‘Actually, this is fun, I’ve not baked anything since school. We made pineapple upside down cake.’
‘I love pineapple upside down cake!’ Lola gasped. ‘I’ve not had one of those in years! I’ll have to add it to the New Year menu.’
Tristan smiled at her then a thought occurred to him. ‘Don’t. I’ll have a go at baking one, one day, when I get time.’
Lola laughed. ‘Seriously?’
‘Yes, seriously, it’ll be good to try something different, have a challenge. You’re always willing to help others, Lola, it’s time to let someone do something for you.’
The gentle kindness in his voice caught in Lola’s heart. Kindness had been lacking in her life for so long she’d hardly noticed its absence until she arrived in Polcarrow, where it has been bestowed on her by Alf, Tristan and Sue as they welcomed her into their fold. Taking a moment to compose herself, she reached into the cupboard and lifted down two bottles of brandy. ‘Thank you, I’ll look forward to it,’ was all she said, her feelings for Tristan blooming a little bit more. ‘So, what have you dug up?’ she asked before cringing at the phrase.
‘I was looking into those who were involved in the fishing accident. Actually, I was trying to see if there’s any photos, see if I could identify any of the young men in your photo with Ruby. It was only a few months after Ruby was here.’
A chill crept down Lola’s back. ‘Did you find anything?’
Tristan shook his head. ‘No, sadly not, which is a shame, it’d be nice to honour the men properly, give them a place in local history. It’s almost as if someone has tried to wipe it clean. We know Charles, Alf’s older brother, was on the boat. With him were four other young men. They went out to fish and the weather turned in a freak storm and they were all lost. Their bodies were never recovered, which is why there’s the communal memorial in the churchyard. I cannot imagine what that would have been like. All of those young lads with their lives ahead of them. One left a young widow, but the others don’t appear to have married yet,’ Tristan said sadly.
‘Oh gosh,’ Lola whispered, ‘that’s heart-breaking. I can’t imagine what it must have been like for the village.’
‘A tragedy for the entire community. It looks like the steady decline of the fishing trade happened afterwards. It must have been so hard for Alf to go out to sea after that.’
‘He is made of very hardy stuff, but now he seems a lot hardier than I ever thought. No wonder he’s always keen to look to the future and doesn’t dwell on things.’ Lola paused before asking, ‘I keep toying with asking him how he knew Ruby. Because he clearly did. But at the same time I don’t want to upset him.’ She paused. ‘I’m savouring her diary, I’ve only got as far as her coming to Cornwall, but the entry I’ve just read confirms she came here. Even more bizarre is that I think she stayed at Bayview!’
Tristan stopped his cherry chopping. ‘Lola, that’s amazing, surreal, but amazing.’ He paused, ‘I have to ask, how come you are reading it bit by bit? If it was me I’d have raced through it. Or skipped to the end,’ he admitted.
‘Tristan!’ Lola gasped. ‘you cannot skip to the end! Please don’t tell me you’re one of those heathens who reads the end of a book first?’
He looked slightly guilty. ‘Erm .?.?. maybe .?.?. but go on, why haven’t you skipped to the end?’
Lola opened her mouth, closed it before sighing. ‘It sounds silly.’
‘Nothing you say could ever sound silly to me,’ Tristian said gently.
Lola studied him and seeing that he meant it began, ‘It’s just, well, Nannie Ruby and I had such a close relationship. She looked after me, maybe raised me more than my mum did. I grew up with one version of her and now this diary feels like her, but also a different person. It’s hard to read how dismissive she was of Grandad. He was really good to her, gave her a nice life. I know they had a long, happy relationship, but .?.?. it’s a different Ruby. One I never knew anything about. I wonder if I should even be reading the diary.’
Tristan considered this before asking, ‘What are you afraid of?’
