‘Single?’
Edward threw the rest of his whisky down his throat and signalled to Jack to pour him another. ‘Mary turned me down last night. She doesn’t want to be with me.’
‘Oh. Uh … I knew she’d declined your proposal, but I didn’t know it was that final.’
‘I don’t know what else to think. She gave me some madcap excuse about age and being too late in the day, but like I said to her, we deserve a shot at happiness and it’s silly us living apart any longer. I love the woman, Jack, I really do, and I want to share my life with her. Neither of us is at death’s door yet. I mean, bloody hell, we could have another thirty years together! That’s more than a lot of couples have now, isn’t it?’
Jack nodded as he refilled both their tumblers.
‘I wish we’d met when we were younger, but we can’t change that, and you know what?’
Jack shook his head.
‘There’s life in this old seadog yet!’ Edward threw back his head and laughed. ‘And in this old seadog too!’ He gestured at his groin and Jack had to cover his mouth with his glass. He had absolutely no desire to know about Mary and Edward’s sex life; the woman was like a mother to him!
‘Well that’s great to hear, Edward. But I came here to ask you to come up to the cottage for dinner. See, Mary might have said no but she’s not happy about it.’
‘She isn’t?’ Edward’s eyes glittered but Jack wasn’t sure if it was from the whisky or the punch to the nose.
‘Nope. So Eve and I thought if you came for dinner it would give the two of you a chance to talk about things. Perhaps find a way forward.’
‘I’d like that. But she hurt me last night, you know. I offered her everything, even my fishing boat to be at her disposal. I laid my heart on the line and she said no. That stung, Jack. Since I lost my wife all those years ago, I never thought I’d care about anyone again, but Mary … she’s kind of special. You understand what I mean?’
Jack nodded. He certainly did. Eve had got under his skin in a way he’d never thought anyone would do. Perhaps there was a perfect someone out there for everyone, or perhaps he was getting soft living life as a civilian.
‘So shall we get you cleaned up, then head to Mary’s?’
‘I’m not sure.’ Edward stared down at his shoes.
‘You’re not sure?’ Jack’s heart sank. Had Mary blown it then?
‘Well, no. You say she’s not happy about it, but where does that leave me? She’s not the kind of woman to live with a man if she’s not married to him. And she didn’t want to marry me last night, so why has she changed her mind?’
‘Look, Edward, I have it on good authority that she regrets turning you down, okay? She said no instinctively, out of shock or surprise or on some sort of fear impulse. Marriage is a big step and she panicked, but she does love you.’
‘She told you that?’
‘She told Eve and Eve told me. I really think you should give it one more shot. If you love her and want her to be your wife, that is.’
Edward nodded, his white eyebrows going up and down as he listened. Then he sighed. ‘I don’t want to be without her. She’s a ray of sunshine in my life, and since we started seeing each other, I’ve been so happy. It was just as friends for a while, you know, but it slowly morphed into something more.’
‘As often happens.’ Jack smiled.
‘Indeed it does.’
‘So shall we get you back to Mary’s?’
‘Sure thing!’ Edward agreed as he drained his second whisky then thumped his glass onto the table. ‘And on the way there, you can tell me a bit more about you and Mary’s niece, because I saw the way you were looking at her the other day, and the way you slid your arm around her shoulders when you thought we weren’t looking when we were watching TV. There’s something going on there, maybe more than you realize. You mark my words.’ He wagged a finger at Jack, then got to his feet. ‘But first things first, I need to change this shirt.’
Jack followed his eyes and winced at the blood spatters over Edward’s front. He’d never hit someone deliberately in his life outside of combat, and it was just typical that this should happen today, when he’d only come to lend a hand.
* * *
Eve placed the bottle of wine on the table then stood back and admired the view. There’d be no traditional Sunday lunch for the men when they arrived, but she’d done the best with what was in the fridge and the cupboards.
‘Oh, it looks delicious, Eve,’ Mary said as she entered the kitchen and paused next to the table.
