‘Poppy … I just wanted to say—’
She cut him off. ‘Thanks for everything, Jake.’
He frowned, but then said, ‘I was going to say the same. Thank you.’
‘Why would you thank me?’ she blurted out, finding it harder to keep in her real feelings with every second that he lingered.
‘Because, I er … was a bit of a miserable sod when you first turned up. Still am from time to time, but not quite so much.’
His crooked, self-effacing smile tied her stomach in knots. Why now? Why suddenly admit to herself that she’d fallen for him when he was leaving any moment? That was why, because he was leaving and she was safe. Almost safe.
‘I’ve enjoyed myself a lot these past few weeks and it’s made me realise that I’d forgotten how to let myself do that lately. I’d shut myself off to having any kind of fun.’
‘Me too,’ said Poppy. ‘It’s been a lot easier having your help. And Fen’s.’
He reached down and ruffled the back of Leo’s neck. Leo let him and Jake let out a gasp. ‘Bloody hell. That’s progress.’
‘You see, perseverance pays off.’ Poppy kept her tone jokey and light, but her inner voice was willing him to leave in case she did something silly – like cry. What was she like? Had she made no progress at all? She’d only known Jake a month, but this farewell was almost as bad as Dan walking out. Worse, because Dan was a shit and Jake wasn’t – or hadn’t proved himself to be yet.
She moved behind the cash desk and picked up an art catalogue for safety – from herself mainly in case hugging might be required. She needed to bring this to a close.
‘Safe travels. Look forward to seeing your pictures,’ she said.
Jake frowned. He was probably wondering why she was clutching the catalogue to her chest. ‘I’ll email you the best ones,’ he said.
‘Can’t wait. Now, I think I just heard the ferry hooting.’
He glanced at the door. ‘I didn’t hear anything.’
‘Maybe I was mistaken, but it’s almost time.’
‘I guess so … OK.’ He didn’t smile.
Poppy was teetering on the very edge of losing it. She knew if she even hinted she’d miss him, he might offer to come back to St Piran’s again. But he might not and that would break her freshly healing heart all over again. How, how, how had she let herself become so attached to Jake so soon after Dan? That wasn’t how things were supposed to be. It wasn’t being strong or smart, or any of the things the websites said you should be.
Toot.
She almost passed out with relief. ‘There, you see. I’m telepathic.’
‘Yeah. Sure. I’ll be off then.’ He walked towards the door.
‘Don’t get eaten!’ she called.
He turned around and smiled. ‘I’ll try not to.’
And his smile was the last she saw of him. Perhaps the very last she would ever see of Jake Pendower in the flesh. Unless Archie returned and he came to visit him. That could be months or even years, if Jake’s recent track record was anything to go by.
She busied herself with the vital task of tidying the immaculate cash desk and fanning out the postcards on the desk. She checked the petty cash yet again, just in case. Thank God that the customers would soon arrive.
Warm fuzziness against her legs made her look down. Leo’s furry face gazed up at hers, his eyes almost questioning. She picked him up and he allowed her to cuddle him before half-heartedly attempting to bite her, wriggling free and ambling off up the staircase to her flat. Oh well, at least he was sticking around.
After Jake left, Poppy dealt with a steady if unspectacular stream of visitors, with a relative rush at the end of the afternoon. She’d been very glad to keep busy, either chatting to customers or phoning and emailing to try and organise her first workshops and holidays.
Leo sauntered in and out via the front door to the studio when it suited him. He had been dining at the studio, at Fen’s and at Archie’s, but with Archie’s cottage locked up, his choice of eateries was now down to two. Poppy had shut the studio by five and was catching up with some work. She’d left the rear door behind the work area ajar, to let in some fresh air and to enable Leo to come and go as he pleased, but by half past six, he hadn’t turned up. She assumed he’d used the cat flap and gone to Fen’s, so she closed the studio door and went to see if he was waiting to be fed.
There was no sign of him at Fen’s cottage, so she put down a full dish on the tiles and locked the cottage again. He was bound to return to one of his homes sooner or later, and it would have to be Fen’s now because she couldn’t leave the studio door open all night. By ten o’clock, it was dark, a weather front had moved across the isles and Poppy had to make a dash over to Fen’s with a torch to check on Leo. The moment she switched the light on, she could see that the food hadn’t been touched.
