Chapter 25

N

icole parked in the ten-hour parking section of White Rock, before heading off to the Trident ticket office. Although only eight o’clock the sun felt warm on her face as she stood in the queue. She hadn’t expected to see many people waiting at that time of the morning, but it looked like Herm was popular that day. Groups of parents, burdened with rucksacks and beach bags, shepherded young children clutching the ubiquitous buckets and spades. Mixed in the queue were several older couples and the occasional singleton like herself. Mm, guess those lucky enough to have been out clubbing last night will be catching a later ferry.

Clutching her ticket, she moved off with the others to wait by the steps for embarkation. Stepping aboard the gently bobbing boat, Nicole felt a thrill of excitement. In about twenty minutes she would be landing on Herm and, hopefully, into Ben’s arms. Pulling on a cotton sweater as protection from the sea breeze, she climbed up to the top deck. The ferry had eaten up the passengers with room to spare and Nicole found herself a vantage point from which to mark their three mile journey.

She was glad of her sweater as the ferry steered its way past the harbour entrance and out to sea, into the embrace of a strong breeze. Gazing back towards St Peter Port Nicole had the traitorous thought that the waterfront was more attractive than that of St Helier. Boats large and small bobbed up and down on their moorings, forming a colourful display in front of the picturesque frontage of shops and restaurants. The harbour itself was guarded by the old, battered Castle Cornet, a relic from the thirteenth century according to her guide book. Nicole had been reading up on Guernsey, keen to know more about the island to which she was so strongly connected. Turning towards Herm, she saw its tiny neighbour, Jethou, like a small off-shoot to the right and, further out to sea, the larger island of Sark. A heat haze shrouded the islands giving them an air of mystery and separateness; the same air which prompted thousands of people to travel back year after year. Fortunately, not all at the same time.

Of all the islands, Herm captured her imagination the most. According to legend it had not only been the home of Neolithic man, monks, smugglers and a Prussian Prince (all true), but also of ghosts and fairies (not confirmed!). What could be more romantic, she thought, as the tiny harbour came into view. She identified the large white building off to the right as the appropriately named White House Hotel. Beyond the harbour to the left stretched a sandy beach scattered with rocks and guarded by boats drifting at anchor.

The harbour wall came ever closer. Nicole’s eyes swept over the people queuing alongside a tractor and trailer, from which cases and bags were being unloaded. She tried to pick out Ben. Ah, there he was! Standing to one side, hand shading his eyes as he searched the ferry for her. A simultaneous wave of their hands made them both laugh.

‘Morning. Have a good trip?’ Ben welcomed her as she jumped onto the breakwater. This was followed by a quick kiss as they sidestepped the other passengers pushing past.

‘Fine, thanks. And what a gorgeous day! Can’t wait to start exploring.’ Nicole replied, anticipation of the day ahead causing her pulse to race.

‘There’s loads of time. Thought we could start by having breakfast at The Mermaid,’ he waved his arm towards a clutch of buildings off to the left. ‘The others will be down later after their lie-in.’ He took her hand and headed off past the Harbour Office. It appeared that other day trippers had the same idea about breakfast as a small group followed them past the shops and into the courtyard of The Mermaid. Ben found them a table before going off to order the food.

The sun slanted in through the neighbouring trees, highlighting tiny specks of midges and dust motes dancing in the air. The excited chatter of visitors continuing on their way past the pub died down leaving the courtyard in peace. Nicole closed her eyes, happy to be still for a moment.

‘Don’t tell me you’ve fallen asleep already! Doesn’t bode well for the hectic day I’ve planned.’ Ben grinned at her, lowering a tray onto the table. Nicole’s eyes shot open.

‘Just enjoying the atmosphere. Don’t worry, I’ll be up for anything after a refuel.’

Ben laid out the coffees, juice and toast and they tucked in.

‘Seriously, I thought you might enjoy a mixture of relaxing on the beach and walking round the island. As it’s only a mile and a half long that won’t take much time, but there’s lots to explore and, of course we’ll need to stop for lunch. Can’t let your blood sugar get too low, can we?’

‘No, Doctor, we can’t.’ Nicole sent him a cheeky smile before adding, ‘Where will we have lunch?’

‘Nick suggested The Ship, which has a great seafood menu. Will be quieter there too as it gets busy here once the day trippers start piling in. I thought we could explore first to work up an appetite and then head off to the beach this afternoon. Sound ok to you?’

‘Very okay, thanks.’

Ben reached out and touched her hand. ‘If you enjoy yourself today, we could always come back on our own sometime.’

‘Sounds good. I’m sure –’

‘Here we are! Hope we’re not interrupting anything?’

Nicole looked up to see a tall, lanky man grinning down at them, accompanied by what she deemed a loved-up couple holding hands.

‘Jonathan! Let me introduce you to Nicole, the friend I was telling you about. Nicole, Jonathan. He’s another saddo like me, a doctor so devoted to his patients that he doesn’t have time to meet lovely ladies like you!’

Nicole laughed as she shook Jonathan’s outstretched hand.

