…’ she shrugged.
‘Owen as in Owen Hutchinson?’
‘That’s the one. I work for him these days, managing the booking kiosk on the quay for river trips.’
‘I passed there earlier this morning. Didn’t see you – there were lots of people drinking coffee and eating buns.’
‘Impromptu meeting of the Save the Kiosk group. Council want to do away with it,’ Sabine said. ‘Make us use an office somewhere else on the quay.’ She took a sip of wine. ‘So, catch-up time. Papa died shortly after you left. Johnnie is a widower. His Annie died two years ago. Owen’s never married but regards Peter as his son. Gus is back from making his fortune.’
‘And did he?’ Harriet asked.
‘Seems like it. Something to do with computers that went viral. He picked up a glossy wife too, somewhere along the way. These days he’s running a boat agency selling floating gin palaces. You’ll have to get him to show you around one. I gather his selling technique involves lots of champagne with a trip round the bay,’ Sabine said.
‘Haven’t been on a boat since I left here.’ Harriet picked up a handful of nuts from the dish Sabine had brought up with the wine. ‘I had a nostalgic wander around town yesterday. Things have changed so little, I could almost believe I’d never left.’
The doorbell rang. ‘That’ll be dinner,’ Sabine said. ‘One of the posh restaurants in town does a home delivery service for special occasions. Champagne’s in the fridge downstairs. Can you open it while I get dinner?’
‘Right, fill me in on your life,’ Sabine said as she placed a plate of French charcuterie on the table alongside a basket containing a baguette. The aroma from the garlic sausage, the mushroom pâté and mounds of black and green olives made Harriet realise how hungry she was.
‘How did you survive after you left here? Where did you meet Frank?’ Sabine asked as they began to eat.
‘With difficulty,’ Harriet said, remembering those first despairing months of being on her own with Ellie. ‘I rented a small cottage in the wilds of West Wales. It was pretty bleak. I couldn’t work because of Ellie so we didn’t have a lot to live on. When she went to nursery school I managed to get a part-time job in a little boutique and things became a bit easier.’
‘What about Oscar? Didn’t he contribute?’
Harriet shook her head. ‘He didn’t know where we were, any more than I knew where he was. I didn’t want any contact with him. It was Ellie and me against the world. Until I met Frank, who has loved and looked after us both ever since.’
‘So what are you doing in town now? Is Frank with you? Do I get to meet him?’
‘Not this visit. Maybe if I come down again,’ Harriet paused. ‘Trevor Bagshawe tracked me down and summoned me to a meeting. Amy has apparently left Ellie and me her Swannaton house. That’s classified information, by the way,’ she said. ‘No-one else knows.’
‘Apparently?’
‘There’s a certain clause that I have to agree to before it becomes official.’ Harriet swallowed a large mouthful of her champagne. ‘I’ll give you three guesses what it is.’
‘Amy wants you to … to swim the Dart naked.’
Harriet giggled. ‘No, Beeny, don’t be daft.’
‘OK. You have to … take up hang-gliding. No?’ Sabine topped up both their glasses. ‘I’ve really no idea.’
‘One last guess,’ Harriet said.
‘I know. You have to give up drink. That might be hard but not impossible.’
Harriet shook her head. ‘Much harder than that. I have to promise to come and live in the house for a year,’ she said quietly.
‘Really? That’s the clause? But why is that impossible?’
Harriet looked at her wide-eyed. ‘Come back after what happened? Be a laughing stock again? No thanks.’
‘You weren’t a laughing stock – I felt for you and other people did too. If it’s any consolation, I made life as difficult as I could for the bitch before they left town
‘Owen as in Owen Hutchinson?’
‘That’s the one. I work for him these days, managing the booking kiosk on the quay for river trips.’
‘I passed there earlier this morning. Didn’t see you – there were lots of people drinking coffee and eating buns.’
‘Impromptu meeting of the Save the Kiosk group. Council want to do away with it,’ Sabine said. ‘Make us use an office somewhere else on the quay.’ She took a sip of wine. ‘So, catch-up time. Papa died shortly after you left. Johnnie is a widower. His Annie died two years ago. Owen’s never married but regards Peter as his son. Gus is back from making his fortune.’
‘And did he?’ Harriet asked.
‘Seems like it. Something to do with computers that went viral. He picked up a glossy wife too, somewhere along the way. These days he’s running a boat agency selling floating gin palaces. You’ll have to get him to show you around one. I gather his selling technique involves lots of champagne with a trip round the bay,’ Sabine said.
‘Haven’t been on a boat since I left here.’ Harriet picked up a handful of nuts from the dish Sabine had brought up with the wine. ‘I had a nostalgic wander around town yesterday. Things have changed so little, I could almost believe I’d never left.’
The doorbell rang. ‘That’ll be dinner,’ Sabine said. ‘One of the posh restaurants in town does a home delivery service for special occasions. Champagne’s in the fridge downstairs. Can you open it while I get dinner?’
‘Right, fill me in on your life,’ Sabine said as she placed a plate of French charcuterie on the table alongside a basket containing a baguette. The aroma from the garlic sausage, the mushroom pâté and mounds of black and green olives made Harriet realise how hungry she was.
‘How did you survive after you left here? Where did you meet Frank?’ Sabine asked as they began to eat.
‘With difficulty,’ Harriet said, remembering those first despairing months of being on her own with Ellie. ‘I rented a small cottage in the wilds of West Wales. It was pretty bleak. I couldn’t work because of Ellie so we didn’t have a lot to live on. When she went to nursery school I managed to get a part-time job in a little boutique and things became a bit easier.’
‘What about Oscar? Didn’t he contribute?’
Harriet shook her head. ‘He didn’t know where we were, any more than I knew where he was. I didn’t want any contact with him. It was Ellie and me against the world. Until I met Frank, who has loved and looked after us both ever since.’
‘So what are you doing in town now? Is Frank with you? Do I get to meet him?’
‘Not this visit. Maybe if I come down again,’ Harriet paused. ‘Trevor Bagshawe tracked me down and summoned me to a meeting. Amy has apparently left Ellie and me her Swannaton house. That’s classified information, by the way,’ she said. ‘No-one else knows.’
‘Apparently?’
‘There’s a certain clause that I have to agree to before it becomes official.’ Harriet swallowed a large mouthful of her champagne. ‘I’ll give you three guesses what it is.’
‘Amy wants you to … to swim the Dart naked.’
Harriet giggled. ‘No, Beeny, don’t be daft.’
‘OK. You have to … take up hang-gliding. No?’ Sabine topped up both their glasses. ‘I’ve really no idea.’
‘One last guess,’ Harriet said.
‘I know. You have to give up drink. That might be hard but not impossible.’
Harriet shook her head. ‘Much harder than that. I have to promise to come and live in the house for a year,’ she said quietly.
‘Really? That’s the clause? But why is that impossible?’
Harriet looked at her wide-eyed. ‘Come back after what happened? Be a laughing stock again? No thanks.’
‘You weren’t a laughing stock – I felt for you and other people did too. If it’s any consolation, I made life as difficult as I could for the bitch before they left town
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