Page 85 of Kate and Clara's Curious Cornish Craft Shop
‘So, from the little I could see, they seem familiar, but I’m not sure why?’
‘How do you mean – like you’ve seen them before somewhere?’
I nod.
‘That’s very odd.’
‘I know.Arrgh, I wish I could have seen them a little better.’
‘Perhaps we will next time? I wonder how long before we get another pair of matching pictures?’
‘Hopefully not too long. I do love spending time with Clara, Maggie and Arty – I feel like I’m addicted to a soap opera that no one else knows about.’
‘Yes, indeed.’ Jack hesitates. ‘I also love spending time with you too. It seems a shame viewing these pictures are the only time we meet up.’
‘Oh … Well, they don’t have to be, I suppose.’ I feel a little taken aback. ‘We could go for a drink sometime if you like?’
‘I’d like that,’ Jack says. ‘I’d like it very much.’
We gaze at each other for a moment, and then as we’re both leaning towards each other the door next to us flies open.
‘What the—?’ Ben says, staring at us sitting in front of the easel. ‘Oops, what am I disturbing here then?’
‘Nothing!’ I snap, leaping to my feet. ‘Nothing at all.’
‘What are you twodoingin here?’ Ben continues. ‘I came back from my lunch to find the shop shut and no one about. Then as I was about to go upstairs and see if Dad was okay I heard voices coming from the stock cupboard.’ He looks between the two of us and then at the painting on the easel and the felt embroidery sitting in front of it. ‘What’s that?’
‘It’s a project we’re working on together,’ Jack says quickly. ‘Nothing you need to worry about.’
‘Aproject?’ Ben says, a knowing smile spreading across his lips. ‘Is that what they call it here?’
‘Yes, a project,’ Jack insists. ‘Why are you back from lunch already anyway? I thought you were going to eat by the harbour today?’
‘It’s now raining in case you hadn’t noticed. Oh, that’s right, you were cosying up together in here – you wouldn’t have seen or heard it. It’s hammering down out there.’
‘Look, I’d better go,’ I say grabbing my felt – this time embroidered to look like a black door – from the easel. ‘I’ll see you soon, Jack. Then we can talk some more about our project.’
Jack nods, and Ben stands back to let me pass.
‘Nice to see you again, Ben,’ I say, feeling embarrassed once more in his presence.
‘And you, Kate, and you,’ he says, still grinning. ‘Say hi to Molly for me.’
‘Will do.’
Ben is right – it is raining and pretty heavily, and since I haven’t brought a brolly out with me I have to run back through the suddenly empty streets as people take cover inside the shops or head back to their holiday accommodation.
As I’m about to turn towards Harbour Street, I suddenly think better of it.Now, which way would it be?I wonder. I think back to watching Arty push Maggie through the streets of St Felix. They had gone past the church and then turned left towards the sea-front …
I walk quickly in the direction I think Arty and Maggie took, and then I slow down when I get to a row of fisherman’s cottages, which are now mostly holiday homes.
Nope, not this one, or this one … Bingo! This must be it, I think, as I pause outside a neat-looking, whitewashed cottage. The black stable door is no longer there, of course. It’s been replaced by a pretty pale-blue door, and the window frames are painted the same colour to match. This is definitely it – Freddie’s cottage.
I stare at the building lost in the memory of what I’ve just seen in the moving pictures, but then jump suddenly as someone calls my name.
‘Kate, what are you doing standing out there in the rain?’
I look up and to my enormous surprise see Julian staring down at me from the upstairs window.
