‘There you are, then.’ Esther clucked. ‘I’d be jumpin’ if anyone said that to me.’
‘Jumping?’ Ellie looked baffled.
‘Jumpin’ – angry.’ Esther translated the Cornish phrase.
‘Oh, right.’ Ellie wondered if she’d ever get the hang of some of the old language that got mixed up with English down at the far end of the country.
Fee sat down next to Ellie. ‘Aaagh. I’m boiling. Don’t think we’ll be seeing him again anytime soon.’
‘Good,’ Ellie tutted. ‘He was being horrible. Even before you turned up. He was trying to persuade me that we were better than the people that come from Magpie Cove. Because we’ve got well-paid jobs and have been to university. But it was just snobbishness. I didn’t think Rowland was like that.’
‘Ellie, sorry to repeat this, but all of your London friends are dicks.’ Fee laid a hand on Ellie’s shoulder and looked her seriously in the eye. ‘Except me, obviously.’
‘No, they’re not. They’re just… different.’ Ellie protested.
Fee shook her head. ‘They’re not bad people, but they live in a totally different world of privilege. You tried to keep up, but, ultimately, it’s not who you are.’
‘Toni’s okay. We’ve been in touch,’ Ellie protested. When she’d got back to London, she and Toni had had coffee a couple of times. It had been nice, and she knew Toni would always be there for her. But, at the same time, Ellie knew she’d changed.
‘Who am I, then? I don’t feel like I know anymore.’ Ellie held her head in her hands. ‘Esther, you must think I sound like such an idiot. I’m sorry for making you listen to all my personal crap like this.’
‘Don’t be silly, my love! I agree with Fee. You’re a clever girl, just like my Connie, but she took a while to find ’er place in the world. I wanted ’er to settle down in Magpie Cove and get married ’an’ ’ave kids, but she went off an’ ’ad a career. I was cross about it, but then I realised she was right. She ’ad to be true to ’erself, and so do you. You don’t ’ave ter ’ang on to the old things. Do what makes yer ’appy, that’s my advice. Life’s short.’
Ellie knew that as well as anyone. And, sitting on the beach at Magpie Cove, she realised what she had wanted all along. She shaded her eyes and looked back at Marilyn, glinting at the top of the beach.
‘Fee, can you all cope without me for a bit? I’ve got to go and do something.’
‘Going to see Mark?’ Her friend shaded her eyes and gazed up at Ellie, who tried – and failed – to look outraged. ‘Come on. You’re as transparent as Marilyn’s new headlights.’
‘I might be,’ Ellie tutted. ‘It’s none of your business.’
‘Sure it is. But if you are going to find him, you might want to think about changing. That top’s a bit sweaty.’ Fee raised an eyebrow. ‘Go and put a nice sundress on or something if you’re going to make a romantic overture. And don’t forget we’ve got the press coming along later. You have to do your interview.’
‘I won’t. Goodness.’ Ellie felt like a child, being ordered around by a bossy teacher.
‘Fine, then. Go and find your destiny.’ Fee shooed her away. ‘Go. You’ve got an hour. Make it count.’
