Page 94 of The Clockmaker's Cottage
‘You have all the best ideas. Red or white?’
‘I’d fancy white, and of course, I fancy you… Cheesy line, I know, but sometimes you just have to say what you feel.’
‘And the feeling’s mutual… I’ll go and get the drinks,’ Theo said as he handed her the menu.
‘I don’t need to look. Can you smell those fish and chips? That’s what I’m having. I bet the fish was caught fresh this morning.’
Theo had become distracted and was looking past her.
‘What’s up with you?’ she asked, lowering her voice.
He leaned in towards her. ‘Don’t turn around too fast.’
Which, of course, made her turn around instantly.
There he was. Sebastian. Slumped in the corner, nursing a wine glass. He was typing on his phone.
‘Well,’ Theo said under his breath, ‘so much for a quiet lunch.’
‘Shall we stay or go?’ asked Pippa. ‘I don’t want to get into any sort of confrontation.’
‘Stay. Surely he won’t cause any problems in here.’
Pippa wasn’t too sure about that, so she purposely didn’t look back in Sebastian’s direction as Theo went to the bar and ordered the food, then returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses.
‘How do you feel when you see him?’ Pippa asked. ‘I know it must be difficult. He smashed your world apart.’
Theo took a moment before answering. ‘I feel… indifferent,’ he replied, pouring them both a glass of wine. ‘That’s honestly the only word for it now. At the start, though… it was horrible. I went through everything all at once. Anger. Hurt. Shock. Then back to anger again.’ He gave a small shrug. ‘It was a mess.’ He handed a glass of wine to Pippa. ‘And it wasn’t just him,’ he added. ‘Clara played her part in all of it. I do know that. They both made choices.’ He took a sip of wine. ‘But with Sebastian…’ He swallowed. ‘Finding out about our grandfathers both being the Vales’ apprentices, I think something clicked into place. It explains a lot. There’s been this strange… rivalry from him for years, and though I didn’t understand it before, now I can at least see where some of it came from.’
‘I’m actually surprised he didn’t slip up at uni and reveal that piece of information, but…’ She hesitated. ‘I do think he’s tried to make your life difficult on purpose, which is awful. Jealousy is an ugly thing.’
Theo nodded. ‘It is, and it does explain a lot.’ He thought for a moment before adding quietly, ‘What he’s done, and the way he’s treated me– especially going after Clara– it says more about him than me. But I’m not angry anymore. I believe everything happens for a reason. Yes, of course, it’s sad my marriage has failed and I’ll have to divide a house and all the belongings, but the new job is going to give me some breathing space while I figure out what to do next.’
He smiled. ‘And once the contract ends, I imagine my first stop will be Puffin Island. To visit a certain clock restorer who’ll be living in a beautiful converted barn. She’ll be very happy here, among the puffins and this lovely community…’
‘That sounds like an excellent plan. This timing thing isn’t good, is it? Between you and me.’
Theo put his glass down on the table and took hold of Pippa’s hand. ‘Let’s not think about that just now… even though it’s all I’m thinking about.’
The waitress appeared beside their table and set down what might genuinely have been the most magnificent plate of fish and chips Pippa had ever seen. They began eating, and for a while they were almost completely silent, apart from the occasional happy murmur of appreciation.
Suddenly Pippa’s phone rang, buzzing its way across the table, and she jumped. She glanced at the screen, flapping a hand in Theo’s direction. ‘It’s the estate agents,’ she whispered, her heart suddenly thudding a bit faster. She picked up the phone. ‘Hello?’
‘Hi, Pippa, it’s Mia from the agency. I just wanted to check in, and see what your thoughts are on The Clock House.’
Pippa’s mind flashed back to the barn: the high ceiling, the beams, the light coming in from those big windows. Her tools on the workbench. Her name over the door.
‘I… I loved it,’ Pippa heard herself saying. Taking the plunge, she added, ‘I would like to put in an offer.’ The words hung in the air. This felt enormous to Pippa. She immediately noticed Theo’s reaction; his whole face broke into a grin.
As Mia went through the necessary steps for putting the offer forward, Pippa’s brain buzzed. Was she really doing this? She hadn’t spoken to her dad or mentioned it to Rose. She was wrapped up in this bubble and suddenly she felt the chill of reality. She hadn’t made a list or a spreadsheet; she was putting in an offer because of the good feeling in the pit of her stomach. A tiny part of her was panicking quietly in the background, but another part was excited– the part that had sat up in bed last night picturing the workshop, the clocks, the feeling of having something that was finally hers. Maybe, for once, she was allowed to want something and go after it without running it past everyone else first.
Just before they wrapped up the call, Pippa enquired about the work bench.
‘A section has been removed for sentimental reasons,’ Mia confirmed, ‘but I promise it doesn’t take anything away from the heart of the place.’ She said she would come back to Pippa as soon as she’d spoken to the seller, and Pippa thanked her, ended the call, and placed the phone on the table. She grinned at Theo.
‘You’ve gone and done it! Put in an offer for The Clock House. I’m feeling quite emotional myself, knowing my own grandfather worked in that workshop and you might now both be part of its illustrious history. This is amazing.’
She leaned in and whispered, ‘But a section of the desk has indeed been removed.’
