Page 62 of Summer at Harbour View House
‘But things came to a head, I threw Elizabeth over the side, the Curve … er, cried, and that was the end of it. I haven’t seen or spoken to him since.’
‘But you have the guitar?’
‘A few years later I had a fan contact me. A scuba diving team had found the guitar while looking for something rather less savoury. At the time, the Curve was unreachable, having joined a monastic sect in the Himalayas for a few years. I got hold of the guitar, and it was Elizabeth. Out of respect for my old friend, I had her completely restored, and I’ve kept her here ever since.’
‘Didn’t you tell him?’
Eddie shook his head.
‘I have his number. You could call him right now.’
Eddie stood up and put his cup in the sink. ‘Not gonna happen.’
‘Why not?’
‘Let’s just say, that he said a few things, too.’
‘Like what?’
‘He said I couldn’t sing. That Cowslip was built on his riffs, and that I was replaceable.’
Natasha couldn’t help but smile. ‘And you’re still salty about it?’
‘Wouldn’t you be?’
‘Well, maybe for five minutes. But I imagine being in a band is like being part of a family. And families always say stuff they don’t mean.’
‘It’s too late.’
‘It’s never too late.’
‘It is. We’ll cope without him somehow. Now, if you don’t mind, I have things to do.’
‘How on earth are you going to eat all that?’
Ben grinned and shrugged. ‘I’ll manage somehow.’
‘That box of chips is as long as your forearm.’
‘I’ll need the energy for tomorrow. The first rehearsal, remember?’
‘Did you manage to find your kit?’
Ben nodded. ‘There were a couple of bits missing and some damage, but nothing a roll of tape couldn’t fix. And Mum’s going to do an early run into the music shop in St. Austell to pick up a couple of screws and things I need.’
‘Can you play it okay?’
Ben shrugged. ‘Not the best, but we’ll see. I listened to a couple of their songs to see if I could figure them out. Luckily, they were one of the, ah, less musical of the hair metal bands, but it’s still a bit of a stretch. I don’t think I can do more than half an hour at a time, either.’ He rubbed his shoulder. ‘It’s a bit tight back here.’
‘Do you want a—’Massage, Natasha almost said, then remembered they weren’t some old married couple but a pair of thirty-something acquaintances not yet even really friends. ‘Ah, another chip?’
Ben grinned, tilted the foot-long box in Natasha’s direction and shook his head. ‘I’m good for now, but if you can’t finish, let me know.’
The sun had dipped beneath the cliffs, and the harbour had taken on a purple hue. A couple of small fishing boats, including Davey’s, stood at their moorings, rocking gently from side to side, as a few ripples that had negotiated the narrow inlet between the cliffs lapped at the grey sand.
‘Are you looking forward to getting back to work?’ Ben asked, plucking another chip out of the box. ‘We’re not supposed to talk about such things, are we? When you’re a few summers’ deep, you tend to get used to how fast they go by.’
Natasha shrugged. ‘It is what it is. It’s a good school, the kids are all right. And I’m used to it, you know? Plus, not many other jobs where you get such long holidays.’
