his ways, though, determined like. Won't retire no matter how many times it's been suggested. He's harmless—won't give yer no bother.'
'He's sweet,' chimed in the barmaid.
'Customer wants serving, Frannie.' The barman gave a nod towards a customer waiting further down, two empty glasses before him on the counter. Giving Gabe one final smile, Frannie went off to take the customer's order.
The barman leaned one elbow on the bar. 'I'm the landlord of the Barnaby,' he told Gabe, 'and anything yer want to know about the area, just drop by and I'll try to oblige. If I'm not around, my wife, Vera, or our Frannie will be.'
Warmed by the man's friendliness, Gabe smiled. 'That's kind of you. I guess we'll be okay.'
'Well, don't hesitate. We could do with some new faces around 'ere. Good luck to you and yer family, Mr…?'
'Gabe Caleigh.' Gabe extended a hand across the beer mat and the landlord shook it.
'Sam Pennelly's me name. Enjoy yer stay, Mr Caleigh. Yer in a beautiful spot up there in the gorge.'
Gabe poured the rest of the tonic into its glass and was about to turn away, both glasses in his hands, when a thought struck him. 'Out of interest, how did Devil's Cleave get its name? It's kinda dark for such a wonderful place.'
Now the landlord had both elbows on the bartop as he leaned forward as if to speak confidentially. 'Centuries ago,' he said, his broad face serious, his voice husky, 'the Devil, hisself, tried to cut his way inland from the sea to flood all the villages hereabouts. First he took a bite out of the cliffs and that's how Hollow Bay came to be. Years of land erosion have widened the bay, of course. Anyway, they say after he took his first bite he attempted to gnaw his way up to the moors, but his teeth eventually got worn down to the gums and he couldn't get no further so, frustrated like, he sloped off back to sea swearing to have his revenge one day. And he did, but I'll leave that for another day, Mr Caleigh.'
The landlord straightened up and Gabe grinned at him, then froze the grin as he realized Pennelly's expression remained serious. For a beat or two there was a silence between the two men and Gabe was bemused.
Then the other man chuckled, his face breaking into a broad, yellow-toothed smile.
'Sorry, didn't mean to get a rise from yer,' the landlord apologized, continuing to smile, 'but that's how the tale goes. There's a lot of nonsense legends in these parts and they make good conversations round a roaring fire on winter nights.' He had one last chuckle before saying, 'Nice to meet you and your family, Mr Caleigh. You're always welcome at the Barnaby, so don't you stay away. You take good care of those girls of yours, now—all three of 'em I mean.'
Pennelly strolled off to talk to some customers at the other end of the bar and Gabe brought the drinks back to the table.
Eve looked up at him as he placed the glass before her. 'You seemed to be having a nice chat,' she said, and it was really a question: what were they talking about?
Gabe took his seat. 'Yeah, nice people. But I think the guy was twisting my head at the end.' He supped his beer.
'How did the guy twist your head, Daddy?' asked Cally, taking her lips from the straw she was using.
'Oh, he was just telling me how Hollow Bay and the ravine were made.'
'Gorge,' corrected Loren, who liked her father to speak proper English on occasion (she did this not out of embarrassment but because she genuinely thought she was being helpful, even though all her friends thought his American accent was cool).
'Tell us how, please,' Cally demanded noisily draining the last of her drink.
Gabe lowered his own voice as he told them the tale of how Hollow Bay and Devil's Cleave got their names.
9: THE PROJECT
'See it out there?'
Hunched in his coat against the steady drizzle, Gabe pointed over the stone harbour wall and Eve and the girls followed his direction. Loren and Cally wore yellow, hooded plastic macs while Eve had on
'He's sweet,' chimed in the barmaid.
'Customer wants serving, Frannie.' The barman gave a nod towards a customer waiting further down, two empty glasses before him on the counter. Giving Gabe one final smile, Frannie went off to take the customer's order.
The barman leaned one elbow on the bar. 'I'm the landlord of the Barnaby,' he told Gabe, 'and anything yer want to know about the area, just drop by and I'll try to oblige. If I'm not around, my wife, Vera, or our Frannie will be.'
Warmed by the man's friendliness, Gabe smiled. 'That's kind of you. I guess we'll be okay.'
'Well, don't hesitate. We could do with some new faces around 'ere. Good luck to you and yer family, Mr…?'
'Gabe Caleigh.' Gabe extended a hand across the beer mat and the landlord shook it.
'Sam Pennelly's me name. Enjoy yer stay, Mr Caleigh. Yer in a beautiful spot up there in the gorge.'
Gabe poured the rest of the tonic into its glass and was about to turn away, both glasses in his hands, when a thought struck him. 'Out of interest, how did Devil's Cleave get its name? It's kinda dark for such a wonderful place.'
Now the landlord had both elbows on the bartop as he leaned forward as if to speak confidentially. 'Centuries ago,' he said, his broad face serious, his voice husky, 'the Devil, hisself, tried to cut his way inland from the sea to flood all the villages hereabouts. First he took a bite out of the cliffs and that's how Hollow Bay came to be. Years of land erosion have widened the bay, of course. Anyway, they say after he took his first bite he attempted to gnaw his way up to the moors, but his teeth eventually got worn down to the gums and he couldn't get no further so, frustrated like, he sloped off back to sea swearing to have his revenge one day. And he did, but I'll leave that for another day, Mr Caleigh.'
The landlord straightened up and Gabe grinned at him, then froze the grin as he realized Pennelly's expression remained serious. For a beat or two there was a silence between the two men and Gabe was bemused.
Then the other man chuckled, his face breaking into a broad, yellow-toothed smile.
'Sorry, didn't mean to get a rise from yer,' the landlord apologized, continuing to smile, 'but that's how the tale goes. There's a lot of nonsense legends in these parts and they make good conversations round a roaring fire on winter nights.' He had one last chuckle before saying, 'Nice to meet you and your family, Mr Caleigh. You're always welcome at the Barnaby, so don't you stay away. You take good care of those girls of yours, now—all three of 'em I mean.'
Pennelly strolled off to talk to some customers at the other end of the bar and Gabe brought the drinks back to the table.
Eve looked up at him as he placed the glass before her. 'You seemed to be having a nice chat,' she said, and it was really a question: what were they talking about?
Gabe took his seat. 'Yeah, nice people. But I think the guy was twisting my head at the end.' He supped his beer.
'How did the guy twist your head, Daddy?' asked Cally, taking her lips from the straw she was using.
'Oh, he was just telling me how Hollow Bay and the ravine were made.'
'Gorge,' corrected Loren, who liked her father to speak proper English on occasion (she did this not out of embarrassment but because she genuinely thought she was being helpful, even though all her friends thought his American accent was cool).
'Tell us how, please,' Cally demanded noisily draining the last of her drink.
Gabe lowered his own voice as he told them the tale of how Hollow Bay and Devil's Cleave got their names.
9: THE PROJECT
'See it out there?'
Hunched in his coat against the steady drizzle, Gabe pointed over the stone harbour wall and Eve and the girls followed his direction. Loren and Cally wore yellow, hooded plastic macs while Eve had on
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