Ezz patted his back. ‘I expect she’s waiting for him in the waves.’
He straightened, frowning at the impatient grey water hissing up the beach before sighing out again. ‘We could pick him up and put him in the sea.’
Although she pretended to consider the idea, to show she was listening, finally she said, ‘I’d be frightened of hurting him with our big hands. We don’t have a bucket or a net, and fish are slippery.’
Barnaby allowed himself to be steered to the next rock pool, which proved to be empty of anything but shells to tuck into his coat pocket. They zigzagged between rocks and pools, until Ezz caught sight of the familiar grey bulk of the Rothach Hall Volvo easing onto Harbour View and parking at the far end. Her heart skipped a beat. While Barnaby chattered about asking for wallpaper with fish on it for his bedroom-in-the-making, she watched Mats hop from the driver’s seat. First he helped Astrid out of the back door, then reached for Alvin, swinging him out before depositing him beside his sister. As if hearing a starter’s pistol, the children ran off the side of the road and jumped onto the beach. At least, Astrid jumped. Alvin floundered.
Casually, Ezzie said, ‘There are some more children. I think they’re Astrid and Alvin, who live at Rothach Hall, with their dad.’
Barnaby gazed up the beach. When Mats waved, he waved back. Apparently, it was all the introduction he needed, as he set off towards the little family, leaving Ezz to follow, waving when Astrid spotted her and shouted, ‘Ezz! Ezz!’
When they met, she smiled into Mats’ eyes and saw the shared memories of last night glowing in their depth. Thenshe greeted the children. ‘This is my nephew Barnaby. He’s here for the weekend. Barnaby, this is Astrid and this is Alvin.’
‘I’ve got a fish,’ Barnaby told Astrid importantly, calmly taking ownership of the hapless, stranded tiddler. ‘It’s in a pool. Want to see it?’
Alvin capered with excitement. ‘Yes, yes.’
Astrid exhibited more beach cred. ‘If it’s in a pool, why is it your fish?’ But she fell into step beside him as they discussed whether Barnaby could claim ownership of the fish because he saw it first.
Mats smiled at Ezz. ‘Kids. One minute they’re strangers and the next they’re friends. So simple. And because I know Barnaby’s gorgeous auntie, I don’t even have to check that his intentions towards my daughter are honourable.’
She lowered her voice. ‘Thanks for clearing up the kitchen. Do you realise we never ate dessert?’ She dug her hands into her pockets and hunched her shoulders as the wind tried to sneak a few drops of rain down her neck.
‘It was worth the sacrifice.’ He let his shoulder nudge hers.
They joked as they strolled, keeping sharp eyes on straying children, particularly three-year-old Alvin, discouraging him from the receding waves and the tallest and toothiest rocks. The sky grew darker and the air colder. Ezz pulled up her hood as the rain intensified. They were almost up to the Causeway and the Quays now. ‘That’s Overlook Cottage, the one on the end. It’ll be amazing when it’s finished but so far, it is, as my brother-in-law observes, grotty. Ouch.’ She winced as something stung her cheek.
The children began to squeal. ‘Someone’s throwing things,’ Barnaby wailed, shielding his head with his armsas large white hailstones bounced on the beach around him.
Ezz hurried over to pull up his hood. ‘It’s a hailstorm. Let’s shelter in the cottage.’ She turned to Mats, who was adjusting his kids’ hats and pulling their hoods over the top. ‘You guys as well. Your car’s right down the beach.’
‘If your sister won’t mind,’ Mats said politely, but he scooped up Alvin and grabbed Astrid’s hand and sped up the slope of Causeway beside her and Barnaby. They fell into the cottage, gasping and laughing, shutting the rickety door on the hail that was by now hissing ferociously to earth and clattering against the cottage windows.
Valentina appeared at the head of the stairs. ‘Good job you were at this end of the beach.’ Smiling in a friendly way at the children and an interested way at Mats, she said, ‘I’m Valentina, Ezzie’s sister.’ She trod down the stairs.
Mats shook her hand. ‘Mats Larsson. I hope you don’t mind us barging in, but the hail was stinging the children.’
Although Valentina answered equally politely, ‘Of course I don’t mind,’ she’d stiffened as she heard his name. She removed her hand from Mats’ and gave Ezzie an obviouslyWTF?stare.
For an instant, Ezz was wrong-footed. Then she realised that last time Valentina was here, Ezzie had declared Mats a knob and probably an entitled arse as well.
‘Come and see which is going to be my room,’ Barnaby yelled, and all three of the children charged upstairs. At least, Astrid and Barnaby charged. Alvin stumbled along at the rear.
Mats, obviously catching the chill coming off Valentina, looked unsure. ‘Shall I bring them down again? Sorry. They should have waited for permission.’
‘They’re fine.’ Valentina sent Ezz a pointed look, as if to say,What’s he doing here?
Ezz felt irritated. She’d put up with Gary for years and years, hadn’t she? Impulsively, she turned to Mats. ‘I’m afraid I haven’t updated Valentina since Thea and I resigned. It had just happened when I last saw her, and I was miffed with you.’
‘Ah. When I was an entitled arse, you mean.’ His gorgeous eyes began to twinkle as he turned back to Valentina. ‘We got off on the wrong foot and it was my fault. I got carried away with the idea of havingGarden Gladiatorsuse Rothach Hall as a location and jumped in with both feet. My mother was miffed with me too. She pointed out that she and Dad own the hall, and I’m just a guest.’
Valentina uncrossed her arms and managed a smile. ‘Ah, I see. Presumably Thea didn’t want to get involved with theGarden Gladiatorscrew again? I suppose they’ve told you all about it.’
Mats nodded. He lowered his voice. ‘I could see Thea’s reasons, once Ezz confided the truth about the accident they were involved in – which was incredibly brave of her – but it’ll go no further.’ He turned to smile at Ezz.
The smile faded when Ezz gazed back at him with her mouth hanging open. ‘Oh,Mats,’ she breathed. Frantically, she tried to summon words to explain away what he’d blurted out.
But it was too late. Valentina demanded, ‘Whattruth about the accident? What does he mean, Ezz?’
