Treacherous Waters by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781788633536
Publisher: Canelo
Published: 2019-07-22T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

They broke the news to Davie the next day, over an excellent breakfast. While unsurprised he was clearly delighted, beaming at the pair of them in a positively proprietary way. ‘Now we can be a proper family,’ he announced with satisfaction; and for a short and surprising moment Annie found she was in danger of shedding a tear.

Richard looked at her, faint concern in his eyes. ‘You’re very quiet this morning? And pale. And you haven’t eaten your breakfast. Are you all right? Didn’t you sleep well?’

She smiled a little wanly, shaking her head faintly, pushing her plate away. ‘Too much Champagne, I expect,’ she said, touching her fingertips to her head. ‘Again. You really are getting me into bad habits, you know.’

‘That was smashing,’ Davie announced, taking a crust of bread and cleaning the very last vestiges of a breakfast that would have defeated many a grown man from his plate. ‘Can we go down to the beach, please? I’d like to collect some more shells and things.’

‘Of course. We don’t have to go back to London until this afternoon.’ Richard pushed his chair back from the table. ‘I’ll fetch my camera. I wanted to get some pictures.’

Annie still had her hand to her head. ‘Would you mind very much if I didn’t? I really didn’t have a good night. I think I’d like to lie down for an hour or so.’

Richard peered at her, concerned. ‘Are you sure you’re not unwell?’

‘Oh, no. Of course not.’ She forced a smile. ‘I told you, I’m tired, that’s all. You go ahead. I’ll meet you later if you like. How about the Grand at eleven for coffee?’

‘That’d be wizard,’ Davie said enthusiastically. ‘I expect they do great biscuits in a place like that.’

‘Come on, monkey.’ Richard ruffled his hair affectionately and stood up. ‘You are sure you don’t mind?’ he asked Annie.

‘No, no. Off you go. I’ll see you at eleven.’

‘I’ll go and get my bucket and spade.’ Davie raced off and then, remembering where he was, slowed to a sedate walk before taking the stairs two at a time and flying along the corridor to his bedroom.

When he got back downstairs his mother had gone and Richard, in blazer and flannels, was waiting for him in the hall. They crossed the road and went down on to the beach, freshly washed by the receding tide. The air was clear and salty and still held traces of an early morning chill. The wet sand and pebbles glistened in the sunshine, and a breeze blew in from the sea. Davie ran to the water’s edge and in no time was absorbed in his hunt, eyes intent upon the sands, every now and then hunkering down to examine some find, poking with his long, sun-tanned finger before scooping it up, washing it in the lapping water and dropping it into his brightly coloured tin bucket. Richard watched him with a smile. With his long bare legs and tousled, sun-bleached hair –

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