Copyright

Harper

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

The News Building

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

First published in Great Britain by Harper 2017

Copyright © Cressida McLaughlin 2017

Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2017

Cover illustration © Alice Stevenson

Cressida McLaughlin asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Ebook Edition © April 2017

ISBN: 9780008219277

Version: 2017-07-11

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Keep Reading …

About the Author

Also by Cressida McLaughlin

About the Publisher

Chapter One

Robin Brennan was facing away from the sea, the warm June breeze whispering at her back, the waves marking time with their rhythmic ebb and flow. She thought how peaceful it could have been, before nine o’clock on a Saturday morning, with the sun already shining down on the seaside town of Campion Bay.

But it wasn’t peaceful, because Darren and Fred, two men in scruffy shorts and navy vests, were taking down the temporary stage on the promenade with as much noise as it was possible to make. Robin winced as another metal pole clattered to the ground, and she picked up her takeaway coffee cup, blowing on the hot liquid through the tiny hole in the lid before taking a sip.

‘Who put this up, then?’ Darren asked, flicking a look in Robin’s direction. He was short and squat, with bulging muscles, a sheen of sweat on his large forehead.

‘It was a friend of mine, mainly. Though a few of us helped.’

‘Done a good job,’ Darren said, nodding appreciatively. ‘It’s solid.’

‘I should hope so,’ Robin replied, laughing nervously. She didn’t want to think about what the structure would have been like had it been left to her, Molly, Adam and Paige, struggling to follow the instructions as if putting together a Lego model. A lot of people had stood on that stage.

The open mic night that Robin had organised had been a resounding success, even though it was quite a departure from her day-to-day routine of running the Campion Bay Guesthouse. Lorna, the young woman who had arrived as a guest only two weeks ago, had gone from being shy and timid, her guitar slung almost apologetically over her shoulder, to a confident performer, her voice and playing wowing the crowd on the Campion Bay promenade. Nobody would have guessed that the Lorna who had tripped off the stage had, a few months earlier, been mugged and her confidence shattered. And it wasn’t just Lorna’s performance that had captivated and thrilled: all of the acts had commanded the stage in their own individual ways, and the cheers and applause had been long and loud, drifting up towards the stars.

The compere for the night had also made his mark, although perhaps more with Robin herself than anyone else. Robin pictured Will in his smart blue shirt, standing elevated above them all, his green eyes bright as he addressed the audience. Now she looked up at number four, the house next door to hers, but although the curtains were open there were no signs of life. Given the racket Darren and Fred were making as they flung the braces into the back of their van with wilful abandon, it was highly unlikely Will was still asleep.

For weeks Robin and he had been edging around each other, all because of a silly misunderstanding. She’d hoped that by involving Will in the open mic night she could get him to talk to her again, give her a chance to explain. He’d resisted at first, but in the last few days there’d been definite signs of a thaw, culminating in the moment when he closed the show by telling the audience she was ‘one in a million’.

And then Tim had showed up.

She’d lain awake into the small hours, recalling the hurt in Will’s eyes as Tim had whisked her away to dinner. It had happened so fast, she hadn’t had a chance to tell him it was part of the deal she’d agreed to when Tim’s firm stepped in to sponsor the music night, so it had looked for all the world like she was going on a date with her ex-boyfriend. Assurances that there was nothing going on between her and Tim Lewis would cut no ice. And it wouldn’t be enough simply to tell Will she missed him, that she wanted to try again. She needed to be bold, come right out and admit how much she cared about him, and quash his concerns by spelling out why Tim no longer mattered to her. She would have to lay her heart on the line.

She sipped her coffee in an attempt to calm her nerves, waiting for the moment when the workmen would finish loading their van and drive away so she could cross the road and give it one final, heartfelt shot.

Robin closed her eyes. She heard a door slam further up the street, and the sound of a loud, powerful engine approach and then die. When she looked up, she saw that the car was a black Audi, and it was parking outside the guesthouse. She jolted, almost spilling her coffee. A familiar figure climbed out. His tousled blond hair and faded red shirt struck the right balance between casual and sophisticated, but Tim’s usually relaxed face was scowling. Robin felt her chest tighten as she watched him lock the car and bound up the front stairs of number four.

‘No no no,’ she said to herself. ‘This can’t be happening.’

Last night had not gone the way Tim had planned. The champagne he’d ordered to toast the success of the open mic event and the rekindling of their relationship had barely been touched. She’d told him flat out that, even if she didn’t have reservations about getting back with him, there was nobody in her thoughts now except Will. Tim’s immediate response was disbelief, which then turned to angry resignation. She’d hoped, once he’d had time to digest it, that he would understand. Theirs had been a childhood romance; it had ended when he cheated on her after she left to go to university, but with hindsight she realised they probably would have outgrown each other in any case.

