Sam nodded.

  ‘And how are you going to get him home?’

  ‘I’m going to carry him. And then we’re going to curl up and have a boys’ afternoon.’

  ‘Which consists of?’

  ‘Watching James Bond and having a few treats. Do you know what time Pete will be back?’

  ‘In the next hour, I should imagine.’

  ‘I was hoping to catch him for that chat. I’m sure Jimmy will be asleep at some point this afternoon so just I’ll pop back to see him then.’

  ‘You’re doing the right thing, moving on.’

  Sam nodded. ‘Thanks to your straight talking. I’m not having anyone else call me immature.’

  Verity laughed. ‘I think you’re being very mature speaking to Pete.’

  Sam gathered Jimmy up in his arms, and they made their goodbyes.

  Verity stood in the doorway and watched as Sam headed along the cliff path. As soon as he was out of sight, she texted Ava.

  All very strange, I’ve seen Sam and it wasn’t in the least bit awkward. That was not what I was expecting.

  Ava’s reply came instantly.

  He made his intentions clear, there’s no need for it to be awkward.

  Verity thought about Ava’s reply and decided she was right.

  And in other news, I’m applying for the job!

  You’ll definitely get it!

  Verity hoped so. She opened her laptop, went to Cooper’s website and pressed on the link to apply for the job. After reading through the job description, she uploaded her CV and her references. She paused when the application asked for her personal details. They needed her address, which was normal, but what was her address right now? She decided on:

  Verity Callaway

  The Travelling Van

  Parked between Cliff Top Cottage and Cliff Top Garage

  Puffin Island

  She smiled. She would either stand out from the crowd or her application would be dismissed because she had no permanent address.

  She hit send, and with a whoosh the message was on its way. It was now only a matter of time before she knew one way or the other.

  She closed the laptop and spent the next hour cleaning. After sterilising Jimmy’s crate, she disinfected all the worktops and gave the surgery a good mop round, then stood with her arms folded leaning against the operating table. She was really hoping that she would get an interview. This place had a good feel about it. Leaving everywhere spick and span and fully disinfected, she grabbed her laptop and the keys. She’d actually done it, applied for a job on the island, and she felt a spring in her step as she opened the surgery door.

  ‘The post,’ she muttered, grabbing the letters from the counter then locking the door behind her. Pete’s car was back, and she was just about to head towards his cottage with the post when she heard raised voices and stopped in her tracks. The arguing was coming from the open front door of Pete’s cottage. Unsure what to do, she hesitated. She didn’t mean to listen but it was difficult not to because the woman’s voice was getting louder.

  ‘How have you kept this to yourself? I thought I was your friend. How many times have I put my neck on the line for you?’ she screamed, presumably at Pete.

  ‘And how have you kept that a secret from me for all these years?’ Pete replied.

  ‘Because it wasn’t my secret to tell. I promised.’

  Verity finally recognised the voice – it was Betty. Rooted to the spot, she watched as Pete stepped outside, visibly upset and dabbing his eyes with his handkerchief.

  Damn. Whatever was going on between them, she didn’t want to get in the middle of it. Juggling the letters, she dropped them on the ground and quickly bent to scoop them up. There were three of them, and Verity stared at the bold type on the top one before glancing at the other two. Each was addressed the same: to ‘Mr W. P. Fenwick’. Verity’s heart began thumping.

  Fumbling with the keys, she turned and marched back to the surgery, quickly opened the door and threw open her laptop. ‘Come on,’ she murmured to herself, urging the internet to load and promising herself that as soon as she started earning a salary again, she would treat herself to a new laptop. Tapping ‘Veterinary Surgery Puffin Island’ into the search engine, she clinked on the link that popped up.

  Clinical Director and Veterinary Surgeon of the Puffin Island Practice – Wallace Peter Fenwick.

  All Verity could do was stare at the name. Her pulse was racing as well as her thoughts. She gazed at the photo of Pete. ‘Wallace,’ she murmured as the conversations with Pete began to click into place. Was it possible the postcard wasn’t from Joe? Was it actually Pete who had written to her grandmother?

