Chapter Twenty-Two
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
On Saturday morning, Sam was up at five-thirty, taking advantage of the fine dry morning to put some final touches to Samphire. All it needed was some bathroom fixtures and fittings, which he could complete before making breakfast for Lily.
In the end, she had beaten him to it, turning up with a flask of coffee and a bag of pastries that made his mouth water. Lily herself looked edible to Sam in her denim cut-offs and an oversized T-shirt he’d loaned her.
She rattled the paper bag. ‘Found these in the freezer and bunged them in the oven,’ she said. ‘I baked three for you, thought you’d be hungry.’
‘You thought right,’ he said. ‘Thank you. I was ready for this.’
They ate on the terrace, watching the sun climb higher and the glittering sand flats appear as the tide retreated.
‘Thank you for letting étienne and the girls be your first guests in Samphire,’ she said. He had agreed to let them stay in the cottage and had let her use the radio to get a message to étienne.
‘It’s not a problem. They can be my next guinea pigs.’
‘They’ll be so excited! I can’t wait to talk to them later when they’re back home from school. Their nanny is going to set up a FaceTime. étienne works such erratic hours as a doctor, and my parents live too far away to be more than occasional babysitters, so he has to have a live-in nanny.’
‘It must have been tough for him, suddenly being a lone parent.’
‘I don’t know how he’s coped. He’s wrestling with his own grief yet having to put on a brave face for the girls and hold down a tough job.’ She smiled at Sam. ‘You’ll like him,’ she said, with steel in her voice. ‘Everyone does.’
Sam got the message that liking étienne was non-negotiable. Briefly, he experienced a pang of jealousy and wondered if Lily felt something more than brotherly love for the man. Then he dismissed it: even if she did have feelings for her brother-in-law, it was none of Sam’s concern. He wanted her to be happy – and she could never be happy with him.
There had been moments when he’d sensed a spark between them – moments when they’d been working together, eating together, laughing together and putting the world to rights. She was devoted to her family, cared about her employees and was deeply loyal. All of those things he valued and shared – yet he was acutely aware she was only in his world for a fleeting time, living a fantasy that he dared not allow himself to share.
He was providing that escape: he should be thrilled it was working and forget the cost to himself.
‘Sam?’
Lily was on her feet, flask and mugs in her hands and a serious frown on her pretty face.
‘Far be it from me to crack the whip but shouldn’t we get back to work?’
He laughed out loud at the ridiculousness of her statement. ‘I am dreading the reviews you’re going to post: I almost drowned, had to cook for the hotel boss and build my own room!’
‘I haven’t had to build my own room,’ she said with a cheeky smirk that sent the temperature soaring. ‘But I am having to build one for étienne and the girls.’
Sam couldn’t deny this and he was extremely glad of the help. Samphire was a suite, like her own cottage, with a bedroom and separate lounge area. Lily insisted on making up the bed and left a spare duvet and pillows in the sitting room for the twins.
‘Amelie and Tania are going to love sleeping on this sofa bed. I doubt étienne will get much sleep though. They’ll be hyper with excitement.’
‘You’ll have to take them for a very long walk.’
‘I’d like to take them rock pooling,’ she said.
‘I thought we could have a fire on the beach after dinner, toast some marshmallows, hot chocolate …’ Sam said. ‘Maybe something a bit more exciting for the grown-ups.’
‘That would be fantastic.’ She held up crossed fingers. ‘I just hope the weather stays fine so their flights take off and they can see how lush the islands are.’
On Sunday they worked until lunchtime before Sam insisted that Lily take a break. Already he felt a huge weight had lifted from his shoulders with two cottages complete and the cavalry arriving to finish the third and fourth. Aaron was coming over the following day, along with an electrician and plumber.
Lily had urged him to start advertising all the units on the hotel booking sites. At her instigation, he’d also advertised for a seasonal chef and housekeeper, both locally and more widely on hospitality recruitment sites.
Lily made herself a sandwich for lunch and, at Sam’s insistence, took herself off for a break. He shifted some boxes of slate tiles to Starfish, meaning to finish the stone planter he’d built on the terrace.
He saw her strolling down the slope from the South Hill, wearing her bucket hat, carrying a bag with her sketch pad and paints. She looked relaxed – jaunty almost – and he was glad to see it. A moment later, she vanished amid the foxgloves and bracken.
The temperature rose but he had to push on, so he slathered on more suncream and fetched an old cricket hat of Nate’s. His brother had played for the island team for all of two games before he’d grown bored of ‘having a rock chucked at me’. He’d been a decent batter too, but couldn’t be bothered to stick at it. Only computer games had ever held his interest.
Time ticked by and the sun felt even hotter. Sweat trickled down Sam’s neck and his arms ached but the planter was finished. He swept up debris from the terrace. Once Aaron and his mates had spent a week at the retreat, Starfish would be ready for letting and Sea Holly and Scallop on their way, making a quintet of cottages in all. Maybe he could even invest the revenue into developing the ruined ones by the bay.
He checked his watch. Wow, it was past four! He picked up his flask for a drink of cool water.
‘Sam!’
Lily’s shout reached him on the terrace. Sam dropped a slate on the ground and took off around the side of the cottage.
There she was: scrambling up the slope from the middle of the island, gasping for breath. He hurtled down to meet her and she flung herself into his arms.
