Page 82 of The Key to the Last House Before the Sea

GABRIEL

Nessa wouldn’t look back. He kept calling but she kept on climbing the path, her ponytail swinging from side to side. What on earth had his father done now?

He should have known something was wrong when his father insisted on the two of them coming to meet Nessa. He should have realised that Billy wasn’t about to give up without a fight. But he’d hoped that his father was going to do the right thing. He’d told Gabriel he was willing to discuss the situation with Nessa, to try and find a way forward that worked for all of them.

Gabriel ducked back into the cottage. His father was running his hand across the stone mantelpiece, standing where Gabriel had kissed Nessa during the storm.

‘What did you say to her?’ he demanded.

His father turned slowly to face him. ‘The truth.’

‘Which is?’

His father huffed as though he couldn’t believe that Gabriel was even asking the question.

‘She contravened the criteria of the lease and therefore must forfeit the cottage forthwith. I believe that’s how my lawyers might word it, and will word it if she decides to pursue the matter. Though I doubt she has the finances to take it any further.’ He smiled. ‘She’s certainly an impressive young woman. I almost felt sorry for her.’

‘Almost?’ Gabriel shook his head. ‘She stayed here for a full month. How did she fail to meet the lease criteria?’

His father gave him his most intimidating stare. ‘Why don’t you tell me, Gabriel? Or more to the point, why didn’t you tell me?’

Gabriel could feel his cheeks burning and hated himself for showing weakness. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’

Billy shook his head. ‘You were never good at lying, Gabriel, even as a child. Of course you know what I mean. It appears that Ms Paulson was absent from this cottage on her twenty-eighth night here, for a number of hours. And I understand that you were here during that time.’

Gabriel nodded, the wind knocked out of his sails. ‘I was.’

‘You can’t lie but you’re taken in by a pretty face and a sob story.’ His father sighed. ‘Did you know that she’d left the cottage to go to her sick child?’

Gabriel pulled himself up tall. ‘I did.’

‘And yet you didn’t tell me. You let me believe that she had fulfilled the obligations of the lease and therefore potentially had a legitimate claim to the cottage. You could have cost me a good deal of time and money.’ He stepped forward until his face was inches from Gabriel’s. ‘Why was that?’

Gabriel could feel his heart hammering. He felt like a young child again, failing – always failing – to meet his father’s expectations.

‘It was an emergency and Nessa was here for most of the night. I didn’t think it was relevant.’

‘You didn’t think it was relevant?’ Billy shook his head. ‘How can I trust you if you keep things from me? I can’t imagine James doing the same.’

Gabriel blinked. His father was always pitching James against him. No wonder he and his cousin didn’t get on. It wasn’t fair. But his father wasn’t fair when it came to family. He expected too much and gave little back in return, aside from a good salary. Money was important but, Gabriel realised, he’d trade every penny for a dad who loved him for who he was and not for who he expected him to be.

‘I know you don’t need this development,’ said Gabriel. ‘It’s no skin off your nose because you can build farther along the coast. I’ve found some other sites which would do just as well. I told you that and I thought you were interested.’

‘I don’t want to build farther along the coast,’ said his father, his voice quiet and low.

‘Is that because this is the better plot or because this has become a battle that you have to win? Someone is challenging you and you don’t like it.’

‘I certainly don’t like you talking to me like this.’

Gabriel had never spoken in this way before to his father. He could feel his throat tightening but the thought of Nessa walking away from him spurred him on.

‘How did you find out that Nessa wasn’t here the whole night?’

‘She was seen. I have my spies, even in a nondescript place like this.’

‘Who?’

‘It doesn’t matter who. I have it on good authority that the lease criteria weren’t met.’

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