‘First thing tomorrow you come down here with a letter saying sorry, understand?’
The four of them nodded.
‘And you can pay Barbara back now for the drinks you stole.’
The taller boy groaned. ‘But we don’t have no money. Look!’
He turned out his pockets as evidence.
‘I have,’ Shannon piped up, producing a tatty black purse from the tasselled bag on her shoulder and fishing out a five-pound note, which she passed to Barbara.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘We was bang out of order.’
Barbara harrumphed, but turned and walked back to the pub, shaking her head and muttering as she went.
Time was getting on and Liz was concerned about missing Tabitha, so she asked the teens if they’d like to join her for a soft drink.
‘Nah.’ Shannon kicked a pebble at her feet while the other girl laughed nervously. ‘We’re going for a walk. It’s a gorgeous evening.’
‘It’s a gorgeous evening,’ mimicked the tallest lad at the back and his friend told him to shut up, but Liz ignored them.
‘How are your brothers – and your dad?’ she went on as Shannon shifted uncomfortably.
‘All right, I s’pose. Well, my dad’s a waste of space, no change there. He’s at home with the boys,’ she added quickly, as if Liz might start asking awkward questions.
The shorter boy passed a fag to the other girl, who took a puff. Neither she nor Shannon were exactly dressed for a walk, in full make-up, teeny tops with spaghetti straps, skirts that barely covered their knickers and stiletto shoes.
‘I gave you my phone number and address, didn’t I?’ Liz asked gently, and Shannon nodded. ‘Do call sometime. I’d love to see you and the boys.’
Liz watched as they sauntered off, fake-innocently, past the jetty. As soon as they rounded the corner wild laughter broke out, mingled with expletives and followed by the thud and clatter of running feet. Liz wondered if they’d make for the cliffs and walk to Shannon’s cottage across the fields, but it was a long way. Or maybe they’d double back and try to catch a bus. They’d be lucky, though, at this hour.
She tried to tell herself that Shannon wasn’t her problem, but couldn’t help worrying all the same. The truth was, though, that unless the girl chose to come to her for help, there was little more that she could do.
*
It wasn’t easy to manoeuvre her way back into the pub as yet more folk had arrived, and Liz didn’t even bother to try to get to the bar but forced her way through the throng towards the room where the musicians were performing. It was handy being small, because people tended not to notice what you were doing until you’d squeezed past.
It was the interval still and the noise of chatter had become almost deafening. She spotted Esme and Jenny Lambert, but they were too far off so she merely waved.
‘What’s coming up next?’ she heard the tall, attractive young woman beside her ask her pretty, shorter companion.
‘A female singer, I think. Then there’s a boy band to finish.’
The shorter girl, who had a dark-brown bob, took a swig of her drink. ‘I’m starving. D’you think they serve food?’
‘Dunno. You should have eaten more of that dinner.’
The dark-haired girl pulled a face, her friend laughed and Liz wondered where they were staying. Their accents weren’t local and she imagined that they must be holidaymakers. There again, plenty of folk from all over moved to Cornwall for the lifestyle; though they tended to be retirees seeking balmier weather and a quieter existence.
At that moment Danny appeared on stage with a microphone. Like his staff, he was wearing jeans and a red T-shirt, and he looked high on the success of the night so far. He must have been making a fortune at the bar as the tills hadn’t stopped ringing.
‘Our next act,’ he announced, ‘is a hugely talented artist from Liverpool...’
There was a roar of approval and some folk chanted, ‘Scouser, Scouser!’ Danny smiled and raised a hand to quieten them.
‘An artist from Liverpool,’ he went on, ‘who performed widely with her band, Juniper Sling, before taking the plunge recently to go solo.’
There was a low murmuring, the sound of people clearing their throats, a few coughs.
‘This is her first gig for a while and we’re honoured that she’s chosen us as her guinea pigs.’ He grinned again and Liz felt her heart flutter on Tabitha’s behalf. She must be feeling so nervous right now. It wasn’t just old hits that she’d be singing, it was her own compositions, some of which she’d been working on for months.
