Confetti at the Cornish Café

by Phillipa Ashley

  ‘Yeah, as a friend. You never thought that I’d actually be interested in you that way, did you? I mean, you’re an attractive girl when you want to be, but you’re no Lily, are you? And I’m Ben Trevone … and well, you do the maths.’ He shrugs.

  ‘Friends? Attractive?’ Mawgan advances. ‘I could have ruined you. I could have told Lily what you’d done. I could have invited a pap along or told the papers but I didn’t because … because.’

  She had her eye on the main prize, I think.

  Ben shrinks up against the dresser. ‘Shit, I didn’t mean to upset you, Mawgs. It was only a bit of a laugh. You must see that.’

  ‘Do you see me laughing?’ Mawgan says in a hiss. ‘You led me on. You’re a spineless creep and, what’s more, you couldn’t act your way out of a paper bag.’

  Mawgan takes another step forward. Ben works his way behind me. ‘There’s no need for violence!’ he bleats.

  Jesus. I shake my head in disbelief at his callousness. ‘I rarely find myself agreeing with a Cade, but you really are a bit of a prat, aren’t you, mate?’

  ‘I don’t need your help. I can fight my own battles.’ Mawgan snatches her bag off the table and marches up to Ben, standing right in his face. ‘You have no idea what I can do. No idea.’

  ‘She’s right,’ I say. Ben’s face blanches. ‘You’d better wait in the sitting room.’ Ben doesn’t need any more excuses and scuttles through the door, leaving me alone with Mawgan.

  ‘Get out of my way,’ she says.

  ‘I will but first I have something to say.’

  She laughs but her eyes are bright. ‘What? You want to laugh at me, do you? I know you and Demi will spend the rest of the day sneering and laughing at my expense and I didn’t need you to defend me from Ben.’

  ‘I would say that you don’t often cause hilarity in either of our lives, Mawgan, but on the rare occasion you do it’s entirely your own fault. I walked in here feeling sorry for Ben, and at one point, I even had sympathy with you, but now I think you deserve everything you get.’

  Mawgan sniggers. ‘Piss off, Cal.’

  ‘Fine, but before you go, you need to know that your mother is here.’

  Mawgan’s mouth drops open then she spits out the words. ‘You’re lying. You’re saying that to get me away from this pathetic piece of work.’

  ‘No. Robyn’s been looking for you. Your mum’s on her way to Kilhallon. Andi picked her up from Newquay over an hour ago and they were heading straight here. She’d have been here earlier but her flight to Heathrow was delayed.’

  ‘My mother’s on her way here? Why?’

  ‘She was coming over for Andi and Robyn’s engagement party and wanted to see you being a bridesmaid. She thought she’d surprise you both.’

  Mawgan visibly deflates in front of my eyes. ‘What do you mean? Andi and Robyn’s engagement? I don’t understand. They haven’t said anything to me.’ Her voice rises in a shriek. ‘They can’t get married. Everyone’s getting married except me. I won’t have it!’

  My heart bleeds. Mawgan has brought all of this on herself. ‘Before you see her, tell me one thing. Did you pay the drone operator to buzz Boris when he delivered the rings?’

  Mawgan stares at me. ‘Yes. Yes, I did but …’ She collapses onto a kitchen chair, totally gobsmacked. ‘I can’t believe she’d fly all this way to see me,’ she says quietly.

  ‘I’m here, darling.’

  A tall, tanned woman with bobbed hair stands in the doorway. Mawgan stares at her mother as if an alien has just walked into the kitchen.

  ‘Hello, Cal,’ Mrs Cade says before turning her attention to Mawgan who has her hands over her mouth in disbelief.

  ‘Mum, I didn’t know you were coming.’ Mawgan stands up as her mother approaches her.

  ‘I wanted it to be a surprise,’ Mrs Cade says in her Aussie accent. ‘I only told Andi when I landed. I wanted to see you be a bridesmaid and to celebrate the girls’ engagement. After you came and visited me at Christmas and we had such a happy time, I thought I’d come back and spend some more time with you girls. Now, I hear there’s been a problem with this wedding.’ Mrs Cade looks Mawgan right in the eyes. ‘I hope it hasn’t anything to do with you? You promised me you’d changed your ways at Christmas, Mawgan. I did hope you meant it.’

