Page 69 of The Key to the Last House Before the Sea

‘Useful, maybe, but I don’t suppose they touched your soul in the same way that art did.’

Gabriel blinked. That was it exactly. Translating a changing landscape into a permanent work of art through the strokes of a paintbrush, or gazing with wonder at an artist’s finished creation, seemed to nourish his soul. What was left of it.

‘You seem to know a lot about art for someone who claims to have no talent.’

Nessa grinned. ‘I can’t draw for toffee, but I admire people who can, people who are creative. Though I guess you’ve channelled your creative streak into destroying and creating property instead.’

There was no bitterness in her tone, merely resignation that this was the way it was.

‘How’s Lily?’ he asked, keen to change the subject. ‘Has her dad been down to visit her?’

‘No. He’s too busy, apparently. You can see why I’ve given up on men.’

It seemed unfair to judge all men by the standards of her ex, but Gabriel let it go. She’d obviously been badly hurt.

Instead, he said: ‘You must be missing Lily while you’re living here.’

Nessa nodded. ‘I miss her dreadfully but Valerie’s taking good care of her.’ She hesitated, as though she wanted to say more and he didn’t fill the silence. ‘I think…’ she said at last, ‘that is, I worry that Lily will want to move in permanently with her granny, rather than coming back to live here with me.’

She’ll never want to live in this isolated spot with only ghosts for company. That’s what he should say. Capitalise on her concerns and drive her from the cottage. But he didn’t. He couldn’t. Instead, he gave her a sympathetic smile.

‘I expect her granny is spoiling her.’

‘Horribly. New boots, new hair clips, late nights and chocolate cornflakes for breakfast.’

‘Wow. I quite fancy moving in with Granny myself.’

Nessa burst out laughing at that. He hadn’t heard her laugh before and the sound of it lifted his mood.

When she moved her hand to smooth down hair that was caught by the breeze, her golden bangle glowed against tanned skin. It was a snake, he realised, which was trying to eat its own tail.

‘Your bracelet is very unusual.’

He resisted an urge to reach out and touch the metal, touch her.

‘It was given to me by my gran and she was given it by her mother, who found it here, or so family folklore goes.’

‘Found it where?’

‘Buried deep in the mud when she was helping her father to dig a vegetable patch at the back of the cottage. They couldn’t find its owner so she kept it.’

‘And it became a family heirloom.’

‘It means a lot to me.’ Nessa ran her fingers along the bracelet. ‘Oh, did you see that?’ She pointed out to sea. ‘There, again!’

As Gabriel stared at the horizon, lightning zigzagged into the water and there was a low grumble of thunder. The sky was tinged with yellow and Gabriel caught a faint hint of sulphur in the air.

‘I think we’re going to get that storm after all,’ said Nessa. ‘Or maybe, if we’re lucky, it’ll give us a miss and sweep farther out to sea.’ She turned towards him. ‘Look, I’d better get back to work inside. I know you think what you’re doing out here is a waste of time, but thank you for doing it anyway.’

Gabriel sipped his tea when she went back into the cottage, a mix of emotions tumbling through him. It was a shame that he and Nessa had met like this because, in another life, they might have become friends.

Or more, said the little voice in his head. The same one that whispered to him that he was wasting his life, as he sat in his swanky office.

But the voice, his subconscious, whatever it was, was wrong because Nessa would want nothing to do with a fusty property developer like him, in this life or any other.

With a sigh, he went back to the totally pointless task of repairing a wall that would soon be reduced to rubble.

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