Annie’s Summer by the Sea: The perfect laugh-out-loud romantic comedy Read online

  It takes a while for the choir to settle down after the wedding announcement. But all in all, the rehearsal goes pretty well and Maureen’s cupcakes go down even better during the break. We decamp to the Whistling Wave when we’re all sung out and Kayla was right – Josh and I are plied with drinks and don’t need to get our money out once. Everyone’s delighted for us and, since the death of Alice has rocked the community hard, seems happy to have something to celebrate at last.

  Kayla’s kept busy behind the bar because she’s off to the Lake District with Ollie tomorrow and Roger’s getting his wages’ worth out of her while he can.

  ‘When will you be back?’ I ask her as she pushes a gleaming glass under the gin optic with one hand and pushes the till drawer closed with the other.

  ‘Friday.’ She rolls her eyes and swooshes the gin with tonic before banging it down in front of Maureen. ‘He’s still going through with this ridiculous charade but at least I get a few days away out of it. Though it’s up North which everyone keeps warning me is grim, and the weather forecast is awful. I was quite keen to get out of baking-hot Australia for a while with this colouring’ – she waggles a strand of auburn hair in front of her green eyes – ‘but there is a limit and I think the Water District might be it.’

  ‘The Lake District. And what if it’s not a charade, Kayla – which Josh says it definitely isn’t? What if Ollie really is going to move up there, whether you go with him or not?’

  ‘He wouldn’t. He’d never leave me and his family behind,’ scoffs Kayla. But uncertainty flickers across her face before Gerald bangs a tenner on the bar and insists on buying me and Josh a short to celebrate. We are going to be totally bladdered but what the hell! You only get married once, fingers crossed, and it’s lovely that everyone’s so happy for us.

  The only person not likely to relish the Trebarwiths and Pascos being legally joined is Toby – but he’s just going to have to lump it.

  Twelve

  Toby has disappeared off the radar since the reading of the will. But he turns up in person a couple of days later and my stomach lurches when I open the door to find him leaning against Alice’s safety rail. Duty visits to his great-aunt are no longer required so is he here to lay claim to the house? Surely he’s satisfied with the painting, which is worth far more.

  ‘I was in the area on business,’ he says, tapping his foot impatiently on the step. It’s cloudier today and there’s a cooler breeze but, behind him, tourists are still heading for the harbour in shorts and skimpy tops. I open the door wide but Toby hesitates.

  ‘Are you coming in then?’

  ‘If you’re sure that’s all right, seeing as it’s your house now.’

  ‘It’s absolutely fine. Alice would want us to get along,’ I mutter through gritted teeth, wondering why Toby has to make everything difficult.

  ‘If that was the case, maybe she should have been less cavalier with her possessions.’

  Toby steps past me into the hallway and hangs up the jacket that’s hanging over his arm. It’s soft grey suede and must have cost a fortune. Then he stands by the coatstand like he’s waiting for something. Well, this is awkward.

  ‘Would you like a cup of tea?’ I venture at last.

  ‘Lovely. No sugar.’ Toby stalks past me into the sitting room and I head for the kitchen to make a brew, grateful that no one is home except me. My cousin in a foul mood plus Storm in a strop is like matter and antimatter colliding – explosive and unpleasant for anyone in the vicinity. And when Josh gets involved too… I give the leaves in the teapot a vigorous stir and tip biscuits onto a plate, keen to get Toby out of the house a.s.a.p.

  When I carry the tray into the sitting room, Toby is sitting in Alice’s chair, sprawled back against the gold velour with his legs outstretched on the footstool where Alice would rest her stockinged feet in the evening. And he’s still got his dusty brogues on.

  ‘Here you go.’ I place his tea on a side table and make a space for my mug on the bureau, which is covered in documents and information about the house. Lying on top is the email from the roofer that I’ve printed out for filing and the red-underlined £30,000 catches my eye. Has Toby seen it? He sips his tea without expression while I shuffle the papers together and stuff them into a drawer.

  ‘So what brings you to Salt Bay, Toby?’

  D’oh! He’s here to slap an expensive law suit on you, you idiot, and you’ll all be ruined, says my inner voice unhelpfully.

