Sarah nodded again.
‘Then we’ve got time to change her mind. I mean, we can, can’t we? We can save all of this.’
Sarah seemed dubious, Charlie still looked shocked and Sam … Lila could hardly bear to look at Sam. He and Keeley were really close, but she’d obviously kept this from him, hadn’t considered what it might do to him.
‘We can save this,’ Lila said again. She took Sam’s hand. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll help to make this right. I promise.’
He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it, then pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on her head. ‘We can do it together,’ he said.
In that moment, Lila felt like it was possible. They could change Keeley’s mind, save the shoot, get everything back on track. This was her chance to fix what seemed broken, to prove that she could be a force for good.
As Sarah hurried off to wherever she was needed, and Lila reluctantly pulled away from Sam and saw the questions in Charlie’s eyes, she knew that fate had intervened again.
She had been sent down to Cornwall, to Charlie and Gertie, Daniel and Marmite, and the Estelle set. She was being given a chance to make up for her own disaster, by preventing Keeley from doing the same thing. The young actor might believe she had thought everything through, but Lila had seen from her body language, had heard in her shaky words, that she was simply reacting. She was rushing into a decision that would have consequences for the rest of her life, and would affect so many other people.
Lila would help her to see how much she meant to everyone – not just for the sake of the production and its budget, but as a friend. She would help her realize what she would be losing if she walked away. For the first time in a long time, and in part because she knew that her cousin, and this gorgeous, kind, inspiring man in front of her were with her, Lila believed she could make a difference.
She smiled up at Sam. ‘You’re right,’ she said. ‘We can do it together.’
Lila had come too far, and fallen for this new life too hard, not to put up a fight to save it. She didn’t know how yet, but Lila, Charlie and Sam were going to save Estelle.
Acknowledgements
As always, writing The Cornish Cream Tea Summer has not been a one woman show. These are the people who have helped me with this book in practical, and other, ways.
Kate Bradley, my wonderful editor, who gets me and my writing completely, and always knows how to make my books shine. She puts up with a lot from me, and I am so lucky that she does!
My brilliant agent Hannah Ferguson, who is hugely supportive and reassuring, and supports me every step of the way. Thank you, also, to the rest of the team at Hardman and Swainson.
The whole HarperFiction team for their dedication, and for turning my words into beautiful, polished books that readers want to buy. Thank you to copy editor extraordinaire Penny Isaac, to proof reader Sarah Bance, and to designer Holly MacDonald and illustrator May Van Millingen for the gorgeous covers I want to dive right in to.
I didn’t know a lot about filming on location, or the world of television, before I started writing this book – other than watching endless ‘behind the scenes’ videos of my favourite series on YouTube – so one of the biggest thank you’s must go to Ross Bambrey, who patiently and thoroughly answered all my questions, gave me hilarious anecdotes and made me want to be a supporting actor. I have twisted some of the information he gave me to fit my story, and any mistakes or implausibilities are mine alone.
I cannot write these acknowledgements without mentioning the BookCampers, who this book is dedicated to. Isabelle Broom, Kirsty Greenwood, Cesca Major, Cathy Bramley, Rachael Lucas, Alex Brown, Holly Martin, Jo Quinn, Katy Colins, Emily Kerr and Liz Fenwick. They are the most supportive bunch of writing friends, and I don’t know what I would do without them.
To David, husband and coffee provider – though that is the very least of all he does for me. No other romantic hero comes close.
To Mum, Dad and Lee, the best family a girl could hope for.
And, finally, to all the readers. I wouldn’t be writing books if you didn’t want to read them, and I love hearing from you. Thank you for making this job everything I hoped it would be when, all those years ago, I was staring at that first blank page, wondering if I could write a novel.
Haven’t read Part One: All You Knead Is Love? Charlie and Lila’s summer journey starts here …
You can pre-order Part Three: My Tart Will Go On here at the link below:
Also by Cressida McLaughlin
THE CORNISH CREAM TEA BUS
Click here to buy The Cornish Cream Tea Bus 9780008332198
THE HOUSE OF BIRDS AND BUTTERFLIES
Click here to buy The House of Birds and Butterflies 9780008225858
THE CANAL BOAT CAFÉ
Click here to buy The Canal Boat Café 9780008136048
THE ONCE IN A BLUE MOON GUESTHOUSE
Click here to buy The Once in a Blue Moon Guesthouse 9780008219291
A CHRISTMAS TAIL
Click here to buy A Christmas Tail 9780008136024
About the Author
Cressy was born in South East London surrounded by books and with a cat named after Lawrence of Arabia. She studied English at the University of East Anglia and now lives in Norwich with her husband David. When she isn’t writing, Cressy spends her spare time reading, returning to London or exploring the beautiful Norfolk coastline.
If you’d like to find out more about Cressy, visit her on Twitter and on Facebook. She’d love to hear from you!
/CressidaMcLaughlinAuthor
@CressMcLaughlin
https://cressidamclaughlin.com
Also by Cressida McLaughlin
The Canal Boat Café series
All Aboard
Casting Off
Cabin Fever
Land Ahoy!
The Canal Boat Café Christmas: Port Out
The Canal Boat Café Christmas: Starboard Home
The Once in a Blue Moon Guesthouse
Open For Business
Fully Booked
Do Not Disturb
Wish You Were Here
Primrose Terrace series
Wellies & Westies
Raincoats & Retrievers
Tinsel & Terriers
A Christmas Tail – The Complete Primrose Terrace Story
The House of Birds and Butterflies
The Dawn Chorus
The Lovebirds
Twilight Song
Birds of a Feather
The Cornish Cream Tea Bus
Don’t Go Baking My Heart
The Éclair Affair
Scone’s Away
The Icing on the Cake
About the Publisher
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United States
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Cressida McLaughlin, The Cornish Cream Tea Summer