Eloise

by Judy Finnigan

‘I think his decision to take you away from here is mostly an impetuous response to the strain you’ve both been under. I don’t think he really means it. Once he gets back to London, I’m sure he’ll reconsider. You two have spent so much time here with the kids. He won’t want to spoil those memories.’

  His words comforted me, even though I didn’t believe them. Then Jack said, smiling, ‘But I’m surprised that you’re taking this lying down. You’re a strong woman. Why should Chris make all the decisions? If you don’t want to sell the cottage, then don’t. He can’t force you. I assume it’s in both your names?’

  ‘Yes, but you see, Jack, I’m not a strong woman. Not strong at all. I’m – what’s the word Chris uses? Fragile, that’s it. As in mentally unstable.’

  ‘I don’t think you are,’ he said gently.

  ‘Honestly, I am. I’ve had a breakdown, and now, as Chris told you, I’m seeing ghosts. Well, just one ghost. Eloise. Anyway, it’s all academic. If I refuse to leave, Chris will simply leave me. He’s already done it once. And I couldn’t bear to split the family up. It would break the children’s hearts.’

  A shadow fell across the doorway. It was Chris. He coughed. I wondered if he’d heard what I’d said. But, thank God, he looked crestfallen rather than cross. So maybe he had overheard me, but it didn’t look as if he was going to take me to task.

  ‘Cathy,’ he said in a subdued voice. ‘Sorry for speaking that way. Didn’t mean it. As usual I got things wrong. Sorry.’

  As always, I forgave him. He was my crosspatch, my own sulky husband. But I loved him. I knew I always would.

  We went back into the house. The children were up, and we ate toast and cereal for breakfast. The atmosphere was relaxed and happy. Chris stopped talking about our departure next day, and Jack regaled the kids with stories of Oz. How they spent all day on the beach at weekends, cooking barbies and drinking beer. Tom said he wanted to move to Australia, it sounded so good. There was a lively debate about which was best – Britain or Australia. And then the phone rang. It was Father Pete. He sounded agitated.

  ‘Cathy, I’m sorry to intrude. But I’m worried about Ted. I just bumped into him, and there’s something very wrong.’

  ‘OK, Pete. Tell me what’s happened.’

  He told me he’d been driving past Lantic Bay when he’d seen Ted’s car in the cliff Car Park, and a minute or two later he watched as Ted and the two little girls walked across the top of the cliff. He stopped his car, opened the door and shouted hello. He said that Ted ignored him at first, but finally stopped and turned to face him. He looked sullen, Pete said, and the girls were subdued. He asked them where they were going. Ted looked at him as if he was mad.

  ‘To the beach, of course. What else do you do with bloody kids in Cornwall?’

  ‘But the thing is, Cathy, they had no beach stuff with them. No buckets or spades, no shrimping nets, no towels. They looked terribly forlorn, especially the girls. Anyway, they walked on, past the footpath down to Lantic Bay, and I was so sure things weren’t right that I followed them. At a distance. They didn’t see me. But suddenly Ted took them down the path that leads to Watchman’s Cove. That’s a terribly desolate, isolated beach. There are warnings about riptides along there, and tourists avoid it like the plague. It’s incredibly inaccessible, even for experienced climbers, and those girls are – what? Four or five? Anyway, I stayed up on the road for a good ten minutes, and I couldn’t see them at all. I thought maybe I was being silly, but you know, Cathy, I’m a priest. I’m used to talking to people, used to sensing what lies beneath their words. Ted was not himself. In fact he sounded slightly deranged, and the little girls looked so frightened.’ He paused. ‘When I got back to the Rectory, I couldn’t get them out of my head. And Watchman’s Cove – well, it can be a death trap, because the tide comes in so fast. So I looked for the Tide Times.’

  I knew instantly what he meant. The small yellow booklet which was the essential little bible everyone in Cornwall kept by their door.

  ‘The tide’s coming in fast. High tide’s in an hour and a half. If they’re still at Watchman’s Cove they’ll soon be cut off.’

  ‘But Ted knows Watchman’s well. He’d know better than to take the girls down there when the tide’s coming in. Maybe he didn’t realise, but as soon as he got down there he’d see how dangerous it was. Perhaps they’ve already left to go home.’

  ‘I’ll call his mobile to check,’ Pete said.

