Fourteen
Molly waited for Jemma at the pavement end of The Harbour Arm and waved when she saw her approach.
‘Morning, Jemma.’
‘Hello, Molly. Sorry if I’m a bit late. I overslept this morning which is something I never do. But it was a rather long day yesterday and I was exhausted. Then I lost track of time and had to rush here.’
‘You’re bang on time, so don’t worry. And even if you weren’t, it’s such a gorgeous day and I’m enjoying the sunshine. Good night, was it?’
‘It was.’ A smile spread across her lips and her cheeks turned red.
‘With Greg Bishop, by any chance?’
‘With him and a few hundred others. Yes. I stood in for Laurence Lake at Greg’s event at Bishop’s Books last night.’
‘Did you? I wondered what he was going to do about that when I heard what had happened to Laurence Lake. Lots of our clients in the salon the last two days, have been talking about Laurence’s accident. I’d seen the leaflets for the Indie BookshopsEvent weeks ago. It happens every year. So … Greg got you to save his bacon, did he?’
‘Well. I wouldn’t go as far as that, Molly. All I did was read a chapter from my book, answer some questions, and sign a few books.’
‘Hmm. Is that all? That sounds like rather a lot of work to me. Let’s chat over lunch and a bottle of wine. Sound good?’
‘Sounds perfect.’
‘Are you happy to sit outside as it’s such a lovely day?’
‘Definitely. I need some vitamin D.’
‘I was thinking of a restaurant I love that serves delicious seafood but also steaks, if that’s okay? It’s cleverly called ‘Shesells’ – which is all one word – ‘Seashells’, so it’s ‘Shesells Seashells’ which is a bit of a tongue twister.’ Molly grinned. ‘It’s on platform 3 of The Harbour Arm and it’s housed in renovated vintage style train carriages with stunning views of the coast and the English Channel. We can sit at a table by the water.’
Jemma beamed at her. ‘I love seafood and steak so that’s great. Oh, and this is on me as a way of saying thank you for renting me Oak View Cottage.’
‘You don’t need to thank me for that. You’ve paid the rent for a month, and a deposit, so you don’t owe me anything.’
‘Nevertheless. I’m paying for lunch.’
Molly laughed and shook her head. ‘Okay. If you’re sure. Thank you.’
‘It’s a pleasure.’
Molly told Jemma a little of the history of The Harbour Arm, as they walked along it to the restaurant, and how trains once came right up to where they were about to sit.
‘I confess, I did look it up on the internet after you suggested coming here,’ said Jemma. ‘It’s fascinating. All the troop ships that left from here during the wars. And the steam packets that took day trippers to France. And then how it fell into disrepairbut was ultimately saved and developed into the thriving business and entertainment venue it is now.’
‘There’s so much going on all year here. We’re incredibly lucky to have it.’ Molly loved it and she had come here on a regular basis for years.
‘Wow,’ Jemma said, scanning the menu once they were seated. ‘It all sounds delicious. Do you fancy the Hot Platter for two? It’s garlic chilli crevettes, moules mariniere, seafood mac ’n’ cheese, calamari, scampi, squid, and filo prawns, with fries & bread.’
‘Oh yes. I’ve had it before and it’s heaven on a plate.’
They ordered their meals and a bottle of white wine which was nicely chilled when it arrived at the table soon after. They didn’t have to wait long for the platter but they chatted until it was served.
‘Cheers,’ said Jemma raising her glass.
‘Cheers,’ Molly replied. ‘You were telling me about last night. Was the bookshop packed?’
‘To the gills. Greg ran out of my books, and he had to order more than either of us expected.’
‘So you had fun and made a lot of money? That’s a win-win.’
