Lando nods. ‘I can’t believe I forgot my favourite part. It’s important to spread the ecological message as well as the leisure one.’
I’m getting good at making my voice light. ‘Great! In that case, what are we waiting for?’
Lando looks at my bare toes in the sand. ‘You might be better in Converse?’
I slide on my sandals and do up the buckles. ‘A chunky heel will take a woman anywhere.’ Somehow his suit is still spotless. ‘You’re not worried about splashes on your trousers?’
Salvador gives me a look. ‘That’s why the stepping stones are there. You walk over the water not in it.’
I beam my brightest beam. ‘Fantastic.’
Salvador narrows his eyes as we march past the bus towards the lush green area beyond. ‘Do you two do this a lot?’
I take a breath. ‘More than either of us would like. Why?’
‘You look very comfortable racing around in your long dress and beige suit. Almost like you belong in them.’
Lando coughs. ‘Never say beige. It’s buff. Carefully chosen to tone with the tipis.’
It’s funny to see the two of them together again. I look from one to the other as we walk. ‘You two must have a lot to talk about after so long not seeing each other.’
Sav gives me an odd look. ‘We’ve always met up, just not in Cornwall.’
I’m puzzled on all sides. ‘But I always had the impression you’d argued? In Australia?’
Salvador looks at me the same way he did when I was six and he was frustrated by my incompetence. ‘I can’t think where you got that idea. Lando wouldn’t have helped me out if we weren’t the best of friends.’
‘Of course not.’ I resign myself to having the wrong end of every stick and carry on walking.
I’ve had no chance to message Tia, as Salvador’s had my phone, but as the sand gives way to grass, I’m resigned to her missing the visit altogether. At least Martha has quietened down as we pass the reception building. Then the buttercup meadow we’re striding through gets more reedy, and I spot a yellow flag iris and a clump of marsh marigolds, and a line of blocks some distance ahead standing up above the vegetation.
I look at Sav. ‘Phone at the ready then.’ I give him a harder stare. ‘And if there’s water around, please don’t drop it.’
Lando keeps up a non-stop commentary as we walk towards the stones. ‘They’ve built a series of natural dams along the stream to broaden out the water course and improve the wetland habitat for wildlife.’
‘Brilliant.’ We reach the stones and I bob down to take off my sandals. ‘So just to be clear– after last week’s rain we’re walking across a bog?’
Lando nods. ‘The waders love it. Watch out for sea birds landing and taking off too. Otherwise, let’s walk out to the centre, and we’ll see if Salvador can get a good angle.’
Lando goes first, then I pull up my hem, and step out onto the first stone, and with both feet on it I feel surprisingly stable.
He carries on talking as he strides from some to stone. ‘They could have made a bridge, but these are more fun.’
I wouldn’t go that far as I lurch behind him, but I’ll give him this. ‘I feel more connected to the marsh than I would if I were crossing higher up.’
After lots more stones he finally stops. ‘This should be the centre.’ He calls to Salvador. ‘How’s that?’
Sav shouts to us across the reeds. ‘Can you hold hands?’
‘I’d rather not.’ I hold my arms out behind me as far away from Lando as I can.
Sav calls again. ‘Still not working.’
I’m so busy rolling my eyes at how hopeless he is, that I forget to watch Lando. A second later there’s a bump on my hip, and he joins me on my stepping stone.
I let out a cry. ‘Too close, Lando!’
‘Sorry, Maevey, but we haven’t come all this way to miss the picture.’ His arm slides around my waist. ‘The sooner you look up at me, the sooner this will be over.’
