Page 77 of Summer at Harbour View House
‘I’d check with Davey first,’ Natasha said, as a car horn beeped outside. ‘Right, that’s me.’
Hannah gave her another warm hug, this time putting Charlie down first. Then, with Hannah leaning on Natasha’s shoulder as she carried her case down the path, they headed down to the waiting vehicle.
Jago, to Natasha’s relief, hadn’t come in the tractor, but in a muddy Land Rover. Inside was a lot cleaner than the outside, however, and as Jago loaded her case into the back, she turned around, taking in the grey cliffs and choppy sea of Penkoe one last time.
‘Gonna miss the place, maid?’ Jago said.
‘For sure,’ Natasha said. ‘But I’ll be back down sometime. I’ll need to make sure Hannah’s getting on all right.’
Hannah had tears in her eyes. As she pulled Natasha into yet another hug, another familiar figure appeared from an entrance just up the road.
‘Hey.’ Eddie, back to how she best remembered him, in tatty day clothes with no wig to be seen, lifted a hand.
Natasha managed to disentangle herself from Hannah as he came over. ‘Recovered?’ she said. ‘That was quite a show.’
Eddie nodded. ‘Thanks to you and Hannah. It might never have happened otherwise. You know, we got a call yesterday from a promoter. Cowslip are going back on tour. Twenty dates in the UK and Europe are already booked.’
Natasha turned to Hannah. ‘You’re not going with them?’
Hannah shook her head and patted her stomach. ‘I’m afraid my appearance was a one off. But it was fun. Maybe one day.’
Eddie grinned as Carly appeared behind him. ‘Oh, and we’re getting married. Not sure when, maybe New Year’s Eve, after a gig, something like that. You know, rock n’ roll style. You’ll come, won’t you?’
Natasha grinned. ‘Of course.’
Jago patted her on the shoulder. ‘Maid, better get on the road. You know how these lanes are, and if we meet some sheep or something….’
Natasha wiped a tear out of her eye. ‘Take care, guys.’
She was crying by the time she got into the passenger seat, and wiped her eyes as Jago pulled the Land Rover away, Hannah, Eddie and Carly waving in the rearview mirror.
‘Gonna miss this place, eh, maid?’ Jago said.
Natasha just nodded. ‘Yep,’ she croaked, not confident she could speak without sobbing.
‘You’re like royalty or something,’ Jago said, pointing at a group of people standing at the end of St. Juliot Lane. ‘You and King James, ha.’
Natasha started sobbing again at the sight of Lizzie and Jan, standing beside Matt and Davey, with some of the campers behind them, including Albert, Marigold, and the two girls, Ebony and Cassandra.
‘’Fraid we ain’t got time to stop,’ Jago said. ‘Give ‘em one o’them queen-like waves, though, eh.’
Natasha waved. The others waved back. Ebony gave her a devil horns sign. Cassandra lifted up her book and nodded.
‘Right, see if we can get up into second gear,’ Jago said, chuckling as they drove up through the village. Natasha almost couldn’t bear to watch, so closed her eyes for a while. When she opened them again, they were surrounded by fields. They passed the bus stop, where they had first got off, and it felt like a hundred years ago.
‘Next stop, the station,’ Jago said, then pointed at a corner of grass verge. ‘That there’s where we’re gonna be puttin’ you’s statue.’
‘Really?’
‘Only joking,’ he said with a cackle of laughter. ‘But we might name a stool after you down the pub.’
‘The highest of honours.’
‘’Tis round here, maid. Pinkle’s gonna miss ‘e, that’s for sure.’
They lapsed into silence for a while as they drove on. Natasha leaned against the window, wondering what Ben was doing right now. He had wished her good luck last night, promised to keep in touch, and told her how he wished he could see her off, but with it being the end of the season, the beach would no doubt be packed with campers getting in a last dip before heading off back up country for school and work.
I’m leaving at the right time,she thought to herself as they bumped through the country lanes, Jago seemingly with the ability to hit every pothole going.