  Mawgan shakes her head and wheedles. ‘Trouble? No. No. It’s nothing to do with me. Why would it be?’

  ‘Hmm. We’ll see about that, because if I find you’ve been spiteful and causing trouble again, I can get straight back on that plane and go home.’ Her mother walks forward. ‘Now. Aren’t you going to give me a proper hug?’

  Mawgan shoots me a look, half loathing and half agony. She can’t bear to show emotion or weakness but it’s too late. It’s obvious she adores her mother and they embrace each other. ‘Darling. It’s so wonderful to see you. You look gorgeous, sweetheart. I was so worried that I wouldn’t make it on time to see you today …’

  Mawgan gulps back a sob. She’s reverted to a little girl and it’s just weird. I don’t feel I can handle any more drama today.

  ‘I’ll leave you to it,’ I mutter, grateful to slink past them and out of the kitchen.

  In the sitting room, Ben stands in front of the fireplace with a crystal tumbler of amber liquid in his hand.

  ‘Hope you don’t mind. I helped myself,’ he says, nodding to the decanter and tray on the dresser. ‘Not a bad malt.’

  ‘It was one of my dad’s,’ I say, wincing at the level in the bottle.

  ‘He had good taste. Sorry to invade your place, Cal, and for that scene with Mawgan. I needed some space away from people. Jade and Addison mostly, but I never expected Mawgs to go for me like that.’

  ‘Where’s your best man?’ I say, still furious with him.

  ‘Arranging an emergency exfil ASAP.’ He grins. ‘If you know what I mean by the military jargon.’

  I do because I’ve been on the receiving end of an emergency ‘exfil’ myself but in slightly more dangerous circumstances. I somehow don’t think Ben has any idea of what it’s like to be rescued by Special Forces before you’re executed by insurgents. Then again, perhaps the experience might do him good …

  ‘Have you seen that little shit, Harry, by the way, or has Lily sent him packing by now?’

  ‘I don’t know what his or her plans are,’ I say, wondering if Demi has tracked either of them down. ‘And I hope you don’t mind me saying it, but you don’t exactly seem heartbroken by what’s happened.’

  He knocks back my whisky like it’s lemonade. ‘That’s because I’m not. OK. I’m pissed off about her doing it in public but in the end, it’s for the best. I like Lily. She hot and she’s fun and I guess I was in love with her. I still do love her, but more as a friend. I never wanted to get married to her but my agent and publicist said it would be great for both of us. They said we could get divorced in a couple of years. I told them I didn’t want to do that to Lily.’ He finishes his drink.

  ‘But you were going to?’

  ‘Yeah. No. I … Lily is braver than me. She’s a much better person and she deserves someone better. But Harry? Jesus.’

  He’s right about that. So right and it’s all I can do to restrain myself from not chucking him out of my house.

  ‘What do you want us to do with all the food, the band? The guests are being fed in the tepee now but there’s the evening party too.’

  ‘Carry on, if anyone wants to stay. I can’t handle that now. I bet everyone feels sorry for me. Poor Lily, she’ll come off worst in all of this. Jade and Addison will stick with me, if I ask them to. I’m worth more than Lily at the moment.’ His phone rings. ‘I have to take this. It’s my best man.’

  He mutters a few words into the phone then says, ‘There’s a car waiting for me outside. I’m going to get legless somewhere no one can find me. I’ll deal with this when I’m ready but that could be a while. All I want now is to get the fuck away from all of it.’

  He swills the fin
al dregs of my whisky, tosses it back and dumps the glass on the mantelpiece.

  ‘You must know what I mean. Haven’t you ever wanted to pack up and leave all the shit behind? Screw everything and everybody and take off, look after number one? Do what you want and to hell with the consequences?’

  ‘Yes. Yes, I have.’ I’ve done it. Gone off and said screw the consequences. Done what I wanted and what I thought was right for me, and sod everyone else, like Isla and my father. I took those arms when I should have said ‘no’, I let Soraya get involved …

  Ben sighs. ‘Well, thanks for organising the wedding – and to Demi too. I never thought you’d be able to put on a show like this but hats off to you. It’s all paid for so I’d get pissed with your mates and enjoy the party at our expense if I were you.’

