The next morning I get the strangest of calls from a woman interested in buying our home. Obviously Henry hasn’t sorted Travis out yet despite my request.
‘I’m sorry, but there has been a huge misunderstanding. The beach house is not for sale,’ I inform her.
‘Not for sale? But – I was making plans. I even called my daughter in Australia to tell her about it…’ Her voice peters off, and I can only sympathise with her.
‘I’m truly very, very sorry, madam. But the owners aren’t selling it anymore.’
Silence. ‘Oh.’
‘I’m very sorry,’ I repeat for the third time, only I shouldn’t be the one apologising. Imagine that Travis bloke causing this poor woman such distress. I thought it had been sorted.
‘Okay – thank you,’ she whispers, sniffing. ‘You’re very kind. It’s a good thing I hadn’t put in a down payment.’
‘I’m sure the owners would have repaid it,’ I say. There is no amount of money that I would ever take for our home.
‘Thank you. With whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?’ she asks.
‘My name is Faith Hudson. I’m the interior designer doing some work here.’
‘Right. Well, thank you once again.’
‘You’re very welcome,’ I say and ring off.
I’m going to have to have another word with Henry. And there was me thinking we’d turned a corner. He may be a great joiner, but he’s hopeless at public relations.
Later that day I’m having lunch at The One That Got Away with my coastal girls, i.e. my friends Rosie, Nina and Nat. They live in neighbouring hamlets along the coast and have all had pretty much their own hell to go through before finding their happy ending.
Nina Conte, who lives in Penworth Ford, is a very talented novelist who’s had her share of woes. She and her husband had moved down from London and bought an old place to renovate. Only her husband had up and left them shortly after, taking all their money as well. She says that if it hadn’t been for her neighbours and friends, she would have capitulated, but I don’t think so. She is the strongest woman I know. Her daughter Chloe is a handful, but Ben, her youngest is a Mummy whisperer.
Rosie from Little Kettering, on the other hand, doesn’t look like she can stand up for herself, but my goodness, when she opens her mouth, you know who wears the pants in her home. But she wasn’t always like this. She was a London hotel assistant manager who hated everything about her job, particularly her nasty boss who’d sent her here over the Christmas holidays to investigate a hotel. Her son Danny is the sweetest child you’ll ever meet.
And Nat? She’s a star. She lives in Wyllow Cove and is the oldest of us all, but you wouldn’t think so as she is the bubbliest and the most fun. For years she let her husband treat her like dirt, and then one day, just as everything seemed to crash down onto her head, she just took the proverbial bull by the horns and said enough was enough. Today she is one of the happiest women I know.
‘Thanks, Faith, for agreeing to help me out. I don’t know what I would have done without you,’ Nat says as we sit down around a table facing the sea. ‘It’s exactly what I wanted but I couldn’t seem to put it all together by myself. I was so used to Neil dictating the décor that I was stumped.’
‘Well, it wasn’t that difficult, really, because you’ve got the sea, so I used paler hues just to soften your interiors a bit – duck egg rather than a bright blue, cream rather than white and so on, just to add a bit of warmth.’
‘Yes, and it worked like a charm,’ she says. ‘A bit like your beach house. I suppose you’ve missed it as much as you did Gabe, didn’t you?’
The wisdom in her eyes tells me that she knows me well. I nod. ‘It was my very first real home.’
She squeezes my hand. ‘I’m glad things worked out, Faith. You deserve every good thing life can offer you.’
‘Thanks, Nat. So do you. And from what I can see, life is finally treating you the way you deserve, too! Your new partner seems absolutely lovely!’
‘He is. I don’t think I’ve ever had this kind of connection with anyone in my life. He understands me and appreciates me.’
‘I’m so happy for you!’ Rosie chirps. ‘I mean, it’s the classic romance where the bloke finally realises he’s made a huge mistake, bless him!’
Nina snorts. ‘Bless him? He’d better toe the line or we’ll send the boys in to sort him out once and for all!’
