The Picture House by the Sea

by Holly Hepburn

  A few minutes later, he was back, wearing a thunderous expression.

  ‘What?’ Gina asked, as he stepped from the tiny metal staircase and into the room.

  He didn’t answer, merely moved aside to reveal Valeria Arundell.

  ‘Oh,’ Gina said, a dull flame of fury igniting in the pit of her stomach. ‘It’s you. If you’ve come to say I told you so then the door is behind you.’

  Valeria pursed her lips. ‘There’s no need to be rude. I come in peace.’

  Gina let out an unladylike snort. ‘Of course you do. You were opposed to giving us funding to refurbish the Palace all along. And now I suppose you’ve come to gloat, haven’t you?’

  ‘You will no doubt find this hard to comprehend, Miss Callaway, but I haven’t,’ Valeria said. ‘In actual fact, I’ve come to offer you a lifeline.’

  ‘What kind of lifeline?’ Ben asked, his forehead wrinkling in deep suspicion.

  She crossed the room and perched on the edge of the sofa. ‘A one-hundred-and-fifty-thousand-pounds lifeline. Exactly the amount that you need to stave off Max Hardy’s bid to buy the Palace.’

  Gina almost fell off her chair. ‘You can’t be serious,’ she said, gripping the table for support. ‘Why would you even consider doing that? In case you’re not aware, it’s your daughter who encouraged Max to launch his bid in the first place.’

  Valeria fired a haughty look Gina’s way. ‘I’m perfectly aware of what Rose has been up to,’ she said. ‘And believe me, there will be consequences for her behaviour. As I’m sure you are aware, my family has links with Polwhipple that go back centuries, but it may surprise you to know that I feel that connection to the town very strongly.’

  Ben muttered under his breath and Valeria turned sharply towards him. ‘I mean it. Polwhipple is my home and it holds a special place in my heart. That’s why I serve on the town council and do my best to ensure that everything we do has the community’s best interest firmly at its centre.’ She took a deep breath. ‘The Palace is an integral part of Polwhipple history and I will not stand by and let it be carved up into vulgar apartments that nobody from the town can afford so that some jumped-up little businessman can make a fast profit.’

  Gina blinked; the other woman’s normally frozen face was alive with passion. ‘So what are you suggesting?’ she asked Valeria slowly.

  ‘You’re looking for a sleeping partner, am I right? Someone who will invest in the business but not interfere with the day-to-day running of the cinema.’

  Both Ben and Gina nodded.

  ‘Very well, then,’ Valeria said. ‘I am prepared to be that partner, on the strict understanding that the Palace continues to operate as a cinema that serves the local community as it has done these past few months. The building may not be sold or modified without my permission and, should the business fail, I will have first option on buying it outright. Is that clear?’

  Ban ran a hand across his golden stubble. ‘Let me get this straight – you’re offering to bail us out with £150k, and all you want in return is for things to carry on the way they are?’

  ‘Essentially, yes.’

  ‘But why?’ Gina burst out. ‘You looked at us as though we were a bad smell when we put forward our funding application.’

  Valeria inclined her head. ‘I admit that I had my doubts at first. But now that I’ve seen what you’ve done with the money, I am of the opinion that the council’s faith in you was justified.’ A faint smile pulled at her mouth. ‘You’ve done a good job, Miss Callaway. You too, Mr Pascoe.’

  Gina sat back in her seat, staring at Ben in disbelief. ‘I think under the circumstances, you’d better start using our first names.’

  The older woman got to her feet. ‘As you wish. Does this mean we have a deal?’

  Gina gazed at Ben and she saw her own confusion mirrored on his face. It was like encountering a cobra and expecting to be bitten, only to have it lick you instead. ‘What choice do we have?’ she said, simply, and he nodded. ‘Okay, Valeria, you’ve got yourself a deal.’

  A look of satisfaction crossed Valeria’s face. ‘Excellent. I’ll have my lawyers draw up the paperwork immediately. They can respond to Mr Hardy’s bid, too, if you’d like to make sure he gets the message?’

  Gina almost laughed; she’d love to be a fly on the wall when Max received that particular communication. ‘That would be very helpful, thanks.’

