Hibiscus

  Hibiscus

  by

  Sarah Pond

  Hibiscus

  by Sarah Pond

  Smashwords Edition

  Copyright 2016 Sarah Pond

  Cover art by Janet Nethercott-Cable

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters and events described in this novel are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  This book may not be reproduced or used in whole or part without written permission of the author.

  ~~~~~~~

  For J for your encouragement and belief in me

  For R for your love and giving me the space to grow

  For N for your love and wisdom

  ~~~~~~~

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  About Sarah Pond

  Connect with Sarah Pond

  Other books by Sarah Pond

  CHAPTER ONE

  Rachel was looking forward to her holiday. Work had been really busy recently, and this was her first holiday away in over three years. After everything that had happened with her ex, she knew that the break would be good for her, and she didn't remember the last time she had been out of London. Rachel's life and soul had gone into the art gallery that she and Tom had set up. If she was being really honest with herself, Rachel hadn't wanted to take any time away. If she kept busy, then she didn't have to think too much about other things. This probably wasn't a conscious awareness on her part. After three years of very hard work, business was doing well, and Tom insisted that she go away to unwind. He knew that Rachel needed it, even if she couldn't see it for herself. Lisa and Eric were both excellent assistants, and Tom assured her that everything would be in good hands.

  It was a Friday morning, and Rachel finished up the last bit of work, running through with Lisa what needed doing while she was away. Lisa assured her that they were all up to date with everything. Tom walked into Rachel's office, 'Will you just go already, we'll be fine!' Tom hugged Rachel, her head barely reaching his shoulder. Tom was tall and slim, with prematurely grey, close cropped hair. He bent down to kiss Rachel on the cheek, and released her. After hugging Lisa and Eric goodbye, they managed to practically bundle Rachel out of the door, and send her on her way.

  Leaving the gallery, Rachel headed towards Paddington to catch the train South West. It was a warm June day, and the sun was shining. Rachel slowly let out a deep breath, and decided that she wasn't going to think about work for the next two weeks. This was a tall order, but she was determined to do it, if for no other reason than to prove that she could. The train was quiet, and Rachel found a seat easily, settling down for the long journey. As her mind wandered, she realised that this was the first time that she had been away on her own. She was thirty now, and previous holidays had always been with her parents, or friends. Her last holiday had been with her then boyfriend Mark, in Corfu. It had been a great holiday, just before she started up the gallery. It was setting up the gallery that had ultimately ended their relationship.

  Rachel had met Mark at a party, when they were both twenty three. They had a lot of fun together, and three years later, Mark asked Rachel to move in with him. They settled in well, and were very happy to begin with. Things started to change when Rachel got involved with setting up the gallery with Tom. Mark thought that all she ever did was work. It was true, she was so passionate about the gallery, and there was so much to do. Everything else in her life took second place. Mark felt like he was single again, and started going out on his own with his friends more and more. He met a lovely woman one evening, and they chatted for hours. He really enjoyed her company. Over the next couple of weeks, he decided it was time to move on with his life, and had a talk with Rachel. He wanted to be with someone he would get to spend time with. Although Rachel was upset, she completely understood, she never had time for anything or anyone if it wasn't connected with the gallery. They parted on good terms, and Rachel hoped that Mark would be happy. Sometimes Rachel would get lonely, but most of the time she was too busy with work to think about it. She did miss having someone to go home to at the end of the day, and just chat with. Still, she had become used to spending a lot of time on her own.

  As the train rattled along, Rachel thought about the little cottage that she was going to be staying in. It was in a small village called Kingsand, a tiny one bedroom place, at the top of a hill. It had a view of the sea, and it sounded perfect for a place to unwind. Rachel could relax, read, go for walks, lay on the beach and swim. She had purposely booked somewhere which, although quiet, had the essentials. There were local shops, cafes and pubs. This would mean that Rachel didn't need to go out of town if she didn't want to. She hadn't learned to drive, as around London she didn't think there seemed much point. Public transport was easy and convenient for her. Listening to music whilst she was travelling was a much more relaxing prospect to Rachel than the thought of battling traffic.

  The train arrived late afternoon, and Rachel checked the address. Walking along Market Street, she put her case down by one of the benches, taking in the quaint surroundings, watching the boats bobbing around on the sea, and the sun twinkling off the waves. Rachel took a deep breath, feeling her lungs filling with air, and then let her breath out slowly. The sun was warm on her upturned face, and she smiled to herself. After a few minutes soaking up the view, she decided to get on and find the cottage. There would be plenty of time for exploring and sea gazing over the next two weeks.

