Page 55 of Best Summer Ever

‘Before what, Algy?’ I frowned, concerned that some of the colour had just drained from his face and the brief spark in his eyes had gone again.

He opened his mouth to tell me, but my mobile started to ring and he snapped it shut.

‘Penny,’ I said, answering the call. ‘How are you getting on? I did message you earlier, but I wasn’t expecting a reply, let alone a call. Is everything okay?’

‘It’s brilliant,’ she gushed, sounding on a total high and thankfully not hungover at all. ‘There’s been a steady stream of customers so far and they’ve all loved everything I’ve made for them. I really think I can do this, Daisy.’

‘That’s brilliant.’ I smiled. ‘I’m so pleased.’

I didn’t point out that the school holidays had literally only just started or that it was before lunch on a Wednesday, hardly prime beach-visiting time, so the customer numbers were bound to be manageable.

‘I’ll see you tomorrow in the pub, yeah?’ she then asked.

‘As long as you’re not too tired by then,’ I replied.

‘It’s quiz night,’ she reminded me. ‘I’m not missing that, no matter how knackered I feel.’

‘What about Nick?’ I asked.

‘What about him?’ she squeaked.

‘Will he be at the quiz?’

‘Oh, probably,’ she said, sounding more like herself. ‘He usually is.’

‘How did you get on—’

‘I have to go,’ she cut in, before I could ask if Nick had seen her as far as her front door or made sure she was tightly tucked up in bed before he left her the evening before. ‘Some more customers have just walked in.’

There was no opportunity to wish her luck either because she’d gone.

‘Did I hear you say that was Penny?’ Algy asked. ‘How’s she getting on? Nick has told me all about her taking over the café for the summer. She must be bonkers, having only just finished the school year. Not to mention, worn out.’

‘I agree,’ I said, putting my phone away again. ‘But so far, so good. She’s loving it.’

‘I daresay it’s a darn sight less stressful than teaching that class she had this year,’ Algy commented, ‘and I know how much she loves her cooking and baking.’

‘Were they that bad?’ I asked, wondering how Algy knew about her mischievous students.

‘Yes,’ he said, ‘they were. They came up here on a school trip and ran us all ragged.’

‘Oh, dear,’ I sympathised, not wanting to picture the scene. I didn’t ask if the trip had happened inside the manor or out in the grounds. Either way, one of my parents would have been pulling their hair out. ‘Now, let’s get this camera sorted before that panther makes its daily visit, shall we?’

Having fallen to thinking about the stress that Penny’s most recent class had left in their wake, I completely forgot that her phone call had cut Algy off and he’d been about to tell me something.

‘Is that it?’ He said with a frown just a few minutes later as I stood up in the courtyard and stretched out my back.

‘Yep.’ I nodded. ‘The camera’s running and it’s pointing right at the food bowl. If anything comes within feet of it, the motion sensor will be triggered and it will start recording.’

‘So, all we have to do now is wait.’

Algy made no attempt to move, but stared intently at the bowl he’d just replenished.

‘I don’t think anything is likely to come along with the two of us hovering over it, do you?’ I pointed out. ‘Least of all a timid panther.’

‘That’s a very good point,’ Algy agreed. ‘Come on.’

He slowly wandered further away from the bowl.

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