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‘And if he’s already decided to sell the house?’
Molly held her gaze. ‘Then it was never meant to be. But I don’t think it will come to that.’
‘You and Will are together?’
They both turned to find Lorna standing in the doorway, her bag and guitar case over her shoulders. Her eyes were glistening.
Robin stood and went to hug her. ‘No, we’re not. It’s complicated. What’s wrong?’
Lorna sniffed and wiped her cheek. ‘I’m gutted to be leaving, that’s all. My taxi should be here any minute.’
‘I could have driven you to the station,’ Robin said.
‘You’ve done more than enough for me – I don’t know if you’ll ever realise how much. Thank you for being so amazing.’
Robin laughed. ‘You were the amazing one. Did you hear yourself up there last night?’
Lorna did a little shimmy, and her face broke out into a huge grin. ‘It was the most fun I’ve ever had. I’ve caught the performing bug – I’m going to be unbearable when I get home.’
‘You deserve to go so far,’ Molly said, waiting her turn and then pulling the younger woman into an embrace.
‘Thank you,’ Lorna said. ‘It doesn’t matter how far I go, a little piece of me will always be here, on that stage, looking out at the crowd with the moon shining down on us. I’ve got about twenty glow sticks in my bag – I hope that’s OK?’
‘Of course it is! Better that than they end up in the bin.’
‘Will seemed to be quite fond of them,’ she said, giving Robin a careful look.
Robin smiled, replaying Will’s introduction in her head. ‘Yes. I didn’t know about that little quirk.’
‘He’d be lucky to have you,’ Lorna said. ‘I wish I could stay longer – I’d move down here in a heartbeat and have that view every day of my life. Luton feels like it’s in a dark hole compared to the light and air you get here. But I – I’d like to be friends. To catch up, to go back to the Artichoke.’ She smiled nervously.
‘We are friends,’ Robin said. ‘And you’re welcome here any time. I’ve loved having you.’ She hugged her again and carried her guitar out to the taxi.
‘Thank you, Robin. Thank you for helping me get my life back on track. I’ll never forget it. Email me: I want to hear all your news.’
Lorna waved out of the open taxi window, then the car disappeared into the distance and Robin was left standing on the doorstep with Molly and Eclipse.
‘Starcross empty again now?’ Molly asked. ‘I wonder who’ll be next.’
‘Me, too,’ Robin said. She chewed her lip, glanced at next door and then rolled her eyes. She couldn’t sit here waiting for Will to come back; she’d drive herself mad.
Her friend seemed to sense her restlessness.
‘Come on. I’ll help you with the changeovers, and then you can get out of here for a bit before your new guests arrive. You’ve been working non-stop on this place and the open mic night – don’t think I can’t see those dark circles under your eyes! If you won’t book in for a facial, then this’ll have to do. We’ll get it done in record time, and you can supply the wine and the takeaway when I come over later. Deal?’ She held out her hand.
Robin smiled, wondering what she’d do without Molly to talk sense to her. ‘Deal,’ she agreed.
The water was calm and smooth, even on Campion Bay’s wild beach, as if it was a shimmering, turquoise lake instead of a vast sea. Robin walked with her bare feet pressing into the soft sand, warmed by the early June sun overhead. Everything was bright, sparkling, alive. She was alone on the beach save for a couple of seagulls and a rogue pigeon waddling alongside them, looking for all the world like it belonged.
Molly had been true to her word and had helped get the guesthouse ready for the new arrivals. Robin had discovered a recipe for lavender cookies after being inspired by Mrs Harris’s amazing ensemble that morning, and planned on baking a batch later, then putting them in jars on all the landings, for guests to help themselves.
But for now, she had a few minutes to herself. She walked away from the water, peering into one of the largest caves that were carved into the cliffs like bite-marks. It was gloomy, stretching back into darkness so dense it was like a black hole, and it smelt of damp and cigarette smoke.
There were wide ledges at waist and shoulder height, and crisp wrappers and empty beer cans that had got snagged in crevices and not been washed out with the tide. It could have been a treasure trove, a place of intrigue and history, but instead it made her feel sad. Who would want to spend time in a place like this? She thought of Paige’s story about Adam and his friends taking a boat to explore the caves further along the coast, unreachable from any beach. It couldn’t be safe, doing it on a whim like that. She moved on, peering up at the sandy cliffs towering above her, a few wispy clouds beyond in a sky of paint-box blue.
