Author's notes: I don't own any of the characters nor the original Inspector Lynley Mysteries – they belong to Elizabeth George and the BBC.

Reviews and comments are very welcome! But since I'm no native speaker please let me know if I did something terribly wrong (rating, grammar, spelling...). Thanks!

First I want to apologize for publishing it seperately but I thought that this trip has to stand alone even if Cornwall truly is a green gem. Also I love to make those little book covers.

Now, let's take a trip around Cornwall, hoping it's not getting too dark in the end. Cornwall may be just a small part of the world but there is so much to see. This chapter is something like a tourist guide, hopefully not too boring. I've tried to combine some facts with the couple.

Every place described is worth a visit. Believe me, I've been there.

...a little flashback, at Kennack Sands:

Havers: "It's beautiful."

Lynley: "Forget about the scenery."

Havers: "Easy for you to say – you grew up here."

.

Deborah and Simon came down for breakfast. They would leave not too late today but had in mind to come back for New Year's Eve. Judith soon joined the two couples in the kitchen and all were discussing what Thomas and Barbara would have to see on the way to St. Ives. Then Thomas and Barbara excused themselves because the trip around the peninsula would last about six hours, some stops en route included, and after getting up a little later than planned it was now about 11:20 h. They went upstairs to change into some more presentable clothes and to pack a few things. Thomas even managed not to mess about too much so with just a few admittedly hot kisses they were off to Penryn to collect the keys. Luckily Thomas received a text message on the way telling him that Nathan's daughter would await them with the keys in Constantine, thus they would save time. Nathan, whose cottage they'd have, delivered a message about a small surprise he had prepared for them but his daughter had had no further information.

After getting the keys they drove straight back around the bay of the Helford River but this time not on the A-Road but on smaller rural roads. On the way to the coastline Thomas told Barbara which places they would also head for.

"You remember, once you've blamed me for grewing up here so I would have been used to the sight of the beautiful scenery. Did you know that almost a third of Cornwall lies within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the AONB? Unfortunately we're a little late, aren't we." Thomas grinned suggestively.

They drove through Coverack and Barbara spotted the harbour wall where they'd been sitting many years ago when Helen was in Greece. Thomas had been crouching there with crossed arms and a dark look on his face. When Barbara had asked him if he was okay and he just had sadly shrugged she had prefered to put her arms around him than to talk about that stupid case they had slipped into. In memory of this she intuitively took hold of Thomas' hand on the gear stick. He smiled.

They came through the picturesque village of Ruan Minor and shortly after that they arrived in Cadgwith. He parked parallel but they stayed in the car.

"This is Porthkajwydh." Thomas said, pronouncing it Cornish. "The Cove of the Thicket."

He turned to the passenger seat and ruffled through her hair.

"Oh, don't do that!" Barbara grumbled.

Thomas pointed out of the front window.

"You see that promontory? It's the Todden. This and the two rocks in the water separate the two beaches. The larger one here is where the fishermen work, the smaller is the bathing beach. Shall we dive?" Thomas grinned and put his hand on her inner thigh, dangerously at the very top what made Barbara sharply inhale and glare at Thomas with a withering look.

"Luckily we have no storm today..." Becoming less suggestive he told her that the waves could get higher than the two rocks and flood the streets.

For a short while they looked out of the window. There was not much business today and the waves rolled steadily onto the beach if even somewhat heavy with all the wind. Having had some blue spots in the sky when they had breakfast it was now all cloudy.

"I'm afraid we won't get out of the car too frequently today. May be no storm but it's awfully cold and windy, isn't it." With a gaze into the grey sky Thomas started the engine again.

Some ten minutes later the car ducked itself between high hedge rows just to pop into the open, arriving on the car park of Lizard Point, a few yards away from the cliffs. The wind had blown some of the clouds away so the weather now looked slightly friendlier.

"All right, then, Sweetie..." Thomas stopped the engine. Theirs was the only car. "This is Lizard Point, the southernmost point in the UK. And I'm hungry. Let's get something to eat."

They got out of the car and hurried to get their coats closed. The wind blew piercing on that prominent spot.

"If the café is open today we'll get cream tea, you alright with it?"

"Oh, sure." Barbara grinned. "See, I was planning to eat you out of house and home at dinner so for now even some crisps would do."

They walked hand in hand to the little yellow house. Unfortunately the Polpeor café was not yet opened. Fortunately the owner already was in, doing some paperwork at one of the tables, and – glad to have early guests on this cold and windy day and because of Christmas, the days of love and charity – he quickly made a little takeaway cream tea for two. Thomas and Barbara made themselves comfortable on some stones at the viewpoint, huddled together and enjoyed the tea.

"This's the best cream tea I've ever had in all my life." Barbara said wiping away the last drip of clotted cream and looked Thomas solemnly in the eye.

"Isn't it." he answered and bent down to kiss her deeply.

They both didn't notice that the now empty paper cups were blown off the shore and into the sea.

"Hey, you two!" a man was shouting from behind. "That's maritime pollution!"

"That costs you a fiver!" another man barked laughingly.

Thomas and Barbara quickly broke apart to see two young men in SAR-clothing walking by, obviously on their way to the Life Boat Station.

"Sorry, Sir. Then where is the charity tin?" Thomas asked in return.

Thomas and Barbara joined the young men on their way down, learning some nice facts about Lizard Point.

Rick, the one with the blonde curls, told that not only the first sighting of the Spanish Armada was off Lizard Point in 1588 and the naval Battle of the Lizard took place in 1707, when more than 1000 men lost their lifes, but also that Lizard Point still is the starting point for many ships travelling across the ocean. And incidentally it is a notorious shipping hazard, so as a result it is also the endpoint for some.

"That's why we're here since 1859!" Bob, the one who had demanded the fiver, added.

"And you do a great job!" Thomas put that fiver in the charity tin and then another five quid. "And thanks for the story!"

"Ta! Watch for seals, you might be lucky!"

Thomas and Barbara stood there for a while listening to the wind and the waves rolling on the shore, breathing the salty air, gazing at the water, deeply in their own thoughts. Barbara stuffed her right hand in Thomas' left coat pocket to intertwine her fingers with his and clung to him, closing all distances to be as warm as possible.

"It's cold, isn't it?" He put a kiss on top of her wind-blown hair.

Barbara nodded.

"Let's go back. Shall I tell you something about the geological stuff?" he laughed.

"Only if you want me to fall asleep within seven steps..." she laughed back.

It was pleasantly warm inside the car without the wind and the drizzle that has set in. Barbara was glad that they now had to drive a little while longer so she could regain some warmth. They came through Porthleven.

"This is our Surfer's Mecca." Thomas said.

"You still want to dive, don't you." Barbara laughed.

In the very moment she said it they were just outside the town again and there was no one behind them, so Thomas slammed on the brakes.

"Right now!" he growled, moved over and wildly kissed her with his fumbling hand between her upper thighs. He had to stop because though she had a hold on his head and responded to the kiss, and although the touch made her shiver Barbara was also shaking with laughter.

"Oh, you evil woman! Given the opportunity I'm goin' to drown you!"

Both were out of breath.

"Go on, Thomas!" Barbara said with burning red cheeks.

"With what?" he chuckled.

.

TBC

Feel free to make some internet research for Coverack, Cadgwith and Lizard Point (Polpeor Café (actually open on Boxing Day) serves the best cream tea in the world!) – or better go and visit Cornwall!