A Perfect Cornish Christmas

As she drove, she thought back on her conversation with Marcus – it had renewed her worries about everyone involved, especially Scarlett. While Marcus had gone into a similar path of denial to their mother, choosing to blame Ellie and Scarlett for opening up a can of worms, Scarlett had taken the opposite and perhaps more understandable route: retreating from their mum and blaming her. Ellie understood this, even if she thought it wouldn’t help the rifts to heal any faster, or encourage their mum to open up. Not only did Scarlett have to cope with the turmoil of their parents’ estrangement, she also had to come to terms with finding out that her dad wasn’t her biological father. Scarlett couldn’t even begin to do that while their mother refused to be honest with them.

At least Ellie’s work at the bustling Harbour Café, with its cheerful boss and quirky clientele, kept her mind off her problems for a while. She loved Porthmellow in all its moods, even on a foggy autumn evening such as this, with mist wreathing around the old clock tower and the waves slip-slopping against the harbour walls. With its cosy beamed interior, the café was at the heart of village life; bustling with locals and visitors from breakfast till teatime.

Twilight was falling by the time she walked out of the old building onto the quayside. It was almost completely dark when she reached the dead-end lane that followed a stream down one side of the steep valley to Seaholly Manor and then the tiny cove itself.

The bare branches of the trees lining the cove lane were spidery in the gloom. Some people might have found the manor spooky on their own, but Ellie had spent nights in some ‘interesting’ places around the world and ghosts didn’t bother her. In fact, she wouldn’t have minded a chat with Auntie Joan again, bless her. Ellie hadn’t seen her that often, but it was enough to miss her witty, sharp conversations and anecdotes about famous authors. Joan had never been shy about relating her romantic adventures either. Their mother would probably have been horrified to hear what she’d shared once the girls were over eighteen. Even before then, they’d delighted in reading her novels, especially the ones in black and red covers that were written under another name that Joan kept in a chest in her room and didn’t think they knew about.

Seaholly Manor had so many happy associations that Ellie felt she could never be afraid there. It was also unlikely that anyone would find their way down to the manor by accident, as it wasn’t signposted from the road. Unless the burglars had a thing for first editions and filthy fiction, there was nothing worth nicking anyway. Still, on such a gloomy night, she was looking forward to getting inside and making up the fire before phoning Scarlett to see if she was OK.

The road levelled out and narrowed over the last few hundred yards to the manor. From nowhere, a shadow darted out from the bushes and across the road.

Ellie let out a cry and swerved to avoid the fox. A heartbeat later, there was a bang as the car slammed against the hedgerow. The seatbelt tightened across her chest and there was only silence.

It took a few seconds for Ellie to get her breath back. Gingerly, she flexed her wrists and hands and waited for any stabs of pain in her neck or back. The seatbelt had done its job, which was why she was out of breath, but otherwise she seemed to be OK. The car, however, probably wasn’t. That sickening crash hadn’t been the sound of metal hitting mere twigs. Like many Cornish hedgerows, this one had an earthen bank, reinforced with stones, at its heart.

The vehicle was at an angle, so she was able to open the door and swing her legs onto the tarmac. Her eyes adjusted to the dim light, the road lit only by a sliver of moon appearing now and then from behind the clouds.

She shone her phone torch on the front of the car. The bonnet was warped and the bumper was crumpled and pushed back into the engine.

‘Oh f-f—’ It looked pretty bad and she already guessed that the insurance company would write it off. That was all she needed. She also had the problem of what to do next, because she doubted it was driveable. She’d have to call out the local garage to tow it, if she could get hold of them. She was blocking the road too, not that anyone else was likely to use it.

The car wouldn’t start, so she was about to phone the Porthmellow Garage when she heard the low rumble of another vehicle coming down the lane. Two headlights wavered in the gloom and her heart sank further.

They belonged to a Ford Transit of the kind Scarlett loved to call a ‘kidnapper’s van’. Hairs stood up on the back of Ellie’s neck and she prepared to jump into the Fiesta and lock the doors. It stopped a few feet away, the door opened and a man got out. She didn’t recognise him but she knew one thing: he cut an unnerving figure in the dark. He was over six feet, wearing a black leather jacket and built like the proverbial brick outhouse.

