Page 64 of A Letter to the Last House Before the Sea

Lettie shook her head, resigned to her sibling’s lack of knowledge about her, and the annoying habit she had of interrupting when something else caught her attention.

‘You’re not still phobic about water, are you? Isn’t it about time you got over that? It’s years since you fell over on our holiday and got water in your face.’

‘I almost drowned, Daisy.’

‘Yeah, if you say so.’

Lettie frowned, fed up with her family downplaying what had happened that day and how badly it had affected her. ‘I do say so. Iris saved me.’

‘Saint Iris, patron saint of drowning swimmers. Is that when you started hero-worshipping her?’

‘I didn’t hero-worship Iris. I just loved her.’

‘You were always her favourite. She left everything to you.’

‘Daisy, for goodness’ sake!’ They’d already been over this… many times. ‘She hardly had anything to leave after the fire, and I said you could have anything you wanted.’

‘I didn’t really want anything.’

‘Well, then. What’s the problem?’

Daisy pouted and pushed her dark hair behind her ears. ‘It was the principle of the thing, her leaving every single possession to you.’

‘That’s because I was the only one who ever paid her any attention.’

‘Whatever.’ Daisy shrugged. ‘She was a bit different, like you. But chasing off to Heaven’s Cove to try and resurrect her is… well, frankly it’s very odd.’

‘That’s not what I’m doing. I’m merely trying to find out what her life was like here as a young woman.’

‘But why?’

‘Because I feel I have to.’

Lettie bit her lip, unable to describe to abrupt, practical Daisy the feeling that drew her to this place and the secrets it held.

‘So what have you found out?’

‘Not a lot. Iris was in love with a man called Cornelius Allford who died in the Second World War.’

‘That’s sad.’ Daisy frowned. ‘I didn’t realise. Do you think that’s why she never married?’

‘Maybe.’

‘I just thought she’d always been a loner. But that’s a real shame. Poor old Iris.’ She stared across the water for a few moments before grabbing Lettie’s arm. ‘Let’s go and see if the guesthouse owner will make me a cup of tea. I’m parched and knackered after that long journey from London.’

It’s strange that two sisters can be so different, thought Lettie, as she was pulled across the clifftop, towards Driftwood House. She’d been poleaxed by the thought of Iris losing the man she loved, whereas it seemed only of fleeting interest to Daisy, and far less important than the prospect of a cuppa. This unexpected family visit was shaping up to be challenging.

Rosie was in the kitchen,spooning cake mixture into two baking tins, when they came back into Driftwood House.

‘Victoria sponge,’ she said, by way of greeting. ‘Liam’s favourite. Liam’s my boyfriend,’ she explained to Daisy.

‘Are you engaged?’

Lettie cringed at Daisy’s forthright style but Rosie didn’t seem to mind. ‘Not yet, but who knows?’ She glanced at the ring on Daisy’s left hand. ‘Can you recommend marriage?’

‘Definitely. I’ve been married for over ten years—’

Here we go, thought Lettie.