FOR THE LOVE OF THE SEA (21 page)

There was a quiet knock on the door and Polly entered with the breakfast tray.

“Morning Mum. I thought I’d join you.”

Cassie poured them both a cup of coffee.

“How are all your sponsorship deals working out?” she asked casually.

In the days since she’d been home Polly had been busy sorting out her schedule for the coming months, trying to fit together talks and visits all over the country in a logical sequence so she wouldn’t have to repeat journeys too often.

She’d also been trying to fit in meetings with Dexter at least every ten days. It was proving almost impossible.

Polly looked at Cassie. “Mum, do you think I should give up my solo sailing career before it really begins?”

Cassie saw the anguish on her daughter’s face.

“Polly, love, only you can decide that. But why would you want to? When Sebastian demanded you gave up the race you wouldn’t consider it for a minute.”

Polly stared at the bottom of her coffee cup and was silent for several minutes.

“It was different then. I had something to prove. Now…” she shrugged.

“I still love sailing. But there are two problems. One, I’m not sure I’m cut out to be a solo sailor. And two, I think I’ll lose any chance of a relationship with Dexter if I start spending week after week at sea.”

“How important is Dexter to you?”

“Very – I think!” Polly smiled.

Cassie took a sip of her coffee. 

“Life is never simple is it?” she said. “You think you’re getting exactly what you want and then something unexpected happens and everything changes. All I can say is, there are always compromises available if you search hard enough. But I do think you will eventually have to decide who or what you cannot live without.”

“Is that what you did when you met Dad?”

Cassie nodded.

“Can I ask you something Mum?” Polly hesitated before going on. 

”Do you love James as much as you loved Dad?”

Cassie looked at her daughter not wanting to hurt her but she had to tell her the truth.

“Yes. I finally realised I do. But your Dad will always have a special place in my heart.”

Cassie went across to the dressing table and opened her jewellery box. Taking out her old wedding ring, she held it out to Polly. 

“Polly would you like this? I know one day you’ll have a wedding ring of your own but maybe you’d like to wear this on your right hand? After your little speech last week I thought you might appreciate a tangible heirloom from your Dad and me. And never doubt that he would be as proud of you as I am.”

Polly slipped the ring onto her finger and Cassie took a deep breath.

“I think we’d better start getting ready. Otherwise I’m going to be late for my wedding.”

“Brides prerogative!” Polly laughed and took the breakfast tray away.

Two hours later Polly looked at Cassie.

“Mum you’re beautiful. And your outfit is perfect. Right the cars are here. Gran and I are off to church with Tom and Mai and Alice. Gramps is waiting for you downstairs.”

Half an hour later, standing in the church porch as Polly handed her the bouquet, Cassie glanced into the chapel. James was waiting by the altar, his back towards her.

As though he sensed her watching, he slowly turned and smiled at her. Cassie felt the now familiar lurch of her heart as she smiled back.

“Ready Cassie?” Bill asked taking her arm.

Cassie nodded. Yes she was finally ready to make her way down the aisle towards the man she loved.

As Polly took her place behind her, Cassie couldn’t help glancing at her daughter and wondering, in the midst of her own happiness, which path her daughter was going to chose - career woman or wife?

Three days after Cassie and James left on their honeymoon, Anna drove Polly to Plymouth to collect
Clotted Cream
. Polly had been hoping that Dexter would be able to join her, but the night before, he’d phoned to tell her he couldn’t make it.

Anna turned the car on to the main road.

“Do you have any idea where James has taken Cassie?”

“A place called Udaipur in north-west India. Mum rang to let us know they’d arrived safely and said it’s the most amazing place.

They’re staying in a marble palace built so close to the edge of a huge lake it’s like being on board a boat when you look out of a window. It’s apparently incredibly romantic.”

“It sounds the perfect place for a honeymoon. How long will they be away?”

“A week. They’re due back on Sunday,” Polly said.

Anna glanced at her god-daughter.

“And what about you and Dexter? You seemed very happy together at the wedding.”

