A/n: Ok, so I managed to get another chapter done for you all. Thanks to all of your for your wonderful reviews, I'm really glad that you're all getting where I'm going with this and that you like my choice of characters too. And don't worry about Matt too much either, he'll be around for a little while but he won't cause to much bother - promise. Anyways, please read, enjoy and review if you really want to. Thank you.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything!

Chapter 6

Betty had to sit down. After giving herself the afternoon off work, especially as Philippe was out from the boatyard for the afternoon at the university, she'd decided to go grab herself a Salcombe Regatta Guide and have some fun. She'd started off at the quay, watching the children in the crabbing contest. Many of the youngsters, although deftly encouraged and in some cases helped by their parents, still had only caught a few crabs on their lines. She did notice that there was one little lad pulling them out rather rapidly and when she saw his bucket it was half full when most of the other children only had one or two. She could only imagine that either he was just in the right spot or that he was using the best bait.

"He's using razor clam," she was told conspiratorially. Turning, she noticed one of the employees from the boatyard.

"And how do you know that?" She asked him.

"He's my boy, I taught him." His eyes shone with pride before he stuck out his hand, "I'm Jason. Jay to my friends."

"Betty. It's nice to meet you Jay." She looked back towards the line of children, "the others are a little dispirited. Has your son won this competition often?"

"Every year since he started about 4 years ago. If the truth be known it's in the blood. My father, grandfather, great grandfather before him all had crabbing boats here in Salcombe. But most of these kids are grockles, first time they've ever tried."

"Grockle?"

"You know, holidaymaker. Vacationer."

"Oh, I see." She smiled. Jay was extremely charismatic and he knew it, she'd have to watch her step. "So, Jay. You work at the boatyard right?"

"Yep, been there fifteen years, man and boy. Started out as a Saturday job, 'cause I knew there would be no money in crabbing, it was starting to decline. So went to Plymouth Uni, got my degree in Marine Technology and have been designing Wayfarer boats ever since."

"That's very impressive."

"Thank you. But what about you Betty, how did you end up spending this rather fine week of fun, entertainment and beautiful sunshine checking out the people I work for."

"I am doing an investigative piece on their new yachts and how, if successful, these boats will become the preferred choice of the London Mayor when the city council adds them to the city's fleet in the next 12 months."

"You know how to make an awful subject sound interesting."

"I'd like to think that it's very important to report on how two foreigners are willing to put their money into a, if I can be so bold, dying British industry in order to keep a family business running in a localised area that needs input from the outside world, otherwise this trade would likely be killed off in this part of the country."

"That told me."

"Jay, you obviously stay at Wayfarer because they're either paying you a lot of money or you just can't bear to leave this lovely town."

"Can't go, ex-missus won't move away from her dad. I have to stay local in order to see my son; I'd have to move quite a way away in order to do this job somewhere else."

"You seem a little down on Monsieur Valois and Mr Meade."

"I can't complain. I'm guess I'm just jealous. Philippe and Daniel are great people to work for and if I ever have to go and sort out an issue with my ex or with Sammy then I can just tell them and I can go." He sighed, "I just wanted a piece of it. I'd hoped that Philippe would offer me some kind of buy in but by the time he came back from America he had Daniel's money and he didn't need me."

"Is it your design, you know, for the boat that's being tested?"

"Yeah, my design, but the material technology, that's all down to Philippe. He's a master with synthetics."

"Have you ever spoken to either one of them? I'm sure Daniel would be more than happy to take a meeting with you if you really wanted to become a partner."

"You sound like you could get me that meeting. Sounds like you've already pencilled it into his diary."

She laughed, "call that force of habit." He looked confused. "I worked for Daniel in New York, I was his assistant for 4 years."

Jay laughed out loud; it was pleasurable to hear even though it was guttural. "Does that make you Danny's girl now? I mean, since you're not working for him anymore."

