FOR THE LOVE OF THE SEA Read Free Page B

find enough sponsorship to do much at the moment. She’s helping with the barge and when Tom gets back she’ll work with him on preparing Clotted Cream for the single-handed. I think she’s crewing in a couple of races later in the season but I also know Sebastian is putting pressure on her to give it all up.”
    Anna pulled a face. “That’s a bit old-fashioned, isn’t it?”
    Cassie agreed.
    “If Polly finds some sponsorship and can prove herself as a yachtswoman, I reckon she’ll carry on racing whatever Sebastian says. But,” and she shook her head, “if not, I’m afraid she’ll end up just getting married.”
    “Polly’s got too much spirit simply to give in,” Anna said confidently. “Besides, the fact that she’s considering the proposal makes me pretty sure she’ll turn him down... I didn’t have to think twice when Harry proposed. Did you when Miles…?”
    “No. If he hadn’t I was going to propose to him on February 29 th ,” and Cassie smiled remembering how much she’d wanted to marry Miles.
    “Perhaps you’re right. Having to think about it must mean she’s not sure. What a dilemma - settling down or sailing the high seas. I’ll worry whatever she decides.” Cassie smiled ruefully before finishing her wine.
    Wandering through town later, Anna stopped outside the estate agency and took one of the free advertising papers out of a rack.
    “Bedtime reading,” she said stuffing it into her bag.
    “I think we’d better be heading back,” Cassie said. “The wind’s gusting and the tide will be on the turn soon.”
    In fact they were lucky to make it home before thirty-six hours of bad weather set in. As Bill had predicted they were suffering the tail end of the storm from Biscay.
    The next day, as the gale raged outside, Cassie worked in the office, clearing paperwork so that she could devote as much time as possible to Tom’s preparations over the following few weeks.
    Polly and Mai roped Anna in to help with finishing the barge. In the evening the four of them sat around the large wooden table in Cassie’s kitchen drinking wine and stuffing the barge brochures into envelopes ready for posting.
    Although nobody said anything, everybody was anxious to keep their minds off the bad weather Tom would be experiencing on his way home.
    Late on Thursday evening Mai got an e-mail from him saying he was in the Channel and hoped to be home within twelve hours. Everybody breathed a collective sigh of relief and went to bed. Happy in the knowledge that Tom and Clotted Cream were almost home.
    It was mid-day Friday before Clotted Cream sailed into her home port. James rang Cassie to give her the welcome news.
    “I’ve just been out and given Tom my official routine check and he’s now on his way up river to you. Said he hasn’t slept for forty-one hours because of the weather. He looks all in but everything else is fine.”
    “Thanks James. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”
    Cassie replaced the phone and went down to the barge to find Mai and Polly. Together they waited on the landing slip and watched as Tom negotiated his way to Clotted Cream’s berth.
    At last the yacht was secured and Tom waved as he clambered into the launch for the short journey to shore.
    Over sandwiches and coffee Tom told them a little about the sea trials.
    “It’s all in the log but basically we’re going to have to do some work on the hydraulic pulleys. And the self-steering gear wants some fine-tuning. Other than that it’s a question of checking her over, provisioning her for the first leg and getting her round to Plymouth for the start.”
    Cassie looked at him. A week’s growth of stubble covered his chin; his favourite Guernsey sweater showed signs of having been lived in for several days and his hands looked sore and weather beaten from over exposure to sea-water. But despite his obvious tiredness his enthusiasm still came through.
    Not for the first time she was reminded of Miles. Single-minded