The Eclair Affair

by Cressida McLaughlin

  Ten minutes ago, she had definitely been leaving. Now, she didn’t think anything could persuade her to go. A small voice inside her head told her it was because Daniel was coming back. The logical part of her brain reasoned that it was because she would be a fool to pass up something so luxurious, especially after such a busy day.

  ‘I shouldn’t really be doing this.’ Daniel’s voice was low, conspiratorial. Charlie opened her eyes, biting back a gasp when she saw that he was wearing one of the hotel’s fluffy robes and holding the bottle of champagne.

  ‘Why not?’ Charlie asked him. ‘You were the one who invited me here.’ Her pulse quickened as he undid the cord of his dressing gown. She turned away, but she had seen the definition of his collarbone, strong shoulders, dark chest hair. She felt the water shift as he joined her, then reached over the side to grab his glass.

  ‘It’s unprofessional,’ Daniel told her.

  ‘Why? Fraternizing with the guests?’

  ‘Making use of my own facilities.’

  ‘But haven’t you booked the hot tub out for me? What if I had invited you in as my guest? Nobody else will turn up, and even if they do – so what?’

  ‘All excellent points. I can see you’re going to be a bad influence on me.’

  Charlie clinked her glass against his for a second time. ‘Pretty sure it’s the other way around,’ she murmured.

  The air seemed to bubble between them; everything, on this beautiful evening, was bubbling, especially Charlie’s nerves. What was she really doing here? She tried not to think about the answer as Daniel moved round, until he was facing the sea.

  ‘Tell me more about Jasper,’ she said. ‘Where does he go when you’re at work?’ It was the first thing she could think of that might put them on safe ground. It all felt a bit dangerous, and not because the hot tub was closer to the cliff edge than she would have liked.

  ‘My neighbour, Lily, looks after him. She’s got two Labradors, and they have a great time together, apparently.’

  ‘Oh.’ Charlie resisted the urge to ask more about Lily, specifically her age, and how attractive she was. Did Daniel repay her kindness with evenings like this, in the hot tub? She listened to him, laughing as he told her how badly behaved his dog had been as a puppy, and how, initially, Jasper had sent his organized life spinning into chaos.

  ‘So you’re a workaholic?’ she asked.

  ‘I’m proud of this place. I had a strong idea about how I wanted it to turn out, and I made it happen. Just like you and the food markets.’

  ‘Today’s was even better than the first,’ she said, smiling. Now she was away from the beach and her anger had been quashed, she could appreciate how well it had gone, how something that had started as a spark of an idea could become an established event in Porthgolow. It was already getting recognition further afield. ‘Even if it didn’t end with fireworks this time round.’

  ‘I’m sure your Uncle Hal would be proud of you.’ Daniel turned to face her. ‘You miss him a lot, don’t you?’

  ‘All the time,’ she said quietly.

  ‘But you have Gertie. She’s a beautiful bus – now – very popular, great food. There’s something simple and romantic about serving cakes on a bus.’

  ‘Simple and romantic,’ she echoed. ‘Can I quote you on that? I could pop a decal on the side, get posters and banners printed. Successful local hotelier urges you to come aboard the romantic Cornish Cream Tea Bus.’

  ‘And,’ he continued, ignoring her, ‘I reckon you could do worse than ending up here, with this view, to get you back on track after your uncle’s death. Porthgolow is soothing to the soul.’

  ‘Even if it starts out twisted?’ Charlie grinned, then felt instantly guilty. ‘Sorry. God, I don’t really think that you have a twisted soul.’

  Daniel’s eyes crinkled at the edges. ‘What do you think of me?’

  Charlie groaned. ‘Why would you ask that? How is anyone meant to answer that question honestly?’ He didn’t reply. She waited while he poured the remainder of the champagne into their glasses before continuing. ‘I don’t think you take anything seriously, other than this hotel, which is your pride and joy. I always feel wrong-footed when I’m around you. Are you helping me, or making fun of me? And if you are helping me, then why? Is it because you see me as a kindred spirit, someone else in the village who isn’t particularly popular? Do you want to be some sort of a team?’