‘Oh, be nice,’ Nat says with a chuckle. ‘Not every bloke is as confident as yours!’
‘True,’ Nina says as our menus arrive. ‘And oh – speaking of confident, not to say arrogant – did you hear what happened in Starry Cove? Jago Moon tried to drown himself.’
The girls gasp like a Greek chorus. ‘Is he all right?’
‘Who’s Jago Moon?’ I ask and three faces turn to me in shock.
‘Only the hottest, most disreputable bachelor in Cornwall!’ Nat informs me. ‘Half the female population is in love.’
‘Why would he want to kill himself?’ I ask.
‘He has a bit of a shady past, and quite the number of demons. God knows how many hearts he’s broken. He’s the typical love them and leave them kind of man.’
‘Ooh, speaking of handsome men, your joiner Henry Turner is a bit of all right,’ Rosie says in her London twang that she hasn’t managed to shake off yet.
I almost choke on my sparkly water. ‘I guess so, if you like that sort of look.’
Nat laughs. ‘You mean tall, dark, handsome, sexy, charming?’
‘Or the wild Celtic look?’ Nina adds. ‘I swear, he reminds me of my own husband.’
‘Come to think of it,’ Rosie says, ‘our blokes all have that look, don’t they? They could all be related. Even Henry. And actually, I think he is related to Jago, in some way. Distant cousins, I think.’
I roll my eyes. ‘That would explain a lot.’
‘You find Henry Turner arrogant?’ Nina asks.
I look around the table to my friends who are suddenly very interested in my opinion on him. My ears begin to burn at the injustice I’m doing him, but people mustn’t be fooled by a man’s good looks. ‘Well, sometimes, he can be really nice, especially to his son. But other times, he can be a real arse.’
‘Really?’ Nat says. ‘I hear he’s a gem of a man.’
‘Well, what do I know?’ I reply with a shrug. ‘I barely know the bloke. But I can tell you this. He and his estate agent, Travis, are obsessed with selling the beach house.’
‘Your beach house? Why?’ Rosie asks, her fair eyebrows furrowing.
I shrug. ‘He probably thinks he’ll get an offer we can’t refuse – and a huge commission. Gabe’s told him off. I thought he’d got it, but then I got a call from a woman who was interested and when I told her it wasn’t for sale, she was heartbroken. I felt like a right heel disappointing her. And I think Henry and I are going to have to have some words. He’s so arrogant he thinks he can have his own way.’
‘Shame,’ Rosie says. ‘Henry is a catch in these parts, you know?’
‘But I’ve already been caught, remember?’ I argue.
It’s just a fraction of a second, but there is a slight hesitation hanging in the air.
‘Of course, and we’re rooting for you, sweetie,’ Nat says, putting a delicate hand over mine. ‘We want you to be happy.’
‘To Faith,’ Rosie cheers, raising her glass.
Nina and Nat raise their glasses in suit and clink together. ‘To Faith!’
‘Thank you,’ I say, raising my own glass and taking a sip. And I can’t help but notice that they have only toasted me and not Gabe.
*
‘Right, we’re done for the day, Boss,’ Rudy says to me at the end of the afternoon, eyeing Thea as he hovers.
I look up from my laptop and see that he is, as always, completely enthralled by Thea’s presence. If only she had a clue. They’d be perfect for each other.
‘Thanks, Rudy – great work today, as usual. See you tomorrow.’
‘How about a drinky-poo at the pub?’ he suggests to no one in particular, but I know he’s just dying to get Thea on his own.
She hoists her bag over her shoulder, waiting for me to follow, but I’m not a drinker anymore. Besides, they need to be alone without the whole crew.
‘Maybe next time,’ I say. ‘You go, Thea.’
‘Are you sure?’ she asks.
‘Absolutely,’ I reply as Rudy’s face lightens up at the prospect of an evening on his own with her, bless him. They are perfect together, because not only do they work well, they even complete each other’s sentences.
‘Guys, we’re going to the pub. Who’s coming?’ she hollers out to the boys in the foyer, much to Rudy’s dismay.
