Love Lust & Needful Things

By JW Darcy

Faye is newly divorced and needs a new purpose in life.
Whether buying a rundown guesthouse in Cornwall is a wise move seems highly debateable but in the course of her first summer seasons, she discovers the difference between love and lust and just exactly what she needs to be happy again.

• Language: English
• Publisher: APS Publications
• Release date: Apr 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201393984

Book preview

ONE

Can you begin again where you left off all those years ago, when your dreams were your own and not a compromise for the person you love?

Confronted with the dilapidated house in front of her, Faye strongly suspected the answer might be no. Gazing up at the house with its flaking paint, rusted windows showing the damage that the relentlessly harsh sea air had inflicted on the property, it all shouted neglect. It needed time to heal. She needed time to heal.

She sat down on the sandy beach below her new home, thankful for the lack of rain the last few days. The wind blew her hair gently, as if blowing away the cobwebs in her mind. Her thoughts drifted back over the last six months. It seemed much longer, the time which had bought her to this pivotal moment. A moment, she felt, that she had been waiting all her life to arrive.

As she inhaled the fresh cool sea breeze deeply, her optimism returned. She was sure this had been the right thing to do. After all, she had dreamed about it for long enough.

A well-worn path led away from the house towards the sand dunes that sheltered it from the ever-present Cornish wind. She could just see the steep and winding staircase, hewn out of ancient rock, that led down to the vast expanse of beach. The tide was out at this time of day and in April, no one had ventured down there. In the summertime the beach would be full of holidaymakers, vying for a few feet of space to arrange all the necessary paraphernalia required for a day of sunbathing.

Her spirits were lifted at the thought of the long hot summers ahead and hopefully, when the guest house she had bought had been restored to its former glory, all the visitors she would have would be enjoying them with her.

She was as excited as a child at the prospect. Hard work had never worried her, and if her failed marriage had taken most of her energy now that was over and she was finally free to do whatever she liked. Her two children, Ben and Olivia, had already flown the nest and they would just have to get used to the new Faye.

She turned back towards the house and opened the door with trepidation hoping to find it in a decent state at least.

It was. Someone had obviously been cleaning up. The floor of the hallway was swept clean and the someone had opened the windows in recent days so the sea air had had a chance to blow away the mustiness.

On the hall windowsill was a small vase of flowers, which propped up a short note of welcome from the someone who called herself Annie together with the telephone number of a local handyman, if she was interested.

Faye was suddenly overwhelmed by the kindness of a stranger and the sheer magnitude of her change of lifestyle. She sat down on the stairs and wept until she had no tears left. What the hell had she done? She thought in despair. At that moment she felt the loneliest person on earth.

When she finally pulled herself together she decided to explore and find out what she’d actually bought. It had all been arranged over the Internet via a local agent. She had recognised the old house from the times when her family had taken an annual holiday in Hayle, staying at a caravan site on the coast. They had all loved the wildness of the area and Faye had always dreamed of owning a property there.

Now she had her wish but not in the way she could ever have imagined. The house she remembered had always been occupied and in a good state of repair so she hadn’t taken into account that it might not be the case now. The image on the auction site had obviously been an old one and it was going to take a lot of work to restore it to its former glory. She had arranged for the local agent to bid for her and as there had been limited interest, her offer had been accepted. She should have been warned then, she’d thought grimly. That handyman was going to come in useful. Presumably he’d know all the best building contractors in the area. She hoped so anyway. She was a novice to this restoration lark, and she had to admit to herself, she was feeling slightly stupid at her temerity in thinking it would be plain sailing.

She smiled and blessed Annie, whoever she was, for giving her something to be grateful for. At least, it seemed a hand of friendship had been offered.

Faye made herself a cup of coffee and began to draw up a list of major problems that would need her urgent attention. She had already spotted several buckets and damp areas reflecting the state of the roof.

Oh well, she sighed, she had never been one to run from hard work and at least the rewards would be all hers.

Faye became engrossed in the task and was surprised when a loud knock on the front door disturbed her. She automatically glanced at her watch and was surprised to find three hours had gone by. She ran downstairs to open the front door, hoping she didn’t look too grubby.

She was greeted by a woman about her own age, with long luxuriant dark hair and dressed in flowing, tie-dye clothes, exactly the type of person prevalent in the hippie-vibe of this part of Cornwall, which seemed to have more than its fair share of psychics, palm readers, white witches and all things mystical. It was why Faye loved the place so much. It was arty and strange; the very opposite of her uniform life in London.

