After the meeting in the boatyard, everybody left to do their own thing for the next couple of hours. Will jumped in the dinghy and went out to the barge to finish off some of the work.
Angie, when Polly arrived back at The Captain’s Berth to start packing, said, “Would you do me a favour? Keep an ear out in case anyone knocks the door, wanting a room? Only I’d love to go for a sail — the wind is just perfect at the moment. If somebody does knock and you like the look of them, show them one of the rooms. If you don’t, tell them I’m full - or set Solo and Rosie on them! ”
“No problem,” Polly said laughing. “Go enjoy your sail.”
Upstairs in her room Polly began to pack her suitcase ready for leaving the next morning.
It would be strange next week working back in her room at Carmarthen. No walking to the boatyard every morning to collect the books, no sitting at the table in her room overlooking the harbour. No girly glasses of wine with Angie of an evening after dinner.
It was going to be hard saying goodbye to Angie and Solo — Rosie was going to miss Solo too. Angie had accepted an invitation though to bring Solo and stay in Carmarthen with Polly and her mum at the end of the season. She’d also made Polly promise that she’d be back for at least a weekend during the summer.
As for saying goodbye to Will, Polly didn’t even want to think about that. She’d been hoping that Will would say something about wanting to keep in touch once she’d gone home. But so far he’d not given any indication that he was going to miss her. Maybe he’d planned on saying something this afternoon when Ben and Lillian’s early arrival had interrupted them.
The morning on Dartmoor with Will and the dogs had been such fun she’d begun to think he liked her as much as she did him, but she’d barely seen him since then. Now all his energies were going towards Daniel Franklyn and Worldsend Enterprises.
Couldn’t really expect anything else could she? Boats were his life after all. Whereas she couldn’t stand them. Although surely she’d earned some brownie points riding in the workboat out to the Mary-Jane? Maybe he’d say something at the party tonight?
Carefully Polly slipped her new yellow dress off its hanger and folded it ready to pack. She’d been so looking forward to wearing it to the party this evening but now…she stopped.
Tonight was a celebration party so why didn’t she wear it anyway? Give Will a chance to see her out of the jeans and sweatshirts she’d been wearing all week. Her new high-heeled sandals would have to stay in their box though. Between The Captain’s Berth and the quay were lots of cobbles and there was no way she could possibly walk across them in 5-inch heels. Hopefully her gladiator sandals would be dressy enough to complement it.
Over on the barge Will tried to concentrate on varnishing the handrails leading from the cockpit down into the chart room. With the financial problems of the boatyard solved and Dan Franklyn keen to help them rebuild the business, he should have felt happier than he had for months. Only he didn’t.
All he could think of was Polly leaving the next day and when he would be able to see her again. He was pretty sure she wanted to see him again, so long as boats weren’t involved.
“Hi, Will. Thought I’d come over and see the barge.” Dan’s voice broke into his thoughts. He was manoeuvring the tender from the Mary Jane alongside. “OK if I tie up to the barge?”
“Sure. Throw me the rope.” Will expertly caught the rope Dan threw across and secured the tender to the barge.
“Fancy going over the plans and ideas you’ve drawn up for the business with me?” Dan said. “Together we might even come up with some more.”
“The folder’s down in the chart room. I’ll go get it,” Will said. “Fancy a beer?”
An hour later the two of them had thrashed out the finer details of some of Will’s ideas and Dan had added a couple more ideas of his own. The two of them had discovered they both shared a passion for the old J-class yachts and both bemoaned the fact they were unlikely to ever sail one.
Taking a swig of his beer, Will sighed happily. “Feel it’s going to be a great summer after all. With Worldsend’s injection of cash I can order the sailing dinghies this week so the Sailing School will be up and running in a couple of weeks.”
“I’ll kick-start some serious publicity next week,” Dan said. “Got a mate working for one of the boat mags who’ll do a piece on us. You got an instructor all lined up?
“Me,” Will grinned.
“I’ll be here over most of the summer so can help out too if you want.”
“Great. Angie has said she’ll do a couple of late morning sessions, so between the three of us we’re well covered.”
“She qualified?”
“Ex-dinghy champion,” Will said. “That’s her coming towards us now,” he said, and pointed to a dinghy speeding towards them. “She’s a natural on the water. Unlike some people I know,” he muttered.
Dan raised an eyebrow. “You talking about Polly?”
Will nodded. “How’d you guess?”
“Something she said once. About not having to go on board any boats.”
“She’s terrified of boats and the water. Ironic when boats are my life. Takes a lot to convince her to even try. Not that I’m going to get much opportunity with her living so far away.”
“These things have a habit of working out, mate,” Dan said. “Bit clichéd I know but,” he shrugged, “hang in there.”
Will sighed. “If I want her in my life — and I do — hanging on is my only option.” And he drained the last of his beer from the bottle.
Polly was struggling to do up the zip on her dress when Angie knocked on the bedroom door.
“Ready? Here let me do that.”
“Thanks.”
“What do you think of Dan?” Angie asked casually.
“Seems an OK sort of guy,” Polly said. “Good looking too.” She glanced at Angie. “If Will and Ben are related to Dan, aren’t you too?”
Angie shook her head. “No. It’s Lillian I’m related to not the Robertsons. Did you know Dan once crewed in an America’s Cup race? Imagine.”
“I’d rather not,” Polly said. “Not that I really know what the America’s Cup is. Other than it’s obviously something to do with boats. Who told you that anyway?”
