Sue Moorcroft - A Summer to Remember

She hovered restlessly, assuming they’d be swimming to Zig-zag Beach but, unable to be certain, poised to get help if they never appeared.

It must have been a good ten minutes before she could smile and relax as they puffed into sight, doing their tiptoe jog over the inhospitable ground. ‘You scared the life out of me,’ she called, pulling what she hoped was a comical face. They were about eighteen, she judged, old enough to resent reproof.

The dark, curly-haired one wore a big grin. ‘We’re all right. We’re cliff jumping.’

Clancy glanced at their launching point. ‘Isn’t it dangerous?’

‘We’re all right,’ he repeated. ‘This is The Leap. The tide doesn’t go out far enough here to be a problem. Wanna try it?’ His grin widened.

‘Erm, I didn’t bring my swim things.’ Clancy pulled a petrified face, making both lads laugh. ‘I’m Clancy, by the way. I’ve moved into the Roundhouse.’

‘Oh, yeah? I’m Harry,’ said the dark one.

‘Rory,’ added the other, speaking for the first time.

Harry beckoned Clancy closer to the cliff edge. ‘The Leap’s quite easy. You need to avoid those rocks there. That’s why we take a run at it, so we jump over them.’

She stared at the sea breaking over the dark jagged rocks then sucking restlessly away. It seemed a long way down. ‘Doesn’t it hurt?’

Rory was beginning to shiver. ‘Depends. You don’t want to belly-flop.’

‘No, I don’t,’ Clancy admitted frankly. Then she stood back to spectate while they retreated twenty or thirty yards from the cliff edge before beginning a new charge to the accompaniment of blood-curdling yells. They hurtled confidently into thin air, their trajectory arcing well out past the rocks. They hit the water in explosions of spray, bobbing back to the surface a few seconds later. Then they struck out towards the fold in the cliffs, once again vanishing from view.

This time, Clancy whiled away their absence by studying her surroundings. She was at the furthest point of the headland now so the sea surrounded her on three sides and the salt marshes were out of view. Out to sea, a couple of white-sailed yachts leaned over in the wind and she watched them skipping atop the waves. Inland, the edge of the village was only a hundred yards away. A few tables stood outside a comparatively large building of brown stone, though the parasols stuck through the tables were furled against the wind. The B&B, she realised. It must have a fantastic sea view. She glanced back to check the progress of the two white yachts. It was a shame the Roundhouse was on the landward side of the village. She could look at a view like this all day.

Then some kind of inner alarm went off and she swung around sharply, her gaze flying to the top of Zig-zag Path. Where were Harry and Rory? They’d had more than enough time to climb back up. She cast around for any sign of them. What she presumed were their clothes were heaped beneath a nearby tree so they hadn’t got past her while she’d been daydreaming.

She hurried to the cliff edge. Nothing. Almost running now, she went back as far as Zig-zag Path and craned over the handrail, hoping to catch a glimpse of wet teenagers jogging back up.

Nothing.

Breath heaving in her chest, she ran back to The Leap, harbouring dubious thoughts about jumping in after them. She was a strong swimmer but throwing herself fully clothed into an unknown sea in the hope of rescuing two lads bigger than she was seemed foolhardy. Panic bubbled in her chest. Should she ring the coastguard? Instinct made her pat her pockets before she remembered abandoning her phone at home as it was so useless in the village. She could sprint to the B&B. They’d have a landline and it must be staffed by locals, people who’d know what to do.

Then, finally, faintly, she heard youthful laughter and turned to see them running up the clifftop towards her, grinning and nudging one another in, she imagined, glee. Relief coursed through her. The little ratbags had been trying to wind her up, probably hanging on to a rock somewhere, hoping she’d still be waiting around for their reappearance and laughing up their sleeves – if they’d been wearing any.

She determined not to give them the pleasure of detecting her erstwhile panic. They were teenagers. Winding up adults was what they did. So, ‘Going in again?’ was all she said, gaining a little satisfaction at their evident disappointment that she wasn’t going to shout at them.

They looked at each other and shrugged and nodded. They ran at the clifftop again, Clancy taking up her vantage point to watch their screaming, euphoric flight down to the dancing waves so far below. Once she’d seen them safely bob to the surface she waved goodbye and made her way across the scrubby grass towards the Duke of Bronte B&B. Evelyn’s notes had said the B&B and Roundhouse Row occasionally sent each other business.

As she approached the lawn in front of the building someone came out and sat down at one of the two tables, a hot drink in one hand and a plate in the other. Clancy paused as she recognised Genevieve’s flowing blonde hair.

A middle-aged woman followed, depositing condiments on the table then pausing to chat as Clancy started forward again. Both women looked up at her approach and she found herself slipping into her business persona, giving Genevieve a warm hello and then extending her hand to the other woman. ‘Hi, I’m Clancy. I’ve moved into the Roundhouse and I’ll be looking after the cottages.’

The woman beamed. She had a round face with a chin to spare and her small dark eyes almost disappeared when she smiled. ‘I’m Kaz. Me and my husband Oli run the B&B. Welcome to Nelson’s Bar.’ Her smile broadened. ‘We have a tiny bar indoors and that’s called Nelson’s Bar too. An old girlfriend of Horatio Nelson lived here, legend has it.’

It seemed there was no end to Nelson’s connections with the village. They chatted for several minutes and then Clancy became conscious of a rumbling tummy and indicated the salad before Genevieve. ‘That looks good. I didn’t realise you did lunches.’

Kaz beamed anew. ‘We do whatever people want if it means business for us. Gen’s got a ham salad there but I can also offer you cheese or tuna, or any of those things in a sandwich. If people give me a bit of notice I can usually offer jacket potatoes or omelettes too.’

After ordering a ham salad and a cup of tea, which sent Kaz bustling indoors, Clancy hovered beside Genevieve. ‘May I join you?’

Immediately, Genevieve nodded. ‘Sit down. It’ll be nice to chat.’

Relieved, Clancy took the seat opposite. ‘Sorry if I was a know-all about your insurance situation. I’m one of those annoying people who see a puzzle and try and solve it.’

Genevieve shrugged, pulling her hair back into a ponytail as she prepared to eat. Her blondeness looked natural, fitting well with her milky skin and blue eyes. ‘I rang the insurance company and you were exactly right. I was just making arrangements with Kaz to move in here for a couple of months. You’ve provided her with a guaranteed guest, which is good for business, and me with a summer of being looked after.’

Clancy didn’t think she sounded super-thrilled, but smiled and began a polite getting-to-know-you conversation. Genevieve, she discovered, was a nursery nurse in a kids’ club in Hunstanton where holidaymakers could leave children for a couple of hours’ play. ‘Monday and Tuesday are my days off this week so I’m using them to get organised for the builders to move into my poor little cottage.’ Tears shone in her eyes for a moment. Then, as Kaz appeared with Clancy’s lunch, ‘In fact, I think I deserve a glass of wine. Fancy joining me?’

As Kaz had paused hopefully Clancy immediately fell in with the suggestion. ‘Wonderful idea.’ They ordered large glasses, red for Clancy and rosé for Genevieve.