‘Yeah – I could just about murder a pint or two,’ Bill says, and he and the others emerge, nodding in agreement.
I really feel for Rudy. I think he’s loved her in silence since the day he started working for me. But so far, no joy.
‘You comin’, Faith?’ Bill says.
I look up. ‘Ah, no, thanks, I’m going to just relax here. You guys go.’ Besides, I actively avoid pubs these days if I can help it.
‘All right. See you in the morning.’
‘Have fun,’ I call and the door closes behind them and another long working day is over. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, rotating my shoulders back, just enjoying the sound of the surf. The sea seems to have calmed down again after the storm, but this is Cornwall, where nothing can be taken for granted, especially the weather.
‘Long day.’
I jump to see Henry approaching the doorway. ‘Oh – I thought you’d gone.’
‘Without saying goodbye? Never.’
‘Well, since you’re here, I need to speak to you, if you have a moment?’
‘Of course. What is it?’ He grins. ‘Am I not sanding the furniture down smooth enough?’
‘Actually…’ I say and gesture for him to sit down.
He takes a seat opposite me, his face completely blank. He has no idea of the damage he’s done to that poor woman and her family, with his big mouth. So I tell him about her disappointment. And mine, as a matter of fact.
His eyes widen. ‘I’m sorry. Travis did tell her that the house was no longer for sale.’
‘Well, obviously she didn’t understand because she called me here at the house. How did she even get the number, unless you gave it to her?’
He shrugs. ‘I may have, but I honestly don’t remember doing so.’
‘Well, please sort it. I don’t want any more broken-hearted people.’
He nods in mock deference, his eyes twinkling. ‘Yes, milady. May I go now, or am I going to get a bollocking for anything else I may or may not have done?’
‘May have done? You brought a viewer to my home, Henry.’
‘Perhaps I was given the go-ahead.’
‘Not by me,’ I say.
He crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow at me and it dawns on me. ‘Gabe…?’ I whisper.
At that, Henry gets to his feet. ‘I think you two need to have another chat. Goodnight.’
Dumbstruck, I watch him as he leaves, then pull out my mobile to video-call Gabe.
‘Hi,’ he answers on the first ring, almost as if he was waiting for me.
‘Is it true?’ I demand, without dallying. ‘Did you agree to sell the house?’
‘Er, Babes…’
‘Please answer my question honestly, Gabe. Just a simple yes or no will do.’
He hesitates. ‘I thought about it, yes.’
‘Thought about it?’ I echo in shock. ‘Then why are we even killing ourselves here?’
‘Because the house needs to look like a home again. No one would ever want to buy it in the state it was after Vanessa got to it. Not any sane person, anyway.’
‘Gabe – I don’t understand you! You fly all the way here to tell me you want me back, and that you want us to live in our home again, and now you do this?’
‘Easy, Babes. There’s lots of houses out there.’
‘Absolutely,’ I say. ‘But this is our home.’
And then his face falls as it finally hits him. Finally he remembers why this house is so important to me. ‘I’m sorry, Faith. I hadn’t thought about your mum. But I don’t want to live here anymore. Vanessa has damaged my good memories of you and me in this house. I need to move on.’
‘But we’ve been happy here, Gabe. Why would you want to leave all that behind? You say that Vanessa was a bad chapter, and I understand, but why throw the baby out with the bath water?’
‘Because there are a million houses out there, Faith. We’ll just buy another one.’
I look at him, trying to ignore the sensation of my blood freezing in my veins. Are we going back instead of forward? This whole New Gabe thing… was it just a ruse to get me back, while continuing to do as he pleases?
‘So you’re telling me that six months with Vanessa have erased three years of happy memories with me? Remember that I was the one who first had a past with this house. I had all the memories to come to terms with, not you. And I managed. Why can’t you?’
‘You don’t know what I’ve been through, with that whack job.’