  Verity picked up the letters again and turned towards the door. Whilst Betty and Pete were together, she was going to take her chance. Hurrying towards the cottage, she stepped through the front door and found Pete and Betty standing in the living room.

  ‘I recognised the handwriting!’ Betty was shouting. As she turned to Verity she breathed out slowly, clearly uncomfortable with the situation.

  Verity switched her gaze to Pete, finding a look of pure shock and disbelief on his face.

  Turmoil flushed through her body. She had an uneasy feeling that they’d been arguing about her.

  ‘Wallace.’ The name left Verity’s mouth. ‘Joe isn’t “W”, is he?’ The look between Betty and Pete said it all. Neither needed to answer her question.

  Verity glanced towards the letters in her hand. She swallowed. ‘It’s you, isn’t it? You sent the postcard from Puffin Island?’

  Caught up in some romantic idea, she’d convinced herself the postcard was from Joe, but was that because it gave her a connection to Sam, gave them something in common? Had she been so determined to believe it simply because she was hoping for that connection to flourish?

  Pete hesitated then nodded slowly. ‘And you’re Henrietta’s granddaughter.’ His voice broke.

  Verity nodded. ‘I am.’

  Betty touched Pete’s arm. ‘I’ll leave you both alone.’

  ‘Stay.’ Pete had lowered his voice to a whisper. ‘It’s time,’ he said. ‘It’s time you knew the truth – or my version of events, at least, and I think it’s time you tell me yours.’

  Betty hesitated but then nodded.

  ‘What’s going on?’ asked Verity.

  Pete gestured to her to take a seat. She had no idea what she was about to discover, but judging by the looks on their faces, whatever Pete and Betty were about to say wasn’t going to be easy for either of them.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Once inside the cottage, Verity could see that the interior reflected the exterior. Minimal furniture, no warmth, threadbare curtains and worn carpets. Pete disappeared through the door. The clatter of china could be heard, followed by the whistle of a kettle. Verity’s eyes were drawn to an old dresser in the corner of the room that was full of books and framed photographs. The majority were photos of the band but Verity’s eyes were firmly fixed on one photograph, showing a very young woman whom she immediately recognised. Betty was watching her closely.

  Verity rose and picked up the photograph. ‘My granny looks so young.’

  ‘And beautiful,’ added Betty.

  She felt the reassuring touch of Betty’s hand on her arm. She sat back down as Pete reappeared and placed a tray on the table with three china cups and a pot of tea.

  Verity had no idea what she was about to hear but her heart was beating so fast that she pressed a hand to her chest to calm it. Pete dabbed his eyes with his handkerchief and sat down in the armchair. He moved the cushion and let out a shuddering breath. Verity could see he was shaking and distraught.

  ‘How is Hetty?’

  A bolt of fear shot through Verity as his question registered with her and she realised Pete didn’t know her granny had passed.

  ‘My grandmother passed away twelve years ago.’ Verity’s voice was soft, knowing the news would likely be devastating.

  Pete gave a sharp intake of breath and wiped his eyes again with his handkerchief. ‘I’m so sorry to hear that.’

  The room fell silent and in that moment Verity could see Pete’s heart had snapped in two, possibly for the second time in his lifetime.

  ‘I can see you’re hurting, but believe me, my granny never forgot you. I grew up hearing stories about Puffin Island and its wonderful people. She loved this place.’

  ‘I know, and then things all got messed up and when she didn’t get in touch after the postcard⁠—’

  ‘My granny never received the postcard,’ Verity interrupted.

  ‘She didn’t receive it? But then how did you get hold of it?’

  ‘It had been trapped in an old postbox at the side of her house that had been sealed up for years. I removed the postbox as I was prepping the house before I left, and had a look to see if anything was inside. That’s when I found your postcard.’