  The owner had emailed Rachel to say that as she was going to be away, a woman called Lea would be looking after the cottage. In the meantime, the door would be unlocked so she could let herself in, and get settled. Rachel found the road, and climbed the hill to the top. There was a row of quaint little cottages, and number five, Rachel's home for the next two weeks, was in the middle. Each of the cottages was painted in a different pastel colour, and number five was pink. Rachel opened the door, which led straight into the lounge. There was a sofa, an armchair, and a small fireplace. The walls were whitewashed, blue curtains hung at the windows, and there was a big beige shaggy rug on the floor. In the corner, there was a small television and dvd player. The cottage had no phone line or wifi, perfect for getting away from everything. It was Tom who suggested that she book somewhere without a phone or internet connection, probably because he knew that Rachel would be too temped to keep contacting the gallery. Rachel had promised Tom and, more importantly, herself, that this holiday was strictly relaxation. Somewhere deep down inside, Rachel knew that she had begun to lose herself, and these next two weeks would give her the time to reconnect.

  Rachel put her case down, and decided to explore. It wouldn't take long, as the cottage was two up, two down. The kitchen l
ed off of the lounge, and had a small pine table in it. On it, was a welcome note, and some homemade scones. The note said that there was also some clotted cream in the fridge, along with some milk and jam. Rachel smiled as she read it, thinking how thoughtful it was. She walked back through the lounge, and up the stairs. There was a small bathroom, and the bedroom was quite a good size for such a small cottage. It had blue gingham curtains and duvet cover, and the walls were whitewashed, just like downstairs. Laying down on the bed, Rachel thought that it felt very soft and comfortable. As she lay there, she looked at the painting on the opposite wall. It was of a beautiful pink hibiscus, and the petals seemed to come to life on the canvas. The cottage was perfect, and as Rachel's body sank into the soft duvet beneath her, she could already feel herself beginning to relax.

  Heading back downstairs, Rachel's rumbling stomach was telling her that she was hungry. Lunch had been some hours ago, a sandwich and a drink on the train journey. She filled the kettle with water to make herself a cup of tea, and went to fetch the milk and cream from the fridge. After preparing the scones, Rachel sat down at the little table with her cup of tea. She could never quite remember whether it was cream or jam on top, depending on whether you were in Devon or Cornwall. She put a big dollop of each on both halves of the scones, and bit into one of them. Where Rachel had rather overloaded the scones with both cream and jam, they overflowed and covered her top lip. Licking it off, she smiled to herself, feeling like a child again as she remembered a long ago holiday in Cornwall with her parents, and her first cream tea. These scones were delicious, so light and fluffy, with a slightly crisp edge, where they had obviously been freshly baked. Once she had finished her tea, Rachel decided to unpack her case. She carried it up the narrow stairway, and lay it on the bed. It didn't take long, as she hadn't packed that much, just jeans, shorts, t shirts and sweatshirts. It would make a nice change from the smart blouses, skirts and trousers that she wore for work. Back downstairs, Rachel turned the radio on. Bruno Mars was singing 'Locked out of Heaven'. Rachel loved that song, and she turned the volume up, and began to sing along and dance, letting the music take her away. As the music lifted her, she had a sense of freedom that she hadn't felt for a long time.

  Lea lived along the road, at the end cottage. She had been asked by Sue, the owner of the cottage, to make sure that Rachel was settled in and had everything she needed. She walked up to the door and knocked, then waited. Lea could hear music coming from inside. Perhaps the woman couldn't hear her knocking. Lea gently opened the door, to see a woman in jeans and a t shirt, dancing bare foot, her long golden brown hair flying around her face. She was completely lost in the music, singing along with all her heart, 'Yeah, your sex takes me to paradise... Yeah, yeah yeah...' Lea actually felt her knees weaken. Wow, so that was a real thing, then. She watched her, completely captivated.

  Lost in the music, Rachel spun around and caught sight of a woman watching her, smiling. She stopped short, blushing profusely. Lea said, 'Sorry, I did knock, but I don't think you heard me,' as she ran her hand through her short, blond wavy hair. The woman had the bluest eyes that Rachel had ever seen, and it felt to Rachel that they were looking right into her very being. She suddenly felt very self conscious, and didn't notice that the woman was blushing. Feeling flustered, Rachel turned the radio down, trying to compose herself. She nervously pushed her hair away from her face. 'Sorry. Have you been there long?'

  'No, I just got here. I'm Lea, I think Sue mentioned that I was helping out?' she said as she walked forward to shake hands with Rachel. She didn't say that she had actually been there a little while, watching Rachel dance. She could see that Rachel was already embarrassed enough.

  'Oh, yes, of course. Hi, I'm Rachel.' As they shook hands, Lea was thinking how soft Rachel's were, and was wishing that she had put hand lotion on.

  'Lovely to meet you, Rachel. Are you settling in okay?'

  'Yes, thank you. It's a very quaint cottage.'

  'There's a folder which has info such as local shops and restaurants, useful numbers like cab firms, that kind of thing.'

  'Great, thank you. I've just eaten the scones, they were delicious.'

  'I'm glad you liked them. I made them this morning, they're always best eaten fresh.' Lea's blue eyes creased at the edges as she smiled at Rachel, and she again had the strangest feeling that Lea could see into her very being.

  'You made them? It was very thoughtful, thank you. I couldn't remember whether the cream or the jam went on first!'