  Daniel moved closer. It was only a few inches, but Charlie noticed. ‘I think we could be a very good team, if we put our minds to it.’

  Charlie inhaled. She could feel the champagne fizzing inside her, lightening her mind, making her stomach dance. Daniel had such strong shoulders, a firm, angular jaw line. Everything about him was solid and real and, at that moment, far too close. She slid further round the hot tub.

  ‘You want us to help each other out?’ she asked, hoping she sounded calmer than she felt.

  ‘I’m not making fun of you, Charlie. I’m trying to get to know you. To understand why you’ve whirled into this village that – I presume – you’ve never been to before, and have adopted it as if it’s a stray puppy. You don’t owe Porthgolow anything.’

  Charlie pursed her lips, thinking seriously about his question. ‘Juliette fell in love with this place as soon as she arrived, and when I got here I could see its charms. And Hal spent his life making other people happy: that was the reason for his tours, for Gertie, for everything he did. I want to keep his legacy alive, and show that, even though he’s gone, Gertie can carry on, with me. And once she was up and running I just thought …’

  Daniel moved closer, reaching up to stroke her damp hair. ‘What did you think?’

  ‘I thought that – that holding an event would be a challenge. An adventure.’ Her words were rough. She wondered if she was even saying them out loud. ‘And I realized I could bring some life back to Porthgolow at the same time.’

  His face was inches from hers. He leaned in and, so softly, brushed his lips against hers. Electricity rushed through her. Every part of her responded to his touch and, for a moment, she was kissing him back. Her heart pounded louder than the jets of the Jacuzzi. How could his kiss be tender and commanding, all at once? It felt right. Wonderful. Perfect, but … she pulled away from him.

  Daniel’s eyes were searching. ‘Charlie, do you want to—?’

  ‘That shouldn’t have happened. Should that have happened?’

  She pictured Oliver with his blond hair and The Marauding Mojito T-shirt, Stuart knowing exactly what to say and soothing away her worries. Daniel was so sure of himself. What if he had said those things in the pub, bad-mouthed her to the other villagers? Accepting Stuart’s lies was what had led to her heartbreak in the first place. She didn’t know Daniel, but she had let him get close to her; she had encouraged him. And it had felt so good.

  ‘Why shouldn’t it have happened?’ he asked.

  ‘I’m sorry, Daniel. I should go.’ She clambered out of the hot tub, scrabbled for her robe and pulled it over her wet skin. ‘Marmite’s still in your office – he’s probably going frantic.’

  ‘Charlie!’ Daniel stood and hopped out of the hot tub in a single, impressive move. Charlie tried not to look at him standing there dripping, the water, turned golden by the sun, running in rivulets down his toned chest, his arms, his legs. His sodden navy trunks hugged his thighs, and his hair was plastered to his forehead. He looked even more delicious than her chocolate-chip scones. Hal’s voice slipped into her head: Spontaneous moments are always better than planned ones. It was one of his life lessons that wasn’t, at this point, remotely helpful.

  ‘Thank you so much for this, Daniel,’ she said. ‘I really do appreciate it. And I feel so much more relaxed.’ Or she had, until he’d kissed her.

  ‘You’re welcome.’ The stiffness in his voice told her he’d switched to professional mode. Whatever there had been between them a few moments ago, she’d successfully killed it. ‘I’ll get Marmite for you.’r />
  ‘Thank you, that’s very kind.’

  ‘We aim to please.’ He pulled on his robe and tied it tightly around his waist.

  She followed him inside, the sun setting at their backs.

  ‘What did you want to talk to me about?’

  Reenie passed Charlie a steaming cup of tea and sat alongside her on the edge of her concrete garden outside her yellow house. Charlie couldn’t get over the view, the way the sunlight sprinkled the waves with shimmering pink. In another half an hour, the sea would look like it was on fire. She had thought the end of the jetty was good, but this was something else.

  ‘I couldn’t fail to notice your success yesterday,’ Reenie continued, when Charlie didn’t reply.

  ‘It didn’t disturb you, did it?’

  ‘Not at all, girl. It’s good to see there’s still some life in the old village. Now, tell me what this is about. I can’t believe you came here to resume your role as my waste-disposal operative. I have hardly anything to give you – it’s not been that long since you took my last load of recycling.’