  Pete’s face crumpled. ‘Day after day I waited for her to walk back up that cliff path. I put my whole life on hold…’ He paused for a moment as he tried to gather himself. ‘I thought the postcard would prompt her to get in touch as I told her I couldn’t imagine my life without her. And that was the truth, I couldn’t. What we had was real, and now I know she never knew how I really felt, and it’s too late to tell her.’

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ soothed Verity.

  ‘Her silence left me wondering what had I done wrong. The rejection was too much to bear and left me questioning whether she had ever truly cared.’

  ‘I’m certain she cared but can I ask, the postcard…what was the secret you shared?’

  Pete looked pained, and Verity could feel her heart sinking.

  ‘When Henrietta was here in the summer of 1972, everyone fell in love with her. Joe, especially, wanted her to be his girl, but Hetty and I couldn’t deny how we felt for one another. The secret was the affair we never told Joe about.’

  ‘I think you need to tell Verity what you just told me,’ added Betty.

  ‘You played your part,’ Pete said, harshly.

  Betty held up her hands in agreement but remained silent.

  ‘My real name is Wallace, but only my very good friends call me that, as it didn’t fit in with the image of the band. And because I lived in this cottage and looked after the welfare of the puffins the islanders have just always called me Puffin Pete, Pete being my middle name. Henrietta was actually the last person to call me Wallace. She thought it was very sophisticated but I wasn’t convinced.’ Pete gave a little smile. ‘I can see your resemblance to her now; you look quite like her.’

  Verity stayed quiet. She could see from Pete’s face he was mulling over the past.

  ‘The summer of 1972 was the best and worst summer of my life. The band was becoming famous, screaming girls were arriving across the causeway in their droves and camping out on the beach just to get a glimpse of us. We still had everyday jobs, though they were becoming more and more difficult to hold down. Joe, my best friend, he hadn’t been lucky in love. He became a father at a young age and though his family sadly separated, he provided for them and was a brilliant father. One evening, he burst through the door of the cottage and announced that there was a new girl in town, and in the same breath declared that he was going to marry her one day. He said he could feel it in his bones.’

  ‘Granny?’

  Pete nodded. ‘He was smitten, fell in love with her instantly. As they say, when you know, you just know.’ Pete swallowed. ‘I teased him rotten, telling him no one could fall in love that quickly, but Joe was adamant he’d never seen a girl so pretty. Hetty turned up in the pub that night with Betty.’

  ‘I’ve already told Verity that she lived at the cottage. Neither of them knew why your granny was here…’ she added, looking at Verity.

  ‘Until today.’ Pete gave Betty a stern look. ‘I didn’t know your grandfather had proposed.’

  ‘Hetty confided in me that she was trying to figure out the future she wanted, and I couldn’t break her confidence.’

  ‘If Joe felt so strongly, Pete, how did Granny and you get together?’

  ‘She told me that Joe was smitten with her and as much as he was a decent, lovely man, he wasn’t for her.’

  ‘And did Joe know how she felt?’

  Pete shook his head. ‘Hetty was too kind to break his heart, but she never encouraged him either. She was his friend, and to her that’s all it was. Hetty was friends with everyone, the life and soul of the party, and fitted right in. But Joe had become fixated on her, always waiting for her when she came out of the tearoom or we would bump into her down by the beach.’

  ‘But you struck up a relationship with her, without Joe knowing? To save his feelings?’

  Pete nodded. ‘We even kept it from Betty because we wanted to just enjoy each other without anyone else knowing. We also wanted to work out a way of telling Joe without hurting him too much. The last thing I wanted was to hurt Joe, he was my best friend. And I’m not proud of having kept it secret. I could see the look in Joe’s eyes whenever Hetty walked into the room.’

  ‘Or when she sang. Everyone paid attention then,’ added Betty with a smile.

  Pete looked towards Verity. ‘That song you heard me singing, I wrote it for Hetty and she’s the only person I’ve ever sung it to.’

  ‘That’s where I’ve heard it before! Granny used to sing it whilst she was cleaning or in the garden!’