  Toby uses his snow-white handkerchief to mop a splash of tea that’s dribbled into his tidy goatee. ‘I wanted to see you because we didn’t part on the best of terms at the will reading. And that’s a shame because now my parents and Alice are gone you’re the only family I have left.’

  ‘Apart from your daughter.’

  ‘Apart from Freya, of course.’ He smiles but there’s a flash of annoyance in his hooded grey eyes. ‘Anyway, I’d prefer that we’re on good terms seeing as we’re the only Trebarwiths left. Or at least the only ones bearing the Trebarwith name.’

  My tension-tight shoulders start to ease down from my ears. ‘I’d prefer that too. Are you planning on seeing Freya during this visit?’

  ‘I saw her briefly yesterday and took her to a soft play area so we could spend some quality time together.’

  ‘That sounds great. How was it?’

  ‘Awful. I didn’t realise such places existed – there were ridiculously loud, feral children screeching and crying everywhere. Needless to say, we didn’t stay long and I don’t know why you suggested it in the first place.’

  I’m pretty sure my suggestion was a more general one about spending one-on-one time with his daughter, but I let his complaint wash over me. Now isn’t the time to be picky.

  ‘Did the painting arrive in London OK?’

  We both glance at the wall where the oil painting used to hang. I haven’t got around to putting anything in its place and the empty space catches my eye whenever I’m in the room – a constant reminder that Alice has gone and things are changing.

  Toby sniffs and pushes his fingers through his short brown fringe. ‘The courier company charged a fortune but they did a good job and it arrived undamaged, thank goodness. It’s currently in the vault at my office for safe keeping.’

  ‘Are you planning on putting it up for auction?’

  Toby shrugs. ‘I’m not sure. I must admit I was planning on selling it but now it’s in my possession I might hang onto it for a while. Parting with such a glorious painting that’s part of Trebarwith heritage would be a wrench.’

  ‘So you’ll keep it?’

  ‘Yes, I do believe that I will for the moment.’

  Crikey. That’s a turn-up for the books. I was sure the wrench of parting with the painting would be softened by its new owner handing over three-quarters of a million pounds. But maybe fatherhood is bringing out the best in Toby after all.

  ‘Do you want a biscuit?’ I hand him the plate of chocolate digestives like a peace offering but Toby shakes his head and balances the plate on the footstool.

  ‘I’m watching my waistline,’ he says, staring at mine. ‘So what else is happening around here now Alice has gone?’

  ‘Um…’ I swallow, annoyed that the thought of telling Toby my good news is making me nervous. It’s ridiculous, just as ridiculous as sweeping the engagement cards on the mantelpiece into a tidy pile when I saw his car pull up outside. So I’ll just say it… ‘Josh and I are getting married.’

  Toby carefully places his cup back in its saucer. ‘Are you, indeed. So tell me, Mr Pasco, what was it that first attracted you to property owner Annabella Trebarwith?’

  ‘That’s not fair, Toby. Josh and I have been going out for a while and he was going to propose before Alice fell ill.’

  ‘If you say so, and there has been a slight improvement recently from the humourless paragon of virtue he used to be. But a Pasco owning Tregavara House, who’d have thought it?’ Toby gives a yelping laugh that doesn’t reach his eyes.
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  ‘It will belong to both of us.’

  I hold my breath, waiting for Toby to make his own claim on Tregavara House but he grabs hold of my left hand instead. ‘Let’s have a look at the ring then.’

  He peers at the plain band while I bite back the urge to explain that it’s only temporary and I don’t want a platinum-set blingtastic diamond anyway. Simple silver will do me just fine.

  ‘It’s very you,’ says Toby at last, shaking his head like he’s trying to dislodge the thought of me and Josh getting hitched. ‘Look, I can’t stay but the main reason I’m here is to talk about the house.’

  Here it comes. He takes another sip of his tea and waits while I take a seat opposite him. I get the feeling I’ll need to be sitting down for this.

  ‘I was shocked by Alice’s will because I was sure she’d leave the house to me seeing as I’ve known her for years and you only turned up eighteen months ago.’ He sucks in air and breathes out slowly. ‘Of course it was entirely up to Alice how she disposed of her property but I’m here with a proposal.’

