Читать книгу Fully Booked – Part 2 - Cressida McLaughlin, Cressida McLaughlin - Страница 5

‘Maybe if we back off a bit, he’ll decide to come out of his own accord?’

The voice was coming from the top of the stairs, and Robin Brennan paused at the bottom of them, frowning. It sounded like Mrs Barker, one of the guests who had checked into the Campion Bay Guesthouse the day before – Robin’s first day running the renovated seaside bed and breakfast in the picturesque Dorset town.

‘But we tried that for ages,’ said a younger voice. ‘I think he’s in for the long haul, unless we can actually get to him.’ Robin thought that was Catriona, who was staying in Rockpool, the sea-themed room with the aquarium wall, with her boyfriend, Neil. He was the one who spoke next.

‘I don’t see how we’re going to do that, unless anyone happens to have any chicken or prawns on them? Shit, what are we going to say to Robin?’

‘I’m sure by the time she returns it will all be resolved,’ Mrs Barker said, though her tone wasn’t very convincing.

Unable to restrain her curiosity any longer, Robin dumped her shopping bags on the floor, hung her coat on the hook in the hall and climbed the stairs to the first floor. She knocked on the door, which was already wide open, her movements slowing as she took in the scene in front of her.

All three of her guests were crouched on the floor around the bed; Catriona looked like she was in the process of crawling underneath it, and the top of the chest of drawers and floor surrounding it was a mess of sugar, teabags and make-up. It looked like there had been a mini explosion in the room, and the occupants were trying to retrieve something vital from where it had landed, just out of reach.

‘Hello?’ she asked. ‘Is everything OK? I heard voices and I wondered if I could be of any help?’

Neil turned towards her, his eyes widening in alarm. ‘We’ve got a bit of an issue.’

‘Easily solvable, I’m sure,’ Mrs Barker quickly added, putting her weight on the duvet cover and pulling herself up to standing.

‘It’s my fault,’ Catriona said, her voice muffled. ‘I left the door open and when I came out of the bathroom, Eclipse was climbing up there.’ She gestured forlornly at the huge tropical fish tank set in the wall, and Robin could just make out scratches in the turquoise paintwork alongside it.

‘Ah,’ she said, pressing her lips together.

‘And then when Catriona tried to get him off,’ Neil said, ‘he jumped out of her arms, bounced across the chest of drawers and lodged himself under the bed. Now none of us can reach him.’

‘I promise we’ll pay for any damages,’ Catriona rushed. ‘Nothing looks broken, I think it’s just the paint.’

Robin crouched next to Catriona and put a hand on her shoulder. ‘He didn’t scratch you, did he?’

Catriona shook her head sheepishly.

‘Then no damage done,’ Robin said softly. ‘Eclipse is my responsibility. He’s curious and he’s not going to ignore a huge tank of fish when he discovers it. It’s not up to you to keep the door closed. As long as you’re OK, and none of your things have been broken, then that’s the main thing.’

Catriona visibly relaxed, and Neil sighed behind her.

‘So all that remains,’ Mrs Barker said, ‘is to work out how to get your kitten out from under the bed.’

‘I’m pretty sure I can solve that one. Give me a moment.’ Robin squeezed Neil’s arm reassuringly as she left the room and set off down the stairs, silently berating herself for letting her guests get in that situation. She didn’t know how she could stop Eclipse exploring when the bedroom doors were open; she’d have to be stricter about where he could go when she was out of the house, when she wouldn’t be available to deal with any issues that arose. She collected the pot of cat treats from the kitchen cupboard and hurried back to Rockpool, shaking it as she crouched on the floor.

Within two seconds the kitten appeared, his front paws clawing into the rug to pull himself out from his hiding space. He purred loudly, his eyes shut in contentment as he wound himself around her, as if to prove that he was the loveliest and most well-behaved cat in the world.

‘You little terror,’ she said, and then to her guests: ‘I’m sorry to have caused you so much upset.’

Catriona knelt next to her and stroked Eclipse. ‘You haven’t, honestly. I was just worried he’d be stuck under there for ever, and I’m so sorry about the wall.’

‘Please don’t be,’ Robin urged. ‘I can have that patched up in no time. Don’t feel bad about my cat’s terrible behaviour. I’ll take him downstairs before he can cause any more damage.’ She lifted Eclipse into her arms and he went limp, looking up at her adoringly. ‘What a suck-up. Let me fix you afternoon tea to make up for this, I’ve bought some fresh cream cakes that I shouldn’t eat all by myself.’

