A Perfect Cornish Escape by Phillipa Ashley Page 0,35

heaved a sigh. ‘I’d no idea. I didn’t mean to make things worse for him. I ran after him straight away but I shouldn’t have. He probably wants to be alone.’

‘It’s hard to know what to do for the best, so don’t worry,’ Aaron said kindly. ‘Even so, I’ll pop up to the cottage and check on him. Thanks for letting me know.’

However much Marina wanted to make sure Lachlan was OK, she couldn’t leave her stall again, and anyway, if he didn’t want to talk to his buddy, then he certainly wouldn’t open up to a relative stranger. She returned to the sideshow, hoping to at least check he was OK as soon the opportunity presented itself.

He wasn’t the only person who wasn’t enjoying the event. Over by the tombola, Tiff was anxiously scrolling through her phone and looking almost as grey as Lachlan had.

Chapter Nine

Tiff’s tummy was officially on the spin cycle. Every ten minutes or so, Evie gave a countdown to the auction and before she knew it, it was two p.m. with an hour to go until her big moment. She checked her phone from time to time, hoping that salvation would come in the form of a message from her contacts, but there was nothing. She’d really hoped they’d swoop in last-minute with something to save her from total humiliation but it looked like it wasn’t her day. Or year, in fact.

‘Only one hour to go till the auction, folks. Make sure you’re here outside the harbour office in good time. You don’t want to miss out on that Gabe Mathias cookery lesson or our amazing surprise lot, do you?’

Tiff grew hot and cold at Evie’s dramatic announcements. Was it too late to back out and beat a retreat out of town? Where would she go if she did? She was trapped behind the tombola stand, wishing she’d never had her desperate idea to offer herself as a ‘lot’ that morning. It had seemed like her only way out at the time, given there was no prospect of anything more exciting. However, Dirk’s sarcastic comments – not to mention the sight of hundreds of locals and tourists all gravitating towards the auction area – had given her second thoughts.

Who would want her anyway? What if no one made a bid or she went for the reserve price Evie had suggested? What if she ended up with someone … just plain weird? Looking around at some of the locals, that wasn’t too unlikely.

At ten to three, Tiff closed down the stall. There was only a dried-flower arrangement and a tin of Spam left so she packed them away whilst she considered a final attempt at escape.

But deep down she knew there was no going back now. She dragged her leaden feet over to the lifeboat station where someone had positioned a chair and desk on a small dais for Evie. She had a sheet of paper in her hand and a microphone lay in front of her.

Evie spotted her. ‘Are you all right, dear? You’re very pale.’

‘Just a little apprehensive, Evie. I do hope no one’s expecting too much. I’d hate them to be disappointed.’

‘Oh, don’t be silly! Of course they won’t be.’

Tiff smiled weakly.

Dirk handed Evie a gavel. ‘Here you go.’

‘Thank you, Dirk, my love. I think we’re almost ready.’

‘No problem. If you need anything else, you give me a nod.’ He climbed down off the dais and walked past Tiff. Just as she thought he was going to go past her, she felt his breath on her ear.

‘I can’t wait for this,’ he whispered.

She flinched but was too stunned to reply and Dirk was already gone.

‘Come on, folks! Auction starts in five minutes!’ Evie bellowed.

Trying to blot out Dirk’s presence, Tiff attempted to lurk unobtrusively at the edge of the throng. However, as more people joined at the rear of the crowd, she found herself hemmed in at the front, only a couple of metres from the dais and right under Evie’s eye. She’d no idea where Dirk had gone.

‘Hello!’ A hand on her shoulder told her Marina was right behind and the man beside her moved to let Marina stand next to her.

‘Are you OK?’ Marina whispered.

‘Absolutely bloody marvellous,’ Tiff hissed back. ‘Apart from feeling like I’m on my way to the guillotine.’

Marina laughed. ‘It’s not an execution.’

‘Mm. How’s your day been?’ Tiff asked to distract herself from her impending humiliation.

Marina hesitated and Tiff saw something – doubt? – flicker in her eyes