Page 70 of The Key to the Last House Before the Sea

GABRIEL

It was a filthy night. The storm hadn’t swept out to sea. It had settled on Heaven’s Cove and was showing no signs of moving on.

Gabriel hammered on the front door of the cottage and peered through a rain-streaked window. It was ridiculous that he was out here while a storm was raging. It was ridiculous that Nessa was out here on her own.

The wind was howling and he could hear the sea pounding against the rocks nearby.

‘Oh my goodness!’ Nessa had pulled open the front door and was wincing as rain needled into her face. ‘I didn’t think you’d come out tonight. You must be soaked through. Come in.’

As another squall of rain hit the cottage, she grabbed hold of his coat, pulled him inside and slammed the door shut.

It was a relief to be out of the driving rain and, shivering, he stepped towards the fire flickering in the stone hearth. Above it, the mosaic crafted by Nessa’s great-grandmother was catching the light and glowing bright on the dark wall.

The flames had warmed the room but they were throwing shadows that, together with the roar of the ocean and the wailing of the wind, made the cottage seem full of ghosts. The ghosts of those who’d lost their lives on a night like this.

Gabriel gave himself a mental shake because he needed to sort himself out. Nessa was the one liable to flights of fancy about the past, not him.

She was a stressed single parent with a dream of living here in this lonely place. Whereas he was a sensible, grown-up businessman – albeit one who was currently standing in an ancient cottage in the middle of a storm in a bid to prove himself to his father.

You’re pathetic, he thought, as Nessa helped him out of Liam’s waxed jacket.

‘It’s crazy coming out on a night like this,’ she said, pulling a fold-up wooden chair in front of the fire and draping his wet coat across it.

‘I’ve come out earlier than usual. It’s only nine thirty.’

‘It doesn’t matter what time it is. Surely, you could have trusted me for one night, especially when the weather’s like this? I’m so close to meeting the terms of the lease, I’m honestly not going anywhere.’

‘I’ve realised that,’ said Gabriel. ‘But I wanted to…’ When he hesitated, feeling awkward, Nessa leaned closer.

‘You wanted to what?’

‘I wanted to make sure you’re OK out here on your own on such a dreadful night. After what happened to your great-grandmother and the other people who once lived here, I thought you might be anxious.’

Nessa’s face softened in the flickering light. ‘That was kind of you but I’m all right. I was about to have some food, actually. Would you like some, while your coat’s drying? Lettie brought me some of her home-made stew but it’s far too much for one person.’

Gabriel hesitated. He’d worked late to clear his inbox and was planning on begging Rosie for a sandwich when he got back.

Nessa shrugged. ‘Don’t worry if you’ve already eaten.’

‘No, I haven’t.’ He smiled, making up his mind. ‘Thank you. That would be great, if you’re sure you have enough.’

Nessa nodded and gestured for him to take a seat on the camping chair nearest the fire. Then she picked up a wooden spoon from the hearth and started stirring the contents of what appeared to be a cauldron hanging above the flames.

‘What happened to the camping stove?’

‘I broke a cardinal rule when staying in a derelict cottage way out in the sticks: make sure your gas cylinder doesn’t run out. But there’s a hook above the fire and I found this pot in a kitchen cupboard. It took some elbow grease to get it clean but it was worth it. It all feels very authentic, don’t you think? A leap back in time.’

He watched while she stirred the food, her long, dark hair around her shoulders and her face lit by firelight. She looked like a witch, he thought. A young, sexy witch casting spells as the heavens opened above them.

He was jolted out of his reverie by thunder grumbling out to sea.

‘It’s quite a storm,’ said Nessa, grabbing two bowls and ladling the steaming stew into them. ‘I hope Lily isn’t frightened.’

‘Is she scared of thunder and lightning?’ asked Gabriel, taking the bowl and spoon that Nessa offered.

‘A bit, though I try to make a game out of storms like this. Counting how many seconds after the lightning that the thunder will crash. That kind of thing.’

She frowned and pushed her spoon into her bowl of stew.

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