Part 14 (1/2)
There was a stream.
No, it was a waterfall.
There was a stream running down the middle of the beach. I can remember it quite clearly. And we dammed it with a sandbank.
But there was a waterfall too. And I had a new spade.
When the tide was high, they all swam, and t he water was clear and salt and green and very cold. Virginia had forgotten her cap and her dark hair lay sleek to her head, and her shadow moved across the pebbled sea-bed like some strange new variety of fish. Holding Cara, she floated, drifting between the sea and the sky, with her eyes dazzled by water and suns.h.i.+ne; and the air was cleft with screaming gulls, and always the gentle murmur of breaking waves.
She became very cold. The children showed no signs of chill, however, so she left them with Eustace, and came out of the water, and went to sit on the dry sand, above the high water mark.
She sat on the sand because they had brought no rug, no super-sized bath-towels. And no comb or lipstick, or biscuits or knitting, and no Thermos of tea, and no extra cardigan. And no plum cake or chocolate biscuits, and no money for the donkey rides or the man with the ice-cream.
She was joined at last by Cara, teeth chattering. Virginia wrapped her in a towel and began gently to dry her. ”You'll soon be swimming at this rate.”
Cara said, ”What time is it?”
Her mother squinted up at the sun. ”I suppose, nearly five ... I don't know.”
”We haven't had tea yet.”
”No, nor we have. And I don't suppose we will either.”
”Not have any tea?”
”It doesn't matter for once. We'll have supper later on.”
Cara made a face, but raised no objections. Nicholas, however, was vociferous in his complaints when he realized that Virginia had brought nothing for him to eat.
”But I'm hungry.”
”I'm sorry.”
”Nanny always had s.h.i.+very bites and you haven't got anything.”
”I know. I forgot. We were in such a hurry and I never thought of biscuits.”
”Well, what am I going to eat?”
Eustace caught the tail end of this conversation as he came, dripping, up the beach. ”What's this?” He stopped to pick up a towel.
”I'm very hungry and Mummy hasn't brought anything to eat.”
”Too bad,” said Eustace unsympathetically.
Nicholas sent him a long, measured look, and turned away, headed in a sulky silence back to his digging, but Eustace caught him by an arm and pulled him gently back and held him against his knees, rubbing at him absently with the towel, rather as though he were fondling one of the dogs.
Virginia said, placatingly, ”Anyway, we'll have to go soon, I expect.”
”Why?” asked Eustace.
”I thought you had all those cows to milk.”
”Bert's doing them.”
”Bert?”
”He was at Penfolda today, cleaning out the loose boxes.”
”Oh, yes.”
”He used to work for my father, he's retired now, but he comes along every alternate Sunday, gives me a hand. He likes to do it, and Mrs. Thomas feeds him a good dinner, and it means I have a few hours to myself.”
Nicholas became irritated by the pointless small-talk. He reared around in Eustace's hands, turned up a furious face towards him. ”I am hungry.”
”So am I,” said Cara, wistful if not so vehement.
”Well, listen,” said Eustace.
They listened. And heard, over the sound of the sea and the gulls, another sound. The soft drumming of an engine, putt-putt-putt, all the time coming closer.
”What is it?”
”You watch and see.”
The sound grew louder. Presently around the point they saw approaching a small open boat, white with a blue stripe, riding the waves with a scud of white spray. A stocky figure stood at its stern. Putt-putt, it swung round into the shelter of the cove, and the engine idled down to a steady throb . . .
They all stared. ”There you are!” said Eustace, smug as a conjuror who has brought off a difficult trick.
”Who is it?” asked Virginia.
”That's Tommy Ba.s.sett from Porthkerris. Come to pick up his lobster pots.”
”But he won't have any biscuits,” said Nicholas, who would never be diverted from the matter in hand.
”No. But he might have something else. Shall I go and see?”
”All right.” But they sounded doubtful.
He put Nicholas aside and went back down the sand and into the sea, diving through the eye of a peac.o.c.k-coloured wave, and swimming, with a strong and steady crawl, far out to where the boat bobbed. The lobster pots were already being hauled aboard. The fishermen emptied one and dropped it back, and then saw Eustace coming, and stood, watching.
”Hallo there, boy!” His voice carried across the water.
They saw Eustace catch the gunwales with his hands, hang there for a moment, and then with a heave pull himself clean out of the water and into the rocking boat.
”What a long way to swim,” said Cara.
Nicholas said, ”I hope he isn't going to bring back a lobster.”
”Why not?”