Page 80 of The Christmas Retreat
Evie and Noel were talking together, and Kate had managed to buttonhole Rhys and was pouring into his ears the plot of her new book, while Verity had produced a small embroidery ring and was stitching some pale flowery design that she said, when I politely admired it, was her own.
The log fire burned and flickered realistically. The room was cosy and festive, and I felt I’d like to capture the memory of that moment to take away with me.
When Pearl returned and Timon had poured drinks for us all – I seemed to be developing an advocaat addiction – Nerys raised one final toast, summing up what I and, I’m sure, most of the others were feeling.
‘To Christmas – and many more happy ones. And to success in your work during the rest of your stay at Triskelion.’
‘Yes, I’m sure we’ve all reached a point where we can feel our work ethics tightening again and we’re ready to get back to it,’ agreed Evie, as if it was some kind of invisible corset.
‘I must get down to it properly tomorrow morning,’ I said, and there was a general murmur of agreement.
‘Someof us have been working steadily throughout our stay,’ pointed out Kate, then added, ‘but even so, I really must go flat out to finish my edits tomorrow so I can concentrate on the new novel!’
‘AndIhave a wealth of material to collate, and online research to do,’ said Evie.
We all, it seemed, were ready to get back to work in the morning. Or almost all, for Pearl, sitting next to Toby, was looking a little lost.
‘The pottery itself and the cafe and gallery will be closed for a few days,’ Timon said, ‘but since my studio is there, I’ll be going down. So Pearl, if you’re at a loose end until your sister is better, why not come and try working with porcelain? You said you’d enjoyed ceramics in your art foundation year and wished you had gone on with it.’
Her face lit up. ‘Could I? Are you sure I wouldn’t be in the way?’
‘Not at all. My studio is open to ceramic artists during the summer retreats, and it doesn’t bother me.’
He smiled kindly. ‘That’s agreed then.’
‘I’ll be off home in the morning,’ Noel said. ‘The bookshop will be closed for a couple of days – or more, depending on how much snow we get – but visitors are always welcome.’
He twinkled at Evie, who said with a grin: ‘Providing they buy something!’
‘As I said earlier, since you and I usually work in the mornings, Ginny,’ said Rhys, ‘we could have some expeditions in the afternoons once the snow has gone, so you can see some of the local sights – and anyone else who fancies the idea too, of course.’
‘That’s a good idea, Ginny, because it might help persuade you to settle here, at least temporarily,’ said Nerys. ‘Cariad would be delighted. She’s really taken to you!’
‘I think that’s just because I’m one of her favourite authors,’ I said, laughing.
‘Not at all – I know we’d all love you to come and live nearby,’ said Rhys, smiling at me in that devastating way of his … and as always I found myself unable to look away …
Verity once more broke the spell by exclaiming: ‘Ginny, howcanI have forgotten? You had a phone call while you were out and I promised faithfully to tell you about it as soon as you came back!’
Arwen
Letter from Arwen Madoc to Milly Vane, Friday 11 July 1919
Dearest Milly,
Mr Jones has taken Cosmo to stay with his family in the Midlands on business for three days. They are seeking workers willing to move here, either permanently or temporarily, to work in the pottery and train local people to do so. The moment the car had gone, I immediately felt the most enormous weight had been taken off my shoulders: the tyranny that has increasingly fallen over me ever since I came here, and I cannot now understand why I was so dazzled and pleased by Cosmo’s interest in my opinions and my work in the first weeks after I had arrived. Not that it ever deflected me in the least from wanting to join you and Edwin in Cornwall, for it did not, but at first it did feel like a holiday or a little idyll in an unfamiliar but enchanted place.
I do love the hill, the cliffs, the ancient wood and the monumenton the cliff top, but I have no desire to spend even the next three years here, let alone the rest of my life.
Nor has Bea, come to that, even if she longs for a very different life from that I crave. Her chances seem to be decreasing, for although she came back from a visit to Castle Newydd after the arrival of Miss Stretton, which confirmed what she had heard of that lady’s appearance, she had not been able to get a word in with Mark Prynne, for he and Miss Stretton were so enthusiastically discussing gardening matters in which Bea had no interest at all. She said Lily was there as usual and seemed already thick as thieves with the visitor, feigning an interest in their plans, but I am very sure Lily was genuinely interested. She confided to me after church one day that she thought a quiet, open-air life at Castle Newydd, with his new gardening projects, was what Mark most needed.
On top of this disappointment, Cosmo was furious with Bea after receiving a dressmaker’s bill – she has tried to dazzle the poor young man back with a series of ever frillier frocks. Then in the next breath he contrarily ordered Maudie to have a more suitable and grown-up wardrobe made for me, for I was not the child they treated me as. Of course, I said I was quite happy with my clothes and needed no new ones – I didn’t want to be beholden to him – but he insisted that I should have something more suitable to wear to church and to dinner.
I found this quite contrary for a man who takes little interest in his own apparel! However, I was glad to visit the nearest town if only to have my hair cut, even if my insistence that it was bobbed very short horrified the hairdresser and Maudie. I took little interest in choosing the designs and materials for the new dresses, except to say if they were at all fussy or frilly I would refuse to wear them, and also, the only hat I would agree to wear other than my faithfulblack felt was a very plain straw, which I have no intention of ever putting on except for church.
It was pleasant to venture further afield than I had done before, even if Maudie and Bea’s company was not very congenial.
So, to return to what I was saying. Cosmo and Mr Jones left directly after breakfast and I fetched my painting materials, told Mrs Bradley I would probably be out to lunch, and set off to St Melangell by the cliff path. I did a sketch of the village lying below the headland, before descending the path to where the lane ended, by the gates of Castle Newydd, then made my way down to the quay, meaning to paint the quaint fishing boats tied up there.