‘She’s got a stunning voice and she’s feeling pretty anxious,’ Danny continued, echoing Liz’s thoughts, ‘so I hope you’ll give her a warm Cornish welcome.’
There were shouts of approval, followed by stamping feet.
‘Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome... Tabitha!’
The crowd clapped enthusiastically and Liz reflected that it was probably just as well her friend had chosen to drop the surname Mallon. Luke was notorious around here, and the more she managed to distance herself, the better. Soon she arrived, Danny handed her the microphone and she made her way to centre stage, her silver dress shimmering in the artificial light.
‘Thank you so much,’ she said, flicking away her hair and blinking in the glare. ‘It’s great to be here.’ She fiddled with her dress, pulling it down, but kept her brown eyes fixed on the crowd.
‘Tremarnock has a very special place in my heart,’ she went on steadily. ‘Although I grew up in the north, this is my home now and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.’
Her voice might have cracked very lightly but she disguised it well by clearing her throat.
‘The people here are the kindest in the world—’
‘Piss-heads, the lot of them!’ someone shouted. ‘Not a sober one among ’em!’
Everybody laughed.
Tabitha turned to the heckler and smiled. ‘They like a drink, yeah, and they definitely eat too many pasties, but I don’t hold that against them.’
More laughter.
‘But seriously, I love living here and I’m really grateful to everyone for making me and my little boy so welcome. So I’d like to dedicate these songs tonight to Tremarnock, and to a very special person called Liz. She knows who she is.’
Tabitha’s eyes scanned the crowd again and Liz, surprised, felt herself redden. She huddled close to her next-door neighbour, hoping to go unnoticed, but she was touched all the same. There was no time to dwell on her friend’s kind words, however, because Tabitha turned to pick up the guitar behind and pull up a stool before sitting down, positioning the instrument on her lap and licking her lips, ready to begin. Then, after a quick introduction to the opening number, she struck her first chords.
It was a simple melody but haunting and lovely. Her voice was low and husky, and the music seemed to fill Liz’s head and course through her veins. It spoke of love, suffering and broken dreams, but there was something else, too. The chorus, like watery sunlight filtering through a cloud, hinted at hope, while the final verse, so quiet that you had to strain your ears to catch the lyrics, surely offered relief and acceptance.
Tabitha held the last note for what seemed like an age and no one moved; you could have heard a pin drop. When she’d finished, she hung her head and the audience erupted in a cacophony of clapping and cheering.
‘She’s really good,’ the blonde girl cried over the hubbub.
‘Gorgeous voice,’ her friend agreed. ‘Haunting song.’
There was a brief pause before Tabitha started up again, and this time the theme was more joyful. Liz turned around and went on tiptoe for a moment, hoping to catch sight of someone she knew, and through a chink in the crowd she spotted Danny by the exit, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed, and gazing at Tabitha with such awe that she might have been a heavenly vision. He was certainly handsome, Liz thought, but he looked thinner. Perhaps it was lovesickness. He’d better make
a move soon or he might waste away.
At last Tabitha rose from the stool and bowed to the audience, mouthing ‘Thank you’ over and over. She looked ecstatic, with good reason because the noise was deafening, and it was some minutes after she’d left the stage that they quietened down. There was to be one more act after another break, and Liz and Esme made their way to the ladies’ before joining the queue at the bar for another drink.
‘Where’s Rick – and Audrey?’ Liz asked, waving a ten-pound note at the bar staff, hoping one of them would spot her.
‘No idea,’ said Esme haughtily. ‘We’re not friends any more.’
‘Really?’ Liz pretended not to know.
‘Carnal desires,’ the older woman muttered darkly. ‘He has no control.’
They decided to take their drinks outside, where they were soon joined by the two young women who had stood next to Liz earlier.
‘It’s so hot in there,’ the tall blonde one complained to her friend, catching Liz’s eye.
She was in her early or mid-twenties, Liz guessed, slender and willowy, with pale English skin, round blue eyes, an arched nose that was just a shade too big, a mouth just a fraction too large and a pronounced dimple in her chin. She was wearing a simple green sundress and flip-flops, and there were several nasty scratches on her slender arms and one on her shoulder that looked quite sore. She didn’t go in for much make-up and her blonde hair, tied back in a ponytail, had darker roots sprouting through. She was certainly striking because of her height and slimness, but it was only after a close inspection that you realised she was actually quite gorgeous in a quirky kind of way. Her features were too uneven to be classically beautiful.
