A Perfect Cornish Summer. Phillipa Ashley
Chloe. ‘And it could be me, but I think he seemed rather surprised that he hadn’t been asked before.’
‘We haven’t been able to afford him before,’ said Sam quietly. ‘I mean his fees are way out of our price range. I heard it from one of the organisers of the Devon Grub Festival,’ she added quickly.
‘Well, he must still feel he has a connection to Porthmellow, even if he hasn’t been back much since.’
‘I haven’t seen him round here at all,’ said Troy.
Drew joined in. ‘I think he comes down to visit his parents. I saw him at the market in Truro a few years back when I was taking my mum out for the day. In fact, it was my mum who spotted him buying something at a posh bread stall. She’s always had a soft spot for him.’
‘Unlike some,’ Troy muttered. ‘He left here under a bit of a cloud. But Sam’d be able to tell you more about that than me.’
Sam found her voice. ‘That was years ago, Troy, as you well know. We were kids and we’ve all moved on a very long way since then. The important thing is that he’s agreed to bail us out now, which as you say is very generous of him. Chloe – what’s the next step? Are his team coming down to talk about the details?’
Chloe exchanged a glance with Sam. She obviously suspected that Sam and Gabe had ‘history’.
‘Erm …’ she said, uncharacteristically flustered. ‘No. Actually, Gabe said he’d come and discuss things himself.’
‘What? When?’ Sam shrieked, she couldn’t help herself.
‘Next week,’ Chloe said. ‘I hope it was OK … I told him you’d speak to him direct to make arrangements, but I think he wants to meet everyone on the committee. You’re the chair. I don’t want to take over.’
Sam spotted Drew hiding a smile. She needed to change the subject.
‘So. There’s a lot to get on with, even without our unscheduled change of chef. Zennor and Ben are amending the marketing and publicity. Drew wants to update us on how he got on with the insurance and health and safety people, and Troy was going to tell us if the harbour authority is happy with the plans to put a temporary bridge over the harbour entrance. We can charge an extra fee for crossing it and it would be a real novelty.’
Troy gave a sharp intake of breath. ‘You’ll be lucky.’
Sam braced herself. ‘OK. We’d better have Drew’s report first and then Troy can give us the bad news, if there is any, so we can come up with a solution. Then I’ll update everyone with the latest on the stallholders and sponsors.’
Sam hid a smile as Chloe laid out a lacquered pen next to a Moleskine notepad. She might be a newcomer and a little over zealous, but she’d become popular among the committee because she was willing to get involved. Some of the die-hard locals didn’t like her ‘taking over’ the festival, but as they weren’t prepared to take on the responsibility themselves, the rest of the committee thought it was tough. Sam had had to grow a thick skin as festival chairman. Not all the decisions she and the committee made were popular. Admittedly, it meant disruption, road closures and crowds for a few days, but on balance, the whole community benefited from the increased trade.
They came to the end of the agenda and while they were packing away their stuff, Chloe spoke up.
‘I have an announcement,’ she said and everyone’s ears pricked up. ‘It’s not official committee business but it does involve you all.’
‘Sounds serious,’ said Sam.
‘Only for me.’ Chloe smiled. ‘Actually, it’s pleasure, for all of us I hope. Some of you know I have a special birthday coming up next month.’
‘Are you twenty-one again?’ Troy quipped, and everyone tittered politely.
She rolled her eyes. ‘In my dreams.’
‘But you’re only a maid.’
Chloe laughed. ‘Thank you, Troy, but not anymore. I’m not having a big party but I couldn’t possibly let the occasion pass without celebrating with the people who’ve made this incomer so welcome in Porthmellow. So, if you can make it, I thought we’d have a bring-your-own-supper evening on Saturday the fifteenth. It’ll do us good to have a bit of R&R before the preparations turn completely manic. I’ll provide all the booze, of course, and cook something, but if anyone wants to bring along a favourite dish, that’d be fantastic. Evie’s invited too, of course,’ she said to Troy.
‘She’ll like that. She’s a good cook, my Evie, one of the best.’
‘That sounds brilliant,’ said Sam, delighted to have a distraction from anything Gabe-related.
‘Thanks. Don’t think you have to make anything, Sam,’ Chloe said. ‘I know it’s your day job.’
‘I’d love to bring something.’
‘OK.’
‘Are vegans included?’ Ben piped up, reminding Sam of a baby bird worrying if he was going to get his share of the worms.
Chloe smiled at him. ‘Absolutely.’
Troy huffed. ‘As long as it’s not rabbit food.’
‘We can both rustle up delicious vegan meals,’ Zennor cut in, much to Sam’s amusement. She was like a big sister, defending her little brother.
‘Well … some of them are really nice …’ he mumbled.
‘Your veggie chilli is amazing,’ Zennor declared.
Troy looked as if he’d swallowed a wasp but stayed silent, much to Sam’s relief.
‘Sounds good to me, Ben,’ said Drew. ‘I love chilli and it’s a great idea to have different types of food. I’ll do my best. It won’t be gourmet cuisine and it’ll probably involve fish.’
‘I love fish,’ said Chloe. ‘And um … I was going to say that partners are invited too, of course, if you – if anyone – wants to bring someone. Unless you think they’d be bored with us all talking shop about the festival.’
Chloe had directed this last remark at the whole committee, but Sam suspected she meant it for Drew mostly, and she supposed herself. After all, Evie and Troy were obviously going to come along together, as were Zennor and Ben even if they weren’t officially a couple.
‘I think we’d drive any outsiders mad,’ she said lightly. ‘So, it’ll just be me.’
Troy tutted. ‘You’ll have the floor of that flat down on top of your neighbours if you ask any more and that old balcony can’t be rated for more than half a dozen folk.’
‘Troy’s right about the health and safety,’ said Drew with uncharacteristic seriousness before breaking into a smile. ‘I’m joking, Chloe, but Sam’s right. I don’t know how anyone else would put up with us, so I’ll be on my own too.’
‘OK. I only wanted you to know that friends would be welcome,’ said Chloe but Sam thought she’d visibly relaxed now she knew ‘plus ones’ weren’t coming along. ‘Thanks, guys. I hoped you wouldn’t think it was cheeky to ask you to bring some grub, but it sounds like it’s going to be a lot of fun and I promise to keep the fizz flowing. There may even be some nice champagne.’
‘Champagne,’ Drew whistled. ‘Well, I guess you’re only forty once.’
Chloe started to reply, but she was cut off by Troy’s snort. ‘Pah. Forty’s nothing. I’ve done it twice over, but we’ll be there. My Evie likes a drop of French fizz. Don’t see the attraction myself. Makes me gassy. You might like to keep the windows open.’
Zennor gasped in horror. ‘Troy! That’s way too much information!’
Everyone else burst out laughing and Chloe smiled politely. ‘In that case, I’ll