Page 38 of The Little Cottage by the Cornish Sea

As October turned to November and the press and Piers’ fans gradually dwindled to a few die hards, my exile from Rosestones Manor was taking its toll on me. Piers never answered my calls, as I’d expected, but still I tried.

Nina, on the other hand, had finally managed to get in touch with him.

As it turned out, because of the invasion by the press and his fans, he’d fled Rosestones to an undisclosed location.

He did not want to be contacted, especially by me.

There was no hope of us even remaining friends.

So I decided that it was time to cut my losses once and for all. ‘I’m ready to talk to the police, now.’

‘Good,’ Nina said. ‘We’ll come with you.’

I nodded, whispering a resigned ‘Thank you.’

*

‘I’ve absolutely ruined my life, haven’t I?’ I wondered aloud as Nina drove us down to the police station in Truro. One of the girls leaned forward to squeeze my arm in support, but said nothing.

Surprisingly, it didn’t take long to make a statement.

I told them what had happened, from the very beginning.

I wrote out my statement, after which each and every one of the girls vouched for me by signing a document.

They made a call to the Metropolitan Police.

And then it was over. The epic showdown I’d been envisioning never materialised, and I felt silly for thinking it would have happened any other way than this.

When I got home, the girls offered to stay and keep me company, but I needed to be alone.

I know I should have been relieved about not being hauled off to prison but the possibility of Will entering my baby’s life terrified me more than anything.

The custody battle would be another thing entirely.

And on top of that, I’d lost Piers, the lovely relationship that we had been developing, day by day, hour by hour, smile by smile.

Piers and I were so similar, although worlds apart, of course.

But we understood each other deeply. I had told him things about myself that I had told no one else, not even my Coastal Girls.

And yet, it hadn’t taken him much to forget any of that and believe the worst of me.

Not that I had had many to begin with, but even my requests for piano lessons had been cancelled by my students’ parents.

I was officially a pariah. So much for the Starry Cove protective shield.

At least I was still transcribing for Nina, which allowed me to keep my head above water for now.

It sounded silly but the sound of her voice kept me company while I worked.

And she made me laugh as she often made self-deprecating comments to herself about a sentence she’d just dictated, stopping herself to say, “Ugh, that sounds like shit! What power lines have I been swinging from?”

A light tap at my window made me turn my head.

An early winter robin, very similar to the one at Rosestones, stood on the sill, its wings spread out as it leaned in, cocking its eye at me as if to check on me.

The silly thought that it could have been my robin, Cherry, filled me with joy.

She knew me and I knew her. We were friends, and she’d come to see me when I had disappeared from Rosestones.

‘Hello,’ I whispered, not wanting to frighten it away. ‘Have you come to see me? Are you hungry?’ I cooed as I reached out to the uneaten sandwich on the side table. ‘Let’s get some food in you, then…’

It pecked at a few crumbs that fell to the windowsill and grabbed a hold of a bit of crust before it flew away. I hoped it would be back tomorrow.

Yawning, I went back downstairs, found the remote, and settled in for an evening of total, abject misery.

The next day, I got a visit at Tulip Cottage from Robert, who was waiting for me in the front garden.

‘News travels fast here, huh?’ I said sheepishly.

He shrugged, raising his medical bag. ‘I came to give you your monthly check-up.’

‘You didn’t have to bother,’ I answered as he followed me into the sitting room. ‘I’m fine.’

‘I don’t believe that for a second, Kate,’ he said and I involuntarily baulked with shame. Every time someone called me Kate for the first time, I was reminded of how I’d deceived every single person in Starry Cove.

I shrugged, dying inside. ‘Of course I am. I know I’m not the one who betrayed Piers’s confidence.’

‘Who do you think did?’ he asked.

I sighed a long, drawn out sigh. ‘My ex. And because of him, Piers never wants to see me again.’

‘But he loves you, Kate.’

I turned to the sadness in his voice. Had I underestimated his affection for me?

‘How would you know that?’ I asked. ‘From what he told me, you two don’t talk.’

He ran a hand through his hair, as if resigned, and it dawned on me that I may have hurt him without even knowing.

That when he was warning me away from Piers, it was because he had feelings for me himself.

This quiet, wholesome man had never indicated to me that he had any interest in me beyond the realms of his profession, so I had no real reason to think otherwise.

