‘It’s OK,’ Lucy said, looking up at him. ‘So was I, actually. I wasn’t expecting a man wielding a barbeque tool to be inside the house.’
‘You shouldn’t have left the front door open then,’ he said with a shrug.
‘I won’t do it again, don’t worry,’ Lucy said and then chastised herself as she remembered he’d been particularly cut up hearing Dido had passed away. ‘I’m sorry you didn’t know about Dido,’ she said. ‘Did Clara not tell you? I thought Clara had told everyone.’
‘Who’s Clara?’ he asked.
‘My sister. I was under the impression she’d informed everyone who needed to know about Dido’s passing and then about the funeral.’
Will shook his head. ‘I didn’t know.’
‘I’m sorry,’ she repeated, this time with more feeling. ‘Do you want to sit?’
Will looked at his watch and then nodded as he sat on the sand next to her.
‘Were you close?’ Lucy asked, suddenly acutely aware how close Will was to her.
He screwed his face up into a thoughtful expression. ‘No,’ he said slowly. ‘Not really. I’d just help her out from time to time if things needed doing in the garden or when she needed the bins putting out.’
Lucy nodded and waited for more.
‘I went to introduce myself to her when I moved in at the end of last year,’ Will continued. ‘We had a cup of tea once a week or so. She’d bring a plate of biscuits out and make me eat pretty much all of them. Always Garibaldis. I hate Garibaldis but once they’d made an appearance three or four times I could hardly tell her that. I think she thought I was starving down there by myself.’
‘Surely not.’ Lucy laughed. ‘With your excellent barbeque skills.’
‘It was all burnt when I got back to it last night,’ he said. ‘I took it off the grill and onto the hot plate before coming up to confront you but alas it was charred.’
Serves you right for storming in and scaring me.Lucy chuckled inwardly and then wondered if that was a bit mean.
‘I went to bed hungry,’ he said, bending and picking up a handful of white sand, which he examined and then scattered down gently. ‘I’d have killed for a plate of Dido’s Garibaldi biscuits at that point.’
Lucy laughed and so did he. They watched Molly jump a wave and then the little girl issued Lucy a double thumbs up, which she returned.
‘So how long are you staying at the house?’ Will asked.
‘How long is a piece of string?’ she replied. ‘My sister and I are tasked with cleaning it out on behalf of my dad who was Dido’s next of kin. And then it’s back to work for me.’
‘In Guernsey?’ he asked.
‘No. Mainland.’
‘I’ve just left there. Well, at the end of last year.’
‘Really?’
He nodded. ‘My grandfather was born here so it was a bit like coming home, even though I’ve never lived here before. Just the odd holiday, you know.’
‘It was the other way round for me,’ Lucy said. ‘I was born here and then needed to get away. Permanently,’ she said.
There was a natural pause in the conversation and Molly came running. ‘Can we have dinner now? I’m hungry.’
‘Of course,’ Lucy said, checking her watch. ‘Shall we go to the café up there and get burgers. I’ve read they’re good.’
‘They are,’ Will said. ‘Handmade. The best.’
‘Who are you?’ Molly asked boldly, making both Lucy and Will chuckle.
‘Will. Who are you?’ he asked, holding out his hand to shake.