‘Afraid of?’ Lola stepped back from the question, wondering how on earth he could read her so well, before giving in. ‘I’m afraid to find out my grandmother was the baddie in the story. There’s the ring. What if she broke someone’s heart? I’ve worshipped her for so long but now I realise there is so much I didn’t know about her, about her youth, and it seems so strange to think she was here, that Alf might have known her.’
Tristan retreated into a contemplative silence. ‘Your grandmother will always be special to you, Lola, the version of her you knew is the one that is correct. You grew up with her so the Ruby you knew and loved, who taught you all you know, is more real and true than the young woman in the diary. I think maybe the Ruby in the diary was young, not fully formed and the version you remember is the truer, complete version. You don’t have to do anything with that photo, Lola, you don’t need to ask Alf anything. You can leave it forever, or just leave it until the time is right. Not everything is a mystery to be solved, you know. I’m here for you, Lola, as a friend and vicar, if you need any counsel on this subject.’
Lola let his words sink in, surprised at how deeply they touched her. Blinking back tears at his kind words, she nodded before reaching across to squeeze his rather sticky hand. ‘Thank you, Tristan.’
His eyes met hers and Lola had the strangest sensation that time slowed right down. It might even have gone as far as stopping. She floundered for something to say but words failed her, instead she pulled her hand away and went back to sorting out the fruit. How could one evening contain so many moments she was unwilling to grasp? Pre-Jared Lola would have been all over Tristan in a flash. Was that the problem? Tristan was not the sort of man you threw yourself at in a fit of passion, but more the sort you allowed yourself to grow closer to, slowly uncovering him layer by layer. That terrified Lola.
‘So, is this a family recipe we’re all being treated to? Are you going to have to kill me if I find out the secret ingredient?’ Tristan asked to lighten the mood.
Lola laughed. ‘No, not at all! There’s no secret ingredient unless you count love? Cakes need to be baked with love.’ She snipped open the top of a bag of sultanas and tipped them into the largest mixing bowl Tristan had ever seen. ‘Of course this is a family recipe, it’s Ruby’s in fact. Soaking the fruit in brandy keeps the cake from drying out and should placate all those folk from seafaring stock who are concerned I might try and pass a teetotal cake off on them.’
‘I’m looking forward to trying it. That brandy smells delightful. What was a family Christmas like for you growing up?’
A shadow passed across Lola’s face. ‘Honestly? Not great. My parents weren’t into Christmas at all. We’d just have a bit of dinner, then Dad would start on the brandy, watch the Queen’s speech. It was celebrated more because it was on the calendar rather than because my parents had any inclination. Ruby was always popping in on Christmas morning and after Grandad died, Ruby would spend Christmas with us. Mum and Ruby never quite saw eye to eye so it was always a bit tense. Dad kept out of the way. But I love Christmas,’ Lola told him, her face lighting up. ‘The fairy lights, the baubles, the way everyone is enthusiastic and tries to find the joy. I left home at eighteen and no matter where I’ve been I’ve tried to make Christmas special.’
Tristan smiled at her. ‘Does this mean we get to keep you here for Christmas? Or are you heading off to see family?’
Lola shook her head. ‘No, my parents spend the winter in Spain now, Mum can’t stand the cold. And my brother has lived in Australia for the past twenty years, so, yeah, we’re all rather fragmented. I tried to go to Spain in my twenties but it wasn’t the same, the cold always makes me feel festive, you know? Wrapping a coat around a too thin party frock, waiting for a taxi while your feet freeze.’ Lola sighed with the memories. ‘So, you get to have an extra sparkly Lola Christmas.’ She flashed him a winning smile. ‘What about you? What were your Christmases like?’
‘Less freezing in a party frock and a bit more on the religious side. My family have always been involved with the Church, so it featured heavily in our Christmases. None of them were surprised when they found out I’d decided to join the Church. It might not have been a popular thing to admit as a teenager but I loved midnight mass. The cold church, the candlelight, how solemn it was compared to the carol services. We always had a big Christmas Day dinner with my grandparents and cousins. Lots of presents and games.’
