Page 16 of Kate and Clara's Curious Cornish Craft Shop
‘Exactly. So if it’s not any of us three and you’ve not had a break-in, there’s only one more person it could be.’
‘Who?’
‘Who’s the only person you know who enters houses without breaking in and who leaves again without ever being seen. And most importantly, who always leaves a gift behind when he does?’
I think for moment. ‘I have absolutely no idea, Sebastian, who?
‘Santa Claus, of course!’ Sebastian says with delight. ‘It seems in all probability, and without any other sort of reasonable explanation, that you’ve had an early visit from Father Christmas this year!’
Seven
‘Hey!’ I hear called out behind me as I sit on a bench and watch Barney race around on the grass in front of me.
It’s early in the morning, the tide is in and I can’t face cleaning a lot of wet sand off Barney this morning before breakfast, so instead I’ve brought him up on to one of the grassy hills that overlooks St Felix Bay. It’s a popular spot amongst morning dog walkers, and Barney is currently chasing after a brown Cockapoo whose owner is engrossed in something on their mobile phone.
‘Hello! Earth to Kate?’
I turn around and see Jack wheeling himself up the very steep tarmac path that runs up the centre of the hill.
‘Oh, hi!’ I wave. ‘Are you okay there? Sorry!’ I say, clamping my hand over my mouth.I’d said the wrong thing again, hadn’t I?
‘Actually, no,’ Jack says, sounding out of breath. ‘I’m not all right. This hill is a killer … but it’s good for the old cardio!’
He wheels himself over to my bench and pulls up next to me still breathing heavily. ‘Got to keep my hand in,’ he says, smiling. He waves his gloved hands at me.
‘Ah, yes,’ I say, relieved I hadn’t put my foot in it again. ‘You have a different chair today?’
‘It’s my sporty model,’ Jack says, lifting the small front wheel off the ground as if he’s doing a wheelie. ‘I use it for exercising. It goes much faster than my usual one, but it’s not as comfortable.’
I look at the wheelchair. Jack’s other chair, in which he’d been sitting the other day at the pub, had two big wheels at the sides balanced by two smaller wheels at the front. This one had a similar set-up except it looked much lighter and more pointed, and the large wheels were slightly angled in at the top.
‘I’ve seen ones like that in the Paralympics.’
‘Yeah, I didn’t quite make it to that level sadly.’
‘Really? You were good then?’ I wonder what sport Jack had taken part in.
‘So-so,’ Jack says, shrugging. ‘I competed at the Invictus Games.’
‘The one involving Prince Harry?’
‘Yeah, that one.’
‘That’s for ex-service personnel, isn’t it?’
‘Yup – army, before you ask. It’s been a while since I competed properly, but I still like to keep my hand in.’
I smile.
‘Good,’ Jack says, grinning, ‘You got my sad attempt at humour this time.’
‘So how long were you in the army for?’
‘Long enough,’ Jack says abruptly, looking out towards the sea. ‘So what are you doing up here this early in the morning? I had you down as a night owl, not a lark.’
Clearly Jack doesn’t want to talk about his time in the army, but I’m surprised he’s givenmeany thought whatsoever.
‘I’m supposed to be walkinghim,’ I say, nodding towards Barney, who is now running around in a threesome with the Cockapoo and a small Jack Russell that’s joined them. ‘The crazy-looking Labrador is mine.’