  ‘And of course you will want your own lawyers to go through our agreement before you sign – to whom should I have the papers sent?’

  Ben cleared his throat. ‘I’m not sure we –’

  ‘I hear Coleman and Cohen in Truro are good,’ Valeria suggested. ‘But of course it is up to you.’

  ‘We’ll let you know,’ Gina said. ‘Thanks for this, Valeria. You don’t know how much it means.’

  ‘Actually, I rather think I do,’ the other woman said. ‘I was also young once, you know, and I spent many a happy afternoon watching films at the Palace. I had my first kiss with my late husband there too.’

  Gina didn’t dare glance over at Ben. ‘I suppose the old girl has looked after us all at one point or another.’

  ‘Yes, I suppose it has,’ Valeria said. ‘Thank you both for your time. I am very much looking forward to being in business with you.’

  She shook each of them by the hand and moved towards the door. As Ben opened it, she paused and glanced back at Gina. ‘There is one more thing, Miss Callaway, and I’m sorry if this causes a problem, but my offer is dependent on you continuing to work at the Palace.’

  Gina gasped. ‘What?’

  ‘You’ll be paid a handsome salary, of course, in recognition of your particular talents and it won’t preclude you from also working for your grandfather’s ice-cream business. I rather imagine the two of them will go hand in hand, actually.’ She fixed Gina with a piercing stare. ‘Is that going to be a problem?’

  Gina waited for the shockwave that had just hit her to pass before she replied. ‘No,’ she said in a faint voice she hardly recognised as her own. ‘That won’t be a problem at all.’

  ‘Good,’ the older woman said and she swept out of the door. ‘Then I’ll be in touch again very soon. Good day.’

  Ben said nothing as he closed the door.

  ‘Did that really just happen?’ Gina said, after a few seconds of stunned silence.

  ‘I think so,’ Ben said. ‘Unless we’re both having the same weird hallucination.’

  ‘Unlikely,’ Gina said. She gave an incredulous laugh. ‘I think it did happen – the Palace is saved! And I’m staying in Polwhipple!’

  ‘Yeah,’ Ben said. ‘Amazing.’

  She felt her smile start to slip at the lack of enthusiasm in his voice. ‘What – don’t you trust her?’

  He shook his head. ‘No, it’s not that. It’s just – ah, nothing. Forget it.’

  ‘Ben?’ Gina said, crossing the room to stand in front of him. ‘What is it?’

  ‘It doesn’t matter, in the general scheme of things,’ he said, shrugging. ‘But I kind of assumed you’d be leaving Polwhipple at the end of this month. So I accepted that job in London.’

  Gina felt her mouth drop open in dismay. ‘Oh no!’

  ‘Oh yes,’ he said with a grim little laugh. ‘I start on the first of September.’

  Chapter Ten

  The day of the Polwhipple station opening ceremony dawned hot and clear.

  ‘Can you believe this weather?’ Gina asked Ben, shading her eyes as she peered along the platform to where the newly refurbished train track stretched into the distance towards Boscarne Junction. ‘It couldn’t be better.’

  He smiled. ‘I’m sure Valeria organised it. She’s certainly determined enough.’

  They’d both got to know the Palace’s new business partner fairly well over the weeks since she’d appeared at Ben’s door with an offer they couldn’t refuse, mostly because Gorran was too terrified to speak to her. And they’d grown to like and respect her, although Gina fe
lt that her definition of ‘sleeping partner’ didn’t quite match the dictionary’s. But on the whole, things were going well. Gorran no longer seemed to be spending all his nights drowning his sorrows at the Mermaid’s Tail, for a start, and Max had been banished with his tail firmly between his legs.

  Gina glanced at the steam train that stood gently chuffing beside Platform 1, waiting for its first official journey. A cream and chocolate ribbon, in the colours of the Bodmin and Wenford Railway, stretched across the track; in just over an hour, Polwhipple’s mayor would cut it and declare the station open. And the joint restoration project Gina and Ben had launched together would be complete.

  ‘I suppose we ought to check everything over one last time,’ she said, glancing around. ‘People are going to start arriving soon.’