‘You look beautiful!’ Eve exclaimed as she took in Mary’s cream linen trousers and short-sleeved fawn silk blouse. Her aunt had clipped her bobbed hair at the nape of her neck and it showed off the silver feather earrings that she wore. She’d also added a touch of blusher and a slick of shimmering copper lip gloss that showed off her golden tan.
‘Thank you, dear. I think I could do with a drop of that wine to steady my nerves, though.’
‘Of course. But you don’t need to be nervous. You just need to be honest.’ Not so easy to do when your heart’s involved.
‘Yes, you’re right, dear. I know that. But what if Edward doesn’t want to come? What if I hurt him badly and he doesn’t want to … you know … make up now?’
‘He will. If he loves you.’ Eve saw fear flitter across Mary’s features. ‘And he does love you or he wouldn’t have proposed, now would he?’
‘No. Oh Eve, I hope he still wants me, because now I’ve decided to accept him, I couldn’t bear it if he didn’t.’
Eve lifted the bottle and poured some wine into a glass. As the honey-coloured liquid glugged out, the scents of strawberry and Turkish delight teased her nostrils. ‘Here.’ She handed the glass to Mary.
Her aunt took it, and as she raised it to her lips, Eve saw that her hand was trembling.
‘Aunt Mary, it will all be fine, I promise. I’ll make sure that it is.’ She wrapped an arm around her aunt’s shoulders and hugged her, hoping that she hadn’t just made a promise she couldn’t keep. ‘Now let’s get this meal prepared.’
* * *
‘Hello!’
Ten minutes later, Eve’s heart flipped when she heard Jack’s voice. As he walked into the kitchen, she turned slowly from the sink where she was rinsing spinach leaves, hoping that Edward would be there too.
And he was.
‘This looks fabulous, Mary!’ Jack said as he admired the spread of cold meats, cheeses and potato salad.
‘Nothing to do with me. It seems that my niece actually can rustle up a meal when she wants to.’ Mary smiled at Eve and winked.
Eve’s cheeks glowed. ‘It was all in the fridge; I just laid it out.’
‘And made the potato salad from scratch.’ Mary pointed at the bowl of home-grown new potatoes coated in mayonnaise and chives.
‘Hello, Mary.’ Edward approached her and Mary gasped.
‘My goodness, Edward! Whatever happened to your face?’
Eve peered around Jack to see what had caused her aunt’s reaction.
‘Uh … a slight miscalculation,’ Edward replied.
‘Miscalculation?’ Mary took hold of his chin and stared at his black eyes and the swelling on the bridge of his nose. ‘What, someone swung a wrecking ball at a building and it missed and hit you instead?’
Edward shook his head and chuckled. ‘Not quite, my love.’
‘It was me,’ Jack said, hanging his head. ‘I’m so sorry. I went to knock on the door but Edward opened it and I hit him by mistake.’
Eve’s mouth fell open. ‘If that was by mistake, I’d hate to see what you can do if you deliberately punch someone.’
Mary and Edward took seats at the table, and as Mary fussed over Edward’s face, Jack stepped closer to Eve. ‘You don’t think I’d do something like that deliberately, do you?’
Eve turned and met his eyes. She could drown in their chocolate depths; lose herself forever in their warmth and intensity. ‘I don’t think you would,
no. But then I don’t know you all that well, do I?’
‘Eve …’ He took her shoulders gently and gazed into her eyes. ‘You know me better than you realize. I’ve shared more with you in the time we’ve known each other than I have done with anyone else in years.’
Eve’s mouth was dry, and as she gazed at Jack, the rest of the kitchen blurred out of focus. ‘What do we do now?’
‘We eat, then give these two some space.’
She nodded. ‘You think they’ll be okay?’
Jack smiled. ‘Of course they will. Now pour me a glass of wine, beautiful lady, and come sit with me at the table. I’m ravenous.’
* * *
‘Eve, are you all right?’ asked Mary.
‘Sorry?’ Eve scratched her head again.
‘You just seem to be scratching quite a lot.’
‘I think it’s from being in the sea.’ Jack raised his eyes from his food and met Eve’s warning look.
‘You’ve been in the sea?’ Mary grinned. ‘And when was this, Eve? You didn’t tell me you’d been swimming.’
