Summer Loving by Rachel Ennis Page A

went back inside and closed the door. There was trouble brewing. It wasn’t her business. But Rob was her son ... That did not give her the right to interfere .
    At least he had left looking happier than when he arrived.

Chapter Ten
    ––––––––
    J ess spent Saturday afternoon on research. Looking up William Joseph Spencer’s birth certificate via Familysearch.org, set up by the Mormons, she learned he was born in Virginia to Joseph Warrick Spencer, born 1886, and Ethel Vickery, born 1898.
    The phone rang. Jess lifted the receiver. ‘Hello?’
    ‘It’s Linda Trewearn. I hope you don’t mind me ringing, Mrs Trevanion.’
    ‘Of course I don’t. And please, call me Jess.’
    ‘That’s good of you, dear. I aren’t trying to rush you or nothing, but I was just wondering how you’re getting on.’
    ‘More slowly than I hoped. Would you mind if I looked more deeply into your mother’s ancestry?’
    ‘You do whatever you got to. All I want is to find an explanation. Karen have taken the baby and moved back in with her parents. We’re telling everyone it’s because she need more time to get over the birth. A girl need her mother at a time like this. But the truth of it is Karen said she can’t stay with Scott if he don’t believe her.’ Her voice broke.
    ‘Oh, Linda, I’m so sorry.’
    ‘Scott’s in some state, dear of ’n. He think she should try to see it from his side. But like I told him, having a baby is hard enough when everything goes right. She had this long labour then at the end of it there was this terrible shock.’
    ‘What about the baby?’
    ‘Good as gold he is, and growing like a weed. Karen always planned to breastfeed. I thought she might have changed her mind. But like she said, she know he’s Scott’s son. They waited a long time for ’n and there’s no telling if she’ll have another. So she’s going to give ’n the best start. But when he’s sleeping I’ve heard her sobbing her heart out.’
    ‘I can’t imagine what they are going through. I promise I’ll get back to you as soon as I have any news.’
    ‘Sorry if I interrupted you –’
    ‘No need to apologise. I wish I had more to tell you.’
    ‘I know you’re doing your best. I leave you get on. ’Bye, my bird.’
    That evening Tom phoned. ‘Come sailing with me tomorrow? Forecast is good.’
    Jess leaned back in her chair. She had been gazing at her laptop screen for so long her eyes were sore and felt as if they had sand in them. Being out on the water was a tempting prospect. But she remembered Linda’s voice breaking, and pictured Karen and Scott living apart, both wretchedly miserable.
    ‘I can’t.’
    ‘I wasn’t thinking for you to come all day. Well, I was, but I know you want to finish this thing for Linda Trewearn. We’ll just go out for a couple of hours in the afternoon. High tide’s quarter past four so there’ll be enough water in the river to sail from the yard and back again. Jess, you need a break. You’ll get on a lot better with a change of scene and some fresh air.’
    What he said made sense. ‘You’re right. I’d love to.’
    ‘Proper job.’
    ‘Shall I bring a flask and food? Daft question. Forget I asked. How many of us will there be?’
    ‘Just you and me.’
    ‘Where are we going?’
    ‘Your choice. If it’s not too choppy we can go across the bay. Or we can stay in the Roads and sail up to Tolverne. See what you feel like tomorrow.’
    ‘Thanks, Tom.’
    Jess helped haul up the big gaff mainsail then, as Tom released the boat from her mooring and pointed the bow towards the river mouth, she raised the foresail and wound the sheet in a figure-of-eight round a cleat.
    ‘Right, my lover. Where to?’
    Jess looked past the lighthouse and saw yachts of every size in the bay. ‘Let’s stay in here.’
    She sat on one side of the stern seat, Tom on the other with the polished wood tiller between them. She stretched her legs out and leaned back, closing her