The Oyster Catcher (27 page)

‘Y’know what, Nancy? You need to learn that oysters are more than just a way to make money. They’re food and they’re fun.’ I grab a tray of oysters from one of the tables and thrust it at her. ‘Try one. And chew, don’t just swallow!’ I instruct.

Just then Seamus and Padraig appear with Freddie.

‘Nancy’s just leaving. Perhaps you could see her off. But I think she wanted to see the oyster beds before she went.’ I find myself smiling.

‘Righto,’ they say with a tip of the hat, not listening to any of her protestations and instructing her to roll up her trouser legs before lifting her onto Freddie’s back and trekking her across the wet, soft, grey sand to show her where the oysters are grown. I don’t think the sight of an ashen-faced Nancy being led back on a donkey, clinging on for dear life, will ever leave me.

‘So what do you think about Connemara lamb, see a market for it abroad?’ I hear Seamus and Padraig asking her as they lead her back up the shore, past a laughing audience to her car. With a face like thunder.

‘I hear Scotland has some very good oyster farms,’ I call after her as the BMW flies down the lane for what we hope is the last time.

‘Perfect. Everything is perfect,’ I think as I stand and look out at the sight of the busy festival, just as my head starts to swim, spots appear before my eyes, I feel myself reeling, and then darkness descends.

Chapter Forty-nine

‘Bang, bang, bang.’

I have no idea what’s going on but it’s making the whole barn shake. I stand up from bending over the red-and-white-check-covered tables that are spread out across the barn like a chess board. I rub my big round pregnancy bump and retie my apron strings above it. I look out of the window. The sun always shines in April, according to Rose. April and September apparently. And she’s right. It shone for our September festival and it’s shining again now through the windows of the barn. The windows are sparkling clean and the light bounces off the newly whitewashed walls. At one end the big fire is crackling and spitting, despite the sunshine outside, it brings light and warmth inside.

‘Right, you, time to put your feet up,’ Sean comes in carrying a hammer.

‘But there’s so much to do before tonight,’ I say but can’t resist sitting on the nearest bench.

‘It’s an end-of-season party, not a chance for you to have another fainting fit,’ says Sean. He’s right of course.

When I came round from the last one, I was in Sean’s bed.

‘I thought you’d be more comfortable in here. I can take the other room if you like.’ Sean was holding my hand and right next to him was Grace. He stroked my head.

‘Fiona, I’m the doctor,’ said the man by the door. ‘Look, I’m not sure why you fainted, but I need to ask, is there any chance could you be pregnant?’

Sean and I looked at each other wide-eyed. I’ve been so busy, I just haven’t thought …

The doctor handed me a sealed packet and withdrew diplomatically to the kitchen.

‘Look, I don’t want to you feel sorry for me or feel I’m trapping you. If I am that is. You’re one of life’s free spirits I’ll be fine on my own. I’ll stay in Rose’s chalet once Dan and Margaret have left.’ My mouth was dry. I gabbled. ‘I didn’t think I could …’ I found myself welling up.

‘I was trapped because I was too scared just to be me. But I’m not any more,’ I smiled and even laughed a bit. He put a finger to my lips.

‘No, neither am I.’ His face broke into a smile and tears filled the corners of his eyes. ‘You taught me to love again, to trust again, to not be afraid. And now I’ve never wanted anything more,’ he said and kissed my forehead. ‘So, just do the test,’ he helped me towards the bathroom.

‘You need to rest,’ said the doctor, once I was back in bed, ‘take things easy for a while. Women in the early stages of pregnancy need to look after themselves.’ He smiled, picking up his bag. ‘But I can see you’re in good hands.’ He smiled again and nodded at Sean and then turned to leave.

‘Thank you Doctor,’

‘No thank you. It’s been a wonderful day. Lovely to have the community spirit back again,’ he said. ‘Now everything is fine but just take it easy. Rest,’ he instructed, and left.

‘I will.’ And frankly I couldn’t do anything else. Sean climbed into the bed beside me and wrapped his arms around me and finally I knew I’d stopped running for good.

The following day, once Betty had said her goodbyes, the villagers came in to help clear up.

By the following week Sean was restocking the pacific oysters ready to sell to Dan and I was up and setting up this place. My own little pop-up restaurant.

I pick up the cup of tea Lily has made me and go outside to sit in the sun. I look up at the sign above the door, ‘The Wild Oyster Shack’.