Either Leo wasn’t hungry or he hadn’t been home. He hadn’t been to the studio either … A ripple of unease stirred in her stomach. However unpredictable Leo was, he loved his food, and as Jake and Fen had pointed out, he especially loved his hare and badger.
After checking the rest of the cottage, she locked up again and wandered home, sweeping the beam of the torch over the road and the cobbles of the harbour, hoping to see a pair of eyes glinting in the darkness or waiting for her on the veranda of the studio.
By eleven she went up to the flat and stood at the window. A break in the clouds revealed the half-moon for a minute or two shining onto the restless sea. The lighthouse beam flashed a couple of times, but there was no sign of Leo.
Poppy woke before dawn. She’d left the bathroom skylight open despite the squally rain showers that had blown in for most of the night, and had slept fitfully, expecting Leo to climb in off the roof at any moment, but he hadn’t.
She scrambled into her clothes, pulled on a waterproof and hurried over to Fen’s cottage. The food was still untouched.
‘Oi, Leo! Where are you hiding, your furry little devil? Are you really that pissed off that Fen’s left?’ A mad thought struck her. Dogs had been known to follow their owners hundreds of miles, but Leo would have to have super feline powers to swim from the Alcatraz that was St Piran’s. Jake might think he was the Blofeld of the cat world, but Poppy knew differently.
Panic began to set in then. She would never ever forgive herself if Leo had come to harm on her watch. How long should she wait? Should she phone Fen? No, it would worry her unnecessarily and possibly make her return, by which time Leo would probably saunter in to one of his homes, oblivious to the full-scale cat hunt he’d caused.
There was no one she could call who could help in any way. With Fen and Jake gone, she was aware of how alone and isolated she was.
She took a calming breath. Leo was a cat. A cat who loved to roam. That was what cats did. With this cheering thought in mind, she locked up and turned to head back down the road to the studio, planning on making herself a large mug of coffee while she waited for the wanderer to return.
But all the way home, her mind whirled with nightmare scenarios. Might he have got into a fight with another cat or a dog? He wasn’t an aggressive cat, only a bit aloof, but a dog could hurt him badly. What about a fox or a badger? She had no idea if there even were any on St Piran’s. She doubted it very much.
By the time the ferry arrived a couple of hours later and Leo hadn’t shown up around any of his homes, Poppy was frantic. She had no choice but to put on a smile for the customers, although she did start asking casually if any of them had seen a large ginger cat, or if they did, could they please let her know.
Several times, she’d looked up Fen’s mobile number on her phone. How long dare she leave it? Her finger hovered over the number when the phone rang out. It wasn’t Fen. It was Jake. He’d only got the first syllable of ‘Hello’ out when Poppy launched everything at him.
‘Jake! I’m so glad you’ve called.’
‘Why? What’s the matter? Are you OK?’
‘Leo’s gone missi
ng.’
‘What do you mean. Missing?’
‘He didn’t come home – any of his homes – for dinner last night and I searched for him until dark and earlier this morning. I’m so worried about him.’
The phone was silent for a couple of seconds. ‘I’ll come back from St Mary’s,’ he said.
‘St Mary’s? What are you doing there …’
‘My plane had mechanical trouble, then there was low fog at Newquay, so later flights were delayed. I was on standby. Someone offered me a bed for the night, so I stayed over. I didn’t want to risk coming back to St Piran’s and missing the first flight out,’ said Jake. ‘I was about to walk up to the airport now. But I’ll get the jetboat to you.’
‘You can’t come back now! You’ll miss your flight to Cornwall.’
‘Let me worry about that.’
She stopped objecting. If Jake thought the situation with Leo was serious enough to return, things must be bad. ‘I’ll never forgive myself if we can’t find him,’ she said.
‘We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. I’ll meet you at St Piran’s harbour as soon as I can.’
It was no good. She’d have to close the studio. Leo was more important. She guessed Jake would be along in half an hour at the most in a fast boat. An extra person searching would be a huge help and if Leo still didn’t materialise, then Jake could help her make the decision to call Fen.