She’d hoped he cared about her enough to accept her decision. Now, she wondered if she had been wrong, and the mountain she was going to have to climb to regain Will’s trust was about to be made much more difficult by the actions of her ex-boyfriend, suffering from wounded pride.

‘I’ve just got to nip over the road and do something,’ she called to Darren and Fred.

‘We’ll only be another five minutes, love, and we need you to sign off the paperwork.’

‘But I have to—’

‘What is the meaning of this?’ asked an angry voice, and Robin spun to find Coral Harris, landlady of the Seaview Hotel, standing in front of her. The old woman was wearing an overly frilly lavender dressing gown pulled tightly around her slender frame, and matching fluffy slippers. Her narrow face was pinched and angry, and the effect, along with the soft fabrics and the pastel colouring, was disconcerting.

‘The meaning of what?’ Robin asked, her eyes drifting back to the houses. Tim was no longer standing on the doorstep. Bile churned in her stomach.

‘All this banging. So early in the morning. So early!’ she repeated, directing her words towards Darren and Fred this time.

Fred shrugged, but Darren had the grace to look contrite. ‘Sorry, lady,’ he said, ‘but it’s not easy to be quiet when you’re working with steel.’

‘I’m sure it could be quieter than this. I enjoyed your entertainment, Robin, but this has tainted it for me. What about my guests? What about yours?’

‘I know,’ Robin said sincerely, touched that Mrs Harris had taken the time to compliment her on the event, even if it was in the middle of a complaint. ‘And I am sorry. But we needed to get the stage off the promenade as soon as possible, and this seemed a better time than late last night.’ She shrugged, her mind full of what Tim might be discussing with Will at that very moment.

She remembered saying to him last night: If Will decides to sell the house and leave Campion Bay for good, before I’ve told him how I really feel, I couldn’t bear it. She had hoped that once Tim had got over the initial hurt, they could clear the air and focus on being friends. But Tim was also a property developer, he’d had his eye on number four Goldcrest Road for a while, and if she’d been thinking clearly then she would have realised that it was an unwise thing to say to a calculating, business-minded man she’d rejected only minutes before.

‘I do think something else could have been arranged,’ Mrs Harris continued, oblivious to Robin’s wandering thoughts. ‘As guesthouse owners, we should be thinking of our clients before anything else, and this is surely not the best way for them to start their weekend.’

Robin swallowed. ‘I completely understand. But it’s only one day, and hopefully most of them got to enjoy the free entertainment.’

‘It’s not right.’ Mrs Harris huffed. ‘Not right at all.’

‘We’re almost done,’ Darren said. ‘We’ll be out of your hair in a jiffy.’ He gave her a wide, cheerful grin and Robin watched as Mrs Harris softened.

‘I suppose if it’s nearly over then I have no more grounds for complaint. But if you do any more of these,’ she said, waggling a schoolmistress-style finger at Robin, ‘then you need to think about logistics. Didn’t you run an events management company before all this?’

‘I did,’ Robin admitted. ‘But the timescales were so short this time. Lorna was only here for a fortnight.’

‘Hmm. Next time.’ She patted Robin’s shoulder and strode off down the promenade in her lavender nightwear.

Robin watched her go, bewildered by the encounter. She wiped her palms down her shorts and looked for any glimmers of movement in the windows of number four. She imagined Tim and Will in the large kitchen, free from the dust and grime it had been covered in the last time she had seen it, their postures stiff over cups of instant coffee.

‘Did you say you were nearly done?’ she asked Darren with forced brightness.

‘We’re on the last bit …’ He worked at a joint with the electric screwdriver, and Robin glanced up to see Ashley and Roxy waving at her. She sighed, hoping they were just passing, and waved back.

‘Robin!’ Ashley gave her a brief hug, bending his tall frame towards her. ‘What a brilliant night.’

‘Your teashop was heaving from start to finish,’ Robin said. ‘I heard so many compliments.’

‘I can’t remember ever being as busy as that,’ Roxy added, her dark eyes wide. ‘I’m glad we hired extra staff for the evening.’

‘But sadly we couldn’t extend the teashop’s square footage,’ Ashley said, laughing. ‘If the pavement was wider, we’d invest in some more outdoor chairs and tables.’

‘Are you going to do any more events?’ Roxy asked. ‘It was such a good night, and not only for business. There was so much talent on that stage – the sound carried into the teashop – and Lorna was wonderful, a real star.’

