Page 32 of The Key to the Last House Before the Sea

NESSA

What had she done? Nessa hurried through the village, hand in hand with Lily, replaying the conversation she’d had with Gabriel an hour earlier.

She turned into Sheep Lane, deliberately avoiding the road that led past Pauline’s café, just in case he was still there, shovelling scones into his mouth.

Telling him about the lease hadn’t been the plan. Not yet, anyway. First, she’d wanted to discuss everything with Rosie and square Lily’s stay with Valerie.

But she’d been all fired up after going into the cottage and discovering her great-grandmother’s artwork. And she’d snapped when she’d spotted Gabriel lolling at the café, as though he didn’t have a care in the world. She’d wanted to wipe that rich-boy, arrogant expression off his face.

‘Mummy, slow down,’ urged Lily, pulling on her mother’s hand.

‘Sorry, sweetheart.’

Nessa slowed her pace and deliberately calmed her breathing. Gabriel Gantwich was on her mind far too much, and it was time to think about something else – anything else – for a while. It was time to focus on her daughter and make sure that she had a good time with her father.

Valerie’s 1980s house, tucked away on the edge of Heaven’s Cove, looked pristine as ever when Nessa and Lily approached the front door.

Two topiary boxwoods in pots stood either side of the front step and the brass door knocker gleamed. Most windows in Heaven’s Cove were streaked with salt, but Valerie’s windows sparkled in the sunshine.

Before Nessa could knock, Alan opened the door and ushered them into the hall.

‘Hello, ladies. Come on into the sitting room,’ he said gruffly before disappearing into the room, which overlooked the castle ruins.

Nessa slipped off her shoes before undoing the buckles on Lily’s sandals and taking them off too.

Lily could get away with tracking dirt into her grandmother’s house but Nessa knew it would never be tolerated from her – the scheming hussy who’d stolen Valerie’s son before banishing him to the North.

That wasn’t what had happened, of course. The truth was that Jake had relentlessly chased her until she’d agreed that he might make a suitable boyfriend after all. Her initial doubts – that being a self-proclaimed ‘free spirit’ meant, in reality, that he was an eejit – had been proven true. But he could still do no wrong in his mother’s eyes and she always made excuses for him, even when he left for Manchester.

But at least he was coming back this weekend, and Lily was both excited and apprehensive because she didn’t know Jake very well these days.

Nessa hoped this weekend would go towards changing that. Jake had turned out to be a rubbish partner, but she still held out hope he’d step up to the plate when it came to fatherhood – although those hopes were fading as the years went on. It had been months since Jake had last seen Lily.

‘Good afternoon, Nessa,’ said Valerie when Nessa walked into the sitting room. ‘You’re later than I expected. Are you all right? You’re looking a little peaky.’

Nessa blinked, used to Valerie’s passive-aggressive greetings. ‘I’m fine, thank you. How are you?’

Valerie wrinkled her nose. ‘Not too bad.’

Would it kill Jake’s mother to crack a smile? She was staring at Nessa’s big toe, which was poking through a hole in her sock, and raising an eyebrow.

Nessa sighed quietly. Quite honestly, Valerie, I’ve got bigger fish to fry than finding a pair of hole-less socks that meet with your approval.

But she bit back the tart retort and gave her ex mother-in-law a wide, bright smile. She was trying to be the grown-up in this relationship and, if that failed, maybe she’d end up killing Valerie with kindness. Silver linings, and all that…

Valerie’s sour face lit up as Lily pushed past her mum and ran towards her.

‘Granny!’ Lily squealed, throwing her arms around her grandmother’s waist.

Valerie hugged her back, her face totally transformed. She might be a tricky ex mother-in-law, but she was a loving granny, and Nessa was grateful for that. Lily had such a small family and unsettled life right now, she needed as much love and stability as she could get.

Alan, who’d sunk into his favourite chair near the window, looked up from his iPad.

‘I hear you’re staying overnight, Lily.’

Lily grinned. ‘Yes and I’m very ’cited, Grampy.’

When Alan harrumphed quietly, Nessa suppressed a smile because Grumpy would be more appropriate. He was narked because he’d prefer Lily to call him Alan, but this was a move that Lily had strongly rejected.

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