She was immediately engulfed in a bear hug that nearly knocked her off her feet.

Hi, I’m Annie. Welcome to your new home, I just know we’re going to be great friends.

The larger than life woman introducing herself had a beam on her face that was contagious. Faye disengaged herself and beamed back at her visitor, her good humour quite restored.

TWO

I must say you’re not what I was expecting!

Annie’s eyes took in the woman standing before her. She saw the makings of an attractive, tall blonde, probably in her late thirties who was too thin and pinched looking; definitely in need of some TLC.

Faye didn’t really know how to reply to that and gave Annie a startled look. She was immediately aware of how she must look after wading through a houseful of dust and grime. She brushed a dirty hand through her hair and deposited a spider’s web onto her fringe, making matters worse. She hated being caught off guard like this. She had wanted to meet the locals feeling more prepared to put on a confident air of a woman who was in control of her life. It was important to Faye to be accepted into this small community if her new life was to be a success.

Hi, thanks for the cleaning you’ve done and the flowers, it made me feel welcome. The house didn’t look as sad and unloved as I thought it would, although I’ve got so much work to do on it. Have you got a key, then?

Yes, here it is Annie replied, handing over the key. The last owner left the spare with me. I’m glad to have a neighbour again and this house has too many positive vibes. It just needs to be loved. I’ve performed a cleansing and energising ceremony in each room for you, so you can start afresh and if you like we can do a welcoming one with a few white candles when you’re ready. How about a cuppa then? The kettle’s on at my house. I expect you need one.

Faye really didn’t know what to say to all that. Annie was certainly living up to her image. She was very different to Faye’s London friends, but she sensed that she was going to be great fun to know.

She followed her out of the guesthouse after putting a comb through her hair and washing her face and hands. She would be glad when she could relax in a hot bath and wasn’t really up for the third degree from Annie but knew she couldn’t refuse Annie’s offer even though she didn’t much feel like pretending to be excited about her new home and lifestyle to a stranger, however friendly she appeared to be.

Faye was nowhere near over the fact that she had a failed marriage to thank for the change. Failure was a hard one to get over; the old Faye had never failed at anything before. She had sailed through her first forty years achieving all the goals she had ever set herself, so smug in her success that she had not seen what was patently obvious to everyone else. Her husband of twenty-one years was in love with his secretary, how bloody stereo-typical was that!

Sit yourself down, lovie. Just mind the cat. I’ll get us some tea and scones and then we can have a good old chat.

Annie disappeared into the kitchen whilst Faye attempted to remove a rather disgruntled ginger cat from the only available space to sit down.

Although everything was spotlessly clean, Annie was clearly a hoarder. The room was dominated by an enormous oak dresser which was home to Annie’s crystal collection, some extremely intricate and of every colour imaginable. The sunlight was creating a rainbow prism effect all around the walls that was strangely soothing and Faye felt herself relax in its warm glow.

Annie came back with the tea tray and made herself comfortable in front of the cluttered coffee table in between the two women. The cat jumped up onto her lap and purred.

I see you’ve noticed my crystals. Well, you can hardly miss them, can you? Annie laughed. Choose the one that attracts you and you can have it as a housewarming gift. Actually, it will be choosing you depending on what you need most in your life.

Faye tried not show on her face what she was thinking. Perhaps Annie was a little bit crazy. Well she’d soon find out in the days to come.

That’s very kind but I’m dying for this tea. I’m totally shattered. I’ll have this and get off if you don’t mind. I want an early night and I’ve still got loads to do.

Even so, they spent the next hour chatting away with Annie explaining how she made a living in St. Ives reading Tarot cards, performing palmistry and selling New Age gifts to tourists, such as the crystals. She owned a small shop, tucked away down one of the many alleyways of the popular fishing village. She did very well in summer and come winter she made pottery and gave lessons in it for willing locals to make ends meet. Her energy was very appealing to Faye; hopefully it would rub off on her in the coming months.

Faye finally took her leave professing exhaustion after the long journey down from London and explaining that all she wanted was to make up a temporary bed on the floor and go to sleep. Her furniture was arriving the following day.

Annie invited her to stay the night but Faye politely declined. She wanted to be alone for a while. Annie seemed to understand and told her to choose a crystal before she went. Looking at the collection she did find herself drawn to a particular piece just as Annie had said she would be. It was a large, irregular-shaped piece of aquamarine that reminded her of the nearby ocean.

