Kate feels dazed, the room spinning.
‘Um, I’m not sure. I’m sorry to leave like this, but everything’s in here …’ She passes her notebook across to Phoebe, who takes it carefully as though holding something fragile.
‘Got it,’ she replies. ‘We can take over from here, Kate. You go do what you need to do.’
‘Yes, you’ve done so much already,’ says Sandra. ‘Let us help you now. We all want to, don’t we?’
Everyone nods and chips in with their agreement and it warms her, despite the anxiety coursing through her body.
They say their goodbyes and Jay follows her out to the car, Kate catching him up on the call with Brian.
‘Do you want me to come with you?’
‘No, you stay here with Rosie. I think maybe it’s best if it’s just the four of us for now.’
‘OK,’ he says, kissing her on the forehead. ‘But call if you need me and I’ll be right there, OK?’
‘I will,’ she says, meaning it. She reaches for him, taking comfort in the feel of his lips on hers and then on the softness of Rosie’s hair as she leans down to kiss the top of her head.
Then she’s off, heading towards the family home and knowing that even though she isn’t certain what is awaiting her when she gets there, life is surely about to change forever.
CHAPTER 49
Phoebe and Luca walk side by side back through the village later that evening. When he reaches for her hand, she lets him take it, feeling goosebumps dart their way up her arms despite the worries clouding her mind.
‘Have you heard from Kate?’ he asks as if reading her thoughts.
‘No. I’ve messaged to see how she’s doing but haven’t heard anything yet.’
‘I’m sure you’ll hear from her soon,’ he replies, squeezing her fingers.
‘So, what do you think about Kate’s plan?’ After she’d left, they’d pored over her notes together, Jay helping them decipher bits where the handwriting grew particularly messy in Kate’s haste to get it all down.
‘I think it sounds good,’ says Luca. ‘I’d never heard of a “bathing water” before.’
‘We have them on certain beaches down in Cornwall,’ says Phoebe. ‘It means the water quality gets regularly monitored and protected. I had no idea what was involved in the process of getting somewhere accredited as a bathing water though. It sounds like a lot of work.’
‘Yeah, especially as this would be the first river in the country to have bathing water status. But everyone seemed keen to help. And I think I can get the rowers on board too. You’d be surprised how much water you accidentally swallow when you’re rowing, from it splashing up off the oars. It’s in all of our interests to clean up the river.’
‘Exactly. And if we can clean the place up enough to get bathing water status, and prove how much the river means to everyone, then hopefully we can protect it for the future. I really don’t want to lose that place.’
‘I know you don’t. Neither do I.’
It’s still hard to think of their beautiful river as polluted. It doesn’tlookpolluted. But Phoebe, of all people, knows that what goes on beneath the surface isn’t always obvious just from a glance.
They reach the deli and pause for a moment to look in through the window, to where Luca’s father is tucking into a sample of cheese and passing one across to a customer, talking animatedly to them. It’s the deli’s weekly cheese and wine night and the place is buzzing.
‘I roped him in to help out so we could go out,’ Luca explains.
‘He looks as though he’s enjoying himself far too much. You might be out of a job.’
‘Maybe he could be my Saturday boy. I was thinking about expanding the workforce eventually if the business really takes off – as it seems to be doing. Take the pressure off, so I’ve got more time for myself. But is it unethical to hire your seventy-five-year-old father and pay him only in cheese?’
‘I think cheese as reimbursement is frankly the answer to a happy workforce.’
They grin at each other.
‘Hey, do you want to get something to eat?’ he asks, but before Phoebe can answer, her attention is pulled down the street, to where a familiar voice is calling her name. She drops Luca’s hand in surprise as she turns to follow the sound of the voice.
