A Cornish Stranger (23 page)

 

 

 

 

Nineteen

 

 

 

 

T
he lights were on in the cabin as Gabe walked down the path, and her breath caught in her throat. It could only mean one thing – Fin had returned. The smell of roasting lamb and cinnamon wafted out of the kitchen.

‘Hi.' Gabe stood in the doorway. Fin was at the stove with a wooden spoon in his hand. A smile spread across his face and his eyes lit up. Gabe couldn't move.

‘Hello, beautiful.' He placed the spoon in the pot and walked towards her with his arms open. Gabe dropped the sheet music in her hands on the counter and embraced him. This is what she wanted, what she had longed for.

‘I've missed you.' Gabe's head rested against his chest and the steady rhythm of his heart played to her. Home. This was home. She looked up. His eyes were still smiling at her and all the defences she had built seemed so stupid now.

His mouth met hers. Gabe pulled him closer as her hands caressed his back through his shirt. Need swamped her.

The phone rang.

He sighed. ‘I think you should answer it and I should tend to dinner before it burns.'

Gabe nodded and stumbled on wobbly legs to the phone to pick up the handset. ‘Hello?'

‘Hi, Gabe, it's Hannah.'

Gabe grinned. ‘Hi.'

‘I'm just calling to check on you.'

She was touched by Hannah's concern. She didn't think she'd have been so sensitive to others at seventeen. ‘Thank you.'

‘I'll be there on Friday. I've taken the day off school. I want to be there for you.'

Gabe blinked. ‘You don't need to do that.'

‘Yes, I do. You were there for me.'

‘Thank you.'

‘I'll be there early to help with anything. See you then. Bye.'

Gabe put the phone down. Friday. It would be the end. There would be a funeral mass, then Jaunty would be cremated. Only the loose threads of probate would remain to be tied up. A life finished and somehow Gabe must move forward. She brushed her hand against her eyes.

Fin reached out and touched her. ‘OK?'

She jumped. When had he appeared in front of her? ‘Yes, that was Hannah. She'll be at the service.'

‘Good. Dinner's ready.' He held out his hand and Gabe took it. Reassurance and excitement mixed in the clasp.

‘How was London?'

Fin glanced at her, then looked away. ‘Fine.' He walked to the kitchen. Gabe studied his back. She might be imagining things but his shoulders looked rigid. Something was troubling him. He came back to the table with a smile on his face that didn't reach his eyes.

‘Sure?'

‘Well, not really.' He sighed. ‘It's complicated, but a painting that sold through my old business may be a fraud and it's becoming messy.' He sat down and reached for the wine.

‘Doesn't sound good.'

‘Not good on many fronts but mainly because I have to deal with Patricia.'

Gabe touched his hand as it worried the edge of the table.

He looked up. His eyes were dark and thoughtful. ‘I wasn't in London the whole time. I went to visit my mother to see if she had heard my grandmother mention anything about Jaunty or Jeanette as she really was.'

Gabe straightened in her chair. Had he told his mother Jaunty's secret? ‘And?'

‘No, she didn't but I went through some of my grandmother's papers and found some letters exchanged between them.'

‘Yes?'

‘Nothing exciting, I'm afraid, but Jaunty – Jeanette – did spend time with them as she mentioned.'

‘Was there anything from your uncle?'

‘No paperwork.' Fin paused and poured the wine. ‘I have a painting, though.' He looked at her briefly, then served the lamb tagine.

‘A painting?'

He nodded.

‘Your great-uncle was a painter too?'

‘No. When my grandmother died she, among other things, left me a painting that belonged to Alex. She'd known how important it was to him and I'd always reminded her of him.'

Fin stood and collected a briefcase Gabe hadn't noticed by the wall. He pulled out a clear protective sleeve and handed it to Gabe. It held an unframed watercolour on heavy paper.

‘Oh.' Blood drained from her and she felt a chill. It was Jaunty's work without a doubt. She turned it over and there, in Jaunty's writing, was her declaration of love – but the signature was different. It read Jeanette. If there had been any lingering doubts in her mind, they were gone.