‘Look, we have plenty of help getting ready for tonight,’ Sean reassures me. ‘Lily’s laying up the restaurant. Seamus and Padraig are going to be helping me bring in the last of the native oysters. Grandad’s coming up later to do some story-telling and man the visitors’ centre. The donkeys are ready to do some rides, Freda’s sending up more fishcakes and going to work the kitchen. Maire is going to come and decorate and put up some new paintings. It’s all sorted. So … come with me, I have something to show you.’ He leads me to the edge of the green grass in front of the barn and then turns me round. I’m looking at the barn. It looks the same, red front door, whitewashed walls and window frames, flowers in the window boxes and it takes me a while to spot the blue plaque beside the door frame.

‘Huh!’ I take a sharp intake of breath and my hand shoots up to cover my nose and mouth in surprise.

‘We got it!’ I shout and hug Sean.

‘You did, you mean. All of this is down to you, Fi. It was you who saved the oysters and it was you who thought we could bring the customers to the farm. You’re the face of The Wild Oyster Shack. It’s you they’ve awarded New Restaurant of the Year to. It arrived this morning,’ he beams at me and I hear myself letting out a little squeal and jumping up and down, which isn’t a good idea, so I stop and just hold my hand over my face a bit more with excitement.

‘Now, tonight we’re going to have a party. It’s going to be great. But then the oysters will be out of season and it’ll be time to put your feet up. Promise!’

I nod. ‘Promise. Good job Betty’s finally retiring and coming out to spend some time with Grandad. She’ll be so useful for babysitting come September.’

‘What, when the restaurant re-opens?’

‘When I compete to hold onto my shell-shucking title!’

Sean takes me in his arms and kisses me and then he takes something out of his pocket. It’s a small black box.

He opens the box and takes out a pearl ring. He holds it out to me.

‘It’s the one from your necklace. I had it made into a ring.’

The big tears are rolling steadily down my face, as they often do these days.

‘I wanted you to have it to remind you of the day we made our own little pearl,’ he puts his hand on my big bump. ‘If you like,’ he clears his throat, ‘we could make it an engagement ring, if that’s what you wanted.’

I take the ring.

‘Y’know what? I don’t need to marry you to know that we’ll always be together. I don’t need a big dress or a piece of paper. I love you.’

Sean eyes wrinkle at the edges as he smiles. I take one more look out over the bay. Seamus and Padraig are out in the boat, arguing about who’s steering.

‘And I’ve only just found Fiona Clutterbuck. Would you mind very much if I just stayed being me? I don’t need to change my name to know where I belong any more.’ Grace nudges my legs and the donkeys start braying with all their might.

‘But I wouldn’t say no to a christening party once baby Pearl is born.’ I’d come out of my shell and I wasn’t going back in. Sean slides the ring up my finger and kisses me long and slowly. Until …

‘Oh no. Who the feck let the donkeys out …?’ he shouts as he pulls away from me. ‘Oh, don’t tell me there’s another one.’ Sean marches off to the donkey field and I can’t help laughing. I’m not so much at the end of the earth any more but at the centre of the universe, my universe, Fiona Clutterbuck’s.

Another Cup of Coffee
Jenny Kane

Thirteen years ago Amy Crane ran away from everything, ending up in a new city with no obvious past and no idea of her future. Now, though, that past has just arrived on her doorstep, in the shape of an old music cassette that Amy hasn’t seen since she was at university.

As Amy listens to the songs that soundtracked her student days, memories she’s kept safely locked away for over a decade come to the fore, and she’s suddenly tired of hiding.

It’s time to confront everything about her life. Time to find the friends she left behind in England, when her heart got broken and her life fell apart. Time to make sense of all the feelings she’s been bottling up for all this time. And most of all, it’s time to discover
why
Jack has sent her tape back after all these years …

With her mantra,
New life, New job, New home
, playing on a continuous loop in her head, Amy gears herself up with yet another a bucket-sized cup of coffee, as she goes forth to lay the ghost of first love to rest ...

Copyright © Jo Thomas 2013

The right of Jo Thomas to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

ISBN 9781783755189

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publishers: Accent Press Ltd, Ty Cynon House, Navigation Park, Abercynon, CF45 4SN

The stories contained within this book are works of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the authors’ imaginations and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental