Page 86 of Secrets at the Last House Before the Sea

The first thing Nessa did after sliding into the passenger seat was fully open the window. A good job too, because she stank of turpentine.

‘Sorry. One of Sam Fuller’s boys managed to knock a bottle of turps off the shelf and it went everywhere. Don’t put a match near me or I’ll go up like a firework. On the plus side, Scaggy sent me home early to get changed, so swings and roundabouts.’

Rosie rolled her window down and grinned in spite of her low mood. Nessa was like a tonic. She’d miss her when she left Heaven’s Cove.

‘Ooh, it’s chilly in here now.’ Nessa shivered and started doing up her denim jacket. ‘You must be longing to get back to the sun. Talking of which, I’ve been meaning to ask if there’s any chance of me coming over for a long weekend when you’re back in Spain? I won’t be a nuisance.’

‘You’re never a nuisance, and that would be really nice, actually.’

‘Thanks.’ Nessa grinned and wriggled back into her seat, sending turpentine wafts Rosie’s way.

At last the queue began to move and Nessa fiddled with the radio as the car left the village behind. She gave up after being met with nothing but static, and folded her arms.

‘So what’s going on then, Rosie?’

‘What do you mean? I told you, I’m out for a drive.’

‘But why are you out for a drive on your own?’

‘Matt’s having a lie-down so I thought I’d come out for some air.’

‘That’s a good idea ’cos there’s not much air up there on top of the cliffs. Personally, I’d have opted for a lie-down next to Matt. So are you going to tell me what’s really going on?’

Rosie gave Nessa a sideways glance. ‘Absolutely nothing.’

‘Don’t tell me, then, but you look upset and I don’t think you could grip the steering wheel any harder.’

Rosie made a conscious effort to relax her shoulders.

‘Have you fallen out with your brooding boyfriend?’

‘You could say that.’

‘Why? What’s happened?’

Rosie groaned because it was obvious Nessa wasn’t going to let this drop. ‘I found some flirty texts between him and Carmen.’

‘And Carmen is…?’

‘A Spanish woman we work with.’

‘What’s she like, this Carmen? Aesthetically challenged, fifty-something, whiffs of garlic?’

‘Beautiful, twenty-something, smells delightful.’

‘Ah.’ Nessa started picking at her nails. ‘Do you think there’s something going on between them?’

‘Yes. He’s hardly been off the phone to her since he arrived.’

‘What a cheating swine when you’ve been through so much recently. I thought he had a look of Jake about him. How are you feeling about it?’

‘How do you think?’ Rosie gripped the steering wheel even harder. ‘I feel angry, upset and betrayed.’

‘I bet, though you’re keeping it together better than I did. When I found out Jake had been cheating I had a mega meltdown, which wasn’t pretty. You’re really calm, considering.’

‘On the outside maybe, but inside everything’s a huge muddle and I don’t know how I feel about anything or anyone.’

‘Does that include Liam?’