"We're very good friends. And if you asked in order to ask me out then you have to know, I am seeing someone."

"Of course you are, pretty girl like you. No, it wasn't that, I'm already married again. I just wondered if you had any influence. I think I'd like to take a meeting with Daniel, just as an initial sound out, get his thoughts. See I know his sister's coming in with some of her money too and I'd rather hoped that I could at least play a part before it was too late."

"I'll see what I can do Jay. Look I think Sam's won." She pointed out before slipping away from the congratulations that ensued. Betty promised herself that she would talk to Daniel about meeting with Jay, it was the least she could do, and Jay definitely looked like he needed a break and if she could help out then so much the better.

Betty looked in her programme; nothing else was planned for that afternoon so she decided to have a go at the treasure hunt. After reading the rules, she started walking up to the high street and to where the shops started. The idea was to look in each window and try to find the one object that didn't fit. How hard could it be? She thought as she looked through the list of participating shops and found the closest one to where she was currently located.

Boudoir was the first shop on the list and looking through the shop door she realised that they sold mostly lingerie and women's toiletries, so she was looking for something that wasn't related to either one of those kinds of item. She searched the window sill, the mannequins, and the display unit and then she saw it. Hiding just behind a carnival mask was a silver toy Mercedes. That had to be it. She wrote it on her sheet before moving on to the next.

It was about half past four by the time she looked at her watch and decided that she was definitely in need of a break. So far, she'd only managed to get five answers on her sheet from thirty two. Perhaps it wouldn't be so easy on her own, especially as from half the windows she'd already looked into she couldn't really work out what they sold. She couldn't complain though, she was definitely having fun.

She plonked herself down outside the front of the tea rooms and waited to order. Spotting Natalie coming out of the grocery shop on the other side of the road she called out to her and waved. Natalie noticed and trotted across to her. "Hi Betty, you been enjoying yourself?"

"I have yes, and I'm just about to order my first cream tea. Would you like to join me? I'd really like to catch up with you if you'd like."

"I'd love to, thanks." Natalie said, joining Betty at the table. "Have you seen everything you need to with the boatyard?"

"Just about. Two cream teas please," she ordered from the waitress. "I just wish I could've spent a little more time with some of you, but I guess that's the nature of the job, especially when you all seem so busy at the moment."

"Daniel's being there has definitely helped. I'm so glad he decided to stay on, you know, with buying the cottage, doing it up, getting involved with the local community."

"Like what?" Betty asked, surprised.

"Oh, all sorts. He helps out at the primary school sometimes; his wife was a teacher so I guess he feels like he needs to contribute."

"So he gives them money?"

"If he does we don't know about it, but no, he gives his time. During term he'll go and read for the youngest tots on a Wednesday afternoon. He loves Meg and Mog."

"Meg and Mog?" Betty's eyebrows arched upwards.

"Yeah, they're children's book about a witch and her cat. Her spells never seem to go well; he'll normally come in to work on a Thursday sharing Meg's tale of woe from the previous afternoons read. I suppose you don't have them in America?"

"I don't remember them. So what else does Daniel get up to?"

"He normally spends some time on a Sunday at the old folk's home; sometimes they ask him to call the bingo numbers for them. They say he's quite good now he's picked up the lingo." She noticed Betty's expression, "they call out nicknames for some of the numbers."

"Oh, I see."

"And he dances with some of the old dears at their afternoon tea dances once a month; I think Olivia has taken him under her wing and taught him how to waltz properly."

"Wow," Betty silently berated herself for her awe, but this was totally a side of Daniel she'd never envisaged and it felt good to get to know it. It had always been Betty who would do anything for anybody, now it seemed that their lives had totally turned full circle. She was all about herself and getting the job done. He was about helping and caring and being there when he was needed.

"I know, right? They even made him an honorary member of the school PTA."

"But he hasn't got any children?"

