Rose turned her car into the track that led to the Choudhurys’ waterside home. She’d messaged Joey to say she was leaving the dig and heading back to Falford and allowed plenty of time, but found herself back earlier. He’d texted to say he was running a little late. It seemed pointless to wait at the top of the track so she drove further down.
The track led gently through overhanging trees but every so often a shimmer of water would appear through the canopy. The track went on for almost a quarter of a mile before Rose saw the house come into view.
She parked on a neat gravelled area by the garages and followed a wide path that was the obvious route to the water’s edge. Joey had told her the occupants weren’t arriving until the weekend so she felt safe that no one would see her. She was secretly excited to see how the other half lived. She guessed the house, which was a white Victorian double-fronted property, must be worth several million.
Once she’d rounded the corner of the house, she stood on the terrace, beyond which a strip of lawn stretched the width of the house and led down to the water itself. There was a jetty at the bottom, which she presumed was the private mooring. A small motorboat was already tied up, along with a grey rigid inflatable boat. The Choudhurys were clearly a three-boat household, not forgetting that this was their holiday home.
She wandered down, doing up her jacket as the breeze blew in from the estuary. The house was situated at the very end of the creek where it opened out into the main inlet and the contrast with the sheltered waters of Falford was obvious. Wavelets rippled the surface and some were topped with whitecaps. Yachts sailed past, their spinnakers billowing while fishing boats bobbed up and down making their way out to sea.
She didn’t know what she was looking out for, only that the sailing dinghy probably wouldn’t be that big, and it would be sailing or motoring from the inland end of the creek, which was out of view.
She sat on the stone wall that held back the lawn from the jetty, and kicked off her sandals, waiting for Joey. She had wondered if hanging around for him here looked a bit desperate but it was far more fun to watch him sail up than waiting by her car.
Twenty minutes and a few false alarms after she’d arrived, the Choudhurys’ boat motored up with Joey at the helm.
He called her to the jetty and showed her how to secure it to the mooring posts. Some of the knots looked incredibly complicated but Rose had already had practice with Oriel’s boat.
‘I can see you’ve done this before,’ he said. ‘I’m impressed.’
‘No, you’re not. You’re just flattering me,’ she said, laughing.
‘I’m not and as you’re already so good at tying up, I’ll expect you to be ready for something more advanced when we get to my boat.’
Rose protested but Joey’s grin told her he was – she hoped – joking. She had to admit that she had been thinking how lovely it would be to sail off into the June evening with him, stop at some waterside pub, or moor in a tiny creek and have a glass of wine …
Then she realised that she was buying into the fantasy. Perhaps he wanted her to be desperate to be taken out on the boat. Other women had been … and according to Oriel’s dire warnings, look what had happened to them.
Rose thought of the Maidens turned to stone for dancing on the Sabbath. Just because she might sail off with Joey, didn’t mean anything had to happen. Women were allowed to enjoy sleeping with attractive young men without falling for them hook, line and sinker and certainly without being turned into stone.
She was still chuckling to herself as they walked up the track to her car. ‘Are you going to tell me where we’re going by the way?’
‘Turn left out of the end of the track. I’ll give you directions as we go along.’
Rose knew he wanted to surprise her. Once again, Joey was leading her in the direction of his choosing – literally – and this time she was happy to oblige.
Their destination wasn’t quite what Rose had expected either. After negotiating many lanes snaking around different creeks, Joey directed her down a rutted track with a faded sign at the entrance that she didn’t have time to read. Shortly afterwards, he told her to turn into a yard.
In seconds, the sea opened up before them, in all its glory. The early evening sun shimmered on the water. Joey got out and motioned for Rose to follow him to what could only be described as a shack. It had peeling wooden walls and a corrugated tin roof and a wooden deck on stilts above the water. The deck held a solitary table and she could just make out a few fading words stencilled on the walls of the shack: Falford Seafood and Oysters.
A man emerged from the door, a tea towel in his hands. He was built like a front row rugby player and his grin was broad when he saw them.
‘Evening, Joey.’ He nodded at Rose. ‘Hello.’
‘Evening, Kev. This is Rose.’
‘Table for two?’ Kev asked with a strong East End accent.
‘Do you think you can squeeze us in?’ Joey asked.
Kev sucked in a breath. ‘I’ll see what I can do.’
‘Kev ran a seafood restaurant in Grenada for a while before he opened up a place in London and then he decided to pack it in and retire here.’
Kev’s belly laugh resonated through the decking. ‘Who said I retired? I’m busier than ever.’
‘Is this an actual restaurant?’ Rose asked him.
‘Not really. Call it my front porch. I supply to restaurants all over the UK but I only open up for my buddies.’
