Harvey looked out of the window at the large structure looming well above the juniper trees on the other side of the courtyard. ‘The barn makes the event, you know that, right?’
‘Easy for you to say, son. But I’m done.’
‘Why not let someone else run it in the barn?’ Harvey wanted to know.
‘Nobody else I’d trust in my barn, not a chance.’
‘I would offer to do it,’ said Tilly, ‘but I’m useless at organising.’
‘I’m not bad,’ said Ashley, ‘but between running the charity and caring for my elderly parents, I’m just far too busy I’m afraid.’
Tilly told Ashley about her new dress. ‘I was really excited to wear it for the first time.’
‘I’m sure you were.’
‘Are you bringing anyone?’ Tilly wanted to know. She was talking as though there was no way the event would possibly be cancelled. Harvey suspected most of the village would react the same way.
‘Not likely,’ Ashley smiled. ‘My divorce was final three years ago and I’m happily married to my job now.’
Harvey went to the ball every year, to support Barney, to be a part of the village where people actually cared about one another. His mum went every year too and to see her happy after all this time was always special, it was one of the rare occasions she did herself up, got outside the house and remembered she was a better person than her husband had ever made her feel.
‘What about you?’ Tilly suggested, looking Harvey’s way. ‘Why don’t you organise it?’ If she was on friendlier terms with Melissa he’d think they’d been talking. ‘You trust him, don’t you, Barney?’
‘Of course.’
Ashley picked up her handbag. ‘I have to get going, but please keep me informed. I’m hopeful we can find a solution other than cancelling, but if that’s what you choose to do, Barney, then I respect your decision.’
After she left it was time for Harvey to get back to work too. ‘Do you need anything before I go?’ he asked Barney.
‘I can stay a while longer,’ Tilly assured him. ‘We can chat, but then I’d better get back to the shop.’
‘Melissa used to love your little store,’ Barney smiled, the folder about the ball cast aside for now. ‘She spent a fortune in there.’
‘That was then. She’s not welcome in there after what she did to you. To both of you, leaving all of a sudden like that.’
‘Now that’s no way to talk,’ Barney admonished. ‘She’s very special, she’s had her problems along the way.’
‘Maybe she’ll leave soon,’ Tilly suggested, ‘before she can upset anyone else.’
‘Tilly, it really is kind of you to look out for me, to be on my side, but I’m thrilled Melissa is back. Do me a favour and don’t make it any harder for her than it already is. If you see her out and about, be kind.’
‘Might be a bit late for that.’
‘Oh dear. Maybe next time then.’
Harvey left them to it. He’d hoped that Barney could be talked around by Ashley and Tilly, but it seemed the only option they were floating around involved him, and that still didn’t sound any better than when Melissa had suggested it in the first place.
*
Melissa had been back in the Cove a week and Jay had missed her incredibly.
‘A week off on my own just wasn’t the same,’ he told her on the phone as she called him before she headed to the pub to meet Tracy. They’d finally lined up a girls’ evening at The Copper Plough and Melissa hoped Tracy was looking forward to it as much as she was.
‘But Bath would’ve been a change wouldn’t it?’ He’d gone with her suggestion of visiting his sister rather than hanging around Windsor missing his fiancée.
‘Yeah, my sister was good company. Just not as good company as you. How’s it all going with Barney? Have you persuaded him to exercise yet?’
Melissa had told Jay all about the difficulty of getting Barney to come around to the idea that exercise was a help not a hindrance in his recovery. ‘Not really, but I’ll get there.’
‘You’ve only got two weeks left, do you think you can do it by the deadline?’
She cringed a little. ‘About that … I’m thinking of staying longer.’ She launched into a long explanation about the Wedding Dress Ball, how important it was to the locals and to Barney, and his reluctance to go through with it for the first time ever. ‘Honestly, I’ve never seen him so down, so unlike himself.’
‘I suppose you’ve been away a long time.’
