Page 40 of The Sunrise Sisterhood

A man with dark hair staggered to his feet. The boat rocked and he wobbled. Several of the other passengers reached out to steady him. The girl next to him grabbed his leg and tried to pull him back down.

Clare stared, riveted to the spot. It couldn’t be.

‘Hey, it is you!’ As he caught her eye and waved, she felt her face flame. ‘Turn around please, driver, I need to get off.’

‘Oh dear. Stevie, the ferryman, won’t like that,’ said Liz, shaking her head. ‘No drunks allowed.’

‘Is he drunk? I thought he was just waving.’ Skye looked at the boat and then to Clare. ‘Yes, he’s waving at … you, Clare.’

‘Take your seat please, sir,’ boomed a stern voice from the helm of the ferry.

What the hell … Clare’s mouth felt as if someone had filled it with dry sand.

‘Saskia? Saskia! It’s me!’ she heard him shout. ‘Wait there for me. I’ll come straight back.’

Clare felt light-headed. No way. It couldn’t be. But it must be because, well, because it clearly was him, and not only that, he’d called her Saskia. Only one person on the entire planet would do that. What the hell was he doing here? And, also, why was she still frozen to the spot. Move, Clare, move!

‘Oh God, how embarrassing, poor guy. He thought you were someone else.’ Skye took the other end of the buggy to help Clare lift it up the steps. ‘No arguments please.’

Clare had no intention of arguing; it was all she could do to stay upright. ‘Well, they do say everyone has a doppelganger,’ she said lightly. ‘Saskia must be mine.’

‘Must be! What a shame, I thought my luck was in for a minute,’ said Liz, with a giggle. ‘How funny.’

‘Hilarious.’ Clare blew out a slow breath as she watched the ferry motor across the estuary; it looked as if she’d got away with it. Now to get as far away from the ferry landing as possible before Adam got back. She had a feeling he’d have questions which she wasn’t ready to answer.

Chapter Eleven

Liz

‘Et voilà,’ said Liz, taking a step back from the seven-layer rainbow cake. ‘It is finished.’

She’d done it; her first celebration cake in ages, and it felt great. The last couple of weeks had been great. Since the Delmarges’ afternoon tea, they’d catered for a barbecue, a friends’ reunion party at one of the apartments in South Sands and a surprise fiftieth birthday dinner.

It had been exhilarating but exhausting and she hadn’t had time to think about anything other than the next booking. She’d been falling into bed with menus and timings and shopping lists whirring around in her brain. It was early days and there was a long way to go, but The Seaside Gourmet Girls was on its way to repaying its debts and she felt giddy with relief.

Skye came to join her. ‘They’re going to love it. Thanks, Liz. I know I offered to give it a go, but the nearest thing I’ve made to a cake in the last five years is a tray of no-bake coconut granola bars.’

‘You can’t be worse than your mum, Skye.’ Clare shouldered her way in between them, Ivy held in front of her. ‘Do you remember that Christmas cake she made once that turned out to be completely raw in the centre?’

‘How could I forget,’ Skye replied stiffly. ‘You brought it up every Christmas after that.’

‘Hardly every Christmas,’ Clare scoffed. ‘I stopped coming over when I was eighteen.’

‘Much to Mum’s relief.’

‘Can you see the cake, Ivy?’ Liz said, cutting across them. ‘Isn’t it pretty?’

‘Oooh.’ Ivy clapped her hands and they all laughed, putting an end to their bickering.

The smell of the Indonesian dishes that they’d prepared had suffused the whole house. All new flavours to Liz, but Skye had been so proud of her first booking and had then spent ages researching vegan food that she’d been happy to give it a go. There was a rendang curry, nasi goreng and gado gado and she’d even used tempeh for the first time. She hoped the birthday girl approved.

Liz wiped her hands on her apron and realised that they were a bit shaky. Anxiety was beginning to build. ‘I think we’ll get going, Skye. I know it’s only two o’clock and we don’t need to be there for another hour or so, but it’s a long time since we’ve catered for anything this big and I’m as nervous as hell. Jen and I …’ She swallowed. ‘I’m going to miss her today, more than ever.’

‘Me too,’ said Clare, putting an arm round her, ‘but Mum was in awe of your talents. “Liz has got the magic touch,” she used to say, “everything else is just decoration.” So The Seaside Gourmet Girls still has the magic.’

‘She did used to say that,’ Liz said with a sniff. ‘I’d completely forgotten.’

‘And you’ve got us,’ said Skye. ‘And I think we’re doing OK so far, don’t you?’