The Banksia Bay Beach Shack

by Sandie Docker

  ‘Thank you. I’m all good, I think. I might come back another day and keep reading.’ She picked up her notes and folder and held them to her chest. ‘Ready when you are.’

  The drive back to Banksia Bay was quiet, and Laura didn’t mind one bit. She turned today’s findings over in her head. The Woodhouses and the Prescotts had holidayed in the Bay. That must have been how her grandparents met. How were Virginia and Lillian connected, though? The mysterious Costas existed, but there was nothing more on him. The Bugle was definitely a source she had to revisit. Even if, as Heath said, the accuracy of the pages was suspect, often truth lurked behind gossip. You only had to dig deep enough.

  ‘Are you hungry?’ Heath broke the silence.

  ‘Actually, yes.’ As if on cue, her stomach rumbled.

  ‘Come over for dinner, then. Charlotte makes the most delicious cottage pie and there’s always too much of it.’

  ‘Oh . . . Umm . . .’ Was he serious? Dinner with his wife? Maybe Laura was reading him all wrong. Maybe he hadn’t been flirting with her at all. Perhaps he was just being friendly. Well, now she felt like a right donkey.

  A starving donkey, truth be told, and back at the holiday house she only had basic supplies. A delicious home-cooked meal sounded wonderful.

  ‘Go on. She’s a pretty good cook.’

  If Laura went to dinner, saw the two of them together, she could put these foolish feelings away.

  ‘Sure.’

  Charlotte didn’t look too impressed when she opened the door, but she was polite enough not to come out and say, ‘What on earth is this home wrecker doing here?’

  Aiden came running to the door and threw his arms around Heath.

  ‘Hey, buddy. How was your day?’

  As he led Heath down the hall, leaving Laura standing in the doorway, Aiden launched into a complete retelling of everything he’d done, including exactly how he’d spread his peanut butter on his sandwich for lunch.

  Charlotte put her hand to her chest. ‘Sorry. My brother has a habit of forgetting his manners. And when he and Aiden get together, no one else exists.’

  Wait, what?

  ‘Brother?’ Laura couldn’t hide her shock. ‘I thought you two were . . .’

  ‘Oh God, no.’ Charlotte made a retching motion.

  Oh, how had Laura read it so wrong?

  ‘Okay. I think we need to start over. Please come in.’ Charlotte stepped to the side.

  Brother?

  Laura tried to process this new information as quickly as she could.

  In the living room, Aiden had pulled Heath onto the floor, and they moved wooden trains around a wooden track, making ‘choo-choo’ noises. It wasn’t a large room, but it was cosy and inviting, with two soft sofas and a gallery of photos on the wall: pictures of Aiden as a baby, of Charlotte and Aiden, of Heath and Aiden, of Virginia and Charlotte – the perfect happy family. Except there didn’t appear to be any pictures of another man. A husband, a father.

  Perfection was an illusion, after all.

  Aiden stood up and plonked himself in front of Laura. ‘Hi.’

  ‘Hi yourself.’ She smiled.

  ‘Do you read?’

  ‘I love to read.’

  He took her hand. ‘Come into Uncle Heath’s room.’ He dragged her down the hall before she could answer.

  She could hear whispers behind her, but couldn’t make out any words. She did hear a low chuckle, though, and her cheeks burned guessing what Charlotte and Heath were talking about. There were no rules on her list on how to deal with complete and utter embarrassment.

  Uncle Heath’s room was sparsely decorated. A blue striped doona on a double bed. A large photo of the surf on one wall. A picture of Aiden beside the bed. A surfboard in the corner of the room.

  Aiden jumped up onto the bed and beckoned Laura over. She sat beside him, propped up on a mountain of pillows and cushions he had dragged in from other rooms. He handed her a book, opened it to a page somewhere in the middle, and said, ‘We’re up to here.’

  Laura read aloud.

  A few pages in, Aiden rested his head on her shoulder. She lifted her arm and he snuggled into her.

  Laura didn’t notice Charlotte at the door until she coughed lightly. ‘Wash up, Aiden. Dinner’s ready.’

  Aiden jumped up and walked towards the door, but ran back and kissed Laura on the cheek. ‘Thank you.’ He ran off again.