‘I know,’ Robin said. ‘She’s checking out later today, and I’m going to miss her. To start with, I barely knew she was in the guesthouse she was so quiet, but the last ten days she’s filled the place with laughter and fun – not to mention music – so it’s going to feel strange without her.’

‘Some people are like that, aren’t they?’ Ashley said.

Robin nodded. ‘And it seems to be the guests who stay in Starcross, for some reason. Though there have been only two so far.’

‘Maybe there’s something magical about that room?’ Roxy clapped her hands together, but her husband rolled his eyes.

‘Or they’re the two people who have stayed the longest, so they’ve made more of an impression. Will’s back at his aunt Tabitha’s house now, isn’t he? Do you know if he’s planning on staying in Campion Bay?’

The couple looked slightly anxious, and Robin wondered how worried they were about the rumours of what Tim would do if he bought the property. She knew, now, that their kindness towards Will, bringing him cupcakes and helping him bag up rubbish on his first day working in his aunt’s house, had been sincere, but that didn’t mean that they weren’t also concerned about the seafront changing. Things moved on – it was only natural that they should – but Goldcrest Road didn’t need an upgrade. It was picture-perfect.

‘I don’t know,’ Robin said quietly.

She felt guilty. If Tim was in there, making a deal with Will at that very moment, then she would be responsible. Not in a practical way, but for helping to shape the personal feelings of the two men, which might then impact on their professional decisions. First, hurting Will by holding back the truth, and then angering Tim by rejecting him. If Campion Bay Property made a successful bid, then – despite organising the open mic night – Robin’s hopes of being a valued member of the Campion Bay community would be in tatters.

‘Fair enough.’ Ashley nodded. ‘Guess we’ll have to wait and see. Will’s a good guy, it would be nice if he decided to stick around.’

Robin didn’t voice how much she agreed with him.

They said their goodbyes, and Darren thrust a piece of slightly crumpled paper and a biro into Robin’s hand. ‘Sign here, please, love, to say it’s all been done proper and correct. I’ve confirmed that the stage was passed back to us in good condition.’ He pointed at his own scribbled name.

‘Thank you.’ Robin put the paper on the low wall and signed a scratchy signature. She was relieved the stage was gone, the last remnants of the event removed so the promenade, and Skull Island crazy golf, could get back to normal. It should also have meant she was free to go and see Will, but now she’d have to wait until Tim had left. She couldn’t say everything she needed to in front of him.

She’d taken two steps across the road when the front door of Tabitha’s house opened and Tim came out. She gave a sigh of relief, which was quickly overtaken by anxiety when Will followed him. He was wearing his usual dark jeans and Wrangler boots, and a green T-shirt with a silhouette of the New York skyline on the front. Robin snuck back on to the opposite pavement and watched them walk to the Audi. Will climbed into the passenger seat without noticing her, but Tim glanced towards the sea, and their eyes met. The smirk he gave her was devoid of warmth, his eyes glittering with triumph.

He pulled away from the kerb, and it was then that Will’s head turned in her direction. She saw his expression for only a moment, but he didn’t look happy.

‘What has that bastard done?’ Molly was pacing, wearing away the floorboards in Sea Shanty.

‘I don’t know, but I can take a pretty good guess. He’s told Will something about me, something unkind or made up – or both – and tried to persuade him to sell. I had thought that, after last night, we’d be able to move on from this strange nostalgic dance and be friends.’

‘How long did you go out with Tim for?’ Molly’s blue eyes sparkled with anger, but Robin knew it wasn’t aimed at her. ‘Have you still not realised that Tim is only out for himself, that all he cares about is getting what he wants?’

‘I thought that—’

‘You put faith in him. You’re getting soppy in your old age. So you saw them go off together, in Tim’s car?’

Robin sank on to one of the sofas and her kitten, Eclipse, climbed on to her lap. ‘He looked so righteous, as if now that I won’t have him, he can go after the things that matter to me. He’s going after Will, and he’s doing that by swooping in on Tabitha’s house.’

Molly crouched in front of her, her short blond hair moving in the breeze drifting through the open window. ‘Yes, but Will has to agree to it. He has to formally accept Tim’s offer, and I don’t think he’s ready to do that. I saw you sitting next to each other on the sea wall on Thursday, and I heard what he said at the end of the concert last night. Tim will need some pretty strong leverage to get Will to make a decision right now. He’s not even finished going through Tabitha’s belongings.’

‘But what if he’s been inventing stories about me to try and turn Will against me? I told Tim that I wouldn’t try again with him because of Will – though of course that’s not the only reason – but he knows how strong my feelings are.’