  ‘Which is?’

  ‘All in good time, but first I think I might have been a little hasty about asking you to leave when I thought the house was mine. My behaviour was inappropriate and for that I apologise. To be honest, Alice’s death has hit me harder than I thought it would and I’m more attached to this house than I realised.’

  Wow, this is weird. Thoroughly disliking Toby would be so much easier than the ambivalence I often feel when my cousin is around – he’s unkind and irresponsible and a terrible snob but he shows just enough flashes of loneliness, hurt and humanity to keep me on his side.

  ‘Why don’t we forget it? We were all upset at the time.’

  ‘That’s true. It was a difficult day.’

  ‘So what exactly is your proposal?’

  ‘I’ve thought of a way we can all benefit,’ says Toby, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. ‘You can’t afford to live here and keep this place going.’

  ‘Did you read my email?’

  ‘I couldn’t help noticing it with all that underlining but I’d guessed as much anyway. Anyone with half a brain can tell this place is crying out for some TLC or it might not last another hideous Cornish winter.’ He shudders. ‘Anyway, I might be willing to buy Tregavara House from you at a very reasonable price and let you stay on indefinitely as a tenant.’

  ‘I thought you wanted the house empty for yourself and your friends.’

  ‘I’ve had time to think about that and it would be better if the house was occupied rather than being prey to local burglars. So in effect the house would still be your home but I’d be paying the repair bills including funding a new roof, though thirty grand sounds a bit steep. That roofer saw you coming.’

  ‘We won’t need a new roof for ages because the repair will hold,’ I assure him, crossing my fingers behind my back. ‘But what’s in all this for you, Toby?’

  ‘Sometimes you do remind me very much of Alice.’ He leans back in her chair. ‘OK, cards on the table. I could pursue this legally but that would cost both of us money and time and would mostly benefit the lawyers involved. But I don’t like not having a toehold here, especially now I’m visiting Freya.’

  ‘You could rent or buy somewhere else nearby.’

  ‘I could, but I’ve been visiting Tregavara House since I was a child and it feels like home. I don’t want to see it fall down because you can’t afford to repair it and my way is win-win.’ He ticks off the win-wins on his fingers. ‘You get to live here, Pasco and your various hangers-on still have a roof over their heads – a roof that won’t blow off in a storm – and I can stay whenever I’m in the area. Alice would approve.’

  Would she, when she deliberately left the house to me?

  ‘Of course you’d need to pay the appropriate rent,’ adds Toby. ‘I’m not a charity.’

  ‘Of course.’ The thought of Toby being even a smidgen charitable is hard to fathom.

  ‘So shall I get a price over to you that I’m willing to pay? I’ve already taken advice about what Tregavara House is worth but I’ll obviously need to take into account the cost of a new roof and other repairs. But you’ll still get a better price and a quicker sale from me than from anyone else. And the house will stay in the Trebarwith family – it would break Alice’s heart for it to go to an outsider.’

  My cousin steeples his fingers under his chin while I try to work out whether I’m dealing with Toby One or Toby Two.

  Toby One is a heartless, avaricious snob who abandoned his responsibilities as a father and screws people over. While Toby Two is a sad, lonely soul who’s trying to make amends with Freya and helped get me and Josh back together during a sticky patch last year. The second version is rarely glimpsed because it’s buried deep, but it’s there nonetheless.

  ‘Why don’t you get more information about your proposal to me and we can discuss it. Obviously, I need to talk to Josh about it first.’

  ‘Obviously,’ says Toby with the faintest hint of a sneer. ‘Josh Pasco married to a Trebarwith and living at Tregavara House. Whatever next? Doctor Who getting it on with the Daleks?’

  He smiles at his own joke, which has taken me by surprise. I’d have thought Doctor Who was far too plebeian for a man of Toby’s calibre but there’s a lot I don’t know about him. He doesn’t let anyone get close, which is so like me and my life before Salt Bay, Alice and Josh, when I was haring round London cultivating friendships and relationships, almost all of them superficial. It was safer that way.

