Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
D illy was itching to get back to the lighthouse. The day couldn’t pass quickly enough. Half an hour ago a note had been pushed through the gallery door and landed on the mat. She ripped open the blush-pink envelope and smiled widely as she pulled out a card.
Delilah Waters is invited for dinner at the lighthouse at 7 p.m.
The message was handwritten in old-fashioned ink and the cover had a sketch of the lighthouse that had been filled in with watercolour. Dilly brought the invitation to her nose and inhaled deeply. Max’s familiar scent lingered. She smiled.
After she closed the gallery, Dilly had an hour to spare before she was due to meet Max, just enough time for a soak in the bath. Earlier that day a parcel had arrived with some dresses Dilly had ordered that would allow her expanding waistline to expand some more. As she pulled one of the new dresses over her head, the material floated over her bump. It fitted perfectly. She stared in the mirror and gave a twirl. Her skin was glowing. In fact, it looked better than ever before.
Just before seven p.m. she slipped on her shoes and with a fizz of excitement she followed the path at the edge of Blue Water Bay towards the lighthouse.
She couldn’t wait to find out what Max thought of her plans for the gallery community space – any more than she could wait to see the ground floor of the lighthouse with a fresh coat of paint. She had been tempted to check the cameras numerous times that afternoon, to see how it was coming along, but had managed to resist.
As she approached, she saw that the lighthouse door was open, but when she stepped inside, Max was nowhere to be seen. There was, however, a trail of paper arrows leading to the door at the back of the first floor that opened on the small enclosed garden. Dilly looked around the room in astonishment. The gallery space was all painted, and looked fresh and clean. Max had placed her mother’s portrait on show in the window and had painted a wooden sign that read: ‘New Gallery Opening Soon’. He’d done a wonderful job.
She followed the trail of arrows and when she opened the door to the garden, she gasped in amazement. At the far end of the garden was a charming bistro table and chairs, framed by glass panels that offered a breathtaking view of the ocean. The small courtyard was a burst of colour, with flower boxes and hanging baskets overflowing with vibrant blooms. A beautiful climbing rose wound its way up the trellis, and cheerful bunting was draped along the lighthouse wall. In a corner, a potted olive tree twinkled with fairy lights, adding a magical touch to the scene.
Max had gone to so much trouble, and it was absolutely perfect. The bistro table was draped in a crisp linen cloth, and tealights flickered gently atop the whitewashed wall, casting a warm, inviting glow.
‘Dinner is served.’
Dilly spun around, her heart beating nineteen to the dozen. Max looked gorgeous as he pulled a chair out for her then poured her a glass of sparkling water.
‘Max! All this is just beautiful. You’ve had a very busy day.’
‘I have.’
‘What are we having for dinner?’ she asked, accepting a kiss on the cheek.
Max grinned. ‘Fish pie, but this time with the fish.’
Dilly burst out laughing.
‘Along with fresh greens and baked beans.’
‘It really worked with the baked beans though, didn’t it?’
Max nodded then disappeared, returning with two steaming plates of pie.
‘This is all just amazing, and the gallery… I can’t thank you enough.’
‘It’s been my pleasure. It’s certainly made a difference. Everywhere feels fresh. I can paint the next two levels for you over the weekend.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Of course! Now, how’s the pie?’
Dilly tucked in. ‘Definitely better with the fish!’
As they began to eat, Dilly couldn’t believe how Max had transformed this little space into something off Pinterest. ‘The flowers and the lights… how did you fit it all in?’
‘The painting didn’t take long, and Betty told me there was a plant sale over at the farm so I took a stroll to the other side of the island and picked up some lights, candles and bunting from The Nautical Nook.’
‘And did you stop by the tearoom for something delicious?’
Max shook his head. ‘No, Betty actually came here. She was acting a bit strange and she had Henry’s newspaper article in her hand.’
‘Why’s that strange?’
‘Remember how Henry mentioned in the article that he had given you a box of photographs, including pictures of the storm and the aftermath? Betty was adamant that I let her have a look at the photographs he’d given you.’
‘And did you let her?’
‘No, because they aren’t my photographs. They belong to you, and you haven’t had a proper chance to look through them yet. I told her to come and ask you about them, but she wasn’t taking no for an answer.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I had moved the box and the portrait to the back of the room while I was painting the front half. She noticed the box and asked if it was the one full of photographs. She actually started making a beeline towards it, so I had to literally turn her around by her shoulders and walk her back out the door, blaming the wet paint. Then, a couple of moments later, I came out here to paint that small wall. When I walked back into the room, I couldn’t believe my eyes… she had come back in, and the lid was off the box.’
