Page 74 of The Seaside Supper Club

‘And how are you doing, Will?’ asked Reggie when Will had reached him. ‘Very much on the mend, I hope.’

‘I’m doing okay, thanks, Reggie.’ Will evidently didn’t want to expand on his recent health issues here, but he seemed to appreciate the caring question.

Cath had shifted slightly back, ready to head away and make her escape to the kitchen. With several of the guests now having arrived and in situ, they’d need to crack on with the catering. But she couldn’t help herself stealing a glance over her shoulder at Will before leaving the hall. Despite his recent surgery and with all the issues he was facing, he’d made it here, and was looking to help others and be a part of his supper club team, taking care of this Tilldale community. And despite their personal difficulties and recent falling out, she appreciated that he hadn’t wanted to let anyone down.

As Will moved on to the next table, Reggie called Cath back over, patting his top pocket as he said, ‘I’ve brought her with me, you know. I’ve chosen this one specially; it’s the letter about when we went dancing. We used to love to dance back in the day.’ Her elderly friend’s eyes had misted a little, filled with sweet nostalgia, and love, and loss.

‘Oh, Reggie …’ Cath found she couldn’t say any more. She remembered the lost love letters, and how she and Will had finally found them in the loft of her cottage. Elsie and Reggie’s loving history recorded over time. With all that had happened with Will, since they’d met the second time around just over a year ago, flooding her mind, emotions were filling her to the brim. Her eyes were dangerously close to filling, and perhaps spilling. ‘That’s so lov … lovely,’ she managed to croak.

With an introductory hoot of a trumpet, the youthful band from Lily’s high school struck up, taking the pressure off Cath and the sensitive nature of the conversation, with some relaxing tunes. Starting with a couple of Frank Sinatra tracks – Cath recognising ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’, which seemed pretty apt.

More guests began to arrive, Cath spotting several faces from the village and surrounding areas, including the final ticket holders, Sue and her husband, along with their neighbour Joyce. Lily was escorting her glamorous-looking Grandma Liz to a seat just along from Reggie. And two young mums with their toddlers from the newly started playgroup came through, which was fantastic to see. Young and old, all were welcome.

And there was a short grey-haired lady in a purple floral dress, who looked to be in her eighties, chatting loudly with Vera from the home, the pair of them laughing away about something. The slight Scottish lilt and the feeling of déjà vu suggested to Cath that she was Granny Ruth. Cath went over to say hello, deciding that the food could wait another few minutes, to give everyone the chance to settle and get sociable around the tables. She and Ruth had a lovely chat about The Pudding Pantry tea rooms, Cath telling her how wonderful the raspberry cheesecake had been when they’d called in for the jam, and Ruth chuckling as she revealed her great-granddaughter Maisy’s latest antics on her new pony.

With teas and coffees served, and most of the seats now taken, Cath politely said she needed to get back to her tasks, and dashed to the kitchen. Along with Dan, Andreas and Lily, final touches were made to the platters and cake stands, and ta-dah, they were soon ready to be served. Nikki rounded up her three boys, and they began to carefully carry them into the hall. Angus, Nikki’s youngest, had the most serious look on his face, his concentration fixed as he was determined not to drop a thing. Middle-child Scott merely beamed at everyone, and said a cheery ‘hello’ as he took it all in his stride. Stands and platters were placed mid-table ready to share between the guests. With ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ and ‘wonderfuls’ filling the room.

Will, Andreas, Dan, Cath, Nikki and Lily then brought in a final tiered stand each, and the room burst into an unexpectedly rousing round of applause.

There was a ding of a teaspoon against a cup, bringing a hush to the proceedings, and young Hamish announced rather formally, as though he’d been practising, ‘Afternoon tea is served. Please help yourselves.’

‘Thank you, young man,’ responded Kenneth, as he reached eagerly for a finger of ham sandwich.

‘Oh, important question, jam or cream first?’ quizzed Cath’s neighbour Mary, diving in for a scone.

‘Now then, I’d go jam first, that’s the Cornish way, apparently,’ said Betty.

‘Oh no, it has to be cream,’ interjected Kenneth. ‘Sort of acts like butter then.’

‘Who cares, it’ll be delicious whichever way,’ pronounced John with a smile.

