by Jill Mansell
Kate was already nodding. ‘I know. You never can tell.’
Exactly. They’d both lost a parent far too soon. Ronan said, ‘Anyway, that’s what I’ve always thought I’d do. Wait until it’s not going to hurt her. I’m in no hurry. There’s plenty of time for all that to happen.’
‘Left here,’ said Kate. ‘Then left again, and we’re the one with the blue gate. And I think it’s lovely that you don’t want to upset your mum.’
‘Like I said, I wouldn’t do it. She’s been amazing. I’ve had the best parents ever.’ Ronan braked and pulled up outside number 77, with its neatly trimmed flower beds and bright hanging baskets decorating the front porch.
‘Well they didn’t do too badly out of the deal either,’ said Kate, ‘when they got you.’
The moment the words were out of her mouth, she turned bright red and looked away. Having relaxed to the extent that she’d said something she hadn’t meant to say, she was now visibly mortified.
In an effort to defuse the situation, Ronan said, ‘Well that goes without saying,’ but Kate was too embarrassed to let herself off the hook. She already had her seat belt unfastened and the passenger door open.
‘Thank you so much for the lift. It was really kind of you. Thanks again, bye.’
And that was it, she was gone, hurrying through the heavy rain up to the house and disappearing within seconds as the glossy blue front door slammed shut behind her.
OK.
Oh well.
Ronan’s phone lit up to signal the arrival of a text from Clemency. Where are you? What time will you be back at the office?
It was almost 4.30. Tapping his hand in time with the rhythmic swoosh of the windscreen wipers, he looked at the front of the house belonging to Kate’s grandparents and saw one of the tweaked net curtains fall back into place.
He sent Clemency a reply. I’ll be there by five.
‘Will you be my boyfriend?’
Ronan looked at Clemency. To be honest, they weren’t the words he’d been expecting to hear. ‘Excuse me?’
Paula and Gavin had gone home; it was just the two of them in the office. Clemency was sitting on her desk with her bare legs swinging because she’d just painted her toenails with scarlet polish and was encouraging them to dry.
‘OK, not my real boyfriend.’ She waved her hand dismissively. ‘But, you know, if you could bear to fake it for a week or two, I’d really owe you one. And it’s not as if you’re seeing anyone at the moment, so it wouldn’t be putting you out.’
Ronan frowned. ‘What’s brought this on? Is someone pestering you?’
‘No, just driving me nuts.’ Clemency pulled a face. ‘Seriously, Belle’s doing my head in. She’s so smug, I just can’t bear it any more. It’s all: oh look, here’s me with my perfect gorgeous boyfriend and then there’s poor you with nobody at all. She won’t stop showing off about it and making out I’m some sad lonely spinster. I swear to God, it feels like we’re fifteen again and all I want to do is stuff her head down the loo or wait until she’s asleep and chop off all her hair.’
‘Did you ever stuff her head down the loo when you were fifteen?’
‘Well no, but the urge was pretty strong. And now it’s back. But I know I’m not allowed to actually do it, so I thought maybe it’s easier to just get myself a boyfriend instead.’
‘And you’ve chosen me to be the one. Can I hazard a guess why?’
‘Because if I pick someone boring and average-looking, that’ll just make her more smug. And because she’s always had a thing about you, which means … OK, she’s got Sam now, but she’ll still be a little bit jealous.’
‘And?’ said Ronan when she paused and waggled her toes. He knew Clemency too well, could read her like a book.
‘Well, I did kind of happen to mention to Sam that you and I were seeing each other.’
‘Ah.’
‘I didn’t mean to,’ Clemency protested. ‘But like I said, Belle has been really unbearable and I said it on the spur of the moment. It just popped out.’
‘Oh dear.’ Ronan nodded sympathetically. ‘So you’re going to look pretty silly if I say no now.’
‘I am. I will. I’ll look like one of those desperate old spinsters who fantasise about men they know they’ll never have a chance with. Word will get out and I’ll be the laughing stock of St Carys.’
‘The whole of Cornwall, probably.’
‘So will you do it?’
‘Not sure. What’s in it for me?’