She had a lot to be thankful for. She had to remind herself that she had pulled off a successful event in Campion Bay at very short notice, attended by more people than the New Year fireworks. It would soon be time for the summer festivities, the fireworks and funfair that came to Campion Bay every year, and as Robin perched on a large flat rock beneath the cliffs, brushing the loose sand off with her palm, she couldn’t help but wonder where Will would be by the time the fair rolled into town.
Would he still be here, spending his time in his aunt Tabitha’s house, working as a tour guide at Eldridge House, still with things to do? Or would he have sold the house to Tim and gone back to Kent or London? Would the seafront be blotted by heavy scaffolding and plastic sheeting, while they butchered the beautiful building where, the plaque announced, Jane Austen had once stayed? The thought left a lump at the back of her throat.
But there was one other option, which was that Will, having finished sorting through Tabitha’s house, would be living there, making a life for himself in Campion Bay. Was that a possibility? Could she dare to hope for so much happiness in her future, despite what she’d witnessed this morning?
Will might well be back by now from wherever Tim had taken him. She should head home and find him, say all the things that had been building up inside her for so long. But Molly, wise as ever, had been right to suggest she escape for a while. This was her thinking place.
She tucked her legs up beneath her, the rock wide enough for her to sit cross-legged, and pulled out her phone. She scrolled through her photo stream, looking back at the photos she had taken of the rooms when they were first finished: Andalusia, Wilderness, Canvas, Rockpool and Starcross. Neve, her dearest friend and former business partner, would have loved the guesthouse, she was sure. Especially Starcross, with its celestial theme, its nod towards astrology. And Eclipse would have been the perfect Once in a Blue Moon Days mascot. Robin had thought of those rooms, and then created them with the help of friends and family, and with Neve’s influence hovering over her like the glowing strawberry moon.
It had been open a little over a month, but already Robin had experienced more moments of pride and accomplishment than she could have hoped for. Starcross was her tribute to Neve, to their time together, but now it had other meanings for her. Every time she pictured it she saw Will in there, filling the space with his toffee-coloured hair and wide, relaxed smile, his little dog, Darcy, standing patiently beside the bed. Robin didn’t want to lose the connection with Neve, but she couldn’t deny that she had begun, finally, to move forward.
An idea prickled in her mind, firing up her senses like tiny electric shocks, but, as it started to develop, her thoughts were disrupted by barking. It was distant at first but constant, a dog that was either elated or distressed. She looked up, following the shoreline and stilled when she saw the small brown dog in the waves. She was heading towards her, her tail wagging madly, her movements more like a dance as her paws pounded in and out of the shallows.
And then Robin’s gaze moved beyond the familiar dog, the dog that she already loved so much, and found him. His short hair blew in the breeze, his Wrangler boots were in his hands, his jeans rolled up above the ankles. He gave her a brief wave, but was too far away for her to see his expression.
Robin sat up straight, letting her ribcage fill again and again, gulping in the sea air as if it would give her strength. Finally, she had her chance. She would be able to tell Will everything. She only hoped that, despite his time with Tim, despite all that had happened between them, he would understand.
Chapter Two (#ucab1570b-503b-5764-ad03-b6dd54baacc7)
‘Hello.’ His voice was soft and unsure, his eyes squinting slightly against the sun as he looked down at her.
‘Hi, Will.’ Robin slipped her legs out from beneath her as he approached, and slid over to the side of the rock. Will sat beside her, nodding thanks at her for making room for him. They didn’t speak for a moment, but instead watched Darcy dancing joyously in the waves. She got hold of a long piece of seaweed and tugged at it, loosening it from the sand, her front paws getting tangled in its fronds.
Robin laughed, and Will shook his head. ‘Ridiculous dog,’ he said quietly.
‘I’ve missed her,’ Robin admitted. ‘I’ve missed both of you. The guesthouse doesn’t feel the same.’
‘My current sleeping arrangements aren’t anything like Starcross, if it makes you feel any better.’
