‘Uh-oh.’
Nell heard the panic in Vian’s voice and saw mudbanks protruding from the middle of the river, like slippery wet whales’ backs.
‘We’d better go back,’ Vian said miserably.
‘No way,’ Nell replied with nerves of steel. ‘If we have to, we’ll get out and walk.’ She scanned the water. ‘Where are you, little one?’ she asked aloud. ‘We’re trying to save you.’
‘There!’ Vian shouted, pointing towards the bridge. He rowed hard, grimacing when his oar hit the muddy riverbed. Sensing this was their last chance, Nell held onto the edge and leaned out as far as she could, almost toppling over as the boat jolted to a stop. It had run aground and would stay that way for the next six hours or so, but the children didn’t care. As Nell’s net revealed, they had caught the duckling, and they were absolutely delighted.
Ruth was standing outside the cottage with a couple and a child when the children arrived back.
As well as selling her artwork, Ruth worked as a caretaker for the owner of a row of holiday homes up in the village. This family were likely here to collect the keys.
‘What on earth?’ Ruth exclaimed at the sight of Nell and Vian.
They had had to abandon both pairs of boots and walk the rest of the way barefoot. Their legs were coated practically to their knees with thick, squelchy mud.
Nell held up their find, beaming. But her expression slipped at Ruth’s horrified face.
‘Oh, no!’ she cried. ‘Put it back!’
‘We can’t, Mum,’ Vian interjected. ‘It’ll die!’
‘Its mother must be around here somewhere,’ Ruth lamented.
‘It isn’t,’ Vian insisted fervently. ‘It was all alone. We had to save it.’
Ruth sighed, and when she spoke, she sounded weary. ‘Kate, Simon, this is Nell and Vian.’
Nell smiled at the grown-ups. She liked Kate’s dress – it was pale blue and fluttered around her ankles.
‘And this is Edward,’ Kate introduced her son, ushering him forward.
He was around the same height as Nell and had light-brown hair that framed an open, friendly face. His eyes were big and dark and reminded Nell of Bastian’s from The NeverEnding Story, which they had seen at the cinema the month before.
She had really liked that film.
‘Why are you so muddy?’ Ruth asked tersely.
Nell stared at the ground.
‘We got stuck when the tide went out,’ Vian mumbled.
‘Did you go out in the boat? Alone? Where is it?’ Ruth’s voice was going up in pitch with every question.
Vian pointed down the backwater. ‘We tied it to a branch so it wouldn’t drift out to sea.’
‘Goodness me,’ Ruth said, shaking her head. She turned to Kate and Simon. ‘I’m sorry about this.’
‘It’s no problem,’ Kate replied with a smile. ‘We appreciate you letting us come a day early.’ Saturday was technically changeover day. ‘We could go for a drive and come back?’
‘Or you could stay for a cup of tea?’ Ruth suggested. ‘The cleaners are thorough but prompt. Half an hour and you’ll certainly be able to go in.’
‘A cup of tea would be lovely,’ Kate accepted. ‘It’s been a long journey. But no rush. When you’re ready.’
Everyone looked at Nell’s cupped hands. The duckling’s eyes were opening and closing, sleepily. It seemed surprisingly content.
‘I suppose you’d better put it in the bathtub for now.’ Ruth sounded resigned. ‘I’ll set it running. You two go and get cleaned off under the outdoor tap. You’re not bringing that mud inside.’
The adults and children parted ways, the latter heading around the side of the cottage.
‘I can hold it for you,’ Edward offered to Nell when they reached the tap.
‘No, I will,’ Vian cut in sharply. ‘Hang on.’ He set about cleaning himself with the icy water. To his irritation, Edward loitered.
‘It’s so small,’ Edward said to Nell, who had opened her hands to show him the downy bundle. The duckling craned its neck and tried to stand, letting out several shrill cheeps.
‘She’s probably only a couple of days old,’ Nell replied, closing her hands and prompting the duckling to settle back down. She liked the feeling of its clammy, webbed feet on her palms.
Frankly, she still couldn’t believe their luck.
‘How far away is the beach?’ Edward asked.
‘There are lots of them,’ Nell replied. ‘We’re learning to surf at one really close by, aren’t we, Vian?’