Eve’s cheeks flamed as she thought about what she’d actually been doing in the sea. ‘Yes. I went down to the cove and felt like going in for a swim. The water looked so inviting.’
As did Jack.
‘You always did enjoy swimming, didn’t you? When you were a child, we’d head down to the beach and picnic there often. They were some of the happiest days of my life.’
‘Mine too,’ Eve replied as she watched her aunt’s eyes misting over. ‘Those summers were precious.’
‘We should all go down there together soon,’ Edward said. ‘Take a picnic, have a swim and make the most of this lovely weather before the tourists really pour in.’
‘Yes, high summer gets so busy now,’ Mary said. ‘Not so much the cove, as the visitors tend to head to the larger beaches further along the coast, but some days the village is packed tight as a can of sardines.’
‘I’ll miss all of th—’ The words were out before Eve had really thought them through. She glanced at Jack and saw him grimace. Why was this so difficult? The thought of not being in Conwenna in July and August to witness the mass of tourists enjoying the picturesque village, not seeing Edward and her aunt enjoying their relationship, not being with Gabe and Jack, was just unbearable. It made her feel physically sick.
‘Well perhaps you can come back for the wedding,’ Edward said as he removed his napkin from his lap and stood up.
‘Pardon?’ Mary asked as Edward slowly lowered himself to one knee in front of her and took her hands. ‘Oh my! Edward, get up or you might get stuck.’
‘I’m not that old yet, thank you.’
‘Yes, but you have that sticky knee!’ Mary laughed as Edward shook his head.
‘Shush, woman! Let me do this properly and don’t break my heart all over again.’
‘Okay.’ Mary dabbed at her eyes and gazed at him.
Eve held her breath. She couldn’t believe this was happening right here in front of her eyes.
‘What I was trying to say was that Eve can come back for our August wedding. I’ve arranged for us to marry down in the cove. I thought it would be beautiful at twilight on the sixth of August.’
‘My birthday?’
Edward nodded.
‘How have you arranged that? When?’
‘I’d already done it, but after last night I cancelled it. Then, after Jack came and spoke to me today, I made a few telephone calls and set it all up again. Risky perhaps, but you’re worth it. I’d do it a thousand times over, Mary, if it meant that there was a chance of you saying yes.’ He coughed. ‘As long as I knew you would actually say yes in the end, that is. I’m no fool. Well, I guess I am, but only where you’re concerned.’
‘Edward!’ Mary cupped his face and pressed a kiss to his lips. ‘I’m waiting.’
‘Yes, so you are. Well then. With no further ado … Mary, I love you. You make me smile every day. I love how you walk, how you talk, how you light up a room when you enter it. I am grateful with all my heart that you entered my life. Without you there is no joy for me. I don’t want to spend another day without telling the world officially that you’re mine. If you can stand looking at me with my blackened eyes and swollen nose,’ he flashed a scowl at Jack, ‘I would be thrilled if you’d honour me by becoming my wife.’
‘Oh darling, of course I will!’ Mary leaned forward and kissed him gently, lingering there with her forehead against his as she stroked his cheeks.
Eve blinked but she couldn’t see. Everything had blurred.
‘Hey, softy!’ Jack squeezed the back of her neck. ‘This is a happy occasion.’
Eve nodded and used her napkin to dab at her nose.
‘Now,’ Edward said when Mary had released him. ‘If you could just help me up, Jack, that would be wonderful.’
Jack took his hand from Eve’s neck and stood up.
‘Careful, young man. It’s my knee, you see. Old fishing injury … got tangled in the damned nets in a storm and went down heavy. Almost broke my leg in two. Now it tends to lock in position if I bend it for too long.’
‘Better?’ Jack asked as he helped Edward to his chair.
‘Much. Thank you kindly.’
Jack and Eve cleared the dinner things away and told Aunt Mary and Edward to take the rest of the wine into the garden and celebrate. When the kitchen was tidy, Eve made two coffees and they took them into the lounge. The dogs had gone outside to sit with the newly engaged couple, so there was space on the sofas for a change.
‘So will you come back for the wedding?’ Jack asked, without looking at Eve. Instead he stared into his mug.
