Page 83 of The Trip of a Lifetime

Their kids were early teens, two girls who had a pronounced Canadian accent. They had only been to Cornwall twice in their lives. Home, Morwenna had called it, but it wasn’t home to these girls, I didn’t think. Really, it never would be. It made me wonder how happy Morwenna was in this country. They had a magnificent house in a beautiful part of the world but to hear her talk, I could tell she’d not really settled.

She put on a lovely spread, though, and while we all tucked into the roast and Vince opened a couple of bottles of wine, we talked about the show. It was nice to see Cally lighten up and talk candidly about the difficulties they faced trying to keep everything on track. Morwenna, it turned out, was a fellow jigsaw-puzzler and she and Noah got one going after dinner. They didn’t get a chance to finish it, though, as Cally’s car had arrived to take them to a nearby hotel.

When they had gone, Vince poured us a last drink and we took them into the living room. The girls had gone to their bedrooms and we offered to clear up the dinner things but Morwenna wouldn’t hear of it.

‘Vince can do it,’ she said, and he laughed like a man who’d had some wine.

‘Let’s throw it all away and buy some new dishes.’

But he did actually disappear back into the kitchen and left us girls to it.

‘You know what?’ Morwenna said. ‘I feel so invested now; I’m going to offer you a lift to the ferry tomorrow. I really want you both to win.’

‘We can’t ask you to do that,’ said Erin, but I could hear the half-hearted protest in her voice.

‘You didn’t ask. I offered and I really want to do this. I’m well known to be a problem solver; Vince is the same, really. You need to get to the ferry and I don’t want to drop you at a gas station and see you beg for a lift. I have to get the girls to school but I’m free after that. It’s only a 180 kilometres so we can be there in just over a couple of hours. What time does your ferry leave?’

‘Wow, that’s just amazing, thank you,’ I said. ‘The ferry we want to get doesn’t leave until five thirty, so there’s plenty of time.’

‘Well then. I think we have tomorrow sorted.’

We went to bed that night in a room that resembled the icing on a wedding cake. There were white, frilly-edged curtains with flowers embroidered all over them. Heavily patterned wallpaper covered the space in pale, pastel shades and the white-painted furniture was scalloped-edged and ornate. Erin and I exchanged a look and shared a silent understanding. Morwenna and Vince had been amazing hosts and went above and beyond what anyone else would have done. We were incredibly lucky and weren’t about to start exchanging thoughts on decor that we wouldn’t choose for our own homes.

‘I feel a bit drunk,’ Erin said as she came out of the en suite. ‘You know, if this were a thriller or a dark TV drama, our drinks would have been spiked and things would not end well for us.’

‘Yeah, but we’d die happy, stuffed full of roast chicken and white wine. That chocolate pudding was to die for anyway.’

I had a sudden yearning to talk more to Erin there in that turreted bedroom. I wanted to share stories about Clare and get Erin to commit to the wording on the bench plaque, make a decision about where we were going to scatter her ashes, but we had already made some progress and anything I said now would be to satisfy myself alone. I didn’t want to push her away when we were in such a good place. And anyway, when my head hit that fluffy pillow, I was already asleep.

36

ERIN

Morwenna dropped them in North Sydney at two thirty, in the end. None of them could see any reason to get going too early.

‘You’ll just be hanging around the ferry terminal all day otherwise,’ Morwenna had said. ‘And my girls are off with friends after school so I don’t have to rush back for pickup.’

Instead, they had been offered a lie-in, a luxurious shower and then a lovely breakfast which they ate at the island in the kitchen. But it made Erin feel twitchy not to be on the move and when Morwenna had finally suggested they should leave, she had been in the car like a child ready for a trip to the sweet shop.

‘Morwenna, you have been exceptionally kind and generous to us,’ Martha said as they got out of her car. ‘Honestly, we are so grateful to you and Vince for your hospitality.’

‘It’s been a real pleasure. You can probably tell I get a bit homesick sometimes and it’s so nice to meet you both and for you to bring a little of home with you here.’

‘Canada seems like a wonderful country with so much diversity in landscape and culture,’ Erin said.

‘It is, and I’m lucky to live here, but when I see someone from home it just gets me thinking, you know.’

Erin certainly knew, she was feeling homesick herself but at least she’d be going back there soon.

They said their goodbyes and watched as Morwenna drove away.

‘Right,’ Erin said. ‘Let’s get back into race mode.’

They were at the ticket office and knew their choices. They could still get the 23.15 to Port aux Basques if they wanted. Quicker, cheaper, and a somewhere they were guaranteed to sleep for the night.

‘I would get the 17.30 to Argentia,’ the man behind the desk said when they told him what they needed to do. ‘You have no knowing what the journey will be like across land. It’s quite remote in places. St John’s is only an hour and a half away from Argentia. You could get a taxi.’

‘It’s what we thought as well,’ Erin said. ‘But it’s good to have it confirmed. Shall we get two tickets to Argentia then, Martha?’