Page 15 of The Summer Escape

Beth shuffled across the blanket to get closer to Ellie. “He’s making you look at the boats so he can steal grapes without you noticing,” she told her in a stage whisper.

“Are you?” Ellie asked, looking up at Trystan, who stopped chewing abruptly.

“I took three,” he confessed under the scrutiny of her gaze. “I’m sorry. In my defence they’re delicious and I’m very hungry.”

“That’s okay,” Ellie told him. “You can have another. Can’t he, Mummy?”

She nodded in reply.

“It’s nice to share,” Ellie said seriously as she plucked another grape for him.

“Not so nice to steal,” Beth remarked under her breath, then stifled a laugh at the wounded look that Trystan shot her.

“I feel as though I might not have made the best first impression.” He shifted to sit on his towel. “First I steal the cottage from you and then I steal your picnic.”

“You’re hardly stealing the cottage,” Beth argued. “If it was my house I’d want it back too. I still can’t get over the view here. The colour of the water is magical.”

Trystan hooked his arms around his knees as he stared out over the bay. “One of my favourite things about being back here is starting the day with a jog and a swim. Hitting the gym in London is an entirely different approach to exercise.”

“I’ll bet,” Beth agreed.

“Do you want a sandwich?” Ellie held the small triangle out to him. “It’s got jam in it.”

“I haven’t had a jam sandwich for a very long time.” After devouring it in one mouthful, his eyes widened. “I might start eating jam sandwiches more often.”

Ellie giggled and ate one herself. “Can you help me build a sandcastle?” she asked with her mouth full.

“I think Trystan probably has other things to do,” Beth said quickly.

“As it happens, I’m very good at building sandcastles.”

“You really don’t have to,” Beth insisted, but Trystan had already picked up a shovel.

“Can we build one with a moat?” Ellie asked.

“It wouldn’t be a very good sandcastle if it didn’t have a moat. We’ll need turrets too and a drawbridge.”

Ellie gazed up at him, a look of awe on her face. “I don’t know how to do that.”

“I can show you.”

They moved a little away from the blanket and got to work, Trystan marking the outline in the sand and giving Ellie instructions.

“Should I help?” Beth asked.

Trystan quirked an eyebrow. “Considering your daughter doesn’t know how to build turrets or a drawbridge, I suspect you’re fairly clueless about the art of sandcastle building. It’s probably better if you stay out of the way and leave it to the expert.”

Beaming at his cheekiness, Beth looked to Ellie. “Can you please tell him that I’m very good at building sandcastles?”

“You’re pretty good.” She stepped aside when Trystan leaned in front of her to dig. “But we’ve never had a drawbridge.”

“See!” Trystan said, without looking up. “You sound like an amateur to me.”

She watched them work for a few minutes, enjoying Ellie’s excitement at having Trystan to help her with the sandcastle.

“I feel a bit bad just sitting around watching you,” she finally said.

Trystan paused in shovelling sand. “Feel free to go for a swim or something.”