When I ended up at Kit’s last night I really hadn’t thought through fitting in the hotel baking next morning, work at the studio and a lunch date at The Hideaway with the mermaids. As it turns out I’m running fine on half an hour’s sleep because my body and my brain are still buzzing with the adrenalin rush of spending eight hours in bed with Kit.
Clemmie comes out onto the veranda with Arnie on one arm and an ice bucket and bottle in her other hand. ‘I thought we could try this No-secco, it’s Huntley and Handsome’s wine of the week.’ She stops and gives me a closer look. ‘You’re looking good today. Have you got new blusher?’
I try not to go scarlet. ‘It’s the St Aidan sun bringing my freckles out.’
She gives me a nudge. ‘Whatever it is, order some for me!’
Plum’s carrying a tray of plates and glasses. ‘Nell’s not made it?’
Sophie’s following with Bud on her hip. ‘Give her another month.’ She sits down, settles Bud on her knee and opens her picnic box. ‘I take it we’re here for an update on all things High Tides?’
We’re not. We’re here so I can talk her into her makeover, with Plum and Clemmie here as my wingmen, but for now I’ll play along. ‘The best news is that the hotel is noticeably busier since word has got around they’re serving cake.’ Their scone and cake orders have doubled day-on-day this week. Rye marks it all on graphs, and has already shown me projections. ‘If the orders carry on growingthisfast I’ll need to buy an industrial oven a week on Friday.’
Clemmie gives Plum a wink. ‘You may only have to wait fifty years not a hundred before Rye comes out to play.’
I grin at Plum. ‘I reckon you may get your chance before summer’s over.’ I give a silent groan. ‘If only all the news were this good. Kit and I have missed David and Mum twice in a row, so we still aren’t certain how that’s going.’
Sophie’s eyes narrow. ‘If they know you’re looking, they might be giving you the run-around.’
It’s a good excuse to be seen out with Kit, so I won’t close this down. ‘We’ve promised Rye we won’t stop until we find out what’s going on.’
Plum’s loading her scone with butter and grated cheese. ‘Any ideas about how we can stop David taking over the dunes and the world?’
I fan out the pile of fundraiser postcards I bought in the shop. ‘This is very new, but look what I came across while the scones were in the oven.’
Sophie glances at them. ‘They’re the Kittiwake Court bygone St Aidan cards.’
I pick out the most important. ‘This one is from the nineteen thirties and it says it’s a picture of a tide-fed sea pool. Doesn’t it look gorgeous?’
Plum’s looking at the photo. ‘I’ve often noticed the remnants of it walking along the beach. It was on the rocky outcrop towards Oyster Point.’
Plum never ceases to amaze me. ‘I had no idea it existed, but I’ve been Googling. It was abandoned in the seventies when a section of the wall collapsed, but the council had ploughed their money into the leisure centre so they never bothered to repair it.’
Plum pulls a face. ‘That was the era when people were buying tumble driers and throwing away their washing lines. It’s hard to imagine why people would abandon a sun-warmed sea-water pool to swim indoors in water filled with chlorine.’
‘It wouldn’t happen now, people love wild swimming.’ Sophie’s siting up straighter as she listens. ‘You can see the tide running into it when you look down from Siren House. The water flows out again because of the hole in the wall.’
I’m thinking aloud. ‘I came across that postcard completely by chance, but now I’ve seen it I can’t help thinking – if it were there again to use it would be better for the community in every way than the lido David Byron’s pushing for. This isn’t just me wanting to save The Hideaway either, I do believe it’s the truth.’
‘I completely agree!’ Clemmie’s got a mouthful but she’s waving her scone in the air for emphasis. ‘It’s closer to the town for everyone, it would be completely free to use, it’s beautiful and natural, and so much kinder to the environment than acres more concrete at the so-called environmentally friendly High Tides.’
Plum slaps her palm down on the table. ‘It’s a fabulous idea, Floss. Everyone in St Aidan would love the idea of reinstating the sea pool. Anythingthatromantic and historically inspiring, they’d be bound to support it.’
‘There are special grants and funds available for community projects.’ I’ve been Googling this too.
Clemmie’s expression is serious. ‘If the community got behind an outdoor pool of their own it would leave David Byron and his horrible plans high and dry, and he’d be the only one to lose out.’
My heart is racing with excitement. ‘So that’s wins all round! We need to look into this further!’
Clemmie’s beaming. ‘Well done, Flossie May. I’ll see if there’s any way Charlie can help.’
Plum joins in. ‘I’ll ask around my contacts at the Chamber of Commerce.’
Sophie laughs. ‘Looking ahead, Sophie May Beauty will definitely sponsor the opening party and in the meantime I’ll organise the Friends of St Aidan Sea-Water Pool group.’
‘So that’s that for now.’ I look around their eager faces and realise as they’ve known me my whole life, I might as well ask what’s been on my mind. ‘One question while you’re all here – I realised the other night I had no idea what happened when Mum and Dad split up.’
Sophie’s looking at me blankly. ‘He walked out on us. There’s nothing more to it than that.’