‘Wild sex, obviously.’ Clemency raised an eyebrow at him. ‘That was a joke.’
‘Thank goodness for that. I don’t have sex with desperate old spinsters.’
‘OK, so are you going to be my fake boyfriend or do I have to find someone else?’
As she had undoubtedly known he would, Ronan said, ‘Go on then, we’ll give it a whirl. Might be fun.’
‘And it’ll definitely annoy my sister.’ Clemency did a triumphant fist-bump. ‘Thanks.’
‘Hey, it’s not as if anyone’s going to be surprised, is it?’ Ronan shrugged. For the last two years, as long as they’d been colleagues, people had been asking when he and Clemency were going to get together. It was a standing joke amongst their friends. They were the perfect match, was the general consensus, and everyone wondered why it hadn’t happened yet.
‘Well that’s true enough. We’d better tell your mum, though. It wouldn’t be fair to let her get her hopes up – you know she’s always wanted us to get together.’ Clemency had been tentatively prodding the nail polish on her toes. ‘Yay, all dry. We can go now.’ Jumping down from the desk, she slid her feet into silver flip-flops. ‘We’ll start tomorrow, OK? Try not to go out and fall in love with someone else tonight.’ She waved her keys at him. ‘Just remember, I’m your girlfriend now.’
What was she like? Amused, Ronan said, ‘How could I forget?’
Chapter 15
Completion on the purchase of the flat took place at eleven o’clock the next morning. Clemency, who had texted Sam to let him know the money had gone through, spotted his car pulling up outside the office ten minutes later.
‘Oh my God, what are you doing?’ Ronan, who’d been concentrating on his computer screen, jumped a mile and almost sent his coffee cup flying across the room.
‘Sorry, Sam’s on his way in.’ Having flung her arms around him from behind, Clemency planted her freshly lipsticked mouth on Ronan’s cheek before realising that was where people who weren’t boyfriend and girlfriend planted kisses. She did another one at the very corner of his mouth and said, ‘Sshh, we’re young and in love, don’t try to wipe it away, here he comes now. Pretend you haven’t noticed. And please look besotted …’
‘With him or with you?’
The door began to open and Clemency rested her cheek lovingly against the side of Ronan’s face. She laughed affectionately, as if he’d just said something romantic, then glanced up, let go of Ronan and sprang back.
‘Oops, didn’t see you there!’ She beamed at Sam. ‘Sorry about that. Anyway, here you are, I’ve got the keys all ready for you.’
‘Excellent.’ Sam nodded briefly.
As she scooped them off the desk and handed them over, Clemency said, ‘And congratulations, you’ve got yourself a fantastic property!’
‘Thanks.’ Sam’s gaze flickered towards Ronan. ‘It looks as if congratulations are in order for you too.’
‘Oh, right. Yes, early days. But it all seems to be going well so far.’ Ronan paused and gave Clemency the kind of look she’d only seen him give other girls before today. She marvelled at his skills. Wow, when he chose to use them, he really was rather impressive.
It also felt quite weird, suddenly finding herself on the receiving end. Anyway, concentrate. She pointed to the corner of Ronan’s mouth. ‘You’ve got a bit of lipstick …’
‘Have I?’ Ronan gave her another of Those Smiles. ‘You’re going to have to keep yourself under control while we’re in the office.’<
br />
Clemency said flirtily, ‘Or I could stop wearing lipstick.’ She turned to Sam. ‘You haven’t told Belle, have you?’
His tone was even. ‘You asked me not to.’
‘Thanks. I’ll do it in the next day or two. It’s a sister thing,’ she explained. ‘She’s got you now, so it won’t really matter, but Belle always had a bit of a crush on Ronan.’
‘She’ll be fine,’ said Ronan. ‘That’s all in the past. Belle’s got herself sorted out, and you’ve got me.’ He paused, his eyes sparkling as he surveyed Clemency. ‘Seriously, I still can’t believe how right it feels. We should have done this years ago.’
Phew. He sounded as if he actually meant it.
‘Well, I’ll be off.’ Sam held up the key. ‘Thanks for this. I’ll see you soon.’
‘Definitely,’ said Ronan. ‘We should all go out together for dinner one night.’
