Falling for Polkerran Point, page 3
Surprised, Ellie looked to their host. ‘I thought that was mainly an American thing.’
‘Probably, but we always have so much to spare after the annual pumpkin trail, it seemed a shame to waste it, so I’ve been experimenting over the years.’
A small sound came from Oliver, and his arm stalled in mid-air as he raised his glass to his lips.
‘What?’
Anna smirked. ‘Oliver is my guinea pig. He never quite got over the pumpkin pancakes.’
‘It wasn’t as bad as the pumpkin-spiced granola you put on the table the next morning,’ Oliver retorted, but his keen blue eyes held a warmth for his wife alone, and Ellie exchanged an amused look with Nicki.
‘So what’s the trail?’ Ellie asked, cradling her glass in both hands.
‘Carved pumpkins all around the cove. And local craft makers displaying their pumpkin-themed products, from food to art to clay or wood. Phee – she’s a local artist, watercolours – does a map, which the book shop sells for a couple of pounds, all proceeds to the village school.’
‘The local businesses all chip in prizes,’ Hamish added. ‘It’s a lot of fun.’
‘Wow. I’d assumed it would be pretty quiet at this time of year.’
Anna’s eyes lit up. ‘Never a dull moment in the cove! There’s a scarecrow festival next, and then Hallowe’en, followed by Bonfire Night. It helps bring trade into the village either side of half-term.’
‘And that’s all before the circus comes to town next spring,’ Oliver mused as he stretched his long legs out in front of the hearth.
‘Really?’ Ellie blinked. ‘Where on earth will there be room for that?’
Anna chuckled. ‘Can you imagine? Lions and tigers in the cove?’
Oliver made a small sound. ‘More likely to be peacocks and clowns with this lot.’
Nicki grinned at Ellie. ‘It’s all local chit-chat so far. Alex Tremayne – do you remember him? He took over running the family estate last year. We all thought there’d be little change, to be honest.’
Ellie’s skin went cold. How could she ever forget that name?
‘Alex is known to not be fond of the cove,’ Anna interjected. ‘He’s a city man, through and through.’
‘And they’re welcome to reclaim him whenever they wish.’ There was steel in Oliver’s voice, but Ellie’s skin tingled as the past moved stealthily towards her.
‘So what’s the gossip?’
‘A big rumour about a documentary filming early next year, down the coast beyond Fowey,’ Hamish explained. ‘Tremayne is allegedly keen for some sort of involvement for Polkerran. Lord knows why.’
Ellie’s shoulders stiffened. Alex Tremayne… Will’s housemate back then, the whole reason he’d been in Cornwall… and the man who’d ultimately ended all her hopes and dreams.
Chapter Two
“Ghosts”
Ellie sipped her wine as the others debated the pros and cons for the village if the rumours were true, her mind fighting the urge to return to those heady, summer days.
‘Seems he’s taking the investment in the cove seriously for now,’ Anna mused.
Oliver grunted. ‘It won’t last. He’ll soon be bored.’
‘That might depend on Bella,’ Anna said sagely, heading to the kitchen.
Bella?
‘Our old mate Bella?’ Ellie shot a glance at Nicki. ‘I remember you saying last year she’d turned up in Polkerran.’
Close at university, Ellie hadn’t seen much of Bella in recent years.
‘Yes! She’s not here all the time, because of her freelance teaching in Bristol, but she’s been doing historical research for Oliver.’
A wail came from the baby monitor.
‘And she’s been a lifesaver with this latest book.’ Oliver got to his feet. ‘My turn.’
‘He’s such a lovely dad.’ Anna spoke warmly, as she came over with a tray of mugs and a cafetiere. ‘He had no idea he’d be cut out for it, but I couldn’t have asked for more.’
‘Are you okay?’ Ellie’s brow furrowed as Anna wiped away a tear.
‘She’s fine,’ Nicki interjected, picking up the sugar. ‘You’ll get used to it.’
Anna gave a watery laugh as the wailing stopped. ‘Nicki’s right. Take no notice of me. The more content I get, the more prone to emotion I seem to be.’
