A Perfect Cornish Escape by Phillipa Ashley Page 0,70

brushed it off. He’s clearly modest as well as kind hearted …’ Tiff’s eyes gleamed. ‘Although I don’t think his chivalry towards elderly ladies is the main part of his attraction, is it?’

‘No, I have to admit it isn’t.’ Marina smiled then her doubts came back. ‘I’m looking forward to it in one way but … do you think it’s a bad idea to go out on a date with another man on a night like that?’

Tiff seemed puzzled. ‘A night like … oh, I see. That’s the anniversary of …’ She let the rest of the sentence hang, probably because she didn’t want to say the words out loud.

‘Of Nate’s death. Yes. I haven’t told Lachlan. It’s not really the sort of thing you want to hear on a date. Especially as we’re getting on so well right now.’

‘Of course I don’t think it’s a “bad idea”, my love. If you like Lachlan and you want to have something happy to look forward to on what could be a grim day, then it strikes me as a great idea.’

Marina sighed. ‘I’m not sure what my mum and dad will think.’

‘Have you told them?’

‘Not yet. I haven’t told anyone apart from you. I keep wondering if I should be throwing flowers into the sea, dressed in widow’s weeds and weeping, instead.’

‘Don’t you think you’ve done enough of that to last a lifetime?’ Tiff swept her arm around. ‘Who needs flowers when you’ve got this place as the best memorial Nate could ever have? One that’s saved many lives and will go on to save many more. There’s even a plaque on the wall outside dedicated to his memory. So you have absolutely nothing to feel guilty about. Plus, I don’t think Nate would want you to spend the rest of your life weeping for him, would he?’

‘No, I don’t think he would,’ she replied, though in truth she’d no idea what Nate would have wanted.

‘So go out with Lachlan and live your life. You deserve it.’

She nodded and they watched in silence for a few minutes before the radio crackled into life with a message from the coastguard, making them aware that the Porthmellow lifeboat had been called out to a trawler with engine trouble.

Tiff showed a great interest in the message and seemed very keen to be in charge of the powerful binoculars. She was intent on the orange all-weather lifeboat cutting through the waves, throwing up spray on its way to the stricken vessel a few miles up the coast.

‘Have you managed to zero in on Dirk yet?’ Marina asked.

Tiff pulled her eyes from the scope, blinking. ‘The boat’s gone out of range and no … I don’t think I could see him at the helm.’

Marina pointed to the screen on the desk. ‘Want to follow him – sorry, it – on the marine radar?’

Tiff wagged a finger. ‘Naughty.’ She sighed. ‘I’m not that desperate …’

‘Is everything OK between you two?’ Marina asked. ‘Or is that a stupid question considering you’ve been at his most of the past week?’

Tiff smirked. ‘More than OK I’d say … I may as well confess that things have gone quite a way beyond the holding hands stage. In fact, there never was any hand holding. We decided to skip the nursery slopes and go off-piste pretty much straight away.’

Marina giggled. ‘You’re outrageous.’

She gave a little bow. ‘I aim to please … but I suppose I’d be lying if I said it was smooth sailing between us. How could it be when Dirk ’n’ Stormy meets Tempestuous Tiff? We rub each other up the wrong way from time to time but we’re also remarkably similar. We enjoy similar music, most of the same books, our politics are in synch …’

‘You like him, then?’

‘Yes.’ Tiff sighed. ‘I could like him a lot more if I let myself, but I won’t. We’ve been upfront that things can’t go anywhere long-term …’ She sighed. ‘The fact is, there’s no future for me and Dirk in Porthmellow. He’s made it plain he expects me to return to the evils of London at some point.’

‘Have you any plans to go back yet?’

‘No, but I can’t live off your hospitality forever and I’m still hopeful that when the heat has died down, I can find another job. I might have done a bit of work on the side while I’m here.’

Marina’s antenna twitched. ‘What do you mean?’

Tiff assumed an innocent look but Marina knew there was no halo. ‘I