No, there was no option. She had to leave Rock and soon, before Tom could cause any more trouble. The moment he’d vanished over the stile, she’d raced into the caravan, stuffing her belongings into her holdall and a collection of Tesco carrier bags, trying to suppress the growing feeling of panic. A quick note to Angel and Gemma was left propped against the kettle with a promise to call them as soon as she could. Then Andi had walked into Rock in an attempt to pick up a mobile signal.
Where she was going, Andi didn’t have a clue; she only knew that she had to leave. There was a bus to Bodmin soon and once she was in the small town she would be able to catch a train to London. When she was back in the city she could rent a cheap room somewhere and regroup; her meagre savings wouldn’t last forever, but if she was really careful she might have a couple of weeks’ grace while she looked for a job. Any job. It wouldn’t be like working for Simon – Andi had loved every minute she’d worked for him – and it certainly wouldn’t involve feeling like part of a family.
She swallowed. How come she hadn’t realised before just how much she missed that sense of belonging, the teasing, the laughter and the easy companionship? Was it because it had been missing from her own life for so long, even before her mother had died? Alex had never been one for close father–daughter chats, and boarding school had been a chilly, sterile experience. The nuns had liked to talk about love but in practice they hadn’t been big fans of it. The Rothwells, though, were always hugging and laughing and having fun. Andi had worked hard but there had always been somebody to chat to: Mel with a cup of coffee and a biscuit, Angel with some hare-brained plan, the boys wanting to kick a ball about, Jonty…
Andi’s vision blurred dangerously and she bit her lip hard to gain control.
Was it just the strap of the holdall pulled tightly across her chest that was causing this sharp pain, or was it the thought of never seeing Jonty again? The memories of the time that she’d spent with him were stored safely away in her head, and even before she’d even left Cornwall Andi knew that she’d pore over them in the weeks and months ahead like a miser with his money. The day out on the boat, drinking tea up at the boatyard, sharing chips down by the pontoon; all simple enough, but already tinted golden in her mind’s eye with the sunshine of this perfect summer and the glow of pure happiness.
The stop for the special summer bus was on the edge of the town, just opposite the same general store where she’d tried to buy the FT all those weeks ago. Letting her bags slide through her fingers and bump to the ground, Andi wondered why she still felt so weighed down. Wearily, she closed her eyes in defeat. If the timetable was running to plan then she was only minutes away from leaving Rock, and her heart, behind. She wondered if she could ever summon up the energy to start again.
Or even if she wanted to.
She checked her watch. Almost five past nine – and that sweep of lights headed straight towards her had to be the bus. How typical that just when she longed for a few more minutes it had decided to be on time for once. As the bus hissed to a stop, Andi took one last look around her. If this were one of Gemma’s pink books, Jonty would come screeching up now in his Defender to beg her to stay.
Andi sighed and hauled her bags onto the bus. It was just as well she was leaving if she was starting to think along these lines. Of course the road was empty: Jonty was with Jax and probably eating dinner in Rick Stein’s right now. This was just another sign, as if the big Tom-sized one wasn’t enough, that it was time for her to move on.
Ticket purchased, Andi wedged herself into a seat and pressed her forehead against the cool window. Then the bus lumbered forward, away from the town, away from the friends she’d made there and away from the man who, against all the odds, had somehow managed to steal her heart. With the lights of the town growing ever fainter, Andi closed her eyes – and when the tears trickled from beneath her lids she didn’t try to stop them. Even if she’d wanted to, she didn’t think she could.
Bodmin Parkway, an old-fashioned wooden relic of the golden age of railways, was marooned in a sea of dense trees and a mile or so down a very dark lane. Apart from the tail lights of the departing bus and the orange glow of the platform, the place was filled with an inky blackness that city dwellers seldom see. The car park was empty save the odd car that had been left behind like a leftover tooth in a gummy mouth. An owl’s call scraped the stillness and as Andi lugged her bags towards the ticket office her footsteps sounded unnaturally loud on the gravelly path. It was as though she’d alighted from the bus straight into an American slasher movie, and she shivered.