‘I hope so. I’d hate to miss it.’
‘They’ll want you here, you know.’
Eve nodded. ‘I know.’
Jack took her hand and stroked the palm.
‘I’m not going just yet anyway. I’ll speak to my GP tomorrow and extend the sick note. I’m not ready to go back yet, I’m sure about that now.’
‘Good.’
‘Jack, I—’
‘Shhh!’ He placed his mug on the coffee table and shuffled closer to her.
Eve’s heart rate picked up at the intensity in his expression. He was staring at her as if it would kill him to tear his gaze away. But he wasn’t looking into her eyes. He was staring at her head.
‘Jack?’
‘Hold on!’ He pulled her to his chest and she moaned softly.
‘Jack, we shouldn’t. I mean, I … Ouch!’ She reached up to rub her head. ‘You pinched me. Why’d you do that?’
He batted her hand away. ‘Hold on!’
Eve wriggled as he pushed her head down onto his lap, all the while running the fingers of his other hand through her hair. Firmly. ‘Jack!’ Her nose was just above his crotch now. ‘Jack, if you’re trying to tell me about an erotic preference here, there are better ways of asking.’
She felt him shake before she heard his laughter. ‘What?’
He released her and she sat up and straightened her T-shirt.
‘I thought you were trying to get me to … you know.’ She nodded at his groin.
‘What? You think I’d ask for … that by pushing your head down there!’ His eyes were wide and his jaw twitched. ‘Is that what you expect of your men?’
‘My men? What men?’
‘Oh I didn’t mean it like that. But is that what you’ve experienced in the past?’
‘No. No it isn’t. What were you doing then?’
‘Eve, I’m really sorry to have to break this to you, but I think you’ve got … The reason you’ve been scratching so much is …’
She stared at him, watching his lips move. ‘Oh no!’ She covered her mouth. ‘Please not that!’
He nodded. ‘Yup. Seems you’ve got yourself a case of head lice.’
She gasped. ‘But how? Where? Why?’
‘Been around any small children recently?’
Eve shook her head. Then nodd
ed as the memory of being hugged by the little girl at the Conwenna Kidz popped into her mind. ‘Yeah … actually I have.’ Her head began to itch viciously. ‘Eurgh! I have to get these vile little creatures out right now!’ She jumped up and shuddered. ‘I can’t believe this has happened. I’ve got nits!’
Jack’s face was red now as he tried to contain his laughter. It burst from him in a snort, followed by loud gasps.
‘Stop laughing!’ Eve scowled. ‘It’s not funny. Anyway, you’ve probably got them too!’
‘What?’ His face dropped. ‘But how?’
‘Well,’ she folded her arms across her chest, ‘let’s be honest, you have been up close to me recently.’
‘Urgh!’ He grimaced.
‘Thanks for that.’
‘No! No, I didn’t mean urgh I’ve been close to you but urgh I could have head lice.’
‘Come on! Let’s get to the chemist.’
Jack shook his head. ‘Can’t.’
‘What? But I can’t sit here knowing that Mr Nit and his family have set up home in my hair and are doing God knows what with each other. They could be having sexy nit parties for all I know, while I scratch away. I just can’t bear it!’ She shook her arms and legs as if hoping that would dislodge the tiny creatures.
‘The chemist is closed. It’s Sunday.’
‘Then what are we going to do?’ Eve stared at Jack in horror. ‘I can’t wait until tomorrow.’
Jack chewed his lip for a moment. ‘I have an idea. Come with me.’
He stood and seized Eve’s hand, then led her out the front door and round to his cottage. ‘I saw something on TV once. It might just work and it’s worth a try.’
As they went into his lounge, Eve gave her head a good scratch. ‘I hope you’re right.’
‘Me too. I can’t stand the thought of a sexy nit party happening in your hair.’
‘This isn’t funny!’ She tapped his arm, but as she closed the door behind them, she couldn’t help the smile that played on her lips.
Chapter 18
‘Are you sure about this?’ Eve said as Jack made her sit on a kitchen chair then wrapped a towel around her shoulders.
Summer at Conwenna Cove Page 18