  ‘Thanks,’ I manage through gritted teeth. ‘What about your mum and dad? What shall I tell them?’

  ‘I’ll call them once I’m safely away from here. See you around, maybe?’ he adds.

  ‘Yeah. See you.’

  And he’s gone. And I don’t feel one iota of sympathy for him, or pity other than for the fact he’s a total jerk and there’s no cure for that. I’ve no doubt that those leeches Jade and Addison will paint him as the injured party although any publicity will probably be lapped up by Lily too. As for Harry, I don’t envy the bloke living in that cauldron of publicity. There’s a lot to be said for the quiet life … if I can only find it.

  Wincing at my depleted whisky bottle, I walk into the wrecked kitchen. Mawgan and her mother have left the house and I suck in a huge breath of Kilhallon air, trying to take in all the events of the past few hours and days. I pick up the chair and gather the broken crockery in a piece of newspaper – including one of Demi’s favourite breakfast bowls and an Il Divo mug she bought Polly for Christmas. It can be replaced.

  ‘Cal!’

  Demi’s voice cuts through the quiet and the window. I spot her hobbling across the yard in her slinky dress that shows off every gorgeous curve. Her hair has escaped from its clip and is flying wantonly in the wind.

  We meet in the porch and she flings her arms around me. ‘What is it?’ she says, ‘What is it about Kilhallon that attracts so much drama?’

  Her cheeks are pink from running and she’s wearing the safety shoes she uses at work. My breath catches in my throat. She looks gobsmackingly sexy and funny and I hardly know what to do with myself.

  Or maybe I know exactly what to do.

  ‘I have no idea but it seems to have something to do with a certain person whose name begins with a D and ends in an I. Let’s call Rachel and try to sort out the mess down at the wedding glade and then, I want to talk to you.’

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  Demi

  After we’ve called Rachel and made sure that the remaining guests know that the party’s still going ahead – without the bride and groom – Cal pulls back a chair from the table. I’ve tried to focus on our discussion with Rachel until now, but my pulse stirs when I see the serious look on his face.

  ‘Sit down, I want to talk to you now we finally have five minutes’ peace.’

  I take a seat and a much-needed deep breath. ‘Is this to do with what happened in Greece?’

  Cal sits next to me. ‘Yes, and other things, relating to Lily and Ben and what happened today. They’re linked in a weird mixed-up way so bear with me.’ He takes a breath before going on. ‘I finally found out how Esme escaped from her mother’s house. One of the neighbours’ daughters found her with Soraya’s body just before I arrived and virtually dragged her away while hell was breaking loose around them.’

  Nothing I can do but listen, knowing how hard this must be for him.

  ‘In the time I spent with her mother and searching for Esme, the girls managed to get a lift out of town. It’s thanks to the neighbours that she stayed relatively safe, and a few weeks later they were able to reunite her with her grandparents and cousins. Eventually, they made it through Turkey, survived the sea crossing to the Greek islands and have been living in various camps while they make a claim for asylum in Germany.’

  ‘Do you think they’ll get it?’ I ask as he hesitates.

  ‘It’s not guaranteed but she has an auntie and uncle already in Frankfurt and as she has no parents now, we’re hoping she and her grandparents will be allowed to live with them soon. The miracle is that she survived and she’s found her family. After what happened to her mother, and what might have happened to her if she’d been making that journey alone, it’s the best outcome, by a million miles, that I could have wished for.’

  I squeeze his hand. ‘I’m so glad. I’m relieved that you found her and you’re here.’

  ‘Her family were so generous to me. I told them everything and they don’t blame me. Her cousins said she would have wanted me to help in the way I did. I can never be so forgiving to myself, but I’m going to try very hard to take their advice.’

  ‘What was their advice?’

  ‘They told me to let go of Esme and Soraya, of my guilt – of everything that happened. When you lose someone – like my mum and dad and Soraya – you live with more fear but more determination to do the things you want to do. I was trying to right a wrong I could never put right. Esme’s family have reminded me I can’t turn the clock back or work miracles.