And yet, there was something there, just under the surface.

Words unspoken. Fleeting looks. A willingness to linger. At this point, I’d never know.

‘People say they’d never seen him so happy. You managed in a few months what everyone in the village has been trying to do for years. You bought him out of his shell. Do’t let him go back in.’

‘I— I can’t. Nina said he doesn’t want to be contacted. He doesn’t believe me.’

‘He will. Just tell him you love him.’

If only it was that easy.

*

The next evening was the school recital. They were doing the musical Frozen and Nina’s eldest, Chloe, was playing Princess Elsa. I didn’t want to go, but I had helped Chloe practise her part and I knew I couldn’t miss it.

I took my seat next to Nina and Jack in the front row and looked around the auditorium that was packed with proud parents, wayward little siblings and nervous teachers.

I leaned over Nina and touched Jack’s arm. ‘Jack… I wanted to tell you I’m really, really sorry. I never meant to endanger anyone’s privacy, let alone Nina’s.’

Nina stared at me and then turned to glance at Jack, who sighed, shrugging his shoulders. ‘I’d do anything to protect her. But I know it’s not your fault, Kate. Let’s just enjoy the evening. We all need to relax.’

Nina made a mock-impressed face at me and hugged me. ‘It’s okay, Kate. We’ll all be okay.’

For a man of few words, Jack was a gem. I believed him when he said he wasn’t angry at me, but the sword was hanging above our heads, waiting to strike.

One of the teachers, Miss Andrews, whom I recognised from Chloe’s rehearsal, leaned in between Nina and me. ‘Uhm, we have a problem.’

Nina looked up. ‘Is it Chloe? She was a bit anxious on the way in.’

‘No, Chloe’s great. It’s our piano teacher. She’s stuck on the A30. She’s not going to make it in time. But Chloe tells me that you have been helping her with her songs, Kate?’

I shrank back.

‘Is there any way you could stand in?’

Panic rose into my stomach. ‘But… I only know her songs. The other ones, I have no idea!’

At that, Miss Andrews shoved a sheaf of music sheets under my nose. ‘You have ten minutes, maybe fifteen.’

I looked at her in horror, then at Nina’s beseeching eyes. I owed it to her family big time. Perhaps tonight, I could begin to start making it up to them, in this, the smallest of ways.

Small to them, perhaps, but for me? I was terrified of playing in public.

I cowered inwardly. How the hell did I always manage to get myself into these pickles?

If I’d kept myself to myself, I wouldn’t have to have done anything at all, thus exposing myself.

Come on, it’s not like you’re a concert pianist in incognito, I told myself.

Get a grip and help the kid out, for Christ’s sake.

I got to my already shaky legs. If I couldn’t manage to play it right, I’d have to just play the chords or improvise. A recipe for disaster if I’d ever heard one. I only hoped Chloe and the kids could manage. And that Jack and Nina would forgive me if I let them down again.

‘I’ll give it a go, but please don’t blame the kids if my playing leads them astray.’

Miss Andrews looked like she was going to wilt with relief.

‘Kate, thank you, you are a true star!’ Nina and Miss Andrews hissed in unison.

‘Yeah, well, don’t thank me yet,’ I said, glancing at the music sheets while making my way backstage in sheer horror.

There was an electronic keyboard. I plugged in my earphones and went through the first few piece while keeping an eye on the clock.

Five minutes already? But it wasn’t as bad as I’d thought.

It was rather repetitive as musical songs often were, thank God.

And it turned out that reading sheet music was just like riding a bike.

Even if I couldn’t practice all of them, I should have been able to meddle through well enough, Always living on the edge and hanging on a prayer, Kate.

I was still playing when Chloe passed me by, squeezed my arm, mouthed me a silent thank you and winked at me. That little girl had gumption! I had come tonight to support and encourage her, not the other way around, poor girl! I flashed her a smile in return.

Sweating buckets now, I put the finishing touches on my numbers just as the curtains came up and the ice harvesters and Kristoff appeared on stage. Here we go. For Chloe and all the kids.

To my surprise and utter relief, it was an absolute success with standing ovations galore, particularly for Chloe. I’d never seen such happy kids and such proud parents and it filled me with joy. One day, God willing, I’d be clapping my hands off and crying at my own little girl’s recital.

*