A Perfect Cornish Escape by Phillipa Ashley Page 0,43
Dirk would probably be on board and concluded that Tiff must have been let off her ‘forfeit’ and was either back home or had decamped to the Harbour Coffee Shop for an espresso.
Marina smiled to herself. Tiff was finding some consolations in Cornwall after all … With that pleasant thought, she made it halfway through her two-hour watch and was looking forward to her lunch. The sight of so many people out enjoying the spring sunshine and new life bursting out around the station gave her a fresh optimism and buoyancy. On a day like this, anything seemed possible.
She only had forty minutes to go when a call came in from Doreen and Trevor, two of her volunteers.
Twenty minutes later, Marina dialled Lachlan’s number with a heavy heart.
‘I am so sorry, Lachlan, but I’m going to have to miss our lunch. Both of the volunteers have got sick. They’re married and they ate some dodgy prawn cocktail at an anniversary party last night, and I haven’t been able to get anyone else at short notice. I daren’t leave the station empty on such a sunny Sunday. There are too many people and boats about.’
Having made a quick drink and grabbed the rest of the ginger nuts for consolation, Marina resumed her watch, trying to concentrate on the reason she was at the station. However strong the temptation to go to lunch with Lachlan, this might be the day when someone needed their help.
With so much marine traffic and people wandering along the paths criss-crossing the headland, and others swimming in the cove, she had her work cut out and couldn’t feel sorry for herself for long. She even had to turn away a couple of visitors because she couldn’t handle showing them around while staying alert. But busy as she was, it was hard not to occasionally think of the roast dinner she was missing, and, most of all, the chance to get to know Lachlan better.
‘Hello! Did someone order a takeout?’
Marina turned round. ‘Lachlan! I didn’t see you.’
He held up a bag. ‘I thought you might be in need of some food.’
As he opened up foil parcels, her sense of smell went into overdrive. The packets contained roast chicken and stuffing tucked into floury baps.
‘Oh my, they smell wonderful. You didn’t have to do that.’
‘I couldn’t leave you here while I ate.’
‘You waited?’
‘Of course I did …’ He handed her a serviette and a chicken bap. ‘There aren’t any rules about food in here, are there?’
She smacked her lips. ‘Even if there were, I’d be breaking them.’
He pulled a couple of Diet Coke cans from the bag and popped the top. ‘I was sure there were rules about beer though, so this is the best I could do.’
She laughed and took a sip of the chilled drink. ‘It’s better than a fine wine and these rolls are a match for anything Gabe Mathias could rustle up.’
Lachlan laughed. ‘In my dreams! But I’m glad you don’t mind me bringing Sunday lunch to you as you couldn’t get to it. How about I keep you company until relief comes?’
‘We could be here together until eight o’clock,’ she warned.
He smiled. ‘What a hardship that would be.’
Unsure how to respond, Marina tucked into the roast chicken and stuffing rolls with gusto. ‘Well, this is delicious,’ she said quickly, to fill the silence. ‘Whereabouts are you from in Scotland?’ she asked, while Lachlan demolished a second roll. ‘I think a few of the villagers were hoping you’d turn up in a kilt.’
‘Kilts?’ he pulled a face. ‘Nope. Just nope. If you see a Scot in a kilt during the day they’re either on their way to a wedding, on their unsteady way home from a really good wedding, employed in the tourist industry, or an American.’
Marina dissolved into laughter.
‘I will admit to falling into other Scottish clichés though. I don’t drink much unless it’s whisky and when a Scot takes their whisky seriously, they take it seriously. This one does, anyway. In fact, that’s the one thing that I will never ever take with water or anything. No island malt should ever be polluted.’
‘That’s fine. I don’t have any island malts or any malt at all.’
Lachlan smiled. ‘Coffee would be fine.’
‘It’s Tesco basics at the station but we have some decent stuff at home, courtesy of Tiff. If you ever happen to drop by,’ she added hastily.
He replied with a smile but there was no time to continue the conversation because she needed to