Her friend, meanwhile, was more conventionally pretty, smaller and curvy, with big brown eyes, a slightly upturned nose and a pointed chin. She, too, was casually dressed, in jeans and a white vest top, and she was fanning herself with a leaflet advertising tonight’s event with one hand while the other, bandaged, arm was hanging at her side.
‘Are you here on holiday?’ Liz asked, sensing that the blonde girl wanted to chat.
‘We’ve just moved to Polgarry Manor. Do you know it?’
The penny dropped and Liz’s eyes grew. ‘You’re Lord Penrose’s granddaughter? I heard you were coming but I wasn’t sure when.’
Introductions rapidly followed and Liz was interested to hear about the girls’ first day at the manor. She couldn’t help thinking that it must be strange to have gone from a suburban semi to a rattling old mansion with so many rooms that you couldn’t count them.
‘It’s a bit creepy, to be honest,’ Katie said, as if reading Liz’s mind. ‘Everything’s so old, and there’s this weird housekeeper person called Maria. Do you know her?’
Liz shook her head. ‘I know of her, but she rarely comes into the village. Years ago, people used to see her out with Lord Penrose occasionally, but not after he became infirm.’
She wanted to ask about Bramble’s plans for the manor but was distracted by Danny, who had emerged from the pub and was leaning against the wall, lighting a cigarette. After inhaling deeply, he spotted Liz and Esme and walked over to say hello.
‘Polgarry Manor? Wow! It’s enormous, isn’t it?’ he said when Liz told him who the girls were. ‘I’ve always wondered what it’s like inside.’
Ryan the fishmonger had shuffled closer, with Nathan, the postman, and his girlfriend, Annie, and Liz beckoned them over, too.
‘Come and visit,’ Katie said to Danny, quick as a flash. ‘I’ll show you round.’
Danny looked pleased. ‘I love old buildings.’
‘It’s absolutely stuffed with antiques. And cobwebs.’ She pulled a face.
‘Seen any ghosts?’ He took a puff of his cigarette and grinned.
‘Not yet, but we could do with some company, couldn’t we, Bramble?’ said Katie, flicking her brown bob coquettishly.
Raising her eyebrows, Bramble nodded, while Danny stubbed out his cigarette, picked up the butt and announced that it was time to get back to work. But Katie hadn’t finished with him yet.
‘Can I ask you something?’ she enquired, tipping her head to one side before explaining that she badly needed a job. ‘Have you got any vacancies? I was in a call centre before, but I used to work in a pub after I left school. I’ll do anything – even temporary.’
She seemed awfully keen.
‘Yeah, possibly,’ he replied casually. ‘I think two of my part-timers will be going back to university.’
Katie’s eyes sparkled. ‘I’ll pop in for a chat. Tomorrow morning? About ten?’
He looked a little taken aback. ‘So soon? I’ll probably still be clearing up after tonight. Besides,’ he added, glancing at her bandaged arm as if noticing it for the first time, ‘aren’t you a bit incapacitated at the moment?’
‘It’s only a bruise. It’ll be fine in a day or two.’
Danny turned to Bramble. ‘What about you? Are you looking for a job, too, or will you have enough on your plate being lady of the manor?’ He grinned again.
‘I do need a job, but I’ll have to focus on the manor for a while. There’s so much to do.’
‘Have you got workers lined up?’ Liz asked, assuming that she’d have an army of architects, builders and gardeners at the ready, but Bramble seemed embarrassed.
‘I haven’t got the cash at the moment, to be honest. Once I’d paid the death duties, there wasn’t any left.’
‘I’ll do some gardening for you,’ Ryan piped up in his strong Cornish accent; he’d been quiet up to now. ‘I finish work by four; I could come on over after that. I don’t want anything for it,’ he added swiftly. ‘Money, I mean. I like gardening. I’m pretty handy with the shears.’