The words I told you so spring to my mouth and it is so difficult for me to push them down. But I can’t keep it all in and I don’t want to. ‘All the same – you asked me to renovate my former home, but not so we could live in it. You took advantage of my kindness and idiocy only to make the house sellable!’
‘Faith, that’s so not true! I love you and want to be with you.’
‘We were perfectly all right before you decided to ruin everything between us. If you truly love me as you say you do, you’ll get over it and keep your promises to me.’ There. That ought to shake him.
He sighs. ‘Fine.’
‘Thank you,’ I say, trying not to huff.
*
The next day, I have a migraine of biblical proportions and only want to lie down for the next fortnight or so.
But I can’t, so I hole up in what is my office and work like a dog all day at the end of which I sit down with my crew and we brief one another as to what’s happened, what we’re waiting on and our new timeframe estimates. Only I find I can’t keep any piece of information in my mind whatsoever. All I can think of is that he wanted to throw our home and all our happy memories away. How could he have even fathomed the idea, after all his promises? Something tells me that this hill is going to be steeper than it looks.
‘Faith…?’ Thea calls me from what seems like the bottom of the ocean.
I look up from my notebook. I haven’t jotted down a single thing. ‘Yes?’
She closes her agenda. ‘Shall I email you my notes?’
‘Yes. Thanks.’
All around me is silence. Not a hostile silence, but a Why the hell are you putting up with this rubbish? silence. I know. They’re absolutely right. I’ll have to sort this whole thing out before it’s too late. Right now I need to be alone to think a way out of this.
‘Right,’ I say, standing. ‘Let’s call it a day. You’ve all worked so hard and once again I thank you for your dedication. I don’t know what I’d do without you guys.’
They get to their feet, glancing at each other, then at me. ‘I hope you sort him out, Faith,’ Paul says, followed by several nods around the table.
‘Thanks, guys. I will. Somehow.’
I watch as they file out, leaving me alone in the house that will not be mine for much longer if I can’t pull a miracle out of my hat. But I’ve no time to wallow. I need to get back to work, so I turn on my laptop and get stuck in with my orders and costs, because I’ve initiated a process that simply can’t be stopped.
*
With the house devoid of all of Vanessa’s fantastical animals and whatnot, I finally begin to see the bones of our original home peeking through the steamed and stripped bits of animal print wallpaper. Underneath, the walls without the once gorgeous wainscoting look cold and injured, like a homeless beggar shivering in need of the warmth of a home. I am beginning to think that we’ve lost much more than the design features.
Without all the crazy furniture, the place looks huge, bigger than ever before. But it also looks completely forlorn and torn. I can’t wait to get my crew working on the cosmetic side of it all, and I’m anxious for Henry to solve the issue of the missing wainscoting. I’m worried that Vanessa’s team might have thrown the beautiful woodwork away, but I know Henry will do his best to recoup it somehow as he is a true joiner who loves his work.
A knock on my study door makes me turn.
‘Have a minute for me?’ he asks.
‘Uhm, yes. Come on in.’
Again, I get that itchy feeling of impatience when he’s talking directly to me and no one else is around. It’s as if he becomes less professional and way too personal.
He sighs softly. ‘I’m sorry about the misunderstanding about the house. I’m getting the feeling that it’s very important to you, and that it’s not just about the physical building.’
‘Thank you. I feel bad for taking it out on you, Henry. You’ve been nothing but kind and hard-working.’
He shrugs. ‘It’s the only way to be.’
Still, I am ashamed.
‘I’ll get Travis to talk to Gabe, if that can help?’
‘Why would you do that? I haven’t been exactly nice to you. I’m sorry, I… have a few things going on.’
‘Yes, well, who doesn’t.’ And he leaves it at that.
*
As far as the renos go, we are making good time. By next week we should be able to move into the living area where Vanessa has come full circle, treating it like a showroom of horrors rather than a place to hang around with friends. It’s like someone has played years of paintball in there, leaving the victims plastered to the walls and hanging from the ceilings. There isn’t an inch of free wall anywhere. No wonder it’s taking weeks. I seriously can’t understand why Gabe let her run roughshod over him like this, because I know he hates this stuff as much as I do.