She debated whether to jump inside while she had the chance, but told herself to be sensible and assume he had a rational explanation for being on the lane. A wrong turn in the fog was surely more likely than him looking for people to abduct?

‘Hello. Are you OK?’ he called as he approached. His accent wasn’t broad, but more importantly, his tone was concerned. Ellie let out a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding.

‘Yes. My car isn’t though. I swerved because of a fox … It was instinct. That’s why I’m blocking the road.’

‘That doesn’t matter, as long as you’re not hurt. You’re sure you’re all right?’

‘I’m fine, thanks.’ Ellie gave him a closer look. ‘Did you take a wrong turning down here in the fog? Porthmellow’s the next road.’

He smiled. ‘No, I meant to drive down here. I’m Aaron Carman. I’ve just moved into Cove Cottage.’

‘Really? I had no idea …You weren’t there yesterday when I went for a walk on the beach.’ And no one had told her that a man was moving into the only other house for a mile around, and she’d have expected to hear about it on the Porthmellow grapevine. ‘I’m Ellie Latham. I live at the manor house,’ she added.

‘Pleased to meet you, Ellie, but not under these circumstances. Actually, I only moved in late last night. I brought my own stuff in the van. I don’t have much.’ He tutted loudly at the Fiesta. ‘Your car could be a write-off, you know.’

‘I know.’ She gritted her teeth.

‘That’s a shame. Would you like me to help you shift it to the manor?’

Ellie was more aware than ever that she was alone in the dark with a complete stranger offering to come to her house. On the other hand, it would be a lot simpler than calling out the garage in Porthmellow after hours.

‘Um …’

‘It’s no trouble,’ he said, moving closer and resting his hand on the bonnet.

Ellie looked up at him and a light bulb flashed in her brain. Those handsome features, the light brown skin, his upright bearing … ‘Did you say you were called Aaron Carman?’

‘Yes. Why? Has my bad reputation preceded me down here?’

Ellie smiled, despite her predicament. She felt on safer ground now. ‘No. The opposite, in fact. You must be Troy and Evie’s son? I’d no idea you were moving into the cottage. I thought you were in the army.’

He smiled. ‘I was, but I’m out now. Long story. Now, come on, why don’t you let me help you with the car?’

Her feeling of relief from knowing Aaron was unlikely to be a serial killer was followed by the minor irritation that he thought she couldn’t handle the situation. ‘It might be difficult getting it to start at all. Do you know anything about cars?’

‘A bit. I was in charge of a tank-mechanic engineering squad in the army until recently. I’ve dug armoured vehicles out of ditches, so I think I might be able to get your Fiesta down to the manor.’

‘Oh. OK …’ Ellie silently cursed herself for underestimating him but also realised she was in no position to refuse his help. ‘In that case, I’d really appreciate it. Thanks.’

Aaron helped her push the car off the road and then fetched a rope from the van before moving it ahead of the Fiesta. In no time, with Ellie at the wheel, he’d towed her the few hundred yards to the manor.

She unlocked the door and stood in the hall with him. The lights revealed him in his full glory. Though he had to be in his mid-forties, he was still a very good-looking guy, with an easy-going confidence that sat well with his military bearing. She could also see the resemblance to his mother, Evie, who lived in the town and was on the festival committee.

‘I’ll call the garage in the morning,’ she said, wondering what to say next. She didn’t want to seem forward but also felt she should thank him in some way. ‘Erm, would you like to come in for a coffee, or are you too busy unpacking?’

‘I’m not too busy for a coffee. Thanks. Better wash my hands first, though.’

‘Me too.’ She held up her grubby palms. ‘There’s a cloakroom here off the hall and that’s the sitting room opposite. Make yourself at home. I’ll be back with the coffee in a minute.’

Now the adrenaline of dealing with the accident was wearing off, Ellie was calming down. She scrubbed her own hands in the scullery sink and then made a pot of strong coffee. She really felt like having a whisky with it but decided against it.

A few minutes later, she was sitting opposite Aaron, both of them cradling mugs. He’d poured liberal amounts of hot milk into his and added a spoon of sugar. He certainly didn’t need to watch his diet, Ellie thought, hardly able to take her eyes off his impressive physique. There was no way that anyone would fit on the love seat beside him. He must have been six foot three at least, and she could hardly miss the breadth of his thighs or the width of his shoulders especially now he’d taken off his jacket and laid it neatly on the back of a chair. Every time he moved, some muscle or other rippled.

