Page 22 of The Cornish Cream Tea Holiday
‘No.’ He sighed. ‘You’re right.’
The quiet between them was swallowed by the cries of the seabirds. They watched them flying in and out of the crescentuntil Thea felt a little dizzy, and a whole lot precarious, being so close to the edge. She put her hand on Ben’s arm.
‘Ready to go?’ he asked.
‘If that’s OK?’
‘Sure.’
The walk up felt easier, mostly because she wasn’t staring into the abyss, but could gaze ahead at the path that led up to firm, solid land; to walking trails more than two feet wide; to benches and grass and safety. When they emerged onto the clifftop, she hurried forward a few steps and then dropped to her knees, just to feel the ground beneath her, to stop the swaying that had taken root inside her head. Scooter buried his nose in her neck and she wrapped her arms around him.
Ben gazed down at them, a look of amusement on his face.
‘Thank you,’ she said breathily. ‘For showing me that. It was incredible and I loved it, and I’m very glad to have seen it.’
‘Past tense being the important bit, right?’ He took his cap off, and she saw that his hair was dark with sweat. He rubbed a hand through it and put the cap back on.
She nodded. ‘I’m not ungrateful – in fact I’mverygrateful, because there’s no way I’d have gone there on my own, even if I’d known about it. But …’ she pressed her hands, palms flat, into the grass and grinned up at him.
Ben laughed. ‘Understood. Sandwiches?’
‘Good plan.’
They ate their ham sandwiches sitting on a low wooden bench that looked days away from collapse. Thea was surprised, and relieved, that it had taken their weight. Benhad bought a bowl for Scooter, which he filled with water, letting his dog drink his fill before giving him a couple more cold sausages.
‘What else is on your list?’ he asked. ‘Aside from hiking and coasteering? Is your friend a bit of an adrenaline junkie?’
Thea laughed. ‘No, not at all. There’s the Eden Project and Trebah Garden, a trip to Tintagel. We wanted to find a local fair or festival while we were here, and have a cream tea, because it has to be done – as well as trying some other local dishes. We were also going to have at least three long, uneventful days soaking up the sun at the beach. I’m still planning on doing most of those, and I’ve got a few things of my own, too. Now I’m going to add a boat trip to the list.’
Ben finished his mouthful. ‘I know a guy who does day trips on his boat – that’s how I found out about the puffins. He’s a friend of a friend, and I’m sure he’d have the space for you to go while you’re here.’
‘That sounds ideal, thank you. I’m going to add that and scrub off the coasteering, which I would be more than happy to consign to the reject bin.’
‘Remind me when we get back,’ he said, ‘and I’ll give you his number.’
‘Thanks, Ben.’
Thea wondered if he realised just how grateful she was that he’d offered her this trip today: that he’d shown her something so magnificent. Their apples were sweet and crunchy, the juice dribbling down Thea’s chin, and for the first time since she’d arrived she felt like she was having a proper holiday. She grinned at Ben, and he gave her hishalf-smile in return. She was beginning to think that was as much happiness as he ever showed, but she couldn’t say for sure.
It wasn’t a surprise when, on the way back, they went past the Old Post House and Thea heard the window creak open. It was as if she was replaying yesterday’s walk, but the universe was giving her another chance to get it right.
‘Benjamin Senhouse,’ said a familiar voice.
He looked up. ‘Sylvia.’ He sounded resigned and amused all at once.
‘Who’s that you’re with? Take your hat off, girl!’
Thea did as she was told. ‘It’s me. Thea.’
‘Oh, yes. Taken pity on this waif, have you, Benjamin? I told her she should seek out a big, strong man, and she found the very one I had in mind. When you’ve got a minute, could you check the boiler? It’s on the blink, and I can’t hand this place over to the town without any heating or hot water. This glorious summer means the winter ahead will be especially cruel.’
‘I’ll come and look at it tomorrow,’ Ben said. ‘Ten o’clock a good time?’
‘Suits me. You can bring your new friend, if you like.’
Ben smiled up at her. ‘She’s on holiday, Sylvia. I’m not sure she’s after a tour around your boiler.’
‘This is a historic building,’ Sylvia said. ‘Even in its less than perfect state, anyone would be lucky to get a glimpse. Thea?’ Her stare shifted focus, and Thea tried not to shrink back from it.
