seat at the table, Ellie looked from Anna to Oliver and then Nicki. ‘No, although unlike the Spar, she said the caller was female.’
Oliver picked up the breadbasket, offering it round a second time, and Ellie selected a small white dinner roll. ‘What were the cards about?’
‘My business ones, only on the back there’s an ad for the greeting cards.
You know the sort of thing, what I can offer, such as personalised cards for occasions, packs of invitations, illustrations and so on, and contact details.
I’d left some with several places in town, so they could display both sides for me. ’
‘It doesn’t sound like something that’s treading on anyone else’s toes in the cove,’ Anna mused as she dished aromatic curry out onto a plate and handed it across to Nicki.
‘Phee’s our local artist,’ Nicki added, ‘and she’s not only well aware of but has also been really supportive of Ellie’s work.’
Ellie still nursed a lingering hurt. ‘Phee’s talents lie in watercolours or pen and ink drawings. We’ve talked about doing some combined projects, but you could hardly say we’re in competition.’
‘Phee wouldn’t hold back if she had a problem with it,’ Oliver stated as he passed the bowl of rice around.
‘It’s bothering you, isn’t it?’ Anna asked kindly, placing a comforting hand on Ellie’s arm.
‘I wish it wasn’t, but I’ve clearly upset someone. I just can’t work out who or how. After all, I’m only here short term. How much damage can you do in a few months? It’s almost as though even that is too long and they’d prefer me to disappear ASAP.’
There seemed no logical answer, and the conversation moved to Bella, who’d finished her work for Oliver and was therefore spending time back in Bristol.
‘She’s giving up the cottage in the village centre,’ Oliver said. ‘Nicki, I wondered if you’d like to have it for a while? Rent-free, of course.’
Nicki – who had been about to take a sip of wine – lowered her glass, her puzzled gaze moving from Oliver to Anna and back. ‘Why would I want to take it?’
‘It’s got a ground-floor bathroom,’ Anna said.
‘And there are two sitting rooms, so one could easily be made into a bedroom. Hamish would be able to come home to the cove sooner and finish his rehab with his family around him.’
‘Oh,’ Nicki gulped, a small sob suddenly escaping. She dashed a hand across her eyes, which did little to prevent the torrent of tears pouring down her cheeks.
Ellie scooted her chair over to pull Nicki into a hug. ‘I think that means “yes, please,”’ she said to Oliver, whose puzzled gaze had flown to Anna.
‘It’s okay,’ she reassured her husband, and came round to sit on Nicki’s other side, joining in on the one-armed hug.
‘I’m such an idiot,’ Nicki exclaimed a few minutes later. Ellie and Anna sat back, and she straightened, accepting a paper napkin from the latter and dabbing underneath her eyes. ‘I just didn’t expect it, and—’
‘Despite his philanthropic venture, Oliver never quite gets how significant a lifeline he’s offering,’ Anna interjected.
‘It happens a lot when he manages to give someone a hand with their housing needs. Come on, this needs a celebration. Oliver—’ She looked over at him, a twinkle in her eye.
‘Let’s open that champagne Matty brought last time they came to dinner. ’
Nicki hurried to the cloakroom to repair her make-up while Anna went in search of champagne flutes, and Ellie walked over to the window to stare out into the black night.
The windows of Harbourwatch glowed across the bay, casting golden patches of light over the water, which glimmered in the darkness.
There was no sign of the lighthouse which stood on its stretch of rocks somewhere out there.
Nor was there any glimpse of what lay beyond the headland: Will’s whitewashed cottage, where no doubt he was reclining in front of the log burner, smoke spiralling from the chimney, relishing his solitude – unless Chloe was with him…
The pop of a cork and a burst of laughter from Nicki reclaimed Ellie’s attention, as Oliver poured the foaming liquid into sparkling crystal. This was such a wonderful moment for Nicki, great news.
If Hamish could come home, even if he couldn’t be as active as normal, he’d be there for Liam and Jason outside school hours. And then there would be no reason to stay… would there?
There was no need for anyone to try and drive Ellie away. Her days in Polkerran Point were already numbered.