An Ill Wind in Seabury, page 9
Claudia jumped. She hadn’t realised there was anyone else there. She watched as a woman with sleepy eyes appeared from the depths of the chair.
‘Connie!’ said George, hurrying over to give her a hug. ‘How are you doing?’
‘I’m fine, thanks,’ Connie said with a massive yawn. She clapped her hand over her mouth. ‘Sorry, guys, that keeps happening… it’s like I’ve got no control over it!’
George grinned at her. ‘This is Claudia.’
Claudia made her way through the baskets of wool to shake hands. ‘Sorry to disturb you!’ she said. ‘George wanted to introduce me to his favourite girl—baby Melody!’
‘No need to apologise,’ laughed Connie. ‘You’ve just saved me from nodding off while I’m meant to be watching the shop!’
‘Is Mel having a nap, too?’ said George, glancing around, clearly searching for the tot.
Connie shook her head. ‘Sorry to disappoint you, Georgie boy. Auntie Rosie decided I needed a break, so she’s taken her for the day. They’ve gone down to Rosie’s nan’s cottage to give Ewan a bit of peace and quiet at the house.’
‘So… you’re here working?’ laughed George. ‘Not exactly a rest!’
‘It’s perfect,’ said Connie. ‘Nice and peaceful. All I have to deal with is the occasional customer—but that’s a joy because it means I get lovely knitters to chat with. There’s nothing to do in between but flop in the chair and knit or daydream.’
‘I’m surprised Ewan isn’t here too, fussing around you like a mother hen,’ said George.
‘Oh, he’s at home working on a commission,’ said Connie. ‘Seabury House is nice and quiet for a change because Matt’s at the hospital.’
‘Oh no,’ gasped Claudia. ‘What’s wrong?’
George grinned at her and shook his head. ‘Don’t panic—he works there!’
‘Oh,’ Claudia felt her cheeks grow warm. What an idiot! She already knew the oldest Pepper brother was a doctor. ‘Of course. Sorry.’
‘Don’t apologise,’ laughed Connie. ‘I’m just sorry they’re not around to see you.’
‘Well, I’m glad you told us,’ said George. ‘Seabury House was one of our stops on Claudia’s great apology tour.’
‘Your… what?’ said Connie, looking amused.
‘I’m trying to bribe my way back into people’s good graces after my behaviour yesterday,’ said Claudia, nodding at the bag George was still clutching. ‘I’m hoping that a half-hundredweight of cake from The Sardine might work its magic for me. There’s one in there for you. Kate said you like carrot cake?’
‘Oooh!’ Connie’s eyes lit up. ‘Well, she’s not wrong, but you’ve got nothing to apologise for.’
‘Other than terrorising your family,’ said Claudia, with an awkward smile.
‘Don’t worry about that,’ laughed Connie. ‘They’re big boys. I’m pretty sure they can handle an unexpected visitor now and then. Mind you, if it means I get cake, you’ve got my permission to drop in on them whenever the fancy takes you!’
‘Well, thanks,’ said Claudia with a smile of relief. ‘As it doesn’t sound like I’m going to get to see Matt and Ewan again before I leave, can I leave their peace offerings here with you? And will you tell them how sorry I am for being a weirdo yesterday?’
‘I’ve got a better idea,’ said Connie. ‘Why don’t you and George join us for dinner tonight? Matt’ll be back from work, and Rosie and her nan are bringing Melody back around six. You can meet her, too!’
‘Oh… I…’ Claudia turned to glance at George.
‘Up to you,’ he said with what was clearly meant to be a chilled smile, but there was something in his eyes that told her that he was far more invested in her answer than he was trying to let on.
Claudia swallowed. ‘I mean… that would be lovely… but my train leaves before then.’
‘Can’t you stay one more night?’ said Connie, her face falling. ‘It seems a shame for you to leave without having the chance to interrogate the family properly!’
Claudia let out a surprised hoot of laughter.
‘She does have a point,’ chuckled George. ‘The offer’s still open, if you’d like to stay.’
