Lowin gave him a slightly disdainful look as he took his parents’ hands and carried on, as if he were a young prince inspecting his town.
‘HI, LOWIN! HI! HI, LOWIN! HI!’
Polly hit her head on Huckle’s shoulders.
‘Just think about his therapy bills,’ said Huckle soothingly.
Thankfully, kind Kerensa gave Avery a cuddle. Daisy would almost certainly have been coy and careful about what she wanted but Avery could not be.
‘CAN I COME IN YOUR CAR BOAT?’
‘’Fraid not, kid,’ said Reuben. ‘I’d have to insure you for four million. Hey, hi!’
He waved at Huckle and Polly, who came down to greet them.
‘Wow, it’s been pretty rough here, huh.’
His face, however, was beaming.
‘How long have you had that thing?’ said Huckle.
‘Don’t ask,’ said Kerensa. ‘He’s been so desperate for a chance to show it off.’
‘They only ever made four hundred,’ said Reuben.
‘And the rest are at the bottom of the sea,’ added Kerensa. ‘Have you got anything to eat? The boys are starving.’
‘Sure am,’ said Reuben.
In response, Polly showed her the wreck of the Little Beach Street Bakery.
‘Oh, man,’ said Reuben. ‘Oh, man, that’s bad. Are my ovens all right?’
‘They will be.’
‘Good, good.’
He turned to address the crowd that had gathered round.
‘I got something for you all,’ he said, in a way that made Polly a little anxious. Being in Reuben’s debt could be an uncomfortable place to be.
‘I’m going to buy everyone . . . new doors! Watertight, waterproof, whatever the water thing is. You can have ’em! New doors, new weather-proof windows! All on me.’
Polly speculated, correctly, whether Reuben had just made any large investments in glassware firms as the locals cheered.
‘Yeah yeah yeah,’ said Reuben. He looked back at Polly.
‘Are you absolutely sure you didn’t bake anything at home this morning and were keeping it for emergencies?’
Of course Polly had.
‘Great,’ said Reuben, digging into the wicker basket with jam tarts, lemon curd, and cheese twists she had made up for the helpers. He had got steadily chubbier over the years, even as Kerensa had got thinner and thinner, in the manner of the very rich, and he stuck both paws in.
‘“Thanks for the door, Reuben”,’ he said finally. ‘Seriously. I’m buying you an awesome door, girl dude.’
‘Oh yes,’ said Polly, distracted. Of course it was a kind offer, of course it was, she was so grateful. And of course she didn’t want his money; they were friends, after all. But a new door . . . it didn’t begin to touch the sides of what they were facing, not really. Nowhere near.
She swallowed down that thought. New doors would be great.
‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘I’m so grateful.’
‘I just need one thing in return.’
Of course he did.
‘I need you to cater Lowin’s birthday party.’
‘Oh.’ Polly blinked. This wouldn’t be a small affair. ‘What is it? Some friends from school?’
It wouldn’t be sausage rolls and a caterpillar cake, she could tell.
Reuben barked with laughter.
‘No! Ha. No way. No, it’s going to be an event! I’ll get the party planner to contact you.’
‘You have a party planner? For an eight-year-old?’
‘Well, he’s going to be eight, aren’t you, Lowin?’ said Kerensa, hugging the boy’s round head affectionately.
‘Whatever,’ said Lowin, grabbing two of the jam tarts, sniffing one, and throwing the lemon curd away whereupon Neil, followed by about sixteen huge sea gulls, immediately pounced on it, setting up a hell of a racket.
‘Well, of course,’ said Polly. ‘I’d . . . I mean, of course.’
‘There’s going to be a DJ,’ said Kerensa. ‘And loads of champagne. Seven-year vintage, clever, huh? You’re going to love it. And you can invoice us a lot more than the cost of the door,’ she added in a low voice.
Polly thought about Reuben’s parties she’d catered over the years, and smiled as politely as she could.
‘’Scuse me,’ said Daisy, from down somewhere by Polly’s knees. ‘Is there going to be a LOT of snakes at this party?’
‘Does he still like snakes?’ said Kerensa distractedly. ‘It might be car boats now. Or football or something.’
Little Daisy’s face brightened. This had obviously been on her mind for a long time. Polly squeezed her hand tightly.
‘Good,’ Daisy said in a breathy whisper.
Chapter Forty-four
Sometimes, there is just one step. One tiny last step; a little nudge, just to push you over the edge. And luckily for Marisa, hers came soon.
It was Nazreen on the phone, sounding anxious. And on a Saturday too.
‘Hey, how are you doing?’ she said. ‘We still miss you at the office.’
‘Thanks,’ said Marisa. Her first new admin part-time pay cheque had been a shock, she had to admit. But she was getting by. In a funny way, the office and Exeter were fading from her mind. Mount Polbearne was feeling more and more like home.
‘The thing is . . .’ said Nazreen. ‘I haven’t replaced you. And there’s nobody else around. And. Could you? Just cover this one? It’s urgent and there’s nobody about and I know, I know you’re not well but . . .’
And she explained.
Marisa took a deep breath.
‘Have they got a Registrar General’s letter?’
‘Yes. You know it’s just over the causeway . . .’
‘We’re cut off!’ said Marisa. ‘No, I can walk it. Or there’s boats . . .’
‘You sound a lot better,’ said Nazreen, a smile in her voice. ‘Great. Can you get yourself over there? He’s a Mount Polbearne boy, his mum says.’
‘What’s the name?’ said Marisa. Nazreen was delighted. She’d obviously decided to do it.
Marisa didn’t recognise it.
‘No local gossip?’ said Nazreen.
‘I don’t . . . I haven’t. Well. Not much gossip,’ said Marisa, although in fact she’d got quite a grip on several of the villagers just through helping Polly. Everyone knew Polly.
‘Be careful,’ said Nazreen. ‘I know these places can be triggering.’
‘It’s okay,’ said Marisa. ‘I can do it.’
Marisa had only done one other RGL in her career. They were rare, heart-rending occasions. There was only one reason people were allowed to get married without due notice.
The small cottage hospital was indeed just on the other side of the causeway. Marisa had got Archie the fisherman to take her and sat hugging herself in the galley of the boat, her eyes half shut, telling herself to get out of her own way; if ever a day wasn’t about her, it was today. Fortunately, Archie was happy to chatter on about how busy they were, and hadn’t it been amazing saving the causeway and what a great place they lived in.