Maybe this hadn’t been such a bright idea?
And maybe she shouldn’t have just assumed that there were sure to be trains to London passing through at this time of night? She bit her lip and tried to ignore the little knot of dread tightening in her tummy. There’d be a train at some point. All she needed to do was wait – easier said than done when the waiting room was locked and the ticket office closed for the night. It seemed that she had no choice but to stand alone on the gloomy platform. Hoisting her bag up onto her shoulder, she was about to head towards the small bridge that crossed the tracks to the Paddington-bound line when a sweep of bright headlights cut through the dark with dazzling intensity. A white Range Rover Evoque with registration plates declaring the legend MEL 1 swished to a halt alongside her and, as Andi stood blinking the stars from her vision, the car window hissed down.
“Andi?”
The voice from the car almost bowled her over. Squinting into the gloom she made out a figure buried deep in the shadows with eyes as dark as the night that had now wrapped its grasp around the Duchy.
Jonty.
Her gaze met his and she stared, unable to believe it. Jonty leaned across and pushed the door open, casting a pathway of light straight to him.
“I don’t know what this is all about,” he said, “and I’m not going to pretend that I think it’s a good idea to run away, but there’s no way I’m leaving you on an isolated railway platform this late at night.”
Andi bristled at his tone. She was just about through with the men in her life thinking they could call the shots.
“I’m fine.” She raised her chin a little. God, it was terrifying just how happy she was to see him. The way her insides were seesawing could only be very bad news indeed. “I’m waiting for the London train.”
Jonty laughed. “You’ll have a very long wait. The sleeper won’t be here until gone eleven and there’s no way I’m letting you stay here until then.”
Gone eleven? Andi glanced at her watch. That was almost an hour away. A whole hour of waiting on a deserted platform listening to the trembling hoots of owls and jumping every time there was a scuttling in the undergrowth really didn’t appeal. She tightened her grasp on her bags.
“Look,” he said, a note of impatience in his voice, “there’s only a few weeks of the summer left. Why don’t you just come back and enjoy them? The place will be empty soon – there’ll be tumbleweed blowing past The Wharf Café – and I know for a fact that Si will give you a bonus. You can’t quit now.”
“It’s not quitting!” She almost spilled the truth then and there; only her pride stopped her.
“So what is it? For Christ’s sake, Andi! If you don’t tell me, how can I help?”
The clenched jaw and the tension in his face spoke volumes. Andi wanted nothing more than to tell Jonty the truth, for him to help, but she knew it was impossible. Why would he believe her?
She stood her ground. “I’m not going back to Rock.”
Jonty exhaled slowly. “That’s fine. You don’t have to. If you’re really set on doing this then I’ll drive you to Plymouth. You can catch a Paddington train from there. But I’m telling you now, Andi Evans, I’m not leaving you here alone. No bloody way.”
The vehemence in his voice settled the matter. Andi may have only known Jonty for a few months but she recognised his I won’t be argued with tone. She’d heard it when he’d made sure tha
t they’d been safe on the boat, when his nephews had been playing up and when Travis had nearly swamped them. She could stand here and argue, Andi knew, but it would be pointless. When it came to being stubborn she’d met her match in him.
“You’ll take me all the way to Plymouth?”
He nodded. “If it means you’ll be safe, I’ll drive you to London, but Plymouth’s a good start. There’s a connection there for the last train before the sleeper. You’ll be fine from there.”
Andi doubted very much she’d ever feel fine again, but the idea of being able to make some headway into the journey and put as much distance between herself and whatever bomb Tom chose to drop was appealing. As though in a dream she stepped forward and, as she crossed the few yards between them, Jonty’s eyes never left her face. They were tired, she thought with a pang, and so sad. Her emotions were suddenly a whirlpool of despair and fear and, most frightening of all, hope. Why was he here? Why had Jonty come?