  ‘You mean the public are going to start arriving soon,’ he said, as an elderly man in a train guard’s uniform appeared in the doorway that led to the ticket hall. ‘The volunteers have been here for hours.’

  All the stations along the Bodmin and Wenford Railway were staffed by volunteers. In fact, almost everything the Preservation Society undertook was run by volunteers and railway enthusiasts, from the maintenance of the engines and carriages to the Heritage Line café at Bodmin Parkway.

  Gina tipped her head. ‘Sorry – yes, I mean the public. The paying punters.’

  They walked side by side, checking that the station looked exactly as it should. ‘I feel like a proud parent, watching their baby take its first few steps,’ Gina said, once they were both satisfied.

  He gazed at her for a long moment. ‘It’s been fun, parenting with you.’

  A small hard lump lodged itself in Gina’s throat. ‘Yes. But it’s not like we’ll never see each other again.’ She waved a hand at the pristine station building. ‘If I know you, you’ll be back from London every weekend to make sure they’re not wrecking all your hard work.’

  Ben shifted his weight. ‘About that—’

  A shout rang out across the platform. ‘Gina!’

  She looked up and let out a squeal of delight when she saw Nonno and Nonna making their way towards them. ‘Look at you,’ she said, hurrying forwards to kiss them both. ‘You’re out of the house!’

  Elena’s recovery, while steady, had been slower than the medical staff had expected. Gina’s parents had stayed to help out for as long as they could but they’d had to fly back to Los Angeles earlier that week, leaving Gina and Ferdie to manage her care. And since Ferdie had only just had his plaster cast removed, most of the hard work had fallen to Gina. She didn’t mind, though; having Nonna at home after her illness was something she wasn’t about to take for granted. Today was the first time Elena had left the house.

  ‘Here,’ Ben said, carrying over a chair. ‘Why don’t you have a seat? You won’t miss a minute of the action here.’

  ‘Don’t make a fuss,’ Elena grumbled but Gina thought she looked glad to sit down. The road to recovery was going to be long, making Gina even more grateful that her future lay in Polwhipple.

  ‘And here’s one for you, Ferdie,’ Ben said, bringing another seat. ‘If you give me half a minute, I’ll grab a table and bring you out some coffee.’

  It was such a thoughtful gesture, Gina thought, smiling at his retreating back. But that was Ben all over; she was going to miss him so much when he left.

  The crowds started to arrive in earnest not long after Elena and Ferdie had appeared. Gina spotted Carrie and Davey, hand in hand, and nudged Ben. ‘I’m so glad they made up.’

  ‘Davey can get a bit too tied up with work,’ Ben said. ‘It’s what cost him his last relationship. Luckily for him, Carrie is more forgiving than his ex. But I don’t think it’s a mistake he’ll make again.’

  Gina smiled. ‘I hope not. I’m not just saying this because she’s my friend but Carrie is one in a million. I want her to be happy.’

  ‘Davey deserves a happy ever after too,’ Ben said. ‘With a bit of luck, they’ll be happy together.’

  It was a sentiment Gina entirely agreed with. Allowing her gaze to travel around, Gina saw Valeria chatting animatedly to Gorran, who looked a tiny bit intoxicated by her. Manda was nearby, too, with Tash and Jory and Bruno. Through the door that led to the platform, Gina was delighted to see that the ticket office was doing a brisk trade – demand for the inaugural journey along the new line was high. Everywhere she looked, she saw familiar smiling faces. The people of Polwhipple had turned out in force, as they should; the opening of this station would mean more visitors to the town and increased trade. There was no downside to it and Gina was proud to have played her part in making it happen.

  Just before midday, the station guards ushered all those with tickets to take their seats in the carriages. Gina caught Ben’s arm as he passed her, intent on reaching the engine. ‘Good luck,’ she said, grinning. ‘Drive safely.’

  He flashed her an answering grin and swung himself into the cab at the front of the engine with one of the other volunteers. At midday precisely, the mayor took his place at the front of the train, while anyone who wasn’t travelling on the train assembled on the platform, waving chocolate and cream flags.

  ‘This is a very momentous day,’ Elena said, smiling at Gina. ‘You and Ben should be delighted with what you have achieved.’

  ‘We are, Nonna,’ Gina said. ‘Thank you.’

