Chapter 21. Violet

The party was in full swing. Sounds of laughter and music

drifted across the lawns to where Bish and Finn sat in

the garden. Paper lanterns hung amongst the wisteria vines

that climbed through the arches of the summer house.

"You built this?" Finn asked.

Bish raised a glass of the whiskey Nain Joan had given him.

"Designed, sited and built it myself. I was going to start

planting a hedge of camellias around it next."

"You've missed your calling." Finn said.

It was a mild clear night and the summer house looked out

over the lights of St.Ives and the harbour.

"My cousin Violet would like to meet you Finn."

''Your cousin? Where is she?''

''In the house.'' Bish said.

"Why doesn't she just come out and say hello." Finn asked.

"I told her I would talk to you first."

"Your being a bit old world aren't you Bish?"

"Violet and I are close Finn. We're the youngest cousins in

our family. We spent just about every summer holiday and

Christmas together. Last year she told me a story that she'd

never told anybody else. I thought it was some kind of

flight of fancy. To be honest I didn't take much notice of it

at the time, but when I saw you at the markets this morning

- I had an epiphany."

"What on earth are you talking about?" Finn said.

Bish stood up and went into the house and returned almost

immediately with a petite red haired young woman who walked

directly behind him as if she didn't want to be seen.

''Finn, may I introduce to you my cousin Violet, also known to

her nearest and dearest as Vie."

Bish spun on his heel and went back into the house.

"You two children play nice now."

"You b-b- bastard Bish." Violet stammered.

Finn smiled. "Hello Violet."

Violet looked like a deer caught on the train tracks.

''I w-w-wanted t-t-t....'' she spluttered in frustration.

"There's no rush." Finn said.

"Take your time Violet, my Aunt Edith had a stammer.

She lived with us when I was little and the way she

spoke is a happy childhood memory for me."

Violet smiled. Finn thought it was beautiful smile.

"May I call you Vie." he asked.

"I w-would like that.'' Violet said. "D-do you remember

the last time we met."

Finn was trying to think of a polite way to say that he

couldn't, when Violet rushed forward and hugged him.

She was warm and smelled of jasmine and in a cloud

of her unruly hair, he remembered.

*

It was years ago - Finn was in his last year at school.

"How did you end up in the sea that day Vie?"

Vie stepped back and took a breath. "It was the end of

the holiday. I got talked into going to lunch at the Tinners

arms in Zennor with B-Bish's sisters and s-some of their

friends. After an hour I'd had enough of their stupid

conversations so I decided to walk the coastal path

b-back to St.Ives. I got to the Seal island lookout when

I thought I heard voices calling out from one of the

rocky inlets.

M-maybe someone was in trouble. I got off the track

and climbed down a b-bit to see what was going on.

It was sea lion pups playing and barking in the rock pools.

I'd never seen them that close on the shore before."

"That's how you ended up in the water." Finn said.

"They seemed so happy. I wanted to get a better look,

so I climbed further down, and I slipped and f-fell."

"Down the cliff, into the sea." Finn said, surprised that

Vie hadn't been seriously hurt in the fall.

"I tried to get b-back onto the shore but the backwash

from the waves hitting the rocks kept pushing me away.

I hurt my hip. It was all I could do to just tread water."

"Seal Island is about a mile from where I saw you." Finn said.

"That's how far the current d-dragged me. I called out for

help until I was nearly breathless. I was getting weaker.

The more I struggled the lower in the water I sank. I started to

go under and it was t-taking more and more out of me to get

back to the surface."

Vie started to cry and Finn put his arms around her.

"I w-wanted to tell you that I was sorry." she said.

"What for?" Finn asked.

"For running away that day without thanking you

for saving me."

*