‘And here’s our happy couple, Jeanne and Nick. They were married in Herm last year and are now expecting Mauger junior.’

Jeanne, grinning broadly, slid onto the bench opposite, Nick joining her. After a flurry of greetings, Jonathan went in search of coffee. Nicole liked what she saw of Ben’s friends. Jeanne’s smile was warm, spreading to the bright blue eyes framed by long dark hair. Her bump was barely noticeable under a loose T-shirt. She guessed that Nick looked close to forty, his dark brown hair flecked with grey and the lines around his eyes crinkled as he smiled. His deeply-tanned face was that of a man who spent most of his time outdoors. As his arm closed protectively around Jeanne, Nicole felt a momentary pang of envy. Not because she fancied Nick, attractive as he was, but because Jeanne looked as happy and content as she wanted to be. Glancing towards Ben, she caught him looking at her with a speculative look and her stomach flipped. Perhaps I just need to be patient…

The little group settled quickly into animated conversation, sharing basic information as to their backgrounds and how they had become friends. Nicole was intrigued to learn that Jeanne had written a best-selling book based on her family’s history and love of cooking, titled Recipes for Love.

‘Wow! That’s brilliant! I’d never have the patience and dedication to write a book. Have you written anything else since?’

‘I’ve started writing a novel set during the Occupation but I’m not sure if I’ll finish it before I get…distracted,’ Jeanne laughed, patting her bump. ‘Four months until our lives change forever.’ Nick smiled and kissed her and again Nicole felt a pang. Stop it, you stupid idiot, remember how people used to be jealous of you and Tom! That did the trick and she focussed once more on her companions, managing a quick squeeze of Ben’s hand which earned her an answering smile.

Fortified by the coffee they set off up the steep hill towards Le Manoir, roughly the centre of the island and where the Manor House and cottages were to be found. Nicole paused periodically to enjoy the view through the trees towards the harbour and over to Guernsey. She also needed to catch her breath, wishing she was more fit. The tennis in Spain had helped but she hadn’t done much since. As they came around the last bend the lane levelled out and to the right was what appeared to be a fortified village, protected by a tall granite wall, and entered through a stone archway.

‘Here we are, home sweet home.’ Ben’s arms encircled the village composed of cottages, a small church and what looked like a castle. He grinned, ‘Actually our home’s this cottage.’ He pointed to one of a row facing out to sea.

‘Great views,’ Nicole said, standing with her back to the village and looking out across to Guernsey. A short journey by boat but a world away in atmosphere. Nicole appreciated how quiet it was, untroubled by the sounds of people or traffic. Not even cycles were allowed and the only vehicles were the tractors and quad bikes used by the staff.

After a tour, which included the tiny school for the islanders’ children, they set off eastwards. They took their time, giving Nicole a chance to savour the beauty of the island; passing a sea of tents staked out in the campsite as they headed to the cliff path. A few minutes later, stopping to rest on a southerly cliff, Nicole had not only a clear view of Sark but could make out Jersey on the horizon.

‘I can see why you love coming here. It’s as if we’re on another planet!’ Nicole said, spinning round with pleasure. The men smiled but Nicole noticed Jeanne’s face had clouded.

‘What’s the matter? Are you in pain?’

Jeanne shook her head. ‘No, just an old, bad memory that’s all. Nothing to worry about.’ Nick hugged her close, a concerned look on his face.

Nicole was puzzled but felt she couldn’t pry and let Nick and Jeanne take the lead on the path. Jonathan tagged behind them, leaving her and Ben to bring up the rear.

‘What was that about?’ she whispered to Ben.

‘It’s a long story, but her parents were killed when their boat was forced onto rocks on the way back to Guernsey from Herm. Jeanne, only sixteen, was injured and suffered amnesia. She didn’t learn the truth of what happened until a few years ago and was left pretty scared of boats, as you can imagine. Anyway, thanks in part to Nick, Jeanne’s made a full recovery. Having their wedding here was a way of celebrating that it was behind her.’

‘Poor Jeanne! How awful for her! But at least she seems so happy with Nick and with the baby on the way…’

‘Yep. They’re a great couple. I guess she must be missing her mother, though. Women need their mothers when they have babies, don’t they?’

‘I suppose so. If I ever have a baby there’ll be two mothers vying to be involved!’ Nicole laughed.

‘Oh, you do want children? As you hadn’t any with your husband I assumed you didn’t.’

Nicole noticed an odd expression on Ben’s face.

‘Yes, I do. But I’ve only recently realised that. I was too busy with my career before and Tom wasn’t that keen. I’ve…changed my mind about lots of things lately.’ She shrugged. ‘It’s as if I’m finally growing up and seeing what’s really important in life. Which is people, relationships. Not high-flying careers which can leave you isolated from family and friends. Whatever I end up doing, I’m not going to make that mistake again.’

Ben smiled warmly.

‘Mm, sounds as if you’ve been doing a lot of soul-searching. I suppose your biggest decision is what to do about…Tom. And your job.’

She took a deep breath.

