Confetti at the Cornish Café

by Phillipa Ashley

  ‘Didn’t you tell anyone where you were headed?’

  ‘No … I didn’t want to disturb anyone. I left before they woke up and didn’t plan to be out quite so long, but it’s a gorgeous morning and I kept stopping to look at the view. Louie paddled in some of the rock pools and once I almost took off my wellies to go in the sea myself but it was a bit cold.’

  ‘The water would be chilly this early in the year but it is very pretty down there on a day like this. Our guests love Kilhallon Cove so I can see why you wanted to stay down there.’

  ‘The sea’s like glass, so still and tranquil and there was hardly anybody about, except for a few people with dogs and a jogger. Once I reached the lighthouse on the headland beyond the cove, I sat on top of the rocky outcrop and tried to spot the islands. I couldn’t decide if they were a mirage in the morning haze or real …’ Her voice tails off then she snaps back to reality. ‘It was so hard to tear myself away but Louie was getting cold. He was tired by the time we got back, even though I carried him some of the way, so I called in here. He needs a break and a drink.’

  I think we all know who really needs the break but I go along with it. ‘Let me take your coat and fetch you both a drink. Here. Come and sit by the radiators. We’ve got the heating on to warm the place through even though it’s fine now. Shall I call someone for you to let them know you’re OK?’

  ‘Have people been looking for me, then?’ She sounds surprised although I get the feeling that she’s only acting surprised. She must know that everyone’s been wondering what happened to her.

  ‘Well, Harry and Jade and Addison were – slightly concerned.’

  Lily looks down at her boots. ‘Were they? I haven’t had a signal.’

  ‘We have Wi-Fi on site so we can email them. Shall I?’

  She grabs my arm. ‘Not yet. Please?’

  Her eyes plead with me and there’s a desperate edge to her voice. ‘Of course, I won’t call anyone. You don’t have to if you don’t want to. Are you sure you’re OK?’

  ‘Hmm.’ She nods and rubs Louie’s muzzle. ‘But Louie’s exhausted, aren’t you, poor baby.’

  ‘I’ll fetch Mitch’s bed for Louie and get him some water and breakfast. I’ve some doggy muffins prepared for the wedding and he can have one if you say it’s OK. Can I get you a cup of chamomile and something to eat?’

  ‘I don’t think I could manage anything but the tea.’

  ‘I think you should try. You need to after such a long walk.’

  I stroke Louie’s silky coat. He yips happily as he recognises my scent. ‘Morning, Louie.’

  ‘You’re so busy. I don’t want to put you to the trouble …’

  ‘It’s no trouble. You’re the bride and it’s your wedding morning.’ I feel so sorry for Lily. She looks like she hasn’t slept for a week. While we settle Louie with his breakfast, Nina prepares Lily’s chamomile tea and a thick slice of granary toast drizzled with creamy honey.

  ‘Here’s your tea and some toast. This is local bread with organic flour and the honey’s from a few miles away. It’ll make you feel better.’

  Lily smiles. ‘Toast and honey. Not had that for ages; not since I was at home. I try to avoid carbs but I supposed it is my wedding day and I do need the energy to face the world.’

  She nibbles at the toast and sips her tea. I have a hundred and one things to do but I can’t leave. I don’t want to; I never thought I’d feel deeply sorry for a rich, pampered actress, but I do. I’m also worried about her and I don’t want to scare her even more. Sooner or later though Harry ought to know that she’s here with us. I don’t really care about the Gruesome Twosome and I don’t blame Lily for wanting to get away from those parasites or the whole wedding machine. I know one thing. If I ever get married, I don’t want the whole big bandwagon, even a Kilhallon-style bandwagon. I’d just run away and do it … not that I can ever see it happening.

  Once he’s fed and watered, Louie happily plays with a rope toy of Mitch’s. He looks even tinier than ever, swamped by Mitch’s dog bed. At least he’s happy now, but there’s still Lily to sort out. Despite saying she couldn’t eat she’s demolished the toast and has said yes to another cup of tea and a bowl of fresh strawberries with Cornish yoghurt. Her cheeks look a little pinker but I’m still worried.

  As she tucks into her strawberries, I take a seat beside her. ‘Have you been comfortable in Poldark Cottage?’ I ask, concerned about her pale face and dark eyes and keen to bring her back to something like normality – reality – for a moment.