  ‘He’s a sweetheart,’ Laura said to Charlotte as she got up off the bed.

  ‘I certainly think so.’ Charlotte started putting Heath’s bed back in order.

  Laura helped. ‘And he and Heath obviously have a special bond.’ She reached out and touched the photo beside the bed.

  ‘No denying that. My husband left. Two years ago. I can’t afford the mortgage on my own, so Heath moved in to help out. I don’t know what I’d do without him.’ There was a catch in her voice.

  Laura looked into her eyes and saw sadness there.

  But in a split second it was gone. ‘Shall we head to the dining room? I’m sure Heath has oversold you on my culinary talents, but my cottage pie is probably the best dish in a very small repertoire.’

  ‘It’ll be better than anything I can make.’ The honest truth.

  And it was. Not five-star – Laura had eaten in many restaurants in Sydney that were considered fine dining – but Charlotte’s cottage pie was delicious and hot and comforting.

  After dinner, Heath was dragged back to the train track and Laura helped Charlotte with the washing-up.

  ‘I may as well have a look at those stitches while you’re here.’ She got out her medical kit.

  ‘Oh, no. I don’t want to ruin your night.’

  ‘Nonsense. Save you coming back tomorrow.’ Charlotte pressed Laura into a chair. ‘Let me see.’

  She pushed Laura’s A-line skirt up just a fraction so she could get a good look at the wound.

  ‘That’s healed brilliantly. Let’s take these out.’ She slipped on a pair of gloves and in just a few seconds had removed the stitches. She wiped the wound, making sure it was clean. ‘That looks pretty good to me. Rub this in every day and hopefully it won’t get too itchy.’ She handed Laura some aloe vera cream.

  ‘Thank you, Charlotte.’

  ‘Does this mean we can begin our surfing lessons?’ Heath entered the kitchen.

  ‘Oh, I don’t know if that’s a good idea.’ Panic filled Laura.

  ‘No medical reason why you can’t.’ Charlotte packed away her things. ‘Just clean the area afterwards.’

  ‘See?’ Heath clapped his hands together. ‘No excuses. It’s Saturday tomorrow. Not much is open. Not even the library. What else have you got to do?’

  Laura tried to think of an excuse, but came up blank.

  ‘Besides –’ he tilted his head and raised his hands – ‘if you want to get a true taste of Bay life for your article . . .’

  She knew she wasn’t going to win this one. ‘Okay. What time?’

  ‘How does six-thirty sound?’

  ‘It sounds early.’

  ‘Great. It’s a date.’

  Charlotte pursed her lips.

  ‘Can I come too?’ Aiden came into the room. ‘I’m a good surfer.’

  ‘You’re the best. But I think Laura might feel a bit self-conscious if she has an audience, buddy.’

  Aiden pouted, but accepted his uncle’s refusal. ‘Are we still going fishing with Gran in the afternoon?’

  ‘Of course. You don’t think she’d let us out of that, do you?’

  Aiden giggled. ‘No way!’

  ‘Of course I wouldn’t.’ Virginia came walking down the hall.

  ‘Gran!’ Aiden gave her tight hug.

  ‘Now, isn’t it your bedtime?’

  He skipped towards his room and Laura looked at Charlotte.

  ‘I’m on an early shift at the hospital tomorrow,’ Charlotte said, hanging up her tea towel. ‘Gran stays over to look after Aiden for me.’

  ‘What abo
ut Heath?’

  ‘No way am I getting in between Gran and her time with her great-grandson.’ He threw his arms in the air.

  ‘You do enough already.’ Virginia patted him on the cheek and for a moment he looked like a little boy seeking his grandmother’s approval.

  It was getting a little too crowded for Laura. ‘I should go.’

  ‘I’ll walk you home.’ Heath said.

  ‘No. It’s not far.’

  ‘Nonsense.’ Virginia raised a finger. ‘If I’ve taught my grandson anything, it’s to be a gentleman.’ She herded them towards the door.

  The stars above were bright against a liquid black sky. Laura never saw skies like that in Sydney.

  ‘It is something, isn’t it?’ Heath whispered close to her ear, his breath sending a shiver down her spine.

  She nodded, hoping her sudden intake of breath had gone unnoticed.