Telling them the ‘menu’ was on the board outside the shack, Kev went inside leaving Joey and Rose alone.
‘If I’m meant to be impressed, I am,’ she said.
‘I wasn’t trying to impress you.’
She shook her head, laughing at his innocent expression.
‘OK. I was hoping you’d love this place,’ he said, a little sheepishly. ‘But as we drove up here, I had cold feet about the idea. It’s hardly some posh joint, is it? And it’s just occurred to me you must dine out in some really grand places.’
‘Some grand and very dusty places and even then, it’s almost always for work. It’s not relaxing sitting next to some antiquated don intent on making you feel like you’re a fresher while asking you to pass the port.’
Joey grimaced. ‘Jeez. I couldn’t handle that. It must feel like being on University Challenge all the time. Not that I watch it. You can probably tell.’
‘I don’t watch it much either and I promise you, I don’t want “grand”. I just want relaxing and simple. This is perfect,’ she said, realising as she said it that Joey had – accidentally or very deliberately – delivered just that. The perfect location.
‘I also took a chance you like seafood,’ he said, nodding at the board by the door into the shack.
‘Good job I’m not veggie, eh? I do like seafood. In fact, I think I’ll try the Falford oysters.’
‘Wow. I thought you’d go for the lobster salad.’
‘I love oysters, not that I get them as often as I’d like.’
Kev reappeared. ‘Can I get you two some drinks?’
‘I’m driving,’ Rose said.
‘I shouldn’t worry about that.’
‘Joey!’ Rose was shocked.
‘You’re not driving home.’ He pointed to the small yacht tied up by the quay. ‘But we are sailing, so I’d just have the one glass.’
‘You keep your boat here?’
‘I may live at the yard but let’s just say that I like a bit of privacy at least some of the time. I’ll give you a lift back to your car tomorrow.’
It was such a beautiful evening, how could she resist sailing up the estuary as the sun set?
Kev served the oysters, fresh as anything on a bed of ice with lemon wedges, along with a bottle of wine that was on the house because he wasn’t licensed.
Joey tried an oyster and grimaced, making Rose laugh. She loved the tang of them, the true taste of the sea and the chilled Spanish white wine was the perfect complement. Afterwards, he brought a half lobster salad for Joey and a fresh crab salad for Rose, with a bowl of crusty sourdough from his wife’s bakery. As they ate the main courses, water lapped the deck. The tables were in shadow and Rose pulled her jacket around her.
‘What made you want to be an archaeologist?’ Joey asked.
‘I’ve always been a geek.’ She laughed. ‘I loved books about the Vikings rather than ponies. I would beg my gran to take me to castles and one day when I was around six …’ Rose almost blushed. ‘She found me digging up her garden pretending to find treasure. Eventually, after a lot of digging, a lot of never finding any treasure but enjoying it all anyway, I got the job at the college a couple of years ago. I kind of drifted after I’d left university, I started my PhD and then I just … lay around, not doing much,’ Rose said, skating over her life-threatening episode with a laugh. She’d suppressed the part where she really had lain around for years, trying to finish her studies around her increasing fatigue and growing terror of never being able to finish it at all. Then the long weeks when she’d been put on the register for a bone marrow transplant and the waiting.
‘I can’t imagine you lying around not doing much.’ Joey picked up the bottle and topped up her glass.
‘Not too much.’ She laughed. ‘I may not be driving but it’s going straight to my head.’
‘OK. I’ll take the rest home. I can’t have too much either as I’m responsible for getting us and Spindrift back to Falford in one piece.’
‘I’m glad to hear it,’ Rose said. ‘So, what made you become a boatbuilder?’
He shrugged. ‘Can’t imagine ever doing anything else. I’ve lived and breathed boats since I can remember. Mum took over the boatyard from her father. My grandfather, Billy – he only passed away the year before last.’
‘I’m sorry. My grandma died earlier this year. They have quite an influence, don’t they?’
‘I’m sorry for your loss,’ Joey said kindly. ‘And you’re right. My grandad taught Mum everything about boats. It’s a pretty unusual field for a woman to work in. She runs the place now, rather than doing a lot of heavy stuff, but she knows exactly what everyone else should be doing and she still does a lot of the painting. Our apprentice, Gurdeep – who you might have seen the other day – Mum is her mentor. She’s kind of taken on the role that Grandad did for her.’
‘It’s such a different life to mine.’
‘Then tell me about your life. We were interrupted by you telling me you didn’t want me to try to get you drunk.’
Rose laughed out loud and out of the corner of her eye, she caught Kev watching them with a wry smile. How many women had Joey brought to the shack? The love shack, she thought with a suppressed giggle. How many women had Kev seen come and go? He probably now thought she was one of them … Her consolation was that she also wanted something from Joey and he wasn’t aware of it.
