Life's a Beach and Then... (The Liberty Sands Trilogy Book 1)

by Roberts, Julia

  Robert smiled weakly, glad of his wife’s understanding and closed his eyes. He had a slight sensation of movement but nothing like the ‘whirling pits’ he had experienced on numerous occasions when he was a student at university and had had a heavy night out with his mates. Within moments he had drifted back to sleep.

  Rosemary waited for a few minutes to make sure he was sleeping then noiselessly slipped into the sundress she had worn the previous day, which she retrieved from the chair where she had left it after helping her husband to bed seven hours earlier. She picked up the room key and quietly let herself out of their room just as the first rays of sunlight were beginning to appear in the morning sky.

  Robert was blissfully unaware of the many mornings she awoke early and laid silently staring at the ceiling so as not to wake him. At least this morning she could spend her time in a more pleasurable way, she thought as she strolled barefoot across the grass, wet from the early morning sprinkler system, towards the sea. It was calm this morning with the rumble of the reef very distant.

  Looking out at the ocean with the orangey-pink sky beyond as the new day dawned, Rosemary acknowledged that she had been incredibly fortunate to live the life she had. In some way she felt as though the trade-off for her happy life, particularly since she had met Robert, was that it couldn’t last forever and that was why she had been afflicted with leukaemia. I wonder how many more sunrises I will witness, she thought, before I’m too ill to appreciate them. The idea that Rosemary had been toying with surfaced in her consciousness again. She knew it was the right thing to do but she would never be able to convince Robert.

  A movement further along the beach caught her eye. It was a horse and rider heading in her direction. She didn’t feel like getting into a conversation with anyone so she moved as swiftly as the soft sand would allow to the top of the beach and stood behind a palm tree. From her vantage point she watched the horse approach at a gallop.

  As it got closer she realised there were two riders astride the magnificent beast and she immediately knew who they were. The woman was leaning back into the man’s chest an expression of pure joy on her face as he masterfully guided the horse and protected her from falling at the same time.

  A smile spread across Rosemary’s face. Holly must have stayed with Philippe the previous night. She hoped it was the start of a new phase in Holly’s life, one where she received the love she deserved.

  Chapter 32

  It was one of the most exhilarating things Holly had ever done. She was still smiling broadly as she allowed the hot water from the overhead drench shower to wash down over her. There was no denying that she had been terrified when Philippe had spurred Helios into a gallop but he held the reins in one hand, freeing his other arm to wrap firmly around her waist. It had only been for a few minutes but it had been a complete adrenalin rush. The warm air had rushed to meet her face and she could feel the power of the horse’s shoulder muscles as he extended his legs into his enormous stride. All Philippe had said was grip with your knees and she had done as she was told.

  Philippe had slowed Helios to a walking pace and then turned him back along the beach stopping near the water’s edge in front of the hotel block where Holly’s room was. He dismounted first and then formed a stirrup with his hands so that Holly could dismount properly and not spook Helios by swinging her leg over his head. As her feet hit the hard sand her legs felt wobbly enough but as Philippe cupped her face in his hands and leant down to kiss her softly on the mouth a total collapse was on the cards. She pulled away from the embrace, acutely aware of how it might look to any hotel guests who believed she was recently widowed, although, as Philippe pointed out, they were so early that no one was around yet, not even the hotel gardeners.

  They made arrangements to meet in the same spot at 10 a.m. Holly said she had a couple of things she needed to do, one of which was eating breakfast. By the time she had emerged on her hotel room balcony to wave him goodbye he was already halfway down the beach towards Tamarina Bay, Helios’s hooves kicking up a mix of sand and sea-spray.

  Freshly showered, Holly switched on her computer to write her latest blog. She had the foresight not to write too much in her previous post so that there would be something left to write about this morning that didn’t involve the time she had spent with Rosemary, Robert and Philippe yesterday, apart from mentioning all-day fishing excursions. Although Holly hadn’t gone herself she had picked up enough information from the boys to enable her to give it a personal touch and she had done a bit of research on the best companies to recommend as not everyone has a fisherman friend called Billy. Somehow her blog didn’t seem so vitally important to her today, but she still wanted to do a good job. She hit the publish button and then checked for emails.