Molly shrugged. ‘So add it to the list of things to talk to Will about. He’s seen for himself that Tim can be ruthless. He’s not stupid, and he’ll have to listen to your side of the story.’

‘And if he’s already decided to sell the house?’

Molly held her gaze. ‘Then it was never meant to be. But I don’t think it will come to that.’

‘You and Will are together?’

They both turned to find Lorna standing in the doorway, her bag and guitar case over her shoulders. Her eyes were glistening.

Robin stood and went to hug her. ‘No, we’re not. It’s complicated. What’s wrong?’

Lorna sniffed and wiped her cheek. ‘I’m gutted to be leaving, that’s all. My taxi should be here any minute.’

‘I could have driven you to the station,’ Robin said.

‘You’ve done more than enough for me – I don’t know if you’ll ever realise how much. Thank you for being so amazing.’

Robin laughed. ‘You were the amazing one. Did you hear yourself up there last night?’

Lorna did a little shimmy, and her face broke out into a huge grin. ‘It was the most fun I’ve ever had. I’ve caught the performing bug – I’m going to be unbearable when I get home.’

‘You deserve to go so far,’ Molly said, waiting her turn and then pulling the younger woman into an embrace.

‘Thank you,’ Lorna said. ‘It doesn’t matter how far I go, a little piece of me will always be here, on that stage, looking out at the crowd with the moon shining down on us. I’ve got about twenty glow sticks in my bag – I hope that’s OK?’

‘Of course it is! Better that than they end up in the bin.’

‘Will seemed to be quite fond of them,’ she said, giving Robin a careful look.

Robin smiled, replaying Will’s introduction in her head. ‘Yes. I didn’t know about that little quirk.’

‘He’d be lucky to have you,’ Lorna said. ‘I wish I could stay longer – I’d move down here in a heartbeat and have that view every day of my life. Luton feels like it’s in a dark hole compared to the light and air you get here. But I – I’d like to be friends. To catch up, to go back to the Artichoke.’ She smiled nervously.

‘We are friends,’ Robin said. ‘And you’re welcome here any time. I’ve loved having you.’ She hugged her again and carried her guitar out to the taxi.

‘Thank you, Robin. Thank you for helping me get my life back on track. I’ll never forget it. Email me: I want to hear all your news.’

Lorna waved out of the open taxi window, then the car disappeared into the distance and Robin was left standing on the doorstep with Molly and Eclipse.

‘Starcross empty again now?’ Molly asked. ‘I wonder who’ll be next.’

‘Me, too,’ Robin said. She chewed her lip, glanced at next door and then rolled her eyes. She couldn’t sit here waiting for Will to come back; she’d drive herself mad.

Her friend seemed to sense her restlessness.

‘Come on. I’ll help you with the changeovers, and then you can get out of here for a bit before your new guests arrive. You’ve been working non-stop on this place and the open mic night – don’t think I can’t see those dark circles under your eyes! If you won’t book in for a facial, then this’ll have to do. We’ll get it done in record time, and you can supply the wine and the takeaway when I come over later. Deal?’ She held out her hand.

Robin smiled, wondering what she’d do without Molly to talk sense to her. ‘Deal,’ she agreed.

The water was calm and smooth, even on Campion Bay’s wild beach, as if it was a shimmering, turquoise lake instead of a vast sea. Robin walked with her bare feet pressing into the soft sand, warmed by the early June sun overhead. Everything was bright, sparkling, alive. She was alone on the beach save for a couple of seagulls and a rogue pigeon waddling alongside them, looking for all the world like it belonged.

Molly had been true to her word and had helped get the guesthouse ready for the new arrivals. Robin had discovered a recipe for lavender cookies after being inspired by Mrs Harris’s amazing ensemble that morning, and planned on baking a batch later, then putting them in jars on all the landings, for guests to help themselves.

But for now, she had a few minutes to herself. She walked away from the water, peering into one of the largest caves that were carved into the cliffs like bite-marks. It was gloomy, stretching back into darkness so dense it was like a black hole, and it smelt of damp and cigarette smoke.

There were wide ledges at waist and shoulder height, and crisp wrappers and empty beer cans that had got snagged in crevices and not been washed out with the tide. It could have been a treasure trove, a place of intrigue and history, but instead it made her feel sad. Who would want to spend time in a place like this? She thought of Paige’s story about Adam and his friends taking a boat to explore the caves further along the coast, unreachable from any beach. It couldn’t be safe, doing it on a whim like that. She moved on, peering up at the sandy cliffs towering above her, a few wispy clouds beyond in a sky of paint-box blue.

