Page 56 of Strictly Friends
MissIda was reclining on the sofa, her head propped up against an emerald cushion, when Ruby walked in. The only light in the room came from the tall harlequin lamp and two jewelled table lamps on either side of the sofa. A hint of spice from the kitchen next door wafted in on the gentle breeze coming through the half-open terrace doors.
MissIda beamed and sat up. ‘Hello, sweetheart, this is a nice surprise. I was just putting my feet up after fixing dinner. Come over and sit with me.’
She swung her legs off the couch, patting the seat beside her, and Ruby obligingly sank on to the cushions and flipped open her laptop.
‘The website has just gone live, MissIda, and I wanted you to be the first to see it.’
MissIda gave a cluck of excitement, leaning in as Ruby clicked through the site. With her fist pressed to her mouth, she shook her head in wonder at the crisp, clear images Ruby had taken of the bedrooms, the gardens, and the private beach, and, as Ruby read aloud the section about the origins of Paradise Inn, and Marty and Ida’s love story, the older woman’s eyes filled with tears.
‘Narita’s keen to develop her digital skills and Nick’s going to train her to manage the site and the booking system. So, what do you think, MissIda?’ Ruby closed the laptop with a smile that held more than a hint of trepidation. Despite all the work she and Nickhad put into the project, everything rested on whether the person they had done this for was happy.
‘What do I think? I think you’re an angel sent to me by the gods, and I can never thank you enough.’
MissIda’s voice trembled with emotion, and Ruby blinked back the threatening tears. It had been an emotional few days and she had cried so much that if she started again, there was no telling if she’d be able to stop.
‘Are you okay, sweetheart?’ MissIda frowned at Ruby’s downcast expression. ‘I missed seeing you at dinner tonight.’
Ducking her head to avoid the woman’s probing gaze, Ruby forced a cheerful note into her voice. ‘I’m absolutely fine. I’ve been in my room most of the day, and I haven’t done much to work up an appetite.’
MissIda shifted her position to face Ruby squarely, her shrewd gaze making it clear she wasn’t fooled. ‘Sweetheart, I know heartache when I see it, and you weren’t the only person who didn’t show up for dinner tonight.’
The concern in MissIda’s eyes pierced through Ruby’s fragile self-control, and tears welled up and spilled on to her cheeks.
MissIda murmured with dismay and reached for a box of tissues on the side table. Mortified, Ruby plucked one from the box and wiped her eyes, breathing deeply as she tried to control her battered emotions. For a few minutes they sat in silence, the only sounds an occasional sniff from Ruby and the gentle chirp of crickets through the open door.
‘Sweetheart, when you first came here, I told you Sorrel Island is a place of love, and it is,’ MissIda said softly. ‘But love is complicated; sometimes it hurts, and sometimes it heals.’
Ruby grimaced and wiped her nose. ‘Well, I think the island gods must be punishing me for mocking them because right now it hurts like hell.’
‘Oh no, sweetheart,never!’ MissIda shook her head vehemently. ‘The gods are always on our side, but you must have faith in the power of love. I can’t tell you how many folks I’ve seen over the years come here broken inside. Our little island – well, it gives refuge to damaged hearts, just like it saved those lovers fleeing death hundreds of years ago.’
Despite Ruby’s efforts, fresh tears escaped her eyes. She dropped her head and whispered, ‘But what if you’re the one who’s caused the damage, and can’t fix it?’
MissIda put the computer to one side and took Ruby’s hand between hers. ‘Tell me what happened, sweetheart,’ she urged.
In between sobs, Ruby stumbled through the events of the past couple of days with both Kenny and Griffin. By the time she tried to repeat the deliberately cruel words she had aimed at Griffin, Ruby was crying too hard to continue.
‘Come on now, let’s go outside and get some air. I always find it helps to look to the heavens when things down here get too hard.’
MissIda patted Ruby’s arm and stood up, leaving Ruby to follow her out on to the terrace. A brightly lit lantern on a small table illuminated the night, and the faint sound of voices and the chink of cutlery could be heard coming from the adjoining railed-off dining-room terrace.
‘Shouldn’t you be with the other guests?’ Ruby gulped, scrubbing her eyes with the damp tissue. ‘I don’t want to take up your time—’
MissIda cut her off with a careless wave. ‘Don’t you worry none ’bout that. We don’t have many for dinner tonight and Narita’s taking care of everyone. Besides, I’d better enjoy the quiet before that beautiful website of yours has me rushed off my feet, ain’t that right?’
Ruby managed a wobbly smile and the two women leaned against the stone balustrade, staring up at the starlit sky overlooking the darkened gardens.
‘This place is paradise, and I’m going to miss it so much, even if I didn’t find love. You know, I’m so envious of couples like my mum and dad – and you and Marty,’ Ruby said wistfully, resting her arms on the balcony wall. ‘I can’t begin to imagine how the two of you stayed so strong for such a long time, especially with everything you went through just to be together. I don’t think I’ll ever be lucky enough to find someone who loves me that way and who I can trust a hundred per cent.’
MissIda weighed Ruby’s words carefully, and then turned to face her. In the lamplight, the tiny wrinkles on the delicately boned face were barely visible, and she could almost have been the young bride of fifty years ago.
‘Marriage isn’t easy, child, and for any relationship to work, both of you must grow easy with giving and receiving, and always find somewhere in your heart the capacity to forgive yourself and each other.’
‘But surely it’s easier to do that when someone really loves you?’
‘Sometimes even love isn’t enough, Ruby. You can love someone hard but you still gotta find your own balance. The kind that lets you hold yourself up without depending on how the other person is holding up.’
Ruby sighed. ‘But you knew right away when you met your Marty that he was the one for you. What was it you called him – your heart’s twin? Finding a perfect love like that feels impossible to me.’