  ‘OK,’ I replied. ‘But you know the signal’s so erratic round here. You call his cellphone and I’ll ring the landline at their house. Ring me back as soon as you’ve heard.’

  The phone at Ted and Eloise’s lovely home rang out for ages. Nothing.

  Chris sounded impatient. ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘Father Pete saw Ted and the girls heading down to Watchman’s Cove—’

  ‘Well, that sounds good,’ said Chris. ‘He’s taking them out for a jaunt.’

  ‘No, Chris. He’s not. Father Pete said Ted sounded strange and they had no beach gear with them and who’d take two little girls to Watchman’s Cove when the tide’s coming in?’

  I grabbed our own copy of the Tide Times, peering at the tables that affected our stretch of coast. I thrust it at Chris, who still seemed unconcerned.

  ‘Cathy, you’re being ridiculous. Ted’s probably misread the tide times. When he finds that it’s coming in, he’ll just take the girls back home to Fowey.’

  Just then our landline rang. It was Father Pete.

  ‘I can’t get through to Ted, Cathy. Of course the signal’s terrible, but I really think I should go to his house in Fowey. Just in case he’s realised how bad the tide is, and taken the girls back home.’

  ‘OK, Pete. Keep in touch.’

  I was thinking hard. Why take the girls to Watchman’s Cove? It was hideously difficult to get down to, and even worse climbing the steep, rugged path to get back up to the road. And there were always flags warning about how fast the tide came in; it was definitely not a tourist destination. And not a place for small children either. Tiny and rocky, its only distinction was the odd little cave in the cliff wall. It had two chambers, one on top of the other. Chris used to say it resembled an unshelled peanut, inclining to the right at 45 degrees. Teenagers sometimes hung out in it as a dare, scrambling out at the last minute as the sea began to seep into the lower chamber. They loved the risk, because, if you left it too late, you wouldn’t get out at all. The cave, both chambers of it, was completely flooded at high tide. Hence the sign warning against entering the deceptively friendly little cavern unless the tide was out. At any other time, the place was a death trap.

  ‘What can we do?’ I asked Chris, trying to keep my voice calm.

  ‘What do you want me to do?’ asked Chris in a sulky tone. ‘Make a fool of myself by calling the Coastguard out on a wild goose chase? When Ted may be already on his way home?’

  ‘He’s not, Chris. He’s not. I just know.’

  Chris erupted.

  ‘Oh, here we go again. Is Eloise talking to you now? I keep telling you I’ve had enough and I mean it. You’re being ridiculous. You’ve got this mad melodrama lodged inside your head and you’re never going to let it go. Well, sod you, Cathy, I’m going for a walk.’

  He stalked out of the door. Leaving me again, I thought bitterly. Just when I needed him most.

  Jack was still there, watchful and calm.

  ‘I believe we need to go to Watchman’s Cove.’

  I looked at him gratefully.

  ‘Thanks, Jack. I do too. Let’s go.’

  We left my kids behind. They protested, but I didn’t want them anywhere near another disastrous encounter with Ted. Oh my God, I thought, surely he wouldn’t really harm those poor little girls?

  On the way to Lantic Bay, I started to panic. We pulled into the car park at the top of the hill, and got out. Jack touched my arm and pointed.

  ‘Look,’ he said. It was Ted’s car, almost hidden behind a strip of go
rse. So they were still here. But where?

  We took the footpath leading to Lantic Bay, then turned onto the steep and precarious track which led down to Watchman’s Cove. It was hard going, and to make it worse, we were trying to hurry. When we reached a stile about halfway down, I stopped to catch my breath. From here we could see the rocky little beach. We could also see something else. The tide was perilously high.

  I was horrified. If Ted and the girls were indeed down there, they were in great danger. What was going on? Ted had lived in Cornwall long enough to know about these sneaky little hidey-holes. Fun for boy scouts, maybe, properly supervised. But for two little girls and a flaky father? Ted knew what he was doing. And it seemed to me to be recklessly terrifying.

  Jack shook his head as he watched the encroaching tide.

  ‘That guy is sick,’ he said under his breath.

  ‘But why, why would Ted want to harm his own children?’ I asked him.

  ‘Because, Cathy, they’re not his. Actually, I think they’re mine.’

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  As I stared at Jack, incredulous, my mobile rang. It was Father Pete. The reception was faint and intermittent. I struggled to hear what he was saying.

