Harper
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First published in Great Britain by Harper 2016
Copyright © Cressida McLaughlin 2016
Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2016
Cover illustration by Alice Stevenson
Cressida McLaughlin asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
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Ebook Edition © April 2016 ISBN: 9780008164270
Version 2016-04-11
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
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About the Author
Also by Cressida McLaughlin
About the Publisher
Chapter 1
By the time Summer passed under the familiar, brick bridge just before Willowbeck, she could barely keep her eyes open. The journey down the river, from Tivesham back to The Canal Boat Café’s original home, had taken several hours, and the weather was hot and turning humid, almost stiflingly unpleasant. Sweat was running down her back, and she could feel the tightness of her skin on her cheeks and forehead where the sun had been hitting it for much of the day.
Latte and Archie were curled on the deck at her feet, their playfulness long since extinguished in the heat, their small bodies panting, Summer and Mason checking that the water bowl was always topped up. Summer was finding the gentle chug of her narrowboat increasingly soporific, and couldn’t wait to have a cool shower, slip into some fresh, loose clothes, and curl up on the sofa. But, she realized, she was lucky. After everything that had happened, she had escaped relatively unscathed. Tomorrow, the clean-up for The Canal Boat Café would begin, and Summer could begin to put the nighttime break-in on her boat behind her.
Mason appeared with two cold bottles of lemonade from the café’s fridge. ‘I’ve put the money on the side table next to the sofa,’ he said.
‘You didn’t need to do that,’ Summer said, gratefully accepting the bottle and taking a long swig. ‘You didn’t need to do anything you’ve done, and you certainly don’t have to pay for your refreshment while you’re doing it.’
Mason shrugged and leaned against the boat, giving her a lazy smile. Summer knew he must be as exhausted as she was. His movements were without their usual energy, and he’d replaced his black-framed glasses with sunglasses, so she could only guess at how tired he looked beneath them.
‘Do you want me to take over for a bit?’ Mason asked. They’d shared the steering all the way down the river, Mason refusing to leave Summer and go back in the car with Dennis. Summer had accepted his offer immediately, not wanting to be alone on the boat yet.
‘I don’t think it’s worth it now,’ Summer said, as they emerged from the under the bridge and into the slightly narrowed river, the willow trees in full leaf, green and shivering above the blue water. Summer inhaled, her pulse increasing as the moorings came into view. There was Valerie’s purple boat Moonshine, and The Black Swan on the hill, its picnic tables full of families and couples, groups of friends with pitchers of beer in the summer afternoon. Ducks and geese wove their way in between the tables searching for a spare chip or corner of a sandwich.
‘Here we are,’ she said, unsure whether it was relief, excitement or dread that was making her feel suddenly jumpy. ‘Home sweet home.’ She began the slow process of turning the boat round, negotiating it back into her residential mooring between Moonshine and Mason’s boat, The Sandpiper. The visitor moorings were all full, the towpath as busy as the pub garden, with people enjoying the sunshine. Summer had a flash of memory, to the last days she had been here with her mum, the busyness and the heat, the almost carnival atmosphere. It was getting close to the anniversary of her mum’s death, but she wasn’t prepared to think about that now.
‘I’ll get ready with the ropes.’ Mason disappeared, leaving Summer to focus on the manoeuvre, waiting while a yellow narrowboat called Sunny Spells chugged past.
‘A café eh?’ the helmsman called. ‘Could have done with you this morning. Late night last night, and an early coffee would have been welcome.’
‘Sorry!’ Summer called. ‘I’m back now.’
‘Just as we’re off.’
‘You’ll have to make a return visit, then.’ Summer grinned.
‘Might well do that,’ he called and gave her a wave as he headed in the direction they’d just come from.
Summer tried to concentrate, keeping an eye on each part of the boat as she turned it slowly round. She was aware that lots of the pub visitors were watching with interest, ready either to applaud or laugh depending on whether she made it back into her mooring, or made a huge mess of it and ended up parked across the river, stopping the other boats from passing. A couple of months ago she wouldn’t have felt remotely confident, but being with Claire and the other roving traders, moving from one mooring to another, had given her invaluable experience, and she slid The Canal Boat Café into its mooring with barely any to and fro. Mason hopped on to the towpath and tied the ropes, flourishing his hands in Summer’s direction when a group of friends sitting at one of the pub’s picnic tables gave them some half-hearted applause.
Summer turned off the engine and gulped down the rest of her lemonade. Mason joined her, and the dogs, perhaps sensing the sudden stillness of the boat, woke up and raised their heads expectantly.
‘That,’ Summer said, leaning against the boat, ‘was a very long day.’ She turned to look at Mason. ‘But I couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you so much for all your help, for coming to my rescue.’
‘It was the least I could do,’ Mason said.
‘Why? You don’t owe me anything.’
