✔️ COMPLETE
Naomi McKay is running away. After a catastrophic end to her three-year relationship, she needs to escape Hampshire to focus on what she really wants in life. St Ives, Cornwall seems like the perfect place for her, far away from everyone...
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Naomi walked through the doors to the Inn, placing her red heart shaped sunglasses at the top of her head as she started rummaging through her purse for the keys to her room. It had just passed 10am and she'd been strolling about town, popping by Vintage Divine again. Now all she needed was a small reading session and she'd be ready for the beach later. However, her attention was brought to the sound of voices and laughter coming from the back garden. She remembered how Bessie had been seated there the first day Naomi arrived, how tranquil the garden had looked hidden away behind the Inn.
Curiosity got the better of her and Naomi walked over to the open door, peeking her head through it properly for the first time. Vines ran up and down the white cement fence, the small square in the middle littered with different coloured flowers, a few bistro chairs stood around a round table, a few women around Bessie's age and the woman herself all seated there chattering away. As soon as Bessie noticed Naomi, she put down the knitting in her hand and grinned from ear to ear.
"Well, hello!"
The other women looked at Naomi and she smiled at them all, recognising Camilla and Florence from before. They all exclaimed various greetings, motioning for her to come over to where they were seated.
"You've met Florence before, and Camilla I hear." Bessie gestured at the two women. "And this is Barbara."
"Just call me Barb," the woman in question said, grinning at her. "I've heard so much about you, Naomi."
"You have?" Naomi asked, sitting down in the chair beside Bessie, who had been patting it since Naomi entered the back garden. "All good things, I hope."
"Oh, all the girls have said you're just lovely," Barb reassured Naomi, removing her glasses from the bridge of her nose so she could take a proper look at the knitting in her hands.
"Have you ever tried knitting before, Naomi?" Bessie asked, cocking her head a little to the side as she watched Naomi look around the table at all the four women knitting.
"I tried when I was younger, but I was no good at it," she said. "My mother used to be a very good knitter. Or, she still is, but... but I never managed to pick it up proper."
"It's all about the technique and how you're taught it." Bessie moved her chair a little closer to Naomi, bringing a tote bag with her and retrieving some bamboo knitting needles and yarn from inside it. Startled by the sudden change of pace, Naomi was left staring at the yarn in her hands, and then back at Bessie, who only continued to look at her. The old lady didn't wait long, however. She made Naomi look back down at the knitting in her hand again.
"Right," Bessie started. "Do you know how to cast on, dear?"
"No."
"Okay, first you need to tie a slip knot, like so." Bessie took the bamboo needle from Naomi's hand and showed her how. She did it slowly, letting Naomi really see how she did it before taking the yarn off the needle and doing it again. "Now you do it."
