One Summer in Cornwall by Karen King (best books to read for success .TXT) 📕

joined her and there was now a crowd gathered in front of the covered easel. Hattie quickened her pace; she was eager to see Marcus’s painting.

She took her phone out of her shoulder bag, preparing to take a photo as Lady Thomwell stood in front of the easel, ready to make a speech.

‘I’m delighted to invite you all here today to celebrate my dear Rupert’s sixty-fifth birthday,’ she said. ‘And to mark the occasion, I commissioned our local artist Marcus Wilson, to do a special painting. If you could come up and join me, Marcus.’ She looked over at Marcus. Everyone else turned to face him too.

He shot Hattie a rueful smile and walked through the crowd – which had now burst out into applause – to the front.

Lady Thomwell then grandly swept the covering from the easel and Hattie gasped as the painting was revealed. Marcus had managed to recreate the style of an Old Master. The painting showed the Manor against a backdrop of a summer-blue sky, with Lady Thomwell and Estelle, dressed in crinoline dresses, with parasols, sitting elegantly on a blanket spread out on the grass, having a picnic. It was stunning. Marcus really was talented, she thought admiringly.

There was a round of applause, Lord Rupert gave a speech about how delighted he was, he and his wife exchanged kisses on the cheek, the waiters circulated with more silver trays of champagne and then everyone relaxed into a party atmosphere.

‘So, how long have you and Marcus been together,’ Estelle asked, sidling up to Hattie.

Hattie turned to her and smiled brightly. ‘Oh, it’s fairly recent.’

‘I thought so, as he hasn’t mentioned you all time he was here painting, and we got very close – as you can imagine.’

Estelle really did have a thing for Marcus, Hattie realised. She wondered if Marcus had been tempted to succumb to her charms, whether he would have taken up with her if she hadn’t been the daughter of one of his clients. There was no doubt that Estelle was beautiful, elegant and self-possessed. Obviously wealthy, too. Although, she must be at least ten years older than Marcus.

‘I’m not surprised, Marcus likes to keep his private life, private,’ Hattie replied. ‘He mentioned you, of course, and how he helped you out by going to a do with you.’

Estelle looked surprised but before she could reply Marcus joined them and interrupted.

‘Excuse us, won’t you, Estelle. Hattie and I have somewhere else to be.’

‘You can’t go yet, the party has only just started,’ Estelle protested with a pout.

‘Sorry, but I did say we couldn’t stay long.’ He slipped his arm around Hattie’s waist. ‘See you around.’ And they both walked off to where her bike was parked.

‘Where else do we have to go?’ Hattie asked him.

‘I’m going surfing, want to join me?’ he asked. ‘I’ve got a spare wetsuit that should fit you.’

She wondered if it had belonged to a former girlfriend but didn’t ask. It wasn’t important. ‘Sure.’ She straddled the bike and waited for him to get on behind her, but instead he pulled out his phone.

‘Smile!’

Surprised, Hattie obligingly smiled. ‘I thought I was the photographer,’ she said when he’d taken the photo.

‘I couldn’t resist. You look great on that bike, with the Manor as a backdrop. I’ll send it to you later.’

They went home to get changed into their wetsuits then headed for the beach. It was still warm, the sun was sparkling and glistening on the sea, white waves already building up and crashing onto the golden sand. Most of the families and holidaymakers had gone home for their evening meal so they easily found a secluded corner where they could surf in relative peace. Well, where Marcus could surf and Hattie could bodyboard – she’d learnt how to do that during her Cornwall holidays when she was a child. She’d love to be able to ride the waves like Marcus did though, she thought, as sitting down on the sand to catch her breath, she watched him in action. He really was good, good enough to do it professionally if he wanted to. Perhaps he did.

There was a lot she didn’t know about Marcus, she realised. She hadn’t known how good a painter he was until that afternoon, or realised his work was held in such high esteem. There were a lot of people at the party wanting to meet him, some of them wanting paintings done too.

She knew nothing about his background though, his family, his relationships. He obviously didn’t have a current girlfriend but she had the feeling there hadn’t been a shortage of them. He was good looking and, he definitely had an eye for the ladies, although he was in control of those emotions, judging by his refusal to bed Estelle, and how gentlemanly he had been with her the other night. Would she have had sex with him if he’d made a move? She rested her chin on her bent knees and considered it. There was no doubt that she found him attractive, so, yes, she thought, she might have gone for it if he’d made a move on Saturday but she was glad he hadn’t. If she did decide to have sex with him, she’d definitely want to remember it the next day. Besides, she had the feeling that if she got involved with Marcus she would find him difficult to walk away from.

He was striding out of the sea towards her now, his wet hair dangling just above his shoulders. The tight wetsuit fitted him like a glove, stretching across his broad chest and muscular hips. As he got closer, she switched her gaze to a red-and-yellow hot air balloon floating in the sky, not wanting him to know she’d been looking at him. There was a banner advertising a local theme park on it.

‘Have you ever been there?’ he asked, looking up at the hot air balloon too.

‘Yes, we always visited it when we were down on holiday, although I expect