On the outside, he may be your rebel rock star, but on the inside, he’s mush. I know that. Nor is he the loser that both Hope implies he is.
But for now, all I can do is move full steam ahead with my task. If I were smart, I’d leave it exactly as it is so as to scare off buyers. There is so much at stake here, and I’d be lying if I said that I am not disappointed in Gabe. Why doesn’t he understand or appreciate my wishes? Why is he so adamant on leaving our home?
At twelve o’clock on the dot Henry returns bearing huge containers of food. ‘Folks, I’ve got Chinese,’ I hear him call from the kitchen. ‘Eat it while it’s hot.’
‘Ooh,’ Thea says, dropping her tablet atop a huge roll of bubble wrap, joined by Rudy and my muscle men.
But I’m not hungry in the least. I have decided to compose another letter to the Wickfords as the last email I sent came back as undelivered. I’ve tried everything, but they seem to be unreachable. Even the various phone numbers Thea has managed to find are always busy. How am I supposed to show them my work if I can never reach them? It is a well-known fact that, either as a client or an employee, you can’t choose the Wickfords unless they choose you first. They work only based on personal referrals. But surely, by this time, they have forgotten the award incident from years ago?
And yet Vanessa is all chummy with them. Easy when you have your parents to pave the way for you. Hope and I had had absolutely no one, and yet, she managed to make her way up from the very bottom rung and become a multi-Michelin-starred chef, without any support from a husband. All she had was me to keep the kids when she had to work until the wee hours.
A knock on the door makes me jump. It can only be Mr Lightfoot – startle-me-Turner.
‘Faith? I brought lunch. Are you coming?’
I look up briefly. ‘You go. I’ll be there in a minute, I’m finishing a letter,’ I say.
‘Business?’
‘Yes.’
‘Okay, then. You certainly know how to look out for your team. They think the world of you, you know?’ he says.
‘They are the family I never had,’ I say with a shrug.
‘Yes, well. It’s good to have someone to support you in times of need. Are you writing to the Wickfords?’
At the look on my face, he leans against the door. ‘Thea told me.’
‘Oh.’
‘To be honest, I wouldn’t chase them,’ he says.
‘I beg your pardon?’
He shrugs. ‘Your name is Faith, and yet you haven’t got any in yourself.’
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘That you don’t need them to achieve your goals.’
‘Thanks, Henry, but actually, I do. They are the be-all and end-all of British design.’
‘Why are you in such a hurry, Faith? You’re already doing so well. Pace yourself.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘The journey to complete success is half the pleasure, you know?’
‘Maybe for some. I have a lot of time to make up for.’
‘But you’re missing the best years of your life this way. Soon, you’ll think fondly back to the days that you didn’t have two pennies to rub together, believe me.’
‘Maybe…’
‘Don’t second-guess yourself. I can see it on your face – the doubts and fears. You’re worried about not being good enough. I can see that you are. And Gabe—’ He breaks off, biting his lip.
‘What? What were you going to say about Gabe?’
‘I can see that you are wondering about your relationship with Gabe, just like I did with Linda. You’re wondering how much you can really trust him now. And, quite frankly, I don’t blame you.’
‘I am not! And besides, how would it be any of your business anyway?’
He shrugs. ‘Because I hate to see someone waste their life away on someone who just can’t be counted on. Look what he did to you. What man would think of selling the home he’s shared with his partner without even telling her?’
As if I was going to give him the satisfaction of acknowledging that. ‘I’m not wasting my life away,’ I argue. ‘Gabe and I have plans all the same which, incidentally, are absolutely none of your business.’
At that, his eyes flash. ‘I know my place. But what about you? Why is it that every time we’re alone you immediately become belligerent?’
‘I do not become belligerent,’ I deny. But it’s true. I’ve noticed the pattern. The minute we’re alone, out come my claws. ‘And if I did, it’s probably because you’ve got it out for Gabe.’
