‘Oh my memories, memories, memories,’ said Gilly.
‘It seems a little strange we are in here and it’s soon to be mine.’ Nell met her mum’s gaze. ‘Here, I remembered to bring a torch,’ she said, fishing around in her handbag and handing one to her mum.
Shining the beam towards the chairs, ‘What do you think? Are they salvageable? I know they smell damp and a few of them are ripped, but do you reckon they could be saved with a deep clean?’
Gilly ran her hand over one, ‘Yes, definitely feels damp,’ she said, bending over and wriggling her nose, ‘and pongs a little, too, but they are not in bad condition at all, considering.’
Nell walked up each row, checking the condition of each chair, when suddenly the whole place burst with light.
‘Whoa! Electricity!’ exclaimed Nell, trying to focus as dots danced before her eyes.
The door swung open and Nathan swiped his hands together, ‘All fixed, the electricity had tripped at the mains, probably due to the rain seeping in, who knows.’
‘Thanks, Nathan! At least we can give everywhere a thorough inspection now.’
Thirty minutes later, all three of them were up in the projector room. It was an emporium of treasures. Reels and reels of films, posters, ice-cream trays and clapperboards.
‘All this stuff should belong in a museum. It’s funny to think that even after technology has evolved so much they still used the old methods to show the films in this cinema,’ Gilly mused while blowing the dust off a couple of reels. ‘Do you think you are going to go all digital on us, Nell?’
Nell stood and thought about it for a moment, ‘I have no idea, but wouldn’t it be fantastic to keep at least one of the cinemas with this set-up? Playing the old films from the past using the old-fashioned methods. I mean, look at all this …’
She chewed her lip while deliberating what to do about the old projector. ‘It’s an amazing piece of equipment. I wonder if it still works?’
‘There’s only one way to find out,’ said Nathan, bending down at the side of the machine and scrunching up his face with concentration.
He flicked a switch and a cloud of dust spluttered into the air. He coughed as the machine began to whir, then he flicked a lever. They watched in amazement as the empty reel holder began to turn. Nell twisted the lens caps and pulled. A bright beam of light shone straight through the small window in front of them towards the heavy-duty curtains in the cinema below.
‘Well, just look at that!’ Nell clapped her hands together in excitement.
‘I can’t believe it’s still working,’ Gilly answered.
Nell raised her eyebrows and held out her hand, ‘Wait there!’
They all watched Nell run out of the room, her footsteps echoed towards the main foyer, then they finally petered out, but soon they heard Nell holler, ‘Down here.’
Bea rushed towards the window and saw Nell standing below in the auditorium, madly waving her arms at them.
‘What are you doing?’ she shouted.
‘Watch!’
They all stood and watched as Nell fumbled around with a switch panel at the side of the room and suddenly there was a loud creaking noise.
Gilly gasped and grabbed Bea’s hand, ‘My gosh, look.’
The curtains began to part slowly until, finally, the old cinema screen was revealed.
Nell gave them the thumbs-up and within a couple of seconds was standing back in the projector room. ‘How magical was that?’ said Nell, glancing through the window towards the cinema below.
‘Like some grand unveiling,’ Gilly said, smiling at her daughter’s excitement.
Nell spun round to them both, ‘This is a crazy idea but …’ Nell’s voice rose an octave.
‘You look mischievous,’ grinned Bea.
‘Pick a reel,’ Nell insisted, her eyes sparkled as she playfully pushed Bea towards the boxes on the shelf. ‘And don’t look which one it is.’
Bea reached to a high shelf and pulled down a box.
‘Pass it to Nathan.’
He held out his hands, not having a clue what Nell was up to.
‘Do you think you can hook it up to the projector?’
‘I’ll give it my best shot,’ he said, staring at her, then towards the black contraption.
‘Come on,’ she said, grabbing her mum’s and Bea’s hands, ‘Let’s go. Take a seat and watch a film!’ Nell’s heart skipped with happiness as they hurried towards the cinema screen.
Within five minutes the auditorium burst into life, the sound boomed out, ‘OMG its ‘Asteroid’! Now we are in a proper cinema!’ Nell squealed, conducting the theme tune and humming loudly.