  ‘They’re not at the house,’ I heard him say scratchily.

  ‘I know. His car’s parked up at Lantic Bay.’

  ‘Have you seen them yet?’

  ‘No, I can’t see them, but Pete, the tide’s nearly in.’

  ‘I’m calling the coastguard. Stay safe, don’t go on the beach – I’ll be with you as soon as I can.’

  ‘What in God’s name is happening?’

  He hesitated. ‘I don’t want to panic you, but Ted left his front door wide open, and I found a suicide note on the kitchen table.’

  I thought my heart had stopped.

  ‘Look, I’m on my way. I’m calling the coastguard right now and I’ll try and pick Chris up on the way.’ He rang off.

  So, this was it. This was what Eloise had tried so hard to warn me about. She had charged me to protect her children. And I had failed her. I buried my head in my hands.

  ‘Forgive me, Ellie. Please forgive me.’

  I was shaking. Jack took me in his arms.

  ‘Cathy,’ he said urgently, ‘what is it?’

  ‘Ted left a suicide note. Father Pete’s just found it at his house.’

  ‘Christ Almighty,’ he said. ‘Come on, we’ve got to get down there.’

  I nodded and we stumbled down the path. Never had the steep descent felt so perilous. I tripped on stones and roots many times, twisting my ankle and falling to the ground. Jack helped me up and almost carried me down to the cove. The pain was excruciating, but was as nothing to the terror in my head. Then, finally, we could go no further. We stood on a rock, at the foot of the path, and watched the sea as it crept inexorably up the tiny beach.

  I couldn’t see Ted or the girls, but the ocean was getting close to the cliff wall.

  ‘What was Father Pete saying about a cave?’ Jack asked.

  ‘It’s small,’ I said. ‘Going back into the cliff. It has two chambers, one at sea level, then an opening above that. But it’s very treacherous. Both caves are flooded at high tide.’

  ‘Where is it?’

  ‘Right in the middle of the cove.’

  Without a word, Jack jumped down and kicked off his shoes then plunged into the sea.

  ‘No, Jack!’ I shouted after him. ‘It’s too dangerous!’

  He didn’t reply.

  I sank down onto the rock, took deep breaths. It was breezy down here. The waves weren’t huge, but vigorous, tipped with tumbling white foam. The smell of the sea was intoxicating. The whole cove felt bathed in a clean, brisk saltiness, offering a tantalizing promise of health and wellbeing.

  Except death lurked in its depths.

  Jack returned, soaking and desperate.

  ‘They’re in the cave,’ he gasped. ‘The lower one’s already underwater, but I swam up and all three of them are perched on a ledge in the upper cave. I shouted at them. Ted just looks wild-eyed. He’s got a bottle of Scotch, half empty. He’s obviously drunk.’

  ‘What about the girls? How are they?’

  ‘Terrified. Sobbing their little hearts out. I’m going to kill the bastard.’

  ‘Jack? Can’t we get them out?’

  ‘I can’t get up to their level. There are no footholes in the rock. He must have used some kind of line, a rope to get them up there. God knows how he did it.’

  But I did. ‘Jack, there’s always a rope ladder in the cave, attached to the cliff wall. It’s so people can climb up to the upper level.’

  ‘Well, it’s not there now. He must have pulled it up behind them. Christ, what a bastard he is. I’m going back in, Cathy. I’ll get them out somehow.’

  ‘It’s too dangerous.’

  ‘I’m a strong swimmer. Born in Cornwall, raised in Australia. I’m a champion surfer, Cathy. I can handle the ocean.’

  ‘No. Jack, look.’ I pointed out to sea. A bright orange dot had appeared on the horizon, rounding the headland that divided the cove from Lantic Bay. ‘It’s the inshore lifeboat. Father Pete said he would call them. They will rescue the girls.’

  ‘I’m not sure they’ll get here in time. I’m going back. Tell the crewmen about the cave, where I am.’

  And he dived back down to the flooded beach.

  *

  ‘Cathy!’ Chris’s voice rang out from behind me. I turned round, and he and Father Pete were scrambling down the path. Pete’s cassock was holding him up, and Chris reached my side long before the priest negotiated the rocky ground.

  ‘Cathy, my love. I’m so, so sorry. I’ve been such a pigheaded fool. My darling, are you all right?’