‘I’ve decided to divorce Tom, though he doesn’t know yet. We’ve grown apart. And if our marriage ends there’s no way I can return to my job. Which is fine by me. I could do with a fresh start.’

‘Ah, right.’ Ben pulled her close and kissed her. A long, slow kiss that promised so much.

Settled under an umbrella in the garden of The Ship, the little group enjoyed a bottle of chilled Sauvignon Blanc while waiting for their food. Jeanne, sipping fruit juice, had recovered her composure and they were all laughing at one of Jonathan’s jokes. Nicole had been surprised at his ability to amuse. Under the nerdy exterior of black-framed glasses and pale face lurked a natural entertainer. And, according to the others, a great doctor.

The walk along the steep cliff paths had produced a healthy appetite as Ben had predicted. As their order of freshly cooked mussels, sea bass and lobster arrived, the appetising smell and sight brought the conversation to an abrupt halt.

They rounded lunch off with much needed coffees, before setting off along the lower coast road, skirting The Mermaid Tavern. As they came abreast of the beach Nick pointed out his boat, a sleek cabin cruiser at anchor a few feet from shore.

‘You’d be welcome to join us for a trip sometime, Nicole. We often come over for the day in the summer and another woman would even up the numbers a bit.’ He grinned.

‘Love to. Used to enjoy boating when I lived in Jersey.’

‘Nick refurbished the boat himself and I can vouch for its comfort. No expense was spared on the boss’s boat, eh?’ Ben said, in reference to Nick’s business as a boat-builder. ‘I could do with his skills at my house but for some reason he’s not keen to help!’

‘Haha,’ Nick replied with a grin, ‘you know I was working flat out on both the cottage and the boat for months and needed to relax with my lovely wife.’ As if to prove his point he wrapped his arm around Jeanne, giving her a resounding kiss.

After much exaggerated sniggering from the others, they settled to a steady walk, the two couples hand in hand, letting Jonathan lead the way.

‘So, what’s this about a cottage?’ Nicole asked Jeanne, coming abreast as the lane widened.

‘I inherited an old cottage from my grandmother and decided to renovate it before selling. But then things changed,’ Jeanne glanced at Nick with a smile, ‘and I stayed. My builders did all the heavy work but Nick offered to provide fitted cupboards and wardrobes which took him months in his spare time.’ Another glance at a now grinning Nick. ‘His offer was conditional on his being allowed to move in with me. I wasn’t too sure at first but then he proposed!’ She giggled.

‘That’s soo romantic! Where’s your cottage?

‘Perelle, on the west coast. Next time we have a barbecue you must come. We’re famous for our barbecues, aren’t we, Jonathan?’

‘You sure are. I was present at the first one Jeanne held, before these two became an item. And there’s been many since. They’ve become part of our social calendar and not to be missed.’

‘Sounds good to me. My social calendar’s pretty empty these days.’

Ben gave her a quick kiss before whispering, ‘I’d be only too happy to fill it up for you.’

Nicole caught her breath. What’s made him so much more flirty? I thought he wanted to just stay friends? But that kiss! And now…

By this time they were approaching the sandy common, covered in scrub grass and wild flowers. They had to watch their step, with rabbit holes ready to trap unwary ankles. Ben pointed out the landmarks of an obelisk to the north and Neolithic burial chambers to their left, known as Petit Monceau. Ben assured Nicole that he’d show her around more thoroughly another time. Fine by her, the sea and beach beckoned. And it meant he thought there would be another time.

The path wound round the edge of the common, bordered with ferns and spiky marram grass. Hardly a soul came into view before they stepped onto the dunes of Shell Bay. With most of the visitors stretched out near the little café on their right, the friends headed left along the beach before spying a large, open space. Flopping down on her towel with a contented sigh, Nicole asked Ben if he’d mind applying her suncream. With a grin, he squeezed the cream on her back and legs and slowly, sensuously, rubbed it in. Wonderful! It had been so long since she’d enjoyed a man’s touch and she was drifting into a trance-like state when Ben gave her a light tap on her bottom, saying, ‘My turn now!’

Nicole was happy to reciprocate as she rubbed in the cream as slowly as she could. The sight and touch of his smooth, muscled legs and back were producing a decidedly erotic response within her when Jonathan shouted, ‘Hey, you two! Do we have to throw cold water over you?’

Looking up she saw the three of them looking on in amusement and had to laugh.

‘No, we’re fine, don’t worry!’

It wasn’t long before they were all comatose from the combination of hot sun and wine.

Later, they enjoyed a long refreshing swim in the clear, blue water, warmed by the jet stream. While they were towelling off, Ben checked his watch and told Nicole it was time to make their way to the Rosière Steps for the ferry. Thanks to the steep drop in the tides, the boat could only use the harbour at high tide and it was now low, meaning a longer walk to the boat. The others insisted on accompanying them, so bags were packed and after much pulling on of T-shirts and shorts they were ready.

They were crossing the common when it happened.

Nicole had twisted round to catch something Jeanne was saying and her foot caught in a rabbit hole. With a cry, she stumbled, jerking her ankle. All went black.