  There were two from Harry, which panicked Holly initially until she opened them up. He was simply concerned that he hadn’t been able to get hold of her on Facetime or her mobile. She checked her phone, and sure enough there was a message from him on there too:

  U ok mum? No word in 3 days - not like u. U haven’t run off with some1 have u? xx

  Holly smiled. She and Harry were so close that they often knew when something special was happening in each other’s lives, even if they were separated by thousands of miles and a couple of continents.

  She checked her watch. It was 8.30 a.m. Mauritius time so 4.30 a.m. in the UK. Some uni students regularly stayed up until that hour but Harry was conscientious about his studies and he had a part-time job so he needed his sleep. Facetime was out of the question so she dropped him a quick text:

  All gd here Harry - u wd luv it. Busy writing & enjoying new friends. Tell all when back. Mum xxxx.

  Holly’s stomach rumbled ominously. Time for breakfast, she thought, and to check that Robert hasn’t got too much of a hangover.

  Chapter 33

  Rosemary had watched ‘the kiss’ from the privacy of her hiding place and although it hadn’t been long and lingering the body language from both looked encouraging. She had waited for a few minutes after they had parted before heading back to the shoreline for the gentle pre-breakfast stroll she had promised herself.

  Now she was sitting sipping black coffee at her favourite table on the verandah of the restaurant, facing the entrance so she could see if Robert roused from his sleep in time to join her. There had been no sign of him and she was just getting ready to leave when she spotted Holly in the queue of the now busy restaurant. She waved and called out, ‘Holly, I’m over here,’ as though she had been waiting for her friend to join her.

  Holly made her way past the crowded tables and gratefully sank into the chair opposite Rosemary.

  ‘That was lucky,’ she said. ‘I’m a bit later than usual this morning and I was beginning to think I would have to skip breakfast if a table didn’t free up. Is Robert at the buffet?’

  ‘Robert is slightly indisposed this morning,’ Rosemary replied with a wink. ‘I don’t mind breakfasting alone but it’s much nicer now that you are here. Go and get some food and I’ll order some more coffee and then you can tell me about last night... if you want to,’ she added hastily.

  Minutes later Holly returned followed by a waiter carrying her bowl of fresh fruit and her plate of toast, poached eggs and tomatoes.

  Rosemary allowed Holly to savour a few mouthfuls of pineapple and papaya while she sipped her replenished coffee.

  ‘So how was your evening?’

  Without hesitation Holly responded, ‘I really like Philippe, in fact we’re meeting on the beach at ten to spend the day together. And yes I did stay over at his house but we didn’t get up to anything because I fell asleep, although I’m not sure we would have got up to anything anyway,’ she rambled realising how her previous statement had sounded. ‘Then this morning we woke up early and Philippe brought me home on horseback,’ she continued, unable to hide her excitement. ‘All that was missing from the fairy tale was a suit of shining armour.’

  ‘I think armour would be a little
warm in Mauritius,’ Rosemary laughed, deciding not to divulge that she had seen them on the beach earlier.

  Holly nodded her head in agreement as she took the final mouthful of fruit before swapping her plates over so that she could tuck into her cooked breakfast.

  ‘Is that all you’ve had?’ she asked, indicating the half-eaten croissant with a yolky fork.

  ‘I wasn’t very hungry this morning,’ she replied truthfully, ‘but I’ll probably share some of these with Robert later,’ she said less truthfully, pulling back her napkin to reveal an assortment of Danish pastries and croissants. ‘So what are you and Philippe planning today?’ she asked, skilfully changing the subject away from food.

  ‘Just a lovely lazy day on the beach like proper holiday makers,’ she replied. ‘And then we’ll meet up for dinner as planned, if that’s still okay with you and Robert?’

