A Perfect Cornish Christmas

by Phillipa Ashley

  ‘Gosh, I remember the parties, not that I went to any of the wilder ones. Me and Troy were too busy bringing up Aaron and Gemma. I was Joan’s age, so still a lot older than your mum, obviously.’

  ‘Wild parties?’ Scarlett gave a laugh. ‘That doesn’t sound like Auntie Joan,’ she joked, knowing her great-aunt had loved entertaining but intrigued to know what Evie meant by ‘wild’.

  ‘Oh, she had a few at the manor with her arty friends from London, authors and artists and such like. She’d host them and invite all and sundry from the village … I could have gone, but they weren’t Troy’s scene, as you can imagine. They went on late. Joan’s friend – Lawrence Guise, the gardener – said Joan would stay up until late but the younger ones would party ’til dawn on the beach in the summer.’

  ‘Sounds like a real blast.’

  ‘I do think some turned a bit on the lively side … you know, wacky baccy, skinny dipping and shenanigans in the dunes …’ Evie’s eyes glittered with mischief. ‘Like I say, I only heard the gossip. You should ask your mum about it all. I’m surprised she hasn’t told you more about it already.’

  ‘She probably didn’t want to be a bad influence on us,’ Scarlett replied, dying yet dreading to hear more of the juicy details.

  Evie giggled. ‘Oh, go on. I bet you’ve done some stuff you don’t want to tell her.’

  Scarlett smiled. ‘We all have to have a few secrets, don’t we?’ She tried to make it sound light-hearted, but she felt disturbed by Evie’s revelations. Had her mother been involved in some of the ‘shenanigans’?

  ‘I doubt very much she’d have been involved, with you little ones to look after, and anyway, I don’t think Joan had that many really rowdy dos after the seventies. She was growing out of all that herself.’

  Troy arrived back from the gents.

  ‘Sorry I’ve been a while. Pickled herrings for lunch. I love ’em but they play havoc with my digestion.’

  ‘That’s way too much information, Troy!’ Evie cried. ‘I think we should be getting home. My knee’s stiff. I had a new one in the summer,’ she told Scarlett. ‘Come on, you old devil. Take me home.’

  Ben and Zennor left the pub along with Troy and Evie, and shortly after, Sam and Gabe finished their drinks and went home too, which left Ellie and Scarlett alone with Aaron and Jude.

  Scarlett wasn’t sure how much she’d really learned about her mother’s past other than that Joan’s parties were even ‘wilder’ than she’d imagined, by the sound of them. Short of asking Evie straight out if she’d known if her mum had shagged anybody local, she couldn’t see how she was going to get that much further forward.

  With the departure of some of the others, Jude had moved from the stool to the bench seat next to her. While Ellie and Aaron chatted away like old mates, Jude was much quieter. Scarlett had only met him once before and the previous occasion had hardly been conducive to small talk.

  Scarlett was gradually adjusting to seeing him minus his ears and thinking of him as an ordinary bloke rather than the elf man who’d rescued her. However, ‘ordinary’ perhaps wasn’t quite the word for him. His hair was thick and bleached into many shades of blond by the sun, but his eyes were his most striking feature by far. They were green, but not some common or garden hazel colour but actual green flecked with amber. So maybe he was one of the elf people after all. Scarlett stopped herself from laughing just in time …

  ‘Everything OK?’ he asked.

  ‘Why?’

  ‘You were away with the fairies for a moment there.’

  She almost choked on her gin. He could read minds, too. She laughed. ‘Sorry, I was only thinking how strange it is to be here in Porthmellow after all that’s happened.’

  He thought before replying. ‘Tonight must have been a baptism of fire. It took some guts to walk in with us lot here. Assembled Do-Gooders of Porthmellow.’ He added a gentle smile and Scarlett, expecting to be embarrassed at the reference, instead felt relieved that he’d mentioned it in a low-key and humorous way that she could live with.

  ‘I never thought I would come back, to be honest. And there’s nothing wrong with doing good. I just didn’t expect to be on the receiving end of it.’

  ‘There’s no shame in needing help. Ellie said you’d had a bit of a family crisis on Christmas morning. Please, you don’t have to tell me any more. Unless you want to, of course, but I’m guessing you’d rather forget the whole thing?’