‘It doesn’t,’ Robin said. ‘Are you on the floor, or in Tabitha’s old bed?’
‘A bed, but not Tabitha’s. Her room was the most damaged when the roof leaked, so the bed will need to go. I’ve got a whole heap of furniture in the middle of the dining room, ready to be disposed of. It looks like I’m about to start a Wicker Man-style fire – it’s quite impressive.’
‘Don’t do anything too rash. You know I’m here, I can still help you.’
‘I know that,’ he said. ‘But things haven’t exactly been … straightforward.’
‘Will, I …’ She turned towards him. ‘I need to be completely honest with you. About everything; about Tim, what happened last night.’
He didn’t look at her, but kept his gaze on the sea. The sun was sparkling on the water like shards of glass. ‘I saw him earlier. He came to the house. He told me a few things.’
Despite the warm day, Robin felt a chill run through her. ‘What things?’
‘Lots of things. Lies, possibly. I don’t know.’
‘So ask me.’
Will exhaled and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. ‘He said that you had suffered a major trauma before you came back to Campion Bay. That it had affected you deeply, that you were … struggling.’
Robin swallowed. It was a few seconds before she could speak. ‘Struggling? Was that the word he used?’
‘No. But are you – did something terrible happen, in London?’ He turned to face her, his green eyes piercing through the wall that had immediately come up. It wasn’t Will’s fault, but how dare Tim use what had happened to Neve against her?
‘What did he actually say?’
Will winced. ‘He said you didn’t know what you wanted, that you were behaving irrationally. I haven’t thought that for one minute – you’ve never seemed irrational to me. But he said that you were blowing hot and cold. He gave the impression that you’d rekindled your relationship, given in to old passions, but that you were still unsure. He thought it was only a matter of time before you were back together. I’m sorry, I know this is personal, but he admitted it to me, and—’
‘None of that’s true,’ Robin said. She surprised herself at how calm she sounded. Her stomach churned with a mix of anger and sadness at Tim’s fabrications. She didn’t know if this was more of his manipulation, or if he still believed, despite what she’d told him last night, that there was a chance for them. But exaggerating the fallout of her grief at Neve’s death was a low blow.
He hadn’t even been there those first, desperate months after she returned to Campion Bay; he hadn’t seen her at her lowest. When she spoke again, her voice was steady.
‘He tried to kiss me that night, after you had been to the pub with him, but I stopped it. I’m not irrational. My feelings for Tim, when I saw him again after all the years apart –’ she shook her head – ‘I admit that it was confusing to begin with, but nothing happened between us. He’s making it out to be a great deal more than it was.’
Will nodded, his gaze holding hers. It was open, accepting, and she had to resist the urge to wrap him in a grateful hug. ‘But something happened to you in London?’ he asked, almost a whisper. ‘That bit was true?’
Her heart was clattering now. The peaceful tableau in front of them seemed like a dream: the golden sand, the glittering water, Darcy playing in the waves. That night was creeping back in, swapping places with reality. She had to tell him. She had been planning to anyway, but Tim had given her no choice and, now that the moment was here, it felt like an impossible task.
‘My friend, Neve,’ she started.
‘The one who’s into astrology, the flower moon?’
‘You remembered.’
‘Of course I did,’ Will said.
The tenderness in his voice brought her tears closer to the surface. ‘She was my best friend. We met at university and then started up our company together: Once in a Blue Moon Days.’
‘The events business?’
Robin nodded. ‘Special occasions, bespoke experiences. We were good at it, we worked well as a team and lived together in a tiny flat. It was hard work, but so rewarding when we helped people realise their dreams, gave them the best anniversary or birthday they’d ever had. Neve was the driving force; she was bursting with energy, alive with the possibility of it all. A problem was a challenge, a lesson to be learnt from.’ A heavy, familiar weight settled inside her as she felt again the impact of her friend’s loss.
When she paused, Will filled the space, as if he realised it wasn’t easy for her to say. He encouraged her, teasing the story from her like thread unravelling from a piece of fabric.
‘You’re one of the brightest – most sparkling – people I know,’ he said. ‘I can’t imagine that you were lethargic by comparison.’
