Chapter 14 #2
‘All work and no play makes Doctor Blake a dull boy.’ Pippa noticed the smile slip slightly from his face. ‘I didn’t mean anything by that.’
‘It’s okay, it’s not you,’ he replied, clicking his glass against hers. ‘Here’s to the future. Let’s have a look at the menu and then you can tell me all about what the future looks like for Pippa Bell.’
Just as they picked up their menus, a man in a dark jacket approached their table with a confident smile.
‘Good evening,’ he said. ‘I’m Sam, the owner here at The Sea Glass.
I just wanted to come over and say hello, and thank you for venturing out in this weather.
You’re staying in Clockmaker’s Cottage, I believe? ’
‘We are,’ enthused Pippa, ‘and luckily staying for the foreseeable as the causeway is closed,’ she added. Theo had received an email while they were getting ready for dinner that confirmed they could stay until it reopened, and Pippa had been thrilled at the news.
‘That could be the best part of the week, so I hope you’ll make the most of the island. It’s a very romantic place to be when the weather is like this.’
‘Oh … we’re not—’ Pippa began.
‘We will, thanks,’ Theo said with a grin, cutting in. ‘This restaurant is magnificent.’
‘Thank you. I renovated the old boat myself. It once belonged to my grandfather, he left it to my mother and she gave it to me when I was eighteen. She called it junk and couldn’t wait to get rid of it, but I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it, and now it’s the floating restaurant of my dreams. It’s a little quiet tonight due to the weather, I’m afraid.
Most of our bookings were for guests of the convention, but they left the island before the causeway closed. ’
Pippa looked around and saw for the first time that they were the only ones in this section. She’d been too absorbed in Theo, she realised. A blush rose to her cheeks and she did her best to play it off. ‘I feel like a celebrity who’s hired the restaurant just for themselves.’
Sam smiled. ‘If there’s anything you need, just let your waiter know. And please, enjoy your evening.’
‘Thank you, we will,’ Theo replied.
Sam went to see to other tasks, and their waiter reappeared, topped up their wine, and set down a small basket of warm bread with seaweed butter and a little dish of olives, before telling them he’d give them more time to look over the menu.
Pippa opened her menu. ‘Okay, this is dangerous. Everything looks good.’
Theo leaned in a little so they could scan together. ‘Start with oysters?’
She looked up, surprised. ‘You like oysters?’
‘Yes,’ he said. ‘You?’
‘I love them,’ she admitted, a bit sheepish. ‘I haven’t had any for years.’
‘Why not?’
‘Rob didn’t like seafood. He wouldn’t let me eat fish at home, and I didn’t order when we were out because it turned into a whole thing. It just was easier. Saved an argument. So I just stopped.’
Theo’s expression softened. ‘He wouldn’t let you eat it at home?’
‘He said it would stink the place out,’ she said. ‘I gave up the fight because it wasn’t worth the hassle, which is ridiculous when I say it out loud.’
‘Then tonight you should get exactly what you want,’ Theo said. ‘Please order the fishiest things on this island.’
Pippa laughed. ‘You know what? I will. Oysters to start. Maybe scallops. Maybe the prawn cocktail, too, and then something with actual fish as well. I’m going all in. What do you fancy for mains?’
Theo scanned. ‘The halibut with brown shrimp and capers looks solid. Or the sea bass with fennel.’
‘I’m eyeing the mussel and crab linguine,’ Pippa said. ‘Or the hake with saffron sauce.’
‘Linguine sounds amazing. I’ll take the halibut so we can share bites,’ Theo said decisively.
She gave him an approving nod. ‘We’re very compatible at the ordering stage.’
‘Our one true test,’ he said, amused. ‘Side dishes?’
‘Chips,’ she replied. ‘Always.’
‘Chips it is.’
Their waiter appeared and took their order, repeated it back to them and then disappeared towards the kitchen.
Pippa tore a piece of bread and spread seaweed butter over it. ‘This is ridiculous. I might cry over actually being allowed to order fish.’
Theo raised his eyebrows. ‘Allowed?’
‘Like I said, I’d pick my arguments.’
‘On my watch, you’re allowed to do what you want. Just be you.’