Trying not to be envious, Ellie took a mug of coffee from Anna.
‘Here’s to happiness, then!’
They clinked mugs, and the subject turned to Anna and Oliver’s upcoming trip to America, but as the evening drew to a close, and the family returned to the cottage next door, Ellie couldn’t help but feel she may as well wish for the moon.
* * *
Over the next two days, Ellie’s temporary new life settled into a pattern, and although the ghosts of the past lurked on every corner, she did her best to dismiss them.
Nicki’s full-time hours meant frequent weekend shifts at the salon, which helped as it paid more, but meant she got less time with her boys. Hamish did his best to keep them entertained, and Ellie busied herself with the household chores, worrying about finding a moment to complete the editing process on a couple of recent shoots.
She tried not to think about the lost income from the rescheduled jobs. At least she had a little coming in from her greeting card commissions – a sideline that didn’t make much profit, but fed her creative soul.
On Sunday evening, conscious of their impending separation, Ellie shooed the increasingly anxious couple off to The Lugger for a few hours, insisting she and Liam and Jason had unfinished business on the PlayStation. Despite being in pain, Hamish grabbed the chance, saying a pint of Doom Bar would set him up ‘well and proper, mind’ for the next day.
The following morning, once the boys were at school and Nicki and Hamish left for the hospital, Ellie set to work on editing a shoot on her laptop. There wasn’t any space in Nicki’s cottage, but Anna had kindly offered up the recent addition to Westerleigh of an elegant orangery at the back of the house. Whether accessed directly from the main sitting area or approached across the large terrace, it was a beautiful space, its stone base and tall windows complementing the house perfectly. An arched glass roof featuring white wrought-iron finials created a sense of fully being outside and stunning, natural light streamed in, even on a cloudy day.
A message came some hours later from Nicki to say Hamish was in recovery and she was heading home. As it was nearly time to pick up the boys, Ellie began to pack up her hard drive and leads, just as Anna appeared by the open doors onto the terrace, wheeling the twins in their stroller.
‘Hi,’ Ellie called. ‘I’m just heading down to school.’
‘I’ll walk with you, if you like.’ Anna bent down to tuck a blanket more firmly around Emma, who trilled some nonsensical sounds. ‘These two aren’t taking Mummy’s advice about having a nap, but motion usually solves the dispute.’
They chatted comfortably as they walked along the narrow road running around the quieter side of the bay, and Ellie reflected on how easy-going Anna was. She felt as though she’d known her for ages.
‘Nicki said you never came back to the cove after that one holiday. Did you not like it?’
A frisson shot through Ellie. ‘Oh, you know.’ She attempted nonchalance. ‘You often think you’ll go back to somewhere you had a great time, but life just runs away with you.’
They’d reached the bridge spanning the river which fed into the curved bay of water, and Anna stopped to check on the twins, who had done as she’d predicted and drifted off to sleep, and Ellie leaned on the parapet and stared across the shimmering wavelets towards the horizon. A stiff breeze blew in from the sea, where larger waves were decked in frothy flowing capes as they scurried towards the rocks, tossing ribbons of white into the air. Ellie wished she could do the same with the memories moving steadily inwards like the tide.
‘I know what you mean.’ Anna rolled the stroller to and fro. ‘I stopped coming here for a long time after I left college and didn’t have the summer holidays to spend in Cornwall. North Yorkshire was such a long way off.’ She sent Ellie a regretful smile. ‘I used to meet my aunt Meg in London all the time, as it was easier to get to. She left me – us – the house, bless her, and I’ll always wish I had tried harder to spend more time with her.’
They continued into town, and Ellie headed to the village school to meet Liam and Jason, warmed by the friendliness of those collecting children of various ages. She allowed the boys to persuade her to walk to the small beach, accessed along the lane which ran parallel with the water on the busier side of Polkerran, towards the rocks bearing the small lighthouse. Wishing they’d chosen anywhere but there, Ellie fought the recollections circling like the gulls in the sky overhead.
‘There’s a cafe,’ Jason said, as he all but skipped along beside Ellie. ‘They do the most epic ice creams, Auntie Nellie.’
