‘The Reverend Matthew Nesbitt,’ he said, without even opening it.

  Kara’s mouth fell open. ‘You knew, Dad? You knew and you kept this from me?’ She went to get up.

  ‘No, no. Stay and hear me out, Kerry Anne. I only found out the truth myself last week. Doryty sent me an email telling me about that man; said she thought the secret would come out, now she’d learned that he had died. I think she wanted to warn me, shield me from the blow. I admit, it was a very great shock, but I’ve had time to adjust.’

  ‘That’s not like her – and why didn’t you tell me as soon as you knew?’

  Joe Moon said chokily, ‘Because I wanted you to believe that you were my own precious daughter for just a few days longer.’

  ‘Oh, Dad.’ Kara jumped up and went to his side. He pulled her onto his knee as if she were five years old again and held her to him as if he would never let her go, his face in her luxurious mane of red hair.

  ‘You will always be my daughter,’ he said huskily. ‘I love you so much, Kerensa Anne. Your name even means love, for God’s sake, as the minute I saw that beautiful little squished-up pink face of yours, that is what I felt for you. Pure and simple love.’

  Kara unfurled herself, got up and stood leaning against the long workbench to her father’s side.

  ‘I don’t know why he had to tell me.’ She was upset and on the verge of tears. ‘We could have just carried on as we were, in ignorant bliss.’

  ‘Oh, darling. It could have been worse. If, all those years ago, your mother had told me she had had an affair and that you weren’t mine, we might never have had this special bond. To me, you are my daughter.’

  ‘Maybe he just wanted to absolve his own guilt before he died.’ Kara pulled herself together and took a deep breath.

  ‘Yes, and who are we to judge him, or to work out what was going through the mind of a dying man?’

  ‘It makes me so sad that Grandad wasn’t really my grandad either.’

  Joe said warmly, ‘Now there is proof that it doesn’t matter that you are not mine by birth. You were everything to that man and he to you.’ It was true. Then: ‘Have you told your sister yet?’

  ‘Which one?’ Kara replied flippantly.

  There was a silence while Joe thought about this. ‘What – do you mean this fellow Matthew had more children?’ he asked, looking astonished.

  ‘Just the one. It turns out that Star is my sister too – well, like Jen she is my half-sister, and she’s younger than me by six months.’

  ‘Well, I’ll be jiggered!’ Joe’s mouth was wide open. ‘Un-believ-able! And she has always been like a sister to you even though neither of you knew the truth. See? It’s all OK, it really is.’

  ‘Do you mean that?’

  ‘What do you think?’ Joe Moon got up and ruffled his daughter’s hair. ‘Right, I need to go and pick Pearl up from the hospital. I don’t like her being on that scooter of hers when it’s cold like this.’ They walked down the garden arm in arm. ‘Come for dinner later, if you want to.’ Joe kissed his daughter on the cheek. ‘Just got to go in and get my keys. I love you,’ he called after her, watching her leave through the gate.

  And when she was safely gone, Joe walked into his cosy low-ceilinged kitchen, reached for the worktop to steady himself. Then he began to weep.

  Chapter 57

  On hearing the wind chime, Star turned down the music in her workroom and walked through to the shop.

  ‘Hey, Kar, come on through,’ she said.

  Kara sat herself on the high stool in the corner of the room. ‘I went to tell Dad but Doryty had got to him first – which was a good thing, I suppose.’

  ‘How are you feeling now?’

  ‘Discombobulated.’ Kara smiled. ‘I love that word.’

  Star made a funny little noise. ‘You’re so sweet.’

  ‘Hardly.’ Kara waited. ‘I spoke to Jen too.’

  Star gasped. ‘I didn’t think about your real sister who isn’t your real sister now!’

  ‘It’s mad, isn’t it, but she is still my half-sister, as we share the same she-devil of a mother. I was thinking: we now have to make a decision. Should we start finding out about our new relations, or do we keep the reverend’s secret safe between us? For my part, I don’t think I want to know. Not yet anyway. How about you?’

  ‘I was thinking just the same. I’ve got to get my head around him first, let alone a whole new bloodline.’

