Rowland laughed loudly. ‘Not a bit of it! I am not a man to renege on dinner plans with a lady. It’s just not every day you get to reconnect with Ellie McTavish.’ He looked down at his menu, and blinked a few times. ‘Oysters, I think. Shall I order for us all?’
Ellie adored oysters, and she’d heard that they were a speciality of this restaurant.
‘That sounds perfect.’ She drank some of her champagne. Almost instantly, she started to feel lightheaded and giggly; this was what hardly drinking and recovering from an operation did, she supposed.
Unexpectedly, this was turning out to be a very pleasant evening.
‘So, Rowland. A little shop talk before the food arrives.’ Clare sipped at her glass, and outlined Jamey’s case briefly. ‘We’ll be submitting the paperwork shortly, but I just wanted to let you know it was coming, and if you think there’ll be a problem getting the restraining order. Of course, it will have to go through the family court, too, in terms of access to the children.’
‘Shouldn’t be a problem. Bloody shame what some women have to go through, mind you. It wasn’t until I came to Cornwall and started working as a judge that I realised how many cases like this come through. You don’t see it in corporate legal.’
‘Do you miss the corporate side?’ Ellie was curious. ‘I mean, everything’s so… slow, down here. Not much going on, work wise.’ She’d been continuing to think about her own work situation.
‘You’d be surprised. More work than we can handle coming through the family courts, and the criminal.’ Rowland shook his head. ‘I don’t miss corporate law in the slightest. Helping out real people with real problems is much more satisfying. And I get to go to the beach any day I want.’
‘Where do you live? Here?’ Ellie had to admit that St Ives was a gorgeous place. She and Clare had walked past Michelin-starred restaurants, posh bars and all kinds of boutique shops on the way from the car to the restaurant.
‘Just up on the hill. Great view of the bay.’ Rowland sipped his champagne. ‘You’ll have to come up and see it. Come for dinner.’
The waitress arrived with a huge platter of oysters placed on ice and sprinkled with lemon zest and chilli flakes. She set it on the table carefully, and wished thembon appétit.
‘Wow. I think my stomach just leaped into my mouth.’ Clare reached for an oyster, smiling contentedly. ‘In a good way.’
‘That would be lovely. I’d love to come for dinner.’ Ellie actually meant it. She was enjoying seeing Rowland again, and she realised she hadn’t thought about her mastectomy at all until that moment.
‘Also, if you were interested in a job down here, we’re always on the lookout for good people. You wouldn’t be bored.’ He raised an eyebrow. ‘Think about it.’
‘I will.’ Ellie met his eyes again. Was it possible that there was something still between them? Rowland was now a judge, had moved to the seaside and seemed generally more relaxed than he ever had in the past. And Ellie didn’t have to worry about impressing her social group anymore, or about them being nosy about her and Rowland’s relationship, because they weren’t there. Everything was different now.
‘To old friends, and new beginnings.’ Rowland held up his glass for a toast.
‘Old friends.’ Ellie clinked her glass on his. ‘And oysters, of course.’