Joey, who was asking her about herself, and seeming to really listen, making jokes about his ignorance of archaeology. He seemed perfect, handsome, funny, and altruistic enough to – potentially – save someone’s life, but modest enough not to want to make a thing of it.
What was below the surface? The big, important part … the hull? She wondered if it was Lauren who might have inspired or encouraged him to donate. Rose also puzzled over why she’d left him at all? Was it really because she wanted a career in London – or had Joey driven her out of his life?
After their meal, Kev cleared away and had a few words before they went to the jetty. Rose helped Joey untie and they set off. Once away from the jetty, he turned off the engine and showed her how to hoist the sails and keep the boat steady. It was worse than learning to drive, she thought; so many different things to consider at once. She really thought it would have been better to have had some lessons in a tiny dinghy first – but nowhere near as much fun.
There was exhilaration in the way the boat heeled over, powered by the wind, with no artificial sound of the engine, just the slap of the waves against the hull. She took the wheel and he showed her the safe route back around the headland and onto a stretch of open sea.
‘We can’t rush. The sea’s our mistress,’ he said.
Skirting the coastline, they passed fishing boats and gleaming motor yachts, all heading for the haven of the estuary or into the port of Falmouth further up the coast. Gulls shrieked overhead. Joey left her with the wheel while he went below to find her an old waterproof coat from the cabin as even the gentle breeze made her shiver and the spray flew over the bow.
He handed her the coat and took the wheel again, seeming lost in his thoughts.
‘You’re quiet,’ he said.
She laughed. ‘I could say the same about you.’
‘I expect you’ve heard a few things about me?’
‘No. OK. A few things but the reality hasn’t lived up to the hype, apart from taking me out on your boat.’
‘Wow. I do have a reputation, then.’ He sounded quite proud. ‘What exactly did she tell you?’
‘Oriel mentioned you like to take people – dates – for a sail. When you asked me to drive you to the restaurant earlier, I was wrong-footed.’
‘In that case, I’ve been very predictable. I must try harder.’
‘Only in that way. Not in others. Let’s just say I’ve really enjoyed the evening. It’s been fascinating.’
‘Good. I knew you’d make your own mind up about me. What else has Oriel told you?’
‘Not much …’ Rose had to lie. She would not reveal that she’d listened to any more of Oriel’s gossip.
‘That’s a miracle. Did she tell you about Lauren?’
‘She did mention you were together once but I don’t know any details and I don’t need to. It’s your business, Joey.’
There was an edge to his voice that was both bitter and longing. ‘If Oriel mentioned her then you must know that we were close and that we split up.’
The way Joey spoke left Rose wondering if Oriel was right and Lauren and Joey hadn’t split up by mutual consent. He could still be in love with his ex … which made her even keener to make sure that learning to sail was her only interest in Joey – apart, of course, from her hidden agenda.
‘Yes, she did say something like that.’
‘Jesus, this place is so bloody claustrophobic. I should get away from it!’
‘You don’t mean that: your boat, the business, the estuary. You love it.’
‘Yeah, but there are other estuaries and a boat can move.’
Rose remembered what Oriel had said about Lauren leaving for the sake of her career. Had she wanted Joey to go with her? Had it been impossible for them to make it work or had she simply not wanted it to?
‘It’s not that easy to change your whole life when you have everything invested in a small place,’ Rose said gently.
‘Ah, but you’re describing Finn, not me. Falford water flows through his veins. He’d never leave.’
Rose smiled. ‘You sound very sure.’
‘He’s my brother and while we may not always agree—’ Joey gave a wry laugh ‘—I do know him. He’s loyal and he has a sense of responsibility that I don’t always get but hey, say what you like about Finn, he’s definitely one of the good guys.’
Intrigued by what exactly Joey meant, Rose pushed him further. ‘Are you?’
Joey turned his blue gaze on her, and she could see why so many women might have fallen for him. ‘You mean you haven’t decided yet?’ he said slowly.
‘“Good” can mean a lot of different things, not all of which are necessarily appealing. I’m still making my mind up.’
‘I’m really very boring but I couldn’t commit to the yard forever the way Finn has. I need to get my own place away from the family home for a start, then perhaps I wouldn’t have to take all my dates out on my boat.’
He sighed in frustration, but Rose allowed herself a smile and then shivered. She might have Finn’s blood running through her own veins.
Rose pictured Dorinda with her binoculars trained on the estuary, and Finn watching from his balcony. No wonder Joey felt trapped.
‘What about you? Would you change what you do – working for a university – to do something else? Be someone else?’
