A Perfect Cornish Escape by Phillipa Ashley Page 0,18
Tiff’s lips twisted as she mused. ‘He looks ex-military to me. Super fit, short haircut, very upright.’
‘So, you took a very close look, then?’
‘I thought that was our job?’ Tiff said archly.
Marina smiled. The man had been strangely compelling. She sobered again at the thought of his injuries. ‘Whatever happened to him, it must have been bad. He told me he likes to swim away from the crowds and I don’t blame him if people start gawping at him.’
‘Is he local?’ said Tiff.
‘I don’t think so … I don’t recall seeing him around Porthmellow, and he had a Scottish accent. Funnily enough, he didn’t have a rucksack or a towel with him, though. He walked straight up the cliff path in bare feet so I suppose he must be staying nearby, unless he parked his car on the top road.’
‘Hmm. Curiouser and curiouser. Gosh, there are a lot of intriguing people in Porthmellow. Far more than I ever dreamed.’ Tiff had a wicked glint in her eye that set off alarm bells for Marina.
‘Remember your vow,’ she warned.
‘Don’t worry, my halo is still in place! Anyway I have to interview a conservatory company tomorrow so that should bring me down to earth.’
Marina laughed. ‘Talking of work, we’re having an auction at the fundraiser and if you happened to come across anyone who might donate a prize, that would be brilliant. We only have a few lots so far. The best is a meal at Gabe’s restaurant, and, between us, the others are a bit uninspiring. I thought while you’re working at the mag, you might persuade the advertisers and traders to donate something.’
‘What kind of lots are you looking for?
‘Oh anything. Vouchers for a haircut or salon treatment or a meal in a pub or café. The farm shop has already offered a Christmas turkey … though it’s a long way off … and Bryony Cronk has offered to trim a dog free of charge, though some people won’t consider that a prize, more so a curse. Bryony’s a bit heavy handed with the clippers, so I hear, and she can be … um … quite opinionated. I’m seriously wondering if anyone will bid for it …’
Marina broke off, seeing Tiff shaking with laughter. ‘Stop it, you rotten devil! It’s not that funny.’ She grimaced, though holding back the giggles herself. ‘It won’t be funny at the fundraiser when we only have half a dozen lots and no bids on some of them.’
Tiff exploded. ‘I’m s-sorry. It’s j-just so funny. The idea of a turkey voucher in M-May and some poor pooch having to endure a seriously bad hair day courtesy of this Bryony person. Oh, I do love the quirks of small-town life. The idea of living here is so delicious.’
‘The idea, yes, but you’d go nuts, surely?’
Tiff wiped her eyes. ‘It’s lovely, in so many ways. But you’re right, I couldn’t handle it permanently – though, certain aspects of it are, I admit, very alluring …’
Marina cottoned on immediately. ‘Like Dirk?’
‘Now, did I even breathe a word about him?’
‘You don’t have to.’ Marina smirked. ‘But you know I’m sure he’d be very grateful if you helped us out at the fundraiser any way you could.’
‘Really?’ Tiff’s eyes gleamed. ‘OK. Don’t you worry about the auction lots. Leave it with me. I’ll see what I can do.’
The rest of the shift was fairly uneventful. Marina showed Tiff how the marine radar was used, and they kept an eye on a couple of teenagers who seemed to be about to scramble down a closed-off section of cliff path. Other than that, the drama was confined to the peregrines’ aerial display around the cliffs and a brief visit by a family of seals.
‘They look exactly like wet Labradors,’ Tiff declared, laughing at the whiskered heads bobbing up and down a few metres off Porthmellow Point. She was glued to the telescope and Marina smiled to herself. The delight in her cousin’s voice was amusing and touching. Seals were almost daily visitors to the cove but it was refreshing to see them through the eyes of a visitor, and especially one as hardened as Tiff had become.
Marina was sure that her cousin’s shell remained in place; she was almost certain she’d heard only part of the story. She hoped Tiff would open up eventually, but in the meantime, she was enjoying the company and the contribution to the household finances was welcome. However, their house sharing arrangement couldn’t last forever. Tiff would