Page 44 of Sunrise By the Sea

‘Really?’

He fired up YouTube and searched “twins piano duets”.

‘Huh,’ he said.

There were indeed vast numbers of twins, often identical, playing duets on huge pianos.

‘Well,’ said Polly.

Hearing the name of Mr Batbayar, Daisy and Avery had marched over to the ancient upright they’d rescued from the old schoolhouse before Reuben started developing it – literally nobody else had wanted it – and started banging away loudly. It sounded appalling.

‘Perhaps,’ said Huckle, ‘there weren’t many entrants to the scholarship.’

‘They do need to get them young,’ said Polly. ‘I suppose it will mean a lot of extra practice.’

‘And he didn’t know they were about to give up? This isn’t him being sneaky?’

‘No! And why would he, anyway, he doesn’t know us, and I can’t believe rural piano teachers make enough money they can hurl it all over the place.’

‘Cor. Well then.’ Huckle beamed proudly. He thought absolutely nothing was beyond the scope of his twins.

‘What’s that girl next door like? Why has she never been seen in the village? She’s incredibly mysterious.’

‘Ooh, no, she’s not! She’s got agoraphobia.’

‘Is that the stay-in one or the go-out one?’

‘Well, why don’t you think about it for five seconds?’

‘I’m very tired.’

Polly smiled at him.

‘Goodness,’ said soft-hearted Huckle. ‘I hate to think of anyone shut in.’

He looked out to the frothy bright waves gleaming, a distant rain shower heading their way under a cloud, but sun showing promisingly either side of it.

‘I know,’ said Polly.

‘That’s terrible,’ said Huckle. ‘Is there something we should be doing?’

‘Leaving her a trail of cakes, that kind of thing? Not sure,’ said Polly thoughtfully. ‘She seems nice though. I get the impression she’s had a bit of a rough time. I think she’s come here to get over it. Not everyone copes.’

Huckle put his hand over his eyes.

‘We will though,’ she said, going over to him and putting her arms around him. ‘We will.’

‘How?’

‘We could Airbnb the lighthouse. People love that kind of thing.’

‘But where would we live?’

‘We could move above the bakery.’

‘It’sone room!’

‘It’s a nice room.’

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