  ‘It’s more than okay, we’re looking forward to the last supper,’ Rosemary said, delighted to see Holly looking so relaxed and happy.

  ‘It won’t be our last supper,’ Holly corrected. ‘I’m planning to visit you lots when you get home from here and remember you’ve promised to take me to see a West End show, which I would hope will include supper afterwards.’

  ‘Absolutely,’ Rosemary confirmed. ‘We’ll go to Joe Allen’s,’ she continued, while wondering if that occasion would be a table for three or four.

  Chapter 34

  Holly felt warm inside watching the admiring glances of women, from behind the safety of their oversized sunglasses or wide-brimmed sun hats, as Philippe walked past them looking very handsome with his golden hair still damp from the shower, wearing his knee-length, floral-patterned swim shorts, slightly transparent linen shirt and Havaiana flip flops. It felt a little surreal... she was usually one of the ones watching from afar, but today the object of their admiration was on his way to meet her.

  She had arrived on the beach ten minutes early to reserve two sun loungers under a straw parasol and although she had her book in her hand she hadn’t read a word.

  ‘Good book?’ Philippe said.

  She glanced down to realise that she was holding the book upside down, immediately instigating the flushed cheeks that always betrayed her embarrassment. Before she could fabricate an excuse he leaned down and kissed her, rendering her speechless.

  ‘We should enjoy the sunshine this morning,’ Philippe said as he stripped off his shirt and hung it over the strut of the parasol. ‘It feels like rain to me.’

  Holly looked up at the clear blue sky in disbelief. ‘Really?’

  ‘Trust me – the rain can move in from the mountains in under an hour when the wind is in this direction.’

  ‘I hope you’re wrong,’ Holly said. ‘It’s my last day and there won’t be another opportunity to top up my tan for a few weeks.’

  ‘If not months, unless you’ve got inside information on an early heat wave in the UK.’

  Fortunately Philippe’s eyes were closed so he didn’t see Holly colouring up for the second time in a matter of minutes. Think before you speak, she silently admonished herself, realising that once again his proximity had almost caused her to give the game away.

  Holly turned her book the right way up and tried to concentrate on reading, which wasn’t easy with a semi-naked Philippe just a couple of feet from her. After reading the same page four times and still not getting the gist of it she gave it up as a bad job, closed the book and stood up. Philippe did not stir. What great company I am, she thought, he’s fallen asleep!

  She wandered down to the water’s edge and idly moved pieces of coral with her toes. She thought of the little Italian girl, Giulietta, collecting pieces for her mama. Holly looked up the beach to where they usually sat but their sunbeds were vacant. Of course, yesterday was the last day of their holiday and she had missed saying goodbye. She was disappointed as the little girl’s antics had been very entertaining and she had really connected with Mathilda. Maybe I will go and visit them in Geneva, she thought.

  Her eyes travelled back to Philippe, who still appeared to be sleeping but was about to be disturbed by a beach seller. Although she had been on the beach most days during her stay Holly had not succumbed to the gentle sales pressure from the men and women who made their living from selling to the tourists. The Plantation House security staff were very good at only allowing a few of the hawkers to approach their guests before urging them to move on. Most of the sellers were young or middle-aged but the man approaching Philippe was old and bent almost double under the weight of the heavy bag of goods he was carrying. Holly started to move across the sugary soft sand to try and intercept but she wasn’t quick enough. Philippe was now sitting up shaking his head at the wizened old man.

  ‘I have T-shirts and polo shirts in all sizes and colours,’ Holly could hear him say when she was within earshot. The old man looked at Holly as she approached. ‘Or maybe a colourful sarong for your wife.’

  Holly immediately blushed, again, while a smile played at the corner of Philippe’s mouth, but he was still shaking his head about buying anything.

  The old man reached into his bag and pulled out a handful of brilliantly coloured sarongs. Some were patterned with hibiscus flowers, others with the dodo, the emblem of Mauritius.

  Holly found her voice. ‘I have lots of sarongs, thank you,’ she said kindly.