She took a sip of wine, feeling relaxed in Theo’s company and grateful there was no walking on eggshells tonight. She felt like she could totally be herself. ‘Thank you.’
‘For what?’
‘For not making me feel silly about the seafood thing. It sounds small when I say it, but it wasn’t small.’
‘I get it,’ he said. ‘Small things add up.’
The oysters arrived on a bed of crushed ice with lemon wedges and a tiny bottle of hot sauce. The scallops landed with a neat line of pea purée and crisp pancetta. Pippa’s prawn cocktail came in a chilled glass with lettuce and a clean, sharp dressing.
Pippa’s eyes lit up. ‘This is exactly what I wanted.’
‘Good,’ Theo said. He dressed an oyster with a little lemon and passed it to her. ‘First of many.’
She tilted it back and smiled as she set the shell down. ‘That’s it. I’m back. My seafood era has recommenced.’
‘Welcome back!’
They swapped dishes for a moment so she could try a scallop and he a forkful of her prawns. The sharing came easy. No ceremony. No fuss. Just two people eating what they wanted and checking that the other one got to try it too.
‘So,’ Theo said, ‘since we’re ordering like champions and you’ve declared a seafood renaissance, I’m going to ask my other question again.’
She raised an eyebrow. ‘Which question?’
‘What’s next for you, Pippa?’
She sat back. ‘I don’t know the whole picture. I only know a few pieces.’
‘Tell me the pieces.’
‘Okay,’ she said, counting on her fingers. ‘One: I want to be honest about what I like and stop apologising for it. That includes clocks, old stories, and seafood.’
‘Strong start,’ he said.
‘Two: I want to find somewhere to live that feels like mine. Home.’
‘Reasonable.’
‘Three: workwise, I need a challenge … but I’m not quite sure what that is yet.’
‘Aren’t you happy restoring clocks?’
‘I love it, but I’d like a new challenge. I’m so envious of what you’re about to do. I had the opportunity once to go abroad, but Rob wouldn’t dream of it. I looked at it as an adventure in a new place, with a new culture, new language. Needless to say, he was horrified at the prospect.’
‘There’s nothing stopping you now.’
She thought about that for a moment. ‘You’re right.’
‘There’s a whole world out there and there’s only one thing for certain, and that is that time is ticking. Don’t give up on what you want to do.’
‘You certainly are going for it,’ Pippa said, swirling her wine and taking a sip. ‘Travelling the world, meeting mysterious clock people.’
Theo smiled. ‘Clock people?’
‘You know what I mean. The man you were talking to at the lighthouse before we were ambushed by the journalist, who was that?’
Theo leaned back in his chair. ‘That was Nathan Cole. He’s a clockmaker from New York. My new job is actually for an arm of his company. I’ve admired his work for years.’
Pippa tilted her head. ‘Nathan Cole,’ she repeated. ‘Sounds fancy, like a person who wears waistcoats and pocket watches.’
Theo laughed. ‘Not that you’re judging, right? But yes, he does own several waistcoats. He’s brilliant. He runs workshops in New York that blend traditional clockmaking with modern engineering. The pieces that are produced are part sculpture, part precision timekeeping.’
‘I overheard that he knew your grandfather.’
‘Yes, and I have to admit something. During my interview … I mentioned my grandfather’s link to the Vale Brothers. I wanted the job so much, so though it’s something I’ve never done before, I couldn’t help it.’
‘Sometimes you have to do what you have to do. When are you leaving?’
‘Next month,’ he replied. ‘The timing’s … well, it’s come at the right time.’
‘So, this job, it’s a big deal then?’
He nodded, fingers tracing the stem of his glass. ‘It is.’
‘Sounds exciting,’ she said. ‘And terrifying.’
‘Both,’ he admitted. ‘But honestly, it can’t come quickly enough.’
The words hung there for a moment. Theo glanced down, busying himself with adjusting his napkin, but Pippa caught the shift.
She hesitated. The question that had been circling in her mind since she’d overheard the conversation in the lighthouse was on the tip of her tongue, and she couldn’t hold back any longer.
‘Can I ask you something?’ she said. ‘It’s a little personal.’
Theo looked up, attentive. ‘Go on.’