‘Got to love a bit of Pearl and Dean,’ Nathan grinned sliding into the seat next to them.
‘I feel like a kid in a sweetshop,’ grinned Nell,
‘It’s just a shame we haven’t got any popcorn.’ Gilly slid into the chair, making herself comfy.
‘I’ve got a packet of fruit pastilles, but quite honestly I’m not sure how long they’ve been festering away in my jacket pocket, but I’m more than happy to share.’ Nathan reached inside his pocket.
‘I think on this occasion I’ll pass,’ chuckled Nell.
‘It’s about to start.’
‘Shh! Keep your voice down,’ Nell whispered, widening her eyes towards Bea and everyone giggled like a group of school kids.
Bea leant across and slapped her knee playfully. They all settled down in their chairs and watched the title roll.
‘I don’t think I’m familiar with this one.’ Nell crossed her legs, trying to get comfy, ‘Do you know it, Mum?’
Gilly didn’t answer – she was too busy staring at the screen.
‘She’s watching the film,’ Bea whispered in Nell’s ear, ‘Stop yattering!’
Nell squeezed her knee.
Bea rested her head on Nathan’s shoulder and he tilted his head towards and smiled, ‘I feel like a teenager again!’
‘You’ve got a good memory, then!’
No one spoke for the next twenty minutes as they watched the film, until suddenly Nell bolted upright and stared at the screen.
‘What’s up with you?’ whispered Bea, but wasn’t sure why she was actually whispering as there was only the four of them there. It wasn’t as though she was interrupting the film for anyone else.
‘Surely not,’ she muttered.
‘Surely not what?’ queried Bea, looking at the screen, then back towards Nell.
‘I thought I recognised him, but I couldn’t quite think where from. Then it hit me. He’s so much younger there and without his beard.’ Nell shifted in her seat and scrutinised the screen. ‘Yes, it’s him.’
‘Who’s him?’ asked Nathan, intrigued.
‘That man. Look at him closely, admittedly he’s a lot younger.’
‘Where am I even meant to be recognising him from?’
‘It’s Lloyd, the man on the boat, you know … the one that Guy rescued. He was at the auction with us.’
Nathan scrutinised the screen, ‘I think you’re right.’
‘But he told me that his wife was an actress. He never mentioned anything about him being an actor, too!’
‘And his boat is called Much Ado About Nothing.’
‘He was at the auction with you?’ Gilly suddenly chipped in.
‘Not exactly with us, with us. We bumped into him outside and then I noticed him standing at the back of the auction room.’
‘You know what, Nell, it’s definitely him.’ Nathan was still looking at the screen. Do you know him, Gilly? Is he an actor from way back?’
They all swivelled their heads towards Gilly.
‘I’m not familiar with him at all,’ she answered, her voice shaky.
‘Well I never. I can’t wait to ask him,’ Nell slumped back in her chair and tucked her feet underneath her.
Once the film had come to an end, they all sat forward in their seats and watched the credits begin to whizz up the screen.
‘Yes! It’s him, Look!’ She pointed towards the screen.
‘Lloyd Keaton! Well, fancy that!’ exclaimed Nell.
‘You must mention it to him next time you see him; the first film you watched in your cinema was with him in it,’ said Bea.
‘I’m almost tempted to go across now. We have our very own film star mooring at our marina.’
‘I’ll switch the lights on,’ Nathan bounded over to the panel and flicked the switch. Immediately the room lit up.
‘How brilliant is that? Everything actually all still works, so apart from new windows, carpets, curtains and a lick of paint, if we deep-clean these seats we could be up and running within six months. What do you all think? Would that be realistic?’
‘Possibly, but you really do need to check out the wiring, plumbing and all that. It will certainly be full on. Maybe it’s worth thinking about keeping one of the cinema rooms for all the old films like this, and setting up a digital one for the latest releases,’ suggested Nathan.
She nodded, ‘What do you think, Mum?’ They all turned towards Gilly, who hadn’t joined in any of the conversation. She’d turned a ghastly white colour and all of sudden didn’t look well.
