Page 91 of The Key to the Last House Before the Sea

‘Probably not,’ she admitted. ‘But now I’ve found out the truth.’

‘So who was it? Who told my dad that you weren’t at the cottage all that night?’

Nessa hesitated. Should she say? Oh, what did it matter? Gabriel wouldn’t return to Heaven’s Cove. He’d send his minions to do the work of demolishing the Ghost Village and putting up flash apartments in its place. She and Gabriel were unlikely to meet ever again.

‘It was Valerie. Lily’s grandmother. I found out she contacted your father and invited him round, and then she told him all about it,’ she said, looking behind her for eavesdroppers, even though she was the only person on this windy clifftop.

‘Your ex mother-in-law, Valerie? Good grief!’ Gabriel whistled through his teeth. ‘That is harsh. It did cross my mind that it could be her but I couldn’t believe it. Do you think… I mean, was Lily ever ill at all?’

‘She had a cold, but she wasn’t as poorly as Valerie made out.’

‘So do you think she planned it all from the start?’

‘Maybe. She doesn’t approve of me and she wants Lily to live with her full time. She never thought the cottage was a suitable home for her precious granddaughter and, actually…’

Nessa took a deep breath, about to admit something out loud that she’d only recently admitted to herself. ‘She was right. Even if I’d managed to make the cottage habitable enough for Lily, she’d be away from her friends, living in an isolated spot amongst the ghosts of the dead. It was never going to work but I was desperate.’

‘And are you still desperate?’ asked Gabriel, with such sympathy in his voice, it was almost too much.

Nessa dug her nails into the palm of her hand so she wouldn’t cry. ‘No. I’ve come to my senses. Lily is going to move in with Valerie and I’ll find a cheap bedsit and a better job than the few hours per week I’ve picked up in a gift shop. I can do night shifts somewhere if Lily’s living with her grandparents, and they pay more. So it’ll be fine.’ She tried to keep the wobble out of her voice when she added: ‘And one day Lily will come back to me.’

‘I hope so.’

Nessa swallowed. ‘Could I ask a favour, if you get the chance?’

‘What favour?’

‘If there’s any way of saving my great-grandmother’s mosaic, when the cottage is demolished, I’d be grateful. It means a lot to me.’

‘I know. I’ll do my best.’ He paused. ‘So have you given up on all your dreams?’

‘Dreams don’t pay the bills and I need to be practical. Lily will be better off living in a decent house.’

‘And what about Sorrel Cove, the Ghost Village?’

‘It’ll break my heart to see it disappear. I know you and your dad think I’m being overly sentimental. Perhaps I am, but it’s a link to the family I’ve lost and a reminder of the terrible tragedy that happened there. But who am I to stand in the way of progress?’

Did that sound bitter? Nessa wasn’t bitter. She was simply resigned. She tried again. ‘What I mean is, your dad’s won but, like you said, he always does. And that’s OK. People like me never win. Not really. And I was daft to think I could. But it’s not your fault, Gabriel, and thank you for not telling your father about me being away from the cottage. I’m ringing because I didn’t want us to part on bad terms. And that’s it. That’s what I wanted to say.’

‘OK.’ Nessa heard voices in the background. ‘Look, I’m about to go into a meeting but thank you for calling and I’m glad you know the truth.’

‘I’d better go then, but Gabriel…’

‘Yes?’ The voices were getting louder.

‘I hope your business career goes well, but most of all I hope you’ll be happy. Don’t forget to find time to paint. You’re a really good artist, and it’s good for your soul.’

‘And we all need that. Take care, Nessa.’

‘Bye, Gabriel.’

Nessa ended the call and walked as far as she dared to the edge of the cliff and looked down. The sea was roiling against rocks far below and throwing plumes of spray into the air. Farther along the coast, Nessa could see the pretty beach that gave Heaven’s Cove its name and the headland, pushing out into the water, where she’d met Valerie yesterday.

She sat down on the grass and looked behind her at Driftwood House. Its white walls and russet roof were stark against the blue sky. The window where she’d seen Gabriel standing in his underpants was twinkling where sunbeams were hitting the glass.

A sense of loss, of missing him, crept over her. She and Gabriel were never going to work. Their lives and backgrounds were too different. But she’d grown accustomed to him being around over the last month and, in spite of her initial impression, she’d grown to care about him.

There were so many people she missed – her mum and dad, her grandmother, even Jake when Lily came home upset from school because she didn’t have a father nearby. Gabriel would simply be added to the list.

Nessa lifted her wrist to her mouth and rolled her golden bangle across her lips. The feeling of the cold metal against her skin was strangely comforting, as was the beautiful view in front of her.

The sun would rise in the morning, the sea would rush towards the shore, and her little life would go on as it always did.

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