The Sea Shell Girl (38 page)

‘Merry, are you there? Please open the door.'

Hearing her friend, Merry felt her heart lifting and she flew across the room.

‘Saphira?' she whispered, staring at the elegant woman in surprise. ‘What are you doing here?'

‘I came to see you, you dolt. Well, can I come in?'

‘Yes, of course,' she said, standing back as the stylish young woman swept into the room. Merry couldn't help noticing how well Saphira was looking with her fine clothes and new hairstyle, and she knew she must look washed out by comparison. The woman's cheeks were flushed as well. Then aware she was staring, she asked, ‘Did you enjoy your vacation?'

‘Yes, thank you, but I didn't come to talk about that. I'm here to offer my condolences on the sad loss of your mother. I would have come before but Carey said you needed time,' Saphira said, taking Merry's hands in hers. ‘You must be devastated. I know I was when we lost our mother last year.' Seeing the genuine empathy in her eyes, Merry felt the bond between them strengthen and, for the first time since her mother's death, felt less alone.

‘Thank you,' she whispered, then stood there not knowing what else to say.

‘I'm parched, is there any tea left in that pot?' Saphira asked, settling herself on a chair by the table.

‘Oh, yes, sorry,' Merry said, hurrying to fetch her mother's best cup and saucer from the dresser. ‘What are you doing here in Porthsallos?' she asked, finding her tongue at last.

‘I'm staying here with Carey. Oh, Merry, he is so unhappy. I thought you and he were … that is, I had high hopes you and he would … well, I've always wanted a sister, especially one who can make a decent cup of tea,' she added, grinning impishly.

‘Since Mother …' Merry couldn't continue.

‘Carey told me about the accident,' Saphira said. ‘It is tragic, I agree, and heaven knows you must miss her, but you mustn't blame yourself.'

‘How can I not, when I don't know what happened?'

‘Even if you were to find out, it wouldn't change anything, would it?' Saphira echoed Cador's words, staring at Merry with her bright blue eyes.

‘I guess not,' Merry sighed.

‘Look, Merry, I'll be frank. I hate seeing Carey so unhappy and fail to see why your mother dying should prevent you from getting betrothed. Or is it, as Alexandria insisted on telling us, that you don't really love my big brother?'

‘Alexandria?'

Saphira shook her head. ‘Don't worry about it. She still refuses to believe Carey should prefer your charms to hers. Anyway, that's irrelevant now. Do you or do you not love my brother?'

‘Yes, I do,' Merry admitted, realizing with a start that it was true.

‘Well, what is it then? Come on, pretend we are sisters.
They share confidences, don't they?' she asked, giving Merry such a wide smile, she couldn't help returning it. As she did, she felt something stir inside her.

‘Everything's muddled in my mind. Carey goes away to sea and Nicco says sailors have a girl in every port willing to offer them comfort.'

Saphira arched an immaculate brow. ‘And this Nicco is a paragon of virtue, I suppose?'

‘He looks at other women, but he wouldn't cheat on me,' Merry declared.

‘And that's good enough for you? As you know, my father had an eye for the ladies and he certainly didn't think twice about deceiving them, as you are now only too well aware. He cheated on my mother from the beginning and hurt her terribly, but Carey is different, Merry. He saw what Father did to Mother and hated him for it. His conscience would never permit him to deceive you. Besides, he is too sensitive to intentionally hurt anyone.'

‘But Nicco said …'

‘Ah, the wonderful Nicco again,' Saphira cut in. ‘I understand he also wants to marry you?' She jumped to her feet and went over to the window.

Merry frowned. ‘Well, yes, and my mother thought he would be a good catch. That was before I met Carey, of course, but … What are you looking at?' Merry asked as Saphira stood on tiptoe and pressed her nose against the glass.

‘You'll see. Come on,' she instructed, pulling Merry to her feet.

‘But I need to change,' she protested, grimacing down at her frayed old skirt.

