Chapter Thirty
“You’ve Got Mail”
Ellie all but rolled her eyes. What was it today with men not using their phones? Then a thought struck her, and she tugged it out of her pocket.
‘Damn it,’ she muttered.
‘Dead again?’ Anna asked as Ellie followed her into the sitting room, conscious as she left of Will’s stillness.
‘Hey, Ellie.’ Marcus beamed at her from by the island. ‘Sorry, couldn’t get through on the phone, so thought I’d stop by on my way to Looe.’
A wail came from the baby monitor.
‘That sounds like Bertie.’ Anna excused herself, disappearing into the hall.
‘My battery died. Is something wrong?’
‘No. It’s the opposite. Phyllida… she… I… we’re a couple! I wanted you to be the first to know.’
Ellie threw her arms around him. ‘I’m so happy, Marcus. The best possible news.’
‘It’s all thanks to you.’ Marcus hugged her back. ‘Look, I’d best go. Don’t want to be late for the girls.’
They headed for the door into the hall, but Marcus stopped and turned to face Ellie, his face serious, then took her hands in his.
‘I want you to know,’ he said quietly, ‘that although we’ve only been friends for a few months, you’ve given me the impetus to change my life, and I’ll be forever grateful.’
He pressed a firm kiss on Ellie’s cheek, and impulsively, she did the same to him.
‘I’m so happy,’ she exclaimed, emotion welling behind her eyes.
Returning to the kitchen after waving Marcus off in his car – Anna following, with Bertie in her arms – Ellie was surprised to see Will picking up his cap from the chair in the sitting room.
‘Oh. Did you see all you wanted to?’
He said nothing for a moment, and Ellie’s brow furrowed. Was he displeased with her work?
‘Yes. I think I’ve seen enough.’
He opened the boot room door, called his thanks to Anna for the coffee and – fixing his hat into place – reached for his coat.
‘But—’ Ellie hesitated. ‘What do you want me to do with them? I can file share the folders or send you specific images.’
She was speaking to the air as the outer door shut on Will’s back, and she walked slowly back into the kitchen, closing the door in confusion.
Anna came to stand beside Ellie, Bertie on her hip. ‘Jane Austen once wrote that friendship is the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love.’ Ellie drew in a short breath as Anna added, ‘Unless it’s misinterpreted. That’s my addition, by the way.’
With that, she turned away, and Ellie walked as though in a trance back to the orangery, sinking into Will’s vacated chair and staring at the screen of folders.
What now?
The following morning, Ellie was on tenterhooks, wondering if Will might get in touch, and when a notification pinged, hope sprang to life, only to sink back into place as she realised it was from the newspaper.
They were returning the two photos they’d been sent. They were unable to divulge the email address that had been used because of data protection, and with the dead ends over the anonymous posts on socials, she wasn’t sure teaming up with Will would achieve anything.
But it helps. Like Anna said, it’s a balm.
Opening the returned images, Ellie put them side by side.
The one of Will was possibly her favourite of all the ones she’d taken, the other photo being a portrait image of him by the cottage at Polridmouth Bay.
The walk seemed an age ago now. She peered a little closer, rubbing at what looked like a mark on the screen, then rummaged around on the table, in the drawers below the small bookcase and in her bag.
Where was her screen cleaner? She opened her camera bag, then let out an exclamation.
‘I’d forgotten about you.’ Ellie picked up the spare memory card tucked into a side pocket, setting up the hard drive and leaving it to download. She’d clean her screen later.
Leaving it to do its thing, she made a cup of tea, settling at the island with her iPad.
The house was quiet while Anna was out with the twins and Oliver was up in his den, and with time to kill, and Will firmly in the forefront of her mind after their tentative rapprochement, she began scrolling back through her sent items again.
Ellie eventually reached the year in question and, tummy clenched in anticipation, she slowed her scrolling. Not recalling the email address was a hindrance, but she’d never forget the date they’d split up. The email had been sent the next day.
Her heart dipped and rose in swift succession when she found it. She wasn’t going mad, and she hadn’t dreamt it. Here was the proof, in black and white… but Will was adamant he hadn’t received it back then, and he’d checked recently too. If he wasn’t lying, what on earth had happened?
‘Right.’ Ellie hit ‘Print’, then shot into the orangery, staring in fixed fascination as not one, not two but three pages slowly emerged. She’d not been wrong about the length!
Skimming through it as she returned to the island, a sense of dread and discomfort swelled within Ellie.
The reminder of how she’d felt as she frantically typed those words and sent them off in the hope it would help Will understand – forgive her – brought feelings of regret and distress, and she carefully folded the pages, tucking them into her bag, feeling slightly nauseous.
What was the point? Another week and she’d be free to leave. Any remaining editing could be done from Oxford, and her time in Polkerran Point would be ended. Finished. Over…
‘Thank goodness you’re here!’
Ellie started as Anna burst into the kitchen.
‘Oh my God! What’s wrong? Is it the twins? Where are they?’
‘Asleep in the buggy outside, although how they stayed that way with the speed I just ran up the lane with them… Look, it’s Will.’
A hand shot to Ellie’s throat, her skin tingling in dread. ‘What’s happened to him?’
‘Nothing,’ Anna said breathily, leaning on the island. ‘Nor is it likely to, the way you two are carrying on.’
