Bea was quickly back by his side and, using the sticks like chopsticks, he managed to clutch the letter and carefully pulled it out of the bottle without tearing the paper.
‘My heart is beating so fast,’ admitted Bea, turning the necklace over in her hand. ‘And it’s in the shape of a seahorse. It’s beautiful,’ she breathed.
Nolan had suddenly gone quiet. He clutched the letter in his hand and immediately Bea noticed his face had paled. ‘What is it?’ she asked. ‘Are you okay?’
Wide-eyed, he looked at her. ‘This is from my grandfather.’
‘Are you sure?’ she asked.
‘Absolutely. I know my grandfather’s writing when I see it – and he’s signed it.’
‘Let me see. Show me.’
ChapterEight
His hand trembling slightly, Nolan read the letter out loud.
‘To whoever finds this bottle.
‘We’ve had the best summer at Castaway Bay and discovered a love like no other. We will be together forever in our hearts and we hope you find a love like ours.
‘Always in love,
‘Morgan & Patsy’
‘How utterly romantic is that?’ added Bea, looking down at the necklace in her hand. ‘I wonder what the relevance of a seahorse is?’
‘I’ve no idea.’ Nolan turned the letter over and on the other side was a drawing of a love heart with an arrow and their initials.
‘This technically belongs to you,’ said Bea, handing over the necklace. ‘You’re the last living relative of your grandfather.’
Nolan took the necklace and placed it in the palm of his hand. He was flabbergasted by the discovery of the bottle and the fact that it dated from the day when his grandfather had visited the bay.
‘This is unbelievable. This bottle must have been wedged for all these years and we were the ones that found it. What were the chances of that?’ Nolan knew the emotion in his voice communicated itself to Bea. He looked up towards the sky. He knew this was some sort of amazing coincidence, but he couldn’t help wondering if his grandfather was watching over him.
‘And we found it. I wonder why they didn’t stay together or carry on their romance?’ Bea mused.
‘Because more than likely they had their own lives to return to.’
‘But surely if their love was this strong, they would have done anything to stay together and make it work?’
‘Maybe they took it for what it was and agreed that it was only for the summer.’ Nolan shrugged. ‘Who knows?’
‘A bit like us?’ added Bea, the words leaving her lips before she could stop them.
‘Most probably exactly like us.’ Nolan glanced towards her. ‘You’re still okay about today?’ he questioned, suddenly a little unsure whether a line had been crossed.
‘Of course. We’re adults, aren’t we? I’ve enjoyed every second of today.’ She leaned across and placed a swift kiss on his cheek.
‘Good,’ he replied, looking back down at the necklace in his hand. For a second he couldn’t look Bea in the eye. He’d had a fantastic afternoon, he’d let himself go for the first time in a long time and had experienced feelings that he hadn’t felt in even longer. He’d felt desired in such a way that he’d known he wanted to kiss Bea the second they arrived at Castaway Bay. Full of mixed emotions, Nolan couldn’t shake off the sudden guilt he was feeling. He was a little sad the day was coming to an end.
Taking her hand, Nolan lay the necklace in her palm. ‘I want you to have this. Finding this bottle is the perfect end to a perfect day and when we go our separate ways you have something to remind you of our special day together.’
At such a lovely gesture, Bea’s eyes widened. ‘I couldn’t possibly. What if you find Patsy? By rights this should be hers.’
‘I’ve not found her yet and if I find her in the next couple of weeks, we can cross that bridge then.’
‘In memory of Morgan and Patsy, I’ll look after it until then, and in the meantime, I’ll treasure it. But what doyouhave to remind you of today?’