Mrs Barker sighed. ‘It sounds lovely, but I’ve got to go and retrieve my husband. I left him talking to a local fisherman on the beach an hour ago, and we’re meant to be walking into town this evening.’

‘I’ll have a cake,’ Catriona said. ‘I must have used up a few hundred calories wiggling backwards and forwards under the bed.’

Robin took Eclipse downstairs and was arranging the cakes on a plate when her phone buzzed with a message from Molly: Will is going to love it here. Debrief soon. Xx

Robin’s stomach flipped over. Will Nightingale had turned up, bedraggled and looking for shelter, on Robin’s doorstep the night before. She’d discovered that he was the nephew of Tabitha, who had lived in number four Goldcrest Road, the house next to hers, until her death the year before. With Will requesting a room, she’d been forced to break the seal on her most special room, Starcross, and let him and his adorable Cavapoo, Darcy, stay in it. As soon as she’d mentioned him to Molly earlier that day, her friend had come up with a plan to convince Will not to sell his aunt’s house, surreptitiously showing him how wonderful Campion Bay was so he’d never want to leave. Molly had given her plan the ridiculous name Campaign Tawtaw, and from her text Robin thought her friend must have already started to put that plan into action.

She’d known Will for less than a day, and yet in that time Robin had offered to help him sort through his aunt’s house, had gone above and beyond the role of fledgeling guesthouse owner, and had – if she was being perfectly honest with herself – spent rather a lot of time thinking about the man with the toffee-coloured hair and startlingly green eyes.

Because of this, she was uncomfortable that Molly wanted to go behind his back to try to convince him not to sell. She would prefer him to stay, but felt that it made sense to tell him outright what was going on.

And if she was a part of her friend’s plan, didn’t that mean that she, too, was going behind Tim’s back? Tim Lewis had been her childhood sweetheart growing up in Campion Bay and, since her return, had begun to show a renewed interested in her, despite the inauspicious way their relationship had ended. He was sniffing around number four Goldcrest Road with his property-developer mindset, which was why Molly had suggested getting Will inadvertently on their side, playing Tim at his own ruthless game.

She tapped out a reply to her friend. What are you doing? Don’t be too obvious. She shouldn’t be encouraging Molly at all – she should tell her that she wasn’t going to have any part of it. But Molly was her closest friend, and she didn’t want to risk upsetting their friendship. She was also concerned that if she told Will about Tim’s plans for his aunt’s house, he might be encouraged to take him up on whatever he was offering, especially after seeing the state of the house for herself earlier that day. Shoving her phone back in her trouser pocket she took a tray of cakes and tea to Neil and Catriona.

Once her guests had all returned in a flurry of activity and then left again for their various evening entertainments, Robin put her dinner in the oven and sat on the stool in front of the old upright piano in Sea Shanty. She’d had it tuned, the dust on the keys removed, the wood polished until it gleamed. She had hardly played since she’d been back in Campion Bay, and not at all when she’d lived in London, so to say she was rusty was an understatement.

She pressed middle C, let the sound echo out in the quiet room, and then pressed D. At least with a piano the individual notes sounded good even if you didn’t know what you were doing. With a wind instrument, the hesitation came out with each breath. She thought back to the tunes she had once known off by heart: ‘Chopsticks’, ‘The Entertainer’, and the Beverly Hills Cop theme she’d learnt from a boy at primary school.

The memories seemed to have stayed in her fingers, if not her head, and while she was far from note-perfect, she found that the sound she was making wasn’t awful. Eclipse didn’t move from his position on the sofa, which she took as a good sign, and it was only when the smoke alarm went off that she realised she’d played through the timer.

‘Shit!’ She ran into the kitchen, which was now impersonating a horror film set, the smoke thick and acrid. Shoving on the oven glove, she took out what was left of her chicken Kiev and put it on the thermo-mat. It was a shrivelled, sizzling black lump, the potatoes boiled dry and foul-smelling in their saucepan. She flapped at the smoke alarm to shut it up, left the ruined food to cool down and began grating some cheddar.

‘Bonfires usually take place outside, you know.’

Robin jumped and turned to see Will standing in the doorway. She had taken him a cup of tea that morning, while he was trying to sort out the leak in Tabitha’s house that had resulted in him appearing on her doorstep in the first place. He had looked messy then, but now he was a complete wreck. His T-shirt’s original colour was unguessable, his face was a mixture of grime and sweat, and his hair was flattened and dusty. But his green eyes shone out at her, despite his obvious weariness.