Vian grunted.
‘Wish I could surf,’ Edward said.
‘You should come with us!’ Nell offered instantly.
‘Could I?’ Edward replied, as Vian shot Nell a look of outrage. ‘Definitely! Ask your mum and dad.’ She ignored Vian. She was good at making friends, and Vian got used to new people eventually, even if he did initially struggle with change.
‘Okay, I will,’ Edward said.
‘How old are you?’ Nell asked, making conversation while she waited for the tap to become free. Vian was taking ages and didn’t seem to have made much progress. The mud was like glue.
‘Ten, almost eleven. What about you?’
‘Ten,’ Nell replied. She nodded at Vian. ‘Vian’s ten, too. Our birthdays are two days apart.’
Edward looked confused. ‘Are you twins?’
‘How can we be twins if we’re not born on the same day?’ Vian asked narkily.
‘We’re not really brother and sister,’ Nell explained, unfazed by Vian’s tone. ‘My dad loves his mum, but my real mum lives in France and Vian’s real dad is in Australia. Where do you live?’ she asked.
‘London,’ Edward replied.
‘Me too!’ she exclaimed. ‘Well, I did, until Mum moved away. I’m going to France in the summer holidays.’
Vian seemed utterly miserable at the reminder. Nell felt a pang of empathy. She herself had been desperately lonely the year before when Ruth had taken him to Australia. It was the second time he’d gone – the first was when he’d met his father, aged seven. She knew she’d miss him while she was in France, but it was always harder on those who stayed behind.
‘That’ll do,’ Vian said, wiping his wet palms on his red T-shirt and holding them out to Nell. She carefully transferred the duckling into his cold grasp and went over to the tap, glancing round in time to see Vian walking away.
‘Wait!’ she called out with dismay as he disappeared from view. Was he going to put the duckling in the bathtub without her? ‘He’s so annoying!’ she erupted.
Edward kicked his foot awkwardly against the paving stones.
‘You’re lucky you don’t have a brother,’ Nell sniped crossly, scrubbing vigorously at the slimy muck coating her legs.
‘I did have a brother once,’ Edward replied offhandedly. ‘But he died.’
Nell was shocked. ‘What happened to him?’
‘He got sick. I was a baby, so I don’t remember him. He was two years older than me.’
Nell didn’t know what to say, but she was full of compassion.
‘My mum’s going to have a baby,’ Edward revealed. ‘We don’t know if it will be a boy or a girl, though. I’m going to be a very big brother,’ he said proudly, folding his arms across his chest. ‘New babies cry a lot, but I’ll help.’
Nell smiled at him. She could tell that he was kind. She liked him.
‘Can I get you a drink, Edward?’ Ruth called from the kitchen when they returned indoors.
‘No thanks,’ Edward responded, kicking off his trainers in the hall.
The bathroom was straight ahead and Nell looked in to see the duckling swimming around quite happily in the bathtub. Vian was dangling his hand over the side, his fingernails still rimmed with river mud.
‘Why didn’t you wait?’ Nell hissed.
Vian acted like he hadn’t heard her. She huffed and followed Edward into the kitchen.
The adults were sitting at the table and
the fabric of Edward’s mother’s dress was pulled tight across her tummy so Nell could see her bump. It hadn’t been at all obvious when she had been standing in the garden.
‘When are you due?’ Ruth was asking.
‘The end of August,’ Kate replied. ‘It’ll be a bit strange going back to dirty nappies and sleepless nights after all this time.’
‘I bet,’ Ruth said.
‘Mum and Dad, can I learn to surf?’ Edward interrupted. ‘Nell and Vian are going to do lessons.’
‘Yes, at Poldhu Beach,’ Ruth chipped in. ‘It’s a ten, fifteen-minute drive from here. They start in the morning.’
‘Can I?’ Edward looked hopeful as his parents glanced at each other.
Simon turned back to Ruth. ‘Do we need to book?’
‘You could probably just turn up,’ she replied, ‘but I’ll find you the number, to be on the safe side.’
Kate pulled her son onto her lap. ‘I told you you’d make friends,’ she said in a teasing voice.
Edward blushed and stood up again, flashing Nell a shy smile.
