Page 24 of The Little Cottage by the Cornish Sea

Later that day, Piers stopped by my office. It was getting difficult to ignore the hitch of my breath every time he was around. ‘Sophie, about this morning,’ he said leaning against the table. ‘I truly apologise for butting into your private life.’

‘That’s okay, Piers, no harm done.’

‘Good, I’m glad. I just felt it was important to know, as a member of my staff, that you were okay.’

Right, I was just his employee. I knew this.

Even Trixie must have known by now. I looked down at her and she raised her eyebrows at me and I couldn’t help but laugh.

She would definitely agree that that wasn’t what a girl wanted to hear.

I knew he was satisfied with my work so far, but evidently that was it.

‘Some inside joke between the two of you?’ he quipped, watching our silent conversation.

I giggled. ‘Trixie gets me. Again, no harm done, Piers.’

He cleared his throat. ‘Good. I’m, uh, glad.’

Today, I’d had a momentary weakness: you know, when your hormones are running amok and you actually come to believe that anything is possible?

Well, that was this morning. Now, having actually thought it through, and thanks to his comment just now, it was all clear that it wasn’t.

Which was just as well. My main objective had been to start a new life here in Cornwall, and I’d done just that.

The picture was complete even without a man.

The rest of the day seemed to fly by, and at around eight, Piers popped his head back into my office. ‘Hi! Are you and Trixie hungry yet?’

‘Oh! Always!’

‘Care to come down to the dining room, then?’

I jumped to my feet quite quickly, even for me. ‘Yes, please.’

‘Can I pet her?’ he asked, eyeing Trixie in her bag.

‘Of course,’ I said, opening the bag. ‘You can hold her if you want.’

‘May I? Really?’

‘Yes.’

As he gently and slowly reached for her, I couldn’t help but notice the wonder on his face, and the chuckle that escaped him when she licked his nose. ‘Aw, you really are a cutie, aren’t ya? Yes, you are!’ It seemed even men like Piers weren’t immune from baby-talking animals.

He carried Trixie all the way to the dining room, but we decided it was best to keep her in her bag high off the floor in case Wolf happened to bound in. As we sat down in the luxurious room decorated with priceless antiques, Mrs Watts came in with a trolley full of trays with lids on them.

‘Ah, thank you, Mrs. Watts!’

‘Yes, thank you,’ I chimed in.

‘I’ve left your dessert in the fridge as it’s still setting,’ she said.

He nodded. ‘Perfect, thanks.’

‘And Miss Graham, I’ve turned down the bed in the Gold Room for you.’

The Gold Room? That sounded rather grand, indeed. I couldn’t wait to see it.

‘I’ll show you where it is later,’ he assured me and I felt a wave of warmth in my cheeks as a naughty thought brushed my mind.

‘Thank you, Mrs Watts,’ I said.

‘Have a lovely evening,’ she replied and trotted out of the dining room.

‘Good night, Mrs Watts,’ Piers and I said in unison but she was already gone. ‘She’s a bloody prodigy,’ he whispered as if he was afraid she could still hear him. ‘There isn’t anything she can’t do.’

‘You’re very lucky to have found her.’

‘I am. And I’m lucky to have found you, Sophie. You’re doing a great job.’

The warmth was slowly spreading to my chest. ‘Thank you…’

‘So how about we do her work some justice?’

‘Let’s,’ I agreed, relieved to change the subject, and off came the lids to reveal an onion soup, followed by a gorgeous Beef Wellington, green beans with garlic, truffled mashed potato, and a crisp green salad. ‘Ooh, yummy!’ I swooned.

‘She is amazing, isn’t she?’ Piers marvelled as he swallowed his first bite.

‘Mmph…’ I agreed as we ate, communicating with our eyes, too hungry to speak.

It was like we had developed our own code in the space of a magic moment, bringing us closer without even uttering a word as we searched each other’s faces.

It was recognition of the fact that we were, in spite of our efforts, getting to know each other on a deeper level and it provided a warmth that enveloped me completely, like enjoying a beautiful sunset in total silence.

Every now and then I fed Trixie a tidbit of beef which she slurped down happily.

‘Can’t say she hasn’t got an appetite,’ Piers said, amused.

‘I know, she can eat her weight in food,’ I said with a chuckle.

And then he gave me a strange look which made my insides melt, but I forced myself to look away.

As the night unfurled and it was time to retire, I was struck by a feeling of desolation.