She had a lot to be thankful for. She had to remind herself that she had pulled off a successful event in Campion Bay at very short notice, attended by more people than the New Year fireworks. It would soon be time for the summer festivities, the fireworks and funfair that came to Campion Bay every year, and as Robin perched on a large flat rock beneath the cliffs, brushing the loose sand off with her palm, she couldn’t help but wonder where Will would be by the time the fair rolled into town.

Would he still be here, spending his time in his aunt Tabitha’s house, working as a tour guide at Eldridge House, still with things to do? Or would he have sold the house to Tim and gone back to Kent or London? Would the seafront be blotted by heavy scaffolding and plastic sheeting, while they butchered the beautiful building where, the plaque announced, Jane Austen had once stayed? The thought left a lump at the back of her throat.

But there was one other option, which was that Will, having finished sorting through Tabitha’s house, would be living there, making a life for himself in Campion Bay. Was that a possibility? Could she dare to hope for so much happiness in her future, despite what she’d witnessed this morning?

Will might well be back by now from wherever Tim had taken him. She should head home and find him, say all the things that had been building up inside her for so long. But Molly, wise as ever, had been right to suggest she escape for a while. This was her thinking place.

She tucked her legs up beneath her, the rock wide enough for her to sit cross-legged, and pulled out her phone. She scrolled through her photo stream, looking back at the photos she had taken of the rooms when they were first finished: Andalusia, Wilderness, Canvas, Rockpool and Starcross. Neve, her dearest friend and former business partner, would have loved the guesthouse, she was sure. Especially Starcross, with its celestial theme, its nod towards astrology. And Eclipse would have been the perfect Once in a Blue Moon Days mascot. Robin had thought of those rooms, and then created them with the help of friends and family, and with Neve’s influence hovering over her like the glowing strawberry moon.

It had been open a little over a month, but already Robin had experienced more moments of pride and accomplishment than she could have hoped for. Starcross was her tribute to Neve, to their time together, but now it had other meanings for her. Every time she pictured it she saw Will in there, filling the space with his toffee-coloured hair and wide, relaxed smile, his little dog, Darcy, standing patiently beside the bed. Robin didn’t want to lose the connection with Neve, but she couldn’t deny that she had begun, finally, to move forward.

An idea prickled in her mind, firing up her senses like tiny electric shocks, but, as it started to develop, her thoughts were disrupted by barking. It was distant at first but constant, a dog that was either elated or distressed. She looked up, following the shoreline and stilled when she saw the small brown dog in the waves. She was heading towards her, her tail wagging madly, her movements more like a dance as her paws pounded in and out of the shallows.

And then Robin’s gaze moved beyond the familiar dog, the dog that she already loved so much, and found him. His short hair blew in the breeze, his Wrangler boots were in his hands, his jeans rolled up above the ankles. He gave her a brief wave, but was too far away for her to see his expression.

Robin sat up straight, letting her ribcage fill again and again, gulping in the sea air as if it would give her strength. Finally, she had her chance. She would be able to tell Will everything. She only hoped that, despite his time with Tim, despite all that had happened between them, he would understand.

Chapter Two

‘Hello.’ His voice was soft and unsure, his eyes squinting slightly against the sun as he looked down at her.

‘Hi, Will.’ Robin slipped her legs out from beneath her as he approached, and slid over to the side of the rock. Will sat beside her, nodding thanks at her for making room for him. They didn’t speak for a moment, but instead watched Darcy dancing joyously in the waves. She got hold of a long piece of seaweed and tugged at it, loosening it from the sand, her front paws getting tangled in its fronds.

Robin laughed, and Will shook his head. ‘Ridiculous dog,’ he said quietly.

‘I’ve missed her,’ Robin admitted. ‘I’ve missed both of you. The guesthouse doesn’t feel the same.’

‘My current sleeping arrangements aren’t anything like Starcross, if it makes you feel any better.’

‘It doesn’t,’ Robin said. ‘Are you on the floor, or in Tabitha’s old bed?’

‘A bed, but not Tabitha’s. Her room was the most damaged when the roof leaked, so the bed will need to go. I’ve got a whole heap of furniture in the middle of the dining room, ready to be disposed of. It looks like I’m about to start a Wicker Man-style fire – it’s quite impressive.’

‘Don’t do anything too rash. You know I’m here, I can still help you.’

‘I know that,’ he said. ‘But things haven’t exactly been … straightforward.’

‘Will, I …’ She turned towards him. ‘I need to be completely honest with you. About everything; about Tim, what happened last night.’