“He did. I sailed past the barge and happened to see Dan and Will on board so I…I sort of stopped and joined them.” Angie shrugged self-consciously. “You look lovely. Do I look OK in this outfit? Not fat or anything?”
Angie’s party outfit consisted of black harem pants with a black tunic top splattered with rose prints. Several rows of beads hung round her neck, a dozen silver bangles jangled on her arm. Flat black ruched boots finished things off.
“You look fat? Don’t be daft. You look amazing. Very Helena Bonham-Carterish,” Polly said. “Wish I could wear the clothes you wear.”
Angie laughed. “Well, let’s hope Dan approves.”
Leaving Rosie and Solo in the conservatory with a chew each and strict instructions to behave, Polly and Angie made their way to the quay to meet Will.
Looking out across the water Polly saw the Mary-Jane had been moved closer and was now tied up alongside the pontoon with the barge. It would be a short boat ride tonight. Polly could see Ben and Lillian already on board talking to Daniel. Strange, the workboat was also out there.
Will was waiting for them down by the slipway. “Hi. Love the dress,” he said smiling at Polly. “Thought we’d go across in the dinghy tonight,” he said casually. “OK with you? She’s tied up just along here.”
Polly froze, remembering the rubber dinghy Will had first asked her to get into. She turned, about to say, “Sorry can’t do the dinghy, Will,” when something in his eyes stopped her.
A picture of Marty daring to climb on the back of a motorcycle because the man in her life asked her to, flashed into her mind at the same time. She remembered, too, realising she’d trust Will with her life as she’d defended him to Ben.
If Marty could get on the back of a scary motorbike because she trusted Kev to keep her safe, then she had to trust Will in the same way when it came to boats. He’d asked her to trust him about crossing the harbour in the workboat and it had been fine.
“OK. Just for you I’ll get in the dinghy,” she said, biting her lip and crossing her fingers it would all work out.
Will got into the dinghy followed by Angie who settled herself happily in the bow before Will extended his hand to Polly to help her in. As she stepped off the slipway into the dinghy it rocked and she had to bite back a scream.
Will squeezed her hand. “It’s fine. Now sit down there while I start the outboard.”
Wordlessly Polly did as she was told. As they started to move across the water, she took deep breaths, trying to calm herself down.
“For someone who’s terrified of boats, you’re doing well,” Will said.
“Don’t think you’ll ever make a sailor out of me though,” Polly said.
“Well, it won’t be for want of trying,” Will said as he manoeuvred his way past some moored boats
Polly looked at him. A smile touched her lips. That statement sounded suspiciously like they were going to see each other again and again. She hugged the thought to herself as the dinghy rode the water across to the pontoon.
Will stopped the dinghy alongside the pontoon and helped Polly step out. She knew he was watching her as she accepted Dan’s outstretched hand to climb onto the Mary-Jane. She smiled at Will as he gave her a thumbs-up when she turned to watch him tie the dinghy to the pontoon.
“Well done, Miss Pollyanna,” he whispered as he joined her on board seconds later. A fleeting kiss touched her cheek before he was holding her by the hand and they were accepting flutes of champagne from Dan to welcome them aboard and toast the future.
Polly smiled, watching how Dan was looking after Angie, topping up her champagne glass and pressing her to eat more of the nibbles he’d prepared. It would be lovely if Angie had finally met her special person in Dan.
Polly looked around curiously at the first ocean-going yacht she’d ever been on. How on earth anyone could contemplate going to sea, let alone crossing the Atlantic, in such a boat was beyond her. It was so tiny and narrow.
Will, proudly pointing out various things unique to the Mary-Jane, wanted to show her the compact kitchen galley below deck. Reluctantly she followed him down the shallow steps. One of the tourist boats was making its way upriver and the Mary-Jane rocked sideways in its wash.
Frightened, Polly put put her hand to steady herself. “Will, I don’t like being down here. It’s claustrophobic. Can we go back up on deck please? I’ll feel better out in the open.”
Quickly Will ushered her up the steps before taking her hand in his. “Polly, we need to talk.”
“Will, you’ll never guess what’s happened,” a bemused looking Ben interrupted them, Dan and Angie at his side. Will smothered a sigh.
“You all right, Dad?” Will asked. “You look a bit shell-shocked.”
Ben looked at him, his eyes suspiciously bright. “Daniel has just given me the Mary-Jane. Say’s it’s mine by rights. Don’t know what to say really.”
“Nothing to say,” Daniel said. “Will, I need to borrow Polly for a moment. We have some virtual business to complete. Help yourselves to more champagne.”
In the cockpit Daniel opened one of the lockers, took out an envelope and handed it to Polly.
“I know you’ll be invoicing me for the work you’ve done but this is the bonus I promised you.”
“Thanks,” Polly said. “I’ve really enjoyed working for you.”
“You’ll keep me on your client list won’t you?” Daniel asked. “I know Lillian does the boatyard work but I’ve got other business interests I’ll need a hand with from time to time.”
“As long as you don’t need me to go haring off to America at short notice next time, I’ll happily work for you again,” Polly said.
“Might need you to come down here in person for a couple of days a month but that wouldn’t be a problem would it?” Dan asked, looking at Will now standing next to his father and Angie up in the bow of the Mary-Jane.
Polly following his gaze saw Will watching them both. She smiled happily at him before saying to Daniel, “Well as you know, strictly speaking, Virtual Assistants don’t need to meet up with their employers.” She paused and raised her champagne glass in Will’s direction.
“But in this case, I think it will be essential.”