Suddenly Emerald wanted nothing more than to be back home in California, thousands of miles away, and chatting to Leaf as they strolled along the sidewalk in town or planted herbs in the community centre’s garden. Her mom might be a flake but she was a flake who loved Emerald and was proud of her, and it was abundantly clear that Jimmy’s feelings were the total opposite. Emerald was his shameful, guilty secret. No wonder he’d closed his Facebook account, been increasingly hard to contact by telephone and been so cagey about setting a date for her visit.
As for asking her not to contact her siblings but to wait for them to get in touch? Well, then she should really have smelt a rat. Emerald felt horribly lost. It was all very well reading English literature, being a dab hand at balancing chakras and learning to barrel-race a pony, but it might have been more helpful if her mom and the procession of father figures had taught her a little more about human nature instead.
“I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have come here,” she said, her voice sounding all funny and tight – nothing like her real self at all.
“Of course you should have come. I only wish we’d been able to give you a proper welcome. But that isn’t your fault. Is it, Dad?”
This comment was from a tall blond man with gentle blue eyes, who smiled shyly at Emerald. He had his arm around a beautiful woman with glossy dark hair and the kind of figure that would make a prom queen jealous.
“No,” said Jimmy sheepishly. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’ve been an idiot.”
“You didn’t tell them about me,” she said again, and the words were like razor slashes on her tongue. When she thought how excited she’d been only minutes before, how she’d willed the car journey here to pass as quickly as possible, how eagerly she’d sprinted up this huge hill with her lungs burning and her breath coming in sharp gasps, she wanted to weep for the person she’d been back then. It was only moments ago, but it felt like another Emerald altogether. One who was trusting and hopeful and so, so dumb.
“I’m so sorry. I just didn’t know how to begin,” her father said hopelessly.
“You’ve got another sister in America? That might have been a start?” suggested the blond man wearily. “Dad, honestly. You are the utter limit.”
Emerald sifted through the names and faces that she’d been studying ever since she’d found out she had a family and Jake seemed to fit this brother. The other man beside him, with shorter blond hair and livid scars bisecting his face, had to be Danny, the brave veteran. And presumably that younger guy was Nick? So the other man with the deep red hair must be the chef, Symon. Then there was a little boy with a serious expression, a plump woman with a gentle smile and the tall handsome man who’d answered the door with a gorgeous baby in his arms. All of them were members of a big happy family, who until a few moments ago had been having a lovely Sunday lunch, totally oblivious that their world was about to be blown apart.
“You’re my aunt? Fact?” said the little boy, walking over and giving Emerald the once-over. He was the only person present who wasn’t looking concerned.
She nodded and tried to explain but the words seemed to wither on her vocal cords.
“You look just like Issie,” he observed and, unperturbed, returned to the table and his laptop.
“Don’t be mean, Morgan. She’s nowhere near as ugly as Issie,” said Nick kindly. “You do look a bit like Mo, though. Without the nasty temper, I hope?”
“Oh sod off, Nick,” answered Mo.
At least Nick didn’t seem put out to see her, Emerald thought, and as though reading her mind, her brother added happily, “God, Dad! You’re in so much trouble with Granny now. Nothing I ever do will seem bad again!”
“You’re not wrong there,” agreed the elderly lady faintly. “I think you have some explaining to do – not just to us, Jimmy, but to…” Her words faded and she flushed. “Oh, my dear. I don’t even know your name.” Possibly someone had said it, but Alice was too shocked to have taken it in.
“Emerald,” said Emerald and Jimmy together.
“That’s a lovely name,” said the dark-haired man with a smile. Emerald decided that she liked him. He wasn’t a member of the family as such (he was Mo’s partner, by the look of it), but there was something about his quiet confidence and the gentle way he held the baby that suggested strength and reliability. Maybe he would be an ally?
“Yes, it’s a lovely name,” Alice Tremaine managed to say.
“Yeah, well, my mom chose it, not me,” Emerald replied, shrugging one shoulder. “Dad wasn’t exactly on the scene. Y’know?”