“So what’s going on?” he asked as Andi placed her bags on the back seat. “I know women don’t travel light but this looks very much like you’re going away and not intending to come back. And you didn’t even think to say goodbye?”
Andi couldn’t bear it. He sounded so hurt.
“I couldn’t.” Andi sagged into the leather seat; she didn’t think she’d ever felt so utterly defeated.
Jonty sighed. “Andi, I don’t know what’s been going on and I’m not going to pretend I understand, but we’re friends, aren’t we?”
She nodded.
“And I would have hoped that because we’re friends you could have told me that you were unhappy in Rock. You didn’t have to sneak away like this.”
“I’m not unhappy in Rock!” Andi cried, stung. “I’ve loved every minute of living there!”
“So why are you leaving?” Jonty shot back. The night cast his face into shadows but, even so, Andi could see how upset he was. The skin was tight over his high cheekbones and his eyes glittered in the glow of the interior light.
“Because… because…” Her voice tailed off. How could she possibly tell him the truth? He’d probably turf her out of the car when he knew how she’d lied to Simon.
The car surged forward and moments later they were hurtling along the main road. Andi gripped the armrest tightly and, seeing this, Jonty eased off the gas.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you,” he said. “And of course you don’t have to tell me. Sometimes people have secrets. God knows, I should be the last person on the planet to criticise anyone for that. If you want to get away then I’ll respect that – I’m not saying I like it – but I’ll not try to change your mind. I can see you’ve made a decision.”
Andi thought this was ironic. She’d change her mind in a heartbeat if she could. With every mile that drew them closer to Plymouth, the city now a Tango-orange smudge on the horizon, she was feeling sadder. They travelled in silence for a while; the only noises were the sound of the tyres on the tarmac and the ticking indicator when Jonty changed lanes. By the time they crossed the Tamar Bridge, where the lights of the traffic ahead were strung out like jewels above the velvet blackness of the river, Andi was close to telling him everything. There was something about Jonty’s still presence that inspired absolute trust. This was it: her last chance to level with him, to tell him about Hart Frozer and Tom and how she felt about him. With every second that passed she knew they were drawing closer to the station. Terraces replaced cottages, cats’ eyes were chased away by bright street lamps and soon the traffic juddered to a standstill at the red lights. She took a deep breath, but just as she was about to summon the courage to speak, Jonty got there first.
“I don’t want to pry,” he said, “so forgive me if that’s how it feels, but, Andi, I have to know – is this because of something I’ve done?”
She shook her head. “No! Of course not! Whatever makes you think that?”
He shrugged. “I behaved like a prick yesterday. I should never have let you go to the hospital on your own. Not when your hand was bleeding like that.”
Her hand. Andi had almost forgotten about that and, glancing down, it was almost a surprise to see a dressing. If only the damage Tom was causing could be dealt with so easily.
“It’s fine,” she told him. “You were a guest at the party. I wouldn’t have expected you to leave.”
But Jonty wasn’t prepared to be forgiven so easily. “Don’t make excuses for me,” he grated. “I know when I’m behaving like a cock. Whether or not you’re with Travis Chumley, it shouldn’t make the slightest difference; I should still have been a gentleman and gone with you.”
“I’m not with Travis!” Andi laughed out loud at the very idea. “That’s you jumping to conclusions!”
The red changed. Pea-green light spilled across the road but the Range Rover didn’t move. Jonty stared at her.
“But you spent the night with him! I saw him drop you off the other morning.”
He looked so put out that Andi took pity on him. “I’d had far too much to drink in Newquay,” she explained. “Travis had to let me sleep it off at his dad’s hotel; not that I need to justify myself! He was very proper. When you saw me, I was dreadfully hung-over and I only made it into work by the skin of my teeth.”
Jonty was still staring. An impatient blast from the car behind snatched him back to the present and hastily he let up the clutch and had to focus on the road. It may have been dark in the car but it wasn’t so dark that Andi couldn’t make out his smile.
“What?” she asked.
He shot her a sidelong look. “The station’s just here, but how about we keep going until Exeter? We’re making good time and you can easily catch a train there. What do you think?”
