There’s a buzzing sound of a mobile phone turned onto silent. Charlie gets his phone out of his pocket.
‘Kate,’ he tells me, still smiling as he presses answer.
‘April just took three steps!’ he exclaims into the mouthpiece. Even though he’s walked a few metres away from us, I can still hear her overjoyed response.
‘Lansallos,’ he says. ‘Just hanging out.’
I continue to hold April’s hand as she toddles around – unwilling to risk letting her go while Charlie’s otherwise engaged. With one ear on the conversation, though, it doesn’t escape my notice that Charlie comes to the end of the call without once mentioning my name.
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Kate might think it’s a bit off that we’re out together like this. I mean, I should really be at home writing her sister’s book... But Iamworking, I remind myself.
‘Thanks,’ Charlie says to me as he stuffs his phone into his back pocket. ‘I can take her.’
‘I might climb up onto the rocks,’ I say, wanting to take a closer look.
‘Don’t slip,’ he cautions.
‘I won’t.’
I get out my camera and hook the strap over my head, then dig my notepad and pen out of my rucksack.
The boulders by the shore are easy to navigate, so thick with molluscs that there’s plenty of grip beneath my feet. As I climb up, I see dozens of rock pools, large and small, full of plants and sea life.
Does the tide really reach all the way up here? I scan the beach for a water line and find it right up by the cliffs.
I peer closer at the rocks surrounding the cove. The colours are incredible – shimmering and metallic, made up of green, mauve and grey, from light to charcoal. It looks like slate – there are millions and millions of shard-thin layers. I step over a gap below and stand on the other side, tracing my hands over the layers. A piece comes away easily in my fingers. I turn to look for Charlie and April and catch him watching me. I wave.
‘Careful,’ he mouths, looking concerned.
I shrug at him and turn back to the rock face, gingerly climbing further around the corner towards the water. I come across a small, dark cave and sit down, facing the rolling ocean, my notepad and pen at the ready. An idea strikes for a Kit-and-Morris scene, so I begin writing.
After I don’t know how long, I hear a voice. ‘Excuse me?’
I look up to see a girl in her twenties, wearing a pink T-shirt and shorts. She’s standing on the rocks across the gap. ‘Are you Bridget?’ she asks, her dark hair swinging in its ponytail.
‘Yes,’ I say with surprise.
‘Your husband was worried about you.’ She looks back at the beach, waving and giving Charlie, I presume, the thumbs-up sign.
‘I’m fine.’ I try to keep a straight face at her assumption. ‘But thank you.’
‘Okay, cool,’ she says, turning away and stepping carefully over the rocks. I watch her for a moment, but she doesn’t attempt to engage me in further conversation. Who the hell was that?
‘Just some random stranger,’ Charlie tells me with a smile when I return to the beach. ‘She was climbing up onto the rocks so I asked her to look out for you.’
I wonder how he described me and then I wonder why I wondered.
‘I couldn’t leave April,’ he says, glancing over his shoulder. He’s sitting in front of the tent with his arms looped around his knees.
‘How long has she been asleep?’ I sit down beside him.
‘Only about ten minutes,’ he replies. ‘Feeling inspired?’ He nods at my notepad.
‘Completely. This place is so beautiful, I never want to leave.’
‘So you don’t want to try to squeeze in Heligan today?’
‘Can we go there some other time?’ I ask. ‘Actually, you don’t have to go there with me at all,’ I state quickly, remembering who I am and what I’m here for.
