Page 74

Zennor sighed. ‘You shouldn’t have tricked me into telling you about Trev.’

He looked away guiltily. ‘I – I’m sorry. You’ve only confirmed what I already knew. Dawn let slip the money came from a hotelier. Someone who’d recently bought a place.’

‘Is it such a problem that Trev donated to the Harry Veryan Fund? The club needs every penny it can get.’

‘It does but I would have liked to have been consulted first. I would have offered myself but Dawn told me I’d already paid out enough for the clubhouse and it was up to the club to take responsibility and do some fundraising. She said it would be good for the kids to come up with their own ideas for events, which I happen to agree with. Now I find Trev has marched in like the lord of the manor with a big wodge of cash.’

Zennor sighed with exasperation even though she did get why Matt was put out. ‘Is that what’s hurt you so much? Trev contributing?’

‘Yeah. That fund was set up in Grandad’s memory. I have a right to do it but Trev …’

‘I can understand – partly – why you’re upset. I know how much you loved Harry. We all did. But think of the club and its future. Harry would have told you to take the money as fast as you could. He would.’

Matt curled his lip and opened his mouth; then he covered it with his hands. ‘Jesus. Argh.’

‘Wouldn’t he?’ Zennor repeated, softening her voice because she knew that if she’d felt emotional when Matt sang, he must have been almost overcome.

‘Yeah,’ he said eventually. ‘Yes, he would have taken the money – but maybe not if he’d known it was Trev.’

Zennor was fired up again. ‘Really? What did he say when he found out what had happened at the wedding?’

‘He told me that I should have shut up – that there was a time to have said what I said and it had passed. I’d had plenty of time but I didn’t say it and it was too late.’

‘He was right. It was too late.’

‘Is it still too late?’ His hopeful gaze burned into her.

Her skin prickled. ‘Can’t you accept that Trev might not have been perfect but he may not have done what you implied?’

Matt spoke so softly that Zennor could barely hear him above the rumble of the surf. ‘What did I imply?’

Her heart beat faster. She hated confrontation, especially today, on what should have been a special day for Matt. ‘That Trev wasn’t to be trusted, and that I ought to be wary of him but I know why you thought that. He’s explained that you saw him with the waitress but that she was an ex and you’d got the wrong end of the stick.’

He let out a gasp of derision. ‘I saw them kissing.’

‘OK, they were having a heated discussion because she was an ex and upset and she tried to kiss him.’

He snorted and rolled his eyes.

‘Matt! I know what you think you saw but has it occurred to you that you might, in the heat of the moment …’ she started, aware she was treading on eggshells, ‘… have misread the situation? You have to admit that it was a sensitive time and—’ She didn’t dare mention once again that he’d been drinking.

‘Misread it? He was all over her!’ He raked his hands through his hair. ‘I only wanted the best for you. I always have.’

‘Sometimes it doesn’t feel like it. Not back then and as for now …’

He shook his head. ‘I have only ever wanted the best for you. I love you and I’ve tried to shake that off and move on. After your wedding, I picked myself up from my stinking pit and I went away. I built my life up again and I tried to deal with my loss – of you.’ He stopped, hitching in a breath and letting it out, as if readying himself to say something monumental.

All Zennor could hear were the words ‘I love you’. Matt loved her. Still loved her.

She stared at him, unable to speak.

‘The feelings I had for you then – I’ve tried to tell myself they were puppy love, immature, a crush. Except they weren’t. They aren’t. They never have been. That night when you went to uni … I – I was going to ask you to marry me.’

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Zennor staggered, almost losing her balance on the soft sand. He loved her. He’d been about to ask her to marry him. All those years ago when she’d thought that he was letting her go, if not easily, then without a fight.

‘Then why didn’t you?’ The words erupted from her – were torn from her painfully. ‘Why the hell didn’t you, Matt?’