  ‘Oh yes. Thank you. I couldn’t seem to settle, even with Louie in bed with me. I kept pacing about.’

  ‘It must be weird without Ben next to you.’

  ‘Oh, I’m used to that. We actually don’t spend that many nights together with our work and it won’t change after today.’

  ‘I hadn’t thought of that … I miss Cal now. At first it was strange sharing the bed with someone else, because I’d been so used to sleeping on my own in all kinds of places. Now, I don’t like being without him.’

  ‘Is he not here, then? I haven’t seen him about and I was wondering what had happened to him.’ Lily pops a strawberry into her mouth. ‘These are yummy, by the way.’

  I smile. ‘Cal’s been away for a few days but he’ll be back later in time for your wedding. I’m hoping he’ll be back …’

  Lily frowns. ‘Is everything OK?’

  ‘Yes, it’s fine. It’s just that he had to go away urgently for a few days.’

  She pats my arm and her mouth turns down. ‘Poor you.’

  ‘Oh, it’s not what it sounds like. I mean, it’s nothing bad. He went to Greece to try and find a little girl called Esme. Cal worked in a refugee camp in Syria until last year and he’s been trying to trace Esme and her family since then. On Wednesday, he found out that she might be in a camp in Greece so he went to see if he could find her.’

  ‘I bet that was a shock, when you must have wanted him here with you, with all of our wedding crap going on.’

  ‘Yeah. It was a shock and I did really want him to stay but …’

  ‘Why did you let him go, then? I don’t think I would have.’

  ‘Let Ben go?’

  ‘No, let Cal go.’ She smiles. ‘Obviously it would have been weird if Ben had wanted to go away when we were getting married.’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘So why did you let Cal leave, at the time when you needed him most and you’re not totally sure he’ll be back?’

  ‘Because … because he needed to see Esme while he had the chance. Because he offered to stay here but I knew that in his heart what he really wanted was to see her and talk to her. He has unfinished business with her, and the family were going to be moved from the camp so he daren’t wait until after the wedding.’

  Lily blows out a breath. ‘Wow. You must love him a lot.’

  ‘I suppose … I mean … yes, I guess I must.’ Suddenly I realise that the conversation has turned from her to me, but if it makes her feel better to listen to me, then it’s fine, I think. I glance around me but Nina and the other staff are all busy behind the counter or in the kitchen area. No one’s listening. Funny how it’s often easier to talk to a relative stranger about your fears than someone you actually know.

  Lily sighs. ‘You’re both very lucky to have each other.’

  ‘I hope so.’

  ‘But you’re worried he might stay there?’

  ‘No. Not in Greece, but sometimes, often, I wonder if Kilhallon is enough for him.’

  ‘So he’s torn between two loves: you and his work and that girl and helping people like her?’

  My stomach feels achingly empty and goosebumps prickle my skin. Lily has said out loud the things that have nagged at me for a long time. First with Isla and now with Cal’s work. Will I ever be enough for him? And why did I ever let myself start to worry about that? When did I bind up my future so closely with his?

  She scrapes out the remaining yoghurt with a spoon
.

  I change the subject. ‘Shouldn’t you be getting ready for the wedding?’

  ‘There’s plenty of time. The cafe looks adorable. I can’t believe all of this is for me. The work and the people everywhere – all for me and Ben.’

  ‘You must be used to a lot of fuss and people around you?’

  ‘Yes. We are, and it gets too overwhelming at times. Which is why I slipped out first thing this morning. I just needed some time and space to myself. I had a good feeling about Kilhallon and Demelza’s as soon as I stepped into the cafe. It’s the kind of place, with the big skies and the sea, that makes me feel as if my problems are very small. Do you know what I mean?’

  ‘Yes, I know exactly what you mean.’

  ‘I could escape down here and not have to go back to real life … not that I know what my real life is sometimes. I – we, me and Ben – live in a weird world. I never know what’s real, we’re always creating a fantasy and the people around us are reinforcing that.’

  Louie trots over from his basket, putting his paws on her knees. She picks him up and hugs him. ‘At least Louie is real but he can’t travel all over the world with me. Not always.’

