A Cornish Stranger by Liz Fenwick Read Free Book Online Page B

like you.’
    Jean looks up from her work and smiles. Her face is alight with mischief and instantly I am happy. I know we will be friends.
    Jaunty touched the pen to the paper again, everything now clear in her mind. She only needed to write what Gabriella needed to know.
    I moved to Paris in September. I was there to study art with Pierre François. A month after I arrived I moved in with my fellow student, Jean. We were already good friends, seeing each other every day, but living in a small flat bonded us closer than I could ever have imagined. We were so different but shared the same passion – art.
    Jaunty smiled, remembering. She rubbed her knuckles to ease the stiffness. She needed some coffee so she walked to the kitchen and boiled the kettle. Opening the coffee canister, the scent filled her nostrils. It was almost better than the drink itself.
    â€˜You will learn to like coffee.’ I sip mine.
    â€˜Never. Give me decent strong tea with milk and sugar.’ Jean frowns at the tea in her cup. ‘Not this stuff.’
    â€˜It’s good tea.’
    â€˜Never! When we are back in England I will treat you to a decent cup. It’s your foreign roots that have ruined your taste buds.’
    I laugh and flick my newly cut hair. It is not as short as Jean’s – I didn’t let her take that much off. But I feel freer and lighter and slightly mad.
    Jaunty touched her hair. No longer black but white, it was now very short and much coarser than those days. So much had changed.
    Â 
    The pub was busy and Gabe wasn’t sure about this, but she hadn’t been able to think of a way of refusing without being rude. Still, she would make it quick because she needed to get back to Jaunty.
    â€˜What can I get you?’ Max asked.
    â€˜A glass of white wine would be lovely, thanks.’ Gabe looked around the pub and recognised a few faces from her past. One of them left the bar and headed straight for her with arms open.
    â€˜Hey, Gabe! I hear you’re home for good.’ She hadn’t seen Mike Gear in years. Her recent visits had been too short and totally focused on time with Jaunty.
    â€˜That’s right.’ Gabe smiled as he stepped back.
    â€˜Change in job?’ He raised an eyebrow.
    â€˜Same job, which I can do anywhere – and Jaunty needed me.’
    â€˜Good thinking.’ Max came up and handed her the wine.
    â€˜I see you’ve met our resident musical genius.’ Mike raised his glass towards Max.
    Gabe nodded.
    â€˜You two should have a lot in common. People still talk about your rendition of “Once in Royal David’s City”.’
    â€˜Mike, that was years ago,’ she protested, laughing
    â€˜Yeah, but it blew us all away. We didn’t know you could sing. You never opened your mouth half of the time, then, bam! All I can say is the Christmas crib service has never been the same again.’
    Gabe looked into her wine glass. It wasn’t until sixth form that she’d been willing to sing in public. She hadn’t wanted to stand out in any way, which was hard enough with red hair and unusual eyes. As an orphan away at school, and with a grandmother who was more than something of an individual, she was already different enough from everyone
    â€˜Max, you have to hear her sing.’ Mike was warming to his subject and Gabe needed to do something to move him away from it.
    â€˜Mike, are you still fishing?’ Gabe asked.
    He smiled. ‘Yes, thanks to Jaunty. She gave me the seed money to buy my own boat. If it weren’t for her I’d still be working for someone.’ He took a sip of his beer. ‘Didn’t she tell you?’
    Gabe shook her head and then smiled. ‘I’m so glad she did.’
    â€˜Me too. You have to come around, and bring Jaunty if she’s up to it. She hasn’t met the kids yet.’
    â€˜Love too.’ Gabe couldn’t see Jaunty leaving the cabin at