  ‘No, it’s not that. It’s …’ What was it, exactly? The evening after her dip in the hot tub, Charlie’s head was so full and, with Juliette and Lawrence having a meal out in Truro, she could only think of one place to come. ‘How well do you know Daniel?’ she asked.

  There was a moment of silence. Then an ‘ah’. Then a chuckle.

  ‘What?’ Charlie said. ‘What does that mean?’

  Reenie smirked. ‘You want to know more about our resident hotshot hotelier? You’ve fallen for his charms already, then.’

  ‘He kissed me, actually.’

  ‘Good Lord, girl. Things are moving faster than I anticipated.’

  Charlie stared at her. ‘What do you mean? You knew this would happen?’

  ‘Daniel needs someone who can match him for tenacity and stubbornness and, even though he’s got a ruthless streak and you’re as kind as they come, I thought you might create a few fireworks that had nothing to do with the solstice.’

  Charlie shook her head. How could this woman live so far on the edge of society and know so much? She hadn’t once seen her anywhere else in the village. ‘I thought he’d been talking about me behind my back, so I went up to Crystal Waters to confront him, and we ended up in the hot tub.’ She was trying not to think about it, but her brain seemed intent on doing nothing else. Just the memory of their kiss set her pulse racing.

  ‘This is a turn-up for the books,’ Reenie said. ‘The Daniel I know would never have let his standards slip.’

  Charlie gasped. ‘You think he’s letting his standards slip by spending time with me?’

  ‘Of course not, ridiculous woman. I was talking about him using his own Jacuzzi while the hotel is open. You’re messing with his mind if he’s encouraging that sort of behaviour.’ She laughed, a loud, brazen cackle that was swallowed by the wind.

  ‘Oh, right. So—’

  ‘What are you planning next? He could do with being taken down a peg or two.’ She peered at Charlie over the top of her mug.

  Charlie sighed. She had no idea why this woman, whom she had only met once before, had been her choice of confidante. Maybe it was precisely because she didn’t know her that she felt able to offer up her innermost thoughts, like to a priest in a confessional.

  ‘I don’t want to topple him,’ she said. ‘I want to stop thinking about him. I came to Porthgolow to get away from everything, and I’ve got Gertie to focus on. Making a success of her and the food market. Most of the villagers are on side now, and I was thinking about doing some cream tea tours; you know, more in the spirit of my uncle Hal, who ran tours in the Cotswolds. Of course, Gertie wasn’t a café then so it’s more complicated, but—’

  ‘My dear girl,’ Reenie said. ‘Did you come here to talk to me, or at me?’

  Charlie shrugged. ‘I wasn’t planning on getting involved with anyone.’

  ‘So back off. Tell Daniel, straight out, that you’re not interested. I don’t see how it could be any simpler, if you don’t have feelings for him. And I’m not sure how you think I can help you.’

  Charlie stretched her legs out in front of her. ‘When I came here last time I got the impression that you know everything about the village, despite being out here.’

  ‘This isn’t a leper colony. I may be on the fringes, but I have eyes and ears, and legs for walking when I choose to.’

  ‘Exactly. It sounds like you’re friends with Daniel and I want to know more about him.’

  ‘Ah, so you do have feelings for him. My suggestion of simply cutting yourself off isn’t the answer you wanted to hear.’

  Charlie sipped her too-milky tea. ‘In some ways, he reminds me of my last boyfriend – and my last boyfriend cheated on me.’

  ‘I’m sorry to hear that, Charlie. But only you can decide if Daniel’s worth taking a risk on. I can tell you that the man I have got to know is kind, beneath all that bluster, but he’s not that easy to get close to. He likes being up on that cliff top, away from the centre of everything, and he likes to keep his life simple. Making money, having a good reputation, not getting too attached.

  ‘Daniel is a force to be reckoned with, but now you’ve muscled in on his patch, and it’s good for him. You’re knocking down a few of his barriers.’ Reenie chuckled and narrowed her eyes, as if she could see something on the horizon, but when Charlie looked, there was only endless sea.