He sipped his coffee and smiled. ‘You know, I was a bit worried about stopping on the lane in the dark.’

Ellie laughed, slightly nervously, as she recalled her initial reaction to him. ‘Why? Did you think I might be a serial killer?’

He chuckled. ‘No, I thought you might think I was. I can come as a bit of a shock to some people.’

You can say that again, thought Ellie. ‘I should have recognised your name at once. Your mum has mentioned you to me before but I was a bit shaken by the bump. How long have you been out of the army?’

‘Not that long. I left a couple of months ago but recently decided to move here. I’m starting a new business … I’m my own boss. Do you know my mum and dad well?’

‘A bit. I’ve got to know them better since I’ve been involved in the Winter Solstice Festival. Evie and Troy are on the committee, as I’m sure you know.’

‘You’ll never get away now. It’s all I hear about from them. Have you lived here long?’

‘Only since last autumn. This isn’t my house. It belongs to my parents but I’m caretaker until they decide what to do with it. Maybe your mum mentioned it?’ she asked, wondering how much gossip there was about her parents’ situation. She’d told her boss at the café and a couple of colleagues at the sailing trust and there was bound to have been talk about the row that resulted in Scarlett’s dramatic entrance at the pub on Christmas Day.

‘I only hear the gossip Mum tells me in her emails and letters. A lot of it means nothing to me, but Mum loves keeping me up to date so I was always happy to hear it. Since I’ve come home, she’s had a field day with all the latest Porthmellow scandal.’

Ellie wondered if he did know about the Lathams but was too polite to say as much. ‘Your mum’s lovely. So funny and kind. She must have missed you very much while you were away.’

‘Maybe more than she’d let on. I joined up when I was eighteen and I’ve spent most of my time in REME.’

‘REME? Sorry, you’ve lost me.’

‘Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. Basically, I helped to look after the army’s equipment in all kinds of um … “interesting” places.’

Ellie winced. ‘That figures. Sorry for asking if you knew anything about cars.’

He grinned. ‘It was a perfectly reasonable thing to ask when confronted by a strange bloke in the dark. Bet you thought I was about to do a spot of mansplaining?’

‘Nooo …’ Ellie smiled. ‘OK, yes, but now I cringe when I think of what I said.’

‘Don’t worry about it.’ His deep brown eyes twinkled with gentle amusement.

So, not only gorgeous but a sense of humour, thought Ellie. ‘Thanks,’ she said, eager to move the conversation on to other topics. ‘We do have something in common.’

‘I’m intrigued.’ He had a lovely voice, deep and, now she had time to listen more closely, with a definite trace of a Cornish accent.

‘I’ve spent a lot of my life abroad too, and had some exciting times, though in far less dangerous places. I’ve been travelling and working in the Caribbean and Thailand and Australia ever since I left college.’ Ellie didn’t qualify that she was halfway through her degree at the time she left. It was ancient history now anyway, but lately the disastrous relationship that had made her abandon her studies had been on her mind. The man at the heart of that relationship had close links to the local area, and possibly still did.

She’d run away from heartbreak and nineteen years later, she often wondered if she’d stopped running since.

She and Aaron carried on chatting about some of the places they’d been to, and although he made light of his time in the services, Ellie guessed that his tours of Afghanistan and Sierra Leone had probably been very tough. He told her a little more about his plans to set up an events security business based in Porthmellow, which let her know that he was planning to stick around for a little while. In no time, half an hour had whizzed by and the chimes of the hall clock striking seven interrupted them.

‘I’d better not keep you any longer. If I can help with the car repairs, let me know. I could do the work myself if you’d like. A mate has a lock-up in town. Either way, while we’re both around, it would be great to get to know you better. I’ll probably be up here a lot, borrowing a cup of sugar like my mum says they used to in the old days.’

Ellie laughed. She could imagine Evie Carman saying that. ‘You’re welcome to borrow as much sugar as you like.’