  Nina catches my eye and mimes a ‘you’ve got a phone call’ sign. It has to be Jade or Addison demanding to know if we’ve seen Lily and I can’t ignore them or lie forever. I’ve already kept Lily here too long. They’re bound to freak out and Harry will probably be genuinely worried …

  ‘Lily? Thank God I found you.’

  Just as I’m thinking of begging Lily to call him, Harry bursts into the cafe. I know it’s him by the physique and voice but he looks different somehow. His buzz cut has grown into a short choppy cut that’s even darker than Cal’s and it suits him. He’s wearing charcoal jeans and a grey long-sleeved T-shirt that shows off his broad shoulders and six-pack. If I didn’t know better, I’d have said he was the movie star, not Ben.

  He kneels at Lily’s feet. ‘Lily, Lily, why did you go off like that? Ben would have been so worried if he’d known you’d disappeared. Jade and Addison have been hitting the roof.’ Nina holds up the phone in despair but I shake my head. There’s no way I’m speaking to the Gruesome Twosome now.

  ‘But Ben doesn’t know,’ says Lily firmly. ‘And I don’t want to be rude, but I don’t care what Jade and Addison think. It’s my wedding day and my life. I can do what I like and no one – not even you, Harry – can stop me.’

  Stunned into silence, Harry stays on his knees.

  ‘I’m fine. I’m sorry you were worried but I needed to get away and have some time to myself. Totally to myself.’

  ‘I didn’t know where you’d gone. I thought … I thought …’

  ‘Louie and I had a long walk and, since then, Demi’s been looking after us.’

  Lily reaches out and rests her fingers on his shoulder while Harry gazes up at her as adoringly as Louie, though he reminds me more of Mitch: a great, shaggy, faithful hound who’d do anything for me. I haven’t met Giles but he must be a very special man to have Harry.

  When he speaks again, his voice is soft and gentle. ‘I know that. It’s your life, Lils. I only wanted you to know that I – we – care about you. More than you can ever know.’

  ‘I do know you care and I’m sorry for causing so much trouble.’ She stands up and so does Harry, towering over her by a foot at least. ‘I’m ready now. Thank you for the breakfast,’ she declares to me and everyone in the cafe. She heaves a big sigh. ‘Come on, you’d better do your duty and escort me back to the cottage. Let’s do this.’

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  We can hear Jade’s voice from the garden gate of the cottage. The front door is open and she has her back to us ranting at some unfortunate person but the moment she catches sight of Lily, she rushes out and squeezes her until Lily almost gasps for air.

  ‘You silly girl! We thought you’d fallen off a cliff!’

  ‘I didn’t,’ says Harry.

  ‘You, shut up! Call yourself a bodyguard? Lily could have been kidnapped or fallen down one of those holes. Yes,’ she says to me, ‘I heard that you were almost killed last autumn. Your PA told me!’

  Thanks, Polly, I think but Jade has moved on. ‘Why didn’t you call? Why didn’t you ask me, or even Harry, to come with you if you were that desperate for some fresh air?’

  ‘I should have phoned you, I know, but there was no signal. I wanted to be alone for a while.’

  Jade takes Lily’s arm and her voice is smooth as butter. ‘Yes, but you’re not Greta Garbo, now are you, darling?’

  ‘It’s Lily’s life and she’s fine,’ Harry says.

  Jade rounds on him, her eyes flashing fury. ‘You are paid to make sure that she’s safe, not to have an opinion. After this fiasco and the sea incident, you’ll be lucky if we keep you on. I’d hire someone else if it wasn’t Lily’s wedding morning, but you can pack your bags after today.’

  ‘Leave Harry alone! I decide who works for me and that goes for you too, Jade,’ Lily snaps back with a passion I haven’t seen before. ‘Now, I’m going to have a nice relaxing bath and then I’m going to get ready for my wedding in my own time and neither you nor anyone else is going to spoil today. And you do not ever speak to me like that again. Is that clear?’

  Leaving Jade gulping like a stranded fish on the beach, Lily stomps upstairs. Harry rushes to the foot of the steps but Jade clamps her fingers on his arm. ‘Leave her alone. This is your doing. She would never have turned on me like that if you hadn’t let her escape. She’s had far too much time to think.’