He didn’t look at her, but kept his gaze on the sea. The sun was sparkling on the water like shards of glass. ‘I saw him earlier. He came to the house. He told me a few things.’

Despite the warm day, Robin felt a chill run through her. ‘What things?’

‘Lots of things. Lies, possibly. I don’t know.’

‘So ask me.’

Will exhaled and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. ‘He said that you had suffered a major trauma before you came back to Campion Bay. That it had affected you deeply, that you were … struggling.’

Robin swallowed. It was a few seconds before she could speak. ‘Struggling? Was that the word he used?’

‘No. But are you – did something terrible happen, in London?’ He turned to face her, his green eyes piercing through the wall that had immediately come up. It wasn’t Will’s fault, but how dare Tim use what had happened to Neve against her?

‘What did he actually say?’

Will winced. ‘He said you didn’t know what you wanted, that you were behaving irrationally. I haven’t thought that for one minute – you’ve never seemed irrational to me. But he said that you were blowing hot and cold. He gave the impression that you’d rekindled your relationship, given in to old passions, but that you were still unsure. He thought it was only a matter of time before you were back together. I’m sorry, I know this is personal, but he admitted it to me, and—’

‘None of that’s true,’ Robin said. She surprised herself at how calm she sounded. Her stomach churned with a mix of anger and sadness at Tim’s fabrications. She didn’t know if this was more of his manipulation, or if he still believed, despite what she’d told him last night, that there was a chance for them. But exaggerating the fallout of her grief at Neve’s death was a low blow.

He hadn’t even been there those first, desperate months after she returned to Campion Bay; he hadn’t seen her at her lowest. When she spoke again, her voice was steady.

‘He tried to kiss me that night, after you had been to the pub with him, but I stopped it. I’m not irrational. My feelings for Tim, when I saw him again after all the years apart –’ she shook her head – ‘I admit that it was confusing to begin with, but nothing happened between us. He’s making it out to be a great deal more than it was.’

Will nodded, his gaze holding hers. It was open, accepting, and she had to resist the urge to wrap him in a grateful hug. ‘But something happened to you in London?’ he asked, almost a whisper. ‘That bit was true?’

Her heart was clattering now. The peaceful tableau in front of them seemed like a dream: the golden sand, the glittering water, Darcy playing in the waves. That night was creeping back in, swapping places with reality. She had to tell him. She had been planning to anyway, but Tim had given her no choice and, now that the moment was here, it felt like an impossible task.

‘My friend, Neve,’ she started.

‘The one who’s into astrology, the flower moon?’

‘You remembered.’

‘Of course I did,’ Will said.

The tenderness in his voice brought her tears closer to the surface. ‘She was my best friend. We met at university and then started up our company together: Once in a Blue Moon Days.’

‘The events business?’

Robin nodded. ‘Special occasions, bespoke experiences. We were good at it, we worked well as a team and lived together in a tiny flat. It was hard work, but so rewarding when we helped people realise their dreams, gave them the best anniversary or birthday they’d ever had. Neve was the driving force; she was bursting with energy, alive with the possibility of it all. A problem was a challenge, a lesson to be learnt from.’ A heavy, familiar weight settled inside her as she felt again the impact of her friend’s loss.

When she paused, Will filled the space, as if he realised it wasn’t easy for her to say. He encouraged her, teasing the story from her like thread unravelling from a piece of fabric.

‘You’re one of the brightest – most sparkling – people I know,’ he said. ‘I can’t imagine that you were lethargic by comparison.’

‘You never met Neve, though,’ she whispered. ‘She would bounce out of bed as if there was a trampoline under the mattress. She had these huge, dark eyes that were always glinting with new ideas. She never ran out of steam or enthusiasm. But then she … something terrible happened.’ Robin swallowed. She glanced at Will, and then away. ‘She died.’

She heard his intake of breath. ‘God. I’m so sorry, Robin.’ He put his hand on her upper arm. The touch of his fingers on her skin was warm, thrilling and comforting all at once. She focused on the feel of it, the bliss of being close to him, to help her get through reliving that night. ‘What happened?’ he asked after a moment.

Robin shuddered involuntarily, and despite Will slipping his arm around her shoulders, increasing the pressure of his touch, she knew this would be one of the hardest things she’d ever done. Her London friends had been there that night, witnessing the horror first-hand, and telling her mum and dad, right after it had happened, was something she could barely remember. They’d done the rest for her; speaking to Molly and anyone else who needed to know, while she tried to pack her emotions away and get on with running the business.

