It was almost too much for him; the people all talking at once, the exclamations of delight and surprise: he wanted to run from all the joviality. But he had to see this night through, had to support the family. He had come this far.

He watched as Elle took to the stage. No one else looking at her would have known she was nervous, but he did. He still knew what she was feeling, understood her little tells as easily as if they were his own. It was like reaching back through the years and knowing her as completely as he had then. Who would have thought that this was how it would all end up?

‘Well,’ Elle began, the strength of her voice betraying none of her nervousness. ‘We’ve come to the crux of the evening. Don’t worry, you’ll all get to let off some steam with some dancing soon. Believe it or not, we’ve managed to get Old Time Magic here back together for a night to play up a storm for you.’ There was a huge cheer as everyone turned to see old Arthur Ryan, with Johnny Chips and Tom the butcher gathered alongside the stage with instruments in hand. The trio used to play together back in the mid-eighties, when the hotel used to host ballroom dancing on Sunday nights. Wally had told Elle they met up in each others’ houses a few times a years to play tunes together and he thought they’d be only too delighted to have an audience again.

Now, the men grinned happily to the applause, gunning to take the stage once again.

‘But first, we’re going to ask for your help,’ Elle continued. ‘I had disastrous results last time I asked you all for help,’ – this raised a storm of laughter ‘– but I’m hoping tonight will be different. Of course, you know that we would never ask for anything without giving everyone something in return.’

Thus began the auction, Elle’s grand plan to help save the hotel. It wasn’t any old auction though, in that the things up for bidding weren’t objects. They were services and resources from the Mulberry Bay community.

‘First up is a weekend of landscaping from The Orchard Garden Centre.’

The auction went by in a flurry of activity. It was hard to keep track of who was winning, everyone seemed to be raising their hands all the time. Della and Jim offered building materials, Wally was doing restorations of old furniture. Mona was offering a dress or a suit, Karen offering beautiful accessories from The Wonder Room. There were cases of wine from the Grapevine, dinners at the SugarTree, ice-cream parties, jewellery-making lessons, coastal tours.