Page 79 of The Cornish Cream Tea Holiday
Thea resisted rolling her eyes. ‘By how much?’
‘Two hundred a month. That’s the going rate right now.’
‘It’s not been updated on your website, or any of the literature you sent to me.’
‘It’s a fast-moving situation, love.’ He shrugged, as if it was out of his control, as if he wasn’t doing this deliberately. Did he really have other interested parties, or was he taking her for a sucker?
Thea nodded, an icy resolve settling over her. As much as she hadn’t wanted to dismiss this place entirely – not without finding out whether the Old Post House was even a possibility – she wasn’t going to be treated like this. She was worth more, and she knew that Ben thought so, too.
‘That’s such a shame,’ she said, keeping her voice even. ‘Luckily, there’s somewhere else that’s much more suited to my needs.’
Jamie’s brows rose in surprise. ‘Care to tell me where?’ he asked casually. ‘I know most of the available properties in this area, and I’m not aware of any others on the market. I’m sure I could be competitive, if the other place is currently more appealing.’
Thea could see his smile wavering, that he was uncomfortable being on the back foot. ‘Its appeal is about so many more things than just the price,’ she said. ‘And it’s a private arrangement, so I don’t want to bother you with it. Thank you for your time, Mr Scable – I won’t waste any more of it.’
He nodded, taken aback, and she held out her hand. His grip wasn’t anywhere near as strong as Ben’s, and had none of the same warmth.
‘Very sorry we couldn’t help each other,’ he said.
Thea stepped outside. ‘I’m not,’ she murmured.
She walked up the hill and went into Sea Brew,then took her takeaway latte down to the harbour, where the sun was dusting everything in a soft, golden glow, the boats swaying on water that was so much calmer than it had been last night. In contrast, Thea’s mind and stomach were churning, her chest tight.
She was proud of what she’d done, telling Jamie Scable – with all his judgement and bullying tactics – that she didn’t need him, but she would have felt a whole lot better if it had been the truth: if she had another property secured, rather than just a distant, fantastical possibility that was somehow both too good, and too difficult, to be real.
The main problem was, she realised, as she gripped her cup in trembling hands, that she didn’t want to look anywhere else. She loved Port Karadow, with its harbour and beaches, the strong sense of community she’d got ataste of. She had let herself imagine it as her home. But now, the only option she was left with might be a non-starter. And, even if renting it from the councilwasa possibility, taking on somewhere that needed a complete renovation had never been a part of her plan.
She took the lid off her cup and blew on the hot coffee, looking out at the idyllic view. She felt like she was flailing, failing, and she needed someone to talk to. Alex was here, in Port Karadow – the man she had always turned to when she wanted to discuss her future – and there was Esme now, too. Would she have some words of wisdom for her, if Thea admitted everything? But, she realised, it wasn’t either of them she wanted to tell.
The high, bright sun added an extra layer of charm to the twin cottages, and Thea’s insides warmed at the sight. She hadn’t been her best self with Esme and Alex last night: she’d been cold and soggy, her plans had been upended, and she had been caught entirely off-guard. Now she’d had time to process their arrival, she could make up for her less than cheerful welcome.
Ben’s van was parked outside and she glanced at Oystercatcher Cottage, remembering the way he’d wrapped his arm around her on the sofa, wearing only a towel, while he’d called Sylvia’s number. It had been such a confident gesture: unconscious, almost, as if they were already intimate with each other. The thought sent a pleasant shiver running through her. She turned her attention to Sunfish Cottage. Were Esme and Alex back from their walk?
She took a couple of steps towards Ben’s house, then heard footsteps behind her.
‘This bit of the coast is really wild,’ Alex said, slightly out of breath as he trudged up the hill. Esme looked invigorated, her short hair blowing in the wind, her walking boots covered in mud. Alex was wearing a pale blue shirt and grey trousers, and his boots looked even newer than Thea’s had been, as if he’d bought them in a hurry, specifically for this trip.
‘It’s magnificent, isn’t it?’ she called.
‘I could spend days walking along here,’ Esme said as they reached her. ‘Have you been swimming yet? Tried surfing?’
‘Surfing was never on our list,’ Thea said, laughing. ‘And the water is alotcolder than you’d expect. I bet it’s even chillier after last night’s storm.’ The sea was much calmer, but a few white horses still flecked the surface.
‘It could do with a bit more signage, though,’ Alex added. ‘More robust barriers in some of the hollows. There are deathtraps all the way along.’
Thea agreed with him about the barriers, but if there had been more, would she have been able to go into that crevice with Ben? See those incredible seabirds? ‘It’s the rugged outdoors,’ she said lightly. ‘Not everything can be risk-managed.’
Almost every sentence out of her friends’ mouths, every new discovery they made about Cornwall, reminded Thea of Ben. He was stitched into the fabric of her time here, impossible to remove. She loved it, but it also made not seeing him harder.
‘Shall we get a coffee?’ Esme asked. ‘I’m parched after that. Where have you been, anyway?’
‘We can sit outside,’ Thea said, her thoughts trying to catch up. ‘I just nipped into town for a – a coffee.’
‘And you’re already desperate for another one?’ Her friend laughed.
‘Sure! Sunny Sundays were made for coffee.’ It was too awkward, and she knew she needed to sit down with Esme and tell her everything. She looked longingly at Oystercatcher Cottage, then moved towards her own front door. ‘What do you want to do with today?’ she asked. ‘What are you dying to do while you’re here?’
‘Give you a proper hug in the daylight, for one thing,’ Esme said. ‘Come here. It’s so good toseeyou!’
