Unforgettable Embrace

by Clancy, Joanne

  She looked a little crestfallen as she recalled her last exchange with Batt. He hadn't bothered to text or call her since their argument, apart from his cursory text asking her if she had landed safely. Scott arrived back at the table with mints for all of them. Rachel smiled up at him as she handed over her credit card. He smiled back readily.

  “I saw that little exchange,” Liz admonished her friend.

  “Oh, who cares?” Rachel said nonchalantly, “what's wrong with a bit of harmless flirting anyway? Batt's too busy having a hissy fit, even though I apologised to him several times. I bet he'd change his tune if he saw this young man flirting with me.”

  “Ok, Rach, that's enough,” Jen said, “I think you need some fresh air, let's go.”

  Chapter 46

  The girls took a leisurely walk through the village and up the hill as their waiter, Scott, had suggested. It was exactly what they needed to recover from their lunch-time excesses. The views out over the ocean were stunning and the bright, spring sun shone down on them as they strolled. They chatted happily as they walked, arms linked together.

  "Girls, I am having an absolutely wonderful time, thank you all so much," Jen said.

  "Our pleasure," came her friends' response.

  "We have a lot more treats still in store for you, missus," Liz smiled at her friend.

  Jen clapped her hands in delight. "I love surprises so much. It's almost worth getting married just for the hen weekend and the honeymoon."

  "Jen, you are so naughty," Rachel smacked her friend's arm lightly.

  "Are you definitely going to Hawaii for your honeymoon?" Holly asked.

  "We certainly are all set," Jen said, "thanks to Rachel everything is booked. Vic was thrilled at the idea of going to Hawaii. He loves the sun and the sea, so it will be perfect for him."

  "You're so lucky," Liz sighed.

  "I feel very lucky," Jen agreed, "lucky to have such wonderful friends, an amazing fiancé who loves me to bits and lots of surprises still to come" and with that she took off at a run down the beach, getting a sudden burst of energy. Her friends followed more slowly behind her, not feeling quite as energetic as Jen.

  "Steady on, girl," Rachel puffed, "some of us aren't as young as we used to be."

  "I need a coffee," Liz gasped."

  "Oh, yes, brilliant idea, why don't we go and get some coffee and gorge ourselves on luscious scones with clotted cream," Holly's face lit up.

  "Dare I say it, but I'm starting to get a bit peckish," Rachel said.

  "Already?!" Jen exclaimed, "you little piglet, after the enormous lunch we ate!"

  "I have to agree with Rach," Liz said, "I could murder a yummy scone or three right now." "Come on then, piglets, let's go find you some scones," Jen said, leading the way, "but only if you run the length of the beach first."

  It wasn't long until the girls were sitting at a cosy cafe, gorging themselves on huge, fruity scones which were smothered in lashings of Cornish clotted cream.

  "Little bites of heaven," Holly groaned, in between floury mouthfuls.

  "It's official, I am in heaven," Rachel sighed, licking her fingers. "I don't care how fattening this cream is because I am going to buy as many pots of it as I can cram into my fridge."

  "Do you think they'll let us take it on the 'plane?" Liz asked, ever the pragmatist.

  "Oh, I forgot about that," Rachel looked disappointed, "well I'm going to hope for the best and buy some anyway."

  "So what's the plan for the rest of the afternoon, girls?" Jen asked.

  "Nothing too strenuous, that's for sure," Holly said, "I think I might be on the verge of a heart attack with the amount of food I've eaten today."

  "Major dieting for me next week," Rachel moaned.

  "Yeah, I'll have to keep an eye on my waistline between now and the wedding," Liz said, "I don't want to burst out of my bridesmaid dress."

  "Let's not talk about dieting now," Jen said, "we're here to have a good time, let our hair down and escape from the stresses of our lives for a few days. It'll all be there waiting for us when we get back home, so we might as well relish our free time now."

  "I'm a little ashamed to admit that I haven't thought very much about Simon and Mia since we left," Holly said, "I'm just having so much fun. I don't think I've left them alone for more than a few hours in the evening since they were born."