  ‘I’ve left the Bay. Three times now. But I always end up coming back.’

  ‘You must really love it here.’

  ‘Yep. Do you want to see something special?’ He held out his hand.

  Laura took a step back.

  ‘It’s not like that,’ he assured her. ‘Seriously. I bet –’ he turned around to face her and started walking backwards – ‘that you’ve never seen anything like it.’

  ‘If that’s a line, it’s the cheesiest one I’ve ever heard.’

  Heath stopped and Laura nearly ran into him. He put his hand over his chest. ‘Scout’s honour, this is totally above board.’

  ‘Were you ever a Scout?’

  ‘That’s not the point.’

  Laura laughed. ‘Okay. But if I’m anything other than blown away, I’ll never believe another word you say.’

  ‘You can trust my word.’ He started heading towards the beach and she followed.

  They walked to the northern end of the long stretch of sand and Heath took a few steps up onto the rocks. He held out his hand, which Laura took, and he helped her to the top of the slippery black surface. For a moment neither one of them let go. In the dark, they stared into each other’s eyes. Laura’s heart raced.

  ‘It’s just over here,’ Heath whispered. Using the torch on his phone for light, he led her to the edge of the rocks.

  He manoeuvred into position, making sure his feet were on either side of a small crevice. He’d picked up a seaweed stalk from the sand and he lowered it into the space and very gently prodded. Holding out both his hands he looked at Laura. ‘Hang on, and look down.’

  Laura hesitated, just for a moment, and then took the offered support. She leaned over and looked into the crevice.

  ‘Oh my!’ Below, in the water between the jagged rock edges were dozens of luminescent shells, shining a bright green light into the rocky void. She looked up at Heath.

  ‘What . . . how . . .’

  And then she turned her gaze back down to the strange phenomenon below her.

  She really hadn’t seen anything like it before. ‘Wow. All I have is wow.’

  She looked back up at Heath, who indicated with a tilt of his head that they should move to somewhere with slightly better footing. They shuffled up the rocks to the highest point, where a sandy grass carpet met the hard shiny boulders, and they sat down.

  ‘What was that?’ Laura asked.

  ‘They’re sea snails. Clusterwink, they’re called. Among other names.’

  ‘Cluster-what?’

  ‘Clusterwink. They love hiding in rocky crevices where the waves crash, but they don’t like being exposed to the weather much. That’s why they love that spot.’

  ‘And the glow.’

  ‘Yep. Scientists think it’s a protection mechanism. So, how did I do? Have I lost all credibility, or is my word still good?’

  Laura was grateful the cover of night meant he couldn’t see the blush rising in her cheeks. ‘Still good.’

  ‘Phew.’

  ‘I can see why you love this place.’

  ‘And once you get to know the people, it’s even more special.’

  She didn’t doubt that one bit.

  ‘What you do for Charlotte is really sweet.’

  ‘She’s my big sister.’ His expression was full of love. ‘Besides, I’ve actually got the better end of the deal.’

  ‘How?’

  ‘Well, I get to spend a lot of time with Aiden, and I have a house in Ocean Heights I rent out, and I get a lot more for that than Charlotte charges me, so . . .’

  ‘So it won’t be long before you can afford to buy the cheese factory.’

  Heath turned to look at her, his eyes wide, shining in the moonlight.

  ‘I think it’s a great dream,’ she said.

  ‘Most people mock me when I tell them.’

  ‘Well, I’m not most people.’

  ‘You certainly aren’t.’

  He stared into her eyes, thrilling, unnerving, so much depth. No one had ever looked at her like that before. For a moment she forgot how to breathe. At least when she’d thought he was married, he was safe. Now he was dangerous. Breaking eye contact, she coughed and wriggled where she sat.

  ‘Right.’ Heath stood up. ‘I’d better get you home. Early start tomorrow.’

  He walked her right up to the front door of the holiday house and held the screen open for Laura as she stepped inside.

  ‘Thank you. For today. For showing me the cluster . . .’

  ‘– wink.’ His pale blue eyes looked into hers. ‘It was my pleasure.’ His voice was low, melodic. ‘See you in the morning.’

  She closed the door behind her and fell back against it, expelling all the air she’d been holding onto.

