Part 15 (2/2)

'He's overwhelmed, Mummy.' Greer went to her mother and hugged and kissed her.

Jan, desperate for Jesse to see the bathroom, pulled at his arm. 'I've got something to show you too.'

The bathroom was much more to Jesse's taste. 'Oh, Mum. 'Tis lovely.'

Jan beamed with happiness. 'Look at the penguins!'

Jesse smiled. 'I like them.'

'I knew you would, and come here.' Jan pushed the loo lid shut. 'Sit here and look at the view!'

He sat. Through the tiny square of the tiny window straight ahead of him, Jesse could just make out his father's flags.h.i.+p, The Lobster Pot, bobbing gently at anchor in the harbour. Jesse laughed then and shouted out to his father on the landing, 'Dad, I'll be able to make sure you're working hard from here.' Edward laughed too. 'Aye. But I've checked it out and I can see you doing your business on that toilet if I get my binoculars out.'

Everyone but Greer and Elizabeth laughed heartily.

'Well, now. I've got tea and sandwiches ready, if you want some,' said Elizabeth, heading back downstairs. 'There might even be a bottle of bubbly in the fridge.'

'What's that bleddy 'orrible paint Betty's put on your bedroom walls?'

Edward had taken his shoes off and was sitting in his favourite armchair back at the family home in Fish Lane. The three Behennas had left Pencil Cottage on the pretext of collecting Jesse's bits and pieces.

'Edward.' Jan looked at her husband sternly. 'That's the latest, most stylish colour. And don't call her Betty. She prefers to be called Elizabeth, as you well know.'

Edward made a grumbling noise. 'She was Betty when we was all at school together.'

Jan ignored him. 'So, son, we missed you. What was Gran Canaria like?'

'Hot. Nice.'

'Food good?'

'Not bad. Mind you, I could have murdered a pasty.'

Jan brightened up. 'I've got some ready to heat up if you want one.'

'Go on then.' Jesse smiled at his mum as she went to the kitchen.

Edward, making sure she'd left the room before he spoke, asked under his breath, 'So, everything all right in the bedroom department?'

Jesse squirmed a little. 'Fine.'

'Ah. Good. Only some women-'

'Dad. Please. It's fine. She's fine ... and that's all.'

'Well, that's all right then.'

'Yes.'

At Pencil Cottage, Greer and her mother were unpacking her suitcases in the bedroom.

'How was the honeymoon, darling? Was he kind to you?' asked Elizabeth delicately and without making eye contact with her daughter.

Greer was embarra.s.sed. 'Yes. He was lovely.'

'He ... didn't make things uncomfortable for you?'

Greer folded a bikini and put it into one of the new drawers, then sat on the bed. 'A bit. I think I just have to ... get used to it.'

Elizabeth moved a pile of underwear and sat next to her daughter. 'It's not easy at first, but it gets better. It makes men happy. And in time it'll make you happy too.'

Greer looked into her mother's eyes. 'I do love him.'

Elizabeth patted her hand. 'That's all you need.'

Downstairs the phone rang and they could hear Bryn answer. ''Ello, Mickey ... yeah, they're home safe and sound ... right, yeah, we'll meet you there. Ten minutes? Rightyo.' He called up the stairs. 'Get your coats on, that was Mickey. He and Loveday are going down the Hind. They want to welcome you home with a couple of drinks.'

The Golden Hind was thick with tobacco smoke and the heady scent of Cornish beer.

Loveday really hadn't wanted to come. 'Let them have their first night in their new home by themselves, Mick,' she'd pleaded.

Mickey was incredulous. 'They've just spent four weeks on their own. If I know Jesse, he'll be desperate for a beer or two and some male company.' He added as an afterthought, 'And Greer will want to see you as well. She'll want to tell you all about her posh hotel and that.'

'That's what I'm afraid of,' replied Loveday gloomily.

'That's my girl.' Mickey put his arm around her. 'We'll have a great night.'

Mickey and Loveday got to the pub before anyone else and Loveday stationed herself on one of the Dralon banquettes on the far wall. From there she could see who was coming in and out of the bar. As the place filled up, it would be harder for anyone coming in to spot her first.

Mickey got her a cider shandy and a bag of pork scratchings. 'There you are. I'm going to wait at the bar. I'll send Greer over as soon as she arrives.'

Gee, thanks, thought Loveday. Her heart was beating so fast that she could feel the pulse in her neck. Waves of perspiration hit her every few minutes. She felt sick. Had Jesse told Greer what had happened between them? Was he filled with the same longing to see her as she was to see him?

She jumped as the pub door opened, but it was a group of locals trooping in to fill the s.p.a.ce with laughter and a blast of cool February air.

Her nerves were raw. What would she say to him? What would he say to her?

The pub door opened again, and again it wasn't Jesse or Greer. At least the bar was filling up and she'd be very hard to find when if he came in.

She pulled at the opening of the bag of pork scratchings. Her hands were slippery with sweat and she couldn't get a good grip. She put the bag to her mouth and ripped it open with her teeth. The entire bag split from top to bottom and its greasy contents spilt itself all down her good T-s.h.i.+rt. She almost cried. 's.h.i.+t s.h.i.+t s.h.i.+t,' she said under her breath as she tried to pick the larger lumps up and brush the powdery residue off her clothes and onto the floor.

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