  Pete’s eyes glistened with more tears. ‘I’m glad to hear that. Hetty is the only woman I ever wrote a song for. We were head over heels in love but now I’m not sure what to believe. I didn’t know there was someone waiting for her back home.’

  Verity dared to glance towards Betty.

  ‘Hetty was my friend and whatever she told me was in confidence.’

  Verity turned back to Pete. ‘How did it all end?’

  ‘Hetty left the night Joe died.’ Pete struggled to get the words out.

  ‘What happened that night?’ asked Verity, as an uneasy feeling swathed her. The mood in the room had suddenly turned very sombre. Pete stood up and placed both hands on the oak beam above the fireplace, his head bowed low. After a moment he lifted his head, and stared at his reflection in the mirror. He locked eyes with Verity through the glass.

  ‘I was responsible for Joe’s death. It was my fault.’

  Silence sliced through the room. Pete’s gaze fell to the floor.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Pete looked fragile, exhausted.

  All Verity could think was that Sam’s gut feeling had been right. ‘You killed Joe? How?’

  Verity knew her question was direct but a man had lost his life here and it seemed some kind of secret had been covered up for decades. There was no way to pretty up the questions that were burning inside her.

  Suddenly aware of a figure standing in the doorway, Verity swung her head in that direction then briefly closed her eyes. Sam had arrived to make amends with Pete, to put the past behind them. She wasn’t sure whether his timing was the best or the worst it could be.

  ‘Now that’s a question I’ve wanted answered for years.’ There was a coldness to Sam’s tone, his eyes darkening.

  Betty was up on her feet in an instant, grasped Sam’s arm and guided him to a chair. ‘Take a seat. This isn’t exactly what everyone is thinking and as much as you’ve been beating yourself up for years…’ She glanced towards Pete and moved closer to him. ‘Pete, I know you from old. And from what you’ve told me today, it was a set of unfortunate circumstances. I just wish you’d told me years ago.’

  Verity could tell from Sam’s face that though Betty might be content to talk about ‘unfortunate circumstances’, he was going to take some convincing.

  Betty took a deep breath. ‘By my reckoning, if anyone is to blame for the unfortunate set of circumstances that played out that night, it’s probably me. I pushed the first domino that toppled onto the next, creating the chain reaction of events.’

  ‘You, Betty?’ asked Verity, confused.

  ‘But I promise I didn’t know that Hetty had chosen that night to leave.’ Betty gave Pete a reassuring look.

  Verity glanced towards Sam, who looked even more confused than she felt, and rushed to fill in the blanks of what he’d missed. ‘It appears my granny had men falling all over her. Your grandfather fell for her and Pete did, too.’

  Sam looked like he was about to say something but Pete cut in. ‘To be clear, Joe never had a relationship with Hetty. He was just smitten from the moment he saw her.’

  ‘But then you swooped in and took her? You were his best friend. Why couldn’t you have stayed away from her? It’s not as though the girls weren’t swarming around you. Why would you want to pick the same one my grandfather had his eye on?’

  ‘It wasn’t quite like that. Hetty and I were attracted to each other straightaway and of course I felt shitty about it. Joe was my best mate and we tried to deal with the situation the best we could without hurting anyone’s feelings, but it seemed Hetty had other secrets that even I didn’t know about. We made each other promises that we were going to be together forever and I was going to sit down with Joe soon, so I was devasted when she left. I still don’t fully understand what made her choose that night to flee. I know she was your granny but she was also my whole world. If I’d known from the start that she had a life waiting for her back home, things might have been different.’

  ‘Do you mean you wouldn’t have got involved with her?’ asked Verity.

  Pete nodded. ‘I sit here every day thinking what we had was so real and pure, hoping she would walk up that hill towards the cottage. I’d welcome her back with open arms. But now I know I was just a footnote in her story, and that the forever we talked about was nothing more than a dream.’

  ‘Hetty didn’t lie to you, Pete, and I do think she sincerely cared for you. She was just confused. She came for the summer because she needed space to work out what she wanted from the future,’ said Betty, kindly.