“Well, we’re certainly trying to make a go of things,” Polly replied. “But even now I’m back on dry land we’re still miles apart most of the time.

She sighed, remembering the last time she and Dexter had seen each other. They’d wandered off together into the secluded rose garden of the stately home where James and Cassie had held their wedding.

She’d gone willingly into Dexter’s arms and returned his kisses with a fervour that surprised both of them.

“Oh Polly, what are we going to do?” Dexter had murmured, holding her close.

Standing in the circle of his arms Polly had looked up at him.

“We simply won’t let life drive us apart.” Her tone was defiant.

Now, though, she wasn’t so confident. She glanced at Anna.

“Do you believe that absence makes the heart grow fonder? Or do you agree with Dexter it can sound the death knoll for relationships?”

Anna took a few moments before answering.

“I think it depends on how strong the relationship is in the first place - and whether not being together all the time suits both parties. It’s when resentment creeps in that trouble starts.

“Things have a way of working themselves out,” she added comfortably. “You just have to decide on your priorities.”

An hour later, Anna dropped Polly on the quay alongside
Clotted Cream
. Climbing back on board the yacht was like returning home.

Everything was so reassuringly familiar. Polly took a deep breath. Oh, it was good to be back on board.

Motoring out of the Sound into the Channel, Polly took an easterly bearing before cutting the engine and starting to hoist the mainsail. She intended to enjoy a final solo sail before handing the boat back to Tom.

Standing at the tiller holding the yacht on her course up the Channel, Polly tried again to think coherently about her future.

Everybody, including Dexter, kept telling her to do what she wanted. The trouble was she no longer knew what that was.

But as she enjoyed the familiar sensation of
Clotted Cream
riding the waves, Polly realised she couldn’t give up her involvement in the yachting world anymore than she could give up Dexter.

What was it that Cassie had said about compromise?

It was the final evening of their honeymoon and Cassie and James were enjoying a romantic moonlit dinner on a raft moored several yards out into the lake.

On shore the floodlit marble palace was reflected in the quietly lapping waters and there was the gentle sound of a sitar drifting out on the breeze towards them.

“Cassie, we have to talk about the future,” James said, filling her glass with champagne.

Cassie looked at him and waited.

“This letter arrived last Saturday as I left for the church. I’d completely forgotten about it until this evening.” James handed Cassie an envelope.

“It’s from an old Naval friend congratulating me and…well read it for yourself.”

Cassie quickly scanned the short note.

“It’s a year’s contract to help run…” she glanced back down at the letter, “ - La Marina des Oiseaux.”

James was watching her anxiously.

“It’s right down on the Med. Close to the French/Spanish border. I haven’t been there for years, but it’s a very beautiful part of the world.”

“Do you want this job?” Cassie asked quietly.

“Well it’s the only firm offer I’ve had since my redundancy. And yes, I do quite like the idea of a year down South, but it’s no longer a decision I can take alone. The new Mrs White has a major say now.”

He reached across the table and took hold of her hand.

“Cassie, I only opened the letter two hours ago so I haven’t had much time to think about it either. But it did cross my mind that maybe we could sell my boat, buy a bigger one, sail down there and live on board for a year. Then when the contract ends, we’d sail back to England. It would be an adventure for our middle years.”

“I thought you’d virtually decided to take early retirement,” Cassie said slowly.

“I still can, but I do feel as though I’ve been thrown on the scrap-heap too soon at the moment,” James said his tone thoughtful.

There was a short silence before Cassie replied.

“Well, it would certainly be a completely new start to our married life together. It’s a long time since I lived on board a boat but, like you say, it would be an adventure to remember together.”

She picked up her wine glass and took a sip hoping James wouldn’t notice her shaking hand. She re-read the letter.   

“Your friend says the contract would start in a couple of months. That doesn’t give us much time to organise everything.”

She did a quick calculation of dates.

“It would mean leaving immediately after Alice’s christening.”

Cassie took a deep breath.