‘How many rounds did you go with the house?’ she asked. ‘Not that it matters, you clearly lost.’

Will gave her a triumphant smile. ‘I won, actually. The plumbing is fixed for now, though at some point I’ll need to get a professional to take a look at it. And I’ve cleared one of the rooms to an acceptable level. Six bin bags and a year’s worth of dirt later, my first day’s work is done. And it wouldn’t have gone nearly so smoothly without refreshment breaks, so thank you.’

‘You’re welcome,’ she said. ‘It sounds like you’ve made lots of progress. Though I, uhm …’ she gestured towards him ‘… not sure about the new look.’ She didn’t want to be rude, but she’d spent a lot of time getting her guesthouse up to a luxurious standard, and she didn’t know how much of the grime on his clothes was indelible grease.

He glanced down and then looked at her, aghast. ‘God, I’m so sorry. How about I leave these clothes next door? I haven’t tried the shower yet, though, so if I could …’ He pointed in the vague direction of Starcross.

‘Of course,’ Robin said hurriedly. ‘And you don’t have to leave your clothes next door. But if you could maybe get changed in here?’ She gestured to the kitchen. ‘I can find you a robe, I’m sure.’

‘Oh. No problem.’ He moved carefully into the kitchen, passing her, and Robin set off down the hall, abandoning her half-grated cheese. The door to her bedroom was opposite the door into Sea Shanty. She stood inside and looked frantically around for the robe she’d promised him, her eyes falling on the short, silk summer dressing gown, navy with silvery stars covering it, hanging on the wardrobe door.

‘Shit.’

There were towelling robes in all of the bedrooms, but that would mean going up to Starcross. She hurried back into the hall, trying to remember if there was a spare in Sea Shanty that she could give to Will, and almost ran straight into him. He was heading towards the stairs, carrying his clothes in a bundle, and she found herself very close to his broad chest. Her eyes followed it down, to his toned stomach and then a hint of red boxers behind the clothes and boots in his arms.

‘Sorry!’ she squeaked, dragging her gaze up to meet his.

‘You disappeared.’ He gave her a lopsided smile. ‘I thought I could sneak away unnoticed. That’s failed, clearly.’

‘Yes, well, you wouldn’t have wanted my robe anyway. It wouldn’t have covered much more …’ Her voice trailed off and she felt her cheeks turn as red as his boxer shorts.

He cleared his throat. ‘Do you want any help with your bonfire when I come down?’

She shook her head. ‘It’s beyond rescuing. I’m going for cheese on toast, if you want any? I wasn’t sure if you had plans for tonight.’ Apart from standing half-naked in my hallway. He didn’t seem that embarrassed, certainly nowhere near as flustered as she was, and she was the one who’d asked him to strip in the first place.

‘No plans,’ he said. ‘I’ve not got enough energy to hit the nightspots of Campion Bay, whatever those might be. I didn’t realise you offered a restaurant service.’

‘Only cheese on toast,’ she blurted, and then added weakly: ‘It’s my specialty.’

‘I’d love some. Give me ten minutes?’ He glanced down apologetically and Robin nodded, dropping her gaze to the floor. Darcy was sitting quietly between them, her brown eyes wide with curiosity, and Robin’s blush went deeper.

‘Take as long as you need.’ She heard him climb the stairs and then, despite the strong urge to see what the boxers looked like from behind, when she was sure he’d turned the corner to the second flight, raised her head and exhaled. She would have to tell him about Molly’s plan to charm him into staying. She couldn’t bear the thought of lying to him; there was something about Will Nightingale – a man who was comfortable talking to her in only his boxer shorts – that demanded honesty.

The sun had picked that Sunday evening to set spectacularly, bold streaks of peach and fuchsia lighting up the sky, highlighting the dark waves with a golden edge. Robin and Will stood side by side in Sea Shanty watching it, with the window open and the sound of the waves filling their awed, slightly uncomfortable, silence.

‘Sunsets never look this impressive in London,’ Will said eventually. ‘Mainly because there just isn’t as much sky. The buildings dilute the effect.’

‘It is a hazard, living down here,’ Robin admitted. ‘Being in sight of the sea the whole time means there’s always something interesting to watch. I could spend entire days standing here, watching boats pass or the different cloud formations, or just people walking by on their way to the beach or town.’