  Trouble.

  She was most definitely in serious trouble.

  Virginia stood looking out the window of Charlotte’s living room. What was taking that boy so long? Always had his head in the clouds, that one. Always getting swept up in a dream. It was part of his charm. And she didn’t begrudge him that. Not one bit. Her grandson had enough in life to challenge him. If dreaming, however impossible, gave him happiness, she wouldn’t take that away from him.

  She wished Charlotte could see that. Far too sensible for her own good. She interfered too much.

  This time, though, interference was called for. Laura was trouble. Virginia was certain of it. All her doubts about the girl’s purpose in coming here had been erased the moment she saw that pendant around her neck.

  Where is he?

  The front door opened and in he strolled. Not a care in the world. A silly grin across his face.

  ‘Ah, there you are, Heath. I was just about to make some hot chocolate before bed. Care for some?’

  ‘Sure, Gran.’ He kissed her on top of her head and put his arm around her shoulders as they walked into the kitchen.

  ‘I heard you took Laura to the library today,’ she oh-so-casually mentioned as she put his mug on the table in front of him. It was Aiden’s old Elmo mug, but Heath didn’t object.

  ‘Yeah. I drove her to Ocean Heights. She seemed excited by what she found.’

  Virginia sat down beside him and sipped her hot chocolate. ‘Oh? And what was that?’

  He looked at her blankly.

  Typical male – light on details.

  ‘She was looking at The Bugle. And some old school archives. There was a photo of you at school.’

  Virginia held on to the base of the chair to stop herself from sliding off. If Laura was looking at photos of her at school, that meant she most definitely knew something. But what?

  If it was all perfectly innocent – if she was simply related to Lily and wanted to know more about her – surely Laura would come straight out and ask. Looking into Virginia’s past was not innocent. It couldn’t be.

  She had to find a way to get a look at Laura’s notes.

  A plan – not a great one, mind you, but a plan nonetheless – began to form in her mind. And she’d need Yvonne’s help. Tomorrow, when Heath took Laura surfing, she’d make her move.

&
nbsp; ‘You were quite the looker in your day, Gran.’

  All charm, that boy. ‘Fiddlesticks.’

  ‘No. Really. No wonder Grandpa fell for you. I wish I’d known him.’

  ‘He would have loved you. Both of you grandkids.’ She sighed.

  ‘Why don’t you talk about him, Gran?’ He reached out and held her old hand. He had such strong hands. Just like his grandpa.

  She stood up, clearing her mug away. Standing at the sink, she fought back the tears. She’d been doing that a lot lately. Holding back tears. Ever since Laura had turned up in the Bay. Nearly six decades of stoically burying one’s memories undone, just like that.

  ‘Gran? Are you okay?’ Heath stood behind her, a hand on her shoulder.

  ‘Yes, dear. Just old and weary.’ Oh so very weary.

  Heath frowned.

  As well as charm personified, he was astute. And he knew her better than anyone. Well, the parts of her she allowed anyone to know. She’d been lying to him his whole life. If he ever found out, he’d be crushed.

  ‘Don’t you worry your handsome head about me.’ She touched his cheek. ‘When you get to my age, dear, old and weary are simply part of the game.’

  He could never find out.

  Heath turned her round and embraced her in his big strong arms.

  Most days she wished he had less of his grandfather in him, the constant reminder so hard to bear. But every now and then she was grateful to hold on to a small piece of her past for just a little longer. Now that Laura was here to destroy her, memories were all she had.

  January 1963

  As the sun passed its highest point in the sky, Gigi waved to Arthur and headed off to the fishing shack.

  ‘You’re braver than you feel,’ he called after her.

  She fiddled with the pendant in her pocket, just in case Elaine was looking out for her.

  Whatever Lily had planned, she’d figure out a way to get out of it. Gigi could be wily when she needed to be. A sudden stomach bug wasn’t out of the question.

  Gigi rounded the main street and took the few steps across the trodden grass to reach the beach. The fishing shack was just ahead.

  So was Todd.

  And Richard.

  They were standing over a tartan rug laid out on the sand. Lily sat in the centre, the wide circle skirt of her dress spread around her like a blue gingham doily. Beside her were plates of food.