  I clung to him.

  ‘The girls. They’re in the cave with Ted. Jack saw them on the ledge in the upper chamber, but he couldn’t reach them.’

  ‘Where is Jack now?’

  ‘He’s gone back into the cave. Chris, I think it’s too late. The tide’s already flooded the lower chamber.’

  Chris looked out to sea.

  ‘It’s all right, Cathy. The lifeboat’s here.’

  The wonderful sight of the orange reinforced dinghy gave me the biggest thrill of my life. I looked at the four burly crewmen on board, and prayed that they would be able to get Rose and Violet out of the cave and away from their father. I was in shock, far too numb to remember Jack’s shattering assertion that Ted was not, in fact, their dad.

  The crew saw us and shouted, ‘What’s going on here?’

  Chris climbed down what was left of the rocks until he was only feet from the stationary boat.

  ‘There’s a madman in there, bent on killing himself. And he’s got two little girls with him. They are only five. They’ve climbed up into the higher cave, but that will flood within minutes. And there’s also another man who’s gone into the cave to rescue them.’

  ‘Right,’ said the coxswain. ‘Then we’d better get going.’

  What followed next was a blur. Two of the sailors jumped into the sea and disappeared as they dived down into the cave. The others stayed on board the boat, and spooled out the line that the first men had taken with them.

  I stared at the boat for what seemed hours, but in reality it was only a few minutes. Then the two men reappeared beside the dinghy, each of them struggling with an extra burden. With the help of the two sailors on board, they heaved their cargo on board. Then they bent down, hidden to us, as they tended the children they’d rescued.

  One of them reared up and shouted, ‘It’s OK. They’re both fine. Wet and frightened, but safe and well.’

  I collapsed against Chris and sobbed, ‘Thank God, thank God. The girls have been saved.’

  But Chris looked grim. ‘Where’s Jack?’ he shouted to the crew.

  ‘Their father?’ the oxswain yelled back. ‘You were right when you called him a madman. Fought us off and tried to push the kids under the water. He wou
ldn’t come with us. We’re going to radio the coastguard and get them to send divers. It’s too dangerous now for us to go back in.’

  ‘No,’ said Chris. ‘Not him. The guy who went in to rescue them.’

  ‘I don’t know. We didn’t see him.’

  Dear God, I thought. Not Jack. Not brave Jack whom Eloise had loved so much, who had risked his life to save her children.

  And then a shout from the crew.

  ‘Throw a lifebelt down. Throw a lifebelt.’

  And then, the most wonderful sight. Jack, clearly tired but still swimming, bobbed up in the water. He seized the belt they’d thrown him and was hauled up into the boat.

  He choked and coughed as he was hauled up out of the sea. He was safe.

  Chris yelled to the lifeboat crew. ‘How fast can the diving team get here?’

  ‘I’ve already radioed them. They should be here in a few minutes.’

  I watched Chris’s face. We both knew that would be too late.

  ‘We’ve got to get these kids back to Fowey,’ shouted the Cox’n. ‘They need medical attention.’

  And the boat powered off. ‘What can we do, Chris?’ I asked. ‘I want to check on the girls, but we can’t just abandon Ted. We should really wait for the diving team.’

  ‘Don’t worry about that, Cathy,’ said Father Pete. ‘I’ll stay here and wait for the divers. You and Chris should go to Fowey and look after the girls. I’ll call you when there’s any news.’

  Chris drove us back to Fowey. We were both quiet. I could tell he was full of remorse about his refusal to believe Rose and Violet were in danger. Every so often he took his left hand off the steering wheel and draped it round my shoulder, squeezing me hard.

  When we finally got to the doctor’s surgery in Fowey where the little girls were being treated, he stopped the car. Before I could get out he pinioned me in his arms.

  ‘Cathy, my Cathy, can you ever forgive me? All your instincts about Ted were right. I am so, so sorry my darling. I’ve behaved so badly, doubting you as I did. I was rude and arrogant, convinced I knew best and what I actually think I was doing was refusing to accept that I had only seen the surface of Ted and couldn’t believe he was so far from the man I’d thought he was for all those years when we were friends. It affronted the professionalism I pride myself on, so it was easier for me to be in denial. I’ve been so unkind to you and I love you so much – please say this hasn’t destroyed our marriage.’