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

Hattie. Then she added impulsively, ‘Why don’t you pop around tomorrow and see what we’ve done? We’re out in the daytime, but maybe after your shift at the hotel? If it isn’t too late?’

‘Thanks, I will. I’m actually doing the afternoon shift again tomorrow as Shanise can’t make it – family stuff,’ Marcus told her. ‘I’ll be finished for seven thirty.’

‘Even better, come around about eight, then. We’ll be back by then and it will still be light enough for you to see it all clearly.’

When they’d finished the dessert, Nick washed up, Hattie dried it all, and Marcus put everything away. Then they took another bottle of wine and their half-full glasses into the lounge.

Hattie’s eyes rested on the painting over the fireplace; it was the one from Uncle Albert’s cottage. The one Marcus had painted and thought she was going to throw away, only it looked much brighter now. Marcus had obviously cleaned it.

‘She wasn’t going to dump it, you know,’ Nick slurred, following Hattie’s gaze.

‘What?’ Marcus looked at them both, puzzled.

‘That painting.’ Nick gestured towards it with his glass, almost spilling some wine as he did so. ‘She took it down so we could paint the walls. She was going to keep it to remind her of her uncle. And probably because you’d painted it, too.’

Damn! Trust Nick to loosen his tongue now he’d had a drink. Hattie felt terrible as she saw Marcus’s eyes widen. ‘Why didn’t you tell me that, Hattie?’ he exclaimed.

‘Cos she thought you really wanted it, and as you were the one who painted it—’

‘Nick!’ Hattie chastised him, mortified. ‘I told you not to say anything.’ She turned her gaze to Marcus, hoping that her cheeks weren’t as red as they felt. ‘Please ignore him, he’s had too much wine. Of course you should have the painting back.’

‘You really weren’t going to dump it?’ Marcus asked, his eyes holding hers.

She shook her head. ‘Definitely not! But I honestly don’t mind you having it.’

Marcus walked over to the fireplace and took the painting down. ‘Then please take it back and excuse me for jumping to conclusions. Again.’ He walked over and placed it down by the side of the chair she was sitting on.

She couldn’t make out whether he was pleased or not. ‘Are you sure? You have a gap there now . . .’

‘Which will soon be filled by a painting that I’m currently working on.’

‘Then, thank you.’ She flashed him a big smile.

Nick swallowed another mouthful of his wine. ‘So, all your paintings aren’t commissions or for sale then? You keep some yourself?’

‘Most of them are, yes. But this one that I’m working on is just for me.’

‘Thank you for a lovely meal,’ Hattie said as she and Nick got up to leave after what had been a very pleasant evening. She hadn’t enjoyed herself so much for ages, Marcus had been relaxed, laughing and chatting away, and Nick was entertaining company, especially with a few glasses of wine inside him. She was quite reluctant to go, but it was gone midnight now.

‘Don’t forget to pop in tomorrow evening,’ Hattie turned to remind Marcus as she and Nick walked up the path. ‘We’ll bring Buddy down into his big cage then too, and you can take the travel one back home with you.’

‘Sounds good to me,’ Marcus said. ‘Enjoy your day out tomorrow.’

They both waved and linked arms for the short walk next door. ‘Can’t have you falling over, you seem a bit unsteady on your feet,’ Nick said.

‘Cheek! You’re the one who’s tipsy. I’m holding you up!’

‘You’re both tipsy! And so am I!’ Marcus said with a grin, watching them totter up the path.

‘He definitely fancies you,’ Nick said as soon as they were back in Fisherman’s Rest.

‘No, he doesn’t.’ Hattie shook her head firmly. ‘I told you we’re just friends.’

‘Yeah, but you both want to be more. Don’t deny it.’

‘I think you need a coffee.’ Hattie walked over to put the kettle on, her heart skipping inside her chest. Was Nick right, did Marcus fancy her?

Chapter Twenty-Eight

‘It all looks amazing. It’s like a different cottage. I never dreamed we could transform it so much in just a few days. Thanks so much for your help,’ Hattie said as she and Nick sat in the kitchen having a late breakfast the next morning. Even though they’d done the cottage on the cheap, it was enough to give it a fresh new look. She passed Nick a mug of tea. ‘I think I might put a coat of paint on the kitchen cupboards too. It would be great to put in some new ones, like Marcus has, but at least painting them will brighten the kitchen.’

‘You could get a new sink too, that would make a big difference.’ Nick blew on his tea to cool it down. ‘I wish I could stay longer; I know that there’s still a lot more to do. Clearing out the wardrobes and cupboards is going to be a massive job, goodness knows what’s in them.’

‘I can do the rest of the sorting out bit by bit, and Marcus will help me. He might even want to keep some of Uncle Albert’s things,’ Hattie told him. ‘Even if we sell the cottage quickly it will take at least six weeks for the sale to go through. That’s plenty of time for me to clear out the rest of the things. I’ve told Dad that if I come across anything I’m not sure of, I’ll take a photo and send it to him. I don’t want to be throwing out any family heirlooms!’ She wiped her hands on her shorts. ‘Right, now, I’ll clear these mugs and then we’ll have that tour of Port Medden that I promised you.’

‘Sounds good to me. I’ll just give Glenn a call. I’ll be down in about ten minutes.’

‘Take your time.’ Hattie quickly washed the plates then went into the back yard. They’d cleared everything from it now, and