  ‘Jen was quite funny about it, and surprisingly understanding as it turned out. Joked that at least I had one sister – you – who could treat me properly now. She’s coming to Dad’s for Christmas as Markus has to see his children from his previous relationship and even the word “stepmum” brings her out in hives.’

  Star laughed. ‘That’s Jen for you, but she did finally come good though, arranging your trip and sorting the lease on your shop.’

  ‘She did. I meant to ask, how’s Estelle doing?’

  ‘Like a different woman now she’s on the wagon. Still on the normal cigarettes but if it gets her through giving up the drink and the weed, then she can worry about that later. It’s her peace of mind that she’s working on first.’

  ‘Is she excited about the baby?’

  ‘She really is.’

  ‘You’re getting bigger day by day.’

  ‘I know. Bigger – and more bitter.’ Reaching for her phone, Star put the message from Jack on show and passed the handset to Kara.

  ‘Oh, mate, how horrible. What an absolute wanker!’

  ‘I’m in bits. Estelle had just said that I should find out the truth and there was this message moments after.’

  ‘Did you send a reply?’

  Star tutted. ‘Give me some credit. I’ve embarrassed myself enough, don’t you think? How can I have misjudged someone so greatly? I’d rather you didn’t contact me again. I mean, what the fuck? That’s just cruel. And it also means he must have seen my other messages and just ignored them.’

  ‘I’m so sorry. Your poor heart is sitting in that chest of yours wondering what on earth is going on. At least it’s just bruised and not broken.’

  ‘But I feel broken, Kar,’ she said tearfully. Her friend jumped down to her side. ‘I thought there could be just one happy ever after in my life, just one.’

  ‘But on a positive note your mum is getting better, and Skye is happy, and Conor is great and will always have your back, and I’m your bloody sister, for God’s sake.’ Kara’s upbeat voice tailed off in a wobble. ‘And I know our dad died but at least you now know who he was and—’

  ‘Yes, yes, I know all that, but I love Jack. I love him, Kar. But I will get through this. For Skye’s sake, for the new baby’s sake.’

  ‘You need to get through it for your own sake too.’

  Star sniffed and sat up straight. ‘And get through it I will. Here.’ She handed Kara the red ring box. ‘Can you give this to Joe,’ she held Kara’s gaze, ‘to your dad, I mean.’

  ‘I have to look – is that OK?’ Kara peeked inside. ‘Wow, it’s gorgeous! You’re so clever.’

  ‘Thanks.’ Star’s voice was feeble. ‘Kar, when will I be good enough for somebody to want me, like properly want me?’

  ‘Mate! It’s not you, beautiful you. Don’t ever lose sight of that or who you are. These men, they don’t deserve you. It’s their loss – and what do you always say to me? “The universe will work its magic when the time is right.” And let’s not forget, it’s Christmas next week.’

  ‘Whoopee do,’ Star replied flatly.

  ‘And … Pearl and Dad have said that you, your mum, Skye and Auntie Flo are welcome at Bee Cottage, if you fancy it. Dad said he couldn’t think of anything out of the ordinary to do to propose, so decided that Christmas Day will be The Day. Pearl is going to expect it on her Christmas Eve birthday, but he wants to do it when there are lots of people around, including her sister, brother-in-law and the two kids so that we can all party on into Boxing Day.’

  ‘I thought you said Pearl hated a fuss?’

  ‘Ah, that’s what she says, but she’s one of those people who say it and don’t really mean it.’

  Star laughed. ‘I love Pearl.’

  ‘So do I. She’s the mother I never had.’

  ‘See? We don’t have to share the same blood to love somebody. Thanks for the invitation: I’ll ask the Bligh-Sibley contingent later and see what they say. But for now, I’d better get on. I’ve just had an email in for a last-minute bespoke request for a necklace. The customer has a good budget, and it will keep me busy.’

  ‘You are creative and clever AND beautiful and if it counts, I love you very much.’

  Star smiled. ‘That counts for everything.’