She waved him off at the door and watched the taillights of his van as it drove the last few hundred yards down to Cove Cottage. Ellie closed the door behind him and flopped down on the sofa. Finally, she poured herself a whisky, allowing the tangy warmth to make its way through her veins. The shock of the accident on top of a full day on her feet was wearing off. She felt physically exhausted, but her mind wouldn’t let her fall asleep on the sofa as she often did. Her thoughts kept returning to the man who had occupied the love seat for the past half an hour.

Aaron was disturbing in every way and it wasn’t only due to his sheer physical presence. As they’d chatted, the Cornish burr that emerged reminded her of his connections to Porthmellow, which were way deeper than hers. She’d found herself drawn to his quiet confidence, probably acquired from decades of being in command. He looked so at ease in her sitting room, but then he must be used to making himself at home anywhere, even more so than she was.

Yet she felt the need to keep reminding herself that she might not be at Seaholly for long and that he might move on soon if his new business didn’t work out. Neither of them might have the chance to get to know each other that well.

The pang of disappointment was sharper than it ought to be, considering she’d only met Aaron a few hours ago. Then again, it was par for the course where her love life was concerned. Fleeting relationships and brief encounters had been the hallmark of her life. Maybe it was her destiny to drift in and out of people’s lives – and vice versa – and never settle down. After all, the one time she’d wanted to spend her whole life with a man, it had ended in sorrow and chaos. She was already getting too comfortable at Seaholly Manor, a house she couldn’t afford to keep in her wildest dreams. If her parents split up, they wouldn’t be able to keep it either, so she’d better not get any more attached to it, and especially not to her attractive new neighbour.

The phone rang and Ellie dragged herself off the sofa. Argh, she’d meant to call Scarlett to see how she was. It was a good bet this was her now.

‘Ellie? Have I woken you up? You sound sleepy.’

‘No, Scarlett. I wasn’t asleep. In fact, I was about to call you.’ Ellie debated whether to tell her about the ‘bump’ and Aaron then decided to save it for now.

‘Were you? Well, I thought I’d better get in first. I have a favour to ask you.’

‘Um … yes?’

‘Can I come stay at the manor?’

Ellie perked up, pleased to hear Scarlett slightly brighter. ‘Any time. Of course, you know I’d love to see you. Have you decided how long you can stay over Christmas yet? Obviously, I’m hoping to see you before then, too.’

In the brief silence, Ellie heard the clock strike the quarter hour and the wind gusting outside.

Then Scarlett came on the line again. ‘Actually, it’s a bigger favour than that and I don’t know how you’re going to feel about it. Not after my last idea went so badly wrong.’

Sensing she might need the support, Ellie took the phone into the sitting room and sat on the sofa again. What the heck was Scarlett up to now?

‘Shoot. This favour can’t be that bad, can it?’ She said it light-heartedly, because she knew she’d do anything she could to help Scarlett. She was half-expecting it to have something to do with their mum.

‘OK. Deep breath and you can say no if you want to, but the thing is … would you mind very much if I moved in with you?’

Ellie stopped herself from drawing an inward breath. So, shocks really did come in threes.

‘Ellie? Have you fainted?’

‘No, of course not. You know you’re more than welcome. I’d love to have you,’ Ellie said, meaning it but also realising how she’d become used to having the run of the manor lately. ‘What’s brought this about? I thought you loved your flat in Brum.’

‘I do – did – but I’ve been here a few years now and … things have gone downhill since Rafa and I split up.’

‘It wasn’t a vintage year for you, was it?’

‘I don’t care about him any more, the git,’ Scarlett said defiantly, although Ellie guessed it was largely bravado. ‘But I do care about my business. I was hoping to start working for another big client but they’ve decided they’re cutting back because of “Brexit-related uncertainties” so that’s not going to happen.’

‘Oh no, I’m sorry, lovely,’ Ellie sympathised. Scarlett sounded pretty down.

She heaved a sigh. ‘I should know by now that these ups and downs come with the territory of being your own boss.’

‘You’ll make it up. You’re a brilliant copywriter. I know you can do it. You’ve had a few setbacks lately so no wonder you feel battered and bruised.’

There was a pause. ‘Yes, you’re right, as usual … after Rafa and then Christmas I haven’t trusted my judgement on all kinds of stuff. Men, people in general, and even looking for new work. My judgement feels skewed, as if I’m off kilter with the world a bit. Does that sound stupid?’

