Somewhere Beyond the Sea

by Miranda Dickinson

  It’s amazing the strings Bill Brotherson can pull when he puts his mind to it. The roof is designed on a hydraulic system, too, so that it effortlessly parts to allow the telescope through. There are hidden solar panels at the back of the roof, invisible from the entry, and the plan is to link with schools and universities across the southwest to ensure that a generation of astronomers can have access to this place, furthering the research Elinor Carne longed to be recognised for. Nessie’s school will be the first to visit, and Cerrie is planning a year of astronomy-themed activities to promote the observatory and Elinor’s legacy.

  All of this will be loudly announced by Brotherson at the official opening tomorrow, as he smiles benevolently for a barrage of press flashbulbs and I maintain a respectful distance, standing by the structure I designed and built from my heart.

  But none of that matters as much as what I say next.

  ‘I built it for you. For your father and for Elinor too. But mostly just for you.’

  She frowns and is about to speak, but I’ve played out this moment so many times preparing for today, and I just want to say it all before she has a chance to shoot me down in flames.

  ‘Please, just listen. I know you were the one finishing our seaglass stars at Gwithian. Cerrie told me. I can’t believe I didn’t work it out. And I now know what you did with the town vote. What you did for Nessie and me. I couldn’t believe it. Worst of all, I couldn’t believe how cowardly I was towards you that night. I’m so sorry, Seren. I should have gone for that drink with you, like you asked, not been embarrassed by Brotherson and dismissive of you. For what it’s worth, I spent the last week of the campaign trying to persuade people to vote for your side. As if I ever had any influence to bear on that. I should have realised the town would vote whichever way you asked them to. So thank you. You offered me grace to take on the parsonage and you put your faith in me. That was a huge gift . . .’

  ‘But I didn’t . . .’

  ‘It was a gift. But nowhere near as much of a gift as the stars you completed. That gave us back our belief in good things. It brought my daughter and me closer than ever.’ She still isn’t smiling and I can feel the hole around my feet being dug deeper as I speak. ‘So I built this. To say thank you. To show you what it meant to me – what it means to me.’

  She says nothing. The only sound is the wind moving through the observatory, the creaks and clicks of the new building, still unfamiliar to my ears. I wanted Seren to see the observatory first – and against all odds, she has. I have to be happy with that. And I can’t expect anything more. I want to tell her I love her; that I’ve been falling for her since we met. But it feels like too much to load her with. And judging by her expression, I don’t think she feels the same. So I stuff the last part of my well-rehearsed speech away, before I make the biggest fool of myself.

  ‘How long have you known about the stars?’

  For a moment I’m thrown: does she mean the stars the observatory is designed to watch, or our game on the beach? ‘Which stars?’

  ‘On Gwithian Beach. How long have you known I was making them?’

  ‘Not as long as you’ve known about Ness and me.’

  She looks away. Damn, I’ve blown it.

  ‘I’m sorry. Look, I’ll go. Leave you to look around. Check out the telescope, it’s pretty cool. It cost Brotherson a small fortune, by the way. So you get the last laugh there. I think – I hope – your father would have liked that.’ I pick up my phone and car keys from one of the oak benches set into the wall and begin to cross the flagstone floor. I’m almost level with Seren when her hand reaches out and touches my chest. It’s like a jolt of static and I stop, unable to move, as our eyes meet . . .

  Chapter Seventy-Five

  Seren

  I don’t know what I’m doing. Or why I stopped him. I just know it can’t end yet.

  ‘You tried to influence the vote for me?’

  He nods. His eyes become very still and I’m suddenly aware of the rise and fall of his chest against my hand. I want to pull away but it feels . . . safe.

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘I’m sorry. I should have followed you out after the result, or come to see you weeks ago. Earlier that night . . .’

  My shoulders tense. He remembers that, too? ‘Jack, don’t . . .’

  ‘I wanted to kiss you.’

  I stare up at him. I could deny how I felt but now the truth is out there, why even try?

  ‘So did I.’

  His fingers close gently over my hand, his heartbeat padding away against my palm. ‘I have no answers. I don’t know what’s going on or what’s possible. But I think I love you . . .’

  ‘I’m going away.’