‘There's no time for that,' Saphira murmured, hurrying her out of the cottage.

‘Where are we going?'

‘Down to the quay, oh, do hurry,' Saphira urged, quickening her step. Blinking as the bright sunshine hit her eyes, Merry followed after her.

As ever, the harbour was bustling with activity, but Saphira let nobody get in their way as she pushed her way through the groups of fishermen waiting to have their catches weighed. Many turned to look at them, exclaiming in surprise, but whether it was because of their haste or similar looks, Merry couldn't tell. Then Saphira stopped abruptly, smiled up at Merry and linked arms with her.

‘Isn't it a glorious day, Merry?' she said in a loud voice. ‘Oh, hello again, Nicco,' she added, drawing to a halt in front of the open-mouthed Nicco. He stood gaping from Merry to Saphira, then went bright red and scuttled away.

‘Oh,' Merry said, staring after him. ‘I guess he must have been surprised to see us.'

‘Indeed he was,' Saphira said, narrowing her eyes.

‘Hold on a minute. How did you know his name or even what he looked like?' she asked. Saphira frowned around the busy quay, then linked her arm through Merry's once more and drew her away from the crowds.

‘Right, let's sit here,' Saphira said, finally stopping by the point.

‘So what was all that about?' Merry asked as soon as they'd settled themselves on the wall.

‘I met your Nicco earlier today when I taking a stroll. At first he thought I was you, then he realized his mistake and …' She looked down at the ground.

‘And?' Merry prompted.

‘Well, there's no easy way to tell you this,' Saphira said, looking at Merry with her clear blue eyes. ‘He turned on the charm. Honestly, the compliments dripped from his tongue like butter off a hot spoon. He offered to take me for a ride in his pony and trap, saying we could make a day of it. Apparently, he knows some charming little place where we could get to know each other over supper. Honestly, Merry, that man made me go hot for all the wrong reasons,' she said, wrinkling her nose.

Incredulous, Merry could only stare in disbelief. Then she remembered Saphira's flushed appearance when she'd arrived at the cottage. That Nicco could have behaved in such a despicable way only hours after declaring his undying love and proposing marriage was inconceivable. Yet hadn't she had doubts about his loyalty?

‘He only ever took me out in his donkey cart,' she muttered, then laughed at her banal statement.

Saphira patted her hand. ‘It's not Carey's integrity you should be questioning, is it?'

As her friend echoed her own thoughts, Merry stared unseeing over the water. Saphira was right and she needed to go to see Carey.

‘Where are you staying?' she asked as the shock receded.

‘Over there,' Saphira said, pointing to the granite house on the hill. ‘Carey's rented it for the summer whilst Lady Sutherland is away on honeymoon, though, of course, she's no longer Lady Sutherland …' she began, but Merry didn't let her finish.

‘I must go to see him right away,' she cried, jumping to her feet.

Saphira stared at her for a long moment. ‘I'm afraid he's left,' she said eventually.

‘Left?' Merry gasped.

‘He said he couldn't stay without …' Saphira stuttered to a halt.

‘Without?' Merry prompted.

‘You, I guess.' Saphira looked at her sadly. Merry swallowed down the lump in her throat. Why hadn't she listened to what he had to say? He must have taken her words literally, then changed his mind about staying in the village.

‘I think you should go home, Merry,' Saphira said, breaking into her thoughts. ‘You've had a frightful shock and are quite ashen.' She stood up and smoothed her skirts. ‘I don't like to leave you like this but I'm expected back for high tea. Look, why don't you come and visit when you have recovered? I can tell you about my vacation, show you my sketches.'

Merry nodded, then watched Saphira walk elegantly away.

Sighing she stared at the granite house. To think Carey had been staying there. But now he had gone.
Too late, too late
, the gulls seemed to cry as they circled overhead. Unable to sit still any longer, she jumped to her feet and hurried up the cliff path.