‘Why did you have to go and invite him?’ Vian griped that night, startling Nell back to full consciousness. They were in their bunk beds and she had been nodding off.
‘He’s nice,’ Nell replied sleepily. ‘I think he looks like the boy from The NeverEnding Story.’
‘I thought you said that I looked like him,’ Vian muttered after a moment’s silence.
‘You remind me more of Atreyu, even though you’ve got short hair now.’ Atreyu’s hair came almost to his shoulders.
Nell peeked over the railings from the top bunk – they never had swapped back. ‘Edward is more like Bastian,’ she said.
Vian still looked grumpy, but Nell knew he’d be happier about that comparison. Atreyu was brave and heroic: a horse-riding, monster-hunting saver of the universe. Bastian only read about the action in a book, although he had got to ride the Luck Dragon at the end.
‘I feel sorry for him,’ she said. ‘He’s all on his own. His brother died,’ she added gravely.
Vian was stunned.
‘It was when he was a baby, but it’s still awful, don’t you think?’
Vian nodded. He stared up at Nell and his eyes filled with tears.
‘What’s wrong?’ she whispered.
‘I wish you didn’t have to go away this summer,’ he replied in a choked voice.
Nell threw back her duvet and climbed down the ladder. Scampi was lying on the floor beside Vian and his tail thumped half-heartedly as she stepped over his solid, furry body to get to the bed. Vian edged over for her and she hopped in, slipping her arm behind his shoulders. He did the same to her and they held each other tightly.
‘I wish you could come with me,’ she whispered. ‘I’m going to be so bored.’
‘At least your mum has a swimming pool.’
‘That is brilliant,’ Nell conceded. ‘But I’d still rather be swimming in the sea with you.’
‘Even though it’s freezing cold?’
‘Yes, even though it’s freezing cold.’
They usually wore wetsuits, but they were such a pain to put on that sometimes they braved the water without them.
‘I hope the duckling’s okay,’ Vian said.
‘Me too,’ Nell replied. ‘I can’t believe we’ve got her!’ she said excitedly.
It was currently in a box in the kitchen with the door closed, much to Scampi’s dismay, but tomorrow they were going to fill up their old shell-shaped paddling pool with water and make a pen for it.
Nell’s dad had been surprisingly blasé and even quite accommodating when he’d come home and found out what had happened. Not only had he arranged to borrow some chick crumb from Steven and Linzie, the farmers who lived up the road, but he’d also convinced Ruth that the children were old enough and capable enough to take the boat out alone again in the future, as long as they checked with an adult first and made sure the tide was working in their favour.
‘What do you think to calling him Webster?’ Vian asked.
Nell frowned. Him? She wanted a girl, and Webster definitely sounded like a boy’s name.
Ultimately, though, Nell just wanted to make Vian happy, and if that meant their duckling had to be a boy, then a boy it would be. ‘Yes, I like Webster,’ Nell said. ‘Let’s call him that.’
Vian grinned.
They had been so deep in conversation that they hadn’t heard the footsteps on the stairs. The door creaked open and Vian whipped the bedcovers up and over their heads, staring at Nell with alarm.
Two heavy footsteps later and the covers were flipped back. ‘Get to bed!’ Geoff shouted, prompting Scampi to scarper.
Nell scooted out of Vian’s bed and hurriedly climbed back up into her own before daring to meet her father’s eyes.
‘Sorry, Daddy,’ she mumbled. He looked very cross.
‘Sorry,’ Vian echoed.
‘No more talking!’ Geoff commanded, stalking out through the door.
Later that night, Nell was again jolted from sleep. She cocked her ear to the wall and heard her father and Ruth speaking in raised voices downstairs.
‘They’re arguing,’ Vian murmured from the bottom bunk, sensing her wakefulness.
‘What are they arguing about?’ Nell asked apprehensively.
Vian slid out of bed.
‘Vian!’ she hissed. ‘Don’t!’ But he was already at the door, opening it.
She crept down the ladder and tiptoed over to where he was standing, eavesdropping.
‘I don’t want to move,’ they heard Ruth say.
‘Do you think I do?’ Geoff replied. ‘This is the house I grew up in! But they should be in their own rooms – and beds – by now.’