‘Of course not, lovely. What happened would shake anyone’s confidence, but you have to believe that you’re still the same old Scarlett we know and love.’

‘That’s just it … the old Scarlett might not be enough …’

Ellie wanted to reach down the phone to hug her sister.

‘But,’ Scarlett’s voice brightened. ‘I do have one piece of good news on the work front. A rival screw manufacturer outside Exeter wants me to take on all their copywriting now I don’t have a conflict of interest. They can’t give me quite as much work as Rafa’s company did, but it’s too good an opportunity to turn down because let’s face it, I do know a lot about screws. Of course, it’s a long way from Brum but then I started thinking … Exeter … that’s not too far from Ellie.’

Actually, thought Ellie, while admiring Scarlett’s optimism, it was over a hundred miles away, but she didn’t want to burst her sister’s bubble.

‘And my shitty landlord’s hiked the rent on the flat just when I’ve taken a hit in revenue so I thought … 99 per cent of my work is done online from home and I can work for a couple of my existing clients anywhere. I can visit Eurofasteners from Cornwall when I need to. Then I also heard that one of my PR clients needs someone to write a customer magazine for a Cornish fashion company and so I said I was probably moving down here, which was a mad idea but I need to grab any chance I can these days while I have the nerve and it would be much more inspiring to write about clothes than screws all the time …’

‘I get that,’ Ellie said, still processing how to respond without deflating Scarlett’s optimistic mood.

‘Obviously, I won’t earn as much as I did, but enough to contribute to all the household expenses and get by. The whole thing with Rafa last year and then the rent hike, well, they seem like omens to take a leap of faith rather than wallowing here.’

Omens, eh? Ellie marvelled at her sister’s ability to rationalise. What had actually happened was that Scarlett had consciously – or otherwise – found two new clients that she could work for while living in Cornwall.

‘Hun, if it’s any consolation, I never really thought Rafa deserved you and, genuinely, you’re better off without him.’

‘Really? You never said that to me before.’

‘How could I when you were so down about the split? Now you’ve told me yourself that you’re over him, I may as well say what I think. He was way too full of himself and you’re far too good for him, but that’s history now. And I have no problem with you coming down here and I totally understand that you want to make a fresh start, but you’re forgetting one thing. Mum and Dad might not keep Seaholly Manor for long.’

‘I know that, so I called Dad earlier – I’m not asking Mum! – and asked if they had any immediate plans to sell, but he said neither of them had discussed it … Mind you I don’t think they talk much at all these days.’

‘I’m sorry, hun.’

‘Yeah, well. Dad said it would take months or even years to sell the place even if they did decide to get rid of it, so he reckoned I should go ahead. Between us, I think Mum’s hoping Dad will simply forget what’s happened, but he won’t and neither can I.’

Ellie heard the break in Scarlett’s voice. Even with Scarlett only a few miles from her parents, it sounded as if there was no prospect of reconciliation on the horizon. ‘I must admit it’s not looking hopeful if they still have separate rooms after this long,’ she said, deciding to be honest. ‘I spoke to Dad last weekend and when I tried to ask how things were going, he almost bit my head off.’

‘Did he say anything about a divorce to you?’

‘I never got that far. I only tried to suggest gently they go see Relate and he told me to mind my own business and that he and Mum would sort it out on their own. Marcus tried to hint to them to have counselling too, and got the same response.’

‘He said the same to me when I met him for coffee last week. He also told me that he doesn’t blame me for the test. He was still Dad, but somehow, I can’t help feeling that he’s taken a step away from me. There’s a distance between us that wasn’t there before.’

‘I’m sure that’s not true!’ Ellie was horrified at the thought of a growing rift between Scarlett and their father and hoped her sister was reading the situation wrong.

‘He said it didn’t matter who my biological father was, that I’m his daughter in every way that matters and that it was only a terrible accident that he’d found out, but when he kissed me goodbye, it was so quick, as if he couldn’t wait to get away from me.’

‘I’m sure Dad would never push you away and he’s right; it isn’t your fault,’ Ellie said gently, yet she felt cold at the idea that their father might possibly be distancing himself from Scarlett, even subconsciously.