Page 13 of The Path to the Last House Before the Sea

She was deliberating whether to dip into the Mint Choc Chip as well when Alyssa knocked on the shop door and waved at her. Magda walked over, turned the key and poked her head outside. The air was laced with the briny smell of the sea.

‘Hello. Do you want to come in?’ she asked.

Alyssa pushed a bundle of ten-pound notes into her hand. ‘No, thanks, but I wanted to catch you to give you this month’s rent. I can’t stop because I’m heading for the library to check out smuggling.’ She laughed at Magda’s puzzled expression. ‘Don’t worry, I’m not contemplating a career change. I’d like to expand the range of tours I offer and apparently smuggling was once a booming local industry. I’m hoping tourists will lap up tales of derring-do in the eighteenth century.’

‘What a great idea! I reckon they’ll love it.’

‘Fingers crossed. Anyway, have a great day and I’ll see you soon.’

Alyssa waved and walked away, closely watched by Magda. The younger woman was wearing a muddle of brightly coloured clothes as usual – probably bargains she’d found in local charity shops – and the same trainers she’d worn ever since Magda had first known her.

There was nothing extravagant about Alyssa, or indulgent. But there was something that marked her out as different.Magda twisted her mouth, trying to narrow it down. Maybe it was the pink streaks in her hair; or the mysterious fat, brown envelopes that arrived for her; or her insistence on paying the rent in cash, rather than by cheque or bank transfer.

In truth, Alyssa had been an enigma since first arriving in Heaven’s Cove six months ago and coming into the ice-cream parlour, looking for a job.

Magda hadn’t had any work available, but her caravan was sitting in the garden, and she’d let Alyssa move in. She still wasn’t quite sure why. She’d known nothing about the woman, but had felt sorry for her nonetheless.

Alyssa had never told Magda specifically what had brought her to the village. She’d claimed she was simply looking for a different kind of life: a slower pace and seaside views.

But Magda had recognised the pain in her eyes and knew there was more to it than that. Alyssa was a damaged soul, which struck a chord with Magda, who felt rather damaged herself.

Fetching a clean spoon, she pushed it into the Mint Choc Chip and gave herself another soothing hit of chilly sweetness.

Two hours later, Magda and Stan were sitting on a bench near the quay. Tiny fish darted through clear water lapping gently against the stone wall.

‘Are you sure you don’t want an ice cream?’ asked Stan, waving his cone so vigorously the double scoop of salted caramel on top almost went flying.

‘Quite sure. I had some earlier.’

‘I feel honoured that you’re giving me half an hour of your time, seeing as you’re caterer-in-chief to the royal wedding, which is only just over a fortnight away.’

When Stan gave her a wink, Magda felt her heart flip and she dug her fingers into her palm. This was ridiculous. She’d recently celebrated her seventy-first birthday and was far too old for these inconvenient feelings.

‘So, how’s the catering going?’ asked Stan, catching a chunk of falling ice cream in his palm. He flattened his hand and pushed the sticky mess into his mouth.

‘OK, I think,’ said Magda, fishing a clean tissue from her pocket and dabbing Stan’s chin. ‘Everything’s more or less organised, apart from the cake, but I only need to finish the icing and add a few final decorations. Rosie seems happy with the arrangements.’

‘It’s going to be a wonderful wedding, by all accounts.’

‘Is Jack still going with you?’

‘Yes, he’s promised he’ll still be in Heaven’s Cove then.’

‘How’s he doing?’

Stan’s face clouded over. ‘He’s not himself, Magda. Well, he’s exactly himself in many ways – still straight-down-the-line logical, serious and sensible. He didn’t much approve of Alyssa’s myths and legends tours.’

‘Did he go on that? Alyssa didn’t mention it.’

‘I don’t think he and Alyssa quite know what to make of each other. I was hoping they might get on. They’re both young and single, but they actually have very little else in common.’

‘Do you think? They’re both wounded souls.’

Stan gave Magda a sideways look. ‘If you say so. Oh, talking of wounded souls, Jack got a text from Miri yesterday that threw him.’

‘Saying what?’

‘He wouldn’t say much about it, only that Miri’s coming to Heaven’s Cove in a couple of weeks’ time to see him.’

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