  ‘Walking into the pub in my slippers, yes. Unfortunately, the other stuff is more complicated.’

  ‘Things always are.’ Jude had a wistful look in his eye, then he smiled. ‘Your glass is empty. Another one?’

  ‘I’ll have a small G&T, thanks, but let me pay. I insist.’

  Jude nodded. ‘OK.’

  Aaron and Ellie still had half-full glasses, so Scarlett went to the bar and returned with Jude’s half a bitter and her gin. They chatted about her job and she told him some of her plans.

  ‘Did Ellie tell you Zennor and Ben run a graphic design company? They might need a copywriter. It’s worth asking them. Probably only small clients, but still.’

  ‘Any new client would be good, but I’d feel awkward about approaching them for work when I’ve only just met them …’

  ‘They wouldn’t mind at all. I’m not sure they’re swamped with top copywriters like you in Porthmellow.’

  Scarlett searched his face for any sign of irony but decided he was being serious. Once upon a time she’d have had no qualms about chatting up a potential new client immediately, but her foundations had been rocked in so many ways lately that she was no longer so confident. She felt she needed to get her feet under the table in Porthmellow first. ‘I’m not sure there are any top copywriters here, even now.’ She smiled. ‘I’ll definitely get in touch when I’ve settled in. Thank you.’

  ‘No problem. I’m sure they’d be delighted to have you.’

  Jude seemed to glow with pleasure. Despite his eyes, there was nothing fey about the rest of him. He wore a long-sleeved T-shirt over dark chinos and a leather bracelet with a silver clasp. He was about her age, she guessed, and striking rather than gorgeous in the way of Gabe, Aaron or Rafa. Yet Scarlett wanted to look at him, and looking at him gave her pleasure. It was silly, but she felt that he had an inner luminosity. Unless she had her gin goggles on, of course. She pushed her glass away, deciding that she was at a stage of pleasantly relaxed and didn’t want to tip over into the dangerous area of wanting to tell him her life story.

  ‘So, what do you do in Porthmellow?’ she asked, resisting the urge to ask if it involved casting spells.

  ‘Not a lot, according to some people.’ His lips tilted in a smile. ‘Actually, we have something in common, because I’m in the writing business too.’

  ‘Please don’t say I’m not the only copywriter in the village?’ Scarlett wasn’t joking. She couldn’t handle the competition.

  ‘No, I don’t write copy, although I do contribute to magazines. I write about natural history. Wildlife, plants and flowers. I’m a forager.’

  ‘A forager? As in picking plants to eat?’

  ‘Flowers, plants, wild seafood, fungi. Anything and everything you can make into a meal or drink. I run foraging and wild cookery courses and I’ve published a couple of books on the subject. I also teach part-time at the local college.’

  ‘Wow. You’re the first forager I’ve met. How did you get into that?’

  ‘I’m from Porthmellow. Mum and Dad still live here. I have a PhD in Botany and I worked for a university in London for a while but, well –’ he hesitated a little too long before continuing – ‘let’s just say I couldn’t keep away from the bright lights of Porthmellow. I must be getting old, longing for a quiet life.’

  ‘You don’t look that old!’ she blurted out, but immediately regretted the personal remark. ‘Sorry!’

  ‘I won’t see thirty-six again,’ Jude said solemnly.

  ‘Still very young,’ she replied hastily, a
lso suspecting there was more to his return than he’d admitted. She’d only just got to know him, so she certainly wasn’t going to pry. ‘So, you’re Doctor Penberth. I’m impressed,’ she said, shifting the focus to his unusual job.

  ‘Yes, and actually,’ he said solemnly, ‘I do prefer people to use my title unless they know me very well.’

  Scarlett was floored. He hadn’t seemed pompous but perhaps she’d misread him. ‘Oh, erm … I see …’ she floundered, not sure how to react.

  Suddenly his stern expression melted into a grin. ‘I’m joking. I only use the doctor thing for occasional academic stuff; conferences and so on. Jude will do fine between us.’

  ‘You – you …’ She dissolved into laughter, her cheeks warming at being taken in.

  ‘I shouldn’t have teased you. I’m sorry.’

  ‘It’s fine.’ She laughed. ‘I should have guessed you were joking.’

