‘Yeah. Sean decided to share with me, because he “cares about me”, that Ruan hasn’t been completely honest about his living arrangements. He does live in a caravan but it’s in the grounds of Rosewarne. Sean went to give him a quote for restoring the house. Ruan owns Rosewarne and the place next door. It’s one big house now. I went there and I saw it and Ruan. I—’ Suddenly, the dam she’d held back for over a week burst. ‘It’s in a terrible state. It’s a wreck and Ruan owns it and didn’t tell me.’
She waited for Davey to explode but he rubbed his beard. ‘Ah …’
‘There’s worse. Do you know who left it to him? It was Walter Cavendish. He was Ruan’s great-uncle and Ruan says he’s no idea why he was left the place and he swears he didn’t know when he met me on the harbour that first day. He says it’s all a coincidence and he only knew the house as Seaspray and thought it was one big property, yet now … He tried to hide the truth from me, and now I don’t feel the same about him.’
‘Hmm,’ Davey murmured, seeming remarkably more calm than Tammy had expected. ‘So you’re cut up that he has a place that meant so much to you and your dad? And that he was left it by such a venal old sod as Walter?’
‘Yes. Both of those things. Even if I could accept that Ruan has it by sheer chance, I wish he’d told me from the start.’
‘Hmm.’
Tammy waited for the storm to break. Surely, Davey should be as shocked and upset as she was? Yet he just kept stroking his beard.
‘Aren’t you angry?’ she asked in wonder when he still offered nothing.
‘Not angry. It’s a funny situation. I wish the old bugger had never got his hands on the house.’
‘It’s why I could never go back and see it once he bought it off Dad. I didn’t know he’d bought the other half of the building too.’
‘That’s understandable, but if I’m honest, I think you should give Ruan the benefit of the doubt in this case.’
‘Youdo?’ She could hardly believe what she was hearing. ‘I thought you didn’t like him. Didn’t trust him.’
‘Well, we still don’t know him well enough, but he seems like a decent bloke, I suppose, and I also have something to share that will explain why Ruan wasn’t able to tell you about Rosewarne the moment he found out. I may have put him in a difficult position. It’s me who has to apologise. Stay there. I’ll put the kettle on and we’ll have a chat.’
Tammy had sat in stunned silence after Davey delivered the news about his diagnosis.
‘So, you see, Ruan did come round to explain about Rosewarne,’ Davey went on gently. ‘He only waited until after you’d finished the festival for your sake. I guessed something was wrong and I dragged the truth out of him. He was adamant you should know first and regretted telling me. I begged him to keep it to himself until I could break my own news to you. I am so sorry you found out from bleddy Sean.’
Tammy could hold back no longer. ‘So am I. And I get that Ruan was trying to protect me, but … but that doesn’t matter compared to you,’ she said, sweeping aside any thoughts of Ruan and the house. ‘You said it’s localised within the prostate. That means it hasn’t spread, right? It can be treated? You’ll be OK? I can’t lose you … oh God, I’m sorry, but it’s such a shock. I’m not helping you, am I?’ Her questions tumbled out one after the other.
Davey’s hand covered hers. ‘Slow down. Take a breath. I was the same when they first told me. You only hear that one word: cancer … It took me days to process and Breda helped me. Itislocalised, which is good. The docs haverecommended radiotherapy and hormone treatment. It’s my decision but I need to tell them very soon.’
‘I’m sorry. I – How long have you known about it?’
‘I’ve had some symptoms for a few months and my PSA levels were raised so I saw the GP and she sent me for some tests. A scan showed some small signs.’
‘I thought you seemed tired and – more irritable than usual.’
He burst out laughing. ‘Are you saying I’m a grumpy old sod?’
‘No. I mean, yes. Yes, you are.’
He walked over to her. ‘Let this grumpy git give you a hug and you can do the same for me.’
‘You don’t do hugs,’ Tammy said, yet embraced him all the same while trying not to hang on too tightly and, most of all, not to allow the tears stinging the back of her eyes to spill out.
He let her go. ‘Drink your tea. There’s sugar in it. Like when you were little and used to visit the studio with your dad.’
‘I liked three sugars,’ Tammy said, remembering her father and Davey laughing together while she stirred her tea with great exaggeration.
She sipped the warm drink and a thousand other bittersweet memories flooded her mind, but she needed to focus on the here and now: on Davey. ‘You say Breda knows?’
‘She does. You told me not to let her go … and I was pushing her away because I didn’t want her to be stuck with a man going through treatment for cancer. I was alsoworried that the cancer had spread and she might have to endure worse, but I finally told her and she came to my last appointment with me.’
Tammy touched his arm, needing that comforting contact. ‘No. Oh, Davey, it must have been such a worry.’
‘It was but, in a way, it’s a relief to have a diagnosis and know it could be so much worse. It’s a load off my mind being able to tell those closest to me too. Is that selfish? You’ve already had enough troubles in your life.’