"No, they just felt that he would be a great spokesperson for the school. The council has threatened to close it down twice in the last 12 months, each time Daniel has fought it and we still have it. They decided to allow him to give the prizes out for the children's sports day tomorrow because of it, and they want him to help judge the sandcastles on Saturday."

"He's a real tour de force." Betty said quietly, "do you like him Natalie?"

"How do you mean?"

"Well, I know he's your boss but would you ever consider …?"

She left her question hanging in the air as their tea arrived. "God no, for one thing he's far too old for me. And for another he's all about the job, he wouldn't cross that line. Besides which he's totally in love with someone else."

"Really?" Betty asked, unsure of what she was doing with the scone that had appeared in front of her.

"Really, not that anyone knows who she is. He won't tell anyone and he's not been seen with anyone local from the town." Natalie split the scone in half before spreading the cream first and then the jam on top of each part. "This is the Devonian way to have a cream tea. Cream first, jam on top."

Betty followed suit, biting into the first half. "Oh that's delicious, but you couldn't have too much could you?"

"Oh, I don't know." Natalie licked her lips "Would be rude to leave any."

"Don't worry, they'll definitely be nothing left of mine." She giggled; she hadn't enjoyed herself so much since … well since she'd moved to London all that time ago. How could one place be so different, she may have been two hundred and forty miles away from London and the place just as expensive to live in but the pace of life was so leisurely, the people so friendly. Daniel had made a wonderful discovery moving here. "So you think Daniel's in love with a mystery woman?"

"Oh yes, but like I say he never talks about her or anything, just throws himself into his work and his commitments with the school and the oldies like he's got nothing else better to do. I mean I thought at one time it was because of his wife. She died see, not long after they married, she had cancer I think. Anyway, I just thought 'hey, he misses his wife' but after I found him in his office crying on their anniversary I spoke to him about it. He confided that although he missed his wife he also missed a special someone else very much too."

Betty's heart went out to him, how could she have been so stupid as to have not listened to him when he wanted to talk. Then she remembered, she'd have an opportunity to speak with him tonight if she felt the moment was right; because it was Thursday and he was on his way home.

"Have you been up to much this afternoon then?" Natalie broke through her thoughts.

"I watched the children's crabbing competition, Jay's son won."

"Again! They should ban him. He's won every year since he was six."

"Hmm, Jay told me."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?"

"He's very charming isn't he?"

Natalie nodded, "that's one way of putting it and what got him into trouble with his first wife."

"Oh dear, once bitten twice shy doesn't seem to cut it with him then?"

Natalie laughed, "what else you been doing?"

"I've been trying out the treasure hunt but I'm not very good." She showed her programme to Natalie.

"Are you sure it's a dead bee in the chandlery?" Natalie smirked.

Betty shrugged, "I hoped it was."

"Tell you what, why don't you join me on Saturday whilst the sandcastles are being built, that way we can go around the town checking out the windows before watching the judging and the prize giving."

"That sounds good."

"I'll bring Tom with me, my boyfriend. He'll be needed up the rugby club that afternoon in time for the tug-o-war, you can join us for that too if you'd like to."

"Tug-o-war?"

"Two teams of strapping, burley men pull a rope, attempting to outwit and outmanoeuvre the other team in order to make them fall. A bit like an arm wrestle but on grass with sixteen pairs of muscly arms and legs doing the work. It's always great fun and the rugby club generally win but the fisherman had a good chance last year."

"Ok, I'm in. I'd love to." They finished their tea and said their goodbyes. She'd had a wonderful day so far and just hoped it would continue, after all there were fireworks planned in the town that evening. Betty crossed the road to the grocers in order to pick up a few bits for dinner before going back to Blue Lagoon. There was nothing like a home cooked meal when you'd been away somewhere and she hoped that Daniel would appreciate it too.

.oOo.

Daniel was quiet. In Philippe's opinion he was too quiet. "Listen Daniel, I'm sorry about this mess with Betty but I couldn't put 'er anywhere else. It's the regatta this week and everywhere was full up."