  ‘I’ll never forget Soraya and I’ll keep in touch with Esme and her family and do what I can to help them.’ He stands up, as if he can’t bear to be in one place any longer, despite what he’s saying.

  ‘It would be wrong for me to say that everything’s fine and OK now I’ve come to terms with what happened. I – none of us – can ignore what’s happening to people like Esme and her family, but I also want to do as they told me: to come back home and live my life with you at Kilhallon.’

  ‘You told them about me?’ I ask, amazed he had time to mention us.

  ‘Of course I did. They wanted to hear what I was doing; how I’d escaped and what had happened since. Esme wanted to know about you, what you looked like and what you liked doing. I said you liked cooking and baking and that you had a dog. I showed her a photo of me and you with Mitch.’

  ‘Oh, Cal … I have a confession to make too. I found your will in the study. You left me Kilhallon! I don’t want it, I only wanted you home and it scared me.’ I grow cold even now when I remember finding it, but Cal laughs.

  ‘Why are you scared? We all have to go sometime.’

  ‘Don’t joke. It’s not funny.’

  ‘Why are you so upset that I’ve left you this place? Is it because you’d find it a burden? I can leave it to Mitch instead if you want. Come here.’ He holds me and strokes my hair.

  ‘No. Stop it. I thought … I thought that it meant you were planning to leave here and work in the Middle East and put yourself in danger again. I thought you might never come back.’

  ‘I’ve been there and done that and I don’t fancy doing it again. I always intended to come back but I needed to sort out my affairs. I’ve never done it before because I wasn’t ready to face up to it after I came home from Syria and I had no idea who I even wanted to leave a worthless wreck like Kilhallon to. Now we’ve made the place into what it is, I am ready. Call it a sign that I’m moving on and can face it now, call it a grown-up thing to do. Life’s precarious: I didn’t want to leave the place in limbo. I wanted to make sure Kilhallon and the things I care about were left to the people I care about.’

  ‘But why me? I don’t deserve to have all this, even if I could ever imagine looking after the place without you.’

  He rests his hands on my waist. ‘Who else should have it but you? Besides, I need to make a will anyway, as things are going to change between us.’

  ‘What do you mean, “things are going to change between us?” I don’t want things to change.’

  Cal’s smile slips. He drops his hands from my waist. ‘Don’t you?’

  ‘No. I like things how they are unless – if you’re not going away, wha
t do you mean? Do you want me to move out of the farmhouse? Do you think things aren’t working between us?’

  He groans and shoves his hands through his hair. ‘Demi, you have completely the wrong end of the stick.’

  ‘Then why should things change? I don’t want any more change. I’ve had enough change over the past year. I don’t think I can cope with any more. Losing my job, finding another, meeting you, Mawgan causing trouble, starting the cafe, losing Mitch, meeting Dad again, the floods and Freya, the book and moving in here. I feel as if I can hardly catch my breath. Please. There’s only so much I can take. Just for a while, can’t we have a few boring months of nothing happening?’

  He takes a step back. Rubs his hand over his mouth in the way he does when he’s worried and stressed. Have I said something so wrong? Damn.

  ‘Can you genuinely not take any more excitement or change?’ he says quietly. ‘In that case, I won’t pressure you. I won’t do what I was about to.’

  ‘For God’s sake, what were you about to do?’ I raise my voice in frustration.

  ‘Well, I … I don’t know whether to say it now. But … Ben said to feed the guests who are left and enjoy the party.’

  I’m ready to rip out my own hair in frustration and tension. ‘Yes, and Lily said the same. So what’s that got to do with your mysterious plans?’

  ‘So, shall we?’ Cal asks. ‘Have the party anyway. I think the guests are already being fed. Rachel’s told the caterers to go ahead because everyone was starving.’

  ‘From the sound of things, the party’s going on whether we want it to or not. It feels strange without an actual ceremony and bride and groom.’

  ‘Yes. It does.’ He looks thoughtful. Unsure. ‘What a waste.’

  ‘As Robyn and Andi are engaged, they might enjoy a free wedding.’

  Cal frowns. ‘Robyn and Andi?’

  ‘And Isla and Luke were going to get married sometime. They might want to stand in for Lily and Ben? If Isla feels up to it, of course. Oh …’