‘Ah, people watching.’ Will nodded knowingly. ‘One of the greatest pastimes.’

‘I expect you got to do a lot of that, working at a stately home?’

‘I did,’ Will said. ‘Meeting new people was one of the best parts of the job. You’re ideally placed for human observation too – inviting guests into what is essentially your home.’

‘I am,’ Robin said, surprised. ‘I hadn’t thought of it like that. But, let’s face it, only a day in and I’ve already had a few interesting things happen.’

She felt Will shift slightly beside her. ‘I take it you’re referring to the imbecile who turned up on your doorstep at midnight looking like he’d just gone for a swim.’

‘Well, there’s that,’ Robin said, smiling.

‘And, Robin, about before. I really did think I had time to get upstairs.’

She shook her head. ‘It’s forgotten. Well, not forgotten, but – I had a cat saga this afternoon. I’m going to have to get used to eventful days.’

‘Cat saga?’ Will turned to her, his brows lowered. His hair was fluffy after his shower and, she assumed, some extensive towel drying, and she realised that the frown didn’t sit well on his face. Maybe it was because it obscured his eyes, but she got the general impression that he didn’t do bad-humoured very often.

‘I’ll tell you all about it, but I’d better rescue the cheese on toast or it’ll go the same way as dinner number one.’

They sat opposite each other at the long table, the golden cheese still fizzing on top of the toast, with pots of Robin’s homemade garlic mayonnaise on the side and large mugs of steaming tea.

‘It doesn’t work with anything else,’ Robin said. ‘Cheese on toast can’t be improved with wine or beer – or even coffee. It has to be tea.’

Will narrowed his eyes, cut a soldier off his toast and dipped it in the mayonnaise. ‘Did you say you made this mayonnaise? It’s delicious.’

Robin sat back, enjoying the compliment before she gave the game away. ‘It’s Hellmann’s mayo. I just added some crushed garlic cloves.’

Will nodded, a smile tugging at the edges of his mouth. ‘Classy move. Why go to the effort of making it from scratch when a couple of well-placed modifications will do?’

‘I am running a guesthouse, after all,’ Robin said. ‘I have to strike the right balance between quality and efficiency.’

‘It sounds like you’re already a pro.’ Will sipped his tea and glanced towards the sofas, where Darcy had chosen to snooze.

‘My parents ran the guesthouse before me,’ Robin said. ‘So I grew up in the environment, absorbing it all without ever considering that I would end up making my living this way.’

‘This wasn’t your plan all along, then?’

Robin shook her head. ‘I lived in London for a long time, and only moved back here last year. My parents wanted to move to France, and it seemed like the logical thing to do, taking over from them. I’ve restyled it completely, though. My parents didn’t go in for room names or themes.’

‘It’s a great idea. I saw the other rooms in your welcome pack, and I think I should be staying in Wilderness.’ He smiled at her, and Robin took a moment to get the joke.

‘Ah,’ she said, ‘Bear Grylls. Of course.’ Remembering how Will had compared himself to the celebrity adventurer when they’d first met. ‘Well, Starcross is my favourite room, so in my opinion you’ve got the best deal.’ She glanced at the table, suddenly embarrassed that she’d admitted this to him.

‘I’m honoured. And a little bemused, if I’m honest.’ Will mopped the last of the mayonnaise up with his final piece of toast and rested his elbows on the table. He was wearing a navy jumper speckled with threads of different colours, the sleeves rolled up, exposing his forearms and reminding Robin – as if she was likely to forget – that she’d seen a lot more of him than that.

‘Why?’ Robin asked, wrapping her hands around her large mug and letting the steam hit her face.

‘Because – and don’t take this the wrong way – I hadn’t expected everyone to be so friendly.’

Robin felt a wave of discomfort. ‘You’ve come from London to the seaside. Everyone’s bound to be friendlier down here – we’re not all trying to live our lives at a hundred miles an hour.’

‘Yeah, but this is extreme. The guy from the teashop a few doors down – Ashley – brought me a box of cupcakes as a welcome present. And then he stayed and helped me bag up loads of rubbish. How did he know I was here? And does everyone go out of their way to help here – I mean, all the time? How do you live your own lives?’

Robin closed her eyes. Will is going to love it here. Molly must have asked Ashley to take those cakes round to him.

‘It … uh, Will?’