‘It’s not that, it’s just, well the event is important to him. I’ve no idea why, it just is.’
‘Do you really think you staying will help?’
‘I was wondering about stepping in to organise it?’
When he realised she was serious he said, ‘Up to you, but for selfish reasons I want you to come home.’
‘I know. And I will.’ Eventually, when it felt right. She had to do this. She had to be here for Barney this time and not let him down ever again.
Jay did his best to show an interest, asked her what the ball had been like in years gone by. ‘What about work?’
‘I’ll ask for some unpaid leave.’ She’d already spoken with human resources but she didn’t want Jay to think she hadn’t factored him into the equation. ‘I wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t such a desperate situation.’
They ended the call talking about his schedule for the next couple of weeks. Hopefully they’d work out some times to call and if not, at least email. It was hard being apart from each other. Even though they did it frequently, this time it was different, as though being here in the Cove was like being a part of a whole other world.
*
‘This place hasn’t changed at all,’ said Melissa as she picked up her drink from the bar at The Copper Plough and she and Tracy went outside to find a table at the far end of the beer garden. ‘The food is still top quality, I ate here the other night.’
‘So I heard.’
‘I’d forgotten how quickly word travels in Heritage Cove.’ Melissa hooked one leg over the bench seat and then the other before sitting down, a glass of cold Chardonnay in front of her. The long, lazy summer evenings were well upon them and would last until the end of August before the seasons prepared to flip and bring autumnal beauty. The ash tree behind them would shed its leaves, which would remain green as they collected on the ground, adding another shade alongside the burnt oranges, deep browns, the golden. The beauty of somewhere like Heritage Cove was that it was surrounded by plenty of countryside as well as offering the added bonus of the water when you ventured down to the sea. Not that she’d managed to make it down there herself yet.
‘Do you remember that time a whole load of us gathered up autumn leaves, piled them beneath one of the benches and jumped into them from the table top?’ Tracy grinned.
‘I remember Terry wasn’t too happy about it.’
‘I got told I was old enough to know better, I should’ve set an example.’
Melissa giggled at Tracy’s impersonation of the landlord, the gruff voice she attempted. Tall Terry was how they’d known him back then and his height had scared the life out of the lot of them. But he wasn’t menacing in the slightest, he was kind-hearted but had a presence that went well with running a pub. It meant he stood for no nonsense and it garnered him unspoken respect.
‘Summer is a great season.’ Melissa looked around them. ‘But it’s just as beautiful here in the Cove come autumn and winter.’ Only locals dropped the ‘Heritage’ part of the name when they talk about the village, calling it simply, the Cove.
‘I could never leave this place.’ Tracy wasn’t saying it in a way that suggested nobody else should either, but rather was looking around her and basking in the tranquillity offered by a pub garden, the smells of summer coming from the flowerbeds, the gentle clinking of cutlery as a family ate on the table a few over from theirs, the friendly banter between people out here enjoying the evening.
‘I get it,
I really do.’ Melissa watched a butterfly settle at the end of the picnic bench where Tracy sat opposite her. It wasn’t long before it decided not to join the conversation and fluttered off into the trees.
‘Ignore me, I get very sentimental.’
‘Nothing wrong with that.’
‘I want to hear about you instead though. It’s been so long.’ Tracy’s hand wrapped around the pint of cider she’d ordered, her skin disrupting the condensation on the outside of the glass.
‘I know it’s been a long time and I’m sorry, believe me.’
‘I’m not looking for apologies right now, it’s a catch-up I’d really like. Tell me, I know you’re working for an airline, but what I don’t know is: is it as exciting as I think it is?’
‘It’s very exciting in a lot of ways, but incredibly hard work too.’
‘You travel the world, it must feel good to spread your wings.’
‘It’s a different life for sure and I’ve been lucky to see plenty of places.’
‘Are you still living in London?’
‘No, I rented there for a while, but then bought my own place in Windsor.’