‘You okay, Gilly?’ asked Bea, raising her eyebrows at Nell, who looked at her mum with concern.
‘Mum?’
‘You’ve looked like you’ve seen a ghost.’ Nathan touched her arm.
Gilly roused herself, but it was clear she was having difficulty speaking, ‘I’m just feeling a little unwell. I think I’m getting one of my headaches, it’s been a while. I need to go.’
And with that she got up and hurried out of the auditorium.
‘What was that all about?’ asked Bea
‘I’ve simply no idea but I’m going to find out,’ Nell said, dumbfounded, watching the cinema door swing shut after her mum. ‘I’m genuinely worried about her. She doesn’t seem herself lately at all, especially where this place is concerned.’
‘No it’s not like Gilly at all.’
Chapter 36
The next day, Nathan pulled the car into an empty space in the hospital car park and smiled towards his wife. It was the afternoon of their first scan. He’d already picked Jacob up from school and dropped him at the deli, armed with the latest Lego magazine. Nell was looking after him until closing time.
‘You’ve got that look about you now,’ Nathan said, smiling warmly at his wife, before switching off the car engine.
‘What look?’
‘That sexy glow to your cheeks kind of look.’
‘I really don’t feel like I’m glowing, more like I’m burning. This one in here has it’s very own central heating system,’ she said, patting her tummy.
He leant over and kissed Bea on the cheek before climbing out of the car and walking round to her side.
‘I can barely climb out of the car,’ she puffed, ‘It’s embarrassing. I feel like I’ve already put on loads of weight.’
‘Craving for scones with butter doesn’t help,’ he teased, ‘If you carry on eating four of those a day you will be waddling sooner than normal.’
She playfully hit his arm before holding his hand and strolling towards the main entrance of the hospital.
Once inside, they followed the blue arrows on the signs up the squeaky-clean corridors towards the ante-natal clinic.
‘It only seems like two minutes since we were here last,’ Nell said, handing the appointment letter over to the receptionist, who told them to take a seat in the waiting room. They sat down on the uncomfortable plastic chairs and Bea thumbed through an ancient magazine.
‘Why is it these places always make me feel nervous?’ Bea said. Glancing up towards the TV screen that was airing repeats of the Jeremy Kyle Show, ‘And that’s something I won’t be doing whilst on maternity leave,’ she rolled her eyes.
‘What’s that?’ Nathan asked.
‘Watching brain-numbing TV. That’s enough to drive anyone back to work.’
‘What are your plans for maternity leave?’
‘I’ve not really thought about it yet. I’ll see how I feel, but maybe it’s best if I start to look for more help, especially now Nell will be busy with the cinema.’
Nathan agreed, ‘I think that a good idea.’
‘Blimey! She’s got her hands full,’ Bea exclaimed, flickering her eyes towards a heavily pregnant woman who sat down on the other side of the artificial plant. She was pushing a double buggy and grasping the hand of a toddler.
‘Beatrice Green,’ they heard a voice shout.
‘Urghh, I hate that name,’ Bea muttered under her breath.
Nathan smiled at his wife in amusement. ‘There’s nothing wrong with your name. It’s beautiful and suits you.’
They followed the nurse to a room at the end of the corridor.
‘Hi, my name is Natalie. I’m your sonographer,’ she gave Bea a reassuring smile. ‘How are you feeling?’
‘Yes good, the sickness has become a little more bearable.’
‘That’s good to hear. If you slip your shoes off and make yourself comfy on the couch … and Mr Green?’
Nathan looked at Natalie. ‘Take a seat next to your wife,’ she gestured to the seat beside Bea.
Natalie lowered the table and Bea climbed on.
Nathan leant across and held her hand.
‘Okay, I can see from your notes that you’ve done this before, but I’ll just recap what is going to happen.’ Natalie switched on the monitor and typed some details into the computer before turning back towards Bea and Nathan. She smiled. ‘At this twelve-week scan this is the first in-depth look at your baby. We look and listen for the heartbeat, measure the size of the embryo to check the due date of the pregnancy. It allows us to assess the early developments of your baby. Do you have any questions before we start?’
