“I’m so glad.Oh, Prid, this makes everything perfect.If Idon’t have to worry about you anymore, and I have Geoff, I mean.Now we have to find someone just as amazing for you.”
“Well, it’s early days, but there’s just thepossibility—”
“And he’sloaded.I didn’t tell you that before, because it shouldn’t beimportant.And it’s not, only...I never knew anybody with moneybefore, and sometimes I hardly know how to act around him.Thefancy restaurants and everything.”
“You can take him to Mick’s chippy in Rosewarne.See if heknows how to act around you there.”
“Oh,he’snotdifficult about it.It’s just me.”Kit sat back, catching hisbreath.“I’m sorry.I’m just...all in a flutter about him.You canprobably tell.”
Priddytook his hand.He made sure Geoff wasn’t yet on his way back out ofthe kitchen, and planted a kiss on the strong, fish-hook scarredfist.“I can tell.”
They sat in silence for a moment.Kit took his hand away,blushing a little.He began to examine Priddy’s face, as ifsomething indefinable about him had changed.Priddy sat patientlybeneath the scrutiny.Then, unexpectedly, Kit’s eyes filled withtears.“Shit.Itisn’tright, is it, to have to worry about how we look?If evensomeone as gorgeous as you...”
“Er...thanks.But what?”
“Ifyoufeelyou have to change.Have you had botox?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Your forehead.Here, where that little crease used to be...”He reached out, and Priddy forbade himself the recoil.“Jesus,Prid.Your scar is gone.”
Priddyburst into laughter.“Of course I haven’t had botox, you dork.That’s for smoothing out your wrinkles, not...”He raised hisfingers to his brow, the place just below his hairline where poorNance Govett’s hand had shaken on her stitches.“Bloodyhell.”
“How did that happen?”
“I dunno.Maybe it just faded off—you know, with time orsomething.”
“No amount of time was gonna fix that.He really hurtyou.”
Priddyleaned his elbows on the table.The new warmth inside him didn’tabate—increased, rather, as if in response to outer chill.Butthere was an old mystery here, a sorrow.Geoff brought in mugs on atray and Priddy smiled absently in thanks, otherwise oblivious.“Mymum told everyone I fell off a horse in Pritchard’sfield.”
“Nobody believed that.My dad said you should’ve been inhospital, or taken into care.”
Kit wasnow as pale as he’d been red before.The words coming from himseemed scarcely voluntary.“If you knew,” Priddy asked gently, “whydidn’t you say something to me about it?”
“Christ, Prid.I was twelve.And you...you were just the samesweet, dippy lad afterwards as you’d been before, and everyone saidthat if you wanted to forget what had happened, we should letyou.”
Geoffbanged his mug down on the table.“This is what happens,” he saidseverely, “when we make visits home, and expect things to be thesame as when we left.Priddy has his own life now, Kit, and so doyou.”
Kit satup straight.“I’m aware of that, Geoff.Also, it was your idea tocome here.”
Geoff’seyebrows climbed into his fashionably spiky fringe.Priddy began topush his chair back, to take himself out of the way of this goodnew current, but Geoff flashed him another of the charming smilesand motioned him to sit down.“Don’t go, please.Kit’s right.Itwas my idea, and part of it was because I wanted to talk toyou—about these mermaids.”
Priddypressed his lips together.He’d ridden out Kit’s further confessionof the limitations of friendship, and coped more or less with thediscovery and final proof of Merou’s healing magic.He didn’t wantto crack into whooping hysterics now.“Mermaids?”
“Yes.I know you and Kit have a great deal to talk about, andyou’ll have to forgive an old man for being a bit grumpy when hesees the two of you together.Since you’re here, though, I wouldlove to find out a bit more about these legends Kitmentioned.”
“I think Kit probably knows as much about them as Ido.”
“Maybe, but you taught them to him.It’s always good to go tothe source.”
Priddytried to remember.Yes, rainy afternoons in Kit’s bedroom, whichlooked out over the Rosewarne cliffs.The house felt safe, and Kitfelt safe, and Priddy would curl himself up in the window seat andregale him with the stories he’d picked up from the library orfishermen in the harbour, embellishing freely when Kit had wantedto know more.“I’d forgotten.”
“I never did,” Kit said.“I used to love your stories,especially the way you made sure there were always mermen as wellas maids.And you were adamant the girls would never wear thosescallop-shell bikini tops, because they’d be uncomfortable.And weused to speculate for hours on how they used to go to the toilet,and whether they’d be able to have it off.”
Geoff gave a disgusted chuckle.“Haveit off, Kit?Don’t be such anadolescent.”
“Well, it was a valid point.I was interested in marine biologyeven then.”