Claudia glanced between Connie’s hopeful smile and George’s open, easy face and nodded.
‘Okay,’ she said, her heart swooping with nerves and excitement. ‘I’d love to come to dinner.’
‘Yay!’ cheered Connie. ‘Right, I’ll let the boys know they’d better prepare for a good roasting.’
CHAPTER 13
CLAUDIA
‘I’ve got a favour to ask,’ said George as they stepped out of the little shop.
‘Name it!’ said Claudia, blinking in the sunshine. Had that really just happened? Had she just agreed to stay here in Seabury… to stay with George?! ‘I mean, I have just invited myself to stay for a few nights.’
Hardly,’ said George with a good-natured tut. ‘I invited you. And I’m chuffed you’re staying!’
Claudia couldn’t help but beam at him. ‘Thank you. So… what can I do for you in return?’
‘Well, I was wondering if you’d mind if we nip to the cottage before continuing with the tour? I’d quite like to change out of my work gear before we head up to see Charlie, and if I turn up at Hillside still wearing my postie uniform, Jess will never let me live it down!’
‘I’m up for that,’ said Claudia with a little shrug.
‘Thanks,’ said George. ‘Anyway, it’s probably best that you see the place before it’s too late for you to catch the train if you change your mind!’
‘Uh oh,’ said Claudia, wrinkling her nose. ‘That sounds ominous.’
‘Nah… you’re safe,’ said George, grinning at her. ‘I’m pretty well house-trained.’
‘As long as there’s a sofa and a spare pillow, I’m pretty content,’ said Claudia.
‘I can do better than that,’ said George. ‘The spare room’s all made up. I thought I’d better make sure I was ready, just in case you decided to take me up on my offer.’
Claudia smiled as the tips of George’s ears went pink.
‘I guess we might as well grab my case on the way past the hotel?’ she said. ‘Then we’ll head to the cottage so you can change. Though it seems a bit of a shame… I rather like you in your uniform!’
George’s pink ears promptly turned into a full-blown blush.
‘Actually, when we get back to the cottage, can you remind me there’s something I want to give you?’ said George, clearing his throat as he shyly took her hand again.
‘Give me?’ Claudia grinned at him. ‘Well, this gets better and better!’
‘Not like that!’ spluttered George. ‘Blimey, you really are a bad girl! Man, I’m dreading the moment you and Jess are in the same room. I don’t stand a chance.’
A brief flare of discomfort hit Claudia in the chest, and she glanced at him.
‘You and Jess… anything I should know?’ she said, only just managing to stop herself from pulling her hand away from his.
George smiled and shook his head. ‘We’re just good mates. Doris and Ethel did their best to matchmake us a while back, and I have to admit, I did ask Jess out for a drink just to get them off our backs, but…’
‘It didn’t work out?’ said Claudia.
‘There’s not even that much to the story,’ laughed George. ‘I think I was three sips into my drink when I came clean and told her that I didn’t see her like that. Jess’s look of relief would have been offensive if I wasn’t feeling exactly the same way!’
‘Blimey, you weren’t kidding when you said the town had been trying to pair you off, were you?’ said Claudia.
‘Nope,’ said George with a long-suffering sigh.
‘Well… can I just say that I’m relieved they failed?’ she said.
George’s face broke into a delighted grin, and Claudia had to resist the urge to jump on the guy there and then… just to see if he was as good a kisser as he’d been at eighteen.
‘There is one thing I should warn you about Jess, though,’ he said.
‘Uh oh,’ laughed Claudia.
‘She’s lovely, but she’s got no filter whatsoever,’ he said. ‘I guarantee you she’ll bombard you with a bunch of deeply personal questions within the first five minutes.’
‘Such as?’
‘Oh, you know… whether you’re planning to marry me, how many children you want… and what your intentions are regarding my virtue,’ he said cheerfully, as they headed towards Pebble Street.
‘Your virtue?!’ said Claudia, practically choking on a laugh.
‘I’m a delicate flower,’ said George, suddenly solemn. ‘I need protecting.’
