Would I mind leaving the awkwardness of the Pip sandwich? I moved so quickly, I nearly knocked my glass over.
As we wandered over to the barbecue, Pip bent his head towards mine. ‘I hope Celine wasn’t rude. We used to go out, years ago, and she can get a bit protective.’
He wrinkled his brow when I didn’t answer. ‘Ah. She was rude. I’m sorry.’
‘She wasn’t rude, just… protective is probably the best word for it.’
‘Anyway.’ Pip straightened up as we approached a man who was clearly the source of the Hawkins siblings’ dark hair. ‘This is my da, Gabe. Da, this is Emmie.’
For a second, it looked as though Gabe was going to smile, say hello, do any of the normal things a person did when introduced to someone. But when he looked at me, he froze, his mouth hanging open as a blob of fat dripped off the barbecue tongs onto his trousers.
‘Da?’ Pip said, loudly, causing Gabe to jump.
‘I’m sorry,’ Gabe said, his voice hoarse. ‘You look very much like someone I used to know.’
‘Oh?’ Apprehension skittered up my spine. It was my turn to go still.
‘Yes.’ His eyes welled up, head shaking slightly as if he couldn’t believe his eyes. He waited for his son to be distracted by someone else coming over to say hello, then bent towards me so that no one else could hear. ‘Her name was Nellie Brown.’
13
Before I could recover myself, a plump woman with a flyaway silver bob hustled over, handing Gabe a platter of raw burgers.
‘The pot sausage is all ready to go.’ She slid her arms around Pip’s waist and gave him a squeeze. ‘I’m still pinching myself that you’re home.’
‘You’d think I’d been off into space, not an hour’s flight away. I was always going to come back after two years. You know the main reason I went was to help the farm.’
‘The mainland has a habit of convincing people to change their plans. And it doesn’t matter how far you go; I can never quite settle when one of my children is off the island.’
‘Well, I’m here now, so you can relax and enjoy the party. This is Emmie, who makes the pasties. She happened to be visiting, so Lily invited her along. Emmie, this is my ma, Rosemary.’
‘I didn’t know you knew Lily.’ Rosemary gave a surprised smile as she unwound her arms from Pip and shook my hand.
I let Pip explain how I’d ended up at Sunflower Barn, Gabe’s revelation still reverberating through my head.
He’d started transferring the burgers onto the barbecue, but while I watched him, he glanced up at me, the intensity in his eyes removing any trace of doubt that I’d stumbled upon the G from the letters. I tried to recollect the photograph, and while I couldn’t be sure it was him, it certainly could be. Gabe was tall like his son, his frame wiry. His face had that tanned, craggy look resulting from a life spent outdoors in the elements. He had a thick beard, trimmed with grey, and the deep lines around his eyes implied he smiled often.
Once the burgers were sizzling away, Gabe called over to a man sitting alone at a table. ‘Richard, would you mind watching the food for a few minutes?’
That confirmed it – G had spoken about a Richard in one of the letters.
Richard shook his head in resignation, but picked up a crutch with each hand and hauled himself up. In contrast to most of the men, who wore smart shorts or cotton trousers and shirts, Richard wore tatty brown cords and a beige T-shirt. He was broader than his brother, his beard more scraggly, but had the same piercing eyes.
‘Emmie, would you like another drink?’ Gabe asked, the faintest tremble of nerves lurking behind his question.
‘Yes, please.’
‘I’ll fetch it,’ Rosemary offered.
‘No, my love. You’ve got enough to do. And my brother has far too little. Let him do this for me.’
I don’t know how I made it to the drinks table. Avoiding the alcohol, I took the nearest soft drink. Gabe grabbed a bottle of beer, but instead of returning to the barbecue, gestured with his head towards a pond in the corner of the garden.
Neither of us spoke until he’d stopped by a bench and we sat down.
‘You’re related to her, aren’t you?’ Gabe asked, his voice soft enough not to be overheard. ‘If the resemblance hadn’t given it away, your reaction would have.’
‘I’m her daughter.’ I took a sip of lemonade, hoping it might ease the nausea threatening to rise up the back of my throat.