‘You never met Neve, though,’ she whispered. ‘She would bounce out of bed as if there was a trampoline under the mattress. She had these huge, dark eyes that were always glinting with new ideas. She never ran out of steam or enthusiasm. But then she … something terrible happened.’ Robin swallowed. She glanced at Will, and then away. ‘She died.’
She heard his intake of breath. ‘God. I’m so sorry, Robin.’ He put his hand on her upper arm. The touch of his fingers on her skin was warm, thrilling and comforting all at once. She focused on the feel of it, the bliss of being close to him, to help her get through reliving that night. ‘What happened?’ he asked after a moment.
Robin shuddered involuntarily, and despite Will slipping his arm around her shoulders, increasing the pressure of his touch, she knew this would be one of the hardest things she’d ever done. Her London friends had been there that night, witnessing the horror first-hand, and telling her mum and dad, right after it had happened, was something she could barely remember. They’d done the rest for her; speaking to Molly and anyone else who needed to know, while she tried to pack her emotions away and get on with running the business.
She hadn’t let it sink in until she’d returned to Campion Bay, Once in a Blue Moon Days in tatters, impossible without her best friend. When she’d told Tim back in January, she hadn’t given him the details, had stayed as distant from it as possible. But now she had to revisit that night, to tell Will, without falling apart.
‘It was Neve’s birthday. We’d arranged a meal out with some of our friends at a Thai restaurant. We were working to a deadline for one of our commissions, so I told her to go and meet everyone for drinks, and that I’d follow on later, in time for the meal. I’d got these helium balloons, star-shaped, one that said Happy Birthday in gold and red.’ She swallowed. ‘I finished what I needed to do, and then stayed in the office to pump them up. I was an hour behind her by the time I left. I’d bought her a necklace for her birthday, an archer for Sagittarius, and a spa-day voucher.
‘I took the tube; it was only three stops, but it was quicker than walking. People in the carriage had laughed at the balloons, and I couldn’t wait to see her, to give them to her. I heard the sirens as I got close to the restaurant, but thought nothing of it. Then I turned the corner, and I couldn’t see anything except a whirr of blue flashing lights, the screech as more vehicles arrived. People were crying and screaming and I didn’t know what was going on.’ She closed her eyes, remembering it all so vividly, the dead ache that had settled across her, as if trying to ward off the shock that was to come. ‘But then one of our friends, Kyle, saw me, and came over to me. I don’t remember what he said; I don’t remember anything much after that, about that night, except arriving back at our flat and being unable to process that she wouldn’t be coming through the door, that if I waited for her, I’d be waiting for ever.’
Robin dropped her head, pushing at her cheeks, angry with herself for crying.
‘I’m so sorry,’ Will said again. He pulled her gently towards him and Robin didn’t resist, letting the warmth of his body rush through her. She inhaled, licked her lips before telling the final part. She was nearly there.
‘They said that she’d been looking at her phone, that she’d stepped off the pavement, distracted, and that the woman behind the wheel didn’t have time to slow down. Neve was always so excitable and energetic, always doing so many things at once. This time, though …’ She shook her head, leaned in to Will and stared at the sea, trying to close off the memories again. ‘I told you that Neve helped me with the guesthouse, because she inspired so much of it. Starcross – the astrology – and Andalusia is based on what she had told me about her home country, though I never had the chance to go with her.’
‘It’s not just a boutique hotel, then,’ Will murmured. ‘It always seemed like it had more heart than that; the attention to detail, the warmth and kindness you put into running it. It’s an extension of Neve, of what you did together. I can see that.’
Robin swallowed down a resurgence of tears. ‘You can?’
‘Now I know the story,’ Will said quietly. ‘I shouldn’t have asked you to go through it again. But after what Tim told me this morning …’ His hand drifted up, gently stroking her hair, tugging at the strands, twisting them round his fingers. He didn’t realise he was doing it, she thought, or understand the effect it was having on her. Fireworks were going off inside her, her breaths shortening. She wanted to stop talking about Tim, about her heartbreak at losing Neve. She didn’t want to do anything now but kiss him.
‘I’m not irrational, whatever he thinks,’ Robin said firmly, finding a reserve of strength, pulling herself back from the distraction. ‘I’ve been grieving, that much is true. It’s been a year and a half. I tried to carry on with Once in a Blue Moon Days afterwards, but I couldn’t do it by myself.’