Bea shook her head and looked at Nathan, ‘No I think we are good,’ he answered.
‘Great, let’s make a start, then. I’m going to put some gel on your tummy. It may feel a little cold,’ Natalie informed Bea, squeezing the gel on to her tummy and tucking tissue paper around her to protect her clothing. ‘You may feel a little pressure, but it shouldn’t be painful.’ She began to slide the hand-held transducer over Bea’s skin.
At first the monitor was facing Natalie. Intently she watched the screen then turned to face Bea and Nathan.
‘Is everything okay?’ Bea asked, a little worried.
Natalie swung the monitor towards them both and beamed. Nathan and Bea stared at the black and white image on the screen.
‘They are both doing absolutely fine,’ Natalie answered.
Bea’s mind boggled, ‘What do you mean, they are both doing fine?’
‘Healthy heartbeat number one, healthy heartbeat number two,’ she pointed at the monitor, ‘Congratulations Mr and Mrs Green, you are expecting twins.’
Startled, Bea swung round towards Nathan, her jaw had dropped to the floor and she was so overwhelmed her eyes filled with tears.
‘Twins?’ Nathan questioned, ‘Are you absolutely sure?’
‘I’m absolutely sure,’ Natalie confirmed. ‘Any twins in the family?’
‘My mum’s a twin,’ piped up Nathan.
‘Well, there you go,’ smiled Natalie, taking the measurements of each baby and recording them on the screen.
‘Twins,’ Bea squealed, not quite believing what was happening.
They watched the two hearts pulsating as the nurse talked them through the position of the babies.
As soon as the scan was over and the excess gel wiped off Bea’s tummy she stood up and hugged her husband.
‘You know what this means don’t you?’
‘Double crying, no sleep whatsoever, double washing, and double projectile vomiting!’ he grinned.
‘Double love! I can’t wait to tell Jacob and Nell.’
The next scan appointment was booked and once outside the hospital building, Bea couldn’t wait a moment longer, she was
bursting to share her news as she punched in Nell’s number.
‘Hi Bea, my godson is only on his second cupcake, nothing to worry about at this end.’ Bea could hear Jacob giggle, ‘Aunty Nellie, that was our secret!’
‘Anyway, how did the scan go?’
Bea paused for a second.’
‘Bea are you okay?’
‘Are you sat down?’ Bea teased in quite a serious tone.
‘You’re worrying me now, yes I’m sat down.’
‘There isn’t going to be one baby Green, there’s going to be two! I’m expecting twins!’
Nell shrieked down the phone so loudly that Bea held the phone away from her ear and Nathan laughed.
‘Eek! Double the cuddles, I am so exciting for you.’
‘I’m glad about that because, Aunty Nellie, you are going to have your work cut out on double babysitting duties!’
‘The pleasure will be all mine!’
Chapter 37
It was the early hours of Wednesday morning and Nell couldn’t sleep. She made herself a cup of tea and curled up next to the warm glow of the fire. All of a sudden she felt sad and let out a weary sigh.
Last week she’d been on a high, winning the auction, but now there was no denying she felt at an all-time low. She’d tried to talk to Gilly about her quick exit from the Old Picture House but she’d just reiterated that she’d come over all queasy and had been off work ever since with a sickness bug and with Guy heading back to Ireland today she just wanted to hide herself away from the world.
‘Deep breaths,’ Nell told herself. If it wasn’t meant to be, it wasn’t meant to be Even though Ireland wasn’t a million miles away from Little Rock Marina, it still felt like the other side of the world to her.
She knew it was for the best that he was putting his child first and she wouldn’t have it any other way, but that still didn’t stop her from hurting or wanting things to be different.
Startled, she heard a rap on the door. Nell raised her eyes and came face to face with Guy. Her face lit up briefly when she saw him, but then her heart plummeted. She knew this was goodbye.
She rose to her feet and unlocked the door, ‘Hi.’
He dropped his hood back from his coat and smiled, ‘It’s quite fresh out there,’ he said, rubbing his hands together.
The Cosy Canal Boat Dream: A funny, feel-good romantic comedy you won’t be able to put down! Page 22