It was a very generous offer and Liz couldn’t help thinking that Bramble’s allure might have something to do with it. He seemed quite captivated by Katie, too, come to that.
Bramble eyed him doubtfully, taking in the shaggy brown hair and dense black eyebrows that almost met in the middle. He wasn’t unattractive, but there was a slight fishy pong about him, though his clothes were clean.
‘That’s very kind but I’m sure we can manage,’ she said swiftly. ‘Anyone for another drink?’
Ryan immediately insisted on buying the next round and disappeared inside with Danny while the next band struck up. They were very loud and soon Jenny emerged, looking a little flushed, followed by her husband, John. Hot on his heels were Tony and Felipe and Audrey and Rick, who gazed at Esme with puppy-dog eyes, which she ignored.
‘Where’s Rafael?’ Liz asked Felipe, who’d clearly had a few. As far as she could tell, it was the first time he’d left the boy’s side all evening.
‘He stay here. He loves the music. We are going home.’
Tony frowned. ‘Are you sure this is a good idea, darling? Don’t you think he should come with us?’
‘No, no,’ Felipe insisted. ‘He’s a big boy now. We cannot make him cling to our apron tails any more.’
‘Apron strings,’ Tony said patiently, ‘or coat tails, not apron tails.’
Felipe shrugged. ‘Tails, strings, whatever.’
He stumbled slightly and Tony took his arm. ‘We’d better get you home.’
They headed up South Street, Felipe swaying as he went, and Liz smiled inwardly. She’d bet that he wouldn’t hear the end of it, which was a tad hypocritical as Tony wasn’t averse to a tipple himself when he was in the mood.
‘I think I’ll be off now, too,’ she told the others, before pushing her way back into the pub to say goodbye to Tabitha. The band was still playing but the crowd had thinned a little and it wouldn’t be long now until the gig ended, surely? The place would be closing soon.
It was easy to spot her friend by her distinctive black hair and silver frock. She was perched on a high stool, leaning on the bar and holding a glass of white wine. She seemed deep in conversation and at first Liz couldn’t tell whom she was talking to, until a tall man moved away, clearing the view
, to reveal Danny standing very close to her, his head inclined.
Something in their body language told Liz that for once they weren’t a bundle of nerves, and was it her imagination or were their fingers touching? She smiled to herself and crept quietly away, not wishing to spoil the moment.
7
IT HAD BEEN Katie’s suggestion to summon the land agent and Bramble had leaped at the idea.
‘Of course! Brilliant! Why didn’t we think of it before?’
Now, as she watched the visitor from her first-floor bedroom, leaving his swish black Land Rover and picking his way gingerly through the weeds and up the broken steps to the manor’s old oak door, she felt even more heartened. From his elegant frame in a tweed blazer and tan chinos to his silver-flecked hair, she couldn’t help thinking that if she were going to go through the complicated and tedious process of selling off land, she’d rather be guided by someone whose looks would provide a bit of welcome distraction.
Maria answered the door and the man seemed quite relieved when Bramble hurtled down the stairs a moment later and introduced herself.
‘I didn’t think she could be you,’ he said, turning swiftly from the grim-faced housekeeper and extending a hand to the younger woman. His hand was smooth and soft and Bramble noticed a gold ring on his pinkie finger.
‘Piers Fenton-Wallis,’ he continued, reaching into his breast pocket and passing her an embossed silver business card. ‘Delighted to make your acquaintance.’
‘I’m so glad you could come,’ she gushed, searching involuntarily for the heart-shaped stud in her ear and twiddling it around. She was dressed in the short, navy, cotton shirtdress that she’d often worn for work. ‘I’m rather hoping you can save me from destitution.’
He smiled, revealing a row of small, even teeth that seemed particularly white against his summer tan, or perhaps he was always brown. Now she thought about it, he seemed like the type to go on winter Caribbean holidays and ski trips every spring. He looked as if he knew how to have fun.
‘Always pleased to help a damsel in distress.’ His eyes swept around the marble-floored hallway, taking in the paintings, the furniture and the stuffed animal heads. ‘My! This is a fine old place. I’ve never been inside before. An absolute jewel!’
Tremarnock Summer Page 9