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They were silent as they absorbed the statement’s implication.
‘Mum knows the statistical likelihood of me dying on a job is infinitesimal. She’s lived her whole life around the RNLI and her childhood was by the sea, she knows to respect the sea and she knows what happens if you don’t, but fear and grief aren’t logical things.’
‘Then why did you volunteer again?’ Honor asked gently.
He sucked in a deep breath and stared at their joined hands. ‘I don’t honestly know. A desire to serve, to do something I’m trained and useful in. I want to give back to the community – you must understand that. Plus, I miss the comradeship, the jokes and banter. It’s like a family, you know? Despite promising Mum, it was tearing at my soul. I couldn’t not rejoin.’
‘And maybe you wanted to honour your father’s memory?’
He took in another long breath and eventually answered. ‘Yes, that too.’
The Christmas music clicked into The Pretenders’ ‘Two Thousand Miles’ and the music fell, sweeping and melancholy into the empty pub.
‘But you haven’t told her yet?’
‘No, I only signed up the other day. Jamie explained I’ll have to do some retraining first. Get familiar with the boat, up my knowledge on this part of the coast and the local danger spots, navigation, that sort of thing. I’ll need a refresher First Aid course too.’
‘Maybe you can stall telling her until after Christmas? You mentioned it’s not going to be an easy time for any of you. Perhaps wait until things are less emotionally fraught?’
‘Yes. I think I’ll do that.’ He gave Honor a worried look. ‘And hope no one tells her before I have.’
‘It’s nearly Christmas Day. Once the Nine Carols service is over, there are no more town events. Everyone retreats back into their own little houses until the New Year Day Swim.’
‘The what?’
‘I think I’ve mentioned it to you before. The fancy dress swim in the sea.’
‘Oh yes.’ He shuddered. ‘It sounded so horrendous I’d deliberately forgotten it.’
‘Claude here lays on hot food afterwards. It’s a very popular event.’ She paused. ‘Actually, as you’re a RNLI volunteer now, you’ll be on duty.’
‘Why?’ Jago asked, looking startled.
‘It’s one of their major fundraisers and crew are on standby just in case of any problems. Some stand in the sea to double-check no one’s gone under. Crew man the buoys which mark the area you’re allowed to swim in although, to be honest, it’s more a sort of wade in then dash out and shiver affair. There’s not a great deal of swimming involved.’
‘What time does it start?’
‘Depends on the tide, but usually around eleven. It gives people a chance to get over their New Year’s Eve hangover.’
Jago flinched. ‘I would have thought running into the sea in January would be kill or cure for any hangover.’
‘You have a point.’
‘Have you done it?’
Honor nodded. ‘Every year.’
‘Mad fool,’ he said, tenderly and tweaked a curl of her hair to take the harshness out of his comment.
‘I did a naked calendar for the Young Farmers once too,’ she added, matter of factly.
‘You did what?’
‘A naked calendar.’
‘And here’s me worrying over upsetting your reputation as a fine and upstanding member of the Lullbury Bay town community.’
‘We had a teacher who was married to a farmer and the theme was school subjects mixed with farming themes. It was all very tastefully done. I was Miss Geography and stood in a field of cows.’ She giggled. ‘They were very nosy as I recall. I was covered by two enormous globes and an atlas. And I wasn’t naked at all, I had a light brown bikini on.’ She reached for her wine and sipped innocently. ‘It was all a big con to be honest, although Ben Townham stripped off before anyone could tell him not to.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘Such an exhibitionist. He was Mr Food Tech and was in a cider orchard with some strategically placed apples. All this was way before Mrs Arnold, our current head, took over.’ She suppressed a grin. ‘It’s not her sort of thing at all.’