“We do, and welcome to the club,” snapped Mo, shooting her father a look that should have laid him out on the stone floor. “It seems to be a bit of a theme with our dear Papa. Have some sprogs and bugger off.”
“That’s not fair, Mo. I only found out about Emerald recently,” said Jimmy quietly.
“Not quite as recently as us,” Mo shot back.
“I was going to tell you all; I was just waiting for the right time!”
In fairness to her father he did look upset, Emerald thought, although whether this was because he was in trouble or because he was genuinely sorry she couldn’t tell. Out of everyone present he certainly seemed the least pleased to see her. This was hardly surprising, since the entire Tremaine family were mad at Jimmy. Emerald hadn’t known her father very long but she’d already worked out that he was the kind of man who needed approval and admiration like the rest of the world’s population needed oxygen. He was fun and she’d enjoyed getting to know him but Emerald had spent the past eighteen years with men just like Jimmy drifting in and out of her mother’s life and she was under no illusions. You didn’t rely on men like them.
“You said you’d tell them all about me,” she said, hating the reproachful notes in her voice. “You said they’d be thrilled to meet me!”
It was too much to take in and her head began to spin. How naïve she’d been! How quick to take this exciting new English father at his word. If she looked back with her newly acquired twenty-twenty vision it was painfully apparent how Jimmy had dodged any tricky questions about her siblings and persuaded her not to approach them through social media because it would spoil the wonderful surprise when they finally met.
Surprise? Jeez. What a joke that had turned out to be!
“I was going to, sweetheart. I was just waiting for the right moment,” Jimmy insisted again. “I wasn’t sure how to tell everyone. To be honest I was still coming to terms with it myself. I didn’t even know you existed until you got in touch.”
Alice’s eyes widened. “You had no idea you had another daughter?”
Her son rounded on her. “Of course I didn’t! I’m not a monster, Ma! I was a wreck after Pen died, you know that, and I did a lot of travelling and met a lot of people.”
“Nice euphemism,” said Mo sarcastically.
Her father ignored this pointed remark. “Leaf was one of a few girls I dated back then. She was lovely and sweet but we parted and I eventually came home. To tell you the truth I hadn’t thought of her in years until Emerald traced me. It was a huge shock.”
“Oh, Jimmy! Why didn’t you just say?” Alice Tremaine smiled sadly at Emerald. “We’d have been so excited to meet a new member of the family. And we are excited, my love. It’s just a little unexpected!”
“Aren’t things always with this family?” said Symon wryly, looking across at Mo.
“Only because some people keep way too many secrets,” she hissed back.
All her life Emerald had yearned to belong to a big, noisy, happy family. She’d grown up watching reruns of The Waltons and dreamed about what it would be like to have brothers and sisters to play with and talk to. With only her lovely but often distant mom around, she’d imagined there could be nothing better than being surrounded by a group of people who knew her inside out and loved her unconditionally. Now, as the kitchen erupted into a cacophony of chatter while Jimmy tried to explain events to his mother – with Jake and
Danny butting in, Mo and Symon squabbling, Nick making smart remarks and the baby crying – Emerald wondered whether it was time for a big rethink. Rather than being all apple pie and smiles, her new family was loud and chaotic and everyone seemed to be involved in everyone else’s business.
Suddenly Emerald could see exactly why this hadn’t appealed to her mom.
This was way, way too much. She should never have come here.
She turned on her heel and was out of the house and running through the garden before anyone inside had even noticed. They were all far too busy arguing to care about her anyway. Tears prickled her eyes and she blinked them away furiously. She wasn’t going to cry now. No way.
