Page 19 of A Summer Scandal

A brisk walk along the seafront half an hour later changed Vi’s mind about two things. One, every last resident of Swallow Beach would know about the meeting before the morning was out, and two, she was going to the bloody meeting after all. With bells on.

Neon-green A4 placards had been stuck on every lamppost for as far as the eye could see, and a dozen or more others were tied to the gates of the pier. Vi sunk down onto the low sea wall, watching the signs flap around in the sharp breeze. What was wrong with that bloody woman? Why was she suddenly getting her knickers in such a twist about the pier now, when it had stood silent and overlooked for so many years? Yanking the signs down from her beautiful pier gates, she shoved them in the nearest bin and headed back to the relative safety of the Lido.

‘You must be Violet.’

Vi looked up at the grinning blonde girl who’d just opened the entrance door to the Lido.

‘I’m Keris from number 2. You met my granddad, I think?’

‘Ah, Barty,’ Vi said, smiling. ‘Yes, yes, we met.’ Glancing down, she saw the telltale flash of neon in Keris’s hand. ‘You heard then.’

Keris nodded, unabashed. ‘You’ve ruffled a few feathers all right.’

‘I don’t know how.’ Violet’s shoulders slumped. ‘I only arrived a couple of days ago and I’ve hardly been out of the building. What do people think I’m going to do, bring the town into disrepute?’

‘Someone said you’re a showgirl,’ Keris said, her blue eyes merry. ‘I didn’t believe them, for the record.’

It was such a false and ridiculous claim that Violet almost laughed along. ‘You’re kidding, right?’

Keris looked rueful, as if she wished she was. ‘’Fraid not. Go-go dancer, I heard. I was rather hoping they were right, to be honest, we could do with some excitement around here.’

‘Who’s a go-go dancer?’ Cal appeared, heading down the stairs two at a time, bringing with him the scent of shower gel, and again, warm leather. ‘Morning ladies.’

‘Me apparently,’ Vi said.

‘Great stuff,’ he said, rubbing his hands together. ‘When’s the show?’

‘Tonight at six o’clock,’ Keris said, handing Cal the neon poster. He eyed it, frowning.

‘Oh.’

A look passed between her neighbours, and Vi didn’t know them well enough to be able to interpret it. ‘What?’

Keris put her hands up, backing away towards the door. ‘I’m just running out to work. I’ll leave this one to you, Cal.’

She leaned in and kissed him quickly on the cheek. ‘See you guys at the meeting.’

Vi watched Barty’s granddaughter skip off down the steps towards the pavement, bouncing with energy. She seemed around Violet’s age, and even though she’d met her for only five minutes, Vi felt hopeful that she’d just made a new friend.

‘She’s nice, Keris,’ Cal said, watching her leave. ‘You’ll like her. Everyone does.’

Vi digested his words, thinking about the way Keris had kissed him just now.

‘Are you trying to change the subject?’

‘Not exactly … I—’ his mobile interrupted him, loud in the pocket of his jeans. ‘Sorry, Vi,’ he said, apologetic as he pulled it out and glanced at the screen. ‘I need to take this. Customer.’

He lifted his hand in a distracted goodbye, handing the poster back as he turned and left in the opposite direction to Keris, leaving Vi alone and perplexed on the top step of the Lido.

‘See you later,’ she muttered, watching him head across to a black jeep parked over by the sea wall.

‘Violet?’

She swung back to find Barty standing in his open doorway.

‘Hi,’ she said, glad to see his familiar face.

‘Thought I heard voices,’ he said.

---