  "Everyone needs a break," Liz said, "especially mothers. Young children are so demanding." "It's the best job in the world, and I know how lucky I am to be able to stay at home and look after them full-time, but it is all-consuming. Sometimes, I barely have enough time to go to the loo in peace, without one of them banging on the door wanting to come in to me. Nobody warns you about the tiredness, especially when they are newborns.

  My goodness, there were times I was so tired that I thought I was going to throw up. The good times more than make up for the tough times, like when Mia looks over at me sometimes and just says "mommy" and gives me a big smile, that's enough to melt my hear or when Simon says I'm the best cook in the whole wide world. I wouldn't change my life with them for anything, but it is sooo nice to have a little break sometimes. Besides, I know their dad is taking good care of them anyway," Holly said.

  "Why don't we go to Pencarrow House and Gardens?" Liz suggested. "We can get the bus there and have a wander around inside."

  "Sounds like a plan to me," Rachel said, struggling to her feet, "and it doesn't sound like too much effort is required, which is even better."

  "Admission is quite reasonable too," Jen said, reading the brochure they'd picked up earlier at the tourist information centre. The bus dropped the girls at the gates of Pencarrow House, where they walked a mile along the magnificent drive through an Iron Age hill fort.

  The mansion that is Pencarrow House stood before them in all its majestic glory.

  "Wow," Liz gasped. “Imagine actually living in a house like that."

  "It would be a total nightmare," Holly said, "imagine all the dusting and cleaning you'd have to do."

  "This house has been in the Molesworth-St-Aubyn family for the past five hundred years," Rachel interjected, "there's so much history in those walls."

  "Apparently, John Molesworth, who originally lived in the house, was Auditor for the Duchy of Cornwall and Queen Liz the first," Jen read aloud to them from the brochure.

  "I can't wait to have a look inside," Holly said, "I love having a nose around other people's houses. Will and I used to travel around to different towns every Sunday just to investigate the show houses on new housing estates. It was such fun and I got so many tips on interior design." "Well, let's see what you can discover in Pencarrow," Liz said, leading the way inside.

  The first room the girls entered was the Music Room.

  "Gosh, look at the detail," Jen said, pointing at the rococo ceiling which depicted the four seasons.

  The panelling was decorated in fine mouldings of birds, fruit and flowers. The Drawing Room was their next discovery. Holly was in awe of the beautiful Chinese silk which covered the suite. Apparently, the silk was taken from a Spanish treasure ship in 1762.

  "It might be a little out of my price range," she grinned, touching it gently.

  There was a very expensive Collard and Collard piano in the room, on which Sir Arthur Sullivan composed much of Iolanthe when he stayed at the house in 1886. Next was the Pink Bedroom, which contained a George the fourth four-poster bed.

  "I wonder what sort of antics they got up to in that bed," Rachel said irreverently.

  "Rachel!" Liz exclaimed.

  There were many family portraits in the dining room, most interesting of which was the one of Sir John Molesworth, hanging above the mantlepiece. He was co-founder in 1771 of the banking house Sir John Molesworth and Company, the forerunner of the modern-day Lloyds Bank. The Boudoir was the personal sitting room of the lady of the house and looks south over the Italian Garden.

  The girls enjoyed a very civilised afternoon tea in the tea roo
ms, before heading out again to explore the breathtaking gardens. The fifty acres of garden include the Italian Gardens, lovely lawns with magnificent specimen trees, woodland walks and lots of flowering plants and shrubs. Rachel was particularly interested in the flowers. The whole garden was ablaze with camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas, as well as primroses and daffodils.

  It was a beautiful myriad of colour. The gardens were designed and laid out by Sir William Molesworth, between 1831 and 1855. Sir William said that he planted a specimen of every conifer, except for ten. Lt. Col. Sir Arscott Molesworth-St-Aubyn extensively restored and replanted the gardens which had become derelict during and after the Second World War. Sir Arscott planted more than one hundred and sixty different species of specimen conifers, more than seven hundred rhododendron hybrids and more than sixty different camellias. Rachel was in awe at the amount of dedication and love that had been put into the gardens.

