With a smile, Kitty opened her eyes and wandered through her classroom, tucking in chairs and picking up the detritus strewn across the floor. The children were good kids – a lively bunch, but she loved it when a class had spirit, so long as they didn’t take things too far. She’d ignored the advice she’d been given while training not to smile for the first week. In her experience, fair but firm was a better way to go, and most kids responded better to a kind but firm tone rather than a sullen Trunchbull-esque figure trying to control a class through fear.
Kitty returned to her desk, where the children’s artwork lay in a pile. In the last hour of the day, she’d asked them to drawtheir families. Her assumption that Saffron Bay might be a two-point-four-kids kind of place, was blown away by the patchwork families depicted in thick bright crayons. They were as varied as they’d been for her London class. Some images made Kitty laugh out loud, especially the one where a little boy had left out all human family members in favour of his pets.
When she reached Emily’s drawing, Kitty paused. Emily had drawn herself in the centre of the image, with her mother just to the side. At the far edge of the paper was Nick, complete with messy hair and broad smile. With a rush of affection, Kitty traced the images with her finger.
She’d worked hard all day not to show Emily special treatment, yet it was hard to push aside her feelings for the girl who was living through such a period of upheaval. Kitty could sympathise with being forced from one life into another, and how the lack of control could mess with your head. How much worse must that feeling be at five rather than twenty-seven years old?
Kitty spent another hour tidying away the day’s work and preparing for tomorrow. She was sitting at her desk tackling paperwork when a knock sounded on the door, and Suzanne poked her head around.
‘How did your first day go?’
Kitty set down her pen. ‘Excellent, thanks.’
‘I’m so sorry you didn’t have Sam in with you today. It’s typical she had to cover Class Two when you could have done with a hand settling in.’
‘Honestly, it was fine. The kids are great, and they helped show me the ropes.’
‘I’m glad to hear it.’ Suzanne wandered over to peer at Kitty’s papers. ‘What are you doing now?’
‘Catching up on a bit of paperwork.’
‘Alright, but don’t stay too late. I’ve learned over the years that a teacher’s to-do list is never-ending, and trying to reach the end is a sure-fire way of burning out.’
‘I won’t be here much longer, I promise.’
‘Good. See you tomorrow.’
‘Bye.’
The door closed behind Suzanne with a quiet click, and Kitty stretched her arms above her head, tired but content. She returned to her laptop and would have spent longer working had her phone not pinged with a message. Kitty glanced at her phone and sat up straight. Her skin prickled, her tired eyes suddenly focussed.
He’s been asking around about you. Keep your head down! Xxxx
Kitty slammed her laptop shut and scraped her belongings from her desk into her bag. She yanked her coat on, shoved her phone in her pocket and stumbled towards the door. Hand on the knob, Kitty paused.Get a grip, she told herself. She was safe in Saffron Bay. This was her new start.
Remembering the breathing techniques she’d been taught, she managed to get her heart rate down to that of a light jog rather than a sprint.
She made it through the school without seeing a soul, and the village streets were also mercifully quiet. As Kitty approached her cottage, her pace slowed. An entire evening alone with her thoughts suddenly felt overwhelming. What could she do to delay the moment?
Kitty looked around and noticed warm orange light still spilling from the café windows. She ducked into the cottage and swapped her laptop for a book, then made her way to the Bayview Café.
‘Just the person I was hoping to see!’ called Margot as Kitty opened the door.
Kitty could have kicked herself. This wasn’t London. Saffron Bay wasn’t the type of place you could nurse a coffee while reading in a corner, anonymous yet not alone.
‘Evening, Margot. I noticed your lights still on and thought I’d treat myself to a pot of tea and some quiet reading, unless you’re about to close up?’
‘No, I open late at this time of year. I’ll make your tea, and then we can have a chat. Find yourself a table. You’ve got plenty of choice.’
Kitty inwardly groaned. She’d hoped by specifyingquiet reading, Margot might have taken the hint. Seemed not. With only one other table occupied by a young family eating toasted sandwiches, Kitty chose a battered leather armchair in a corner, a vintage standard lamp positioned perfectly for some early evening reading.
‘Right.’ Margot appeared with a tray, which she set down before taking the opposite armchair. ‘I’ve been placed in charge of this year’s summer performance, for my sins, and a little bird tells me you may be able to help.’
‘Sorry, performance?’ Kitty reached for the pot and poured tea into the two mugs.
‘The Saffron Bay Summer Extravaganza. It’s a whole evening of entertainment with musical interludes, a talent show, and the play, of course.’
‘Oh, is this the event the school gets involved with? I’m sure it was mentioned during our staff meeting yesterday. I hadn’t realised the entire village got involved.’
