Lucy gathered her paperwork up and smiled at Ness. It was a weary and sad smile which said she knew exactly what they were up against. Once they were alone Ness was able to voice her deepest fear.
“You think it’s too late, don’t you?”
“I’ll be honest with you, Ness. Short of a miracle, I can’t see what could possibly be done.”
Ness bit her lip. She knew in her heart that, as much fun as all their ideas were, it was all far too late in the day. What had their uncle been thinking?
“I’m going to need to borrow money, aren’t I?” she said quietly. “I need to go to the bank.”
Her cousin sighed. “Much as it pains me to say it maybe we’ll have to consider doing some kind of a deal with Max Reynard. He could be our only hope you have of saving this place.”
Ness said nothing. Just the thought of the satisfaction in those grey eyes if she admitted defeat was enough to harden her resolve. She’d make a point of asking anyone but him.
There was really only one choice left now: Ness was going to have to swallow her pride and go begging for money. Surely somebody would want to take a chance and invest?
If not, she’d live in the ruins rather than go cap in hand to Max. Whatever happened, there was one thing she was very sure of: Pirran Island would never, ever be his.
Chapter 21
Lucy was running late. The meeting had gone on far longer than she’d expected, and without Merryn to ferry her across to the mainland she had to beat the tide and use the causeway. She was finally meeting Adam for their promised dinner. She hoped he wasn’t intending to eat anywhere smart where her outfit of trainers, combats and a long-sleeved tee shirt would let him down. She’d been intending to wash her hair and hunt out some make-up, but time had simply run away from her and now she was striding it out to town with a bare face and her hair in a ponytail. Not really how she’d imagined looking on a date.
Not that this was a date, Lucy scolded herself sharply. Where had that ridiculous thought come from? This was just a chance to have some food with the father of her star pupil – a father who also happened to be a nice man. Adam Miller was friendly and there was no denying that he was attractive in a twinkly-eyed and easy-going kind of way, but there was nothing more to her association with him than that he was Josh’s father. Adam was being kind and thanking her for the time she’d spent with his son; that was it. To read anything more into this invitation would be absurd.
The tide had reached the side of the causeway and bubbles edged the cobbles. Ten minutes more and she would have missed her chance to get to the mainland. Even though she’d seen the damage every day since the storm, Lucy was still shocked by its extent. Getting supplies over to the island was going to be more difficult now and she suspected they’d have to rely more heavily on boats – which was fine at this time of year, but tended to be tricky in the winter when the seas were heavy. She could only hope that Armand’s royalties were unusually good this year and that some of the ideas raised in the earlier meeting proved useful.
Lucy sighed. It seemed unlikely and, although she’d never admit it to anyone, she felt dreadfully let down by her uncle. If he’d wanted the island sold then he should have just left it to Jamie rather than involving Ness and raising all their hopes. It was beyond cruel to leave them to struggle without even the minimum income needed to run the island. For all Armand’s cryptic comments about the answers being at her fingertips, Lucy was no closer to finding a solution to their problems. It made her heart heavy to even think it for a second, but she was afraid that it was already way too late. If Max Reynard made Ness another offer then maybe her cousin should admit defeat and just accept it? Where Lucy would go and what she would do, she didn’t know. Caring for her ailing parents and then her uncle hadn’t left her with time to forge a career of her own. She guessed that with some cottage cleaning, baking and piano tuition she’d get by. In any case, this wasn’t Nessa’s concern, and Lucy would never dream of burdening her cousin with her own worries.
“Hey, that’s a glum face. Is the thought of eating with me really so bad?”
Adam was halfway down the quayside steps, smiling his crinkly smile – and in spite of her gloomy musings, Lucy discovered she was smiling in answer.
“I haven’t dressed for dinner, I’m afraid,” she apologised, as they met at the foot of the steps. “We had a lot on and I’ve only just managed to get away.”
Adam leaned forward and kissed her cheek. He smelt of fresh linen and oranges, Lucy thought. Oh dear. What did she smell of? Jeyes Fluid and despair probably.
“You’ve had enough on this week without having to worry about anything like that,” Adam told her. “How are things?”
