LITMIR.BIZ

Скачать книгу

to survive.’

      He smiles at me. ‘Mum used to say that.’

      ‘What?’

      ‘Water under the bridge. You said it the exact same way.’

      ‘I didn’t realise.’

      ‘Shh. Don’t go slushy on me. You’ve been busy too. Look at this place. It’s pretty cool. Rachel said you built and got it off the ground yourself.’

      I laugh. ‘Not with my bare hands. Cal put up the money but he let me have free rein with designing and running it.’

      ‘It’s great. Don’t you think this …’ he says, taking in the room with a glance ‘… is weird? The Joneses coming together as a family again after everything that happened to us?’

      ‘It’s very weird.’

      He puts his arm around me and gives me a brief hug, then he’s back in Kyle mode. ‘Right, I’m starving. D’you think anyone will mind if I have another beer and second helpings of the food? They don’t feed me properly in the army.’

      ‘That’s not true. I heard you get fed all day long. But yes, help yourself.’

      I take a deep breath, happy to have cleared the air a little with Kyle. Cal opens a beer for him and they start talking. Auntie Serena is saying goodbye to my dad at the door after showing her face, so we can all relax now. I sip my wine, and the tension slowly ebbs from my body. I got through today and there’s hope ahead. Clouds are clearing over the sea and spring is definitely on its way.

      ‘The view from here’s amazing. I’ve a better chance to appreciate it today. My mind was on other things when we were here for Christmas dinner.’ Rachel smiles.

      ‘It was cosy in here at Christmas but I think Demelza’s is at its best on a bright day like this,’ I say, moving over to the window with her. A few friends and family are enjoying the view too and some have ventured outside though they’re wrapped up well against the wind. The swell is up and the Atlantic topped with white caps but the sun is out and the promise of spring is in the air. ‘The location is our biggest selling point, even if we’re a little out of the way, people will make the effort to come here for the view. The customers love it, even in a storm. Especially in a storm.’ I wince. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean that storms are a selling point.’

      She laughs. ‘We both know they’re a hazard of living down here. You know that we moved into Porthleven temporarily after we left Kilhallon? Some days the waves were as high as the clock tower. The locals had to time getting in and out of the inn at the edge of the harbour in between the massive breakers. It’s a wonder some didn’t get swept away and most of them were drenched anyway.’

      I shiver. ‘How’s the work going on your place?’

      ‘Coming on thanks to Gary’s mates and help from Cal. We can’t decorate properly downstairs until the plaster’s dried out a bit more, but upstairs is fine and we’re mostly living up there. It’s our own home again and that’s what matters. Not that I wasn’t grateful to come here and for my cousin’s flat, but you know what it’s like … nowhere’s as good as your own place. I wouldn’t like to be homeless for long.’ She giggles and slaps her forehead with her palm. ‘Now I’ve put my foot in it.’

      It’s almost funny, the way we’re dancing round each other, trying not to say the wrong thing. Now that I’ve got to know Rachel better, seeing her with Dad is becoming more normal and easier to handle. Looking back to when she first came on the scene in Dad’s life, she was never particularly horrible to me, but we both used to rub each other up the wrong way. It can’t have been easy for her to have a teenager in the house who hated her guts and thought she’d tried to take her mum’s place.

      ‘It’s way better for us all that I have my own home now.’ Heat rises up my neck at the memory of things I said about Rachel to my dad. ‘And I love working here and having my own business. I’ve earned a small sum from the publishers for my cookbook and I’m investing that in the cafe.’

      ‘Your dad told me about your book. That’s a great achievement.’

      ‘I haven’t finished writing it yet. Although I come up with a lot of the recipes, Eva Spero and her team develop them further and refine them. I don’t have time to write every word. The publisher is going to arrange the photography.’

      ‘You should still be proud of what you’ve done, as your dad says. To be honest, I’ll have to go back to work sooner or later. We need the money, especially now we have Freya and the insurance didn’t cover all the damage. There have been other costs that we’ve just had to cover, but I’m not complaining.’

      ‘Will you go back to your old job at Trevarrian Estate?’

      Rachel pulls a face. ‘I don’t think so. I enjoyed working there but I’ve discussed things with your dad and decided that having Freya could be a new start for us all. I don’t mind working hard but I’d like more flexibility so that Gary and I can share the childcare, with my parents’ help. Besides, I already felt I was ready to do more than work in the admin office. I’d been doing it a long time.’

      I have to admit, the idea of my dad sharing the childcare for a newborn is more than I can process.

      ‘What will you do?’

      She looks slightly embarrassed. ‘I was thinking of offering my services as a virtual PA to companies. Lots of small businesses can’t afford to hire a full-time staff and I have so much experience running the office at the estate. Trevarrian may look like a grand stately home and the owners are charming but they’re also totally scatty and eccentric. I ended up doing everything from making sure the roof didn’t fall down to organising clay-pigeon shooting and corporate dinners.’

      ‘Sounds like you were very busy.’

      ‘I worked very long hours and the pay wasn’t great, though Lord Trevarrian was fun to work for. With a few decent clients, I think I can earn almost as much and spend more time with Freya.’ She holds up crossed fingers. ‘Trevarrian might let me do some freelance work too but I need other customers. Who knows, it might be a disaster but after seeing how you and Cal have turned Kilhallon around, I feel inspired.’

      ‘Me? An inspiration?’

      ‘Yeah. You made me think I should go for what I want.’

      Rachel hugs me briefly but warmly and my throat goes scratchy.

      There’s a wail from Freya’s Moses basket. Freya is very red in the face and clenching her fists. She’s also doing what Nana Demelza would have called ‘chuntering’. Her face has gone very red and I think she’s about to wake up – and make a lot of noise.

      Rachel winces. ‘Oh dear. I think she’s filling her nappy.’

      I glance down at my savoury scone topped with local ham and piccalilli and find my appetite has gone.

      ‘I’ll have to change her. Can I use your customer loo?’

      ‘Course you can. In fact, I’ll help you.’

      Rachel wrinkles her nose. ‘Are you sure you want to do that? Freya’s dirty nappy in a confined space isn’t the most pleasant prospect.’

      ‘I’ll put a peg on my nose and, after all, she is my sister so I’d better get used to helping out when I can.’

      ‘On your head be it,’ Rachel replies with a laugh. ‘Although I hope it won’t come to that.’

      ‘It’s fine,’ I say, already closing my nostrils. With an idea forming in my mind, I follow Rachel into the toilets, carrying Freya’s changing bag.

      While I help Rachel, I chat a bit more about the idea for her business.

      ‘Did you say you were in charge of the events at Trevarrian?’

      Конец ознакомительного

Скачать книгу