‘It doesn’t sound like a one-person operation, even before you take Neve’s death into account.’
‘Part of me felt that I was running away, coming back here with my tail between my legs. But the guesthouse has been a fresh start. A chance to prove to myself that I can do this, still have ideas, still live. Neve will always be a part of who I am, but I had to do it for me, too.’ She took a deep breath. ‘But I’d forgotten so much about Campion Bay; it is very different from when I’d left it as a teenager. I hadn’t realised how strong the community is now. I’m sorry, Will – for not telling you about Tim’s plans, for getting so confused about things.’
She looked up at him, and he dropped his hand, giving her hair a final, brief tug. He wasn’t smiling, but his gaze found hers and didn’t let go. ‘You’ve explained it all,’ he said softly. ‘I was shocked – hurt at first – but I know it was a misunderstanding.’
Robin nodded slowly, relief mingling with confusion. ‘Then why …?’
‘Why have I kept a distance between us?’ Will sighed. ‘Because I wasn’t sure of your feelings. I thought I was, that Sunday, on the golf course. But then after reading Molly’s text, all I could think about was that you hadn’t told me about Tim, about what he wanted to do with Tabitha’s house. Then there were the flowers, his frequent visits to your guesthouse; it was obvious how he felt about you. And I didn’t know if you still cared about him. I felt like I was stepping into a complicated situation, and with everything that’s going on – moving down here, sorting through my aunt’s things, finding out the truth about her and my dad – it seemed safer, easier to stay away.’ His lips flickered in a half-smile. ‘Though it hasn’t turned out to be easier.’
‘It hasn’t?’ she asked.
He shook his head, his smile growing, his fingers reaching up to brush her cheek, and then Darcy yelped, bounding out of the waves towards them, soaked and happy. She ran straight to Robin, putting damp paws on her knees and shaking herself, so that Robin squealed and Will shot off the rock, away from them.
‘Darcy,’ Robin laughed, trying to shield herself from the impromptu shower, even though it was too late. ‘Is that because you were mad with me too?’
‘It’s because she’s missed you,’ Will said. ‘And for that, I’m very glad. If she hadn’t been eager to see you, I might have got the full force of her greeting.’ He sat back down warily, keeping his eyes on Darcy, who seemed content to settle at their feet and dry in the sunshine.
‘I’ve missed you too,’ Robin murmured. She glanced at Will, at his golden-flecked hair, his long neck, his tanned arms. ‘I’m sorry for not telling you about Tim,’ she said. ‘But I only did that so you wouldn’t jump at the possibility of a quick sale when going through Tabitha’s things seemed like such a challenge. I wanted to get to know you before you disappeared again. It was selfish. I don’t want Tim developing Tabitha’s house into flats – I don’t think he’d even be allowed to, if that Jane Austen plaque was real – but not telling you to begin with was so I’d have more time with you before that became a possibility. Though, when you arrived, I wondered whether Tim or his boss, Malcolm, had prompted your visit to Campion Bay in the first place.’
‘No, I came because I’d broken up with Annie and needed to get away from Kent for a while. And the thought of Aunt Tabitha’s house, sitting here untouched and empty, had been niggling away at me. It was sheer coincidence that I turned up when Tim started to get interested.’
‘That makes sense,’ Robin murmured. ‘But you need to know that Tim and I – we’re so far in the past, now. And even if there were flickers of attraction between us when I saw him again, they’ve been obliterated by – by you. From the moment you stepped into Starcross, I didn’t want you to go. We’ve only known each other a short time, but already, you’ve changed my life, Will.’ There. She’d said it. She chewed her lip, forcing herself to stay quiet while he absorbed the words.
He didn’t reply immediately, and she could see the tension in his broad shoulders. He was frowning, his eyes scanning her face. She wanted to reach up and touch his lips with her finger; wished he’d put his hand back in her hair.
‘Robin …’ he started.
‘You don’t have to say anything,’ she rushed, suddenly afraid of what was coming, of him rejecting her, finally and completely.
He winced, pressing his lips together before he spoke. ‘Tim’s made an offer on the house.’
