Page 105 of Snow Falls Over Starry Cove

‘Emmie! So nice to see you. Come in. What can I do for you today?’

But I hang back. This is too rich.

‘What? You’re everywhere, like God?’

He dips his head. ‘If you believe in such things. But it’s too early in the day to start delving into people’s souls, don’t you think?’

‘I thought you said you didn’t have one.’

His eyes search mine and he grins back. ‘You’re right about that, maid.’

I roll my eyes. ‘Have you ever tried speaking in real English?’

‘English is boring. We make our own language.’

‘Oh, God, here we go again…’

As it turns out, moving to Cornwall and changing my life around isn’t going to be as easy as I’d envisaged, what with Jago blocking me at every turn. First, I’m going to have to sell my flat in London. My estate agent had several viewings lined up and is very optimistic. Not that that will be a problem, by any means, but it means a huge upheaval. Once I’m out of London, I’ll be out for good. And never one to make decisions lightly, I have to think long and hard before I make a decision – any decision – from which there’s no going back.

*

‘How did your meeting go?’ Martin asks as he comes down from my grandmother’s bedroom.

It’s the day before Christmas Eve – and the day before my former engagement party, but I don’t want to think about that. Everyone has been scurrying around like mad for last-minute purchases, despite having been at it for more than a month now, but Martin seems like he’s not in any hurry to go anywhere. Which is good, because I have a gift for him – an ancient rod of Asclepius, the symbol for the medical practice.

‘Thank you,’ he grins. ‘I have something for you, too.’ He pulls a small packet out of his pocket. ‘It’s just a simple thing. A history of Cornwall…’

‘Oh, wow. Thank you so much, Martin. It’ll be my bible guide to getting around.’

He smiles. ‘I hope you’ll ask me if you need anything.’

‘I will, Martin. Thank you for being so kind.’

He shrugs. ‘So, how’s the debacle with Jago Moon going?’

I huff. ‘Moral of the story? He’s not signing off on it. He insists that the barge is a death trap.’

‘It is. No lie there.’

‘So you two can actually agree on something, then?’ I quip.

He shrugs. ‘I realise I may have sounded harsh. I don’t want him dead, of course. If you ever needed something, Jago was always the first to be there. He was my best friend in the whole world. But when he stole my girlfriend, he was dead to me.’

‘He stole your girlfriend?’

‘He says he had nothing to do with it and that he’d never have done anything like that to me, but I knew I’d lost her, on Christmas Eve, to boot, and it was because of him.’

‘Well, it doesn’t sound like he set out to hurt you, Martin,’ I defend. ‘Could you not ever be friends again?’

‘It’s never going to happen, Emmie. Not while I live and breathe.’

‘Oh come on, Martin. I’m sure he cares about you?’

‘Who knows? Jago loves only himself nowadays. But let me tell you honestly, Emmie. If you’re thinking of him in that way, forget it.’

‘What? Of course not. He’s just a business partner – we were practically thrown together.’

‘Ah, but Jago grows on women. At first they find him appallingly rude and say they absolutely hate him. And then, like magic, they suddenly change their minds…’

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