  They stayed at Pencarrow until the closing time of half past five.

  "The afternoon flew," Jen said.

  "Let's get the bus back to Padstow village and then I'll drive us all back to the guesthouse," Holly suggested.

  "Are you sure you're ok to drive?" Liz asked, "you won't be over the limit or anything?"

  "No, not at all, I'm fine. I was careful not to drink as much as you lot at lunch. I think I only had two small glasses of white wine. I wanted to take it easy after my episode with the champagne yesterday. We've had so much tea and coffee since lunch, I'm sure the alcohol is gone," Holly insisted.

  "Well, Holly, if you don't mind, do you mind if we stop for a nightcap in town?" Jen asked, "I've got a sudden craving for a Baileys with ice."

  "Not at all, I don't really feel like drinking any more today, but you girls have a few, by all means," Holly smiled.

  "Just the one, then straight back to our cottage," Jen grinned.

  "Three Baileys with ice and a diet Coke, please," Rachel asked the bar tender, whose face looked vaguely familiar.

  "Coming up, Rachel, isn't it?" he asked, giving her a friendly smile.

  "Um, yes," she looked at him quizzically.

  "I'm Scott, from the restaurant earlier," he explained as he prepared their drinks.

  "Oh, Scott, hello again," Rachel's face lit up as she remembered him.

  "So are you ladies having a pleasant time here in Padstow?" he asked.

  "We're having a ball, thank you," she said, telling him all about the day they had spent together.

  "What are your plans for the evening?" he asked.

  "Oh, we're just going to have this little nightcap and head back to our guesthouse for an early night."

  "A nightcap, at this hour!" Scott exclaimed. "You ladies should be out on the town enjoying yourselves. You know we have a late licence here and there's a nightclub upstairs. I could get you some free passes, if you'd like."

  "Not tonight, we're all quite tired, and we've got an early start at the spa, maybe tomorrow night if the offer is still open," Rachel smiled.

  "I'm not working tomorrow night but I should be in here anyway around eight o' clock," Scott said, passing her the drinks.

  "Thanks Scott, we might see you in here then."

  Rachel brought the drinks to her friends who were all staring in her direction.

  "What were you saying to him?" Holly asked.

  "He didn't stop smiling the whole time you were talking to him," Liz said.

  "Oh, just a bit of harmless flirting," Rachel said nonchalantly, "plus he's offered to give us free passes to the nightclub upstairs tomorrow night if we fancy it."

  "What about Batt?" Jen asked.

  "What about Batt?" Rachel said heatedly, "he thinks it's too much to send me a text or accept my apology, well there's no harm in flirting with an attractive man. I'm bored of his mood and waiting for him to get in touch with me. There's nothing wrong with having a chat with a man." "I suppose not," Holly said, "just make sure it doesn't go too far."

  "Oh for heavens' sake, can we change the subject please?" Rachel said in exasperation, "actually, let's just get out of here. I think I've had enough for one night." She downed the rest of her drink in one gulp and stood up, pulling her cardigan around her shoulders. She waved to Scott as they left the bar and made their way towards the car.

  “Any word from Batt?” Liz asked tentatively.

  “Absolutely nothing,” Rachel replied, looking in disgust at her mobile phone.

  “I've had about enough of him and his mood. It's about time he got over it. He better watch himself or I'll break up with him when I get back to Mayo. Then I'll never marry him.”

  She threw her phone into the drawer and stormed into the bathroom. The girls looked at each other, not really knowing what to say. A few minutes later Rachel re-emerged from the bathroom looking rather sheepish.

  “Sorry girls,” she said, “I don't know what's wrong with me lately. I seem to be snapping at everyone.”

  “It's ok,” Jen said, “it's not pleasant fighting with the people we care about. I'd have thought Batt would have contacted you by now. Maybe you should call him.”

