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‘Things like this will mushroom very quickly. And if you don’t sort it out sooner rather than later, they may take your procrastinating as indecision. You need to go in all guns blazing with Jago Moon. No backing down.’
Rosie nods. ‘I expect he’ll be determined to keep the barge.’
‘Well, once you sort it out, let me know if you’d be looking to renovate the place for yourself, or you’d want the neutral scheme to sell it.’
All eyes focus on me. They want to know if they’ll ever see me after this.
‘Oh, you have to keep it, Emmie!’ Rosie exclaims. ‘Stay with us in Cornwall – you’ll love living here.’
‘Oh, I already do, believe me.’
‘And you’ll be so much happier!’ she adds.
I laugh. ‘Is that a promise?’
Nina shrugs. ‘Look at us. We left London for the good life here. If you’re not happy where you are…’
‘Well, my fiancé loves London…’
‘And you? What do you love? What do you want?’ Nat asks.
I sit back with my cappuccino and study the swirls of chocolate. What do I want?
‘Peace. Love. Hope,’ I say.
‘And… forgive me for asking,’ Nina says. ‘But I’ve been there and I recognise the look on your face. Is your fiancé going to be part of this new life?’
Is he? No. But if I gave him an ultimatum, would he follow me? Give up his cushy job and settle for a smaller school down here? And what about Audrey? Would he be willing to leave her behind, or would she follow? Just the thought gives me the shudders.
‘No, I don’t think so. I’m… thinking about a lot of things,’ I admit.
Nat leans forwards and, in a gesture as kind and natural as friendship, touches my wrist.
‘May I make a suggestion, Emmie? My husband was a pompous arse who tried to erase me. And when I found out he was cheating on me, I kicked him out, coat of arms and all. But it was a tough time. I was feeling guilty about my mother who lived in Wyllow Cove while I pined to live in the village, too, rather than in the old mausoleum on a clifftop. I was always putting everyone else first.’
I nod.
‘We’ve had our Phils and Neils and Marks and Gabes. But after all the heartache, we finally decided thatwecame first. Because we owed it to ourselves. If you’re not happy, you have to find the answer in your own heart. No one else can tell you what to do.’
‘We know it’s tough,’ Nina says, ‘starting all over somewhere new, and already having these problems. I wish we could do something more to help.’
‘You are…’ I assure her. ‘Back home, I only have Maisie, my best friend. But here, I have a squadron.’ I shake my head in grateful disbelief.
‘Well, it’s not all a bed of roses,’ Faith assures. ‘You’re going to have to put up with parties and dinners and all the kids running around…’
‘Sounds good to me. I love kids. I do miss my students.’
‘But not the job, I’ll bet,’ Rosie says.
‘Not the job,’ I agree. ‘Maisie says it’s because Stephen is also our headmaster. But also, he’s career-minded. He wants children, but not yet. He says we’re too young.’
Nina snorts. ‘So you’ll just start popping them out in your fifties when he’s comfortable?’
‘I know,’ I admit. ‘But I’d have one today if I could. I mean, does life have to be perfectly settled in order to have kids?’
Faith laughs. ‘There’s no such thing as a settled life.’
‘You should meet Stephen,’ I say. ‘He won’t do anything until he has all his ducks in a row.’
