Page 14 of The Key to the Last House Before the Sea

Gabriel scowled and Nessa could see him thinking: She’s not going to let this drop.

When he stared at her without saying a word, the flutters in Nessa’s stomach intensified.

‘My company is interested in Sorrel Cove, yes,’ he said, finally.

‘As an investment opportunity?’ asked Nessa, feeling ice slide down her spine.

‘That’s right.’

‘What sort of investment opportunity?’

‘Development,’ said Gabriel curtly, folding his arms. ‘Bijou, bespoke development.’

Nessa opened her mouth but no sound came out.

‘It’s all hush-hush at the moment,’ continued Gabriel, ‘but you’ll find out soon enough, I suppose. My father runs a property development business and we’re interested in developing Sorrel Cove.’

‘But you can’t,’ blurted out Nessa.

‘Yes, we can.’ He sounded calm – bored, even. ‘We’ve acquired the land and are looking to build there. It’s a beautiful location, you said so yourself. And the new sea defences mean the area is more protected and suitable for commercial ventures.’

‘So you own the land?’

‘Yes. We bought it a while ago.’

Nessa let that sink in. She hadn’t known, and she bet no one in Heaven’s Cove did either. The Ghost Village belonged to this man and his ‘investment opportunity’ business.

‘But what about the old houses?’ she managed.

‘They’ll be demolished. Though, let’s be honest, they’ve been half demolished by the sea and weather already. The site will be cleared and we’ll build a small number of luxury apartments for people looking for weekend escapes from the city.’

Nessa felt like she couldn’t breathe. Gabriel was planning to destroy the Ghost Village, and she’d just collaborated in his scheme by showing him around.

‘Maybe your father won’t agree,’ she muttered.

‘He’s the person who sent me here to start finalising arrangements. He’s visited Sorrel Cove already and wants to go ahead.’

‘But you can’t destroy the Ghost Village. It’s a monument to all the people who lived and loved and died there.’

Gabriel sighed. ‘I know it has a particular significance to you because of your family history, and I’m sorry about that. But at the end of the day, it’s just stones.’

‘Just stones?’ uttered Nessa, finding it hard to breathe.

She had an overwhelming urge to shove Gabriel Gantwich off the path and into the sparkling sea. When she took a step towards him, he stepped back, as though he could read her mind.

‘Look, we’ll have to move the stones when we prepare the site for new construction. But maybe we could incorporate some of the old stone into the new building.’ He shrugged. ‘At the end of the day, it’s a business decision and those are made by one’s head, rather than one’s heart.’

Did the man in front of her even have a heart? Nessa doubted it as he droned on about the logistics of what was planned. It seemed to involve dozens of lorries clogging up Heaven’s Cove’s narrow roads so outsiders could waltz in for occasional weekends before disappearing back to their real lives.

His ‘bijou, bespoke development’ would destroy the place that she loved. The place that was a last link to her beloved grandmother, whose ashes still nestled amongst the stones.

It was another kick in the teeth in an awful year. No family, no home, no job, and now, if this man had his way, no Ghost Village where she always found peace among the dead.

‘Are you listening to me?’ he asked, running his hands through his hair.

‘No, I’ve listened to enough of your lies already.’

‘Lies?’ His face reddened. ‘I’ve just told you exactly what’s planned for Sorrel Cove. I shouldn’t be telling you all these details but—’

‘But you didn’t at first. You got me to show you the Ghost Village and told me you were interested in history and art.’

‘I didn’t want to trumpet what’s planned until I’d seen the site for myself. And I am interested in history and art.’

‘No, you’re not. If you were, you wouldn’t be plotting to destroy such a precious village.’

Gabriel took a deep breath and, when he spoke, his voice was low and controlled. ‘Don’t you think you’re over-reacting?’

Nessa glared at him, so furious she didn’t trust herself to speak. Maybe she was over-reacting, but he’d do the same if he had no family, no home, no job, and now the only place where he found real peace was about to be flattened.

She pushed past him and marched towards Driftwood House without looking back.

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