She hadn’t let it sink in until she’d returned to Campion Bay, Once in a Blue Moon Days in tatters, impossible without her best friend. When she’d told Tim back in January, she hadn’t given him the details, had stayed as distant from it as possible. But now she had to revisit that night, to tell Will, without falling apart.

‘It was Neve’s birthday. We’d arranged a meal out with some of our friends at a Thai restaurant. We were working to a deadline for one of our commissions, so I told her to go and meet everyone for drinks, and that I’d follow on later, in time for the meal. I’d got these helium balloons, star-shaped, one that said Happy Birthday in gold and red.’ She swallowed. ‘I finished what I needed to do, and then stayed in the office to pump them up. I was an hour behind her by the time I left. I’d bought her a necklace for her birthday, an archer for Sagittarius, and a spa-day voucher.

‘I took the tube; it was only three stops, but it was quicker than walking. People in the carriage had laughed at the balloons, and I couldn’t wait to see her, to give them to her. I heard the sirens as I got close to the restaurant, but thought nothing of it. Then I turned the corner, and I couldn’t see anything except a whirr of blue flashing lights, the screech as more vehicles arrived. People were crying and screaming and I didn’t know what was going on.’ She closed her eyes, remembering it all so vividly, the dead ache that had settled across her, as if trying to ward off the shock that was to come. ‘But then one of our friends, Kyle, saw me, and came over to me. I don’t remember what he said; I don’t remember anything much after that, about that night, except arriving back at our flat and being unable to process that she wouldn’t be coming through the door, that if I waited for her, I’d be waiting for ever.’

Robin dropped her head, pushing at her cheeks, angry with herself for crying.

‘I’m so sorry,’ Will said again. He pulled her gently towards him and Robin didn’t resist, letting the warmth of his body rush through her. She inhaled, licked her lips before telling the final part. She was nearly there.

‘They said that she’d been looking at her phone, that she’d stepped off the pavement, distracted, and that the woman behind the wheel didn’t have time to slow down. Neve was always so excitable and energetic, always doing so many things at once. This time, though …’ She shook her head, leaned in to Will and stared at the sea, trying to close off the memories again. ‘I told you that Neve helped me with the guesthouse, because she inspired so much of it. Starcross – the astrology – and Andalusia is based on what she had told me about her home country, though I never had the chance to go with her.’

‘It’s not just a boutique hotel, then,’ Will murmured. ‘It always seemed like it had more heart than that; the attention to detail, the warmth and kindness you put into running it. It’s an extension of Neve, of what you did together. I can see that.’

Robin swallowed down a resurgence of tears. ‘You can?’

‘Now I know the story,’ Will said quietly. ‘I shouldn’t have asked you to go through it again. But after what Tim told me this morning …’ His hand drifted up, gently stroking her hair, tugging at the strands, twisting them round his fingers. He didn’t realise he was doing it, she thought, or understand the effect it was having on her. Fireworks were going off inside her, her breaths shortening. She wanted to stop talking about Tim, about her heartbreak at losing Neve. She didn’t want to do anything now but kiss him.

‘I’m not irrational, whatever he thinks,’ Robin said firmly, finding a reserve of strength, pulling herself back from the distraction. ‘I’ve been grieving, that much is true. It’s been a year and a half. I tried to carry on with Once in a Blue Moon Days afterwards, but I couldn’t do it by myself.’

‘It doesn’t sound like a one-person operation, even before you take Neve’s death into account.’

‘Part of me felt that I was running away, coming back here with my tail between my legs. But the guesthouse has been a fresh start. A chance to prove to myself that I can do this, still have ideas, still live. Neve will always be a part of who I am, but I had to do it for me, too.’ She took a deep breath. ‘But I’d forgotten so much about Campion Bay; it is very different from when I’d left it as a teenager. I hadn’t realised how strong the community is now. I’m sorry, Will – for not telling you about Tim’s plans, for getting so confused about things.’

She looked up at him, and he dropped his hand, giving her hair a final, brief tug. He wasn’t smiling, but his gaze found hers and didn’t let go. ‘You’ve explained it all,’ he said softly. ‘I was shocked – hurt at first – but I know it was a misunderstanding.’

Robin nodded slowly, relief mingling with confusion. ‘Then why …?’

‘Why have I kept a distance between us?’ Will sighed. ‘Because I wasn’t sure of your feelings. I thought I was, that Sunday, on the golf course. But then after reading Molly’s text, all I could think about was that you hadn’t told me about Tim, about what he wanted to do with Tabitha’s house. Then there were the flowers, his frequent visits to your guesthouse; it was obvious how he felt about you. And I didn’t know if you still cared about him. I felt like I was stepping into a complicated situation, and with everything that’s going on – moving down here, sorting through my aunt’s things, finding out the truth about her and my dad – it seemed safer, easier to stay away.’ His lips flickered in a half-smile. ‘Though it hasn’t turned out to be easier.’

