When I next open my eyes, I know it must be a long time later, because the sky is inky blue. I say the first thing that comes into my head. ‘Where are the stars?’
Kit stirs beside me. ‘Welcome back! The stars are only showing in the gaps between the rather big clouds and the moon’s gone in too.’
I’m rubbing my eyes and the only sound I can hear is the waves rushing up the sand. ‘How long was I asleep? What happened to the music?’
He looks at his watch. ‘I’m afraid you missed the performance. Most people left quite a while ago.’
I’m kicking myself for another total fail. ‘Did you see Mum and David?’
‘They were with a group who wandered back along the shore together. The moon was brighter then so I got a good view of everyone chatting and picking up shells. So, still nothing definite to report to Rye.’
I let out a long sigh. ‘We’re all thinking the worst and panicking, but maybe there’s nothing going on after all. Mum’s still going back to hers after dates as far as I know.’ If it was anyone other than David B she was seeing, we wouldn’t even be thinking about it, let alone running around St Aidan after her.
Kit laughs. ‘She wouldn’t want to share David’s uber-healthy breakfasts. He’s all about the protein shakes and chia seeds.’ He scratches his head. ‘Thinking back, when your mum hurried off from our singles evening, it could have been David she was trying to avoid.’
‘In which case, apologies to Shadow, but we might have been barking up the wrong tree all along. Rye thinking my mum’s here to seduce his dad is nothing short of bonkers.’
Kit gets to his feet. ‘Do you need me to call us a taxi back?’
I smile. ‘Thanks, but it’s not too far to walk and the wind off the sea should wake me up.’
Kit offers me his hand and pulls me onto my feet. ‘Tonight we should definitely catch up on our sleep.’
There’s a twang of disappointment in my chest as he hands me Shadow’s lead. ‘Separately?’
His mouth twists into a smile in the half light. ‘I’d prefer together – if you would?’
Relief floods through me. ‘So a quick walk back to mine, and hot chocolate before bed?’ Shadow looks up at me as he hears the word chocolate. ‘There will be custard creams, Shadow.’
Our eyes are used to the dark, and thanks to the light of Kit’s phone the worst we trip over is a couple of clumps of seaweed, and we can soon see the lights of the High Tides hotel spreading out across the sand.
Shortly before the marram grass scrub runs out to super-neat lawns, Kit guides me to the right. ‘We’ll take Rye’s shortcut. It loops round the back of the hotel and comes out behind the Latitudes huts.’
I ease Shadow away from the beach and follow Kit off the sand and onto a neat gravel path hugging close to the buildings. We pass the backs of some rooms, and then I recognise the familiar circular shape of the next building with the repeating vertical windows with a pale glow coming out from inside.
‘Is that the Pleasure Dome?’
Kit’s nodding. ‘And beyond it is your favourite swimming pool, Shadow. We can stop off for a quick dip if you’d like?’
I look down at Shadow. ‘Like there’s time to swim when there’s a full pack of biscuits waiting at home!’
‘Another short cut.’ As Kit guides us onto another terrace and past a set of large doors the pale blue pool beyond the glass is luminous in the soft light inside.
As a movement beyond the water’s edge catches my eye I stop and whisper, ‘There’s someone in there.’
Kit pauses alongside me and whispers back. ‘Are you sure? It’s closed to guests after dinner.’ He looks again, then he lets out a choking sound. ‘Shit. It’s David and your mum.’
As I watch them running around the poolside, towards the deep end, then leaping high into the air, and catapulting into the water with a splash explosive enough to empty half the pool, it’s one of those situations where I’m hating what I’m seeing, but I’m glued to the spot and I can’t look away.
‘Jeez!’ I stifle a shriek and as the feeling comes back into my legs I break into a run and drag Kit off the far end of the terrace and only stop to gasp when we get into the shadows. ‘Of all the things, I didn’t expect that.’
Kit lets out a low laugh. ‘Naked swimming at midnight! Good onyou, Florence Flapjack-face’s mum!’
I let out a groan. ‘Whatever I do, I can’t ever un-see that!’ I’m blinking and rubbing my eyes, still questioning it was real. ‘Please tell me this is Nell organising an over-sixties costume-free moonlight swim event?’
Kit shakes his head. ‘I’m afraid this is a breakaway party of two, heady after an evening of gin and Vivaldi.’
I blow out a breath. ‘If they’re leaping nude into the deep end, they’ve definitely taken their relationship to the next level.’ Not that I’m comparing, but this makes the night I jumped Kit in our underwear look like a nursery school outing. ‘It was pure joy and abandon!’