Mason shook his head. ‘I’m not sure, after our walk, the way we left things …’
Summer hesitated. Their last meeting, when Mason had surprised her to take her for a walk in the countryside, had started perfectly, but when Claire had interrupted their dinner, reminding Mason about his past, he’d closed down and, very briefly, turned his frustrations on Summer. She wanted to clear the air properly, but wasn’t sure she’d do the subject justice when she was so tired.
‘At least now we’ll have a chance to talk, properly. If you want to?’
‘I’d like that. What will you do now?’ He didn’t say it, but Summer knew he was talking about the w
recked café, the inevitable clearing-up process. After Summer had made the decision to move back to Willowbeck, she had contacted the police. With very little to go on, they said she was free to move on, and that they’d be in touch if they had any news. Claire, on the other hand, hadn’t been quite so relaxed about Summer’s decision.
‘I’m not going to do anything tonight,’ Summer said. ‘I’m going to have a shower and then find some food. How about some chips at the pub?’
Mason pushed his sunglasses on to his head. ‘Really?’
‘I need to thank Dennis, and now that I’ve made the decision to be a permanent fixture in Willowbeck, I need to face Jenny head on. Not to confront her, but I need to be assertive, to prove my place here.’
‘You don’t need to prove your existence.’
‘I want us to get on,’ she said. ‘It’s going to take a while, I know, but I’m determined to do it.’
‘I’m all for that,’ Mason said. ‘And I’ve probably got some making up to do myself, after beating their door down in the middle of the night.’
‘Which is also down to me,’ Summer reminded him.
‘You didn’t ask to be burgled,’ he said, his voice softening. ‘But I did feel helpless, having no wheels of my own, unable to be with you as quickly as I wanted without help from elsewhere. I’m lucky Dennis was so accommodating.’
‘And I’m lucky that I ended up with two knights in shining armour. I’m really grateful for you coming, for being there, for travelling back with me. I’ve lived my life fairly independently for a long time, and I guess you don’t realize how alone you are until something like this happens. This has made me see that I’m not on my own at all – you, Dennis, Claire … Valerie too. Amongst all this, it’s the most heartening thing.’ She felt a swell of emotion and swallowed it quickly, putting it down to tiredness.
‘The boating community looks out for each other,’ Mason said, ‘but on a personal level, I’m glad that I was able to come.’
‘Even if you did have to see Dennis in his pyjamas.’
Mason gave her a sideways look. ‘I’m pretty sure he doesn’t wear any.’
Summer laughed and screwed her nose up. ‘Stop there, please. Right, shall I meet you at seven? I’ll ask Valerie too.’
‘Done.’
Summer watched him click his fingers at Archie. To her surprise, the disobedient Border terrier sprang up immediately and bounded after him on to the towpath. Summer started laughing and Mason looked at her, eyebrows raised innocently.
‘What?’ he asked.
‘Have you drugged him?’
Mason grinned and stepped on board The Sandpiper, his dog close at his heels.
After one of the most satisfying showers of her life, and feeling much fresher and almost awake, Summer stepped off the stern deck and on to the towpath, Latte alongside her. The pub seemed busier than ever, the humid June weather making people seek out cool beers and the breeze coming off the river. In denim shorts and a black vest top, and after a day under the full force of the sun and its reflection bouncing off the water, Summer was looking forward to spending the evening in the shade of the pub.
She knocked on the door of Moonshine, and it took only a few moments for her mum’s best friend to fling open the door, her face a picture of surprise as she saw Summer standing there.
‘You’re back,’ Valerie squealed, flinging her arms around Summer, wrapping her in the musty scent of incense. ‘When did you arrive? Why didn’t you tell me? Summer,’ she held her at arm’s length, her smile wide and sparkling, ‘this is wonderful.’
‘It is … it’s a long story,’ Summer said. ‘But I was wondering, will you join me and Mason for some food at the pub? Outside, if we can find a table.’
Valerie narrowed her eyes. She was wearing a long, sleeveless green dress, the fabric with a faint shimmer, her skin pale, her red hair tied away from her face. ‘You’re voluntarily suggesting we go into Jenny’s domain? What happened to you out there on the river?’
Summer laughed. ‘A lot happened, and I’ll explain it all tonight. Will you come?’
‘Wild dogs couldn’t keep me away. Not you, Latte,’ she said, crouching to give the Bichon Frise a hug.
‘I think Latte is as ferocious as a teddybear,’ Summer said. ‘I’ll see if I can find a table.’
There was one at the top of the hill, set snugly up against the wall of the building, with a good view of the narrowboats and the river. Summer tied Latte’s lead to the table leg, and moved the large water bowl within her reach. She’d left Valerie getting ready, and there was no sign of Mason yet, so she sat and waited, not wanting to leave Latte alone while she went inside. When Valerie arrived, she went to order the drinks, silently berating herself for the nerves she felt as she pushed open the heavy wooden door.