‘It hasn’t?’ she asked.

He shook his head, his smile growing, his fingers reaching up to brush her cheek, and then Darcy yelped, bounding out of the waves towards them, soaked and happy. She ran straight to Robin, putting damp paws on her knees and shaking herself, so that Robin squealed and Will shot off the rock, away from them.

‘Darcy,’ Robin laughed, trying to shield herself from the impromptu shower, even though it was too late. ‘Is that because you were mad with me too?’

‘It’s because she’s missed you,’ Will said. ‘And for that, I’m very glad. If she hadn’t been eager to see you, I might have got the full force of her greeting.’ He sat back down warily, keeping his eyes on Darcy, who seemed content to settle at their feet and dry in the sunshine.

‘I’ve missed you too,’ Robin murmured. She glanced at Will, at his golden-flecked hair, his long neck, his tanned arms. ‘I’m sorry for not telling you about Tim,’ she said. ‘But I only did that so you wouldn’t jump at the possibility of a quick sale when going through Tabitha’s things seemed like such a challenge. I wanted to get to know you before you disappeared again. It was selfish. I don’t want Tim developing Tabitha’s house into flats – I don’t think he’d even be allowed to, if that Jane Austen plaque was real – but not telling you to begin with was so I’d have more time with you before that became a possibility. Though, when you arrived, I wondered whether Tim or his boss, Malcolm, had prompted your visit to Campion Bay in the first place.’

‘No, I came because I’d broken up with Annie and needed to get away from Kent for a while. And the thought of Aunt Tabitha’s house, sitting here untouched and empty, had been niggling away at me. It was sheer coincidence that I turned up when Tim started to get interested.’

‘That makes sense,’ Robin murmured. ‘But you need to know that Tim and I – we’re so far in the past, now. And even if there were flickers of attraction between us when I saw him again, they’ve been obliterated by – by you. From the moment you stepped into Starcross, I didn’t want you to go. We’ve only known each other a short time, but already, you’ve changed my life, Will.’ There. She’d said it. She chewed her lip, forcing herself to stay quiet while he absorbed the words.

He didn’t reply immediately, and she could see the tension in his broad shoulders. He was frowning, his eyes scanning her face. She wanted to reach up and touch his lips with her finger; wished he’d put his hand back in her hair.

‘Robin …’ he started.

‘You don’t have to say anything,’ she rushed, suddenly afraid of what was coming, of him rejecting her, finally and completely.

He winced, pressing his lips together before he spoke. ‘Tim’s made an offer on the house.’

Robin felt an unpleasant tingling in her toes, and the butterflies in her tummy started flapping frantically. ‘OK,’ she said slowly. ‘He’s given you a concrete figure?’

Will nodded. ‘And it’s … ridiculous, the amount he’s willing to pay.’

‘So you’re going to take it?’ It came out as a whisper.

Will closed his eyes, ran his hands over Darcy’s ears. ‘No. I mean, not yet. I haven’t finished sorting out Tabitha’s things, and I’ve told Tim that I won’t even consider it until that’s done. I’m not accepting his offer of help, either. It’s something I need to do alone, for my aunt’s sake. But he took me to his office and showed me the plans – he’s already done a lot of the groundwork. He’s a very confident guy.’ She heard the bitterness in his voice at these last words, her shoulders sagging at the inevitability of it all.

‘So once you’re done, you’re going to sell?’

He stared at the sea for so long, she thought he hadn’t heard. When he turned towards her, his eyes were on fire, as if they’d absorbed the sun’s heat. ‘I don’t know,’ he murmured. His gaze held hers and then travelled down to her lips, to her hands resting in her lap, then back up. ‘I haven’t been here long, and I – I’m not sure if I can make this my home. Some of it’s been so hard, so challenging, and some of it …’ His brows lowered in a flicker of a frown. ‘Some of it has felt too good to be true.’

‘It doesn’t have to be,’ she said quietly. ‘It can be your reality. Life is good here.’

‘I’m not talking about this,’ he said, indicating the shimmering water.

Robin held her breath, but Will didn’t elaborate. She could sense his conflict, knew that he was holding back, despite the charge between them, so overwhelming she could hardly think straight. She clasped her hands on her knees, and tried her best to sound nonchalant. ‘You don’t have your own home now, since moving out of Downe Hall, do you?’

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.