‘All that remains is for me to say good luck, stay safe and try to enjoy yourselves. I hope you all have a wonderful festival weekend.’

Chapter Thirty-Five

By ten a.m. visitors were pouring into the streets and flowing around the harbour from the car park, from buses, on foot, by bike, on mobility scooters, pushing buggies and wheelchairs and laden with empty bags for their purchases.

Sam was making her customary tour of the stalls, taking everything in before the inevitable firefighting of minor niggles. It was another moment to savour: when miraculously and against all the odds, the festival was Actually Happening.

Blindfold her and she could have found her way around the town by smell alone. The pungent spices of Indian cuisine, of spicy Mexican food, earthy lemony tagines, tangy citrus at the juice bar, hoppy ales, the juniper of gin, sweet honey, candy floss … and comforting aromas of fish and chips, pulled pork and briny seafood. She could have found her way round by sound too; the pop of corks from the champagne bar, the chink of glasses, tannoys crackling, generators humming, laughter, babies crying, a buzz of conversation from the craft beer tent that would grow in volume as the day wore on (she was praying that it didn’t turn from banter and cheering to fisticuffs). The first strains of music started up from street performers: a local choir singing breezy songs of summer and young love to suit the morning mood of excitement.

Then the crackle of the announcer telling people that the Chef’s Theatre would soon be hosting its first cookery demo.

Gabe was on after lunch, following a popular local chef from the Spindrift Café. Sam needed to find him in the melee. She hadn’t spoken to him yet, just answered his text: Why did you run away? with: I needed some time and space. Festival to put on! Don’t worry. Xxx

She made her way towards the Chef’s Theatre. Gabe was putting on a headset and chatting to one of the technical staff. He spotted her and raised a hand, before saying a few words to the techie and coming to meet her.

‘Before you say anything about the note, I’m sorry I scooted off but I needed some time to get myself together before the festival.’ Her words came out in a torrent, and she was almost breathless after saying them.

‘That’s OK. I mean, it would have been nice if you’d told me, but I understand. This is new territory for both of us.’

‘I don’t know what’s going to happen next … last night was …’ She felt herself blush as she remembered just how amazing the night had been. ‘Nice.’

Gabe raised an eyebrow. ‘Do you regret it?’

‘Of course not.’