As she climbed, her shock turned to anger. How dare Nicco try to sweet-talk Saphira, she fumed. Thank goodness her friend had told her. And how many other women had he tried to win over? To think he'd told her only recently how much he loved her. She stopped in her tracks.

Had he ever actually uttered those words? She racked
her brains but could only remember him telling her he wanted to marry her, intended to marry her. He'd said he wanted her as his wife but she couldn't remember him ever saying he loved her. It had always been about what Nicco wanted. While Carey had gone out of his way to make her feel cherished, wanted and loved. It had taken her all this time to realize it. What a fool she had been.

By the time Merry reached the place where her mother had fallen, she had worked herself up into a right state. Throwing herself down on the grass near the cliff edge she stared out to sea.

‘If only you knew what Nicco was really like, Mother,' she cried. As ever, only the roar of the waves and screech of the gulls replied. ‘I think I love Carey. No, I
know
I love him,' she whispered, for the fog that had engulfed her since her mother's death was lifting and she could see things clearly at last. ‘I don't know if you can hear me, Mother, but I want you to know it is all right for us to marry because he was adopted. That was what he was trying to tell you,' she added. ‘Except it's too late, for he's gone away. Oh, Mother, how I wish you were still here.'

Feeling totally spent, she continued sitting on the warm ground and idly watched as a beautiful sapphire-blue damselfly hovered above the pink campion in front of her. Then it landed and spread out its translucent lacy wings to dry.

‘It's my own fault. I didn't listen to him,' Merry sighed. The damselfly fluttered its wings and settled on her arm as if consoling her, trying to look deep into her soul with its large twinkling eyes. Then it took to the air, soaring and dipping, then soaring again. It looked so carefree.

Something stirred in the recesses of her mind. What had that funny little man Cador said? Jenna wanted her to remember the word freedom, yes, that was it. And that was because … she groaned in frustration as the elusive memory hovered on the brink. The damselfly fluttered close again, soaring and dipping, soaring and dipping. Cador had mentioned nymphs and damselflies, too, hadn't he? He'd explained about nymphs below the water evolving and turning into damselflies then soaring free above. When you see a damselfly you will understand what I mean, he'd said. And suddenly she did. Her mother was no longer a sad prisoner of her past. She had been released from her earthly cares.

‘Oh, Mother, if that is you, let me know you are really happy and free,' Merry pleaded. The damselfly fluttered its wings faster and as it flew in a circle right around her she was filled with a warm sense of contentment that spread through her entire body. She shook her head in wonderment.
‘
You really have evolved and moved on, just like Cador said,' she laughed, feeling truly alive for the first time since that tragic day. ‘I thought he was mad, gabbling on about nymphs and damselflies. I'm so pleased to know you are happy, and Grozen will be when I tell her. Not that she'll believe you're a damselfly, of course.' She giggled, knowing her grandmother would say she should be locked up for having such absurd notions.

Of course, now she understood what everyone had been saying. Whether or not it had been a tragic accident didn't really make any difference. Nothing could change things. If only she'd listened when Carey had tried to tell her that, she might have saved herself a lot of anguish.
A picture of her handsome lieutenant flashed vividly before her.

‘Oh, Mother, if only I could be happy too. Now I know Carey is the man I want to marry, do you think it would be too forward of me to go to Plymouth and tell him?'

The damselfly settled on her arm once more and she could see two eyes boring into her, just as Carey's had.

‘I know you were intent on me settling down with Nicco, but now you know the truth about everything, please can you show me you agree I should marry Carey?' she cried, for suddenly it mattered she had her mother's approval. The damselfly soared and dipped, soared and dipped, then hovered above the cliff before disappearing over it.

Merry jumped to her feet and ran to the edge. Leaning over, she strained to see where it had gone and was just in time to see it land exactly on the spot her mother's body had. Suddenly, she heard a shout.