  “No, I don't want to talk to him. This weekend is about you, Jen, not me and my love-life, so let's just forget about it and look forward to the spa tomorrow.”

  Chapter 47

  “Girls, this is unbelievable!” Jen exclaimed, as their car drove through the entrance of the Treglos Hotel.

  The hotel had stunning views, overlooking Constantine beach and was surrounded by the perfectly manicured lawns of the golf club.

  “You girls are totally spoiling me.”

  “Nothing but the best for you, Jen,” Liz smiled.

  “I can't wait to see the spa, a whole day of pure indulgence,” Holly sighed.

  “It was such a treat to wake up this morning and not have to rush around heating bottles and cooking porridge.”

  They made their way through the hotel to the spa, where they were greeted by a friendly receptionist, who checked them in and gave them their bathrobes, towels and slippers for the day. She showed them to the changing rooms and said they could relax in the relaxation area until their therapist called them for their treatments. She advised that complementary peppermint tea would be served to them shortly. When they had finished filling out a questionnaire which asked if they had any allergies, etc., they made their way to the changing rooms.

  “It's official, I have died and gone to heaven,” Rachel sighed, when they were unwinding in the relaxation area after their treatments.

  “I feel like I'm floating,” Holly smiled, “I think I'm having an out of body experience.”

  “Every muscle in my body is so relaxed,” Liz said, as she lay on her lounger.

  “The Elemis products smell absolutely divine,” Jen said, “now I understand why you're so obsessed with them, Liz.”

  The relaxation room was an oasis of peace and quiet. The girls had the whole place to themselves. Soft music playing what sounded like a harp, floated in the air around them. The delicate smell of lavender scented the room. Dim lights shone gently from the ceiling, while tiny waterfalls trickled in the corners.

  “This is the best spa I've ever experienced,” Liz said.

  “I definitely want to come here again,” Rachel said.

  The girls spent the rest of the afternoon splashing about in the heated swimming pool and bubbling jacuzzi. When they finally decided to leave it was starting to get dark outside.

  “I feel completely refreshed,” Jen said, her eyes sparkling.

  “Me too,” Liz agreed. “What shall we do to burn off all this energy?”

  “I think we should go back to our cottage, get our glad rags on and head into town for the night,” Rachel suggested.

  “Super idea, Rach,” Holly said, “I want to make the most of my last night of freedom. This time tomorrow I'll be back to the madness.”

  Two hours later and the girls were stepping out of their taxi in Padstow's main street. The place was busy with people out on th
e town for the night. The restaurants had opened their doors wide and brought tables and chairs outside so people could dine al fresco. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and the atmosphere was alive with the hum of chatter and soft music. “Gosh, Padstow really comes alive at night,” Jen said, pulling her shawl closer around her shoulders, as there was a slight chill in the spring time air.

  “It's so romantic,” Liz sighed. Candles twinkled on the tables and pretty lanterns illuminated the cobbled streets.

  “I'm getting hungry,” Rachel said, “all that relaxation earlier has given me an appetite.”

  “We did have a very light lunch,” Holly agreed.

  “Let's grab a table and have some dinner.” “I fancy something simple, like pizza or fish and chips,” Liz mused.

  “Me too,” Jen agreed, “I think we had more than enough fancy food yesterday.”

  They made their way along the street and stopped outside a pretty restaurant with red and black checked tablecloths on the tables outside. They made their way inside and waited to be seated. The restaurant was very busy, but a waiter came to help them within minutes.

  “Table for four please,” Liz said, “is it ok if we sit outside?”

  “Certainly, ladies, follow me,” their waiter lead them back outside to a table with a perfect view over the harbour.

  She lit the candle on their table and hurried away to get them some menus. She returned shortly with menus and advised them of the specials for the day. The girls decided on two pepperoni and mozzarella pizzas with garlic bread and chips on the side. They also ordered a bottle of house red wine and sat back to enjoy the view in front of them.