Ellie’s lips curved at the name they both used for her, then frowned. ‘Isn’t it a bit chilly for ice cream?’
Liam rolled his eyes. ‘Grown-ups say such silly things. If it’s cold, then at least they won’t melt like they do in the sun.’
‘Fair point,’ Ellie conceded.
Ten minutes later, they’d reached the tidal beach bordered by grey cliffs and topped with tall trees and, on one side, a stunning, Gothic-looking house which seemed to emerge from the stone as if they were one.
‘That’s Harbourwatch,’ Liam added, as they headed straight to the quaint beach cafe built into the same rocks. ‘Our friend, Mollie, lives there.’
As far as Ellie could recall, the property had been empty and covered in scaffolding when she last visited. But then, she’d not really paid it much notice, far more interested in the fingers intertwined with hers, as she and Will stretched out on the warm sand.
The cafe – which certainly hadn’t been there before either – was takeaway only, but stocked a delightful range of locally made goods, and Ellie couldn’t resist making a few purchases while the boys tucked into their treats, chattering about school and how they missed the water sports in the winter and what they intended to dress as for Hallowe’en.
‘Can we skim some stones?’ Jason begged, as Ellie offered him a wipe for his hands. ‘This is a great place for it.’
Although she was a bit cold, Ellie nodded. ‘Of course, just don’t get your trainers wet or your mum will never forgive me.’
Both boys sped down to the shore to seek out the best pebbles, and Ellie picked up the discarded school bags and Jason’s PE kit and walked over to where a couple of benches had been set on a raised plinth.
Gripped by mixed emotions, she refused to allow her gaze to move over to the secluded corner she and Will had favoured until they’d discovered their beach. A soft sigh fell from her lips, and she brushed the hair from her eyes. How bittersweet the memories were.
Ellie tucked her hands into her pockets and tried to focus on the waves rolling gently onto the flat sand, rippling where they encountered a few low-lying rocks. There were a couple of families over by the cliffs supporting Harbourwatch, busy rock-pooling, and a group of walkers chatting animatedly on a low wall, sipping their takeaway coffees.
Ellie’s gaze drifted towards where the open sea met the smoother waves of Polkerran Point, just as a gleaming yacht, its sail billowing in the wind, rounded the rocks to her right, and she watched with mild interest as it rolled and swayed. Even at a distance, she could detect two figures on board. The vessel’s speed slowed, assuming a more sedate pace and diminishing in size as it moved with ease towards the sheltered waters of the harbour.
Ellie shivered, then glanced at her watch.
‘Come on, boys.’ She waved at Liam and Jason, who dispatched their last two stones before tearing back up the beach towards her. ‘Your mum will be back by now. Time we went home.’
* * *
Nicki worked the Tuesday, but once school was over, she headed over to Port Wenneth with Liam and Jason to visit Hamish. His surgery had gone as planned, aside from his complaining of an intense numbness in his legs, but they assured him it would ease off with time. Everything seemed on track for him to be released into his parents’ care in a few days.
With free time on her hands, Ellie donned her walking boots and slung the strap of her trusty Canon camera across her body before heading out onto the coastal path. The strenuous walk did her good, helping to clear her mind of the past, and she clicked away, keen to capture the light on the sea, a stark contrast to the bracken-coated clifftops.
Hints of dusk creeping west were sufficient to direct Ellie back home, warmed from the exercise, pink-cheeked, her honey-gold hair teased by the clifftop breeze into escaping its silk bandana.
Ellie’s phone rang as she walked down the lane past a driveway bearing a sign which read The Lookout.
Nicki.
‘Hi. How’s it going?’
‘Okay.’ Nicki sounded hesitant, and Ellie placed a hand over her other ear to listen more carefully. ‘Hamish isn’t too bright, but they’re looking after him well. The boys have petitioned to see a film before we come home. Will you be okay? We’ll be back around seven.’
‘Of course! Shall we be naughty and get a takeaway tonight?’
‘Sounds fab. The menu for Thai Dai’s is in the drawer by the toaster. Or there’s chippy tea from Colin the Cod.’