  ‘I have something very special that I think you would like,’ the old man said. He reached into an end pocket of the battered old sports bag and produced a figurine of a dodo made out of jade. Holly had seen lots of these on her day trip, sculptured from a variety of different semi-precious stones, when they had stopped at a local market but this one was different. Instead of being solid it was carved to be open at the sides and inside was a miniature dodo. It was really beautiful and Holly knew immediately that she was going to buy it as she ran her hands over the smooth olive green stone.

  ‘I haven’t seen the dodo carved like this before with the baby inside the mother. It must be very difficult to do.’

  The man shrugged his shoulders. ‘Things are only difficult to do if you do not have a natural talent. I have been carving stones since I was a child and it is what I love to do. I don’t like walking the beach and selling cheap T-shirts and sarongs but I need to put food on the table for my family.’

  ‘How much is it?’ asked Holly, still tracing the exquisite carving with her fingertips.

  ‘Eight hundred rupees,’ the old man said without hesitation.

  Philippe raised his eyebrows but he said nothing as Holly reached into her beach bag for her purse and handed the notes over.

  ‘The dodo inside a dodo is a symbol of love and good luck. Be sure you only give it to someone very special,’ said the beach peddler, pushing the sarongs back into his bag. He zipped it up and wearily hoisted it on to his shoulder before continuing down the beach.

  Holly cradled the carving in her hands.

  ‘You know you could have bargained him down on price,’ said Philippe.

  ‘Maybe, but I felt sorry for him.’

  ‘There is always a sob story,’ scoffed Philippe. ‘I’ll bet he didn’t even carve the dodo. Let me see it,’ he said, holding his hand out. ‘It was probably made by a machine in China.’

  Holly said nothing but rather than hand the dodo to Philippe for inspection she slipped it into her bag along with her purse.

  Philippe’s tone softened. ‘You can’t feel sorry for them all.’

  ‘I know, but I felt sorry for him because he’s an old man and I believe he was telling the truth.’

  Philippe took Holly’s hand and pulled her down onto the sunbed with him. He reached up and twisted her ponytail through his fingers before gently pulling her face close enough for him to kiss the tip of her nose.

  ‘You have a soft heart,’ he whispered.

  She looked into his eyes. Maybe too soft, she thought, and maybe too easily broken. She pulled away from him and stood up.

  ‘Let’s go for
a walk along the beach,’ she suggested. ‘If you are so sure it is going to rain this will be my last chance.’

  She was already moving in the direction of Tamarina Bay to the south and indicated the still clear blue sky as she called back over her shoulder.

  ‘I mean just look at those huge black rain clouds!’

  ‘You’ll eat those words,’ he said, getting to his feet and quickly making up the distance she had travelled, ‘you’ll see.’

  They had walked as far as the undergrowth that separated the long stretch of beach from Tamarina Bay before the first dark cloud became visible over the Black Mountains but Holly and Philippe were too engrossed in each other’s company to notice. They sat on a rock looking out to sea, sharing moments from their respective pasts, each carefully editing the bits they didn’t want the other to know. It was only when they heard a distant rumble of thunder that they became aware of the approaching storm.

  ‘I’m not one to say I told you so,’ said Philippe smugly, ‘but I told you so. You need to learn to trust me. I reckon we have twenty minutes at the most before the rain hits. Come on,’ he said, grabbing her hand.

  He had been right about the rain and he was right about the twenty minutes. Unfortunately they had walked for thirty minutes, so even though they hurried, risking cutting their feet on the razor sharp coral, the deluge began before they got back to their sun beds. Philippe’s linen shirt, that he had slipped on to walk in, and Holly’s colourful sarong were drenched and sticking to their bodies by the time they made it back to the shelter offered by the straw parasol. Shivering, Holly wrapped the beach towel around her shoulders.

  ‘Should we wait here a few minutes for it to ease off?’

  Philippe looked in the direction the storm had blown in from and then up at the drips already starting to leak through the parasol.