As they climbed the steps and headed into town, Lucy filled him in on the latest developments and Adam listened sympathetically. Once the storm had blown itself out he’d been one of the first to offer his help – and in a practical way too, which Lucy had very much appreciated, as well as in his professional capacity. What he’d had to say about the state of the quay and Pilgrim’s Gate hadn’t been easy to hear, but she’d appreciated his honesty just as much as she’d appreciated his help in shoring up the tea room. It was a shame he worked for Max but Lucy wasn’t going to hold that against Adam; it was hard enough to find work these days, and with Josh to think about he’d have to take whatever was offered. Still, she held back from telling him quite how bad things really were. Adam worked for Max, after all, and the less insider information that man had the better.
“So that’s where we are,” she finished. “We’re looking for ideas to raise some money to help with repairs. So if you have any, feel free to tell me.”
Adam looked thoughtful. “Hmm, I’ll get my thinking cap on. I like the festival idea very much though, and what a setting! I’ve got a friend who’s been crew for a couple of festivals. I think he did Glasto too. I could put you in touch if that helps?”
“That would be great,” said Lucy.
“Least I can do, after all you do for Josh. He’s desperate to come back and play the piano, by the way.”
“Tell him to come over tomorrow. I’ll be inside baking. We’re opening part of the tea room again because it’s one of our days for visitors. I could do with an iPhone lesson too, if he’s up for it?”
“Josh is always up for any excuse to be on the island!”
“What’s Josh up to this evening?” Lucy asked.
“He’s with a school friend. I know, isn’t that something?” Adam said, when her eyes widened. “Honestly, Lucy, the change in him since he’s been coming over to Pirran Island is incredible. He’s got so much more confidence and I can’t thank you enough.”
“It’s nothing to do with me,” Lucy protested, but Adam shook his head.
“I won’t have you saying that because it’s got everything to do with you. You’ve been there for him, encouraged his music again – which is something a tone-deaf numpty like me could never do – and you’ve made him feel that he belongs.” He stopped in his tracks, placing his hands on her shoulders and turning her to face him. “Lucy, I really mean it: I can’t ever thank you enough for what you’ve done.”
Lucy felt her face grow warm. “I love having him there and, honestly, it’s a privilege to be able to teach such a talented boy. He truly is exceptional.”
“He’s not the only one. You are too,” Adam replied, but so quietly that Lucy wasn’t sure if he’d really said anything at all. Before she could speak his hands fell away, and only the warmth left on her skin told her that she hadn’t imagined the charged moment.
“Right, food.” Adam rubbed his hands together. “You’re not wearing that lovely dress and I’m still covered in masonry dust, so I don’t think the Italian will be very pleased to see us. I know it’s slumming it a bit, but what do you say to fish and chips on the harbour?”
Lucy smiled. “I can’t think of anything I’d like better!”
The St Pirran chippy had undergone something of a t
ransformation from the tired and dated shop of Lucy’s childhood. Now that Cornwall was well and truly on the foodie map, the establishment was all chrome fittings, blond wood furniture and organic produce.
“I never knew cod and chips could be so complicated!” Adam grinned once they were sitting on the harbour wall and unpacking hot parcels. Handing Lucy a chip fork, he added, “Bon appétit!”
There was something about eating fish and chips outside and overlooking the sea that made the food taste all the more wonderful. Whether it was the fresh air, the gilded rays of the slowly sinking sun or the cries of the beady-eyed gulls circling overhead, Lucy wasn’t sure, but she couldn’t remember ever having enjoyed a meal so much. The chips were golden and fluffy, the batter just the right degree of crunchiness and the fish inside so flaky and delicious that she relished every mouthful. While they ate, Adam and Lucy chatted as easily as the water flowed across the causeway and over the glistening sand.
“Thanks so much for dinner,” she said, mopping her mouth with a paper napkin and placing her hands on her full stomach.
“That wasn’t dinner. What kind of cheapskate do you take me for?” Adam waggled his sandy eyebrows in mock offence. “I said dinner and I meant it. We’re still going to that Italian. No arguments either, Lucy. I’m a man of my word.”