‘Oh, and look how pretty all the cakes are!’ exclaimed a delighted Ruth.

‘Beautiful,’ said Betty.

‘These are a work of art,’ added Reggie, unable to resist a slice of lemon drizzle, straight from the top tier.

‘You’re supposed to go savoury first,’ hissed Vera, giving him a nudge.

‘Ah, don’t you go worrying about that, pet. No need to stand on ceremony here. I’ll be working my way through the lot anyhow … in whatever order takes my fancy.’ He gave a cheeky wink.

Vera merely shook her head in exasperation.

Cath stayed a few precious seconds to watch everyone delightedly tucking in, then saw this as her chance to nip out, ready to make a swift wardrobe change in the storeroom. All was quiet in the kitchen area now with everyone out in the main hall serving and chatting. Though she was a little late with her 50s outfit, she was determined to join in and look the part. She’d found a gorgeous dress, a couple of days ago, in the Kirkton charity shop. A ditsy print, pink-and-green-floral affair, that nipped in at the waist, showing just enough décolletage, and swirled out in a fabulous A-line skirt. She slipped out of her trainers and got her navy ballet pumps ready – pretty yet still comfy and practical, with all the running around she yet needed to do.

Closing the door on the little store, she took off her apron, and her long-sleeved T-shirt and jeans, pulled the dress out of the bag, and thrust it over her head. Hmm, perhaps she should have changed in the bathrooms where there was a mirror, she suddenly thought. Oh well, today wasn’t about her, was it. A swipe of soft-pink lipstick went on. She decided to let her dark wavy hair down out of its ponytail now that the cooking was over, and ran her fingers through it to loosen it up a bit. Sorted. She’d do. She’d better get back out to the hall and give her gang a hand.

Will glanced over just as Cath was making her way back in through the hall’s double doors. She saw him look and then look again, as a hint of a smile creased his lips, and his eyes seemed to widen. But then, as though he’d remembered their falling out, his face fell rather stonily once more, and he turned away to serve some more tea.

At that point, a troop of young girls dressed in their brown and yellow uniforms walked briskly in through the doors. Brown Owl lead the way, instructing them to gather just below the stage. Veronica, who was in on the Brownie troupe’s singing, and had spoken with the swing band members earlier, gave a nod to the band to take a well-earned break. They then wrapped up the ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ tune they were on. Brown Owl turned choirmaster, and with her back to the audience, began some vigorous arm signals. Dan made a loud ding with a teaspoon on a cup, to draw the guests’ attention to the new arrivals, and a respectful hush filled the room.

The pianist had stayed back as agreed, to start the opening notes to lead them in, and a nine-year-old girl took a step forward from her pack to start with a solo introduction. Her voice was so clear and beautiful as she began the first chorus of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’, the rest of the Brownie choir joining in thereafter. The look of joy on the guests’ faces was mesmerising. And though Cath had known this was to happen, the gorgeous singing and its effect on the gathering was wonderful. ‘If You’re Happy and You Know It’ came next with the audience joining in with the actions, and then a great version of Bruno Mars’s ‘Count on Me’, to huge smiles and much applause, and a ‘woohoo!’ from Andreas.

And then, something totally unexpected happened – not part of the supper club’s plans for today’s event at all. Reggie stood up first, and then Betty, and one by one several of the care home residents filed into line behind the Brownies. And Reggie, who stood a little to the side of the choir, started to sing. His voice a little shaky to begin with, but then it rang out loud and clear with the first line of ‘Stand by Me’ by Ben E. King. And then the elderly guests who’d filed behind him, plus the Brownies, joined in to sing the most wonderful rendition of one of Cath’s favourite songs. She looked across to Will instinctively, but then had to look away, as the tears that were fogging her eyes were threatening to spill over. This moment was so magical and touching, and unforeseen. The lyrics summed up everything about the event today, about her love for Will, and for their families and friends. It was so wonderful and so bloody moving, that it made her want to cry – in the best of ways, and also want to go over and somehow shake Will out of his dark and gloomy, cut-off place.

The hall burst into thunderous applause as the rendition by both young and old came to a heartfelt close.

‘Bravo!’ cheered Kenneth.