I decided to walk round to Kylatter. It would take about an hour, which would give Shona time to do what she had to do, and meanwhile, give me a chance to get the wind in my hair and some endorphins pumping in my body. It would also give me time to consider that absolutely no one of my age was ever going to be perfect. That they would always have a past littered with ex-girlfriends and ex-wives. But that it was all history, and I needed to stop being so exacting and jolly well grow up. If only she wasn't so young, I thought, my tummy churning as I moved away from the crowds towards the cliff path. And if only he hadn't said that thing about Peter and Janey. About it being inappropriate, because of the age gap. I didn't mind the fact that he'd had a young girlfriend — although I did mind that she was quite so young. But what I did mind, what I really minded more than anything, was the hypocrisy.

Chapter 25

Kylatter was shallow and long and not the most popular of bays. It was on the shady side of the estuary, unsheltered from the wind, and the small amount of sand it possessed near the shore soon turned to shingle or pebble further back. Amongst the drift of seaweed, wood and stones, there was also a fair amount of washed up detritus. Because of its length, it was more of a dog-walking beach than a sandcastle or paddling one, and it was also a fair old leg stretch from the main resort. This, as we know, had been the point of me making the effort, but when I achieved it an hour or so later, suitably windswept and endorphin-pumped, other objectives had not necessarily been achieved. Indeed, I'd only added to my angst. I'd decided, for instance, that a certain amount of secrecy and deception had been involved on Ted's part in not mentioning to me that he'd been to see my best friend at her office in Truro: that was certainly up there in lights as a Have It Out conversation. As the cliff path plummeted abruptly and the whole bay swept suddenly into view, it was to see the man himself, climbing the last few steps up from the beach. He was approaching the parking lot.

“Ted!" I shouted.

He turned. Saw me and smiled, his hand shooting up to wave. He walked across, quickening his pace; pleased, it would appear, to see me.

"Flora! Excellent, that saves me the trouble of coming to find you in town." He grinned and gave me a kiss from his great height, the wind in his hair.

"Where's Shona?" I asked, glancing about.

"Oh, she's gone," he said in surprise.