A Summer Scandal: The perfect summer read by the author of One Day in December

‘It was a shock,’ she said, trying to be diplomatic. ‘Marriage is a big step …’

‘One everyone takes,’ he said, reasonable.

‘Not everyone,’ she frowned. ‘But that’s not it. I just feel … Simon, I’m so sorry, but I don’t think I’m ready for marriage yet.’

His brows dropped into a V. ‘But you … you said yes. You definitely said yes. I was down on one knee, and you said you’d marry me. That’s not the kind of thing I could have got wrong, Violet. The waiter shook my hand.’

He didn’t pause for breath as the implications of Violet’s words sank in.

‘I know I did. I said yes, because I didn’t want to say no in front of everyone.’

‘So you said yes out of pity?’

He looked offended now. ‘No! No … it wasn’t pity, honestly. I’m not saying I never want to get married, Simon, just not yet. I don’t feel …’ She trailed off, because the words in her head were too stark to say out loud. I don’t feel sure you’re the man I want to marry.

‘You don’t feel what? Like you love me enough?’

His uncharacteristic bluntness surprised her, and her faltering response probably made him wish he hadn’t asked.

‘I don’t know. I’m sorry Simon, but I honestly don’t know. All I know is that my heart didn’t jump for joy when you asked me, and it should have.’

His brows were so low now they had merged into one dark line across his creased forehead.

‘This isn’t Wuthering Heights, Violet,’ he said, almost patronising. ‘We’re normal people living normal lives.’

She looked down at her lime-green-and-navy-polka-dot polished toes. He couldn’t have said anything less inspiring if he’d tried.

‘I’m going to Swallow Beach.’

Simon breathed in and out, slow and steady. ‘Of course. You’ll need to go to make arrangements to sell it.’

Violet shook her head. ‘No, that’s not what I’m going to do.’ Her forthright words surprised herself; up until that point she hadn’t been sure what she wanted. But hearing Simon pretty much tell her what to do crystallised it for her. ‘I’m going to go and stay there for a while.’

‘What?’ His eyebrows shot up. ‘When? For how long?’

She paused. ‘I don’t know. Soon. Next week, maybe.’

He looked at the wooden rafters, thinking. ‘I’m due seven days’ annual leave. I’ll take you. We can have a holiday. Shame to use my leave so early in the year, mind.’

There was a look of something dangerously close to piety on his face, as if he was bestowing a favour.

‘No, I wasn’t talking about a holiday,’ Violet said, soft but firm. ‘I’m going to go and live there for a while.’

Simon made the mistake of scoffing. ‘You’re being slightly ridiculous now, Violet. How do you expect to do that on your own?’

Irritation sharpened her tongue. ‘Don’t you think that’s rude, Simon? To suggest that I’m incapable?’

‘I wasn’t …’ He looked flustered. ‘Is it so wrong to want to get married and settle down? I thought we were on the same page here, Violet. Singing from the same hymn sheet. Your mum and dad are going to be so disappointed.’

‘They don’t even know,’ Violet said.

He shrugged, looking awkward.

‘You didn’t say anything, did you?’

‘Not exactly,’ he said. ‘But what on earth else would I have bought champagne for? I did say she should dust off the best glasses.’

‘God.’ Violet pushed her fringe out of her eyes. She didn’t want to disappoint her parents; she was already worrying about telling them she wanted to go to Swallow Beach. Now she had to tell them that not only was she going to up sticks, but she was turning down Simon’s proposal too. They were going to think she was off her rocker.

‘You’re confused,’ Simon said, getting up out of the chair and coming to stand in front of her, his hands on her shoulders. ‘My timing was off, Violet. If I’d known about your letter I’d have held off to give you a chance to sort it out. One thing at a time, and all that.’

She looked up into his conventionally handsome face, knowing that he didn’t mean to make her feel incapable. He freely admitted that he enjoyed taking care of her, that he liked to think that she needed him as her solid rock. And God knows that’s what he was; there wasn’t a more reliable pair of hands in the land. That was the problem, really; Violet had spent her life being sheltered, she wanted to step out on her own. She hadn’t realised how much until Simon proposed; it was as if she was going to move from one gilded cage to another.

Shaking her head, she drew in a deep breath.

‘I’m not confused. I’m going to move to Swallow Beach for the summer.’

He stared at her. ‘And then you’ll come home and marry me?’

‘I don’t think I will, Simon.’

If she thought she’d been direct enough, she was wrong.

‘I know what this is.’ He gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze. ‘Fear. It’s okay to feel a bit scared of change, Violet. I’m like that too.’

‘I’m not scared,’ she said, more determined now. ‘I don’t know how to say this any more clearly without hurting you, Simon. I’m moving to Swallow Beach, and I don’t want to go there as your fiancée. I need to feel free.’

Violet couldn’t have known it, but she’d never been more like her grandmother than in that very moment.

‘I’ll wait for you,’ he said, a look of indulgence on his face. ‘You’ll come back, and I’ll be here waiting for you.’

‘Simon, please don’t,’ she said. ‘I don’t want you to put your life on hold. I’m so sorry, but all of this has really made me think, and I’ve realised that I’m not being fair to you. I think I’m stringing you along. I don’t think we have what it takes for forever.’

He set his jaw. ‘I’ll be here waiting when you come home.’ His eyes flickered with dismay. ‘Please Violet. Don’t tell me not to.’

She picked up the ring box. ‘You should take this. I can’t even promise that I’ll come back.’

He sighed and shook his head. ‘It’s a good job I know you better than you know yourself,’ he said, at last. ‘You’ll come back. I know it. You go, and I’ll be your safety net.’ He kissed the tip of her nose. ‘I’m going to leave that champagne on ice in your parents’ fridge, and leave that ring in your hands. By autumn, it’ll be on your finger.’

Short of having a bloody-minded argument, there was nothing Violet could do; he had her backed into a corner, and because Violet wasn’t given to arguments, she didn’t push. She’d told him the truth; she was going to Swallow Beach and she didn’t feel as if she wanted to marry him, now or in the future. The fact that he wasn’t prepared to accept it wasn’t her fault. He thought she needed a safety net. She knew the opposite to be true. She wanted to step out and walk the tightrope without a safety net, ready to be a roaring success or go down spectacularly.

‘No way, Violet. Absolutely no way.’

Della stared at her daughter, and Violet stared right back. She’d fully expected to meet opposition from her parents, and they hadn’t disappointed her. Her father was resolute that it was a terrible idea, and her mother was hopping mad. In fact, she’d go as far as to say her mother was more furious than she’d ever seen her.

‘Mum, I really don’t want to fall out,’ Vi said. ‘But please try to understand, I really need to do this.’

‘No. No, you don’t really need to do this. You need to marry the perfectly decent man who proposed to you last night, and forget any fanciful ideas of moving to Swallow Beach. Simon has a house two miles from here. You can live there. I’m sure he’ll let you go wild with redecorating, and you can still come home for Sunday lunch.’