"I know Philippe, I'm sorry. It's not that you put her up at mine, that's fine. I just wish you'd given me some kind of warning. A little time so that I could've prepared myself."

"A little time so you could've stayed where you were for a couple more days, you mean." Philippe threw back at him, "I couldn't afford for you to stay away any longer. We've 'ad the final results in and they are magnificent. The tweaks Jay 'as made to the design are far superior to any amendment to the composite structure that I could've made. 'E's worked a miracle, Daniel. 'E deserves a raise if nothing more."

"Then we'll look into that, but a couple of days wouldn't have made that much difference surely?"

"That's what Betty said too. Come on Daniel, grow a set will you? You love 'er, she loves you. Get on and propose to 'er already, it's what she's waiting for."

Daniel had to smile. "And I thought Frenchmen were ever the romantics."

"We are, but we still 'ave needs." Daniel's eyebrows shot skyward, "not that I'd be like that with Alexis, you understand."

"Of course not." Daniel grinned, "what my sister gets up to is, quite frankly, up to her. Just don't hurt her otherwise I will have something to say about it."

"Daniel, do not worry. I 'ave no intention of 'urting Alexis. She is my soul." He said with spirit. "Like Betty's is yours."

Daniel nodded. He had to agree with Philippe even if he wasn't quite feeling it. But she was in his house and maybe, just maybe he had the slightest chance that he could speak with her, tell her how he was feeling, talk about why he hadn't gone to her as soon as he'd first arrived in the UK.

"Did she like the house?"

"Daniel, that isn't the priority 'ere."

"All the same I'd still like to know."

"Americans." He scolded, "yes, she loved the 'ouse. Well she loved the 'allway."

"The hallway?"

"I merely showed 'er in, I did not walk 'er through every room. She did say that she felt it was a 'ome and not just a 'ouse. That's good, oui?"

"Oui, yes."

"I also 'ad to put 'er right, she thought it was Alexis' place to begin with."

"But as long as she felt safe and happy then I guess that's ok."

Philippe shrugged, "I guess."

Daniel fell silent momentarily, wishing to God he'd driven himself. Philippe wasn't always so fast but today he was definitely a speed freak. "How do you know she loves me?"

"'Ow do I know, you're 'aving to ask me."

"Well, you've spent the last few days with her. You've also just told me she loves me and yet you've not offered any explanation of how you know."

"Love is love, Daniel. It does not need explaining."

He had to admit, Philippe was right. Daniel knew he had started to like Betty before the makeover of the century, and those pictures he had of her in all those goofy outfits, not long ago they'd made him laugh but now he found them adorable. "Please, even if it's the tiniest detail."

"OK." Philippe sighed, "She talks about you and asks after you all of the time, it's quite annoying actually. Sometimes, she gets this faraway look when I mention something good about you. But mostly it was 'er reaction to the news that you would be 'ome today. She believes she was the one that screwed up when you last met, not you."

"Selfless to the last."

"Precisely, you could do no wrong, she only see's good in you."

"Thanks Philippe, that will do." So he had a glimmer of hope to cling on to. That would be enough. For now.

As they drove through the town he saw her sitting talking to Natalie. That was good, she was making friends. A transition from London to Devon didn't seem as implausible as it had before.

He ran inside the house, up the stairs and into his room, his clothes discarded at the foot of the bathroom door. He quickly showered and dressed in a pair of navy combat shorts and a pale blue t-shirt before going into the bedroom and finding his cologne.

At first nothing appeared to have been touched until he saw the crumpled counterpane. Not that he minded, this was Betty not some stalker that he had no clue of how to deal with. She must have been here for a reason other than to smell his pillow or rifle through his sock drawer, although the thought that she could've made him tingle.