Pocketing her phone, Ellie hesitated when she reached the place where the lane from the cliff path joined the one leading up to Little Cott and Westerleigh.
It would be a good few hours before Nicki returned. Sitting alone in the cottage didn’t hold much appeal, and Ellie had failed to get into her book every night since she’d arrived, so it would either be wasting time playing games on her phone or streaming mindless shows. Anna and Oliver had gone with the twins to stay overnight with her brother, who lived with his girlfriend on a tidal creek further up the river, so it would be equally lonely there, too.
Turning right, Ellie moved briskly down the lane, passing the quaint-looking Lugger Inn, adorned with hanging baskets filled with fading blooms, and started across the bridge.
‘Beautiful,’ she whispered, reaching for her camera again.
Ellie clicked away, but as she neared the harbour, she noticed a yacht – possibly the one she’d seen the previous afternoon – moored nearby. With its mast gleaming in a late burst of sun as it sank towards the horizon, it made for a stunning shot, and she reviewed her efforts on the camera display.
Reaching the harbourfront, the delicious aroma of garlic emanated from both the bistro and an unfamiliar waterside restaurant further along, to the accompaniment of voices and laughter and the tinkling of cutlery against china from those seated outside.
Ellie replaced her lens cap and leant against the harbour wall. A steady stream of customers emerged from the chip shop, paper packages clutched in their hands. Sea birds wheeled overhead, their piercing cries drifting upwards over the trees, whose gold and amber foliage created a patchwork across the hillside.
Suddenly, a chill swept over Ellie’s skin as a voice floated across the water from the nearby jetty. Her hand shot to her throat, which felt strangely tight. Surely not… not now…
Pushing away from the low wall, Ellie darted across the cobbled street and into Karma, a smart coffee shop.
Forcing herself to breathe evenly, silently scolding her tummy for doing a back flip the envy of any budding gymnast, she hastily ordered a hot chocolate, then slowly edged towards one of the window seats.
‘Oh God,’ she intoned with dread.
If Ellie’s eyesight didn’t deceive her in the fading light, Alex Tremayne was now on board the stylish vessel she’d just photographed, a shaft of sunlight turning his hair gold, and on the jetty – one hand gripping the steel railing of the boat as it bobbed and weaved on the water, the other holding a coiled rope – stood the man who broke her heart all those years ago: Will Farmer.
Chapter Three
“Strangers in the Night”
‘Are you okay?’
Ellie started, then dragged her hungry gaze away from this older, more rugged Will. A petite young woman with red-gold hair, accompanied by a pretty child, had paused beside the sofa. They looked vaguely familiar.
‘You’ve gone horrid pale.’
‘Yes. Sorry.’ Ellie pulled herself together. ‘I’ve seen you at the school, I think?’
The woman nodded, her chin-length curls bobbing. ‘Phoenix, or Phee to most. Verity Blue,’ she indicated the little girl. ‘Started there this year after we moved back to the cove from Meva.’ She had a warm, West Country burr to her voice and a friendly smile.
Ellie shook the proffered hand. ‘Ellie. I’m here to help my cousin out for bit.’
‘Nicki? I thought I’d seen you with her boys. Poor Hamish. He’ll be missing being out at sea. Well, if you’re sure you’re okay, we’d best get on.’
Phoenix said goodbye, ushering her daughter out of the door, and Ellie’s anxious gaze shot back towards the harbour.
There was no longer any sign of Will or Alex, thankfully, and her heart resumed its normal pace.
He’ll doubtless be gone again soon. Just keep a low profile. Don’t go out. Stay in your room. Don’t even get out of bed.
‘Idiot,’ Ellie silently admonished, as she cautiously sipped the hot chocolate. Why did it taste like ashes?
She put it aside. Time to get back to Little Cott. Thank goodness her stay in the cove would be brief!
* * *
Nicki had been somewhat subdued when they arrived home, explaining that Hamish had little to no feeling in his legs at present.
Alarm gripped Ellie as she hugged her cousin. ‘I’m so sorry.’
‘It’s okay.’ Nicki attempted a more positive tone. ‘We had been warned it was a possible side effect, but you just don’t expect it to happen.’
