Page 81 of A Secret Cornish Wish
‘Thank you, Janet,’ Rose says. ‘Yes, I’ll see you tomorrow.’
Janet walks away and Rose turns to me. ‘So lovely to see you again, Frankie,’ she says in her soft gentle voice, immediately transporting me back in time fifteen years. ‘Sadly in such sad circumstances, though.’
‘Yes. Did you know Hetty or David?’
‘I’m friends with Doris, David’s mother,’ Rose says. ‘She asked me to do the flowers today.’
‘Of course. They looked beautiful – as always.’ I know I have to say it, even though I don’t want to. It’s breaking my heart just thinking about it, let alone actually talking to Rose about it. ‘I was so sorry to hear about Will,’ I say quickly, ripping the plaster off the wound, knowing getting it out there in the fresh air is the best and only way for it to heal.
Rose’s soft, kind face immediately twists with pain, and I feel terrible for making that happen.
‘I . . . I can’t imagine what you must have gone through,’ I continue when Rose doesn’t immediately speak. ‘What you must still be going through.’
‘Thank you for both your letter and your flowers – they meant so much, Frankie,’ Rose says. ‘You were kind to think of me and remember Will.’
Rose’s grandson collapsed suddenly at an outdoor concert in Penzance. He was there with his sister, Poppy and, incredibly sadly, the paramedics were not able to revive him, and Will died before he even reached the hospital.
When I heard, I felt so desperately sad for Rose and I didn’t know what to do for the best. At the time, it was impossible for me to take the number of days off from work that would have been required to travel here and attend the funeral. So instead, I wrote Rose a long letter of condolence, and carefully chose the appropriate flowers to send to her.
‘I tried really hard to get the meanings behind the flowers right. I hope I did.’
‘They were perfect; thank you for putting that little bit of extra thought in.’
‘How is Poppy?’ I ask.
Rose wrinkles her nose. ‘Not doing all that well to be honest. She’s finding it quite difficult to cope.’
‘Understandable – they were very close, weren’t they?’
Rose nods. ‘Inseparable. They argued like all siblings do. But they always made up quickly. I miss both of them so much. Since it happened, Poppy doesn’t want to come here to St Felix any more. I understand that, of course I do. But I do miss her.’
‘She’s not been here in four years?’ I ask, surprised to hear this. Poppy and Will used to visit Rose several times a year when they were children.
‘Sadly no. I’m sure she’ll return when the time is right, though.’
‘Oh, Rose,’ I say, and I can think of nothing other than giving her a hug, which Rose receives gratefully. ‘I’m sure she’ll come back.’
‘Thank you, Frankie. Now.’ She pats my hand. ‘I mustn’t hold you up. You must go after your friends. I saw them all leaving without you. It’s lovely you all still keep in touch after all this time. Hold on to that, Frankie. Friends and family are all we have in life. And sometimes they’re taken from us all too soon.’
The café on Morvoren Cove is already receiving guests when I arrive, and a bit like a wedding everyone is offered a drink as they go in – but unlike a wedding when it might be a glass of champagne we’re offered from a silver tray, this time it’s tea and coffee and soft drinks all laid out on a long table covered in a white cloth. The table is also laid with long plates of sandwiches, quiches, sausage rolls and other buffet food all wrapped tightly for the moment in layers of cling film.
Gradually, we are joined by the other mourners and eventually Mandy, her family and David’s relatives and friends, and the little café – closed especially for the funeral – is packed full of people.
I watch Mack as he goes over to speak to David’s mother and father.
‘Life’s funny, isn’t it?’ Suzy says, coming to stand next to me with a cup of tea in her hand. ‘Imagine going halfway around the world and bumping into someone who not only used to live in the same small town as you, but who you also went to school with. Mack’s all right, isn’t he?’
‘Yes, he seems like a good guy.’
‘Sounds like it was just as well he went with you last night to see Claire from what you were saying.’
‘Jonathan wasn’t exactly friendly, that’s for sure.’
‘Claire’s definitely very quiet today.’
‘I think she’s a bit embarrassed we all know what’s been going on.’
‘We think we all know. Nothing has been confirmed yet.’
