of a narrow strip of pebbly beach that was further away from the Golden Mile of arcades and slot machines.
Tucking their skirts tight under their bare legs, Gracie and Ruby sat down side by side and finished their ice creams in companionable silence, before leaning back and turning their faces to the sun.
After several minutes’ silence, there was a crunching on the pebbles behind them.
‘Excuse me, you two,’ a very correct female voice suddenly said behind them. ‘You don’t mind if we sit here, do you? It’s such a nice spot, away from the noise of all those screaming little kiddywinks further back that way.’
Gracie and Ruby had both been deep in thought, but they sat up quickly and looked round in unison. Two men and a woman were standing behind them, looking ready to settle themselves on the beach near to where they were sitting but politely waiting for a response. One of the men was holding a folded tartan rug over one arm and a cavernous wicker basket on the other and the other man was carrying the jackets they’d obviously taken off because of the sun. There was no doubt they were looking to stay for at least the duration of their picnic.
‘Of course not! It’s a public beach. And we’re leaving in a minute anyway,’ Gracie shrugged, without taking too much notice.
She was surprised at the question and also a bit irritated that other people were settling so close on the beach when there was room a little further away. She really wanted to chat with Ruby and enjoy their last outing together before everything changed; she just wanted a fun day with Ruby before her wedding.
‘Are you here on a day trip?’ the young woman asked as she took the rug from the man, before carefully laying it out just a few feet away from them. Trying to be subtle, Gracie glanced at her.
She was a petite but buxom blonde with a wide smile, classy clothes and a shrill, upper-class voice that carried along the beach. It was obvious she’d dressed for a day at the seaside but without considering the beach.
‘No, we live here,’ Gracie answered politely. ‘We were just having a sit in the sun before we walk home.’
‘How exciting it must be to live at the seaside. We live in the country so we’re just here for the day – we drove down from Saffron Walden this morning. Well, Edward drove. It’s the first time we’ve ever been to Southend and we want to see everything; we’ve already had a good old look around the Kursaal and along by the pier. It’s all such fun! Harry and I went on the lake in a boat …’ she paused and her hand flew up to her mouth.
‘Oh, I’m sorry, you must think we’re so rude.’ She walked round in front of them and held out her hand to both Ruby and Gracie in turn. ‘I’m Louisa, and this is Harry, my darling fiancé …’ she said as she pointed to the man on her left, ‘and this is Edward, his big brother. Harry and I are engaged, we’re getting married next month and Edward will be best man. He came all the way back from Africa especially. How exciting is that?’
‘Shhh, darling,’ the man introduced as Harry said, as he held his hand up in front of her and smiled affectionately. ‘Not everyone wants to know all about our forthcoming nuptials’.
‘I’m sorry, Harry, I’m so excited I want the whole world to know!’ Louisa joined her hands together as if in prayer and almost bowed as she gazed adoringly at her fiancé.
Gracie felt Ruby’s elbow in her ribs and heard her stifled snort but she didn’t react.
She wasn’t looking at Ruby, Louisa or Harry, nor was she listening to them. Instead Gracie had met the gaze of the man introduced as Edward, and she was completely transfixed.
She could feel herself starting to blush, but still she couldn’t look away from the man, who was looking into her eyes with an intensity she couldn’t decipher. There was the slightest hint of a smile around the edges of his mouth that inferred intimacy and Gracie was shocked; not
Tucking their skirts tight under their bare legs, Gracie and Ruby sat down side by side and finished their ice creams in companionable silence, before leaning back and turning their faces to the sun.
After several minutes’ silence, there was a crunching on the pebbles behind them.
‘Excuse me, you two,’ a very correct female voice suddenly said behind them. ‘You don’t mind if we sit here, do you? It’s such a nice spot, away from the noise of all those screaming little kiddywinks further back that way.’
Gracie and Ruby had both been deep in thought, but they sat up quickly and looked round in unison. Two men and a woman were standing behind them, looking ready to settle themselves on the beach near to where they were sitting but politely waiting for a response. One of the men was holding a folded tartan rug over one arm and a cavernous wicker basket on the other and the other man was carrying the jackets they’d obviously taken off because of the sun. There was no doubt they were looking to stay for at least the duration of their picnic.
‘Of course not! It’s a public beach. And we’re leaving in a minute anyway,’ Gracie shrugged, without taking too much notice.
She was surprised at the question and also a bit irritated that other people were settling so close on the beach when there was room a little further away. She really wanted to chat with Ruby and enjoy their last outing together before everything changed; she just wanted a fun day with Ruby before her wedding.
‘Are you here on a day trip?’ the young woman asked as she took the rug from the man, before carefully laying it out just a few feet away from them. Trying to be subtle, Gracie glanced at her.
She was a petite but buxom blonde with a wide smile, classy clothes and a shrill, upper-class voice that carried along the beach. It was obvious she’d dressed for a day at the seaside but without considering the beach.
‘No, we live here,’ Gracie answered politely. ‘We were just having a sit in the sun before we walk home.’
‘How exciting it must be to live at the seaside. We live in the country so we’re just here for the day – we drove down from Saffron Walden this morning. Well, Edward drove. It’s the first time we’ve ever been to Southend and we want to see everything; we’ve already had a good old look around the Kursaal and along by the pier. It’s all such fun! Harry and I went on the lake in a boat …’ she paused and her hand flew up to her mouth.
‘Oh, I’m sorry, you must think we’re so rude.’ She walked round in front of them and held out her hand to both Ruby and Gracie in turn. ‘I’m Louisa, and this is Harry, my darling fiancé …’ she said as she pointed to the man on her left, ‘and this is Edward, his big brother. Harry and I are engaged, we’re getting married next month and Edward will be best man. He came all the way back from Africa especially. How exciting is that?’
‘Shhh, darling,’ the man introduced as Harry said, as he held his hand up in front of her and smiled affectionately. ‘Not everyone wants to know all about our forthcoming nuptials’.
‘I’m sorry, Harry, I’m so excited I want the whole world to know!’ Louisa joined her hands together as if in prayer and almost bowed as she gazed adoringly at her fiancé.
Gracie felt Ruby’s elbow in her ribs and heard her stifled snort but she didn’t react.
She wasn’t looking at Ruby, Louisa or Harry, nor was she listening to them. Instead Gracie had met the gaze of the man introduced as Edward, and she was completely transfixed.
She could feel herself starting to blush, but still she couldn’t look away from the man, who was looking into her eyes with an intensity she couldn’t decipher. There was the slightest hint of a smile around the edges of his mouth that inferred intimacy and Gracie was shocked; not
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