Little Kiosk By The Sea (17 page)

‘Ellie! How lovely to see you,’ Sabine said. ‘This is Johnnie, my brother, and his little girl, Carla. It’s lovely to see you here in town.’

‘It looks to be a great place,’ Ellie said. ‘Can’t believe Mum stayed away so long.’

‘I expect she had her reasons,’ Sabine said, guessing Ellie didn’t yet know the truth about Harriet’s past. ‘Have you been out to the house yet?’

Ellie shook her head. ‘No. I’m on my way there now but couldn’t resist treating myself to an ice cream. I’d better get going otherwise Mum will be panicking I’m late. Good to meet you both.’

Back in the car and following the one-way route through town and out towards Swannaton, Ellie sang happily to herself, the earlier feeling from the ferry reinforcing itself in her brain. Dartmouth really was a lovely place. It was going to be a good holiday. Life was definitely on the up and up.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

HARRIET

Harriet hummed happily to herself as she placed a batch of scones in the Aga. She might be channelling Amy in wanting to welcome people to the house with food, but she felt so good. The sun was shining, the house clean and sparkling. Most importantly, Ellie would be here soon and their family holiday could begin.

But this holiday was more significant than a mere holiday. It was also the week she began her official year of living back in Dartmouth. The week too when she and Frank told Ellie about the legacy and the truth about her own life.

Not knowing how Ellie would react was worrying but, Harriet kept telling herself, Ellie was a grown-up independent woman. She knew the way of the world, that these things happened. Emotionally though, Harriet knew, it was bound to be hard on her.

When Harriet had fully explained why she’d acted the way she had, stressing it had all been done out of love for her and wanting to protect her, Ellie would surely understand and forgive. Wouldn’t she? They’d always been so close. Down through the years, avoiding hurting Ellie had always been Harriet’s main concern.

At least there was the rest of today to enjoy with Ellie and Frank. No point in diving straight in with the news that was bound to be a shock to Ellie. Let her settle in. A family dinner and then tomorrow ‘The Talk’ to get things out into the open. Afterwards they could all settle down to a new life back in Dartmouth.

The kitchen door opened and Frank came in from the garden. ‘Scones?’ he sniffed. ‘Smells good. Any chance of one with a cup of tea?’

‘Ten minutes,’ Harriet said. ‘Ellie might be here by then too.’

They were both sitting out on the terrace about to tuck into the scones when Ellie arrived.

‘You were right, Mum, Dartmouth is lovely,’ she said, giving her a hug. ‘Met your friend Sabine by the way when I stopped for an ice cream.’

Harriet’s heart skipped a beat. ‘You’ve met Sabine? How was she?’ Surely she wouldn’t have said anything to Ellie about why they were actually here.

‘Nice lady. I apologised for missing her exhibition.’ Ellie moved across to Frank and hugged him. ‘Hi, Dad. Thought this was a holiday. You look as though you’ve been gardening.’

‘You know me, can’t bear to see weed strangling things even in a holiday home,’ Frank said lightly, after a quick look at Harriet.

Listening to Ellie chattering away as the three of them sat on the terrace enjoying the cream tea, Harriet began to relax. Everything was going to be all right.

‘So freelancing is working out for you,’ Frank said.

‘Wish in a way I’d started years ago,’ Ellie said. ‘But then I wouldn’t have the contacts I’ve got now.’

‘And Rod?’ Harriet asked. ‘Have you heard anymore from him?’

Ellie shook her head. ‘No. All in the past now. He did me a favour, I think, by dumping me. Real wake-up call for me.’ She jumped up. ‘Right, which room am I in?’

‘I’ve given you one of the rooms with a river view,’ Harriet said. ‘Come on, let’s get your stuff upstairs and I’ll show you the rest of the house.’

‘While you two girls do that, I’m going to have a shower and then walk into town and pick up some wine for dinner this evening,’ Frank said.

‘This is a lovely house, Mum,’ Ellie said as she followed Harriet up the stairs and into the bedroom. ‘Feels more like a private house than a holiday let. How did you find it?’

She moved across to stand by the window before Harriet could answer. ‘Wow. Look at the view. All those boats. Any sailing schools around, do you think? Really fancy having a go.’

‘I’m sure we can find you somewhere,’ Harriet said, grateful that the moment to answer Ellie’s question about the house had passed. ‘There’s an old dinghy hung up in the rafters of the garage. Maybe we’ll get that down and I’ll teach you the basics.’