She thanked Annie, unaware of how much that particular piece would sell for in the shop. It was a much more expensive gift than she could have realised.

They hugged goodbye, promising to meet up the next day.

As Faye made her way back up to her own home she stopped for a while to watch the tide come gently in.

Turning at last towards the house, she could see someone waiting on the doorstep, regarding her with a cool, appreciative gaze. Who the hell is this? she sighed to herself. She wasn’t in the mood for any more curtesy calls. Oh well, it looks like I haven’t a choice, she reluctantly conceded.

She fixed a smile on her face and gave a friendly wave. So much for an early night, she thought, resignedly.

THREE

Sam was pleasantly surprised to see that the new owner of the Holmecrest Hotel seemed, on first impression, to be a friendly, attractive blonde and close to his own age, he guessed. Hayle could always do with more of those and she was a far cry from the old harridan she was replacing.

To be fair Alice had been losing her marbles long before her relatives came and spirited her away God knows where. They were quick enough putting the hotel on the market but there had been no buyers until now. She must be an incomer, he mused.

He sincerely hoped she’d be in need of a handyman and wasn’t bringing in her workforce. He needed the money and a little romance along the way wouldn’t hurt, he thought smiling to himself. Christ, I hope she isn’t married.

Hello there. You must be the new owner? he said, grasping Faye’s hand. I promise I won’t keep you long, I just wanted to introduce myself as your friendly builder. I see you’ve already met my best friend over there. He nodded in the direction of Annie’s little cottage. You don’t have to be crazy to live here but it helps! Seriously, Annie might come on a bit strong with her beliefs but her heart’s in the right place and she’s spookily accurate on most things. Take her advice only if you’re prepared to act on it. He was grinning widely. I’m Sam, by the way.

Hi Sam, I’m Faye she replied. She subconsciously looked Sam up and down, in much the same way he had done to her. Liking what she saw, she felt quite sure his handyman services would be required at a later date. It had been a long time since she had felt the slightest interest in the opposite sex, or the inclination to pursue that feeling, but this was the newly single Faye, eager to look around at what was on offer in this seaside town.

Yes, I’ve been getting to know Annie. She kindly spruced up the house a little for me and left me your name. I’m sure we will get on and I’ll be more than grateful for your help in the coming months. At the moment the task of getting Holmecrest up and running is beyond me. I’m having a major panic attack at the thought of what I’ve taken on. She smiled wearily. She was in danger of collapsing if she didn’t get inside and rest for a few hours.

Oh, don’t you worry; there are plenty of people around here who’ll be willing to help when you’re ready. We’re a small community here and we look out for each other, I’m sure you’ll have no problem settling in. You’ve already made friends with the glue that sticks us all together - dear old Annie! I’ll leave you to it now. I can see you’re exhausted. I expect I’ll see you soon. Bye then.

He set off down the path towards the beach and then climbed up the bank in the direction of Annie’s home.

Faye felt girlishly happy. A bit of male attention felt ridiculously good.

**

So, what do you think of your new neighbour then? Sam asked, as he settled back on Annie’s comfy sofa and bit into a chocolate biscuit, dropping crumbs into his mug of tea.

Annie gave it some thought before replying. Oh, she’s more tightly strung than a violin bow, but nothing a strong dose of Cornish air won’t blow away! Actually, I think I’m going to get along just fine with her. I’m getting good vibes about her. How about you? What vibes are you getting?

She was teasing and Sam was only too aware of the fact.

All good, Annie, all good he laughed.

Annie looked over at Sam whom she had known since their childhood. The scruffy, cheeky surfer- boy had turned into a great looking man over the years, with wind-blown dark-blond hair and a deeply tanned, muscular frame; all six feet of him.

She liked what she saw and had always liked it but she also knew what Sam liked and Faye fitted the bill, whilst sadly she did not. They were best friends and she had long ago resigned herself to being just that. Yes, they had had a teenage fling, when as part of the local gang, they had spent summer nights around a beach fire, getting drunk and partying but it had never been anything serious. They knew each other far too well and better to have him as a best friend than not at all.

Back at Holmecrest, Faye was preparing for bed. As her furniture wasn’t arriving until the next morning, she had brought a blow-up lilo and a snug sleeping bag. As the electricity had been re-connected, she could light the ancient