‘Yes?’ He looked directly at her, his face open and expectant, clearly pleased by the acts of kindness, and Robin found she couldn’t tell him. She should, but already, the thought that he might see her behaviour towards him – offering to help with Tabitha’s house, the cheese on toast – as something other than genuine, was too horrible. And if she told him about Tim’s plan for his aunt’s house, and of Molly and Mrs Harris’s concerns about the possible development, then that’s what he would think. It was inevitable that her kindness would be seen as part of Molly’s charm offensive, with the sole aim of stopping him from selling the house to Tim.

He gave her a questioning smile when she didn’t answer. ‘Are you OK?’

‘Yes, sure. Of course. What flavour cakes are they?’

‘Sorry?’

‘The cakes Ashley brought you? What flavour? They do an amazing lemon and poppy seed muffin down there, and their scones are the best I’ve tasted.’

‘I haven’t even looked, to be honest,’ Will said. ‘I was so busy sorting things out that I just took the box and put it down …’ His words faded away and his eyes widened. ‘Shit, I’ve left them at Tabitha’s house.’

‘Well, that’s OK, I don’t think the grime will be able to get inside the box.’

‘But what about the furry friend Darcy was so terrified of?’ Will was already standing. ‘After having to hunt out scraps in an abandoned house for the last six months, mice will home straight in on cake. I’ll be back in a few minutes, and if they’ve survived, we can have them for pudding – the cakes, not the mice.’ He grinned at her.

‘You don’t need to—’

‘You provided the first course, it’s only fair. Darcy, stay.’ He pointed at the little dog who, from what Robin could see, had no intention of leaving her cosy spot on the sofa, and hurried out of the room.

Robin couldn’t resist.

As soon as Will had gone she went over to the sofa and sat next to Darcy, putting her hands in the Cavapoo’s soft, springy fur. Darcy sniffed and moved her head forwards, licking Robin’s hand with her rough tongue. Robin bent and buried her nose in the dog’s coat, and then felt the lightest weight land on her lap. She sat up to find Eclipse looking at her, his kitten eyes too big for his face. He gave a squeak of a meow, and then put a paw out and tentatively tapped Darcy’s leg.

Robin held her breath, waiting for Darcy to spring to her feet and bark, but Eclipse kept pawing gently and Darcy just looked at the small cat, her eyes barely visible beneath curly eyebrows, and after a moment started whining, so quietly that Robin could only just hear.

‘Oh, Darcy,’ she said, stroking the dog with one hand and Eclipse with the other, ‘it’s OK. Eclipse won’t hurt you, he’s about a fifth of your size. You won’t, will you?’ She smiled at her cat and he blinked at her. ‘You could be great friends. It would be like Homeward Bound, only without the horrendous journey.’

The doorbell pealed and, thinking Will had forgotten his key, Robin put Eclipse in her space next to Darcy and went to answer it. When she opened the door, it wasn’t Will and some cupcakes smiling down at her.

‘Tim,’ she said, swallowing down the panic. ‘Hello.’

‘Robin. How are you?’ He stepped into the hallway before she had invited him. He was still wearing his suit, dark grey with a white shirt beneath. The tie had gone, the top button open, and he looked like a model doing post-work dishevelled for a magazine shoot. ‘How was your first night with a house full of holiday makers?’

‘Good,’ she said, and then remembered she hadn’t told Will about the incident with Eclipse in Rockpool, just as she realised she didn’t want to give Tim this anecdote. Even though it was harmless, revealing any signs of imperfection to Tim didn’t sit right with her. ‘I’ve actually got a full house. Someone booked into my last empty room yesterday evening, so it couldn’t have gone better.’

She gave him a bright smile and he nodded distractedly, surveying the hallway as if talking to her was bottom of his to-do list.

‘Can I help you with anything? Did you come round for a drink, or …?’

‘No,’ Tim said. ‘I came by with a question. You see, I’ve heard that—’

His words were cut off by a loud commotion coming from Sea Shanty, which Robin recognised as unhappy animals.

‘Oh no.’ She rushed into the room to find Eclipse standing on the arm of the sofa, his tail fluffed, squeaking down at Darcy, who had managed to fit herself under the piano stool. Anyone else would have found her kitten’s attempt at dominance hilarious, but she already knew that Darcy was lacking in the bravery department.

‘Eclipse,’ she said, pulling him into her arms. ‘What happened? What did she do to you? I’m sorry Darcy’s here; I shouldn’t have left you alone together so soon. I promise she’s lovely, and if you just give it time …’ She stroked him and eventually his body stopped shaking, his purrs much louder than his attempts at meowing. She kissed him on the forehead and put him gently on the sofa. He eyed Darcy warily.