Ellie turned to look at her in surprise. ‘Didn’t know you sailed, Mum.’

‘Sailing was always an essential part of growing up here,’ Harriet said. ‘Sabine and I both had dinghies. I learnt to swim at an early age too.’

She smiled at Ellie. ‘Right. I’ll leave you to unpack and go and organise dinner. See you downstairs when you’re ready.’

Back down in the kitchen, preparing the roast lamb, Harriet felt better than she had for months. She was confident everything was going to be all right. Ellie loved Dartmouth, she liked the house, and she felt they were as close as they had ever been. Pushing cloves of garlic under the lamb skin, Harriet resolved to tell Ellie the truth tonight after dinner rather than wait until tomorrow. Tonight, after a good meal, a glass or two of wine, when they were all feeling mellow, would be better.

Washing the garlic off her hands, she realised she’d forgotten to pick some rosemary from the big bush halfway down the garden. Grabbing the kitchen scissors, she opened the back door to go and get some, at the same time as Ellie walked into the kitchen.

‘Back in two ticks,’ Harriet said. ‘Need rosemary.’

When she arrived back with a big bunch of the herb, planning to hang the surplus to dry with the saucepans hanging on the kitchen-maid rack over the Aga, Ellie was nowhere to be seen.

Peeling the potatoes, Harriet planned how she was going to raise the subject of the past after dinner. After all, she couldn’t jump straight into ‘so glad you like the house because it will be yours one day’ without some sort of lead up. The difficulty would be finding the right words to explain decisions that had been taken in the past.

She glanced up as Ellie came back into the kitchen and froze as she saw what Ellie was holding. Time stood still as she stared at the small silver photo frame Ellie was holding. Where the hell had she found that?

CHAPTER THIRTY

SABINE

‘Well, that went well,’ Owen said. ‘Peter seems happy with everything.’

When Peter had left after supper, impatient to share his good news with his girlfriend, Sabine and Owen had taken their Irish coffees up to the studio. Like she had done so many times in the past, Sabine had kicked off her shoes before curling up on the settee alongside Owen. Relaxing together like the old friends they were. Now though, she stiffened at something in his voice and turned to look at him.

‘So he should,’ Sabine said. ‘You’re treating him like the prodigal son, giving him the family business.’

‘I’ve told you before, he’s the nearest I’m ever going to get to having a son,’ Owen said. ‘You and he are my family. Whatever happens in the future.’ He placed his drained glass on the coffee table, before catching hold of Sabine’s hand.

‘Marry me, Sabine. Make us into an official family and me the happiest man in Dartmouth.’

‘Oh, Owen,’ Sabine said. ‘I was beginning to think you’d decided to stop asking me.’

As the silence between them lengthened, Owen let go of her hand, picked his drink up and took several mouthfuls.

‘I guess that’s a “no” again.’ He paused before saying quietly, ‘He’s not coming back you know. You’re wasting your life.’

‘Fourteen years after he died, I think I know that. And I haven’t wasted my life,’ Sabine said, irritated. Maybe the last fourteen years had been lived in the fog of an unrealistic daydream, but she’d still managed to bring Peter up to be a decent person. Surely her mothering skills counted for something?

‘Not Dave. Reid.’

Sabine’s chest constricted in shock as she looked at Owen.

‘You knew about Reid? I never told anyone back then.’

‘You didn’t have to. Anybody seeing the two of you together could put two and two together and do the maths for themselves.’

‘Did Dave?’ her voice trailed away.

Own shook his head. ‘No – but he never took to Reid either. Called him a smart-ass, as I recall. I’d never have introduced the two of you if I’d known what was going to happen.’

‘Nothing happened,’ Sabine said quietly. ‘I was never unfaithful to Dave.’ She fiddled with her glass. ‘All these years and you’ve never mentioned before that you knew. Why not?’

‘Guess I was waiting for you to tell me he was the reason you wouldn’t marry me after Dave died. Besides, if I didn’t acknowledge your feelings for him, I could kid myself I was still in with a chance.’

Sabine hesitated before saying. ‘I learnt recently that he’s a serial divorcee.’

‘You’ve been in touch?’

‘Yes. The night of the party. After I told Harriet and admitted I still had his contact details, she talked me into phoning him. Said it would be a relief to know one way or another. Which I suppose it is.’ She ran her fingers through her hair. ‘Just damn demoralising at the same time.’