 

Morning light slipped in through a gap in the curtains. Gabe snuggled closer to Fin. She had slept so soundly, the best she had in ages. This must be what contentment felt like. It was magic. Fin's chest rose and fell with his breathing. She had missed this while he was away. Could it really only have been a month since he had turned up on Bosworgy's quay? The light caught his morning stubble and her fingers itched to touch his cheeks, every part of him, but she didn't want to wake him just yet. For the moment she enjoyed studying his eyelashes resting on his cheek. She swallowed. Her glance strayed to his mouth, which smiled slightly. How could she ever have thought him a stranger or a threat? Jaunty had been right to invite him into their lives. Had Jaunty known that Gabe would fall for him? Or had Jaunty just enjoyed the rekindling of her memories of Alex.

After tomorrow was over Gabe would talk to a lawyer about Jaunty's revelations and see how she should proceed with what she knew, and also how to handle the body of work that wasn't Jaunty but Jeanette. Fin murmured in his sleep and Gabe tried to listen, wondering what he was dreaming of.

He moved and his arms pulled her closer to him and he nuzzled her ear.

‘Morning.'

Chills went done her spine. ‘It's good to have you back.'

‘Hmmm.' He planted light kisses down her neck and Gabe closed her eyes. ‘I missed you.'

‘So you said last night.'

He trailed a finger across her breast. ‘You don't know how much.'

‘Show me.' Gabe ran a hand over his hip.

‘With pleasure,' he whispered as he rolled over.

 

They set off from the cabin hand in hand. The sun had set but the sky was still light and tinged with pink as they walked along the track, hopping over puddles and laughing. Her head was spinning from all the final arrangements for tomorrow; hymns, orders of service, the readings, the priest, the vicar, the undertakers, the reception in the village hall afterwards. She had jumped at Fin's suggestion of dinner down at the pub. She was dreading tomorrow and the final goodbye, yet longing for it to be all over. The urge to begin again was strong. She stole a glance at Fin. She knew he was a huge part of that desire. Desire. She smiled, remembering this morning before the phone had begun ringing and all the world seemed to want to talk to them both. Fin had spent the best part of the day pacing by the car where he had the best phone reception. Now, he was looking out over the fields to Falmouth Bay. His expression was thoughtful, almost sad. Three jackdaws sat on the telephone wire watching them as she and Fin moved along. She shivered.

‘OK?' He turned to her with a lopsided smile.

She nodded and kissed his cheek. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her to his side as they turned down the lane to Penarvon Cove. It was darker under the cover of the trees and Gabe squinted until she adjusted to the lower light. She touched the torch in her jacket pocket. It wasn't needed yet.

Fin's phone rang and as he took the call he stepped away from her. She assumed it was the painting crisis. She half listened to his curt greeting and talk of a painting before he lost signal. She knew so little about his life, but then that was something she could look forward to learning about.

Just as they arrived at the Shipwrights, Fin's phone rang again. Gabe left him standing outside and stood inside the outer door out of the light rain that had begun to fall.

‘Frenchman's Creek. It's an unusual and unique early painting.' Fin's voice was drifting away. ‘There is a long story.'

He was going to sell Jaunty's painting! Gabe froze and listened carefully to what else she could hear. Fin's motives were now clear: money.

 

Mist hung over the creek. The sky was a pale blue above it so it should clear by eleven. Gabe stood by the window and adjusted her dress. She could do this. Fin's motives for coming here in the first place didn't matter. She'd never asked him but maybe he'd wanted to find the location of the painting, and he had. It was a bonus for him that he discovered the artist too. He was clever and quickly put things together – it was his work – and Jaunty had known what he did and she hadn't worried. So there was no reason for Gabe to feel so angry. It didn't matter now. She was being ridiculous.

Wiping her palms on a teatowel, she tried to shake the feeling that Jaunty's story and the painting could change Fin's fortunes. It could instantly rebuild his career after his ex-wife had stripped it from him, because Jaunty's story would put him on the front page and that early painting would make him a mint. He could begin again if that was what he wanted.