‘I don’t understand…’
‘I saw Kate in town. She’s been trying to call you but it’s going straight to voicemail.’
‘My phone’s on charge.’
‘Please go and check it. Now.’
Puzzled, Ellie opened the door to the orangery, heading over to the charging station and picking up her phone. Three missed calls and two WhatsApp messages…
Wandering back into the sitting room, she could see the missed calls were from Kate – as was one of the messages. The other was from Will.
Heart thudding loudly, Ellie’s head shot up to meet Anna’s steady look.
‘Listen to your messages. Hopefully it’s not too late.’
‘For what?’
‘To catch Will before he leaves.’
‘Where’s he going? He never said anything yester—’
‘Back to London. He’d been round to let Dev know the cottage would be empty for a while. Kate saw him as he was leaving, on his way to load the car up. She got the impression he’s going away until you’ve returned home.’
Ouch!
Ellie’s legs weren’t prepared to support her, and she collapsed onto the nearest chair.
‘But… but we…’ She raised tortured eyes to Anna. ‘We’d become friends. I thought. He said we—’
‘Ellie, love.’ Anna took the adjacent chair. ‘I suspect Will believes you and Marcus are an item. Kate said she didn’t think his parting comment was meant to be heard, but she’s absolutely certain he said, “there’s nothing here for me now”.’
Coldness pervaded Ellie’s skin as her head dropped into her hands. ‘No, no, no! I’m not… Marcus and I are friends . That’s all it is.’
Hadn’t she told Will that? Maybe not…
Anna’s lips twitched. ‘I’m not sure that’s what Will thinks. Now check your messages. This is the twenty-first century, not a time when things can’t easily be resolved.’
The small flicker of hope that had glimmered at times, flaring with expectation at others, stirred within Ellie, and she gave Anna a fierce hug before heading up the stairs with her phone.
Will’s message was a voice note, beginning with him clearing his throat in that way he had.
Ellie almost couldn’t breathe.
Hi. I wanted to say goodbye. Something’s come up. So… I mean, yeah. File drop those folders. You’ll be gone when I come back. Just wanted to say…
There was another pause and… was that a muttered expletive?
I wish you all the best. I mean it. For the future. For your life. And…
A slow, heavy sigh.
Be happy, Ells. Bye.
The message ended, and Ellie’s head spun with a heady mixture of confusion and hope. What on earth was this about? So what if Will thought she was with Marcus? Why would that bother him? Unless…
Desperate now to catch Will before he left, Ellie whizzed him a message – ‘wait for me’ – grabbed her bag and keys, called goodbye to Anna, and shot Fifi down the lane so fast she startled a couple of gulls sitting on the wall, and they rose noisily into the air.
She drove more slowly up the track towards Peaches, as it had limited passing places, heart thumping in anticipation of coming nose to nose with Will’s car as he made to leave.
‘Please don’t have gone yet,’ she begged under her breath, and the sheer relief of seeing the car still in the driveway almost stole it away. Ellie brought Fifi neatly to a halt, effectively blocking him in.
It was a beautiful day for November, the sea the blue of a warm summer’s day, with woolly clouds scattered over the vast blueness of the sky like sheep in the fields at the top of the cove.
Ellie eyed the leather bag and coats in the back of the car with sadness, then approached the house, conscious of the lack of smoke from the chimney.
Barely had Ellie stepped over the threshold into the porch when Will came thundering down the stairs, only to grind to a halt as he saw her.
Calm down , she cautioned herself. Friends, Will had said. Not ‘throw yourself at me the next time we meet’.
‘What are you doing here?’
‘Did you get my message? I got yours.’
Awkwardness filled his features. ‘No. I— er… You’d best come in.’
He gestured to the sitting room, but Ellie ignored Will’s invitation to take a seat, especially when he ran a hand round the back of his neck and paced across the room before turning around and repeating the action.
She studied him in confusion for a moment, then walked over and stepped in his path, effectively halting it.
‘Will, what did your voice note mean?’
For what felt like an eternity, his rich, expressive eyes held her own. ‘I think it was pretty obvious.’
Men!
Come on, girl. It’s time to be brave.
‘Is this about my friend, Marcus?’
The discomfort filling Will’s features was all the answer she needed and, courage rising, she took a step towards him.
‘We’re not an item, Will.’
‘But I’ve seen you with him so many times, you always look so happy.’ He scanned her face, with tortured eyes. ‘Are you—’ Will swallowed visibly. ‘I thought you’d fallen in love with him.’
Ellie began to shake her head. ‘No. I mean, yes. I do love him, but purely as a friend. That’s it. Friends, Will. He’s delighted to be dating someone he’s liked for a very long time. That’s what he came to tell me yesterday.’
Will’s eyes closed as he released a long breath. Then, he swung around and walked over to the window, staring out.
‘I’ve been a damned fool.’
Hope filtering through the confusion, Ellie recalled her earlier discovery and dug around in her bag.
‘I found it. The email I sent you.’
Will’s body stilled as she pulled it from the bag. Then, he turned slowly to face her, his gaze dropping to the pages she held out, then back to her face.
Walking over, Will took the pages from her. Then, without even glancing at them, he started to tear the paper into shreds.