  ‘And I’m holding on to Auntie Flo’s words that she said the other day: “Everything will be all right in the end. If it’s not all right, it is not yet the end.” I love that!’

  ‘She got that from a film, what is it? Oh yeah, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.’

  ‘Oh, and there was me thinking she’d got it from the Bible. She’s such a character, that auntie of mine. She comes out with all sorts.’

  Kara laughed. ‘I hate to say this, Star, but I also think that John Lennon said something very much like it – argh, which makes me think of Jago – nightmare! Aw, I love Flo and she really is one of a kind. Right. I’d better get going.’ Kara reached for her handbag. ‘I’m having dinner at Dad’s so will sneak him the ring then. Exciting.’

  Star opened her laptop to see the screensaver of the Blaise Pascal quote she had put up straight after meeting Jack. ‘Fuck you, Jack Murray!’ she snarled at it. If his heart had decided on a violent, jealous woman rather than a genuine and friendly person like herself, then that was his bad judgement. Searching for a photo of her and Skye at Penrigan beach last summer, she swiftly changed the screensaver. Then, going to all the unanswered sent emails to Jack, she firmly pressed delete. She cupped her bump through her dress. A new start was needed. No men required. She had managed before, she would manage again, and now that Estelle was hopefully on the road to sobriety, her mum could be a support to her now, rather than the other way around.

  She opened up the email entitled VERY URGENT Christmas Order and reread it:

  Hello, I got your details from your website and I love the idea of you picking a relevant crystal with meaning to put in a bespoke necklace. Sorry it’s SO close to Christmas, but I need it for 23 December if at all possible. I realise this could be a big ask, however I am willing to pay whatever it takes for your time and creativity.

  My partner is just the most beautiful woman I have ever met, so she deserves an equally special necklace. Her eyes are the colour of the ocean, her heart the colour of kindness. She doesn’t really believe in herself, so I guess the message I want to convey is that she should. I also want to be able to tell her that this crystal will offer her peace and calm, and will protect her forever from negative emotions. I don’t have much of a clue about design so I would like you to create something that you yourself would love to own, then I think we are in with a chance of her loving it too! Her birthday is in March and I see you make birthstone jewellery. I will leave all that malarky up to you.

  We have both finished work for Christmas now, so email is the best way to contact me as I don’t want her to get one whiff of the surprise. I am happy to pay upfront directly into your bank account. Anything up to £500 is fine. If you could let me know as soon as possible whether you can do this, I would be most grateful.

  Best regards and thank you, from

  Sid

  Star went to her book of birthstones and turned to March. ‘Perfect!’ she said aloud, already having had aquamarine, the birthstone for March, in mind before Sid had even mentioned when his beloved’s birthday was. Auntie Flo had, in fact, bought some earrings for her thirtieth birthday with that very stone in.

  Reading down the meanings and energies of the stone, she thought it couldn’t be more perfect. Hold the aquamarine in your hand and as you enter a state of meditation you will visualise your worries and tension washing away into brilliant turquoise tides against the inner beach, she read. She then automatically moved down to the ‘Love and Relationships’ section, and it was there that she found what she needed for herself:

  Aquamarine works to enhance clear, constructive communication because of its power to cleanse and energise the throat and heart chakras.

  The energies of aquamarine will help you become more sensitive to the needs and feelings of your partner. It will help you tune into their emotions, and they don’t even have to say a word for you to know how they are feeling.

  Bless Sid, there were still some good men in the world. She started to type.

  Dear Sid

  Thank you so much for your order. I would love to take it on. I can design a timeless but unusual silver and aquamarine (your partner’s birthstone) design for half of your budget. I will invoice you now and if you could send payment online today, I will begin work as soon as possible. Please let me know if you would like to see the designs before I go ahead and also where you would like the finished necklace sent. With postal deliveries being unreliable this close to Christmas, I am happy to deliver within a ten-mile radius of Hartmouth.

  Star Bligh

  The reply was immediate.

  Dear Ms Bligh

  Thank you so much. I trust you with the design. I will get the money transferred to you right away. And I will let you know in due course the best place for delivery.

