Page 45 of Secrets and Seashells at Rainbow Bay
‘Charlie seems to think it is,’ I reply, dodging his question.
‘But what about you, Amelia?’ he asks, his penetrating gaze holding me involuntarily captive now. ‘Is it a good thing in your book, too?’
I feel myself blush. ‘Who knows?’ I say, turning quickly away. ‘Oh look, there’s Joey,’ I say with relief. ‘And that must be the tree he’s talking about. Itdoeslook old, doesn’t it?’
‘There’s not much to go on, is there?’ Benji says when I find him later that day in the castle’s library – a stunningly beautiful room filled with hundreds of books that line the walls from top to bottom. There’s a small narrow gallery that runs around the outside of the room, and this can be accessed from some wooden steps on wheels that glide from shelf to shelf allowing the books on the higher shelves to be reached with more ease.
‘Are you telling me in all these books you can’t find “much to go on”?’ I ask, grinning down at him as he sits at a large dark wooden desk with a green leather trim. ‘What are they filled with then, fairy tales?’
‘Funny!’ Benji pulls a wry face. ‘Thereisquite a large section on the local area and the history of the castle, actually, and I found out more about the Rainbow Bay myth we talked about before. Apparently in times of trouble at the castle, a rainbow will always shine over the bay when things are right again. According to the records it’s happened numerous times throughout history – after sieges and battles, and in times of illness and plague. Whenever there’s trouble, seeing a rainbow means everything is A-okay again.’
‘Mmm, interesting . . . So it’s not just to do with a spectrum in the sky caused by the reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets?’
‘Aha!’ Benji grins. ‘You know your science! Not in this case if the books up there are to be believed. But rainbows aside, I’ve spent a number of hours this morning up and down that ladder looking through all the books in that particular section of the library over there.’ He waves his hand in the direction of the bookshelves. ‘Sadly it’s just your usual stuff – facts and figures, and details about the previous Earls. All important stuff,’ he adds, ‘and I’m sure I can use some of it for your tour guides, but there’s nothing juicy to get my teeth into – no intrigue.’
‘I see.’ I look up at the book-filled walls. ‘Perhaps there hasn’t been any?’
Benji laughs. ‘I hardly think that’s likely in a place as old as this. Believe me, there’s always some intrigue, even in the most modern of families.’ He snaps the book he’s been reading shut. ‘Don’t you worry, though – I’ll dig some out. It’s in my blood! Now, how’s everything with you?’ He hops up on to the desk and perches himself on the edge looking enquiringly at me.
‘Everything’s fine.’ I shrug. ‘As far as I’m concerned all our plans for the castle are progressing very well right now.’
Benji nods. ‘Good, good. Now answer my actual question – how is everything withyou, Amelia?’
‘That’s fine too . . . Why wouldn’t it be? Like I said, everything is going really well. Charlie is happier than I’ve seen him in a long time. I’ve got a steady wage coming in at last – well, I will do for the first time at the end of this month – and I have a permanent home to live in. Life couldn’t be better.’
Benji narrows his eyes. ‘You’re still avoiding the question.’
‘No, I’m not.’
‘Yes, you are. How’s your love life?’
‘I beg your pardon?’ I say, stunned by his question.
‘Don’t play the innocent – you heard me.’
‘I don’t mean to be rude, Benji,’ I say, moving away from the desk towards one of the long windows that look down towards the sea, ‘but I’m not quite sure how that’s any of your business?’
‘True, it’s not. But I just thought I’d ask in case there was anything going on?’
‘Well, there’s not,’ I say stoutly, still a little surprised by the frankness of his question.
‘Could there be, though?’ Benji says, pressing on. ‘Do I sense a frisson of excitement when you and Tom are together?’
‘No!’ I say a little too vehemently. ‘You most certainly do not.’
‘Not a tremor of desire passing invisibly between the two of you?’
‘No,’ I repeat, folding my arms protectively across my chest.
‘Oh, I must have got it wrong, then,’ Benji says innocently, picking up his book and heading towards the ladder. ‘Perhaps your heart beats that little bit faster when Joey is around then?’
‘I don’t think so! Joey is way too young for me.’
‘Like an older man, do you?’ Benji says with his back to me so I can’t see his expression.
‘No, not at all. I don’t have a preference, actually, and again how is this any of your business?’
Benji climbs back down from the ladder and turns to face me. ‘Let’s just say I’m an interested party, that’s all.’ He winks at me. ‘Now I’ve done my time here for today. I need to get on with my other job or my book will never get written. See you later, alligator!’ And with that he glides elegantly through the library door and is gone.
