‘Oh no, don’t.’ Sylvie was laughing so much, her eyes crinkled at the sides and her shoulders heaved.
‘Well, I’m glad you’re having a giggle at my trauma! What is worse is that I got a text from Marion this morning saying she had heard it hadn’t gone well but not to worry, she had another one lined up for me next week!’
‘Bwahaha, this is too good.’ A little bit of cake was spat across the table.
‘Stop or I shan’t come to the beach with you this afternoon or even entertain this madness of swimming in October!’
‘Barely October, and as you’re not proper Cornish, I’ll let you wear a wetsuit – but as far as I’m aware it was only your daughter thatIinvited!’
‘Ouch!’
‘OK, you’re welcome. But only as long as you don’t display your more shambolic tendencies.’
‘Funny.’
‘On a serious note though, you had never said that Ellie was adopted…’
‘I tend not to talk about it. She’s my daughter, I don’t see what it has to do with anybody else. Sorry if that sounds a bit brusque.’
‘It’s fine. I understand what you’re saying and you’re right. It isn’t anyone else’s business.’
‘Thank you. You have no idea how refreshing that is to hear. Most people just want to push, push, push for detail.’
‘Well, just don’t tell them.’
‘I don’t.’
‘I can imagine. However, I’m going to contradict myself now, but not to do with you and Ellie. I’ve been trying to pin Tom down all week to talk to him about moving out, and all that entails. Now I’ve got a job, the next step is to get Sam and me a place of our own.’
‘Excellent idea. Get one near to Ells and me.’
‘That’s very cute, and actually exactly what we’d like, but I do need to talk to Tom about it. We’ve been here for nearly five years now. It was never meant to be long-term but it doesn’t feel right making plans and not discussing it with him first.’
‘And he doesn’t want to?’
‘Well, he’s not madly talkative anyway and he hates to discuss money. You know what farmers are like, land rich and cash poor, and I think he’s got some weird ideas in his head because you’d think he’d be dead keen to get rid of us. But when I tried to broach it one evening last week he just did his Maid-I’m-shattered-and-my-head-is-banging-I’m-off-to-bed routine and escaped. Then the next thing I know he’s hired an extra hand for a few days and hotfooted it to Dartmouth with his girlfriend for a midweek mini break. He’s never done that before He is not a man who spends money frivolously – the mere thought brings him out in a rash. I don’t want to be paranoid and think he’s taking crazy steps to avoid me but…’
‘But he’s taking crazy steps to avoid you.’
‘Yeah. Right. I think so. And then of course he got back yesterday but I had the kids last night and this morning he had them milking cows so I couldn’t even jump him for information at dawn. He knows I have Sam all day so he’s safe until tonight, and I’ll be interested to see how he dodges me this evening when Sam’s in bed.’
‘Why don’t I take the kids after dance class, if you’re sure we can still tag along, and then you can catch him afterwards and meet us at the beach? What will he be doing later this afternoon?’
‘Far field, I think, there for most of the day, something about fences.’
‘Right, it sounds like we’ve got a plan. What time were you heading to the beach?’
‘I thought two-ish but if I’m coming back to speak to Tom, maybe half-three, four-ish?’
‘OK, I’ll meet you in Roscarrock and then we’ll head to the beach for that sort of time and you can come and join us at your leisure. That’ll give you the element of surprise, plus if you need to, you can take as long as you like before meeting us, plus…’
‘That’s a lot of pluses.’
‘I’m a man full of them, so… plus, if your talk doesn’t go to plan you can rant at me afterwards.’
‘Alex, you are amazing, that would be so helpful.’
‘Amazing rather than shambolic, I think I prefer that. Thank you. And you’re very welcome. But in return you have to help me stop Marion’s matchmaking.’