“But this was perfect. I can’t think of anything better than eating here,” Lucy protested. She meant it too. There couldn’t be a better restaurant view in the entire world than this deep blue bay and the sky streaked with pinks and oranges.
Adam nodded. “It’s amazing, isn’t it? I feel so lucky to live here. It really is such a special place. This probably sounds a bit nuts but I think there’s something healing about it too.” He paused and Lucy waited for him to continue; something about the expression in his eyes said that he was miles and several years away. “Elly – my wife – has been gone for a couple of years now, and when Josh and I first got here we were pretty raw. Everyone says that time heals, don’t they? But they never tell you quite what that timescale is.”
Lucy thought about her own quiet, private grief for her uncle. Grumpy and difficult Armand had certainly been, but she missed him every day. He’d been her sounding board, her musical companion and her reason to get up and do things; when he’d died the void had been vast. But Armand had been old and his death, however unwelcome, was a part of the natural cycle of life. How much worse must it be having to face every day when your soulmate had been snatched too soon? And what was more, to have to put your own grief aside in order to carry that of your child? Her throat grew tight.
“It wasn’t until we moved to St Pirran that I started to feel there was hope for a new kind of life,” Adam continued, staring out across the bay. “I’m not saying that we miss Elly any the less, but being here feels right and it’s where Josh and I belong now. I don’t expect to see Els here. She isn’t in the garden, or the kitchen or in the street, and there aren’t the same memories in our new place. We’re making different ones, I suppose, and this is our life now. Maybe that’s how grief works?” He turned back to her and smiled. “Don’t the counsellors say acceptance is the final stage of the process?”
The Penwellyn family were of the get on with it school of thought, but Lucy recalled how the sharp edges of misery from losing her parents had been smoothed by the passing of the years, until she could think back on the happier times without her eyes prickling.
“I think so,” she said softly. “It must be hard though, Adam.”
“It’s been bloody hard, especially for Josh. That’s why knowing that he’s happy visiting the castle and that he’s actually playing the piano again means so much to me, and why I need you to know that.” His brown eyes were bright with emotion. “He’s so talented and to see him playing again means that he’s healing too. That means everything to me.”
Lucy didn’t think about what she did next; it was as instinctive to her as breathing. Reaching out, she held and squeezed Adam’s hand.
“He’s a wonderful boy, Adam, and you’re a wonderful father,” she said softly. “I’m so glad that coming here’s been good for you both.”
Adam didn’t remove his hand but returned the pressure of her fingers. Lucy said nothing but let him recover his composure before gently sliding hers away and busying herself collecting up the fish-and-chip wrappings.
“I might regret moving here if I eat like this too often though,” Adam said eventually, and Lucy laughed.
“You are kidding? All the walking around in this town will keep the pounds off.”
Not that Adam had any extra pounds. When he stood up and stretched, his tee shirt rode up to expose a slice of tanned torso. Lucy looked away hastily, feeling as coy as a heroine in a Georgette Heyer novel.
“Yeah, the novelty of parking miles away from the cottage soon wore off. Heaven help me in the winter!” he was saying, oblivious to her pink cheeks. “And the job’s really physical, not that I’m complaining. I’m lucky to have it, especially since it allows me to spend more time with Josh.”
Lucy could imagine exactly how hard Adam worked. Max Reynard pushed his staff to the limit. You only had to pop into The Castle Inn on a Friday evening to hear the local builders moaning about what a slave driver he was.
“Which is why you can’t keep coming over in your spare time to work on the castle,” she said firmly. “We really appreciate all you’ve done to help, but you need time to relax and be with Josh.”
“Is this the same Josh who’d rather be on the island?” Adam asked. He gathered up the rubbish and they walked together along the seafront to find a bin. Seagulls eyed them hopefully, screaming their irritation when he managed to stuff all the papers in without dropping any leftovers.
“You have quite enough on,” Lucy insisted. “Building must be such a physical job.”
“It is,” Adam agreed. “But the thing is, Lucy, I’m not just working here as a builder.”
He wasn’t? Lucy was confused. “But aren’t you working on the church?”
