Chapter 28
The Harbourside, St Aidan, Cornwall
Hidden gems
Thursday
A couple of days later, Mum is doing the school pick up and I’ve been at the shop helping Tia sort out the dresses for tomorrow’s alteration appointments. As I walk back via the harbourside I notice Flo’s pushchair parked outside Lando’s cottage next to a pile of kid’s shoes.
I give a silent curse, knock on the door, and seconds later Lando opens it.
‘Is Mum here?’
Rather than reply he turns and leads the way through the hall, and before I have time to think, I’m in his light airy living room staring at Mum, who is perched on his sofa with Flo on her knee, sipping a mug of tea, and at my daughter, who is scrambling over the kitchen island.
‘What’s going on?’
Mum gives a sheepish shrug. ‘We bumped into Lando on our way home, and he asked us in to see the cottage.’
The previous times I’ve been summoned here I was so stressed that I barely had time to notice the details. Now I have more time to look closely, it strikes me the freshly painted cream walls and sofas must have cost an arm and a leg.
‘Bart’s done a good job.’ The effect is only spoiled by the designer chairs being rammed together against the kitchen island. ‘I expect it was even nicer before the kids demolished it.’
I can’t believe how cosy and at ease they all look or that if I’d taken the short cut home instead of calling at my car, I’d never have stumbled across them. There’s even a plate of chocolate hobnobs on the coffee table!
Lando rolls his eyes. ‘They were adamant about this hidden tunnel search.’
I despair for him. ‘You don’t have to agree to everything kids ask, Lando. I seem to remember you made a very effective escape last time we visited.’
Lando shrugs. ‘That was before we got to know each other better.’
I don’t believe what I’m hearing. ‘Since when have you lot been best mates?’
Nemmie jumps forward. ‘He promised us at the beach hut.’ She falters. ‘It’s good when people do what they say.’
‘Where was I when this was going on?’ I was constantly checking there was distance between them that day. It’s not just the furniture either: the rugs have been rolled to one side, and Dale is emerging from the cupboard under the stairs.
He scratches his head. ‘You spent a lot of time inside the hut talking to people, Maeve. You can’t blame the rest of us for making connections.’
Nemmie nods. ‘Especially useful ones like this.’
I raise my eyebrows. ‘So have you found any evidence of smugglers’ passageways?’
Nemmie purses her lips. ‘We haven’t even started upstairs.’
I’m incredulous. ‘They had tunnels in the sky?’
She looks back at me. ‘They might have escaped through the lofts.’ She narrows her eyes. ‘We probably need to come back with torches and better tools.’
Mum sits forward. ‘We actually came to tell Lando about the house next door to us.’ She pauses to give me time to realign. ‘It’s coming up for sale, but Jack who owns it wanted to give Lando the heads-up in case he wanted to buy it.’
I take a moment for the full despair of that thought to sink in. It’s not just that everything is out of my control; it’s as if everyone I know and love is working for the opposite aim that I am.
I stare at Lando. ‘What happened to always wanting to live on the quayside?’
Mum cuts in. ‘If Lando’s staying in the area, it makes sense to get somewhere bigger. And obviously for us, it’s better to have a neighbour we know.’
Anyone else would do. Of all their thousands of friends, it doesn’t have to be him.
I sniff. ‘That cottage is a wreck under the surface. We’ve always said it would cost ridiculous amounts for anyone unlucky enough to end up with it.’
Lando’s looking from Mum to me, working out how to react.
He pulls a face, then comes off the fence. ‘I can certainly take a look…’
I can tell Mum’s doing mental whoops. She reaches out and pats his arm. ‘You’re not committing, Lando; you’re simply exploring possibilities.’
If I hear any more of this, I might just be sick.