‘Maybe one day, but for now, I feel I’ve only just got started in my career. It’s not only my career either. Archaeology may not sound as exciting as sailing, but I love it. I love the stones, the tombs, the digs and teaching. It’s what I always wanted to do.’
‘If it’s your passion, then why change?’ He didn’t make the ‘passion’ sound boring. ‘So you’ve been studying or working for the uni your whole life?’ He looked puzzled. Rose was aware of the gap in her life story and wondered if he’d pick up on it although few people who weren’t in her line of work would think to question the arcane ways of academia.
‘I took a while to finish my first degree and my PhD before I got the job as a lecturer,’ she said.
‘Did you go travelling? I’d like to do more of it. Sail round the world …’
‘You could say I went on a journey.’
He mistook her ironic comment. ‘Did it involve a man?’
‘One guy in particular.’ Rose thought of her geologist. ‘We were definitely on different paths.’
‘That sums up Lauren and me. Different paths, but I can’t blame her for being ambitious. She was a doctor, though I bet Oriel’s already told you that. She was offered a promotion in London.’
Rose stayed silent and Joey suddenly announced, ‘There’s the mouth of the Falford estuary.’
‘So soon?’ Rose exclaimed. The past hour had flown by.
‘Yes. So soon.’ He watched as she steered the yacht through the mouth of Falford Creek, occasionally offering advice on what to aim for and giving her a tutorial on the meaning of various cardinal buoys and what they were there to warn against, like reefs and sandbanks.
The wind dropped and they turned on the engine, as the boat puttered through the glassy waters. At any moment, Rose still half-expected him to slow the engine and steer the yacht into some secluded bay. He’d lower the anchor, muscles cording in his arms, and turn to her with that look.
Rose shivered again. How did she feel? She’d only known him a short while, but she also knew she’d be out of her mind not to want to sleep with Joey Morvah, and yet, she held back. Was it because she felt she was with him under false pretences? A part of her felt that no matter how expertly he might be trying to ‘manage’ her, she was the one using him …
‘There’s the boatyard pontoon,’ he said.
‘Oh …’ She’d been so focused on examining her motives, waiting for Joey to make a move and rehearsing her response that she hadn’t noticed they were just off the boatyard jetty.
‘I could have dropped you at the village public quay, but we’d be right in the sightline of the pub and I thought this was slightly more discreet.’ He grinned. ‘Mum’s out.’
She laughed. ‘Yes, good idea. Thanks.’
Rose helped him tie up before they stood together in the twilight. She was still carrying her slip-on Vans.
‘Goodnight then,’ she said, a little relieved they were home and that nothing had happened that she might regret. ‘I’ve had a really lovely time. Not dull at all. Thank you.’
‘Me too.’ She felt it was safe to stand on tiptoes and kiss his cheek. Then, somehow she got it wrong or Joey moved his head unexpectedly and her lips brushed the edge of his.
‘Sorry,’ she said, pulling away, her cheeks burning.
He raised his eyebrows. ‘Don’t be.’
‘It was an accident,’ she said hastily. ‘Must have been the wine,’ she said lightly.
‘I hope not.’ He lifted one of her hands in his before letting it go. ‘Goodnight, Rose. See you tomorrow.’ He nodded at Cornish Magick across the water. ‘You’ll definitely see me.’
‘I can hardly fail to.’ Her brittle laugh echoed across the water. ‘Thanks again for a lovely evening and the meal,’ she said hastily before walking away.
A glance behind showed Joey on deck, with ropes in his hands.
She didn’t look his way again. She slipped on her pumps and hurried on along the front of the boathouse, past the café and to the footbridge at the very top of the creek. Insects buzzed in the air and the sky turned indigo. The memory of his warm lips against hers lingered while she made her way along the creek to the footbridge, grateful for the cool air on her cheeks and the cover of trees to hide her embarrassment.
It had been so long since she’d spent an evening with an attractive man – any man –but even so, she shouldn’t have even allowed herself to get into such an intimate situation with Joey: the romantic setting, the wine, the exhilaration of the sail.
And yet – even during the ‘accidental kiss’, no fireworks had gone off for her and she had to admit, perhaps he’d felt the same. If Joey had really wanted to, he surely would have returned it with some enthusiasm – and perhaps he’d have even suggested they take things further. The more she thought about it, the more relieved she was that Joey hadn’t responded.
It was a sobering thought for Rose as she let herself into a dark and silent Cornish Magick and drew the curtains. Lights twinkled in the main house and the ground floor of the annexe opposite, but Rose turned away from the Morvahs’ house quickly. She was no closer to discovering which brother was her donor was and after her embarrassing slip-up this evening, she wasn’t sure how far she dared go in finding out. She felt she was already past the point of no return with the Morvahs and in far too deep to reveal her secret even if she decided to.