‘You’re kidding me!’
‘No. So, again, I guided her to the door and told her to come back when you were home. This time, I locked the door behind her.’
‘How utterly strange.’
‘She was on a mission to look through those photographs for some reason.’
‘As soon as we’ve eaten, we can take a trip down memory lane. Maybe we can figure out what she was so determined to see. It’ll be good to take a proper look at Henry’s photographs of the island through the years. No doubt he caught my grandparents in many of them.’
Just at that moment, a trill sounded on Dilly’s phone, alerting her that the CCTV camera had been activated outside. ‘It’s probably Betty trying a third time to look inside the box,’ joked Dilly. ‘I turned off the notifications whilst you were working here this afternoon, but on my way over I switched it back on.’ Dilly opened up the app and saw a couple walking up the jetty. They took a look through the gallery window before turning and walking away.
‘At least you know it works and the picture is very clear. You can create different motion settings and for different times of the day, because if you’re sat in this gallery you probably don’t want it going off all the time and causing distractions. Any luck on applicants yet?’
Dilly set down her knife and fork. ‘That was delicious. About the applicants – I’m glad you asked, as there’s something I wanted to talk to you about,’ she said with a huge smile on her face.
‘Why are you looking at me like that?’ He narrowed his eyes.
‘Because I think I’ve come up with the best plan ever and I’m hoping you are going to love it as much as I do.’ Dilly had a glint in her eye.
‘Go on…’
Dilly explained how none of the applicants so far appeared to have the same enthusiasm for art as she did, and she emphasised that she wanted someone she could wholeheartedly trust to manage the community gallery. ‘So, I’ve been thinking,’ she said, ‘how would you like to become the manager of the gallery in Quaint Quarters? You could possibly start painting again, too, and maybe do what you do best… run the art classes. You are so good at nurturing talent, and you have good community contacts in Sea’s End to spread the word about the classes. How fantastic would that be?’
Max sat in silence, absorbing Dilly’s unexpected proposal. ‘You’re… offering me a job?’ he asked, sounding surprised.
Dilly’s eyes sparkled. ‘Don’t you think it just makes sense? I’d say it’s more like a partnership, a family business even. Your skills are far too valuable to be spent painting boats, and I know I can rely on you to run the gallery. Imagine converting the upstairs into a painting studio! You can teach art up there, set up classes… and what a view for inspiration. What do you think?’
A huge smile spread across Max’s face. ‘Are you actually being serious?’
‘Completely serious,’ Dilly confirmed. ‘It struck me today that you’re the perfect candidate. You can think about it, of course, but I do need an answer pretty soon as I’m keen to get both galleries up and running as soon as possible.’
Max hesitated. ‘What about my job at the boat house? I don’t want to let your father down.’
‘I’m going to be completely honest with you. Luke has arrived back home. Travelling wasn’t exactly his thing and he got a little homesick. He can start back at the boat house ASAP, so it wouldn’t leave my dad in the lurch.’
Max’s brow furrowed. ‘Is that the reason you’re offering me a job? Because I don’t want you to feel you need to, just because your dad may get rid?—’
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ she said, her tone leaving no room for doubt. ‘You are the best man for the job. You love and teach art and in this role you can get back to what you do best. I really do think we can achieve so much together, in so many ways…’ Dilly stopped talking and rested her hands on her stomach. The smile dropped from her face.
‘What is it? Are you having pain again? Shall I get help?’
Dilly gasped and her heart skipped a beat. ‘Quick, come here.’ She reached out for Max’s hand, urging him to join her. He stood up swiftly and Dilly placed his hand gently on her stomach. ‘It’s the babies, I can feel movement,’ she whispered, her voice trembling.
‘Oh my gosh, I felt that!’ Max exclaimed, his face lighting up as he stared at her stomach. ‘And again.’
Happy tears welled up in her eyes as she watched his reaction. She placed her hand over his. ‘Hello, little ones, is that one of you or both of you?’ she murmured. A rush of emotion flooded her, an exciting blend of delight and awe at the tiny lives growing inside her. ‘They’re real,’ she exclaimed, pulling Max in for a heartfelt hug.
‘And they’ll soon be here,’ he whispered. ‘I don’t need to think about the job, Dilly.’
Dilly pulled slowly away from the hug and met his gaze. ‘Is that a yes?’
‘I can’t think of anything I would like better.’