Exeter. Forty-three miles away. Andi did a rapid calculation and worked out that this meant at least another hour with Jonty. One more hour before a lifetime of never seeing him again? It was a no-brainer.
“Exeter sounds good,” she said.
“I’ll pull in at the petrol station and get us some coffees,” Jonty decided, as he pointed the car back in the direction of the A38. “And you look like you need some food. When did you last eat?”
Andi had no idea. Breakfast maybe? Before Tom had appeared, in any case. There had been no way she could stomach food once he’d issued his ultimatum.
“I’m fine,” she insisted, but Jonty wouldn’t hear any protests and before long she was sipping a latte and working her way through a very plastic cheese and ham sandwich. While she ate, and the tors of Dartmoor sped by dark and unseen, neither Andi nor Jonty spoke. Only when the last wrapper was screwed up and the cruise control set did the atmosphere shift from companionship to something more charged. A shiver stroked her skin.
“So,” Jonty said slowly, “Travis isn’t to blame. And you say that it wasn’t the appalling way I behaved yesterday. So, is it Si? The work? He’s horrified that you’ve resigned. He called me straightaway and asked if I knew anything about it.”
“No! It’s none of you! Don’t ever think that!”
“So what happened?” Jonty’s voice was full of concern. “Andi, I know how happy you are working with Si and I know he thinks the world of you too. He’s thinking of offering you a job at Mermaid Media when the summer ends.”
Andi closed her eyes in despair. When Si knew she’d lied about being sacked he wouldn’t want her anywhere near his company.
Still keeping his eyes on the road, Jonty reached out and took her hand. “Andi, what’s happened?”
It was hopeless. His briefest touch was enough to breach the dam of her self-control. To her utter despair Andi burst into tears and her body was racked by huge sobs. Suddenly all the burdens that she’d carried for so long – the financial strains, losing her job, Tom’s threats, Jax – were too heavy to bear for a second longer. She was so tired of struggling. She didn’t think she could carry on.
Jonty didn’t say a word; he just let her cry. Releasing her hand just so he could turn off th
e main road and park up, he sat quietly and waited. He didn’t probe or try to pry but just let her be. When the storm of emotion had passed, he unclipped their seatbelts and pulled her into his arms. She was limp with weeping, and it was a relief to be held.
“Whatever it is, we can sort it,” he murmured into her hair. “I promise, Andi. There’s nothing so bad that we can’t make it better. Just tell me what it is. Let me help.” His hand brushed the tears from her cheeks and smoothed the curls away from her face. “Oh, Andi, don’t you realise? There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
And when Jonty lowered his head and kissed her Andi felt everything fall away. She tasted the salt of her tears on his lips and felt the warmth of his arms holding her close. Finally they broke apart and smiled wonderingly at one another. Tilting her face upwards with his forefinger he said, “Do you know how long I’ve wanted to do that?”
Actually Andi didn’t, but the way his eyes were lit from the inside told her everything she needed to know.
“Me too,” she whispered. Being wrapped in Jonty’s arms felt so right and so safe; she never wanted to move away from that circle, never wanted to be far from him again.
“Now she tells me! So whatever stopped you?” he teased. “Christ! There were so many times when I thought we might be getting closer. Remember that day in Ursula?”
Andi knew she’d never forget it. This was one of the memories she’d been treasuring up for the bleak days ahead. Then a thought occurred to her.
“What about Jax?”
Jonty looked genuinely confused. “What about her?”
Andi gulped. Much as she hated to ruin a perfect moment, she had to know the truth.
“You two are back together, aren’t you?” When he shook his head, she added, “Jonty, it’s OK: I saw you together in her house when I came back from Treliske. I was looking for my bag and I saw you through the window.”
His eyes widened. “Now who’s jumping to conclusions? You saw that? Jax threw herself at me. I was so shocked. I didn’t see that one coming. I thought she’d well and truly moved on.” He paused. Didn’t you see me push her away?”
Escape for the Summer Page 39