Was it really only ten minutes ago that she’d walked through this garden with a heart full of hope and a head full of dreams? It felt like another lifetime. She’d been rendered speechless by the beauty of the wild coastline and the racing waves galloping across the bay. There was nothing like this in the USA. Sure, Sausalito was pretty, with its brightly hued houseboats and glimpses of Richardson Bay, and places like Carmel had a seaside charm – but they felt smart and new and too much like film sets compared with this place. As she’d brushed past rosemary bushes and followed the twisty path through unruly rhododendrons, Emerald had felt as though she was the heroine of Rebecca dreaming of Manderley. The gulls wheeling above and filling the air with haunting cries had only added to the illusion. She’d felt poised on the edge of a huge adventure, her stomach freefalling as though she was peering into the Grand Canyon again and just a stumble away from soaring with the condors, ready for adventure and flight.
How dumb was that?
The garden blurred and, furious with herself, Emerald dashed tears away impatiently with the ragged sleeve of her hoody. This was not how her adventure was supposed to be.
“Emerald! Wait up!”
A figure was stumbling down the path towards her, slightly out of balance and most definitely out of puff. Blinking away her tears, Emerald saw that it was the plump woman who’d been standing next to Danny. Her sweet face was red with exertion and when she drew alongside Emerald she bent double and gasped. Moments later Danny joined her.
“Beat you,” wheezed the woman.
“You cheated. I’m physically impaired, remember?” Danny said. To Emerald, he added, “Don’t be fooled just because she’s a vicar. She’s a dreadful cheat and she even hides Monopoly money under the board.”
“Once, just once,” the woman puffed, straightening up and smiling at Emerald. “He exaggerates.”
“Once is enough,” Danny told her sternly. “Besides, you shouldn’t have been playing to win. What is it Jesus said about camels and eyes of needles again?”
Oh! This must be Jules. Jimmy had mentioned that his son Danny was dating a pastor. Leaf wasn’t big on organised religion, unless you counted fads on yoga from time to time, but Emerald was impressed. Mind you, this fairly young woman in her jeans, sneakers and sweatshirt didn’t look much like a priest.
“He wasn’t talking about Monopoly! They didn’t have a Nazareth version!” Jules said. “Ignore Danny. You’ll soon learn he’s your most annoying brother, which is saying something as Nick’s stiff competition and Zak’s a force of nature. Dan’ll have you playing Monopoly or walking for miles if you don’t watch out.”
Emerald had heard that Brits walked everywhere and usually in the rain, whereas in the USA they drove across the parking lot just to get to another shop in the same mall. She’d already been stunned to discover that you couldn’t get a car anywhere near the family house. What the heck was that all about? Nobody at home would put up with it! She eyed Danny nervously.
“That’s a joke. I hate Monopoly,” said Danny quickly. “Anyway, we didn’t break our necks following you to talk about board games.”
“I’m going if that’s what you’re worried about,” Emerald replied, raising her chin and looking Danny in the …eye. OMG. He really had been hurt. Jimmy had told the truth there at least.
“Wow! You look just like Mo!” Jules gasped.
“This could be big trouble. As if one wasn’t bad enough!” Danny grinned. “And yes, of course we’re worried you’re leaving. I know we must seem like absolute lunatics but we don’t generally hurtle down through the garden. You slipped away so fast we thought you’d gone and we had to find you.”
Emerald stared at him. “You came to stop me leaving?”
“Of course we did,” said Danny. “You’ll soon get used to that bunch bickering; they don’t mean anything by it. They all want you to come back up to the house. Granny Alice is in pieces and Dad’s really upset.”
“Although it’s his fault,” frowned Jules. “He should have told us about you ages ago.”
“No shit,” said Emerald and then clapped her hand over her mouth. Swearing in front of a priest was so not good. “Sorry. I mean, no kidding.”
But Jules wasn’t looking at all concerned by this profanity.
“Jimmy’s a lovely guy but he’s hopeless when it comes to dealing with real life,” she sighed. “I’m sure he’ll explain lots of things and I know that when he met your mum he was very lonely and unhappy. She must have really helped him through a tough time.”
That was one way of putting it, Emerald guessed.
“Please come back to the house,” added Danny. “I’m sorry about the crap welcome. We’ll do our best to make up for that.”
“Are you sure it’ll be all right?” Emerald asked, feeling nervous all over again. “I haven’t upset things too much?”
