Chapter Forty-Seven
‘No, no way!’ I hear him shout. The front door of the cottage slams shut.
I’m grabbing my belongings.
‘You can’t do this, not again.’ Sean is standing in the doorway.
‘Sean! Get back in there! You’re on, for God’s sake!’ I can hear myself but my voice is choked with tears.
‘I’m not going back in there until I can be sure you’re not going to do another moonlight flit.’ He’s angry and his face is etched with pain.
‘Sean, you don’t understand. I have to go. I came back and got the festival up and running. I came back to give you your chance at making this happen. Now I have to go or … or …’
‘Or what?’ he demands, leaning against the door and holding one hand inside the other as if cradling it.
I sigh, throwing my bag on the bed.
‘There’s a journalist here who’s going to report my story, sensationalise it, and then you’ll be plagued by uninvited gawpers, people wanting to stare, on top of what Nancy’s done.’
He wraps his arms around me and I fall into his chest. It feels like I’m home, but I can’t stay here.
‘You have to get back in there.’ I push him away. ‘Otherwise Dan will win and then he’ll buy this place.’
‘I’m not going back in there. I would give up all of this if it meant knowing that you were beside me for the rest of my life. I don’t care about any of this if it means I can’t have you.’ He nods towards the crowds milling around the barn.
‘But Nancy?’ I hug myself.
‘It’s over.’ He emphasises each word. ‘Nancy didn’t want me. She just wanted the oysters and she was using whatever methods she could to get them. And I didn’t really want her. I just didn’t want to risk falling in love again.’ He takes hold of my elbows. ‘But it’s too late for that.’
I fall back into his chest. There is a slow hand clap and appearing behind Sean in the doorway are Nancy and her journalist. They’re both smiling.
‘Touching,’ she says, and I want to wipe the smile off her face.
She gestures to her journalist friend.
‘Get back on the stand, Sean. There’s still a chance,’ I say.
‘His round is finished. Dan won,’ Nancy tells me.
‘Get out, Nancy. You’ve got what you wanted. Have the oysters. I have something more important than you’ll ever know,’ Sean says calmly. ‘Get out of my house.’
She gives me a considered look then turns to leave.
‘Tell them to put you in the next round,’ I say through gritted teeth. ‘Tell them … You can’t give all this up for me,’ I’m begging him.
Sean looks at me and shakes his head.
‘Why? Why not?’ I’m frustrated.
‘Because blood in the oysters is an automatic disqualification.’ He holds up the hand he has been cupping. There is a cut right through his palm and it’s dripping on the floor.
I run outside to where Nancy is swapping notes with her journalist friend.
‘So that’s it. I get the oysters and the story …’ Nancy smiles, swishing her hand as Grace sniffs around her. ‘Don’t unpack. Dan’ll be buying the farm from Jimmy. It’ll be business as usual in no time. The only thing missing will be you and your boyfriend.’
‘Oh no it won’t,’ I say, and before I can think about what I’m doing, I march back towards the barn, knocking Jimmy Power and his lad sideways as I push my way into the crowded room and march up to the stand.