Chapter 45

‘Your chariot awaits.’ Conor greeted Star at her flat door and held out his arm.

‘What are you doing here?’ she asked. ‘I was just on my way over to you.’

‘I couldn’t let a pregnant lady negotiate these outside stairs in this snow, now could I?’ Big fat, perfectly formed snowflakes were silently falling; one caught on her eyelash and, noticing it under the outside light, Conor kissed it away. ‘Have you got your trainers on and is that coat warm enough? Gloves?’

‘I thought we were just going to yours for dinner?’

‘Come on, take my arm.’

The big Irishman led her safely down the steps and then on through Ferry Lane Market where their footsteps crunched in the icy white carpet that was getting deeper in front of their eyes. The sparkling Christmas lights looked even more magical against their wintry backdrop and the shop windows were a feast for the eyes with their colourful Christmas goodies displayed for all to see.

‘Fresh snow, I love it.’ Conor squeezed her hand.

‘Me too,’ Star agreed. ‘We rarely get snow like this down here. What a treat. And that crunchy sound is just so cool.’

They turned the corner to see Frank’s Café and the decking area outside completely lit up in pretty coloured fairy lights.

‘Wow, Frank’s really gone to town this Christmas. It looks magical against the snow. Quite romantic, in fact.’ On getting closer she could make out an arch of holly, ivy and mistletoe interspersed with white flashing lights in the shape of stars. Her heart sank at the realisation of what might be about to happen. She started to shiver, saying, ‘God, it’s freezing out here. Can’t we head back now that I’ve seen the lights?’

‘Wasn’t it Aristotle who said, “To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake it is necessary to stand out in the cold”?’ Conor quoted.

‘Didn’t he also say that “No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness”?’

‘I shall take that as a compliment.’ Conor laughed and carried on leading her towards the cafe.

The promenade was silent apart from a couple of kids having a snowball fight in the pub car park opposite. The sea lay perfectly still as if accepting its new freezing layer willingly. Seagulls squawked their disapproval at this seasonal interference and the various yachts and boats creaked their usual sleepy lullaby.

Without a word, Conor led Star with two hands to stand underneath the arch, then immediately got down on one knee. He looked up into her now watering eyes. Oh, how she had wanted a moment like this, a thought-out proposal in a romantic water’s-edge setting with a handsome man. And to top it off, with the picturesque backdrop of snow too. All the ingredients were here for the perfect beginning to a perfect romance – except the only thing that hadn’t shown up was her heart.

‘Star Lilian Bligh,’ Conor began. ‘It may have only been a matter of weeks since we first met, but every moment of them has made me smile. You are a beautiful soul and now you are growing our little soul inside of you, it’s only right that I ask you to—’

BANG!

All of a sudden, a huge explosion reverberated around the night sky. It was coming from up on Hartmouth Head.

‘What the …?’

BANG!

Conor grabbed Star close to him as an eruption of orange flames and black smoke could be seen from where they were standing.

Just then, Billy pulled up alongside them in his van and stuck his head out of the open window. ‘It’s the mobile home park,’ he said. ‘My mate Larry who lives up there just called me.’ He reached out and took Star’s hand. ‘I was just about to ring you: it’s your mum’s place, Star. Get in, both of you.’

As Billy screeched into the Hartmouth Head static home park, Estelle Bligh’s van was a ball of fire. Sirens could be heard cutting through the freezing night air. Residents were doing their best with fire extinguishers to try and ease the blaze.

‘No!’ Star screamed. ‘No!’ as she scrabbled out of Billy’s van and towards the green-painted static home that had been in her family for four generations. ‘Mum! Where are you? Mum!’

‘Star! Don’t even think about it.’ Conor ran after her, followed by Billy. A fire engine could now be seen making its way as fast as it was able through the snow to the roaring inferno; an ambulance screaming in its slipstream.

Star took her coat off and put it over her face to avoid the smoke. ‘Stop! Star, come back!’ Conor’s voice was urgent. ‘You can’t go in there.’

But an adrenaline-fuelled Star was only listening to her heart. She suddenly felt Estelle’s presence near to her. At the sight of her mother lying alone, motionless in the snow, six foot from the blaze, she fell to her knees beside her on the freezing ground. ‘Oh Mum, Mum. I’m here. I’m so sorry for what I said. I love you so much.’

The woman’s face was black, her clothes partly burned off her. Her arms looked sore and raw against the whiteness of the ground. Star began frantically gathering up snow and frenziedly throwing it on to her wounds in an attempt to cool them down.

‘Star, you need to move away.’ Conor started to pull her back from her mother. ‘The fireman said if there’s another gas canister in there it could blow at any minute. Think of our baby.’

‘You came. My little girl came,’ Estelle Bligh murmured, then fell back unconscious as a paramedic leaped down to the injured woman’s side and called back to his colleague: ‘We’re going to need an air ambulance to get her to Derriford Burns Unit – and pronto.’

Star kicked her legs in fury as Conor carried her away from danger against her wishes. ‘Let me go! Put me down!’ Looking at him with a face so contorted with anguish that it was almost unrecognisable, she then sobbed, ‘It’s not our baby, Conor. I’m so sorry. I can’t marry you.’