‘I’ll try to restrain myself,’ she giggled.
‘Please don’t,’ said George. ‘Not on my account, anyway.’
He shot her a cheeky wink and disappeared inside the hotel to collect her case, narrowly missing her impression of a supernova.
‘Here we are,’ said George, turning the key in the lock and then standing back to let her lead the way into the cottage. ‘The living room’s through to your left there, and the kitchen’s straight ahead. Bathroom and bedrooms are upstairs. It’s small but perfectly formed.’
‘It’s really cute,’ said Claudia, keen to set his obvious nerves at ease.
She wasn’t telling porkies either. The front garden was full of late summer colour, and the small patch of grass was clearly carefully mown. The minute she stepped into the warmth of the little cottage, it was obvious she’d just arrived somewhere that was very much loved.
Claudia glanced into the living room, and for a moment she longed to cancel their plans for the apology tour and just curl up on one of the squashy sofas with George… preferably under a blanket, with the woodburner burbling away in the background.
Then again, that could be very dangerous, couldn’t it?! If they stayed here, she couldn’t be held responsible for her actions. It was much safer if they were out and about… at least in public, she’d have to behave a bit!
‘You want to hang out down here while I get changed, or would you like to see your room?’ said George, still looking decidedly cute in his work uniform.
‘I’ll take my bag upstairs and stash it out of the way, if that’s okay?’ said Claudia. She had to admit, she was curious to see the rest of the cottage and get a glimpse of where she’d agreed to spend the night.
‘Sure. Let me leave these here,’ he said, popping the bag of cakes down on the hallway table. Then, without a word, he picked up her little pink case and led the way up the narrow stairs.
Claudia followed slowly, doing her best not to stare at his decidedly cute bum just a couple of steps ahead of her.
‘Here we go!’ he said, leading the way into a gorgeous little room.
It was decorated with fresh whites and deep blues and had a bit of a seaside theme going on. A large glass bottle full of bits of sea glass sat on the windowsill, and the curtains boasted a nautical print. Most importantly, there was a comfy-looking double bed with fresh white linen, and a couple of fluffy towels sat folded at the foot.
‘Blimey George,’ she gasped, staring around. ‘You weren’t joking—talk about house-trained!’
‘Yeah, well, I didn’t want you to have to put up with my piles of unfolded laundry and stacks of books that outgrew the shelves downstairs.’
Claudia sniggered. ‘So, the truth comes out!’
‘Something like that,’ he laughed. ‘Anyway, the loo is just across the hallway, and my bedroom’s right next door. I’ll let you land a sec while I go and change, then we can start with Charlie at the allotments, and go to Jess at Hillside Farm afterwards?’
‘Sounds like a plan,’ said Claudia, suddenly very aware that she was standing close to a double bed… and George was within grabbing distance. She watched him leave the room and let out a sigh of relief… or maybe it was longing?!
‘Be cool, weirdo!’ she muttered, flopping down onto the bed the minute he pulled the door closed behind him.
‘What was that?’
‘Nothing!’ she squeaked.
Claudia turned and buried her face in the pillow, willing the coolness of the fresh linen to ease her blush. Unfortunately, it didn’t work because a second later, she heard the undeniable sounds of George stripping out of his uniform.
‘Oh blimey,’ she whispered.
Nope - she’d end up a jellified mess if she stayed put and listened to that!
Jumping back off the bed as if it had burned her, Claudia grabbed her phone and hotfooted it back down the stairs without a backwards glance.
‘There, much better!’ she muttered, heading into the little living room and sinking onto one of the well-worn sofas. She strained her ears but couldn’t catch any hint of the postal striptease going on upstairs.
Good.
As enticing as that had been, she needed to calm down before she terrified the poor guy!
Claudia swiped at her phone screen and promptly let out a quiet groan. There was another missed call from her mother.
Nope, she wasn’t about to call her back yet.
Claudia had a plan, and she was going to stick to it. She’d wait until after she’d had dinner at Seabury House, and only then would she call her mother back. She’d keep it brief and to the point—a short but glowing report that would hopefully put an end to any further ridiculous shenanigans.