  Yours gratefully,

  Sid

  Star connected her phone to her Bose speaker and, putting the haunting melody of Enya’s ‘If I Could Be Where You Are’ on repeat, she checked to see if she had a suitably sized piece of aquamarine and began to sketch out some designs.

  Chapter 58

  Pearl Baptiste walked into Bee Cottage and engulfed Joe Moon in a loving hug. He was hoping she wouldn’t feel the jewellery box that he had just shoved in his pocket as she pressed against him. He adored the ring but as an afterthought was going to take it back down to Star to get it engraved with their names before he wrapped it and hid it under the Christmas tree.

  ‘Blimey, what have I done to deserve this?’ he asked, coming up for air.

  ‘Just for being you, my Joey.’

  Just then, Bob the Dog came bounding in to greet her, and jumped up at the woman’s thighs. ‘He’s going to be a handful, this one,’ she said, giving him a stroke.

  Joe planted his hand on her voluminous bottom in a resounding smack. ‘No more than you are, my love.’

  ‘Oi, mister!’ Pearl laughed her loud infectious laugh. ‘How are you feeling about everything today?’

  ‘A bit better.’

  ‘She loves you, Joe, and that’s all that matters. You’ve been more of a parent to her than most birth fathers are, I tell you that for nothing.’

  ‘But what about grandchildren?’

  ‘What about grandchildren? How lovely that will be. Me and you will be the best grandparents ever to those little Dillon babies when they come. I may not be blood, but I love your daughter, no, let’s make that daughters, now that Jen has shown us her true light, at last, and with Star being related to Kara, she’s a daughter too. We’re all part of the same big, happy family.’

  Bob the Dog started barking relentlessly. ‘Here.’ Pearl opened a tin of dog food and put some down for the noisy hound.

  ‘We spoil him,’ Joe warned her.

  ‘What’s the harm, he’s only just finding his paws here, so we need to show him a whole lot of love too.’ As Pearl got up, she noticed the bulge in his trousers. ‘Ooh. Is that a dog bone in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me?’ Playfully, she went to grab the bulky object.

  ‘Oh no you don’t,’ Joe said, play-fighting with her, ‘it’s private.’

  They were having fun, but then Pearl managed to grab the little red jewellery box and as she was lifting it above Joe’s head in triumph, the ring suddenly shot out and flew up into the air, in the direction of Bob the Dog’s food bowl.

  ‘Oh my God, Joe, what have I done! Is that what I think it is?’ Pearl gasped and put her hand to her heart.

  Joe’s face was stern. ‘Yes, it was what you thought it was, with was being the operative word.’ He lifted up the now empty dog bowl to check it hadn’t rolled under it and then started shaking with laughter. ‘He’s only gone and bloody eaten it – and I wanted it to be so special.’

  As Pearl fell into a bout of hysterical infectious laughter, Joe managed to splutter, ‘It’s not funny. I wanted to make it romantic and lovely and in a special place.’

  ‘It is in a very special place! In Bob the Dog!’ They both collapsed again, but eventually Pearl wiped her eyes then gave her future husband a tender peck on the lips. ‘We will never forget this moment.’

  She was right, Joe thought.

  As Pearl watched wide-eyed, he went down on one knee on the kitchen flagstone tiles and said, ‘Sod a special place. Anywhere is a special place with you, Pearlette Joy Baptiste. From the minute I saw that beaming smile of yours in the car park of the Ferryboat and you went on to tell me that the name of your perfume was Desperation, I knew you were an amazing woman. I don’t want to spend a day of my life without you, so will you please do me the honour of becoming my wife.’

  Pearl helped him up off the floor, and with her beautiful brown eyes melting into his, she said, ‘Yes, of course I will – but we’d better ring the vet before we start on the celebrations.’

  Chapter 59

  ‘They could have flattened the earth down.’ Skye looked down at the new grave, still not quite believing that her Granny Bligh had slept with a Catholic priest, and that here lay her grandfather.

  ‘It will flatten with time,’ Estelle said, noticing the temporary wooden cross that had a small brass plaque with just the words Reverend Matthew Nesbitt and his dates of birth and death on it.