Page 69 of Sunrise By the Sea

‘Oh.’ Polly blinked. This wouldn’t be a small affair. ‘What is it? Some friends from school?’

It wouldn’t be sausage rolls and a caterpillar cake, she could tell.

Reuben barked with laughter.

‘No! Ha. No way. No, it’s going to be anevent! I’ll get the party planner to contact you.’

‘You have a party planner? For an eight-year-old?’

‘Well, he’s going to be eight, aren’t you, Lowin?’ said Kerensa, hugging the boy’s round head affectionately.

‘Whatever,’ said Lowin, grabbing two of the jam tarts, sniffing one, and throwing the lemon curd away whereupon Neil, followed by about sixteen huge sea gulls, immediately pounced on it, setting up a hell of a racket.

‘Well, of course,’ said Polly. ‘I’d . . . I mean, of course.’

‘There’s going to be a DJ,’ said Kerensa. ‘And loads of champagne. Seven-year vintage, clever, huh? You’re going toloveit. And you can invoice us a lot more than the cost of the door,’ she added in a low voice.

Polly thought about Reuben’s parties she’d catered over the years, and smiled as politely as she could.

‘’Scuse me,’ said Daisy, from down somewhere by Polly’s knees. ‘Is there going to be a LOT of snakes at this party?’

‘Does hestilllike snakes?’ said Kerensa distractedly. ‘It might be car boats now. Or football or something.’

Little Daisy’s face brightened. This had obviously been on her mind for a long time. Polly squeezed her hand tightly.

‘Good,’ Daisy said in a breathy whisper.

Chapter Forty-four

Sometimes, there is just one step. One tiny last step; a little nudge, just to push you over the edge. And luckily for Marisa, hers came soon.

It was Nazreen on the phone, sounding anxious. And on a Saturday too.

‘Hey, how are you doing?’ she said. ‘We still miss you at the office.’

‘Thanks,’ said Marisa. Her first new admin part-time pay cheque had been a shock, she had to admit. But she was getting by. In a funny way, the office and Exeter were fading from her mind. Mount Polbearne was feeling more and more like home.

‘The thing is . . .’ said Nazreen. ‘I haven’t replaced you. And there’s nobody else around. And. Could you? Just cover this one? It’s urgent and there’s nobody about and I know, I know you’re not well but . . .’

And she explained.

Marisa took a deep breath.

‘Have they got a Registrar General’s letter?’

‘Yes. You know it’s just over the causeway . . .’

‘We’re cut off!’ said Marisa. ‘No, I can walk it. Or there’s boats . . .’

‘You sound a lot better,’ said Nazreen, a smile in her voice. ‘Great. Can you get yourself over there? He’s a Mount Polbearne boy, his mum says.’

‘What’s the name?’ said Marisa. Nazreen was delighted. She’d obviously decided to do it.

Marisa didn’t recognise it.

‘No local gossip?’ said Nazreen.

‘I don’t . . . I haven’t. Well. Not much gossip,’ said Marisa, although in fact she’d got quite a grip on several of the villagers just through helping Polly. Everyone knew Polly.

---