Page 110 of Kate and Clara's Curious Cornish Craft Shop
‘Can I suggest you give up your job as soon as possible and think about starting somewhere or somethingnew.’
‘Why on earth would I want to do that?’
‘For one, it would rid you of the constant shadow that your father’s name casts over both you and everything you do. And two,’ I hesitate again, should I really be telling him this? But I had to. It was only fair he was warned. None of this was his fault. ‘And two,’ I repeat, ‘I have a feeling that the name Winston James and any company he’s associated with is going to suffer quite badly very soon from … let’s just say, from somebadnews. And when that news breaks, I think you’d be well advised to be as far away from it as possible.’
Thirty-three
‘And he’s going to help us?’ Jack asks suspiciously. ‘Just like that?’
‘Yes. I told you Julian wasn’t all bad.’
‘But why would he want to help you tarnish his father’s name? I’d have thought it would have been the other way around, and he’d be trying to stop you.’
I throw Barney’s ball along the sand, and he chases after it while Jack and I watch him. We’d taken Barney for a walk so we could discuss in private what had taken place earlier today with Julian, away from the prying ears of both our shops and their various staff.
‘Julian never liked his father, and I think he’s got quite strong principles. If he thought for one moment his father had stolen those paintings he’d be the first to hold his hand up and admit it.’
Jack doesn’t look so sure.
‘Trust me, Jack. Julian will come through on this.’
‘And didn’t he want to know how we knew all this?’ Jack asks. ‘You can’t have told himeverything?’
‘No, not everything. I didn’t mention the paintings and embroideries, of course. I said I couldn’t tell him how I knew or I’d be breaking a confidence. I asked him to trust me.’
‘And he did?’
‘I think so.’
‘I’m not sure I would,’ Jack says, reaching down from his chair to throw Barney’s ball for him again.
‘Cheers!’
‘No, I mean without seeing some proof. Of course I’d trust you. I’d trust you with my life, Kate.’ He reaches up and takes hold of my hand, and I smile down at him. ‘So we just wait then?’ Jack asks.
‘Yep, we just wait for now, and hope Julian does what he says he’s going to.’
The next day I’m standing in the shop gazing out of the window thinking about Clara, Arty, Maggie and now Freddie as well when Molly comes into the shop.
‘I’ve done it,’ she says dismally.
‘Done what?’ I ask, still distracted.
‘Broken up with Chesney.’
‘Oh, Molly, I’m sorry I didn’t realise. How did it go?’
Molly shrugs. ‘Not great.’
‘Break-ups rarely are. How was he?’
‘Angry at first, then sort of … dismissive.’
‘Dismissive?’
‘Yeah, like I was joking or something. I’m not sure he really believed that’s what I truly wanted to do.’ She half laughs. ‘That’s how high an opinion he must have of himself.’
I put my arms around her and pull her close.
