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‘Yes, but let’s not spoil the day by dwelling on the past. We’ve done enough of that, don’t you think?’

Zennor hugged her and, briefly, Sybil hugged her back until she pulled away, rolling her eyes. ‘Now, now, not too much hugging or I will cry and I never cry. You put those photos in an album and remember the good times. We all need some happy memories of the past to cancel out the sad ones. And whatever you do, don’t go worrying about me.’

CHAPTER TEN

Saturday afternoon came round way too fast for Zennor’s liking. The previous day, she’d managed to squeeze in a practice session with Titania, the leader of the mermaids, at the White Rocks indoor pool.

Even though she’d used a monofin before – in her youth – to improve her swim technique, she was still in awe at the effort and strength required to swim and dive in it.

‘You’ll be fine,’ Titania had said as Zennor had scrabbled for the surface, gasping for air. ‘Just don’t use the tail out in the open sea until you’ve had more time to train, especially not on your own.’

‘OK,’ Zennor said, deciding not to tell Titania that she would have to slip out of the Miners’ Pool and swim the short distance around to the next cove. Besides, the forecast was perfect with calm seas, light wind and ideal tides, so it should be a doddle, and Roo and Jake had promised they would be waiting to meet her.

As the time for the party approached, Zennor packed her bag with the costume and waterproof make-up and loaded the tail into the car, which required her to have the fin propped against the passenger windscreen. Anyone passing by would think she had landed a giant salmon. Looking at her car, she thought once again that she had probably bitten off more than she could chew.

This was quite possibly the most bonkers thing she’d ever attempted, yet it had helped to take her mind off some of the troubling aspects of her conversations with Sybil. She was bound to be upset about the death of her ex … although the remark about ‘playing a part’ still bothered Zennor.

Zennor hadn’t liked to probe further but still wasn’t convinced that Sybil was as ‘fine’ as she made out.

Sybil had also made Zennor ask herself some difficult questions about Trev – but also about Matt. He had lodged in her psyche like the splinter from the window, and no matter how much she tried to ignore it, there he was, irritating and annoying.

Some of the questions that kept coming up were: what if she had never married Trev at all? What if she and Matt’s summer together had been more than a teenage fling?

She was mulling it over again while applying her waterproof make-up when her mother video-called her.

‘Hello, love. Oh, oh – er – have I interrupted something?’

Zennor spotted herself in the thumbnail, her eyes covered in green eyeshadow and her face sprinkled with glitter and gems. ‘I’m getting ready to be a mermaid.’

‘For a show?’

‘For a children’s party.’

‘Oh. I see.’ She frowned. ‘You mean you’re actually going in the water like that?’

‘Yes,’ Zennor said cheerily, deciding not to reveal the rest of her plans to her mother.

‘OK. I won’t hold you up. I just wanted to ask what time you are coming to Nan’s birthday party.’ Zennor’s nan, her late father’s mum, was a super-active soon-to-be octogenarian who loved rambling and didn’t want to admit to being eighty. Zennor hoped she’d like the surprise party to which all her friends had been invited.

‘I’ll probably get there after dinner on the Friday night and leave on Sunday. Sorry I can’t stay longer.’

‘That’s fine,’ her mother said. ‘As long as you make it for the party, that’s what matters.’

‘Has Nan any idea?’

‘None, and it had better stay that way or I think she’d book herself a one-way ticket to Australia.’

Zennor laughed. ‘She’ll love it on the night, I’m sure. Oh, I went round to Sybil’s a couple of days ago. She had some great photos of me in various shows when I was little. I’ll bring them when I come to see you. I’m going to get some copied and frame one as a present for Nan.’

‘I’d love to see those too.’

‘Sybil thought you’d like them. You two should meet up when you next visit me.’

‘I’m sure she’s far too busy with her work,’ her mum said.

‘I’m sure she’ll find the time,’ Zennor replied.

‘I’ll bear it in mind. Anyway, don’t let me keep you from your mermaiding. Please do send photos.’