Finishing her tea, she gathered her things and made a pact that she would just get on with her life and see what happened. She didn’t have time to worry, anyway. She had footage to edit, work to get ready for, daughters to help, emails to answer, a life to grab. If and when push came to shove, she’d survive. She'd been managing perfectly well on her own for years and she didn't need a man to complete her, validate her or make her feel whole. Therefore, if it didn’t work out, she would be fine. It had always been a case of having to be.
32
Darby had done really well in forcing herself to stop worrying. A miracle had occurred. She’d decided that she simply couldn’t be bothered with the angst. If it all went wrong, so be it. She liked her newfound attitude and hoped to high heaven that it would last. So far, so good.
She’d just finished getting ready for another date with Archie. This time at the lighthouse. A special evening event where the tickets had been sold to raise money for lighthouse renovations. When Archie had mentioned it to her, she’d been a hard yes and had been looking forward to it immensely. After trying to decide between a navy dress and a soft grey ballet-style crossover cardigan that made her feel pretty, warm and comfortable, she’d decided on that with jeans and boots. If she was going to walk up to the lighthouse in the dark, she might as well be dressed for it.
Archie was waiting by her front gate when she emerged. The sight of him made flutters occur in her chest and tingles take place in places we won’t mention. It wasn’t just her chest that was trembling. You know the other places. She might have been having concerns a few days before, that she’d jumped intoo quickly, but by golly, was he worth it. He was worth a few wobbles and taking her chances.
Archie smiled and took her hand. 'Ready for an adventure?'
'Depends on your definition of adventure. If it involves anything more strenuous than walking up the coastal path and a few steps, I might need help.'
‘We can drive if you like?’
‘No, I was joking. The walk will be amazing on an evening like this.’
‘Agree.’
About fifteen minutes later, they were on the path to the lighthouse with Pretty Beach spread out below them. The view was spectacular; lights twinkled from below, the harbour glowed with the reflection of boat masts, and the sea stretched away into the darkness. Pretty Beach showed off whatever the time of day.
Darby paused to catch her breath and take in the view. 'I'm clearly not making the most of my location. I've lived here five years and never been up here at night. It’s amazing.'
'Most people don't make the most of it. It’s strange, really, isn’t it? You get so used to having something beautiful on your doorstep that you forget to actually look at it. It really is stunning up here. I think we should make a pact to come up more often. I, for one, love it.'
‘Me too. Yes, let’s come up here all the time. Lola loves a nice walk up here.’
Archie pointed. ‘There are some fabulous picnic tables over there. We’ll have to come up here one day and make an afternoon of it.’
On arrival at the lighthouse, Darby kept shaking her head, not quite believing how pretty it looked. Pretty Beach lighthouse was living up to its name.
Archie led the way. 'Right then, let’s go in. We did some restoration work last summer, which is how I got tickets.’
After showing their tickets at the bottom, they started climbing and Darby gasped. The steps worn smooth by decades of footsteps each wore candles in storm lanterns, soft tinkly piano music came from somewhere and a mix of lavender and salt coming in off the sea filled the air. About halfway up and feeling as if her legs might fall off, Darby called up to Archie, already slightly out of breath. 'How many more steps?'
'Not sure, but we're nearly there. Trust me, it will be worth it.'
He wasn’t wrong: at the top was beautiful as they stepped into the lamp room, Darby shook her head and blew out a low whistle. The great lens sat in the centre, surrounded by windows that looked out in every direction, and a beam swept across the water with a low, mechanical hum. It was the view, the decor and the way that everything had been put together so beautifully that made Darby catch her breath. 'Blimey.’
'Worth the climb?'
The lamp room had been transformed for the evening. Small round tables were dotted around the circular space, lit by candles in glass jars. Fairy lights had been strung around the windows, about thirty or so people milled about with drinks and the view did not disappoint. Finding themselves a spot by one of the windows facing the harbour, Holly from the bakery sidled up, handed them glasses of wine, and pointed towards a table laden with three gigantic charcuterie boards.
Darby whispered. 'This is so special. I had no idea they did things like this.'
'The fundraising events started ages ago. The lighthouse needs a fair bit of work on the exterior stonework, and the grants don't cover everything.' Archie gestured towards the lens. 'That mechanism works perfectly, but the building itself needs some attention.'
'How much restoration work did you do up here?'
'Mostly pointing the stonework on the lower levels and checking the structural integrity of the stairs. The Victorian engineers knew what they were doing, but salt air and coastal weather take their toll over time.'
Darby watched the beam sweep across the water. Light, darkness, light, darkness. She found it oddly soothing. 'God, it’s so calming. I could live up here.'
'I came up one evening during the restoration work, just as the light was coming on for the night. The old lighthouse keepers used to live in the cottage at the bottom with their families. Can you imagine the children with this as their back garden? Tough life, eh?'
‘Yeah, nice. What a place to grow up. I’d love that. It would have been lovely to grow up somewhere like this and be in the know. Sometimes I feel as if I'm still fitting in here. Do you know what I mean?’
'Pah! You’d be long gone if you weren’t liked. People whose faces don’t fit do not stay long in Pretty Beach.’