Tracy’s eyebrows lifted. ‘With the royals?’
‘Hardly,’ she laughed. ‘I’m in a one-bedroom flat.’
‘With your boyfriend?’
‘Jay has his own place, it’s gorgeous. A Grade II listed townhouse in the same area and we spend most of our time there, but I’ve kept my flat.’
‘Why? Can’t be cheap to run two places.’
‘I suppose I’m a little reluctant to make the leap, in case it doesn’t work out. Pathetic, isn’t it?’
‘Of course not. I guess when it’s right, you’ll know.’
‘He’s been pestering me to move in for ages. I’m thinking I’ll do it in time for Christmas.’ She took out her phone and showed Tracy some photographs of the house, including the one last Christmas with the wreath on the door. Tied in a big red bow, it really did speak of the luxury inside, the place she was almost sure she was ready to call her home too.
‘And what does Jay do?’ Tracy asked.
‘He’s a pilot.’
‘Now him, I approve of.’ A grin spread across Tracy’s face when Melissa showed her a photograph of Jay in his uniform. ‘Is he as nice as he looks?’
‘He really is.’
‘You must miss him.’
‘Of course. We were scheduled to have some time off together last week, but then Harvey got in touch…’ She broke off at the mention of Harvey’s name.
‘You’d never have forgiven yourself if Barney had gone before you saw him again.’
Melissa hid behind her glass sipping her drink, the crisp liquid cooling as the words sank in. ‘You’re a hundred per cent right.’
‘So why did you leave it so long?’
‘When I first left I was angry that Harvey didn’t come with me as we always planned. I was upset but then I became determined. I’d wanted to leave for a long time. After my parents died I almost broke apart.’
‘I know.’ She covered Melissa’s hand with her own. ‘Losing a parent is hard and you were hit with a double whammy.’
‘I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when your mum died.’
‘I know you had your reasons.’
‘None good enough not to be there for a friend.’
‘Now you’ll get me all teary in a minute and I don’t want that. And I had Giles and the kids, I wasn’t on my own.’
‘If Barney hadn’t had the fall, I wouldn’t be here now.’
‘I suppose it must be what you call a blessing in disguise then,’ said Tracy. ‘And he’s so glad you’re back. He worried so much for you when you left. But he was also one of the few who didn’t berate you for doing it.’
‘Really?’
‘Some people ranted about it, saying you’d upset him, you’d thrown his goodness in his face. They worried about Harvey, said he was too good for you.’ She stopped.
‘It’s nothing I didn’t expect so carry on.’
‘With all the moaning that went on, Barney never once joined in. He didn’t once say you shouldn’t have done it, that you should have stayed.’
‘Being here was painful. Every single day.’ She gulped, the memories assaulting her from every angle. ‘I had this unbearable sadness hovering over me like a fog that never lifted. It stopped me seeing any of the good things. I’d walk along The Street and see Mum coming out of the bakery – I’m not suggesting it was a ghost of her, but I’d see someone who looked so much like her that for a moment my mind would trick me and it was like being pulled to the top of one of those big-drop amusement rides and then dropped down from a great height. Any moment when I felt like my parents were still here was like a giant slap in the face. Some days I’d dream Dad was downstairs in the kitchen at their cottage and I was in bed, woken by the sound of him tapping out a melody against his cup with a metal spoon, something he did every time he made a cup of tea. It used to drive me crazy when he did it. And when I woke up from those dreams, I’d sometimes even call out to tell him to stop it, before I realised it wasn’t real.’
‘Surely the pain followed you,’ said Tracy. ‘I know when I went on holiday, up to Scarborough, I still felt the loss of Mum enormously I barely wanted to go out some days. I felt so sorry for myself. All I wanted to do was talk to Mum and I had to make do with Giles. I told him that too,’ she smiled, ‘and he apologised for being such a poor consolation prize.’