‘What’s happened?’ he said, holding her tightly.
‘I saw it again! In one of the old cottages. This time, it wasn’t just a shadow, I’m sure it was a person.’
‘Jesus. A person? It – they didn’t hurt you?’
‘No.’
‘Was it a man or a woman?’ he asked, still holding her, but gently. Her breathing gradually steadied.
‘I’m not sure. I know that sounds silly, but it was just a fleeting glimpse in deep shade. I went inside there to sketch the foxgloves around the hearth and the figure dashed across the open doorway. It was a real person, Sam. I shouted after them. Asked who they were. I wanted to go after them but I – I didn’t think it was a good idea, so I just left everything in the cottage and ran up here.’
‘You must have been petrified.’ He swore. ‘I’m going down there to find them right now!’
‘No, please.’
‘Why not?’ he said, his blood boiling at the thought of someone upsetting or even threatening Lily. ‘I’ll have to tell the police. The chief inspector, Ben, is a friend of mine. He’ll take it seriously.’
‘No – don’t! I don’t think they mean any harm. They probably only want to prank me.’
‘Scaring you isn’t funny!’
Sam folded her to him until her breathing steadied. It felt so good to hold her, to comfort her. She lifted her face away from his shoulder and looked up at him. Too soon, she would pull away from him and this moment would be over, this moment that he wanted to stretch out forever.
She tilted up her head and he lowered his face to hers for the kiss that he hadn’t realised he’d been craving. He wanted to kiss her, even though it might lead to more and make things harder when she left.
Her lips brushed his and then she was out of his arms, leaving him feeling empty.
‘God, talk about being spooked …’ Her cheeks had turned pink. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Don’t apologise,’ he said gruffly, torn between disappointment and relief that the kiss had ended so quickly. ‘It must have been a horrible shock. And look, you’ve fallen into the brambles.’
Moving even further out of his reach, she glanced down at her scratched legs. ‘I was in a hurry to get away but I’m fine, honestly. It’s my sketch pad and paints I’m worried about. I left them in the old cottage.’
‘I’ll get them.’ Anger welled up inside him. ‘And I am going to find out who’s behind this! Prankster, my arse!’
Lily’s laughter was edged with embarrassment. Had her scary encounter made her nervy or was it her reaction – their joint reaction – afterwards? ‘Are you still sure no one could reach the island?’ she asked. ‘I’ve seen an old photo with a rowing boat drawn up on the beach, in one of the books in the cottage.’
‘Like I said, it’s possible by kayak or rowing boat in the right conditions and I agree it’s someone real,’ he said briskly. ‘Do you have any idea at all of what they looked like?’
‘Not really. I am sorry. I heard the bracken rustle and I heard them breathing, then saw them dash across the open doorway. They were wearing dark clothing and it was difficult to see detail in the shadows. I guess they could have had a hoodie on, or a coat.’ She hesitated. ‘I’m really not sure.’
‘The only idea I can come up with is it’s someone who wants to cause trouble. Whether it’s a journalist or locals who don’t like the idea of the development here, I have no idea. I’m going to have a bloody good look round right now. You stay here. Lock the door if you want.’
‘I’d rather come with you.’
‘Fine. Let’s go together, but we’ll get you cleaned up first and I’ll make you a cup of tea.’
‘I’d rather have a coffee with some of that island rum from the cottage.’
‘I’ll come over and make you one now. No arguments.’
Sam made the drinks while Lily washed herself in the bathroom and daubed some antiseptic cream on her legs. Sam was seething with whichever idiot – or idiots – had decided to frighten his guest. How could he open the retreat while this was going on? How could he guarantee that Lily’s family would be safe?
Plus, there was now the added complication of that kiss – if it was a kiss? He’d felt her lips brush his, tasted lip gloss.
He remembered his decision not to get emotionally involved with the guests. It followed he shouldn’t kiss them either. He was teetering perilously close to throwing the whole rulebook out the window …
When Lily emerged from the bathroom, she looked calmer.
Sam reverted to brisk practicality and handed over the coffee. ‘I made one for me without the rum.’
‘Thanks. Look, I really don’t want to be any more trouble,’ she said. ‘It’s funny that it’s only me who sees them.’
‘They’re probably worried I’d recognise them if they’re from round here.’
‘Maybe … but there’s something else I haven’t told you. Somebody left me a sign on the terrace table a few days ago. A message spelled out in pebbles.’
‘What?’ His stomach clenched. ‘Why didn’t you say anything?’
‘You were busy with the cottage. It didn’t seem that bad at the time but now, having almost come face to face with an intruder, it does feel like I’m being singled out.’
He wanted to hug her again but didn’t dare. He was, however, determined to keep her safe.
‘What kind of message was it?’ he said, a chill seizing him.
‘Well, the pebbles spelled out LEAVE.’
‘Right. That’s it,’ Sam declared, firing up with anger and protective instinct. ‘We’re getting off the island. I’m going to take you over to Bryher before dinner. We can stay at Hell Bay House for the night.’
‘Oh, that’s not necessary.’
‘It is until I get to the bottom of this,’ he said firmly. ‘I want to make sure that there won’t be any disturbance when your family arrives.’
‘But I can’t stay in your home!’
‘Yes, you can,’ he said, determined that nothing else would go wrong. ‘Pack your bag now. We’re leaving.’