  A burst of laughter from across the table caught her attention. Ellie and Aaron were very close. It seemed like they were all getting on well together.

  Jude sipped his pint and replaced it on the table. ‘Um … talking of work, you might see me foraging in the grounds of the manor. Your auntie Joan was very kind and let me collect plants from the gardens, and I carried on picking them after she passed away. Ellie said it was OK to continue, unless the place is sold, obviously.’

  ‘There are no plans for that at the moment,’ Scarlett said. Jude was another local who seemed to have been friendly with Joan, but Scarlett had never come across him on her visits – she’d definitely have remembered him. ‘So this foraging … do it a lot, do you?’

  She’d made it sound vaguely disgusting and a bubble of embarrassed laughter rose in her throat. Jude made her want to laugh and she hadn’t felt like that very often lately but she wasn’t sure he would share her sense of humour.

  ‘Actually, yes, I do.’ He smiled wickedly and Scarlett revised her opinion of him upwards yet again. Maybe he’d get her jokes after all. ‘You don’t mind then?’

  ‘Not if Ellie doesn’t. You can forage as much as you like. Not that it’s our place, anyway. As you probably know, it’s my mother who owns the manor now, but I’m sure she won’t mind either.’

  ‘Yes, I knew that Joan had left it to your mum.’

  ‘Did you know my aunt very well?’

  ‘Not as well as you, obviously, but I saw her at least once a week or so when I was foraging in her grounds.’

  Scarlett giggled again. ‘Oh, I’m sorry. I know it’s juvenile of me, but foraging is such a funny word. It sounds a bit …’

  ‘Pervy?’ Jude suggested, with a glint of amusement.

  ‘Well, kind of.’

  ‘It does sound weird to make a living from collecting wild food. I’m convinced that a few of the locals think I’m some kind of wizard, brewing up potions from the hedgerows, but you would be amazed by all the wonderful things you can find by the seashore, woods and even in your own backyard.’

  ‘I’m sure I would. Though there wasn’t much to forage in my backyard in Birmingham.’

  ‘Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong.’ Jude’s glow was back. ‘You can find all sorts in parks and gardens. Birmingham’s renowned for its parklands. Like chickweed, for instance. You can find that all year round and it’s very tasty in salads or in a dip.’

  ‘Really? I’d no idea …’ Scarlett thought of the bare branches of oaks around the manor and the russet bracken on the moorland, wondering what there was to actually forage. ‘But are there really that many edible plants around at this time of year?’

  ‘You’d be surprised,’ said Jude with a smile. ‘There are still plenty of nuts and green leaves at this time of year if you know where to look, especially on the coast. I also have blackberries and bilberries in my freezer and a great stock of cherry brandy ready for the Solstice Festival. I could show you some of the things you can find around the manor, if you like, the next time I come over? Ellie too,’ he added quickly.

  She hesitated. It had been a long time since she’d agreed to go out with a guy, not that hunting plants was a ‘date’, but actually, that might be exactly why she should say yes: the invitation seemed genuinely innocent. ‘OK. I’d like that. And I’m sure Ellie would,’ she tagged on hastily, though she guessed Ellie might decide she was too busy with Aaron …

  Jude’s pleasure showed in his eyes. ‘Great. I’ll give you my number so we can arrange a time?’

  They talked about Cornwall for a while longer, Jude’s passion for nature and his birthplace lighting up his face and his voice even more. Once or twice he mentioned his time in London but it was obvious that he’d missed his homeland during his botany PhD. When Ellie signalled that it was time to head home, Scarlett was surprised how disappointed she felt to have to go, especially when compared with the dread she’d experienced when she’d first walked in.

  They got up and said their goodbyes.

  ‘You’ll call me, then,’ Jude repeated as she was about to leave.

  ‘Yes. Soon as I’ve asked Ellie.’

  ‘Great.’ He pushed his hair out of his eyes and Scarlett had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach. There really was something extraordinary about Jude Penberth, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

  Chapter Six

  ‘You have to tell me if I’m getting in the way. Or if you want me to move out.’