They watched as Sam left, heading off in his car to his brand-new apartment.
‘Well?’ Ronan spread his hands and looked at Clemency. ‘How did I do?’
‘Very well. I’m impressed.’
He winked. ‘They always say that.’
She tutted. ‘You’re such a cliché.’
‘Hey, I do it with irony. And fun. That’s how I get away with it.’
‘Why are you looking at me like that?’ Clemency regarded him with suspicion; they were on their own now.
‘Just practising. This is my seductive expression. We want it to be right, don’t we? We need to be believable.’
‘You are believable. You’re doing great.’ There was a box of tissues in her desk drawer; beckoning him closer, Clemency pulled out a tissue and began wiping away the lipstick mark at the corner of his mouth.
‘I think I should probably kiss you,’ said Ronan.
‘Kiss me? Why?’ She refolded the tissue and assiduously removed the last remnants of Ruby Crush.
‘So we’ve got it out of the way.’
‘But I already kissed you just now. See?’ Clemency showed him the crimson-stained tissue.
‘That wasn’t a kiss.’ Ronan turned her to face him properly. ‘This is a kiss.’
And there, in the otherwise empty office, he slid his arms around her waist and gave her the kind of proper kiss that was worlds away from her earlier lip-printing one.
Gosh. Yet more skills.
This felt … real.
Then again, it was a while since she’d last been kissed in any meaningful kind of way; maybe she’d just forgotten how nice proper kissing could be.
‘There, done.’ Pulling away as his phone began to ring, Ronan said, ‘This could be fun after all. Hello? Yes, Mr Arundel, I can come over right away, that’s no problem whatsoever.’
It wasn’t until he was in the back room collecting his jacket and car keys that Clemency realised the post had been delivered. Instead of coming into the office and leaving it on the main desk as she usually did, Kate had left the collection of letters sticking through the letter box. Which presumably meant she’d glimpsed the two of them enjoying their moment together and had decided to discreetly leave them to it.
Oh well, never mind.
‘Right, I’m off to see the Arundels. Wish me luck.’
The Arundels were finicky but very rich. Clemency blew him a jokey kiss. ‘You’ll be magnificent.’
As he swerved past the desk, Ronan ran a playful index finger down her spine. ‘I always am.’
Lugging king-sized bed frames and heavy furniture out of the back of a removals van and up two flights of stairs wasn’t Belle’s cup of tea. Luckily Sam had hired a couple of muscly men for that task, though there had still been a lot of sweating and grunting involved. Belle had decided her area of expertise lay more in deciding where the paintings should hang on the walls and whereabouts along the worktop the kettle should sit.
After an hour or two of getting in their way, she said, ‘Look, why don’t I wait until everything’s in, then come back and give you a hand with the rest?’
And Sam nodded and said, ‘I think that’s probably a good idea.’
‘I’ll see you in a bit.’ She gave him a quick kiss. ‘Do you have such a thing as a vase?’
Sam pointed to one of the packing crates the men had just lugged up the stairs and left in the corner of the kitchen. ‘I think there’s one in there.’
‘I’ll get something to put in it, shall I?’
‘Great,’ said Sam. ‘I’ve always wanted a goldfish.’
Yesterday’s rain had given way to a clear bright day with exuberant clouds dotting the azure sky as if a small child had painted them in. It was a twenty-minute walk into the centre of St Carys, but Belle was in no hurry. She had plenty of time to kill whilst the removals men unloaded the rest of the van.
She stopped for a cold drink at Paddy’s Café on the harbour, and watched as Marina Stafford captured the likeness of a dumpy middle-aged couple sporting matching custard-yellow shorts, deftly incorporating them into one of her pre-painted canvases.
Next, she browsed the shops for bits and pieces, picking up a pretty coffee-coloured lace top from the boutique on the Esplanade and a box of the black wine gums she knew Sam liked from the old-fashioned sweet shop next door.
Mustn’t forget flowers. She chose a welcome-to-your-new-home card and a huge bunch of cream and green calla lilies, because they were just so elegant and striking and classy.
Like me.
