Page 9 of The Little Cottage by the Cornish Sea

The next day, I woke to the sound of birdsong, which was a huge improvement on the rusty frogs, i.e.

, the doorbell. I opened my eyes and peered out the window where a little red robin was scrounging around the windowsill for something to eat.

I surreptitiously stretched out a hand for the packet of hobnobs I’d brought up with me last night and eased out of bed ever so slowly, but the minute my feet touched the floor, it flew away.

I looked at my watch and realised it was time to get ready to meet up with Emmie again.

I’d decided that as long as I kept my mouth shut about where I’d been before Starry Cove, there shouldn’t be any harm in spending a bit more time with her.

How nice it was to make my own plans for the day without having to ask for anyone else’s approval!

I slipped into my coat, thinking how strange this was.

A few days ago I had no hope whatsoever of a better life, and here I was now, going to see a very sweet girl and her delightful baby.

I picked my way down School Lane and soon reached the quay where Emmie’s barge was moored.

She was already at the door, a huge smile on her face.

To think that she was so pleased to see me gave me hope and I blinked away some silly moisture gathering at the base of my lashes.

‘Hello, you!’ she chimed, throwing the door wide open for me.

‘Hi,’ I said shyly. ‘Thank you for inviting me again.’

‘Of course! The kettle’s just boiled, come and warm up by the log burner!’

‘Thank you,’ I said, rubbing my hands together.

‘I’ve got some more amazing goodies from The Rolling Scones today! Look, carrot cake, éclairs, chocolate fudge cake, apple pie and even baked Alaska!’

I found myself charmed by her enthusiasm for the small pleasures in life, wishing I could be more like her. ‘Are you trying to turn me into a glutton, Emmie?’

She smiled cheekily as she poured me a nice hot cup of coffee. ‘Is it working?’

I reached forward to receive it, literally gagging for my daily dose of caffeine. ‘Absolutely!’

She raised her cup in a toast. ‘To new friendships, then!’

I swallowed. I so wanted to have real friends here, truly I did.

But I was somewhat still afraid of attracting too much attention to my presence here in Starry Cove and getting too close.

But Emmie had been so welcoming, I couldn’t refuse her kindness.

Besides, it would be weird if I avoided people, wouldn’t it?

Perhaps I was exaggerating. This was a tiny, peaceful village at the end of the day. What harm could come to me here?

After our coffee, we threw on our coats, got little Felicity up from her nap and I followed her as she pushed her pram down through the villages of Wyllow Cove, Perrancombe, Penworth Ford to Little Kettering where The Old Bell Inn sat on the edge of a cliff facing the sea.

To say it looked like a scene out of a Rosamund Pilcher book was an understatement. It was a beautifully preserved building backing onto fairytale woodlands where robins flitted from branch to branch like you see in cartoons.

It was all so beautiful and storybook-like.

‘So what are we doing here?’ I asked.

‘Meeting a friend!’

I was hesitant to meet other people. People I’d have to lie to and live in the same community with.

This made me very uneasy. I wanted friendships, eventually, of course, but based on honesty.

I didn’t want to start anything dishonest. So I’d have to be very careful and not get attached to anyone. Just casual acquaintances.

‘Come,’ Emmie said and we plunged into the olde-worlde atmosphere of the old inn. Every end table was covered with Easter egg nests and paper birds of every colour and real chocolate eggs just for the taking. Note to self: don’t be a glutton.

‘Hi Laura, is Penny around?’ Emmie asked of a young woman at the Reception desk. ‘Sophie, this is Laura, Head of Reception. Laura, this is my new friend Sophie.’

‘Hi!’ she chimed enthusiastically, and I couldn’t help but smile at her.

‘Emmie!’ called another young woman with long, red hair and striking face. She was absolutely gorgeous and had a no-nonsense air about her. ‘Where have you been hiding? You know I need to see Little Miss Moon every day or I get sad!’ And to the baby: ‘Hi, little princess!’

Felicity gurgled and stretched her arms toward her, begging to be lifted. The red-head obliged, turning to smile at me.

‘Sophie, this is Penny. She is manager of the place. Penny, this is Sophie, DFL.’

‘Hi, Sophie, DFL!’ she greeted me cheerfully. ‘Welcome to our little paradise.’

‘Thank you. What’s DFL?’ I asked.

