He waved back and diverted his course to join them, a sincere, boyish smile on his handsome face.
“Ah! Miss Georgiana and Miss Mira. What a pleasure.” Reaching them, he removed his hat, exposing wavy golden hair, and gave them a formal bow.
Mira giggled.
“How fortunate I am that yours should be the first familiar faces I see in Sidmouth. I’ve just arrived by coach.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Come for the Christmas season, of course. Thought I’d come early.”
“And your father?”
“He’ll join us in a few weeks, closer to Christmas Eve.” He tilted his head, gazing up at the single kite still aloft. “Kites, ey? Haven’t flown one in ages.”
Georgie pointed to the one on the ground. “Want to see if you remember how it’s done?”
“Why not?” He set down his valise and picked up the kite. He tossed the silk diamond into the air, but it quickly fell to the grass.
“Keep your back to the wind,” Georgie advised.
He did so, but still the thing would not fly.
“Try a running start.”
He ran, holding the line, and the kite rose with a jerk behind him. “There we go!”
It turned a few frantic circles above his head and then dove to the ground.
He picked it up and returned it. “Ah well. More of a cricket man, myself.”
“I remember that. And you’re just in time. I was about to show Mira how to bat.” She pointed to the cricket things on the ground.
“Now that’s more like it.”
Reeling in her kite, Georgiana exchanged it for bat and ball.
Holding the cricket bat in one hand, she tossed up the ball with the other, quickly shifted the bat into both hands, and gave the ball a whack that sent it a dozen yards.
Chips tore himself away from the wad of butcher’s paper to chase after it, returning the ball to Georgiana in a matter of seconds.
“Good boy.”
Then it was Colin’s turn. He did the same, tossing up the ball and smartly smacking it across the field. It sailed over the fence, past the esplanade, and onto the shingle beach beyond.
Mira cheered, but Colin sent Georgiana an apologetic frown.
“Sorry. I have a few new balls in my bag and will replace it.”
“No need.”
Chips bounded through the gate and across the esplanade, then disappeared down the rise to shore.
“He’ll never find it among all those rocks and pebbles,” Colin said.
“Don’t underestimate him. He has an excellent nose.”
Sure enough, a minute later the scraggly terrier ran back through the gate and trotted up to Colin, depositing the ball at his finely shod feet.