“I’m the Project Manager and a master stonemason,” he told her. “I know I look like a disorganised mess most of the time but somehow I’ve ended up being a bit of an expert in my field. Pirran Castle and its restoration is the kind of project people in my game dream about. Any help I can give you is an absolute pleasure. Never mind what you’ve done for Josh, you’d be indulging me too. I’d love to lend a hand when I can.”
“Goodness,” said Lucy, taken aback. They had an expert who wanted to help them for free? For the first time since Ness’s meeting she felt a little flicker of hope. “Wow, thanks.”
“It’s my pleasure. Making a difference and preserving the past is something I’m passionate about.”
“You’re the opposite of Max Reynard then,” Lucy observed.
But Adam shook his blond head. “I think you’d be surprised. Max isn’t what you think he is.”
Lucy wasn’t convinced. The changes in the town, the rapid development of the church, the flash boat and now the attempt to buy the castle suggested to her that Max Reynard was exactly what she thought he was: a ruthless man who’d stop at nothing to make money. Nonetheless, Lucy was aware that Max was also Adam’s employer, so she chose to say nothing. As far as Lucy was concerned the jury was still out when it came to Reynards.
Having finished their meal, Adam and Lucy strolled back towards the harbour steps, where several boats were collecting holidaymakers keen for a sunset trip out across the bay. Lucy waved to one of the skippers, who gave her a thumbs up.
“There’s my ride home sorted,” she said.
“It certainly beats the London Underground,” Adam remarked.
Lucy laughed at this. “There’s no Oyster card and I’ll have to pay him in cake, but it seems to work.”
They’d paused at the top of the steps. Suddenly Lucy felt shy. It hadn’t been a date but something had shifted between them.
“Thanks for dinner,” she said, and Adam gave her a stern l
ook.
“That wasn’t dinner, remember? The Italian meal is still waiting, but let’s not leave it too long. I love seafood pasta.” He leaned forward and brushed her cheek with his lips. “Thanks for a lovely evening, Lucy. I’ll see you in the next few days, I’m sure. I’ve got some ideas about how we can salvage the Pilgrim’s Gate.”
The gate. Of course. It was the castle he was excited about, Lucy reminded herself sharply as she descended the steps and hopped on board the small tripping boat. She must bear that in mind and not allow herself to get swept away with silly daydreams and fantasies. He was a master stonemason and she lived on an island that offered a once-in-a-lifetime project, that was all.
Still, as the boat slipped its moorings and Adam waved to her with the evening sunshine turning his hair to fire, it was very easy to dream. It was only when the skipper drew alongside the island’s pier that Lucy realised that for the whole journey home she’d had her fingertips pressed against the exact spot where Adam’s mouth had touched her cheek.
How was it possible that her skin still felt warm?
Chapter 22
“There’s absolutely no way she’ll sell to you, mate. I should just give up trying to tempt her with huge amounts of cash. From what I can see, she’s not impressed with that kind of crap.”
Adam handed Max a Coke and leaned back against the Sunseeker’s cabin. Although Adam was wearing Ray-Bans, Max knew exactly what the expression in his best friend’s eyes would be: a mixture of exasperation and sympathy. He took the can and, glancing around his expensive boat and at the stunning blonde sunning herself in a tiny bikini on the foredeck, raised it in an ironic toast.
“Looks like I’m screwed then, doesn’t it?”
It was a beautiful summer’s day, the kind when England looks its best and all the grey rainy days are instantly forgotten and forgiven. Tired with the heat of London and the grind of the office, Max had driven down to Cornwall the night before, keen to kick back for a couple of days and enjoy the water. With her clean lines and ice-white hull, Foxy Lady was perfect for slicing through silky blue water. Now that she was moored in the bay the beautiful boat was attracting a lot of attention. At least, Max thought it was his superyacht that everyone was admiring, but then again Aimee’s bikini was very skimpy and her long honey-coloured limbs wouldn’t have been out of place at Aintree. Bringing her with him had seemed like a good idea yesterday, but after twenty-four hours in her company he was starting to wonder. Coming to Cornwall and flaunting his boat, wealth and gorgeous girlfriend was supposed to make Ness Penwellyn look out from her crumbling castle and feel impressed and (hopefully) jealous, but he had his doubts now.
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