‘They’re only ten! You say it like they’re doing something wrong.’
‘I know it’s only innocent, but children grow up so fast. It’s only a matter of time before—’
‘Oh, stop!’ Ruth cut him off. She sounded disgusted.
Vian and Nell glanced at each other with confusion.
‘We need to think about these things,’ Geoff said wearily. ‘Maybe we could turn the studio into a bedroom,’ he suggested.
‘Where would I work?’ Ruth asked. ‘And who would want to sleep out there, anyway?’
‘Vian might like his own space.’
Vian jolted and Nell felt physical pain. Without another word, she pushed past him and ran down the stairs.
‘You can’t make him sleep outside!’ she yelled from the halfway point.
Ruth and Geoff stared up at her in shock, but a moment later her dad’s shoulders slumped. ‘We’re only talking, Nelly. This is a grown-up conversation—’
‘I don’t care!’ she yelled. ‘You can’t make him! I’ll sleep outside if someone has to, but not Vian!’ She stamped her foot.
A pale-faced Vian stumbled down the steps behind her. ‘No! Don’t make her! Why can’t we share? We want to be together!’
‘You’re growing up now, kids. You should have your own rooms,’ Geoff stated firmly.
‘Why?’ Vian asked.
‘It’s just…’ Ruth shifted from foot to foot, uncomfortably. ‘It’s not appropriate, kids. Boys and girls are not supposed to sleep together.’
Vian and Nell were stumped. Why on earth not?
‘You sleep together,’ Vian pointed out.
‘That’s different,’ Ruth replied with frustration. ‘We’re adults and we’re… Well, we’re not married,’ she acknowledged, ‘but we almost are.’
‘Nell and I are going to get married, too,’ Vian told them.
Nell nodded. They had agreed to this when they were six years old. It was an accepted fact.
Ruth threw Geoff a glance.
‘You’re far too young to be talking about that sort of thing,’ Geoff snapped, pressing on before they could argue. ‘Nothing is certain. We were discussing the possibility of moving to a bigger house and you two should not have been listening. You should h
ave been fast asleep. Now, go back to bed.’
‘I don’t want to move!’ Nell cried.
‘Perhaps Ruth and I will end up in the studio,’ Geoff said to appease her. ‘It’s not something we need to worry about right this minute. But,’ and for this next part his voice got increasingly louder, ‘if you two don’t go to sleep immediately and stop climbing into each other’s beds and keeping each other awake, then you will be separated, and it will happen sooner rather than later!’
The threat worked. Nell and Vian ran back upstairs and not another peep was heard out of them for the rest of the night.
There was a loaded atmosphere in the cottage the next morning, but no one broached the subject of the night before. Even little Webster didn’t do much to lift the heaviness that hung around Nell’s heart.
They got ready for the beach straight after breakfast and although Nell had encouraged Edward to join them at surf school, she was now hoping he wouldn’t. She didn’t want anything else to cause Vian distress.
However, Edward was already waiting in line to register beside his parents when they arrived. He looked over his shoulder, his face breaking into a grin. Nell reached for Vian’s hand and squeezed it, but he squirmed out of her grasp. She managed only a small smile at Edward in return.
‘Are you okay?’ he asked later as they struggled into their wetsuits. Edward’s borrowed gear was still sandy and wet from its last use and looked especially awkward to pull on, but Nell and Vian had brought their own.
‘Yeah,’ Nell replied, bumping her elbow against one of the other kids’ dads. There were a dozen or so people in the class of all ages. ‘Are you?’
‘A bit nervous,’ he admitted. ‘Aren’t you?’
‘Not really.’ Nell wasn’t at all. She had been excited for the last two weeks, but not nervous. She and Vian had been wanting to learn to surf for ages.
They carried their surfboards in pairs – one under each arm – down to the shore and lined up in a semicircle opposite the instructor. Vian positioned himself right at the end beside Nell and ignored Edward on the other side of her.
Nell hated that Vian was being stand-offish – not only with Edward, but with her, too. He got so jealous. He wasn’t really like this at school. At school they had their own friends and rarely played together at break. But holidays were their time, and Vian was making it clear that Edward was encroaching.