“OK. You‘d better tell your friend you’d like the job. Tell him too Mr and Mrs White would like a berth reserved in the marina for their as yet un-purchased floating home.”

Now she was back on dry land Polly was inundated with requests for interviews. The latest one for a local radio station near Bristol, meant that afterwards she could visit Dexter and see his family farm for the first time.

Once her initial nervousness disappeared she found she thoroughly enjoyed talking about her round the world experiences.

Suzie the producer, switched her microphone off at the end.

“Thanks Polly. That was great. You’re a natural. Will you come back at the end of the month and take part in a discussion with some teenagers? The schools around here followed your trip and I know some of the girls look on you as a role model.”

“Gosh that’s scary,” Polly said. “I’d love to, if I can fit it in. Let’s take a look in the diary.”

Half an hour later, having agreed to do another two programmes, Polly set off for Dexter’s family farm.

Not far from the north Somerset coast, the farm sat at the end of a long track with woods behind it. In the distance across the fields the occasional glint of the Bristol Channel could be seen.

After coffee in the farmhouse kitchen with his parents, Dexter found her a pair of wellingtons and took her on a tour of the farm.

When they returned he stopped in front of some outbuildings on the edge of the farmyard.

“Well, apart from my surprise in here, I think you’ve seen everything Home Farm has to offer.”

The building Dexter had stopped in front of had large double doors. He lifted up the closing bar up and swung the doors open.

Inside, shored up with lengths of timber, was a forty-foot fibreglass sailing boat.

“I bought it with the proceeds from my flat in the States. I thought in the dim and distant future you and I would enjoy sailing her together.” Dexter said.

“She only arrived two days ago. The hull is basically OK but the interior needs a lot of work.”

He looked at Polly.

“It’s my project to keep me out of mischief and occupied while you’re busy sailing the seven seas. Hopefully it will stop me missing you too much.”

Polly was quiet for a moment as she walked around the hull.

“Lovely lines. She should be quite fast. Can we go on board?”

“There’s a ladder around the other side. I’ll give you a hand up.”

Sitting next to Dexter on one of the bunks in the cabin Polly spoke.

“I’ve been thinking about missing you, too. And I’ve decided to do something about it. But first I need to ask you something.”

“Ask away,” he said, giving her a hug.

“You know how you helped me with taking over
Clotted Cream
after Tom’s accident, sorting out the media business and recently drumming up sponsors for me? I was going to ask if you’d continue to do that, be my manager if you like.  But now you’ve got the boat as a project you’re going to be even busier…” Her voice trailed away.

Dexter pulled her closer. “Polly, I’d love to be your manager. The farm has to be my main priority for the next few months, but I’ll definitely be able to help you. There’s no time limit on restoring the boat.”

“Thank you.” Polly smiled happily. “Now the other thing is, I’ve got to find somewhere to live. I know I can still stay at Boatyard House, but Tom and Mai would probably appreciate having the place to themselves. I was thinking I might move nearer here - Bath or Bristol, maybe.”

“We’ll have a look in the local paper later. See what’s available for rent. You really have been thinking about things, haven’t you?”

“Yep. There’s something else too, but until it’s finalised I’m not telling you what it is. By the way, I’m going up to London next week to see the sponsors.”

“Do you want your new manager to come with you?” Dexter asked.

Polly shook her head.

“Not on this occasion thanks.”

“Now tell me your plans for the yacht.” She deliberately changed the topic of conversation before Dexter could ask for details about her planned meeting with the sponsors.

The weeks leading up to the weekend of the Christening passed in a blur of activity for everyone.

The whole family greeted the news that she and James were to live in France for a year with enthusiasm.

“Good for James,” Toms said. “We’ll definitely be down to see you both.”

Polly had hugged her. “It’ll be great Mum - all that sunshine. I’ll be visiting too.”

Bill and Liz were quieter in their good wishes.

“I’ll miss you,” her mother said, holding Cassie tightly. “Are you sure it’s only for a year?”

Only for a year or not, there was a lot of organising to do. One of the first things Cassie and James talked about was what to do with Solo.