The interior of the pub was deliciously cool, and Summer approached the bar, hoping it would be Dennis or one of the other staff members, but she spotted Jenny’s dark hair and upright frame almost as soon as she walked in. She took a deep breath.
‘Jenny,’ she said, keeping her voice even and, hopefully, bright.
Jenny’s expression was wary but, Summer noticed with a small glimmer of hope, not downright angry. ‘Summer, I heard you were on your way back. I’m sorry about the break-in, that can’t have been pleasant.’
Summer knew she was gawping, and struggled to respond. ‘Thank you,’ she managed. ‘It wasn’t nice, but I’m very grateful to Mason and, of course, Dennis, for coming to find me, especially in the middle of the night.’
Jenny nodded and gave her a quick, cold smile. ‘What can I get you?’
Realizing that Jenny wasn’t yet ready for chit-chat, Summer ordered wine for her and Valerie, and one of the local ales for Mason. ‘Are you doing food this evening?’
‘Of course.’ She handed Summer a menu. ‘We’re cooking until nine, and we’ve got an excellent range of desserts if you want to indulge your sweet tooth. Lots of cakes, all freshly cooked. I’ve had more baking time than usual today, due to being woken up at an ungodly hour. You have to find your silver lining anywhere you can, I suppose.’ She gave Summer another tight smile, and Summer returned it, her shoulders dropping slightly.
‘Thanks,’ she said. All was clearly not forgiven, and she wondered how long Jenny’s half-truce would last. It seemed she needed to thank Dennis for more than just pitching up to rescue her. Summer took the menu, and her tray of drinks, and took them into the evening sunshine. She sat next to Valerie, and they clinked glasses.
‘How did it go?’ Valerie asked.
‘It was only mildly chilly,’ Summer said. ‘I think Dennis has told her to be nice. I’m not sure it’ll last, but if I keep making an effort – who knows?’
‘Stranger things have happened,’ Valerie said.
‘Have they?’
Valerie sighed. ‘No. Not even in my life.’
Summer laughed, knowing Valerie was alluding to her readings, ghost sightings, the side of her life that Summer couldn’t quite grasp, and which had, not too long ago, been the cause of their falling out. That Valerie was prepared to make fun of herself showed Summer that she had truly relaxed, and Summer wondered what the cause could be. Was it the presence in Willowbeck of a red and gold and black boat, and its laid-back occupant? Mason seemed to make friends everywhere he went – and she was sure he had a calming influence on more people than just herself. Except she was also beginning to realize that his easy humour was hiding something, and she was eager to find out what it was.
But she had time for that. She was back in Willowbeck, surrounded by her friends, and she needed to focus on working hard as the summer flourished and the warm weather brought customers to the café. She thought of Claire, the way she had been reluctant to let her go, agreeing that the decision was Summer’s but telling her in no uncertain terms that she wasn’t happy about it.
‘You belong on the river,’ Claire said, when Summer had told her what she’d decided.
‘Willowbeck is on the river,’ Summer said. ‘You should come.’
Claire had shaken her head. ‘We’re travelling north for now. You should be with us – I’ve got so used to having you as part of our party, being able to gang up on the boys. Things are going to be boring without you.’
‘Your life will never be boring,’ Summer had said. ‘And we’ll stay in touch.’
‘I’m going to send you new recipe ideas all the time, and when I do make it to Willowbeck, I expect to get a taste test of each and every one.’
‘Right-o.’ They had hugged, and Summer had known that, even if she wasn’t travelling with Claire and Water Music, they would continue to be good friends and, hopefully, see each other often.
She gazed out at the river, the Canada geese waddling between tables, not shy about stretching their long necks up towards tables, seeking out scraps of pub food, customers laughing or exclaiming angrily. Summer found she was smiling.
‘So,’ Valerie said, ‘are you going to tell me about your adventure? What made you come back here? Last time we spoke you were enjoying cruising up the river with Claire and her friends.’
‘Ugh,’ Summer said, resting her elbows on the table. ‘There was a bit of an incident.’ Had it really only been that morning? The day seemed so different, like she was in another country, instead of a few miles away. Sunshine and laughter and the shimmering blue of the river, so different to the black depths she had crouched close to while someone ransacked her boat.
‘An incident?’ Valerie’s voice was sharp. ‘What happened?’
Summer shifted on her chair, took a sip of her wine, and told her.
Valerie stayed quiet, but her eyes grew wider, her body more tense, as Summer spoke, tension returning to her own shoulders as she recounted the noises that had woken her, her desperate call to Claire and then creeping towards the stern, the noises following her, and her feeling of being trapped as she wondered whether jumping on to the towpath would expose her. She sipped her wine, trying to quench the dryness in her mouth, and finished her story with Mason and Dennis showing up, the way they had all – Claire included – helped her when she went back on to the boat to face the damage.
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The Canal Boat Cafe 3 - Cabin Fever Page 1