Owen picked up her hand again and held it tightly. ‘I’d like to punch his lights out for hurting you.’

Sabine gave a rueful smile. That sounded like a knight in shining armour coming to the rescue.

‘It’s my own fault for believing happy ever afters existed outside of fairy stories.’

As for failing to realise and embrace the fact that the man sitting next to her holding her hand, had always been prepared to give her the happy ever after she longed for, she deserved the lonely old age she was heading straight for.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

HARRIET

‘Mum, have you seen this? The woman in this photo holding a baby looks just like you did years ago.’ Ellie held out the silver photo frame for Harriet to look at.

‘You’ve been in Am … the locked room?’ Had she been through the drawers and found the other photos – the ones she’d removed from the sitting room mantelpiece? Carefully she put the potato peeler down and looked at Ellie.

‘I was being nosey,’ Ellie said, shrugging. ‘I saw the key hanging on the hook and wondered if it was to that room. Can’t understand why people would lock a room and then leave the key in full view. This was on the desk.’ She looked at Harriet. ‘You’ve gone pale.’ She glanced down at the photo again before looking up and saying slowly. ‘It is you, isn’t it? Is the baby me?’ She held the photo out to show Harriet.

Harriet briefly glanced at the picture. ‘Yes it is me. And … yes, the baby is you.’

Taken at Ellie’s christening, she barely recognised her younger self. How the hell had Ellie? Damn. Having carefully cleared all the shelves in the study of any incriminating photos, she’d left the piles of paper on the desk undisturbed, not realising there was another photo there as well.

‘There’s something we have to tell you – which Dad and I were planning to do this evening,’ Harriet added quickly. ‘After dinner.’ Where was Frank now when she needed him?

Ellie shook her head. ‘Can’t wait that long. Come on, Mum, spill the beans about how a photo of us is in an unknown house we’ve rented.’

Harriet moved across to the dresser where she’d placed an open bottle of red to breathe ready for dinner. ‘Pass me two glasses, will you?’ she said, indicating the shelf behind Ellie. ‘Then sit down.’

Wordlessly, Ellie got the glasses and sat at the table while Harriet poured them both some wine.

‘Cheers,’ Harriet said before taking a gulp. ‘Oh dear, this is difficult. Can we not wait for Dad to be here?’

She took another gulp of wine when Ellie said, ‘No.’

‘Okay, here goes. To start with, Ellie, this house belonged to Amy, your aunt. We both spent a lot of time here when you were tiny.’

‘You’ve never ever mentioned her before,’ Ellie said.

‘There’s a lot of things I’ve never mentioned before,’ Harriet said quietly. ‘Amy died earlier this year. Despite not having been in touch for nearly thirty years, you and I were named as the main benefactors of her will – provided I agreed to a couple of conditions.’

Harriet swirled the wine around her glass and took a drink before saying, ‘Which I have. So, this house now belongs to me.’

‘What were the conditions?’

‘I’m not allowed to sell the house – it has to come to you when I die. That was easy enough to accept. The second clause was harder. I had to agree to live here for a year in order for you to receive a legacy of your own.’

‘Why it was so hard to agree to live here? It’s your home town. I’ve never really understood why we didn’t come here for visits in the past. And why a legacy for me?’

‘Long, sordid story which Amy’s will has dragged into the present. Before I tell you, please believe me when I say I’ve wanted to tell you many times in the past, but for various reasons – fear of upsetting you mainly – I didn’t.’ Harriet paused before continuing. ‘It’s your home town too. Aunt Amy was one of your godmothers. The other is Sabine. The thirty year absence was because I ran away, taking you with me.’

‘You left Dad?’

Harriet took a deep breath. ‘No, I didn’t leave Frank. I left your father.’ The words fell into a silence that lengthened for several long seconds before Ellie said, ‘Dad isn’t … Dad?’

‘He is definitely your dad – both officially in that he adopted you when you were three and because he truly loves you. But no, he isn’t your biological father.’

‘Who’s my real father? Why did you run away?’

‘Because your father had an affair,’ Harriet said, answering the second question and ignoring the first for the time being.

Ellie spluttered. ‘Is that all? You ran away because of that? Why didn’t you stay and fight for him? I presume you loved him.’

‘It wasn’t the same in those days,’ Harriet said, wishing Frank would hurry up and return so she didn’t have to have this conversation with Ellie on her own.