‘You’re both still really happy?’
‘We have our moments, every marriage does, but I love that man to bits.’
She almost told Tracy about the engagement then, touching her right hand to the fourth finger on her left. But she had to hold back, it would be more special when they had a ring to make it official.
Melissa waited for the family who’d been eating nearby to walk past their table and back towards the pub before she carried on. ‘I guess being away from here, there were no constant reminders for me. I had to focus on finding my own way around a big city, I had to navigate the tube in London, which I’d never done before, and slowly the adventure distracted me enough to make me feel as though a weight had lifted. It was still there, of course, but a lot of the pain was eased. And then came the change of career. I lined up interviews for cabin crew and the application process kept me busy. Finally I wasn’t turning street corners feeling sad – instead, I was full of hope. I felt that at last I could start over.’
‘It sounds as though getting away really was the solution for you. Tell me, since you’ve been back, have you been down to the cove?’
‘Not yet, but I will. I suppose I wanted to find my feet first.’
‘And the cemetery?’
She toyed with a beer mat that looked as though it had already been fiddled with plenty of times. ‘I’m not sure I can do it.’
‘I know it’ll never bring them back, but it might be nice to put some flowers there, sit a while.’ Tracy didn’t push it. She’d always been good at dishing out advice and then taking a step back to let you process. ‘How’s it going being around Harvey after all this time?’
‘It’s not been terrible, but we haven’t talked, at least not properly. I think we’re both afraid to. Like I said, I was angry at him for a long time for not leaving with me as we’d planned. I called a couple of times but he never answered and then I got so furious, I stopped trying.’
‘You were punishing him.’
‘Yes, I suppose I was. Maybe I needed to find myself on my own without someone holding me up. I think it made me stronger, does that make sense?’
‘It does, but listen, he’s not a bad man, quite the opposite. Try talking to him again.’
She nodded. ‘Another drink?’ She’d finished hers and found she was enjoying herself here as much as she’d hoped she would.
‘Yes please.’ Tracy grabbed Melissa’s wrist before Melissa could pass by and go into the pub. ‘This is nice, I’ve missed this.’
When Melissa returned with the drinks and settled back into her spot she told Tracy, ‘I came back, you know.’
The pint glass didn’t reach Tracy’s mouth. ‘Here? To Heritage Cove? When? I never knew and nobody ever let on.’
‘That’s because nobody knew. No one saw me – I hired a car, I kept my head down.’
‘What, so you drove into the village and straight out again?’
‘Not quite. I pulled up near the bus stop trying to think of where I’d go first. And that was when I saw Harvey.’
‘But he didn’t see you?’
‘No. He was in The Street, going about his life as though everything was normal. He was chatting and laughing away with Tilly. It was then that I realised perhaps he was better off without me. He’d never wanted to leave the Cove, not really. I instigated it and he went along with the plan because he loved me. His heart was never in it as much as mine was. I couldn’t be selfish by turning up and begging him to come with me, and at the same time I couldn’t stay in the Cove for him. It was as though with a new career and a new city entirely I’d found a part of myself again. So I turned the car around and went straight back to London.’
Tracy was shaking her head. ‘You never were one to hang around and ask for explanations.’
‘That’s because explanations usually involve excuses, explanations usually end up hurting someone. And I’d been hurt enough. I’d managed to stand on my own two feet, pull myself out of a deep, dark hole that I never wanted to disappear into again. I figured me driving away was probably best for everyone.’
‘Harvey would’ve done anything for you.’
‘And that was part of the problem. We both needed to be on our own to figure out what we really wanted, we needed to be ourselves for a while.’
‘What a mess.’
‘It was back then.’
‘And it isn’t now?’
‘I’m with Jay, I’ve moved on. I suspect Harvey has too, although he hasn’t mentioned a woman in his life.’
‘There have been women along the way, I’ve seen him hanging out with several –’
Coming Home to Heritage Cove Page 11