Far too nice to ride back in the car, isn’t it?’
‘All right then; I don’t mind,’ she replied. ‘Tommy…’ she called to her brother. ‘We’re going to walk home, Dominic and I. Are you coming with us?’
She did not see Dominic’s slight frown and shake of his head behind her back; but she did see Tommy’s grin and raised thumb as he replied, ‘No, I’ll ride, if it’s all the same to you. Anyway, two’s company, isn’t it?’ he added with a wink at his friend.
She felt herself blushing then, realising what he meant. She was still rather in awe of Dominic, but it would be a chance to get to know him a little better without her brother around.
Chapter Five
T he shortest route to South Bay, where both Tilly and Dominic lived, was through the town and across one of the bridges, the Valley Bridge or the Spa Bridge, which linked the two bays. Dominic, however, had a different idea.
‘It’s a lovely evening,’ he said as they walked along the promenade, drawing near to the ruined castle perched high on the hill in front of them. ‘How do you fancy going round the Marine Drive? It’s a fair distance, I know, but we should manage it easily before it gets dark. Anyway, what is there to worry about? I’m here to protect you from ghosts and ghoulies and things that go bump in the night, aren’t I?’
He gently squeezed her elbow, and when she smiled back at him, a little unsurely, she could see that his blue eyes revealed warmth and friendship,and nothing more. Tilly was a little wary of young men; she had not had much contact with many, except at church events or with school friends that Tommy brought home from time to time; like Dominic. She had already decided earlier that evening that she would like to get to know him a little better, and so she agreed that they would walk the mile or so round the headland to the south of the town.
The Marine Drive had been opened in 1908 and was considered a tremendous feat of engineering. It was used mainly by visitors to the town who enjoyed the leisurely stroll by the side of the sea, escaping for a while from the bustling harbour and the attractions of the South Bay, round to the still relatively undeveloped and quieter North Bay.
The sea was on their left-hand side, way below the strong wall which had been built to withstand the crashing waves and the fiercest storms. Oftentimes, though, hardy visitors could be drenched if they were bold enough or foolish enough to venture there when a storm was raging. Tonight, though, the sea was quite calm, gradually advancing across the stretch of golden sand and covering the place where the Pierrots had performed only a little while before. To their right, Castle Hill loomed above them, the strategic spot where King Henry the Second had built his castle inthe twelfth century. The cliff face was the nesting ground for thousands of seagulls. The side of the cliff was white with them as they settled down for the night, barely distinguishable from the boulders of rock. Many of them were still wheeling and diving high above, their raucous cries ringing out shrilly in the still of the evening.
‘It’s a long time since I did this walk,’ said Tilly. ‘I’ve cycled round once or twice for the exercise, but I’ve walked it only a couple of times.’
‘Me too,’ agreed Dominic. ‘I think residents are often too busy to make the effort to enjoy the resort’s attractions; or else too blasé about them. I must admit it’s simply ages since I went to watch a Pierrot show, not since I was a little lad.’
‘Ah well, I suppose it’s different for you,’ said Tilly. ‘You were born here, weren’t you?’
‘Yes, that’s right,’ he replied.
‘Well, I first came here as a holidaymaker from York,’ she continued. ‘My mother used to bring us here for a month each summer. We rented a little house near to the castle. I remember our father used to visit us at weekends…sometimes. But even then things were not
‘All right then; I don’t mind,’ she replied. ‘Tommy…’ she called to her brother. ‘We’re going to walk home, Dominic and I. Are you coming with us?’
She did not see Dominic’s slight frown and shake of his head behind her back; but she did see Tommy’s grin and raised thumb as he replied, ‘No, I’ll ride, if it’s all the same to you. Anyway, two’s company, isn’t it?’ he added with a wink at his friend.
She felt herself blushing then, realising what he meant. She was still rather in awe of Dominic, but it would be a chance to get to know him a little better without her brother around.
Chapter Five
T he shortest route to South Bay, where both Tilly and Dominic lived, was through the town and across one of the bridges, the Valley Bridge or the Spa Bridge, which linked the two bays. Dominic, however, had a different idea.
‘It’s a lovely evening,’ he said as they walked along the promenade, drawing near to the ruined castle perched high on the hill in front of them. ‘How do you fancy going round the Marine Drive? It’s a fair distance, I know, but we should manage it easily before it gets dark. Anyway, what is there to worry about? I’m here to protect you from ghosts and ghoulies and things that go bump in the night, aren’t I?’
He gently squeezed her elbow, and when she smiled back at him, a little unsurely, she could see that his blue eyes revealed warmth and friendship,and nothing more. Tilly was a little wary of young men; she had not had much contact with many, except at church events or with school friends that Tommy brought home from time to time; like Dominic. She had already decided earlier that evening that she would like to get to know him a little better, and so she agreed that they would walk the mile or so round the headland to the south of the town.
The Marine Drive had been opened in 1908 and was considered a tremendous feat of engineering. It was used mainly by visitors to the town who enjoyed the leisurely stroll by the side of the sea, escaping for a while from the bustling harbour and the attractions of the South Bay, round to the still relatively undeveloped and quieter North Bay.
The sea was on their left-hand side, way below the strong wall which had been built to withstand the crashing waves and the fiercest storms. Oftentimes, though, hardy visitors could be drenched if they were bold enough or foolish enough to venture there when a storm was raging. Tonight, though, the sea was quite calm, gradually advancing across the stretch of golden sand and covering the place where the Pierrots had performed only a little while before. To their right, Castle Hill loomed above them, the strategic spot where King Henry the Second had built his castle inthe twelfth century. The cliff face was the nesting ground for thousands of seagulls. The side of the cliff was white with them as they settled down for the night, barely distinguishable from the boulders of rock. Many of them were still wheeling and diving high above, their raucous cries ringing out shrilly in the still of the evening.
‘It’s a long time since I did this walk,’ said Tilly. ‘I’ve cycled round once or twice for the exercise, but I’ve walked it only a couple of times.’
‘Me too,’ agreed Dominic. ‘I think residents are often too busy to make the effort to enjoy the resort’s attractions; or else too blasé about them. I must admit it’s simply ages since I went to watch a Pierrot show, not since I was a little lad.’
‘Ah well, I suppose it’s different for you,’ said Tilly. ‘You were born here, weren’t you?’
‘Yes, that’s right,’ he replied.
‘Well, I first came here as a holidaymaker from York,’ she continued. ‘My mother used to bring us here for a month each summer. We rented a little house near to the castle. I remember our father used to visit us at weekends…sometimes. But even then things were not
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