The only sound was the quiet wash of the sea around her. The only colours black and silver. Closing her eyes, she surrendered herself to how alive her senses felt. She was more at home in the sea than anywhere. A tremor ran through her. She was getting cold. The sea temperature on a Devon November night didn’t compare to the tropical seas she was more used to. She needed to get moving again. Besides, if Davey found out she was swimming at night, alone, he’d be furious. Reluctantly, she twisted again and power-crawled to shore.
Millie sat at the table in the window. A grey pall of fog hung over the promenade. It blanketed out the sea and all was peculiarly hushed. Ever since she’d returned from Thailand nothing had seemed to go right. Even the weather had been unremittingly grim. Usually she didn’t mind. In fact, she used to take pleasure in the quiet, out-of-season days when she had the place to herself. It was a time to catch your breath before everything revved up again.
She stirred her hot chocolate without interest and glared at her mobile, willing Jed to return her call. It remained stubbornly quiet. She’d rung him several times and he hadn’t bothered to get back to her. The one bright thing in this sea of grey was Ri. The girl floated in and out of the café, working without seeming to put any obvious effort in, getting things done and spreading a palpable calm in her wake. Millie couldn’t afford help, but she found she lacked the enthusiasm or the stamina to do everything herself any more. Not for the first time, she wished the café sale had gone through and she was free of it. It had become a burden she no longer wanted.
The bell on the café door had her looking up in the vain hope it was Jed.
‘Hello Millie,’ Alex said. ‘I wonder if I might have a word?’
Too disappointed to speak, Millie gestured to the empty chair beside her. Behind, she heard the sudden silence as Arthur and Biddy stopped bickering. Whatever Alex’s business, it would be all over Berecombe by tomorrow.
‘Hi bach, I’m Eleri. What can I get you?’ Ri appeared from nowhere, with order pad in hand. She smiled down at Alex.
‘Oh. Um. Ah.’
The tops of his ears turned pink. Millie took pity on him. Eleri had this alarming effect on most of her male customers. It was making for good repeat custom. ‘Why don’t you have one of Ri’s special hot chocolates?’ she suggested. ‘ Just the thing for a foggy day like today.’
‘Thank you. I will.’ Alex eyed Millie’s mug. ‘But without the marshmallows, if I may.’
Eleri made a face. ‘It’s not my special hot chocolate without them. See, I make them into little white chocolate and marshmallow flowers. They’re magic. Go on. Have the marshmallows. Live a little.’
‘Right.’ Alex gulped in the face of all her gorgeousness. ‘Okay. Whatever you say.’
‘Wonderful. Can I get you another, Millie?’
‘No, I’m fine, Ri. Thank you.’
Alex twisted to watch her as she made her way back to the kitchen. ‘My word.’ He unwound his scarf and unbuttoned his coat. ‘Eleri. What a pretty name.’
Millie smiled. ‘Welsh, apparently. And yes, it is pretty, but she prefers Ri.’
‘What a shame to abbreviate it. Eleri.’ He sounded it out with relish and shook his head. ‘Never encountered an Eleri before.’
‘I think she’s one in a million. Alex, it’s lovely to see you, but I can’t imagine you came to discuss my staff.’
‘Ah. No I didn’t.’ He took off his specs, de-misted them and popped them back on his nose, clearing his throat slightly as he did. ‘Bit awkward this. I’ve come to apologise, actually.’
‘Whatever for?’ Millie was taken aback.
‘For blurting out that Jed is working for Blue Elephant. I had no idea he hadn’t told you.’ Alex tugged at the collar of his crew-necked sweater. ‘I feel awful. I had no right. It was Jed’s news and I understand Blue Elephant has caused some, shall we say, friction between you.’
‘Just a little.’
‘I really thought he’d mentioned it.’
‘Strangely enough, Jed forgot to email me the news that he is working for my biggest rival.’
‘Ah yes.’ Alex paused to take off his coat. He folded it neatly, put it on a chair and then remained standing as Eleri returned with his chocolate. ‘Wonderful. Thank you.’ Pushing his glasses back up his nose, he added, ‘Marvellous.’
‘Just pop the flowers in the hot chocolate when you’re ready,’ she said, in her soft Welsh accent.
She and Alex gazed at one another. Even through her fugged-up state Millie could feel the attraction zinging between them. Goodness me, she thought. Now, that’s a match I wouldn’t have predicted. Opposites must attract.
‘If there’s anything else you need,’ Eleri added, staring wide-eyed at Alex. ‘Just let me know.’
‘Eleri, I need another coffee.’ Biddy’s overloud voice broke the moment.
‘Coming right up,’ Eleri murmured, her eyes not leaving Alex’s face.
‘And I’d like it now, please!’
When Eleri had gone, Alex subsided into his chair. ‘I say,’ he breathed. As instructed, he put the white marshmallow flowers into his hot drink and was taken aback to see them open up. ‘Now, how does that happen?’ he murmured in astonishment.
‘Some of Ri’s magic, I think. Actually, I think she got the recipe off the net. Fun, though.’ Millie watched him sip his drink, fascinated to see him approach it as if it were something alien. ‘Alex, thank you for your apology, but I don’t really think it was yours to make. What I’d really like, what I really need, is an explanation as to why Jed feels he can do this to me.’
Alex fidgeted with his serviette, nervously. He cleared his throat again. ‘Millie, my dear, I’m afraid I can’t add much to what you already know.’
‘But that’s it,’ Millie burst out. ‘I don’t know anything at all. Jed was pretty good at keeping in touch when I was in Italy but it all tapered off a bit last month.’
Alex nodded. ‘That’s about when he got the job.’
‘Figures,’ Millie said acidly. ‘What exactly is he doing?’
‘He’s in charge of buying, from what I can gather.’ Alex shrugged. ‘If I’m honest, he hasn’t said all that more to me, but then I’ve been busy.’
‘I just don’t understand why he’s working for that company again, of all people.’
‘Well, he had to get some kind of employment. He’d been fund-raising for the theatre and the Arts Workshop, but that wasn’t paid.’
‘Isn’t