He sat at the dressing table, opening the drawer that held his hairdryer. It was gone. "So that's what you were after." As he started to close the drawer he noticed that the book had been placed in the drawer with the back cover facing up, that hadn't been how he'd left it. He took it out, opened it up and flicked through the pages. It all seemed ok but the letter from Molly had been put back in the wrong place and the very corner of the paper was sticking out of the envelope as if it had been forced back in quickly. "Oh Betty." He said, as he absently traced the outline of her face in the bridesmaid picture with his fingertips.

The sudden bang of the front door jolted him back to the here and now, could that have been Betty coming back after her day out? There was only one way to find out. He put the envelope back into the book where it was normally kept, put the book back in its rightful place and walked down the stairs.

It didn't take him too long to find her, the clanging of pots and the sudden rush of tap water announced that she was in the kitchen. He walked past the discarded handbag and shoes, into the living room and stood at the bar watching her, taking in the rose pink silk top that billowed slightly over her body before being pulled in at her hips, dark denim three quarter length leggings covered her legs and she'd left her hair to hang loose. He thrilled at watching how comfortable she looked padding around in bare feet in his kitchen whilst putting something together for them to eat. "Hi."

She whirled around to face him, her smile wide and welcoming. "Hi, are you ok with pasta, I'm making spaghetti bolognaise for us?"

"Sounds good. I was also wondering if you had the hairdryer?" He motioned to his drying hair.

"Oh yeah, I borrowed it after I'd left mine at home. It's in my" she stopped short, "in the front guest room."

He grinned, "it's ok Betty, it's nearly dry now anyway. I just really wanted a drink before I check through my emails. Do you mind if I get one whilst you're working."

"I'll get it, coffee, cream with two, right."

"Um, no, a tea please. Black not too strong, no sugar."

Betty supressed an urge to laugh, there was immersing yourself into another culture and then … "Ok, where will you be, I'll bring it through."

"The study," he said before crossing the hallway and into his home office. He could get used to this; if only he knew it was going to be constantly real. Betty making dinner and bringing him a drink whilst he got on with some work. Eating side by side at the table, talking about their respective day. His hand cupping her face before kissing her. "Come on Daniel, you need to get it together here."

"Where would you like me to put it?" Betty asked as she walked into his office.

"Just here," he pointed to the coaster on his left.

She moved around him and placed the mug down in the allotted spot, he could feel her warmth so close to him. "Like old times."

"Hmm?"

"This, me bringing you your drink, it's like old times." Happier times.

"Yes." He wanted to touch her, wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her, take her upstairs.

She moved away from him, "dinner will be ready in about ten minutes, is that ok?" The feeling of loss was huge.

"Absolutely, I'll come through once I've finished looking through these last few messages."

"Perfect." And she was gone again.

The last three emails stayed as they were whilst he continued to listen to the hubbub that was going on elsewhere in his house. He couldn't concentrate knowing that Betty was homemaking in his kitchen and in such a leisurely way too. She'd kicked off her shoes, looked relaxed. Anyone coming in from the outside would already assume they were a couple, married and happy.

He shut his laptop and ventured back to the kitchen, she was just finishing off when he arrived so he decide to take a bottle of Soave out of the fridge and open it for them, pouring the fresh looking white into two glasses and placing the bottle in a cooler on the table. He sat down as she placed a plate in front of him, placing her own at ninety degrees to his, she was going to sit around the corner from him rather than across the table. This looked good. After returning with the salad she'd quickly put together, she took her seat, "I hope you like it, please dig in."

"He picked up his spoon and fork deftly pulling at the spaghetti and twisting around his fork until he was able to pop the morsel into his mouth. He began to chew, allowing the flavours to tantalise his taste buds, "Betty this is wonderful, I can't believe you pulled off this triumph in my kitchen."

"You're too funny," she countered, "you have enough utensils and pans in that kitchen to start up a professional business. Some of the stuff you've got in there Papi wouldn't even know what to do with and he's a chef."

Daniel laughed, "I wouldn't know, I've used it twice. Once to boil some eggs and once to warm up a tin of soup."