  Harry glares down at her as if she were a cockroach. ‘Escape? What kind of a word is that? You’re spouting absolute bollocks, Jade, and you know it. If anyone’s upset her, it’s you and Wonderboy Addison, you grasping pair of leeches.’

  Jade’s eyes widen. ‘Right. That’s it. You can get out of this dump right now. I’ll look after Lily from now on.’

  Harry folds his arms and his huge biceps bulge. ‘I’m not leaving until I know Lily’s in safe hands and I consider yours to be about as safe as Lady Macbeth’s. You and Addison are complete parasites. I’ll be outside the cottage, briefing the security team, and I won’t be letting Lily out of my sight for the rest of the day.’

  I wouldn’t say that Harry flounces off, because I don’t think it’s possible, but he strides out of the door and shuts it very firmly. Jade is left in his wake, like a stranded goldfish.

  ‘Can I do anything to help?’ I ask, standing well clear in case she decides to lash out.

  ‘Actually, you can. You can sort out the fact that Lily’s hairstylist is going ballistic because Lily’s not even had a bath yet, and the fact that her friends are getting pissed on the free Krug and it’s not even ten a.m. and you can find out where that cunning minx Mawgan Cade has got to. And you can find someone who can get all three bridesmaids looking like they belong at a celebrity wedding, not a circus. I’m going to my car to do some mindfulness and centre myself but I tell you this, if Lily Craig so much as crosses the threshold of this cottage before it’s time for the ceremony, I’ll blacken the name of this shitty little hole from here to Timbuktu.’

  With that, she storms off, slamming the door of the cottage so hard the frame shakes.

  It’s probably a good job Cal isn’t here because I don’t think he’d have been much help with what’s happened. He might have thrown Jade out himself. I don’t give a toss about Jade’s threats; I’m more worried about Lily and Harry and the way Jade treats them. She and Mawgan would make a wonderful pair. No, forget it: the world doesn’t deserve that kind of drama.

  There’s silence for a few seconds while I regain my breath. Then, from the kitchen, a girl with a large bag emerges. ‘Is it safe to come out?’

  ‘Yes. I think so.’

  She lets out a long breath. ‘Thank God for that. I’m Carmel, Lily’s hairstylist. Contrary to what Jade said, I wasn’t going ballistic, I was only taking cover from Jade. There’s also plenty of time to get Lily rea
dy, I’m well prepared for glitches like this. All brides are twitchy on their wedding morning and Lily’s always late anyway.’

  ‘Really?’ I’m not so sure there is plenty of time, despite what Carmel claims, but she does know Lily a lot better than I do.

  ‘It’ll be fine in the end, I’m sure, although I think Harry’s been given his marching orders for real this time.’

  ‘Has she sacked him before, then?’

  Carmel laughs. ‘Jade’s sacked everyone at some point but I’ve never heard Harry go for the jugular before. There’s no going back from that, though I don’t blame him. If I didn’t love Lily to bits, for all her foibles, I’d have quit too. Jade is a grade-A bitch and a parasite, as Harry says. Addison isn’t quite so bad but he’s pathetic and under Jade’s thumb.’

  ‘Poor Lily, though I was relieved to see her stand up to Jade.’

  ‘Me too,’ Carmel replies. ‘But there is something I haven’t told Jade or Lily that could be another issue. Jade would have totally lost it if I had.’

  My heart sinks. ‘Oh, no. What now?’

  ‘Don’t panic. It’s not the complete end of the world but Lily’s make-up artist isn’t going to make it. She’s gone down with food poisoning from the hotel they stayed in. Her assistant’s gone down with it too. They texted me while Jade was ranting.’

  ‘No make-up people? Can you do it?’

  ‘Sort of. I’m trained and I can manage Lily as well as her hair but I’ll need help with the bridesmaids. God knows how we’re going to get someone decent up here at this short notice, even if they know its Lily Craig’s wedding.’

  My brain makes the leap and I sigh in relief. ‘That’s one thing I can help you with.’

  Carmel stares at me. ‘Are you a trained beautician?’

  ‘No, but I know a woman who is. My friend Tamsin’s coming over to do mine and Polly’s make-up but I’m sure she could switch to the bridal party. I’ll call her.’

  ‘Do you think she’ll mind?’

  Finally I find something to smile about amid the chaos. ‘Oh, I think she can cope.’