  Toby crosses his legs and finishes his cooling tea while I wonder what it is that keeps him awake at night.

  * * *

  ‘So what do you reckon he’s up to?’ asks Josh, peering over the edge of the cliff at the perfect curve of sand far below us. ‘I know he’s seeing Freya now and paying maintenance but I don’t trust him. He’s still the man who ran away from his own child and left us to pick up the pieces.’

  He turns face-on into the breeze and pulls at his white T-shirt, which is sticking to his back. Thick grey clouds have smothered the sun and the air is heavy with the threat of a storm. Climbing the cliff path was absolutely knackering.

  ‘I think – I like to think – that Toby has the best interests of the house and the Trebarwith family at heart.’

  ‘Then you’re definitely a better person than me, Annabella Sunshine.’

  ‘Or more gullible?’

  ‘Or that,’ says Josh, wheeling his hands around his head to chase off a swarm of midges. The unusually hot weather we’ve been having is an aphrodisiac for insects and Salt Bay is teeming with the tiny flies.

  ‘So what do you think we should do?’

  ‘It’s your house so it’s up to you.’

  ‘No, it’s our house and I want you to be happy with what’s decided.’

  When I lace my fingers through Josh’s, he swings our arms back and forth with a thoughtful look on his face. ‘Well, look at the options. We either stay put, try to make it work and hope the roof doesn’t fall in. Or we could sell to an outsider or to Toby, at what I’m sure will be an advantageous price to your cousin, and buy somewhere else.’

  ‘He said we could stay on as tenants.’

  Josh wrinkles his perfect nose. ‘Like I said, I don’t trust him and the rent would probably be extortionate. I’m sure we’d end up moving somewhere else.’

  ‘Somewhere else not in Salt Bay.’

  ‘Probably. Nothing much in the village comes on the market until people die and most local properties are too small for us all anyway. But there’s nothing wrong with Trecaldwith.’

  Hhmm. I shrug because there’s nothing wrong with Trecaldwith at all. It’s a small town with a harbour, shops, my future in-laws and the school where Josh teaches. It’s got lots going for it but it’s not Salt Bay. And I can’t imagine leaving this close-knit, sometimes infuriating community.

  Josh spots my frown, puts his arms around me and kisses the top of my head. ‘Come
here. Alice gave you a wonderful gift and she’d hate that it’s causing you such stress.’

  ‘I know, and I love living here and am so grateful to her for choosing me as guardian of the house.’

  ‘Guardian? You make it sound like a child rather than a building,’ chuckles Josh into my hair. ‘What’s your gut feeling about the right thing to do?’

  ‘Honestly? Keeping Tregavara House and making it a wonderful home for all of us feels right. But there are bills coming in and a wedding to pay for and sometimes I think it would be better in Toby’s safe keeping.’

  ‘Or someone else’s safe keeping.’

  I pull away and raise my eyebrows at my tall, dark, handsome fiancé. ‘Huh! You just can’t stand the thought of Toby getting what he wants. But I couldn’t let Tregavara House go to anyone other than a Trebarwith.’

  ‘Even if that Trebarwith is an idiot? Honestly, your family and its blood is thicker than water shtick can be a bit trying at times.’

  Biting my lip, I wonder if I am being over the top about my family ties. It’s so hard to keep things in perspective when having roots is so new and wonderful for me.

  ‘Look, Annie, we don’t have to make any decisions straight away so why don’t we let Toby stew for a while?’

  ‘You’d like that, wouldn’t you?’

  Josh grins. ‘I must admit, I would. And it’ll give us a chance to concentrate on getting married instead seeing as that’s less than two months away. Our wedding doesn’t have to cost loads as long as you’re sure you don’t mind not having a big Big Day.’

  ‘I don’t need a big wedding, Josh. All I want are a few friends and family there – and you, of course, looking handsome in your suit.’ When I playfully pinch his backside, he gives me a sexy wink. ‘But even doing it on the cheap costs money. There’s the food and drink for the reception and wedding dresses cost a lot. Even simple ones without a veil and all that malarkey. Kayla’s been looking at some wedding dress websites and reckons I’ll need to sell a kidney or go on the game.’