  Juliette had said something similar, the night of the solstice. That Charlie had made an impression on Daniel, forcing an unlikely apology out of him. But if she was adamant she didn’t want a relationship with him, why wasn’t she just doing what Reenie suggested and backing off? She tugged on Marmite’s lead as he strayed towards the edge of the cliff.

  ‘Don’t beat yourself up, Charlie. Sometimes it’s best not to overthink and just see what happens. I’m assuming Daniel’s a good kisser or we wouldn’t be having this conversation.’ Ignoring Charlie’s shocked expression, Reenie stood up and took her mug, even though she hadn’t finished her tea. ‘Now, off you pop. The rocks aren’t easy to navigate in the dark, and I don’t have an outside light.’ Before Charlie could reply, Reenie went inside her yellow house and closed the door.

  Charlie pulled herself to her feet and began to make her way over the rocks, replaying everything the older woman had told her. She’d had no contact from Daniel since the previous night, and she couldn’t really blame him after the way she’d left, scrambling out of the hot tub as if she’d been scalded. But she had all her plans for the Cornish Cream Tea Bus to think about, not to mention growing the food market.

  When she’d first considered turning Gertie into a café bus, she couldn’t have imagined the journey she would come on. She might still have some locals to convince, but she hadn’t given up on the possibility of winning them round. Rose and Frank had been torn between wanting to enjoy the market and standing against it, sticking to what they were comfortable with. But this was a new way of life for her too; the difference was that the one she’d come from had been miserable, so she was embracing each day in Cornwall with as much energy and enthusiasm as she could muster.

  But did that mean she could consider a new romance, too? She loved how carefree and relaxed Oliver was, how easily she could talk to him. But then her thoughts returned, predictably, to Daniel’s kiss. With the briefest touch, he’d made her feel so much; awakened parts of her that had been asleep for so long.

  Part of the reason she’d come to Porthgolow was to soothe away the remaining shards of hurt and anger at Stuart’s betrayal. Was she ready to risk her heart again? She reached the edge of the beach, and gazed at the last glimmering rays of a spectacular sunset. Gertie’s red paintwork was amber, her large windows gleaming gold.

  As Charlie turned away from the sea and towards Juliette’s house, Marmite skittering along beside her, Hal’s voice popped into her head: Live life to the full, Charlie. You only get one chance.

  But should t
hat chance involve Daniel Harper? That was something all Hal’s wisdom combined couldn’t decide for her. She was just going to have to come up with the answer herself.

  Fallen in love with The Cornish Cream Tea Bus, click on the links to hop on for the rest of the journey …

  Don’t Go Baking My Heart [ePub edition] 978-0-00-833214-3

  Scone’s Away [ePub edition] 978-0-00-833216-7

  The Icing on the Cake [ePub edition] 978-0-00-833217-4

  Read on for an extract of Cressy’s heart-warming novel, The House of Birds and Butterflies…

  Chapter One

  The robin is a small, brown bird with a red breast, that you often see on Christmas cards. It’s very friendly, and likes to join in with whatever you’re doing in the garden, especially if you’re digging up its dinner. It has a beautiful, bubbly song that always stands out, much like its bright chest.

  — Note from Abby’s notebook

  Abby Field was off the reserve.

  She didn’t know how it had happened, but one minute she was treading the well-worn woodland trail, intent on finding the perfect spot for the ladybird sculpture, the final creature in her nature treasure hunt, and the next she had pushed her way through the branches of the fallen elder and was standing at the side gate of Swallowtail House, looking up at the impressive, empty building. As always, she strained to see inside the grand windows, which remained free of any kind of boards, as if she could discover what Penelope’s life had been like all those years ago.

  She wasn’t sure why she had ended up here now, deviating from her course and slipping away from the nature reserve, but something about this beautiful, deserted building captivated her, and not just because it belonged to her boss, and had been standing empty for over fifteen years. She wondered if any furniture remained, or if the large rooms had been stripped bare of everything except cobwebs. She passed the house’s main gates on her way to and from work every day, could imagine the trail of cars that had, at one time, driven through them. But now they were kept secure, the huge padlock not to be messed with.