‘It wasn’t that bad,’ he protested. ‘Jump on board, your carriage awaits.’
Bea handed her crutches to Nolan who balanced them on the handlebars. ‘And how is the injured patient this morning?’
‘Very good. My ankle feels a lot better. I think I’ll take some baby steps on deck today, unaided, and see how I get on,’ she replied. Pointing to the seat, she asked, ‘What is that?’
‘A homemade cushion,’ replied Nolan proudly. ‘It’s a carrier bag with one of my shirts inside and I’ve tied it securely around the seat. It’s to give you extra comfort.’
‘I am impressed,’ replied Bea, a smile touching her lips. Easing herself onto the seat, she bent her legs back so that Nolan could easily get his foot on the pedal. With a huge push, he began to move, leaving Bea giving a tiny squeal as she grabbed on to his waist.
‘Hold on!’
‘I’m holding.’
‘How was the rest of your night? asked Nolan, giving her a quick glance over his shoulder as they whizzed along the river path towards The Little Blue Boathouse.
‘I had a phone call with Emmie.’
‘And how did that go?’
‘I told her that I was staying here for an extended holiday and I hadn’t made a decision about the rest of my life but when I did, she would be the first to know.’
‘That’s fair enough.’
‘Apparently Carl is heading home this morning. He gave me an ultimatum but I don’t think it quite went how he’d planned it.’ Last night Bea had watched 8pm come and go and she’d felt nothing except relief. There’d been a time when Carl had consumed her mind twenty-four hours a day – but not now. Bea knew her feelings for him were dead and buried. Even though he was all she’d ever known, it was time for a change.
‘But Emmie is coming to the meeting tonight?’
‘Yes, and I’m hoping it’s going to be packed.’
‘I think it will be. I nipped to the village shop earlier and there were posters everywhere advertising it.’
Applying the brakes, Nolan slowed the bike and put both feet on the ground. He kept the whole thing steady as Bea carefully climbed off.
‘And how’s your backside doing?’ asked Nolan.
‘Just fine,’ she replied, smiling.
‘Yep, it looks just mighty fine to me.’ With a glint in his eyes, he handed her the crutches then pointed to The Hemingway. ‘There’s a ramp so that you can walk straight on to the boat.’
Bea looked across at the wooden ramp. ‘You’ve been busy.’
‘Roman noticed the sign for the gallery and called in. We got to chatting and he told me there was a spare ramp on one of the water taxis I could use. He secured it to the side of the boat and it works wonderfully.’
There was already a queue of tourists heading towards The Little Blue Boathouse, and with the sun shining it was clear it was going to be another busy day ahead. ‘I’d best get this place opened up ... and you need to go and make me some money,’ he said with a smile.
Bea saluted. ‘Such a hard taskmaster.’
Making her way towards The Hemingway, she was soon on board and, after making a cup of tea, she walked round inspecting Nolan’s paintings without the aid of her crutches, before opening the door to the deck, revealing the floating art gallery at its finest.
The sun was already shining down and according to the weather app this was going to be one of the hottest days on record. She positioned her chair under the roof of the boat but where she could still enjoy the warmth of the sun, and, taking her notebook and pen out of her bag, began to prepare her speech for tonight.
More and more boats were arriving for the River Festival. Bea had been added to the WhatsApp Community group and preparations were underway for an evening of spectacular fireworks as well as Martha’s special secret afternoon lunch cooked by Gianni, the chef at The Lakehouse. According to Isla, who’d posted in the group this morning, everyone needed to be vigilant because Martha was sensing something was going on and had begun to ask questions.
‘Good morning!’ Bea looked up to see Felicity walking onto the boat with a huge smile. ‘What a beautiful day. How are you doing? How’s the ankle?’
‘It’s getting better. I’ve just put some pressure on it and it’s feeling okay at the moment.’ Bea crossed her fingers. ‘Have you got time for a drink?’
Felicity checked her watch and nodded. ‘A quick one. I’ve just dropped the aluminium urns off for tonight’s meeting. It’ll be easier to serve up tea and coffee with those. We also have a selection of refreshments to bring along later.’