  Ellie hid her smile as Scarlett rested the back of the chair against the café table. Scarlett had come to pick Ellie up from work, and was helping her clear away after closing time. Ellie was in charge while the owner, Tina, had a hospital appointment. As it was half-term, the café had been very busy and Ellie felt knackered, so she was glad to have Scarlett’s help to pack up.

  ‘After you’ve only been here a week?’ Ellie asked, amused and touched by Scarlett’s eagerness not to get in the way of her lifestyle.

  ‘Well, I won’t want to leave, obviously, but if you need me to make myself scarce one evening so you and Aaron can … you know … you must tell me.’

  ‘It’s early days with Aaron,’ she said, slightly alarmed by how keen Scarlett was to pair her off. She was ready to admit that she and Aaron had been flirting with each other, but hadn’t quite realised the impression they were giving to people around them. ‘We’ve only known each other for a few weeks,’ she said, as much to remind herself not to let her feelings run away with her, as to put Scarlett off the scent.

  ‘Oh, come on. You two are practically glued together whenever I see you. I reckon he exaggerated the damage to the car, so he could spend more time with you.’

  ‘That’s crazy,’ Ellie insisted, but had to admit that the very idea of Aaron made her grow shivery. She hadn’t felt this way about a man since she was a student – and look how that had ended.

  Scarlett rested the final chair on the table. Aside from locking up, they were almost ready to go. ‘You do like him, though,’ she said.

  Ellie decided she might as well be honest. ‘Yes, I like him. A lot. Who wouldn’t? He’s gorgeous and helpful.’

  ‘And he’s been serving his country. He’s a genuine real-life hero.’ Scarlett came over to her, grinning wickedly.

  ‘He is, but apart from that I don’t know an awful lot about him. Obviously, his mum and dad worship him and it seems as if he’s been dedicated to his army life. I think his job’s been all-consuming for him. I guess that kind of lifestyle couldn’t be any other way.’

  ‘Even if he’s been in the forces, there must have been some time for, you know … Has he talked about any other women – or men?’

  ‘He mentioned a female officer from a different regiment who he was involved with for a few years, but he said it was very difficult to maintain a relationship when they were both posted to different locations.’

  ‘I suppose it must be. But he’s home now and I bet he wants to put down some roots.’

  ‘Who knows?’ Ellie said, reminding herself not to get her hopes up. ‘He’d
like to make a go of the security business, but these days, nothing’s certain, is it?’

  ‘You can say that again. I’m grateful for every job I get because I never really know if it will be my last. We live in interesting times, but it’s a good sign if Aaron’s trying to settle down here. Is the fact he might not stick around stopping you from taking things any further?’

  Ellie laughed, hiding her discomfort at Scarlett’s probing. ‘I don’t know. Maybe. Though if he knew my track record, he might keep well away. I’ve hardly put down any roots myself, even tiny ones.’

  ‘Apart from in Porthmellow.’

  Ellie returned a high chair to the alcove. ‘True,’ she said, and walked back to Scarlett. ‘But really, we hardly know one another yet. He’s charming, he’s fun and, I’ll admit it, he’s hot. But beyond that, who knows?’

  ‘Aaron can’t be that bad if he’s Troy and Evie’s son. There’s no gossip going around, is there? No rumours of skeletons in his closet?’

  ‘Not that I’ve heard, but you know yourself how secrets can surface. None of us really know our families, do we?’

  Scarlett sighed. ‘I did, once upon a time …’ she said wistfully. No matter now often their father had reassured her he loved her, Scarlett had told Ellie, she still felt like the very foundations of her existence had been shaken.

  Ellie patted her arm. ‘Come on, lovely, let’s finish up here, nip into the Co-op for some supplies and then get home in front of the fire. I’m done in after a day dealing with wild kids high on Hallowe’en cookies.’

  After picking up some groceries, Scarlett drove them to the manor. Ellie tried not to tense up or reach for the grab handle as Scarlett whizzed around the steep bend out of Porthmellow in the dark. It was only a five-minute journey by road, but it was a white-knuckle ride at the hands of Scarlett, who, Ellie pondered, might possibly turn out to be the daughter of The Stig. Scarlett didn’t indicate until it was almost too late, and made a sharp turn down the lane that caused Ellie to let out a squeak and Scarlett to protest: ‘It wasn’t that scary! I had plenty of time.’