Page 13 of The Little Cottage by the Cornish Sea

The next day, I got a call from Emmie. ‘Hey, Sophie! Are you dressed?’

‘Er, sorry, have I forgotten something?’

‘You certainly have! My friends want to meet you, remember?’

‘Your friends? You mean The Coastal Girls?’

‘Yes, but drop that name; it’s so eighties! We want to take you out to lunch.’

My first question would have been, Why? But then I remembered that not everyone was as suspicious and closed off to the world as I was trying to be. They were very probably good people who were just being warm and welcoming.

So with a bit of trepidation we went to meet them at Pandora’s Cove, which was more like a shack on the end of a pier than a restaurant. But inside it was cosy, with a blazing fire and the most comfortable, plush seats ever.

As I sat down, I was met by a group of beautiful and genuinely friendly faces.

‘Guys, this is Sophie from London. Sophie, these are my crazy ladies, Rosie, Faith, Nina and Nat.’

‘Welcome to Starry Cove!’ chimed Nat, a short-haired girl. ‘You’ll love it here!’

‘Good to have you!’ greeted a pretty blonde. ‘I’m Rosie.’

‘Rosie is Penny’s stepmother,’ Emmie explained. She looked far too young to be anyone’s stepmother, with a girlish face and the most beautiful eyes I’d ever seen.

As the introductions were made I tried to keep track.

They were all so different and yet that same kindness shone out from them like an internal glow.

I learned that Rosie was the mother of the young boy, Penny’s brother, who helped tend to the horses at The Old Bell Inn.

And that her Irish husband Mitchell owned a string of holiday homes down the coast which he’d bought after giving the inn to Penny.

Then there was Faith, an interior designer who was married to the, believe it or not, famous architect Henry Hudson. They ran a business together and she was stepmother to his boy Orson. I gleaned that the mother was sort of in the picture but not very well.

Next came Nina, whom I knew by fame. She was a Hollywood scriptwriter who preferred to remain in her native UK after having moved down from London. She had three kids, Ben, Chloe and toddler Charlie, and was married to Jack, who ran a cider farm.

Nat was petite like me, with short, dark hair and a fun, mischievous face. She was local but was now married to Shane, an Irishman with whom she’d had baby Hannah. They all lived in Lavender Cottage, which was just down the road from me, but closer to the coast.

They seemed intrigued by my presence, but in a good way. They seemed to understand my desire for a new life in Cornwall without asking me any prying questions about the reason for my move and my lack of a husband. Ideal, as those were the two topics I wanted to discuss the least.

After we ordered they asked me about my likes and dislikes and my opinion on things while offering loads of information on themselves, particularly their weakest points, which I found so heart-warming.

They wanted me to know that there was no disgrace in starting over again.

I learned that most of them had come from horrible previous relationships and that they had found solace here. That lifted my spirits to no end.

‘Are you planning to stay long?’ Rosie asked as our food arrived.

Mussels and wine for everyone except me; I’d chosen lasagna and ginger ale.

If that didn’t scream Pregnant Lady here!

I don’t know what did. But no one seemed to notice and I couldn’t help but grin.

‘I hope so. I love it here! But I’ll need to find myself a job. ’

‘What kind of job were you looking for?’ Nina asked.

‘Well, anything, really. I’m good at organising and planning.’

Faith hesitated. ‘Vanessa’s in need of a PA but I don’t think—’

‘That one’s in need of a bit more than that,’ Nat interjected, then grinned at me. ‘Sorry, but she’s the last one you want to work for. She’s an interior designer but woah daddy.’

‘She’s been banging on about wanting a PA, but you probably don’t want that job,’ Faith agreed.

‘I don’t?’ That would have been right up my street, actually.

‘No, Sophie, you don’t,’ Nina said. ‘I might have something, but it’s boring.’

‘Anything,’ I said, veering on desperate.

‘Well, my secretary is going away for two weeks and there’s a backlog of audio notes that need to be transcribed. You can even do it from your own home if you like. Would you be interested in filling in for her? I promise I’m not as bad as Vanessa.’

I grinned. ‘That would be ideal, thank you, Nina.’

‘When can you start?’

‘Tomorrow, if you like?’

‘Perfect! Maybe come by the house and I’ll show you my chaotic work process. I’ll pay you in cash, if that’s okay?’

My throat constricted. Emmie must have mentioned something to her, but she didn’t make a fuss of it.

She just wanted to make sure that I felt comfortable and that she would ask no questions.

It was only for two weeks, granted, but any money would be a godsend.

‘I promise I won’t disappoint you, Nina. ’

‘Don’t be silly,’ she said. ‘You won’t.’

How refreshing, to have kind, relaxed people about me rather than the high-octane atmosphere at Wise how does that sound?’

‘Like heaven. Thank you!’

She laughed and squeezed my arm. ‘Come on, let’s have a cuppa and a chat. I’m sure you need a break…’

*

The next day, just after Noah had left, the doorbell rang. It was Robert, bearing a huge jar of peanut butter. He knew my weak spot, this one.

‘I thought I might come to keep you company,’ he said when I opened the door. ‘And to thank you for what you did for my nan.’

I grinned. ‘You know, you don’t have to bring food every time you come over?’ I chuckled, stepping aside to let him in.

‘Ah, but I come bearing the irresistible peanut butter, your favourite!’

‘Well, in that case, you’re always more than welcome!’ I assured him as he plonked the box onto the table and shrugged out of his coat.

I reached for the sliced bread and popped a few slices into the toaster while turning on the kettle. I was happy about how the cottage was slowly coming along. With the electrics done and the piping completed, it was finally beginning to feel permanent.

Then, of course, the lights flickered and the kettle died as the toaster ejected four slices of untoasted bread.

‘What…?’ I whispered as the lights went out.

‘Power surge,’ Robert muttered as he marched to the circuit breaker. ‘Surfer Sparky didn’t do his job properly.’

‘I’m sure he did.’

‘Hm,’ was all he said as he took the casing off and stared into the spaghetti mess of the cables. Surely, it shouldn’t have looked that complicated?

‘Why don’t you leave it to Noah?’ I asked.

He scoffed. ‘I think I know how to fix a circuit breaker, Sophie.’

I shrugged. Who was I to argue?

‘He gives you any grief, you let me know,’ Robert said gruffly when I mentioned how much fun it was to have someone around the house. I hid a smile. Men and their chest-thumping.

‘Aw, no, he’s just so lovely,’ I said, but somehow, he didn’t seem too reassured. Robert finished fiddling with the wires in silence and the lights sparked back to life. As he replaced the covering, he cleared his throat.

‘I came over as I sort of need to ask you for a favour, if you it’s not too much trouble,’ Dr A said.

‘Of course,’ I replied.

‘My secretary is off sick and it’s a madhouse at the surgery.

I need someone to organise my appointments and generally hold down the fort while she’s gone.

Her entire family’s got it and I’m at the end of my tether.

It would just be in the mornings, and I would pay you for your time, of course. What do you say?’

I really had no reason to refuse, plus I desperately needed the money.

‘If it’s just in the morning, I can do it.’ On top of transcribing Nina’s notes, Nat had promised to put out feelers for any piano students I could tutor in the afternoons as I needed to make money anywhere I could.

‘Great, thanks. You have no idea how much I appreciate this.’

So it was agreed. I’d work at Robert’s surgery in the morning, tutor in the afternoon and Nina kindly agreed to let me work from home in the evenings. At this rate, I’d be bringing in something close to a decent salary.