Although they were quite awkward to carry, she realised soon after leaving the florist’s shop. Oh well, it wasn’t as if they were heavy. She could cope.
Ah, the chemist, that was the next stop. She needed to pick up a couple of things in there, deodorant and insect repellent, and she could do with a new lipstick too, because let’s face it, who couldn’t always do with a new lipstick?
Inside the shop, she made a beeline for the make-up counter and began happily investigating everything they had. She tried out some of the velvety matte eyeshadow shades, the sheeny highlighter creams, the raspberry lip tint … oh dear, that was far too dark, more like magenta.
‘No, you’re kidding.’
‘It’s true, I swear to God!’
‘Wow. I’d say I don’t believe it, but …’
‘Laura, he told me himself. I mean, sorry, I know how much you liked him.’
‘Oh, that was ages ago. I’m completely over him now. Still, I never expected this.’
Belle was only half listening to the conversation carrying on over at the counter behind her. Mildly interested, she stroked a sparkly pink eyeshadow on to the back of her hand before realising it was the kind of thing Clemency would wear and putting it down again.
‘Although you were in bits at the time, weren’t you? After he finished with you?’ There was a faint note of relish in the other girl’s voice. ‘Remember you wrote him that poem?’
Belle wiped the pink eyeshadow off her hand and heard Laura reply, ‘I can’t even remember, it’s ancient history now.’ Except she was saying it in the kind of brittle, offhand way that meant every last detail was engraved across her heart.
‘Well anyway, I thought you’d want to know. I was walking up Hope Hill and I bumped into him just as he was getting out of his car, so I told him about Rick’s party next Saturday and invited him along. I did it for you!’
‘And what did he say?’
‘He said thanks, but he was doing something with Clemency on Saturday, and I thought he just meant some boring work event, so I said couldn’t she do it with someone else? But he said no, she couldn’t, because he was taking her out to dinner that night, so then I said why, what was going on, were he and Clemency a couple now?’
Behind the shoulder-high shelving, Belle’s head snapped up. What? Who?
‘And I’d only said it as a joke,’ the girl protested, ‘but he said yes, they were. I couldn’t believe it!’
‘Was he joking?’ said Laura.
‘Not at all. Deadly serious. I know,’ the other girl exclaimed. �
��But when you stop to think about it, they’re actually a good match, Ronan and Clemency. You kind of wonder why it’s never happened before.’
‘Hello?’ Laura called over as a powder compact slipped from Belle’s hand and landed on the floor with a crack. ‘Can I help you? Is everything OK over there?’
‘Fine, thanks.’ But both girls were now peering at her over the shelving. Belle gave up trying to hide behind the bunch of flowers clutched in her left arm.
‘Oh, it’s you!’ Laura said, recognising her through the lilies. ‘Hi! So you know all about it, I suppose. When did this start between Ronan and your sister?’
Belle felt as if her brain was being scrambled; she glanced down at the scattering of beige powder on the ground at her feet, then up at the girls’ interested faces. ‘Oh those two? Not long ago.’ She shrugged dismissively, and felt the petals of one of the lilies brush against her ear. ‘You know what Ronan’s like. Well, we all know what he’s like. I shouldn’t think it’ll last.’
Chapter 16
Much of the beach was busy, but Belle made her way to the quieter section and found a peaceful spot where she could sit and think without being disturbed.
With her bags and the bunch of lilies resting beside her, she wrapped her arms around her knees and surveyed the shoreline of Beachcomber Bay. The tide was receding, and small children with buckets and spades were excitedly searching the clean wet sand for uncovered shells, fascinating pebbles and comical crabs. Two dogs, a golden retriever and a mink-grey whippet, were bounding around together in the shallows.
OK, back to Ronan and Clemency. Well well, when had this happened? Had they been hiding it from her last Friday evening at the Mermaid?
And if so, how much longer had they been planning on keeping it a secret?
Plus, how was it making her feel?
This was a tricky one to sort out. Did she feel jealous? Yes.
Did she have the right to feel jealous? Probably not, but it didn’t make any difference; the emotions were the same either way. Once you had that sibling rivalry thing ingrained in you, it was hard to let it go.