  'Here in Cornwall, we put the jam on first, with cream on top. Although, going back a couple of hundred years, this would have been Devon, and Cawsand, next door, was in Cornwall. The main thing is that you enjoyed them.'

  'I think I tried it both ways. I have to admit that I did get in a bit of a sticky mess!' Rachel laughed, and Lea thought that for a moment, she looked playful, like a child.

  Rachel noticed Lea looking at her, as if she was trying to work something out. As soon as the thought had come into her mind, it was gone again. 'Well, I'll leave you to carry on getting settled in. If there's anything that you need, just give me a call. I live at the end of the road.' Lea wrote her mobile number on a piece of paper, and handed it to Rachel. 'It was lovely to meet you, Rachel. Bye!' She smiled at Rachel, and waved as she let herself out of the cottage.

  'Bye. And thank you.'

  Lea closed the door gently behind her. As she walked home, she thought about the girl with the grey eyes, dancing so freely, and smiled to herself.

  Rachel awoke late the next morning. She idly stretched and yawned, then sat up in bed. The sun was shining through the curtains, and Rachel felt relaxed and refreshed after such a good night's sleep. She realised that she would need to go shopping for some cereal, bread and a few other essentials. Having a lay-in was a rare luxury for Rachel, and by the time she had dragged herself out of bed and had a shower, it was late morning. Maybe today she would go and find a cafe for some brunch. She rummaged around in the little chest of drawers for a pair of shorts and a t shirt, and decided to take a sweatshirt in case it was breezy. After getting dressed, Rachel made her way downstairs, slipped her bare feet into her flip flops, and picked up the key. Locking the door behind her, she made her way past the other cottages. It was a quiet morning, the only sound coming from some distant squawking seagulls, and the sound of Rachel's flip flops, flip-flopping on the soles of her feet as she walked down the hill. It was a beautiful day, the sky a clear blue, like a canvas waiting for an artist's brush. As Rachel walked, she could see the bay spreading out before her. The sun twinkled on the surface of the water as the sea rippled. Rachel stopped by the low wall, taking in the beach, the water, the sky and the space around her, and felt that she could breathe. Really breathe. Just like yesterday, she let her lungs fill with air, and slowly released it. Rachel realised again how little she was used to relaxing. In London, her head never really switched off from work. If she wasn't at the gallery, she was usually thinking about it.

  Rachel spotted a cosy looking cafe, with a blackboard outside advertising breakfasts, lunch, cakes and hot drinks. Perfect. She walked in and found a small table, deciding that she would have a cooked breakfast and a cup of tea. She looked out at the view as she waited, then became aware of movement beside her. As she looked up, she saw Lea walking towards her, smiling. 'Oh, hi. It's good to see you again. Did you sleep well?' Lea asked.

  'Yes, thank you. Do you work everywhere here!'

  'I work here part time. I usually do more hours in the summer months, when it gets really busy.'

  Lea took Rachel's order, and disappeared again. Rachel liked having a familiar face to talk to. Lea brought the breakfast over, and Rachel tucked into it. It was delicious, and Rachel hadn't realised just how hungry she was until she started eating. Once she had finished, she sat back, sipping at her cup of tea. Lea came over to collect her empty plate, and asked what she was going to do that day. 'I think I'll have a wander around the villages and the beach, to f
amiliarise myself with things.'

  The image of Rachel dancing yesterday popped into Lea's mind, and almost without realising it, she heard herself saying, 'Maybe you'll listen to the radio?' Rachel looked at Lea with wide eyes, and blushed. Immediately Lea felt terrible for embarrassing Rachel, 'I'm so sorry. I mean, you're a very good dancer, it would be a shame not to make the most of it.' Shit, what am I saying. Stop talking.

  Suddenly Rachel smiled, and Lea was relieved. 'Thank you.'

  Lea decided she had better go before she made a complete fool of herself. 'Remember, if you need any help, or want a tour guide, I'd be happy to help.'

  'Thank you, but I don't want to put you to any trouble.'

  'It really wouldn't be any trouble at all, I'd be happy to.'

  Rachel really appreciated how thoughtful Lea was, and after thanking her again, she said goodbye, and Lea disappeared to the back of the cafe.

  Lea was thrilled to see Rachel in the cafe. There was something about her. Although it was only the second time that she had met Rachel, Lea had the feeling that she had known her all her life. She really hoped that Rachel would take her up on her offer of showing her around. She also hoped that she hadn't come across as too keen, and why did she have to mention the dancing? Still, Lea knew that Rachel was at the cottage for a fortnight, then chances were, she would never see her again. Sometimes, she thought to herself, you just have to put yourself out there.

  Rachel really liked Lea. People had told her how much friendlier people were in this part of the country. London was packed full of people, but everyone was so busy, rushing from place to place, caught up in their own world. Here, people seemed to take a more leisurely pace. Of course, it was still early in the summer season, and not too busy, as the schools hadn't finished for the summer yet.