“It’s going to take a bit of getting our heads around for a day or two, but of course not. We’d love you to come back and give us another chance,” Danny promised.
“Even Jimmy?”
“Especially Jimmy. He’s really sorry and he’s only still inside because Alice was terrified he’d scare you away if he followed.”
Emerald thought of Jimmy with his silver ponytail, tall tales and air of general confusion. It was hard to imagine him scaring anyone. Besides, running away was his thing, wasn’t it? And Emerald never ran from anything.
“He hasn’t scared me away,” she said.
“Good,” answered Danny. Then a smile spread across the uninjured part of his face, lighting him up from inside. “After all, it’s not every day we get a new sister – and Gran’s desperate to cluck over someone new. Please come back and meet her properly. You’ll be doing us all a favour! And you’ll probably distract Sy from killing Mo too. We need you, Emerald!”
Emerald wasn’t convinced they did. Everyone seemed fine before she’d arrived, but the word sister undid her and she found herself following Danny and Jules back up to the house. Her heart was racing, although whether from the climb or from nervousness it was impossible to say.
She was their sister. They were her family. That had to be worth a second chance, right?
After all, it was why she was here.
Chapter 9
“If it had been any other child I wouldn’t have believed it but you know Morgan, he doesn’t make things up,” Tara said to Symon the next morning as he let her in to The Plump Seagull. “He came home, announced he had a new aunt from America and then asked if he could have some crisps. I’ve been gagging to find out more but he was more excited by Monster Munch than he was about his granddad’s secret daughter.”
“To be fair to Dad, she was a secret to him too until pretty recently,” Symon replied, stooping to pick up the mail and feeling his stomach curdle when he recognised his landlord’s scrawl. What now?
“So, tell me more. I’ve been desperate to know what happened.”
Following Symon into the kitchen, Tara headed straight for the coffee machine and began to twiddle with dials and settings.
“Latte? Mocha? Espresso?” she called over her shoulder.
Symon, who generally preferred a mug of bog-standard Nescafé, glanced down at the letter clutched in his hand and thought privately that he’d need a brandy if the envelo
pe contained what he feared it did. As if the family trauma of discovering a new sister wasn’t enough to be getting on with, he now suspected that Peter Marten was about to play hard ball.
He placed the envelope on the counter. It was one to deal with once he’d answered the questions Tara was evidently bursting to ask. It was hard to tell what was bubbling the most, her curiosity or the coffee machine. To be honest, Symon was still trying to get his head around the appearance of Emerald. Unlike Mo, who’d stormed out in a fury with Jimmy, or Alice, who was devastated at missing eighteen years of her granddaughter’s life, Symon felt relatively calm about it all. One more sibling wouldn’t affect his life either way and Emerald seemed like a sweet kid. He was also worldly enough to understand that these things happened. After all, who knew better than him how easy it was to lose your head when a beautiful woman was involved and you were far away from home? Jimmy had been grieving and lost and Symon couldn’t find it in himself to blame his father for seeking comfort.
Symon could just vaguely remember his mother. Sometimes he’d be taken aback by brief flashes of a warm smile, soft auburn hair, and the scent of flowers. All these images were layered in his mind like faded snapshots in a half-forgotten album, the pages of which were only occasionally flicked through. He remembered the ache of losing her and the choked sobs that had come from Jimmy’s room when he’d thought the children couldn’t hear. He also recollected hearing extracts of Alice and Henry’s snatched conversations when they’d believed they were alone. It was Jake who’d looked after Symon and the others while their father had withdrawn into himself. Then Jimmy had gone away for a while, something Symon recalled as being a shock but had dealt with at the time. Life had found a new rhythm and as an adult, and knowing his father as well as he did, Symon had come to appreciate how losing the woman he’d loved had sent Jimmy spiralling into a vortex of despair that had changed him forever.
Maybe Symon had more in common with his father than he’d thought?
Recipe for Love: A gorgeous Cornish romance (Polwenna Bay Book 5) Page 8