‘That’s Down From London.’

My eyes widened. There went my plan not to reveal anything about my past. ‘But I never said—’

Emmie grinned. ‘Your accent is a dead giveaway.’

‘We mean it in a good way, for you,’ Penny hastened to explain. ‘And for the hotel business, of course.’

‘Ah, I get it,’ I said. ‘It’s becoming a problem here, isn’t, all these Londoners flocking to Cornwall?’

Penny dipped her head. ‘I’m not complaining. But for the buying market, yes. The locals are being priced out of their own turf.’

‘Well, I won’t be buying.’

‘She’s renting Tulip Cottage,’ Emmie informed her, and I couldn’t help but feel a tiny stab of apprehension. I shouldn’t have come here today to meet these people. I was digging my own grave, not to mention deceiving these people by withholding my real identity and purpose.

‘Oh, you’re a bit out of the way. Safe from all the village hustle and bustle, good for you,’ Penny assured me, in more ways than she could understand. ‘We’re a bit out of the way here too. You have to have a real reason to come here.’

At that, both Penny and Emmie turned to me expectantly. I had never mentioned to Emmie just why I had come here. Not even in the shape of a lie.

‘Well, I used to come here as a child on vacation with my family,’ I volunteered. Beyond that, I would say no more.

‘How amazing is that?’ Emmie said. ‘So technically, you’re more native than we are! I’m a DFL and Penny’s dad is Irish. So, have things here changed much since you were a little girl, Sophie?’

‘Uhm, no, not that much, actually. That’s what makes it so special, I think.’

‘You got that right,’ Penny chimed as she rocked Felicity, her eyes never leaving my face; I wondered if I’d managed to cover up my scratches well enough.

I could tell she was a sharp one, although she was slightly younger than me and Emmie.

And yet, she commanded the room which she surveyed with eagle eyes.

This was her workplace and from what I could see, she ran it like a tight ship.

It was spotless and staff were busy going about their business quickly and quietly, almost invisibly.

‘Would you like the tour?’ Penny asked, taking me off the spot. ‘It’s a small hotel but we’ve even got horses. My little brother Danny likes to help after school.’

‘I’d love that,’ I said.

Emmie took Felicity off Penny, who showed us the lobby, the restaurant and the dining room. It was indeed small, but so lovely and warm, it actually looked like a large home.

‘It’s so beautiful,’ I commented.

‘Thank you. Faith did the décor.’

‘You’ll meet her later,’ Emmie promised me. ‘She’s an amazing interior designer.’

More people to deceive. Just great…

Penny took us to the grounds out to the side and front where the paddocks and stable were. Now, I was no expert, but the horses were stunningly beautiful and obviously well-cared for.

‘Danny does most of the grooming,’ Penny said. ‘Can you stay for lunch?’

Lunch? At a hotel? That would cost me quite a few bob.

‘It’s on the house,’ Penny assured me. ‘I’m so happy to have non-hotel company, if you know what I mean.’

‘Thank you,’ I said. ‘If Emmie has the time…’

‘You bet I do! We make a point to see one another as often as possible.’

And so we stayed for lunch, sitting at a table by the window overlooking the sea.

We were close to the edge of the cliffs and I could clearly see the waves cresting and breaking on the rocks down in the coves of the bay.

This was a truly breathtaking place, and I couldn’t see anyone, let alone myself, tiring of the wildly beautiful seascapes.

A couple of hours later, Felicity began to fuss and on that note, we took our leave.

‘She’s been as good as gold,’ Emmie said as we stood up, ‘but it’s time to go home.’

I turned to Penny. ‘Well, thank you so much for such a lovely lunch. It was great meeting you and seeing your beautiful hotel.’

And then, Penny surprised me by hugging me. ‘Come back any time, please,’ she said. ‘I get bored with all these bureaucrats behind the desk.’

‘I will, thank you. And maybe you could both come round Tulip Cottage for a meal, although it won’t be as good as today’s.’

Eek, what had I just said? I was in absolutely no condition to host a meal, let alone have even one person over for coffee. I had nothing to offer! Plus, I was supposed to stay low.

‘That would be great!’ Penny said, squeezing my shoulder lightly.

What was this place, Instant Friendshipville ? I had definitely played my cards wrong if I’d meant to keep to myself.

‘Uh, great,’ I managed, trying not to look worried.

But I needed to get out of here. I needed to get back to the cottage to light a fire for the night and tell myself it would be okay.

Even in my head, that had sounded almost primeval, like a Neanderthal woman, stripped down to the basics.

Warmth, Protection, Food. Slowly, slowly. One step at a time.

We said our goodbyes and made our way along the coastal path through other tiny villages that were attached to Starry Cove. Emmie did not seem to notice or comment on my discomfort, quietly humming to Felicity, who slept most of the way home.

Once back at her barge, Emmie turned and hugged me.

‘Be good, and don’t hesitate to call for whatever you need around the house. Jago is handy.’

‘Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind.’

‘See you tomorrow?’ she said.

‘Right,’ I said and then made my way back to Tulip Cottage.

I wanted to see Emmie again and meet her friend Faith the decorator, for instance, but if I kept on like this, I’d meet the entire village by the end of the week.

I had met so many people already and only been here for a couple of days.

So much for remaining anonymous. And yet, I couldn’t resist the warmth and generosity of her offer.

Back in London, apart from Tamsin, no one had ever treated me like family after just having met me.

But this? This was a whole new world. I swallowed back a sense of gratitude.

Get a grip, I told myself. The more you act weird, the more you’ll attract people’s attention. Just be normal. Act like you’re a single girl looking for a change of scenery. Nothing more.

And yet, I had to give myself a pat on the back for even leaving London and my old life and, I had to admit, I was already feeling much better.

I was not one to make drastic changes. In anything.

I always ate the same foods, chose the same ice-cream flavour and the same clothes.

So for me, this was a huge deal. But in all fairness, I hadn’t had a choice.

I hadn’t been able to bring myself to action, like a prehistoric body stuck in a prehistoric bog.

Inert, helpless and hapless. So I’d retired into my own silence.

Will always thought it was because I liked being left alone a lot.

Imagine being with someone who lacked the basic understanding of, well, you , and how you felt.

Solitude seemed to be the only cure at the time, but lately, I’d come to realise that forced solitude and inaction were only plasters that wouldn’t stick long enough to cure and repair all the damage that had been done under the surface, like cigarette ash kicked under the carpet.

But most importantly, and what made me crazy, was that I’d never understand how I let him get away with it all, from the fits of jealousy to organising my every single decision.

And I’d let him, just to avoid another entire evening of yelling and arguing, then finally falling asleep from exhaustion (and not, say, holding hands in the dark and talking away into the night the way I pictured other couples did) on the nights that he was with me, having told his new girlfriend, I now realise, a bunch of fibs.

Not to mention the bitter morning aftertaste, almost like a hangover, which cast a shadow on the next few days.

Not to mention the sense of heartbreak and the queasiness from lack of sleep.

Until the queasiness had become constant, taking its place next to a new sense of fear.

I thought it was just a new thing that had settled in along with the other novelties.

Follow your dreams, they say. Do what makes you happy. But Happy was a big word for me.

*

The next day, I was back at Books On The Barge, helping Emmie put some tomes back in order.

I needed to work. Financially, I was stuck and only a steady income could get me back on top of my finances.

But I couldn’t tap anyone, let alone Emmie, for a job, could I?

I mean, I had only been here a few days.

How desperate would I look? Also, as far as I could see, there were no Hiring signs anywhere.

‘I think I’d like to look for a job,’ I blurted out of nowhere, feeling the blush creeping up my neck. It wasn’t the shame of needing work, but of why I was so desperate for one. I did my best not to let my desperation show.

Emmie looked at me, her face lighting up. ‘So you really are minded to stay?’

I grinned. ‘I think so.’

‘Oh my gosh, that’s fantastic, and there’s so much you could do! Robert’s secretary is almost always off sick, Nina’s baby-sitter is going to be away and— or did you mean a different kind of job?’

‘Anything that will pay my bills,’ I assured her, more comfortable now that she had made it sound so easy.

‘Okay, I’ll see what we can find for you! I’m so happy, Sophie!’

‘Me too,’ I said. I truly was happy here.

This had to be the beginning of a good thing.

I just knew it. A new life and a baby on the way.

And speaking of, tomorrow I’d swing by Dr Armitage’s office and see if he could squeeze me in for a quick check-up.

This new life I’d started, I wanted to do it properly, and this time my own way.