Page 16 of The Seaside Cocktail Campervan

‘Pass them around ladies, and do help yourselves.’

At that very moment the bell jingled above the door, announcing Becky’s arrival.

‘Good timing,’ laughed Lucy. ‘We were just about to get stuck into the cake. Everybody, this is my friend, Becky.’

‘Hi all! Thanks for having me here, especially as I’m not strictly a villager,’ Becky said with a wink.

‘Oh, everyone’s welcome. It’s always nice to see some new faces.’ Louise was evidently as generous with her friendship as she was with her cakes. And the introductions were made around the table once more for Becky’s benefit, as the tea and coffee were poured.

Little tea plates were set out ready by each seat, and Becky and Lucy took up the last two chairs. The plate of baked goodies was passed around. Which to choose? The fluffy-looking cream sponge, marshmallow-loaded Rocky Roads, or some kind of rich-gooey brownie. Lucy’s eyes lit up and her tummy rumbled, even though she’d just had a supper of scrambled eggs on toast.

Outside, it would soon begin to cool, with the sun now dipping in the sky, but the café was cosy, and it wasn’t just the radiators at work, there was such a homely feel there too. Where Lucy had previously lived with Liam – a large housing estate on the edge of Morpeth – well, it was a little soulless, with everyone busy to-ing and fro-ing to work, getting on with their daily lives. She and Liam had slotted into that same suburban lifestyle, existing in their bubble of two. But it was only lately she’d realised how empty that had been.

Here, in this little coastal village other forces were at work; people seemed to have a little more time for each other, to care about each other, in fact. It felt good. It felt like she was becoming a part of the community.

Between mouthfuls of delicious Victoria sponge and chocolate traybakes, they chatted about this month’s read, Pride and Prejudice.

‘Oh, I loved it,’ Glynis started, ‘Jane Austen has been a favourite of mine for many years now. Her books feel like old friends. Her characterisation is amazing … and all the twists and turns between Darcy and Elizabeth, it’s just delightfully written.’

‘It’s not my usual read,’ added Abby, ‘and it took me ages to get into the language of the book … it’s a bit old-fashioned and wordy, but yeah, I quite enjoyed it. The romance between Darcy and Elizabeth, that slow build, all the apprehension and misunderstandings … yep, in the end, I quite liked it.’

Helen, the dark-haired forty-something, snuffled. ‘I’m not sure I’m with you two on that. All that pent-up romance, and for what? Elizabeth, she should have bloody well run while she could. Trusted her first instincts about the Darcy bloke. Bloody romance books. All happy-ever-afters. Well, it doesn’t always end up that way.’

‘Yes, but oh, I do like a good romance and a happy ending,’ Louise chipped in. ‘Heaven knows we need it. Real life’s hard enough at times. Surely books can be a bit of an escape.’

‘Yeah, but we don’t need to have it rubbed in our faces about Mr Bloody Right. It just sets us up for a fall.’ Helen grimaced, then took a sip of tea.

There were nods of empathy from around the room.

‘Hmm, I can see both sides,’ Lucy contributed, without going anywhere near mentioning her own failed and messy relationship. ‘I know life’s not like that, but I actually don’t mind a little romance in a book. I can just switch off for a while, and pretend that life, that love, can work out.’

Becky gave a supportive smile, knowing exactly where her friend was coming from. ‘There’s no harm in that, is there. Books can be all sorts of things: an escape, uplifting, challenging, downright scary …’

‘Hmm, a little hope can’t be a bad thing,’ Glynis added thoughtfully.

Oh yes, and didn’t Lucy know that. Real life wasn’t quite like her favourite romantic reads, but she loved her escape-time curled up with them. And the books she chose, they weren’t all soppy and rose-tinted. No, they were relationship stories, looking at love and life and that rollercoaster we are all on, but she had to admit she liked the stories that held a little hope too. You should never give up on that little ray of hope.

‘And a good sex scene,’ added Cathy with a cheeky grin. ‘Not that you’d find much of that in a Jane Austen novel.’

‘No, it’s all pent-up and prim and proper,’ Abby chipped in.

‘But you do get where she’s coming from with that. Remember when this book was written, it was of its time. Though also timeless in some ways. Yes, there’s so much unspoken, unsaid, but you can also read it all between the lines. That was her genius.’ Glynis was a staunch supporter.

‘Hah, well, I’d much rather a crime book at the moment,’ Helen added wryly. ‘Preferably one where the husband ends up under the patio.’ She gave a grin, as the group burst into laughter.

‘Hah, don’t mind Helen, it’s no secret that she’s going through a messy divorce.’ Louise gave the two newbies the nod, as Helen rolled her eyes dramatically.

‘Oh, I’m sorry to hear that Helen, that must be tough,’ Lucy responded kindly.

‘Ah, no worries, I’m surviving, and better he left when he did than end up under the patio!’ she added with a chuckle.

And the conversation turned to their lives and relationships, their families, the latest episode of the police TV series Line of Duty, and this week’s Driftwood bakes to look forward to, including a summery Lemon and Strawberry Fresh Cream Sponge.

All too soon, it was time to go home. It had been wonderful, chatting about books and life, meeting some of the locals, and making new friends. Lucy was definitely intending coming back again. The group set off home with full tummies, warmed hearts, and the next Book Club read agreed: One Day by David Nicholls. They were to stick with a little romance for now.

‘Well, that was a good evening, wasn’t it?’ chirped Lucy on her way back down the street with Becky at her side.

‘Yeah, they seem a really nice group. A good mix.’