  The words are out like jagged knives before I realise I’ve said them. I’m shocked and in shock, so close to telling him everything yet terrified it will break me apart if I do. I was going to leave St Ives tonight – I was planning time for myself, to work out what I wanted. I want Jack – amazingly, astoundingly, so powerfully it steals my breath. But being with him won’t answer every question or set my course for the future. And yet even as I say it, I see his smile fading. This isn’t what I wanted for the day I said goodbye to Dad’s shop. I didn’t expect to break anyone’s heart but my own.

  ‘I know,’ he says. ‘Aggie told me.’

  ‘I have to. I need time – for me. So much has changed this year. I feel like I don’t even know myself. It isn’t forever, just for a few weeks.’

  He closes his eyes but his hand still holds mine. If I’m going to start believing in signs, this is a good place to begin.

  ‘Would you wait for me, Jack?’

  As his eyes open, I reach up and touch his cheek. I don’t know if I even have the right to ask, but if I’m going away to find answers I need to start here.

  His kiss is immediate, soft and strong. I melt into his embrace and we rise and fall like a sea tide, moving closer, pulled together towards a new shore. And like Gwithian’s seaglass stars, we find what we were missing, completing each other piece by piece.

  When we walk out of the observatory, hand in hand, the stars are starting to appear in the deepening blue evening. As my friends cheer and rush over to join us, I take a look over Jack’s shoulder and smile. My ageless celestial friends above gaze down at us and I wonder what they see – how short a pinprick of light our lives together will appear to them in the long stretch of eternity. Somewhere, I think Elinor Carne and Dad might be watching us, too.

  I’m still going away for a while. But not this evening. For now, I have the whole world in one tiny corner of Cornwall: the sunset-painted sea, the wide sweep of St Ives Bay, my dearest friends – and Jack.

  My Jack.

  Dad used to say that magic is everywhere, if you look hard enough for it. I went looking for treasure on Gwithian Beach and found more than I ever expected. And as the night begins and the stars claim the sky, I am no longer fearful of what lies ahead. Jack’s arms around me – and the promise of what I’ll find for my future – are all I need to know.

  THE END

  Acknowledgements

  I’ll let you into a secret: this is one of the best bits about writing a book. It’s also the scariest, because I might miss someone. So I’m giving you all a hug right now, just in case I forget later!

  First of all, my deepest thanks to you, lovely reader. All my life I’ve dreamed of writing stories people wanted to read. By reading this book, you’ve made that little girl in Kingswinford Library’s dream come true. Thank you. Hope you enjoy Seren and Jack’s story – I wrote it for you xx

  Next, my lovely Dad, Brian Harvey Dickinson: actor, raconteur, runner, ultimate sweetie and Best Dad Ever. Writing this book has been strange because it’s the first one without him here to chat about it. But if you look closely, you’ll see him running through these pages (doing his best times, of course). I reckon he would have been chuffed with that. Miss you, Dad. Secret sign xx

  Huge thanks to my brilliant ag
ent, Hannah: chief cheerleader, confidante, consoler, fierce advocate and friend. Big thanks also to my editor, Caroline Hogg, and the fab team at Pan Macmillan, including Jayne Osborne, Kate Tolley, Camilla Rockwood and Kathryn Wolfendale.

  All my love to my fabulous writer friends, for constantly inspiring me, cheering me up and woop-wooping me onwards: Cathy Bramley, Julie Cohen, Rowan Coleman, Kim Curran, Jo Eustace, Kate Harrison, Rachael Lucas, Tamsyn Murray, A. G. Smith and Cally Taylor. Thanks also to the Dreamers, my writing group, and Anna Mansell, for our regular St Ives chats in The Hub and on Twitter! You all rock! xx

  My Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube lovelies. You are fab! Huge thanks to everyone who has contacted me about my books, chatted with me on social media and been so excited about my writing. As usual, I’ve sneaked a couple into the story: Sharon Thomas – @Starflower68 – appears as Sharon, owner of Wax-a-Daisy candle shop and member of the Save the Parsonage Committee (she named her shop, too!), and Anthony Lee @Holland4La appears as Lee, the young writer who visits MacArthur’s.

  Thanks to my family and friends, for their love, understanding and enough cups of tea and coffee to fill St Ives Harbour. I love you all xx

  Huge thanks to Emma Stevens, whose gorgeous song ‘The Star That Guides You Home’ inspired the very beginnings of this story. Thanks also to Seth Lakeman, Cara Dillon, Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys, Ed Sheeran and Kate Rusby, whose music has kept me company and created a perfect atmosphere through every stage of this novel’s life. Thanks also to Charlie Bowater, whose beautiful painting ‘The Old Astronomer’ inspired the character of Elinor Carne.

  Much love to Kat Stallard aka @saltyseakat on Instagram – her beautiful beachcombed seaglass photos and handmade crafts inspired Seren’s passion. Love also to Laura Evans, the real-life St Ives Mermaid, for inspiring Nessie’s mermaids in the story (and appearing in a flashback!).

  And lastly, my gorgeous Bob and beautiful Flo. You are my sky, my stars and my sea. I love you more than all the seaglass on all the beaches of the world xxx

  St Ives stole my heart and inspired this story you hold in your hands. I found magic there, and I hope I’ve done this amazing place justice in Somewhere Beyond the Sea. Magic is everywhere, if we look hard enough for it. I hope this story inspires you to find the magic you’re looking for.

  Brightest wishes

  Miranda xx

  Bibliography

  While writing Somewhere Beyond the Sea, I found these books incredibly helpful for researching stargazing, observatories and the history of female astronomers for Elinor Carne’s story.

  An Astronomer’s Tale: A Bricklayer’s Guide to the Galaxy by Gary Fildes, published by Century, Penguin Random House, 2016. This fabulous book inspired the character of Seren’s father, Mark MacArthur, and his Shedservatory – it’s a brilliant true story of one man’s passion to build an observatory, and reads like a Hollywood movie!

  Memoir and Correspondence of Caroline Herschel by Mrs John Herschel, published by Palala Press, 2015.

  Queen of Science: Personal Recollections of Mary Somerville by Mary Somerville (with Introduction by Dorothy McMillan), published by Canongate Books Ltd, 2001.

  Miranda’s Favourite

  Sea-gazing Instagram Accounts

  Living in the landlocked West Midlands, I needed lots of seaside inspiration while writing Somewhere Beyond the Sea when I couldn’t be in St Ives. I love Instagram (I’m @wurdsmyth there) and found it to be an Aladdin’s cave of Cornish gorgeousness. Here are my favourite seaside-y IG accounts:

  @porthmeorcafe – lovely food and gorgeous views of Porthmeor Beach.

  @kernow_shots – Lee’s stunning photos capture Cornwall at its most beautiful.

  @saltyseakat – follow Kat’s beachcombing adventures with gorgeous seaglass finds, beautiful beach photos and her wonderful handmade seaglass crafts.

  @tidelinetreasure – Jo makes amazing jewellery from pieces of found seaglass – she’ll even make a necklace from your own seaglass finds.

  @loving_stives – almost as good as being there! Lovely photos of St Ives through the year. Their online magazine at www.lovingstives.co.uk is a great source of information for events and the best places to visit.

  @lovecornwalluk – Visit Cornwall’s IG account is a treasure trove of amazing places in Cornwall and their website is fab, too.

  @walkingcornwall – this account is a collection of photos of Cornwall taken by visitors, and is a great source of other Cornwall-loving IG accounts to follow.

  @aspects_holidays – gorgeous photos of St Ives and Cornwall from the lovely team at this local holiday let company. I stay in their properties when I go to St Ives, and I may have spent a few hours gazing lovingly at the webcams on their website while researching my book . . .

  Miranda’s Favourite

  Sea- and Star-loving Artists

  A book about St Ives wouldn’t be complete without a nod to amazing artists, artisans and craftspeople. In the spirit of MacArthur’s, here are some wonderful artists you should check out:

  Charlie Bowater (www.charliebowater.net) I adore Charlie’s artwork. It’s sweeping, romantic and breathtakingly beautiful. Her painting, ‘The Old Astronomer’, hangs in my office, and when I was dreaming up the story of Somewhere Beyond the Sea, this painting inspired the character of Elinor Carne. I mention it in the story, too. You can buy her work from www.society6.com/CharlieBowater and on Etsy.com/uk/shop/CharlieBowater

  Poppy Treffry (www.poppytreffry.co.uk) Poppy draws gorgeous pictures using a sewing machine and her designs are made into a lovely range of art, home furnishings, accessories and more. A visit to St Ives isn’t complete without going into her cute shop (42 Fore Street). I have several of her cushions and a rather fabulous tea cosy, which kept my teapot toasty for the many, many cups of tea it took to write this book!

  Kat Stallard (www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SaltySeaStudio) As I’ve already mentioned, Kat’s Instagram account inspired Seren’s seaglass hunting. I have several of her beautiful seaglass-decorated shapes in my home, and a lovely seaglass-covered starfish sits on my desk to inspire me.

  Cliffside Gallery (www.cliffsidegallery.com) This gallery in picturesque Port Isaac is the home of Katie Childs’ beautiful and evocative art. I love her work! Her seaside and harbour paintings are stunning and also feature on cushions, blinds and lampshades – and Katie is a lovely lady to chat to, too!

  Miranda’s Guide to St Ives

  (and Beyond)

  As you may have gathered, I adore St Ives and the surrounding area. There are so many wonderful things to see, do and visit – far too many to list here. Everyone has their favourite places to visit on holiday, so here are mine, Bob’s and Flo’s.

  Porthmeor Beach

  Gorgeous at any time of year, Porthmeor Beach is wild and wide and completely wonderful. I stayed in a house overlooking the beach while I was writing Somewhere Beyond the Sea, and was amazed by how quickly the seascape and colours changed through the day. It’s Flo’s favourite beach, too. She’s been known to insist on making sandcastles and sand-angels in January here!

  Porthgwidden Beach

  A short walk round The Island headland brings you to this small, perfectly formed beach with its cafe (the setting for Aggie’s coffee hut in Somewhere Beyond the Sea). When we were in Cornwall two Septembers ago, Bob got up early on the morning of our wedding anniversary to make a gorgeous heart on the beach for me using seaglass, mussel shells, seaweed and bits of driftwood – it was this that sparked the idea for the seaglass stars being made on Gwithian Beach, which began the whole story of Somewhere Beyond the Sea.

  Fore Street

  It gets very busy in the summer, but this famous cobbled street in St Ives is one of my favourites, because it’s always our main route into town when we stay there. There are lots of gorgeous shops and cafes, galleries and foodie places and Flo’s favourite Post Office, which sells toys, art supplies and Cornish goodies.

  St Ives Bookseller (2 Fore Street, www.stives-bo
okseller.co.uk)

  A tiny bookshop at the entrance to Fore Street that packs a mighty punch. This is my go-to place for holiday books and Flo adores choosing stories from the well-stocked kids’ section. Lots of local authors, signed books and unusual titles alongside favourite authors and, if you don’t mind a bit of a squeeze, you can while away a happy half-hour inside.

  Seasalt St Ives shop (4 Fore Street, www.seasaltcornwall.co.uk)

  Friendly staff, gorgeous clothes and window displays you want to take home. I love this shop!

  Ebb and Flow (25 Wharf Road)

  My favourite shop in St Ives. It’s a fabulous ethical boutique right on the harbour front packed to the rafters with gorgeous clothes, jewellery, treats and gifts, many sourced in Cornwall. Stay for a chat with lovely owner Karen and say hello to Domino, the shop dog. Also has the best playlist of any shop in the town! www.facebook.com/EbbandFlowStIves

  Further afield . . .

  Gwithian Beach is a very special place for my family and me. Gloriously wide and windswept, with huge skies above, this fudge-coloured sandy beach is a favourite with surfers and families, and when I was writing Somewhere Beyond the Sea it was the only choice for the beach where Seren, Jack and Nessie make their seaglass stars.

  Visible from Gwithian Beach is the tall, proud, white tower of Godrevy Lighthouse on a tiny island, just offshore. If you park at Godrevy National Trust car park, you can walk right around the headland on a stunning cliff path. In the summer, skylarks wheel high up in the sky and you can spot cheeky seals in the tiny, rocky bays far below most of the year round. Godrevy is one of the first places I visited with Bob’s family, also one of the first places we took Flo.

  The pretty towns of Carbis Bay and Hayle are well worth a visit. Carbis Bay has the most wonderful beach (which is where Flo first discovered the joy of wriggling her toes in the sand). Hayle is on a tidal estuary and is a bustling little town with lots of lovely shops and cafes.