He stood up slowly, hand full of broken tart, and gulped.
Oh dear… he really liked Alice.
She was pregnant with another man’s child.
But that didn’t matter at all.
Did he stand a chance of being with her or would she laugh if he told her how he was feeling?
‘What happened?’ Trudy was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, her brows marred by a frown.
‘Oh… sorry. The tray slipped,’ he said, feeling a flush creep into his cheeks.
‘That doesn’t matter.’ Trudy shook her head and Henry knew that she wouldn’t really care about a tart breaking or the fact that the floor now needed cleaning. ‘I meant, what happened to make you lose your concentration?’
Henry swallowed and he felt his face twitch. He rubbed the back of his arm over his eyes, unable to use his sticky hand.
‘Is it because Alice is meeting Tarquin?’
He sucked in a shaky breath then met her eyes. ‘I just… I hope she’s OK.’
‘Oh lovely, me too.’
Trudy came closer to him and rubbed his arm and he had to swallow hard. This lovely woman was worried about her daughter and here he was feeling sorry for himself. Just in case Alice would be taken, snapped up today and become involved with another man. After all, who knew, she might have feelings for Tarquin that she hadn’t divulged and then sheshouldbe with him. As long as he treated her like the wonderful person that she was, like the princess that she was, like the…
‘You care about her, don’t you?’ Trudy asked, peering up into his face.
‘I uh… I do. A lot, actually,’ he said gruffly. ‘I’m not used to feeling this way about anyone.’
‘Sometimes, we meet someone who gets to us in a way that knocks us off our feet. It can come from nowhere, be a complete surprise, but it does happen. We don’t invite it in, don’t ask for it but there’s an undeniable connection. I don’t know if it’s destiny, chemistry or something we haven’t yet understood as a species but when it happens… nothing can stand in its way. You and Alice have something between you but… I can’t say exactly what it is. Her circumstances are different to those of some women you might meet and that in itself could be a spanner in the works. It must be hard for you knowing that you like her and not knowing where this could go. If anywhere.’ Trudy exhaled slowly. ‘But… If you like her and she likes you — and I know she does but I don’t know how much, I don’t even know ifshe’s aware of how much — then things could well work out. Where there’s love, there’s a way.’
‘Love?’ he asked, his voice wavering.
‘Love comes in different ways and different strengths and from different beginnings. I’m not saying that either of you is in love but you’re both feeling something. See what happens today with her and Tarquin, see how things go over coming weeks and make sure to be kind to yourself. You have a warm and open heart, Henry. You deserve to find a partner who will love you with her whole heart and treat you like the wonderful person you are. You’ll know what to do regarding Alice and when the time is right.’
Henry smiled, inwardly telling himself to relax and accept that what would come, would come. Trudy was wise, she’d been through a lot in her life and, best of all, she was Alice’s mum. She knew her better than anyone. Alice had to make her own decisions, to explore her own feelings and consider where they were going to lead. The baby would be her priority and that was how it should be.
And as much as he hoped that Alice’s feelings would lead her to him, he wanted Alice to be happy more than he had ever wanted anything. Alice and the baby, that was, because there were two of them to consider from this point on.
Whoever got to have Alice and her baby in their life would be a very lucky person indeed.
Chapter19
Alice
Alice had arranged to meet Tarquin at the local pub The Anchor. Not that she’d be drinking alcohol, but it was a cosy pub and neutral territory and she wanted Tarquin to feel comfortable when she delivered the life-changing news. He’d arranged to stay at the caravan park, telling her that he’d booked a caravan for three nights. In some ways she’d hoped he might come and go in a day but it was a long drive from Exeter and not fair to expect him to make the journey there and back again in a day.
She entered The Anchor with a gust of cold air and closed the door behind her, grateful for the warmth of the pub’s interior. The pub was old, dating back to the 14thcentury, and its thick stone walls and small paned windows kept the cold out and the heat in. The owners, Don and Jeff Bootle, had moved from Edinburgh to the village over twenty years ago. They were a friendly couple who enjoyed village life and had immersed themselves in the community of Cwtch Cove.
From behind the bar, Stella Reed raised a hand and Alice raised hers in return. She looked around but couldn’t see Tarquin yet so she went to the bar.
‘Hi Stella.’
‘Hey there.’ Stella smiled. ‘Cold out today.’
‘Very.’ Alice nodded.
‘You meeting someone?’ Stella asked, flicking her long black hair over one shoulder. Her warm brown eyes were surrounded by thick lashes and her skin was so pale it seemed luminescent in the spot lights above the bar.