I didn’t want to leave his presence; it had filled me with such a sense of pleasure and security.

Piers radiated an invisible force-field that made all those within it feel safe and secure.

I didn’t know if it was his larger than life presence, or the low, deep voice, or the way he looked at me.

All I knew was that I didn’t want to give up that sensation, but if I stayed any longer he would see right through me and that was the last thing I needed.

So I stood up. ‘I’d better get some sleep,’ I whispered. ‘Just so I’m fresh for those calls…’

He got to his feet. ‘God, yeah, I’m so sorry I’ve kept you up.’

I felt my cheeks warming again. ‘No, don’t be. I’ve enjoyed your company.’

His eyes searched my face, his voice an octave lower than usual. ‘Yeah?’

I nodded, afraid to look up. ‘Absolutely. All I need now is to sleep.’

‘Come,’ he said, taking my elbow. ‘It’s just up the stairs. The mattress is brand new and the light in there in the morning is incredible. That’s why it’s called the Gold Room.’

I scooped up the bag containing a now sleeping Trixie and followed him up a wide staircase with an ornate wooden banister and down the central corridor. I only hoped I’d find my way back to my office from here tomorrow morning.

‘Here’s the office phone, it’s fully charged,’ he said, placing it in my hand, his fingers long and warm around mine. And with that, he paused, perhaps a moment too long.

He cleared his throat. ‘Uh, good night, Sophie. Sweet dreams…’

‘And great deals! Good night,’ I chimed, trying to take the magic out of the moment or I’d simply melt into this sudden, ridiculous sensation of belonging. He was my employer. End of. And when I closed the door behind me, I knew I’d managed a tremendous feat.

The bedroom was not as large as I’d been expecting, but it had an elegant double bed with a cream upholstered headboard and a thick, fancy duvet cover, all between two large, high windows, adorned with golden-coloured drapes.

Goldenrod plush rugs were scattered here and there, covering a flagstone floor.

A very far cry from my bedroom in the eaves of Tulip Cottage, it felt like the room of a princess. And for a few hours, it would be mine.

Mrs. Watts had put my overnight bag on the bed and my toiletry bag in the ensuite bathroom, which was covered from top to bottom in what I surmised was Italian Carrara marble. I knew that because I’d seen something similar in one of those home fashion magazines. It was beautiful.

I set Trixie’s bag next to the bed and slipped into the real Sophie Graham’s best silk pyjamas, but skipped the wool jumper that I usually added back at the cottage as the manor was well-heated. I looked at myself in the mirror as I brushed my teeth.

My scratches had thankfully left no scars, and my short hair wasn’t so short anymore, assuming its natural waves again. I wondered whether my baby would look more like me or Will, though it was irrelevant. My baby was only mine, now.

‘I love you more than you can ever imagine,’ I whispered to my belly. ‘Now, let’s get some sleep.’

My stomach was comfortably full, and the mattress was firm but comfortable.

By all rights I should have fallen asleep in an instant, but instead I stared at the swaying shadows created by the trees in the wind just outside my window.

Safe, warm and happy. This was how the other half lived, without a care in the world.

*

As it turned out, it was a good thing that I’d stayed the night for those calls, as I became aware of a major flaw in an order that had been placed previously by Patsy.

A company in Germany had asked for a shipment of our baked and seasoned apples for tarts, but Patsy had prepared an order for fresh apples.

Imagine the look on the freight receiver’s face when a truckload of fresh Bramley apples were delivered to them!

So I intercepted the shipment and hijacked it to another company that had literally just ordered them.

I would have one extremely satisfied company and be only just a little late with the other.

The next morning when Piers asked me how the calls had gone, I merely nodded and told him that everything was okay. No need to tell him about Patsy’s mistake. She’d already paid for all of them by being fired.

I would miss this job, the people, even my beautiful Moroccan-style office with the oh-so-comfy velvet settee. I intended to make the most of it before Baby came. So on my lunch break, I toured the grounds, taking selfies to show her one day. I wanted her to know only the happier parts of my life.

‘See, sweetie?’ I said into my mobile as I made a video of the grounds. ‘This is where Mummy worked for a few months while expecting you. It’s so beautiful here!’

I swirled the camera around to show more of the grounds.

‘This is the perfect place to come and hide if you don’t want to be found!’ It was true. Rosestones Manor was so far removed from the gritty, ugly world that it seemed that nothing bad could ever happen there. Its beautiful stone walls would protect you from every harm.