‘I’m only trying to protect you, Faith.’
‘I know how to look after myself.’
He sighs. ‘Okay. I know you do. I’m sorry. Peace?’
I hesitate, even if my beef is not with Henry. But I don’t want to take my frustrations out on anyone but Gabe. And myself for being such a pushover. ‘Peace.’
He smiles. ‘I know you hate Chinese food. So I got you Indian. Will you come out into the kitchen now or am I going to have to eat all those samosas and onion bhajis by myself?’
It’s amazing how quickly he drops his weapons and any possible grudge. Because Henry, from what I have gathered so far, is an up-front man. He doesn’t slag people off. Gabe excepted, of course. But I have a feeling that when Gabe returns, they are definitely going to have it out. Over what, exactly, remains a mystery, but it is clear that there is some bad blood between them.
I roll my eyes and he raises his palms once again in a gesture of backing off. ‘Fine, fine. Come and get your Indian before it gets cold.’
And suddenly, just like that, I’m starving.
*
After a quick lunch in the kitchen with my crew and Henry, I spend the rest of the day inspecting the current state of the house, making notes of our next steps. It’s time to source out the white goods. Hopefully, the floorboards have been spared, because whoever laid down the carpeting and the tiling looks like they’ve done a right cowboy job.
When I stop for a cup of coffee, Henry is taking the last of his measurements in the kitchen.
‘I’ll work on this tomorrow and the weekend and be back on Monday to show you my drawings,’ he promises.
I know it’s going to be amazing because all his work always is. He is an incredibly talented joiner.
*
As I’m getting ready for bed that evening, Gabe video-calls me.
‘Hey…’ he says, all smiles as if everything between us was fine and dandy. ‘Still angry with me?’
‘What do you think? One minute you say one thing and the next…’
‘I know,’ he says softly. ‘Forgive me, things are crazy here.’
‘Same here,’ I warn him.
‘So – getting ready for my big return?’ He was always so good at changing the subject. ‘I’ll be there next Saturday.’
‘Please bear in mind that our home here is still an absolute wreck.’
‘Never mind that. Where are you sleeping?’
‘Still in the music room.’
He laughs. ‘Not when I come back, you’re not.’
Which, of course, remains to be seen. I’m still so angry with him about merely thinking of selling our home that I can’t even contemplate that.
He sighs. A loud, pained sigh. ‘Well, at least you’re still calling it our home. That’s a good sign for me, right?’
Is it? Every day I’m discovering things I don’t like. Gabe had already broken my heart once. And now this. Luckily, I am a born optimist, despite all that has happened to me. I just keep pushing forward, not willing to be defeated, even if chances look slim. I have never ever left anything unattempted if I thought I had even the slightest ghost of a chance. Because you never know where life may take you. When it may decide to finally reward you for all the pain and hard slogging. I want to be around just in case good karma decides to suddenly dish out.
‘We’ll talk about it when you get back, okay?’ There is no point in insisting at this distance. I’ll just have to wait until we’re in the same room. Once he’s here and he’s had time to relax, we’ll talk about it seriously. I’m not like Vanessa who stomps her stilettos to get her own way. I use reason and logic. And sometimes, with Gabe, it even works. But this time, I have a feeling he’s going to give me a tough time. Just how badly did she hurt him?
‘I forgot to ask you, Babes – did you ever get an answer from the Wickfords?’
‘As if. They are literally untouchable.’
Silence, and I can hear his thoughts. Vanessa is very close to them, and by proxy, so was he until he dumped her. And now that his name is mud in that household, there’s nothing he can do to help me. ‘Never mind,’ he says. ‘You don’t need them anyway.’
Just like Henry had said. ‘We’ll see. So, see you on Saturday, then.’
‘Can’t wait. Meet you in the bedroom, Babes,’ he says, lowering his voice to that sexy, gravelly tone he uses whenever we’re alone. ‘Naked.’
I laugh. ‘What?’
‘No nightgowns, no frills. I want to see you on the bed naked.’