Tim appeared in the doorway. ‘That’s a lot of commotion for such a small cat.’

‘It’s my fault,’ Robin said. ‘I should have prepared him for dogs.’ She crouched next to the piano stool, turning her back on Tim. ‘Come on, Darcy, you can come out now. I’m sorry about Eclipse. He’s just protecting his territory.’ She stroked her paw and the dog padded forward, whimpering, and allowed Robin to gather her on to her lap. ‘You’re a soft thing. You and Will are like chalk and cheese.’

‘Who’s Will?’ Tim asked. ‘And more to the point, who’s this? Are you opening a home for stray animals as well as a guesthouse? I’m not sure they’re the most harmonious businesses.’

‘This is Darcy,’ Robin said. ‘She belongs to a guest. And I shouldn’t have left her alone with Eclipse – not so soon.’ The dog was still whimpering, but Eclipse had calmed down and was curled into a ball, almost lost against the navy fabric of the sofa.

‘Right,’ Tim said, his pale brows knitting together, his voice laced with irritation. ‘Look, Robs, I just came round to ask about next door. Malcolm hasn’t had a chance to get in touch with Tabitha’s family yet – there’s a nephew he’s tracked down – but I heard that someone’s moved in. And the curtains were open as I passed.’

Robin focused on Darcy, rubbing the thick fur on her nose. ‘You’ve been driving past?’ She knew she sounded cross, but if she ended up being the reason Tim and Will met, and then Tim used his salesman tactics to secure a sale while Will was off guard and undecided, then she’d have let everyone on Goldcrest Road down, not to mention lost Will before she’d even got to know him properly. It was so hard to think with Tim standing over her.

‘I drove past just now,’ he said. ‘There’s a light on, too. If you don’t know anything, then that’s fine.’ Robin didn’t answer. He shrugged and turned towards the door, and Robin breathed a sigh of relief. But then his whole body stiffened and he rotated slowly, staring down at her. ‘Hang on. You mentioned someone called Will?’

‘Did I?’ Her voice was falsely light.

‘You said to the dog that it and Will were like chalk and cheese. Will is the name of Tabitha’s nephew.’

‘It is? What a coincidence.’

‘Robin, come on. You’ve always been a terrible liar. Is it Will next door? Is Tabitha’s nephew in Campion Bay?’

‘Tim.’ His name came out as a sigh as her brain scrambled madly for a way to get out of this, just for tonight. She needed more time with Will before Tim got his claws in, so that he was more resilient against the expert sales patter. She stood slowly, placing Darcy on the floor and facing him at full height. ‘Today has been so busy. Is there any chance we could have this conversation tomorrow?’

‘Why?’ Tim asked, folding his arms over his chest. ‘I’m pretty sure I know the answer to my question. What I’m not so clear on is why you would want to hide it from me.’

Because I don’t want Will to sell to you, she thought, unable to meet his gaze. I want him to stay here, to become my neighbour. Nobody wants you to do this. Saying the words in her head made her feel better, but it didn’t give her a reply that she could actually use.

The front door banged and she closed her eyes, knowing she was out of time. Darcy barked and raced into the hall.

‘The mouse didn’t get them,’ Will called. ‘And I’m not sure what the flavours are, but they might be lemon and chocolate. Hey, Darcy, I wasn’t that long, come on.’

Will appeared in the doorway of Sea Shanty and came to a sudden stop. ‘Oh, hello.’

‘Will,’ Robin said, swallowing down her panic, ‘this is—’

‘Tim Lewis.’ Tim was advancing on Will with his hand out, a grin planted firmly on his face, beaming smile switched on like Christmas lights. ‘Great to meet you. Robin’s been telling me a lot about you. It’s so nice to see a new face in Campion Bay – these seaside towns need a new insurgence of life from time to time, don’t you think?’

Robin watched as Will gave Tim a wary smile and held his free hand out. Tim had, in only a few seconds, already made her complicit in his plans by suggesting she’d been talking to him about Will. She wanted to kick his ankles, to push him out of the front door and tell him never to come back. Instead, she offered the two men cups of tea and hurried to the kitchen, thinking her only chance now was to act as mediator, to temper Tim’s advances.

She didn’t want to leave them alone for too long. Knowing Tim, she thought it might only be minutes before the damage he did was irreparable.