Having a sudden flash of inspiration, she locked up and ran down to the quayside where Trevor, the local fisherman, landed his catch and where Leo had been known to hang around in the hope of a treat. Her hopes were dashed because there was no sign of him, nor had Trevor seen him. Feeling more and more desolate, she made another round of the immediate vicinity of the studio and two cottages. Jake would be here soon so she wandered slightly further up the hill from Fen’s towards the ‘town’.
As she neared the crest of the slope, she spotted a man in chinos and a pink shirt ahead, on his knees, with his head in a hedge next to the road. Even from the back she knew it was Hugo Scorrier, part-owner of Petroc Resort. His black Labrador was sniffing around Hugo’s feet.
He backed out of the hedge and, spotting Poppy, called over to her. ‘Hello. Poppy isn’t it? Have you seen Fen Teague? I’m afraid her cat’s dead.’
Chapter 24
Poppy’s stomach turned over and over as she ran to Hugo.
‘Oh God, no! Fen’s away. I’m looking after him.’
Hugo parted the hedge. A bundle of ginger fur lay beneath the leaves, as lifeless as an old sack. ‘I’m very sorry, but he looks a goner to me.’
‘Oh, Leo. Leo. Leo …’ Light-headed with horror, Poppy touched his fur. Her fingers were wet with the dew … He’d probably been lying in pain for who knew how long. ‘He must have been here all night,’ she said, fighting back tears.
‘Looks like he might have had an argument with a vehicle,’ said Hugo, touching Leo’s paw. His claws looked rough and his pads were torn. ‘Poor puss. It must have been a car or a van – or trailer or quad bike. Something big enough that the driver didn’t notice. Damn bad luck though, considering there can’t be more than a dozen vehicles on the whole island. I’m very sorry.’
Her throat was thick with despair. She stroked Leo’s side in a way she’d never have been able to if he were alive. ‘I’m so sorry, puss.’ He couldn’t have been gone long because he was still warm. If only she’d found him sooner, she might have been able to save him … Tears spilled out of her eyes. She’d have to tell Fen. Oh God … She held her breath. She was sure there had been a tiny ripple of movement under her fingers.
‘Leo?’
She was answered with the tiniest twitch of a tail. Then Leo opened his eyes.
‘You’re alive …’
He gave a faint purr.
‘He’s not dead!’ She swung round to Hugo. ‘We have to try and help him.’
If there was the tiniest chance for Leo, she’d move heaven and earth to save him.
Hugo knelt by her side. ‘Come on, old chap. Don’t give up.’ He tickled Leo’s ears and gently touched his paw and was answered by a small snarl, which Poppy took to be a good sign.
She heard someone running up the path and, a few seconds later, Jake was by her side. He could hardly speak. ‘J-Jesus. What’s happened?’
Poppy had to stay calm for Leo’s sake. ‘Leo’s been run over.’
‘He probably crawled under the hedge after a glance with a van or trailer,’ said Hugo, stepping back to let Jake take a look at the cat.
Jake snatched in a breath and knelt down by Poppy’s side. ‘You’ve been in the wars, haven’t you, boy?’ He gently stroked Leo’s head. Leo purred and Poppy’s heart broke a little more.
‘We need to get him to the vet’s,’ she said.
‘I think there’s a part-time surgery in St Mary’s,’ said Jake. ‘I hope there is.’
‘I know Asha, the vet,’ said Hugo. ‘If I phone ahead, she’ll help.’
‘Thanks, Hugo. We need to get Leo there as quickly as possible if he’s to have any chance,’ said Poppy.
‘I can give you a lift in the Kraken,’ said Hugo. ‘If we go now, we can catch the tide and be in the harbour in under ten minutes.’
Jake turned to Hugo. ‘Thanks, Hugo.’
Hugo called his dog to him and clipped him on his lead. ‘You bring the little chap down to the harbour and I’ll have the Kraken ready for the off.’
Hugo left, followed by Basil, happily wagging his tail, oblivious to the drama happening under the hedge.
Leo was just a cat, thought Poppy, but she would do anything she could to save him.
‘Help me lift him out of the hedge,’ said Jake.
Poppy’s hands shook as she stroked Leo to keep him calm. ‘I’m so worried about hurting him.’