‘Back at the lighthouse,’ she began carefully, ‘when you were talking to Nathan… I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but I overheard a bit.’ She paused. ‘You said you were separated. When he asked whether your wife would be going with you.’
Theo’s expression shifted slightly. He took a slow sip of wine, giving himself a moment.
Pippa hurried on. ‘I wasn’t snooping, honestly.
It just… It can’t be easy. I know I’ve just done a runner from my own impending marriage, but in my case the deal wasn’t sealed.
And when I stalked you on socials you seemed so hap—’ She stopped abruptly, horrified at what she’d just accidentally admitted.
Theo cocked an eyebrow.
‘Come on, I was always going to stalk you on socials,’ she said at last, deciding the damage was done so she might as well go for it. ‘As I was saying, you seemed so happy.’
Theo set his glass down gently. ‘Everything is not always as it seems, especially when it comes to social media.’
‘What went wrong?’
Pippa tried to read his face. He wasn’t defensive, but he wasn’t quite ready to talk either. Something about him looked like he was still deciding how much to give away.
Before he could say more, their waiter returned carrying two steaming plates. ‘Halibut with brown shrimp and capers,’ he announced, setting Theo’s plate down. ‘And the crab and mussel linguine for you, madam, and chips.’
The smell hit her instantly: lemon, garlic, butter, and the clean brine of the sea. Pippa sat back slightly, watching as the waiter adjusted their plates, added a small dish of lemon wedges, and checked their glasses.
‘Can I bring anything else for you right now?’ he asked.
Theo shook his head. ‘No, this is perfect, thank you.’
‘Enjoy,’ the waiter said before heading towards the door to greet a few new arrivals coming in from the rain.
That’s when Pippa saw him.
Sebastian.
Her stomach dropped and she froze for a second.
Of all the people to walk into the restaurant tonight, he was the last one she wanted to see.
She’d hoped he’d left the island after everything that had happened.
Her heart thudded hard. This was the last thing either of them needed.
‘Don’t look up now, but it appears Sebastian hasn’t left the island.
He’s just walked into the restaurant.’ She watched as he shrugged off his coat, running a hand through his hair while saying something to the waiter.
Pippa looked down quickly, pretending to fix her napkin, making sure she didn’t make eye contact, but dared to quickly glance back, only to see the waiter lead him to another section of the restaurant that was, thank God, out of sight.
She exhaled slowly, her shoulders loosening a fraction.
Crisis averted. For now. ‘Thankfully, they’ve seated him in a different section.
He shouldn’t be able to see us from there. ’
Theo took a quick glance over his shoulder, and then picked up his knife and fork.
Pippa twirled a forkful of linguine. ‘This looks incredible.’
Theo smiled faintly. ‘It does.’
They started to eat, the clink of cutlery filling the pause that had stretched out between them. Pippa took a bite that was the perfect balance of heat, salt, and sweetness. She wanted to ask Theo again what had happened with his wife, but she also didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable.
Theo cut into his fish, clearly buying time of his own. The air between them wasn’t tense, but they both knew Pippa wanted to know more. The question wasn’t going anywhere.
She broke the moment with a small smile. ‘Okay, this is hands down the best linguine I’ve ever had.’
Theo smiled back, no doubt grateful for the change in direction. ‘We chose well.’
‘Want a bite?’ She forked up a small portion of linguine and leaned forward, holding it out. He leaned in slightly, took the bite, and nodded. ‘That’s excellent.’
Theo went to pinch a chip and Pippa quickly moved the plate. ‘I cross the line at you pinching my chips!’
Theo laughed.
‘Only joking, but only one. I don’t share my chips with just anyone, you know.’
‘I’m glad to hear I’m just not anyone,’ he said, smiling again, his eyes softening. The look stayed with her longer than it probably should have.
The conversation drifted back to easier ground for a few minutes – travel, the island, the weather – and they both avoided circling back to the question that still lingered, but the awareness of it sat quietly between them.
Pippa twirled another forkful of pasta, stealing a glance at Theo. He’d leaned back in his chair, one hand resting on the table, fingers lightly tapping the stem of his glass. He looked thoughtful. Then, at last, he broke the silence.
‘My wife had an affair.’