Gabe swallowed. She would not think about it today. Today was about Jaunty, the Jaunty this community knew. It was about saying farewell. Today Gabe would sing for Jaunty one last time, then she must begin to work again to pay the bills. Life had to continue and Fin would leave after today, that was inevitable. It was OK. And she was too.

‘Do you want anything to eat?' Fin walked into the cabin.

‘No, thanks.' Instead of falling into his arms last night, Gabe had crawled into bed alone. She had been quiet all through their meal and Fin had expressed concern, but Gabe had said it was worries about the funeral. She wanted to scream that he'd betrayed her and Jaunty. But she hadn't. He was human. He needed money and Jaunty's painting would get some for him. She would call the solicitor first thing on Monday and discuss how to go about telling the truth to the world.

But right now just hearing his voice sent shivers of memory across her skin. Last night, when she had heard the door close behind him, she'd let the tears fall. But it was fine. He had helped her to break down the walls, and though she was now open, exposed and very cold, it really was fine. Because she was fully alive again.

‘It will be a long morning on an empty stomach.' He reached a hand towards her and she pulled back.

‘True, but I can't face food.' She turned. He was so close and the scent of his aftershave, the freshness of citrus, hung in the space that separated them.

‘Shall we leave?' she asked.

‘There's still time.' His hands clenched and unclenched.

Gabe shook her head. There wasn't time. Their time had finished and she needed to get through today and get beyond him. The next phase of her life needed to begin. Jaunty had survived and so could she.

She looked up into his eyes and that was a mistake. His concern showed he cared and she didn't want to think about that. It was easier if she thought him mercenary. She stepped aside and grabbed her coat and bag. The sooner she began, the sooner she could rebuild.

 

Gabe drove in silence through the lanes towards St Anthony's. The mist had cleared over Falmouth Bay and it was a perfect October day. She took the turning above the graveyard. At a later point she would have Jaunty's ashes interred with her parents in Manaccan graveyard, although she really wanted to spread them across the water near the Isles of Scilly so that Jaunty could be one with the sea and with her Alex. Gabe turned the car into a space between boats laid up for the winter. She hadn't said a word to Fin on the whole journey. She would deal with him after today was over. Now she scurried down to the church, not waiting for him to catch up with her. As she turned the corner, she saw the sailing boats beached for the winter. What had become of Fin's boat,
Jezebel,
that Jaunty had sailed with Alex? Gabe was sure it was the same boat, remembering how Jaunty had reacted, the emotion that had been in her voice when she'd said the name. Fin hadn't mentioned it. She shook her head. She had many more important things to think about.

As she slipped in to the porch she saw a flash of light and heard the sound of a digital camera click, but when she turned she only saw Fin behind her. She must be imagining things. Or maybe it was Mrs Bates's nephew from the local paper. Gabe hadn't really thought about it when she'd said yes, but she supposed Jaunty was something of a local celebrity.

Hannah was straightening the piles of the order of service when Gabe entered the church. She looked lovely in a navy dress, her blonde hair sleek and shining. She rushed over to hug Gabe.

‘You OK?'

Gabe nodded, noting that Max was already sitting at the organ. ‘Morning,' he said.

‘Hi.'

‘Shall we have a quick run through? Father Tim is already here. He's chatting with the vicar in the vestry.'

Gabe moved to the side of the organ. The acid in her empty stomach roiled. She didn't have to do this, just the music alone would be beautiful. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Mrs Bates topping up the water in the flower arrangements, and she had helpfully organised for tea and coffee to be served in the village hall after the service as well. Gabe would stop in there briefly before going to the crematorium in Truro. The undertaker had told her there was no need for her to go, but Gabe felt she had to be with Jaunty on this last trip. It was her final journey and Gabe didn't want her to do it with only strangers for company.

‘Let's run through the Schubert once more.' Max gave her hand a squeeze.

Gabe nodded. The opening notes of the music began and she sang despite hearing the heavy wooden door open close behind her. When she had finished, a tap on her shoulder made her shake.

‘Sorry to trouble you, miss. We're all set. Your grandmother is here.'