Jake glanced at her. ‘Me too, but we’ve no choice.’
‘I think we need an old towel or something to wrap him in and keep him warm. I’ll go to the studio for one.’
‘No, let’s not waste time.’ Jake got up and looked around him. ‘Wait a sec.’ He climbed over the wall of the B&B opposite. Towels and sheets were flapping in the breeze. Jake tugged a white towel from the washing line, clambered back over the wall and handed it to Poppy. ‘I’m sure they won’t mind,’ he said.
Leo gave a few pathetic meows as Poppy tucked the towel over him as carefully as she could and Jake moved him from beneath the hedge. It was clear that Leo had cut his paw as there was blood on Poppy’s hands and on the towel when they moved him. He let out a few yowls, every one of which made Poppy flinch in horror. Never having owned a cat, she was so worried she might be causing more pain and damage to him, but they really had no choice.
With Leo in his arms, Jake hurried down to the harbour, Poppy leading the way. Hugo had the engine of his smart motor yacht already running. Poppy got on board and took Leo carefully from Jake, who untied the Kraken before jumping aboard.
‘Do you want to sit inside the cockpit with him to keep warm?’ Hugo called as he guided the boat away from the harbour.
Poppy sat on the bench seat with Leo in her lap. Jake shut the cockpit door to keep the wind off them all and the boat picked up speed. Basil sat by Hugo’s feet, turning his head this way and that.
‘He’s probably wondering why a cat has been allowed into his boat,’ said Jake, obviously trying for a bit of gentle humour to comfort Poppy.
Basil’s ears twitched as if he knew they were talking about him.
‘You’ll miss your flight,’ she said.
‘I already have,’ said Jake. ‘But I don’t care. I can get another one tomorrow. Or the next day.’
‘You’ll miss a day with your family. I’m so sorry,’ said Poppy. ‘And Fen …’ She glanced down at Leo, lying almost motionless in her lap, his ginger fur a stark contrast against the white towel. He had made a few sounds during the journey, some purrs and a little chirrup, despite his ordeal and the pain he must be in. ‘We need to tell Fen,
but I can’t face it. I was looking after Leo and it’s my fault he’s like this. I should have kept him shut in the studio or her house.’
Jake shook his head. ‘No. Leo would hate to be kept inside and Fen wouldn’t want that. This is his life, wandering around as he pleases. It’s just shitty bad luck. You know yourself that there’s hardly any traffic. If that’s what happened.’
‘It must be. Hugo’s right.’
‘Five minutes to go,’ Hugo called. ‘I’ve arranged for transport from the harbour to the vet’s.’
‘Thank you, Hugo,’ said Poppy, then turned to Jake again. ‘We will have to let Fen know.’ The very thought made her feel sick.
‘I’ll call her later, but let’s see what the vet says first. If the worst happens, well …’ Jake lowered his voice as if he didn’t want Leo to hear. ‘I’ll break the news myself.’
Five minutes seemed an agonisingly long time, but eventually the Kraken arrived at Hugo’s pontoon in St Mary’s harbour. Poppy carried Leo up the steps to a minibus with the Petroc Resort livery.
‘Our driver, Kieran, will take you to the vet’s,’ said Hugo. ‘Please try not to worry too much. If anyone can save Leo, it’s Asha. She did wonders with Basil’s cruciate ligament. She’s a marvel.’ Hugo smiled.
‘Hugo has faith in Asha. That’s high praise.’ Jake touched Leo’s ear. ‘You’re in the best hands, mate,’ he said, but Poppy thought the reassurance was all for her sake.
‘Call me and let me know how Leo gets on and whenever you need transport back to St Piran’s,’ said Hugo and waved them off in the minibus, which would take them the short distance to the vet’s. En route, Hugo had told them that Asha held a part-time surgery on the island, as well as attending to the Petroc Resort’s small dairy herd and a few farms on the other islands.
Jake whispered in Poppy’s ear. ‘I always thought he was a bit of a prat. In fact, everyone thinks he’s a bit of a prat, but he obviously loves animals.’
‘He thinks a lot of the vet too,’ said Poppy. ‘I hope he’s right.’
Summer on the Little Cornish Isles Page 21