  ‘I look forward to seeing what you achieve next,’ Elena said, with a sly wink. ‘You know, you would make beautiful children together.’

  ‘Nonna!’ Gina said, feeling her cheeks become suddenly roasting hot.

  ‘What?’ Her grandmother shrugged. ‘If I was thirty years younger I’d go there myself.’

  Ferdie lifted his bushy eyebrows. ‘And if I was thirty years younger I might go there too. Ben made a very attractive woman, I thought.’

  Gina was caught halfway between a cough and a laugh. She took a gulp of water, glancing affectionately down at her grandparents. ‘We’re all going to be disappointed – Ben leaves for London at the start of September, remember?’

  The mayor cleared his throat self-importantly. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it is my very great honour to be here today. This train line is more than just steel – it’s a hand extended in friendship.’

  Gina felt her own hand being tugged. She glanced down to see Nonna gripping her fingers. ‘Tell him,’ she whispered, loud enough that Gina could hear over the droning voice of the mayor. ‘Tell Ben how you feel, before it’s too late.’

  Gina felt herself blush again. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’

  ‘Don’t give me that rubbish,’ Elena growled. ‘Any fool can see that you love him. Any fool except Ben, that is.’

  ‘I can’t,’ Gina replied. ‘He’s going to live in London.’

  ‘So?’ her grandmother demanded. ‘Haven’t you ever heard of long-distance relationships? Tell him today, while you both bask in the glory of what you have achieved here, or you never will.’

  Gina glanced over the heads of the crowd towards the engine and gnawed at her lip. Should she tell Ben how she felt? Or was it too late?

  ‘Do it,’ Elena urged. ‘Don’t wait for the perfect moment; it will never come. Do it now.’

  The last word hit Gina like a jolt of electricity. She stepped forward and stared at the window of the cab. Ben stood silhouetted there, gazing down at the train controls, ready to go.

  She pushed her way past the onlookers, silently urging Ben to look her way. He didn’t.

  At the front of the engine, the mayor raised the scissors he’d been given to do the job. ‘And so, without further ado, I now declare Polwhipple station open!’

  The cut ribbon fluttered to the ground and the train whistle shrieked. Steam burst from the chimney.

  ‘Ben!’ Gina shouted, waving her arms in the direction of the cab. ‘Ben!’

  The crowd in front of her parted and she ran along the platform, just as the train started to move. ‘Ben!’

  He stu
ck his head out of the window. ‘Gina! What’s wrong?’

  ‘Nothing,’ she called, panting a little. ‘It’s just – I wanted to tell you that I love you.’

  Frowning, Ben cupped a hand to his ear. ‘What?’

  Gina took a deep breath and swallowed what was left of her pride. ‘I love you!’ she shouted, as loud as she could. ‘I love you!’

  The train started to pick up speed. Gina watched anxiously as Ben’s head ducked back inside. A second later he reappeared, jumping lightly from the moving train to land on the platform. He walked towards Gina, his eyes never leaving her face. ‘Say that again.’

  She glanced past him at the departing train. ‘But—’

  ‘Never mind that,’ he said, stopping in front of her. Steam billowed around them. ‘Tell me again what you just said.’

  Now that he was standing right in front of her, Gina felt her nerve slipping away. She glanced at Elena, who nodded. Gina took a deep breath. ‘I love you. I think I’ve always loved you, even back when we were kids. And it’s okay if you don’t love me because—’

  And then his lips were on hers and nothing else mattered. It should have been a passionate kiss, Gina thought afterwards, the kind that stripped the breath from her lungs and left both participants bruised but exhilarated, but it wasn’t. It was gentle and passionate and full of love. And it seemed to go on for a very long time.

  When they finally broke apart, it was only the tiniest distance so that Ben could gaze deep into her eyes. ‘You have no idea how long I have been waiting for you to say that.’

  She smiled up at him. ‘About sixteen years?’

  He shook his head. ‘No, around eighteen. Because I think I fell in love with you the first moment I saw you, queuing up at your grandfather’s ice-cream stand. And I was only thirteen, too young to know what it was I felt, but it never left me. You never left me, even when your parents took you away and I had no idea where you’d gone.’