"What have you been living on?"

"Hand outs, scraps form the trash ... oh seriously you mean?" He joked, "I go out, I make contacts. To be honest I go to the pub about five nights a week, go to Philippe's on a Saturday and then pick a restaurant for the seventh."

"You have that kitchen and you go out. Why put a kitchen in if you're not going to use it. It's pointless not to mention wasteful on so many levels."

"That's exactly what Alexis said, she's used it more than I have and she's only spent a week in here."

Momentarily they stopped talking; it was enough to know the other was there. Betty broke the silence. "I'm sorry, about the hairdryer."

"That's ok. It's there to be used," he smiled. "I thought you were going to apologise for something else."

"Like what?"

"Like flipping through the photo album in the same drawer, like reading Molly's letter." Like stealing my heart.

"Oh Daniel," her eyes filled with tears as she began to ramble, "I'm so sorry for everything that's happened recently. For going through your drawers and finding the photo album. Curiosity just got the better of me and I looked. Then the letter fell out and I just couldn't help myself."

"Betty it's ok."

He placed his hand on her arm; she pulled it away as if it had been burnt badly by his touch. "No it's not, how can you trust me ever again. We're supposed to be friends and all I keep doing recently is decide against listening to anything you want to say to me or rifle through your things." She got up from where she sat and ran upstairs.

Daniel closed his eyes, why was everything always so tough for them. She had cooked a wonderful meal, something they could just have enjoyed together and he had to go and spoil it. He cleaned everything away, put the kettle on and found two chamomile teabags at the back of the cupboard; hopefully she'd recognise this was a peace offering.

He climbed the stairs and crossed the landing to the room that she occupied, from inside he could hear muffled talking and the occasional sob as she was obviously telephoning someone about what had just occurred. He drew closer, attempting to hear the conversation more clearly but it was difficult to ascertain what was being said through her tears and the thick wooden door.

Everything now appeared to be calm. He knocked on the door waiting for a response but nothing came, should he go in or should he just leave it. What would Philippe do? Or any other sane human being for that matter? She hadn't told him to go away so he walked in.

Betty was sat huddled into the wicker chair in the far corner of the room, her arms around her knees. She'd put on the bedside light but even through the darkness he could see that her eyes were red and swollen from her crying and that there were tear stains on her cheeks. "Betty, I'm sorry. We never can seem to catch a break."

He walked around the bed and placed the two mugs on the half-moon table that sat between the two windows of the room before seating himself in the window seat as close he could get to her, all the while her eyes fixed on a spot somewhere outside the window. "Betty please, we have to sort this out. My making a stupid joke is not the kind of thing that should make you run away from me. I can't change what's happened since you left New York but I can make amends. If you'll let me that is. The last thing I want is to lose you as a friend."

She looked over to him, "I don't want that either, what we shared before was so magical that I really don't want to lose that at all."

"Can we start over? Please?"

She smiled, "yes." Her voice was hopeful if a little weak. "I'd really like that." She motioned towards the mugs on the table. "What's that?"

"Chamomile, it's supposed to be calming and relaxing."

"I think we both need a lot of that at the moment."

Daniel grinned, "I agree, Miss Suarez." He watched her unfold her legs from her body, get up, lift up the two mugs and pass one to him before sitting next to him on the window seat. "Oh look, the fireworks are starting." She mused as she sat back into him, his arm moving up to rest around her shoulder as she snuggled into his. As she sipped her tea she watched the sparkles as they sank back to earth above their heads, smiling at the patterns in wonderment as they kept changing shape and colour. It was more than Daniel could do than to control himself, but it made him realise that her enjoyment of a mixture of gunpowder and metal was just one more thing he would always love about her. He bent his head to hers kissing her hair as she allowed him to pull her closer into his embrace.

Next year we'll be watching these from upstairs in our bed, he decided, whilst we're making some of our own.

TBC