“That’ll do no good. They’re suckers for bacon,” said Grey.
“Undone by their own greed,” said Pat.
Grey sailed as near to the pebble beach as he was able, then turned off the engine and dropped anchor. Rafa wasted no time in taking off his shoes, rolling up his jeans, and jumping in. The water reached midcalf. “You coming, Clementine?”
“What is it about you and water? You just can’t resist, can you?”
He laughed. “Perhaps it’s got something to do with you.”
“I can’t pretend I enjoy getting wet. But here goes.” She tossed the blanket aside and pulled off her trainers.
“I’ll carry you,” he offered, holding out his arms.
“I’m much too heavy,” she protested.
“Trust me, I’ve carried calves far heavier than you.”
“Well, all right then. But if I am heavy, don’t let it show on your face.” She fell into his arms. He pretended to stagger, his face twisted into a grimace. “Oh, stop, you fool!” she laughed.
“I … think … I’m … going … to … have … to … drop … you.” He stumbled towards the beach where he put her down. “Any other takers?” he asked, grinning at Pat and Veronica.
“I think I’ll make my own way,” Pat replied. “Bit of water won’t hurt!”
“I’ll stay on the boat and watch,” said Veronica.
Grey poured Veronica a glass of wine. “I have smoked-salmon sandwiches,” he said. “We’ll celebrate once we’ve caught a few crabs. Now, Clemmie, are you going to show them how it’s done?”
Clementine forgot her aversion to crabs and tied a piece of bacon to the string as if she had done it all her life. Rafa stood beside her as she tossed it into the water. “It’s a bit like fishing,” she told him. “You wait until you feel a tug and then slowly pull it in.”
He got the bucket ready, and sure enough, after only a minute or two, there was a tug on the line.
Clementine’s heart leapt. “Oh my God, we’ve got one. Dad, we’ve got one!”
“Well done, you!”
“I think it’s a big one.” She pulled the line, lifting a large black crab out of the water. “It’s huge!”
“Wow! My first crab,” said Rafa.
Mine, too, thought Clementine. “Not so fast, pirate! This is my crab.” She dropped it into the bucket of water. “Now, you take a piece of string and some bacon, and see if you can catch one as big as mine. It’s a competition.”
“And the winner?” He raised his eyebrows suggestively.
“Gets to eat it,” said Clementine.
“I was thinking of something much more fun.”
“What?”
“Not telling you now.”
“Go on!”
“Let’s see who wins. If I do, I might just take my prize without asking.”
16.
As the sun sank slowly towards the sea Rafa and Clementine stood side by side on the pebbles, tossing their bacon strings into the water. Their laughter ricocheted off the cliffs with the cries of gulls, who circled greedily in the hope of food. Pat was a crabbing veteran, having spent her childhood holidays in Cornwall. When the bacon didn’t lure the crabs fast enough, she just thrust her hand into the sea and caught them with her fingers, holding them up triumphantly for everyone to see. Veronica watched from the boat, her glass of wine almost down to the last drop. Wrapped in a blanket, enjoying the rough beauty of the little cove and the merry banter of her companions, she applauded each catch with a whoop of delight.
Grey watched his daughter. It had been many years since he had been able to entice her onto his boat. She had always loathed crabbing and fishing, and had found the sea a dull place to be. But now, watching her with Rafa, one would have thought she had been raised on it. She was deft at handling the lines, confident at bringing them in, and unruffled at disentangling the crabs from the string. He noticed that she was showing off to Rafa. So, it had taken the allure of a handsome foreigner to get her to come out in the boat, but that didn’t matter. The fact was that she was out, enjoying the best of Devon, sharing the beach with her father.
Clementine sensed the pull of Grey’s stare and turned. When she caught his eye, he smiled. Not his usual jolly smile, but a wistful one, tinged with pride. She grinned back, surprised by his affection. Then she averted her gaze and settled it on her line, which had just begun to quiver. However, she wasn’t thinking of the crab she was about to catch, but her father’s gentle face. She couldn’t remember the last time he had looked at her like that.