Page 5 of The Island in Bramble Bay
‘Yes, he is.’
‘Oh, good. I do worry about him, such a lovely lad. Between you and me, he’s a bit of a loner. I think he lives on his own and he works here nearly every day, even in the winter. Very unusual behaviour if you ask me. It’s about time he had a bit of fun.’
‘Well, hopefully, it will be fun. Have you got the booze as well?’
‘Yes, it’s in the storeroom but you won’t manage all of that on your own. Let me fetch the sack truck for you. Why don’t you get the bread rolls out of the larder?’
At least she wasn’t imagining Charlie’s aloofness, and she was slightly relieved that it wasn’t just her that brought out that side of him, from what Jan had alluded to. Perhaps he just wasn’t used to being around people. Maybe tonight would help him feel more relaxed around everyone.
Jan went back to serving in the café, while Maggie loaded the sack truck and began manoeuvring it inexpertly across the quay, pausing to decide what to do next when the concrete turned to shingle and the wheels sank into it. She’d either have to drag it the rest of the way or take everything off and carry it bit by bit.
‘Hey, need a hand?’ Charlie came up behind her, assessing the sack truck with a serious expression on his face.
‘Oh, yes, please. It’s probably easiest to carry it the rest of the way.’
Charlie nodded and handed her the bag of groceries and the bread rolls before he picked up the beer and wine. ‘Lead the way.’
While Maggie began preparing the salad, Charlie took the sack truck back to the café and by the time he came back the others were arriving too. Introductions were made and drinks were dished out before they all went out to the patio to enjoy the last of the sunshine while the burgers cooked.
‘It’s a gorgeous spot,’ said Alice. ‘How long have you lived here, Maggie?’
‘Only a few weeks so I’m still astounded every morning when I wake up next to the sea. I moved from land-locked Worcestershire.’
‘One of my mates is volunteering at Croftwood Court,’ said Eric.
‘Oh yes, that’s where I was based before. Then I worked all over the place for a while…’ Maggie managed to stop herself before she said too much. ‘And now here.’ They didn’t need to know how she came to be on Bramble Island, or why. Tonight wasn’t the time.
‘I totally get why you’d want to move here, it’s amazing,’ said Megan. ‘The variety of species we saw today is like, unbelievable.’
Maggie noticed Charlie suppress a tiny smirk.
‘How about you, Charlie, do you live on the island?’ asked Alice, her wide brown eyes and eager face giving away the fact that she clearly thought Charlie was a prospect, despite the fact he was at least ten years older than her.
‘No, I live across the harbour.’
‘In Studland?’
‘That way, yeah.’ His American drawl seemed more pronounced after a couple of beers, Maggie noticed. Alice obviously noticed that too and seemed to swoon slightly as he spoke.
‘So, you take the ferry every day?’
Maggie could see Charlie slump slightly under the pressure of Alice’s persistent questions.
‘He has a little motorboat,’ Maggie explained. ‘You need to get the chain ferry from Studland to get to the Bramble Bay Ferry quay or drive all the way around through Poole. There are a couple of people who volunteer in the visitor centre who come that way but not every day, it would be a bit much. Charlie, could you give me a hand with the burgers?’
Maggie didn’t think she’d ever seen anyone look as grateful as Charlie did then. He leapt up and was in the kitchen before she was.
‘Thanks.’
‘It’s okay. It’s a bit much when you haven’t seen anyone except me and Jan for a few months.’ Maggie didn’t know who Charlie saw or anything else about his life away from the island, but she had a feeling it was quite solitary.
‘I guess I’m out of practice with small-talk.’
‘Well, she’s a little bit pushy. She probably fancies you.’ Maggie glanced sideways at Charlie who rolled his eyes as he began turning the burgers.
By the time they’d eaten, the temperature had plummeted along with the sun so they all squeezed into Maggie’s tiny lounge where Josh took charge of lighting a fire that soon had everyone pinned against the wall. Alice, Megan and Eric were on the sofa leaving Charlie to perch on the windowsill and Maggie sat cross-legged next to the fire with Josh who couldn’t seem to stop poking and tending to it.
‘How about a game, or is that too cheesy?’ asked Maggie, thinking about her team-building agenda.