Glancing up again to make sure there still wasn’t any sign of George, Claudia swiped to a different screen and pulled up the link to her digital portfolio. She hadn’t looked at it in ages, but sure enough, the minute she typed in her password, her screen was filled with her designs.
As she swiped from one image to the next, Claudia cast a critical eye over the years of hard work she’d simply abandoned. She had to admit, she’d forgotten quite how many projects she’d completed… all to her clients’ exacting demands, but with that hint of style that marked them as hers and tied her portfolio together.
Blowing out a long breath, Claudia shook her head. Looking at these now, without the poisonous whispers of ex-husband number two telling her that she didn’t really have what it took, Claudia couldn’t help but feel a hint of pride. But the feeling was mixed with a strange dollop of grief, too… because she’d let it all go, hadn’t she?
There was nothing stopping her now, though, was there?
With another glance at the door, Claudia pulled up the search bar on her phone. She couldn’t remember the name of the company that Kate and George had been talking about earlier, but a quick search for “Design Agency” and “Seabury, Devon” quickly led her in the right direction.
Graphika - that was it!
CHAPTER 14
GEORGE
George knocked on the door of the guest bedroom. He couldn’t help but wonder if this was a spectacularly bad idea. What if it brought back bad memories for her?
He glanced at the wooden box in his hands and then knocked again. He’d come this far… there was no point chickening out now.
‘Claudia?’ he listened intently, but there was complete silence from inside. He inched the door open and peeped around the room. Empty! She must have gone downstairs.
Taking the steps two at a time, George thundered along the hallway and into the living room, only to meet Claudia’s wide-eyed gaze as he skidded to a halt.
Was it his imagination, or did she look guilty?
Nah, it was probably just the fact that he’d appeared like an overexcited puppy dog, wanting to show her what he’d brought her.
‘What have you got there?’ she said, hastily clicking off her phone and dropping it into her lap.
‘Was that your mum again?’ he said.
‘Yeah, but she’s going to have to wait,’ said Claudia. ‘I’ll call her later after we’ve been up to Seabury House… or I might even leave it until tomorrow.’
‘Okay, cool,’ said George. ‘So, remember I said I had something I wanted to give you?’
‘Erm… how could I forget?’ said Claudia.
George grinned as a faint hint of colour spread across her cheeks. ‘Well… this is it.’
Claudia frowned at the box as he held it out to her, and then took it gently. He watched as she traced a light finger over the dark ink stain on one corner, and then over the multi-coloured paint splatters along the top.
‘Is this…?’
‘Yours,’ said George with a little nod. ‘You left it in my room back when we… just before you went travelling.’ He decided now was not the time to bring up the fact that she’d dumped him!
‘You’ve kept it all this time?’ gasped Claudia, sliding back the inset lid and staring at the contents.
George just nodded, watching as she brought the box to her face and breathed in the scent. He knew it well—old pencils, linseed, paint… and a faint hint of the fruity body spray she used to wear.
‘I did try to get it back to you,’ he said quietly, as she took out a pencil and turned it over in her fingers, staring at the grubby little red and black stump with something like wonder. ‘I got the bus to your parents’ house, but your mum lost it at the sight of me.’
Claudia winced. ‘Sorry about that.’
‘I’ve had a decade to get over it,’ he laughed. ‘I’m just sorry I didn’t manage to return it to you sooner.’
‘But… you kept it,’ she said again, her eyes wide with wonder. ‘All these years?’
George shrugged, suddenly feeling a bit daft. ‘Of course I kept it. It’s yours. A little piece of you.’
Claudia set the box down carefully onto the coffee table and then clambered to her feet.
George backed away instinctively, trying to get out of the way so that she could get past him and leave the room. He couldn’t tell if she was upset or just uncomfortable at his display of pure mush. All he knew was that he needed to give her some space.
‘Hey!’ she chuckled. ‘You’re not making this easy, you know!’
