A Pretty Beach Wish by Polly Babbington (funny books to read txt) 📕

we’ll get going. We can stroll home and work off all that food and then sit out in the garden later.’

Juliette jumped up from the table and rushed over towards the ladies loos and came out five minutes later re-spritzed with perfume and her makeup refreshed. She was going to need it. She joined Luke at the door, and he held it open as she walked out into the fading evening light.

‘I thought we’d walk down that way, along by the shore, and look at all the lights in the twilight,’ Luke said pointing over to the left and down towards the sea.

‘No, let’s not. I don’t like it that way and it’ll be a bit blustery and chilly down by the water. Let’s walk the way we came, back towards the boats,’ Juliette said hurriedly.

‘Okay, if you want to. I thought it would be nice to walk down there near the sea... you love that view, don’t you?’

Juliette shook her head, grabbed Luke’s hand and led him the other way. She tried to remain calm and not seem rushed, but she didn’t want to miss the train and she was bursting to tell Luke about the surprise. She never was one for a secret. As they got closer to the funicular railway Luke looked down through the boats and up at the railway line going up the side of the cliff.

‘We must go on that one day. I can’t believe I’ve never been on it. It really is quite the feat of engineering,’ Luke said, looking up at the railway tracks going up the side of the cliff.

Juliette’s eyes opened wider and she writhed inside. ‘Hmm, yes, yes, we absolutely must. One day we’ll make it.’

As they got nearer to the railway, Juliette gripped Luke’s hand harder and she quickened her pace.

‘Juliette, what has gotten into you? What’s the rush? You’re walking along as if we’re late for something. So much for a nice leisurely stroll to walk off all that indulgence.’

Juliette didn’t reply, she just led the way towards the small Victorian building at the base of the train.

‘Where are we going?’ Luke asked as Juliette stopped outside the building and under the sign for the Pretty Beach Funicular Railway.

‘Surprise! I’ve booked us onto the train!’ Juliette announced almost bouncing up and down in excitement.

‘Oh wow. So that’s why you’ve been acting strangely since the end of the meal and racing along like a mad person. How exciting!’

‘Yes. It’s a surprise and I’ve been bursting with it! I’ve booked us onto a private ride. Meaning we have the whole carriage to ourselves. It’s going to be amazing. The views are supposed to be phenomenal.’

‘What? Excellent,’ Luke said as they pushed open the door to the tiny little reception area of Pretty Beach Funicular Railway and Luke kissed Juliette on the cheek.

Seeing Gary behind the ticket desk Juliette pretended that she’d never met him before. ‘Helloooooo. Juliette Sparkles for the private ride,’ Juliette said, hearing that her voice had turned up a notch. Oh, my goodness, did I just trill? She thought to herself gripping onto the side of the desk and trying to remain calm. Breathe and calm. Breathe and calm.

Gary behind the counter in a train conductor’s hat and shirt with epaulettes on the shoulder smiled back at her and played along whilst Luke studied the posters with information on the history of the railway on the other side of the room.

‘Yes, good, you’re here,’ Gary said. ‘And we’ve got it all ready for you inside and everything else is set up,’ he added with a whisper.

‘Did the lights work okay? Please tell me they did? I really want it to be shimmering. I want the whole thing to twinkle as we go up,’ Juliette whispered back turning around to check that Luke wasn’t listening.

‘Yep, all done. They’re all set up and turned on. I must say I’m no interior designer, but I think I’ve outdone myself,’ Gary said quietly, patting Juliette on the arm and chuckling.

‘Thank you so much. I’m so grateful for your help. It’s going to be just what I wished for.’

Gary looked at her confused. ‘Wished for?’

Before Juliette could answer Luke came strolling back over towards the ticket desk. ‘That’s weird. It says over there that the last railway ride is late afternoon.’

‘Oh, really? Does it?’ Juliette said.

‘Yes, it does.’

Gary looked up from the computer. ‘If you are a Pretty Beach resident it’s different - we get the tourists out of the way earlier and then keep it open for locals. It’s our Locals Only contribution.’

‘I see, that explains it then,’ Luke replied shaking his head at yet another of Pretty Beach’s quaint and tiny bit odd customs. Juliette and Luke watched as Gary clicked a button on the computer, slid the window on the ticket desk across, pulled the brass latch across on the half door, opened it and walked into the waiting room, adjusting his station master hat, and pulling up the waistband on his trousers as he did so.

‘Okay, ready to ride the Pretty Beach Funicular? It’s going to be the ride of your life,’ Gary said with a grin.

‘We certainly are,’ Luke said, trying to hold back a chuckle at the mock-serious way Gary was conducting himself.

Luke and Juliette followed Gary out of the waiting room through a large timber and glass door opening onto a tiny wooden platform right at the bottom of the rock cliff. Luke observed as Gary carefully and calmly pulled the heavy old knob on the carriage door and slid it open for Juliette and Luke to step in.

‘A special ride for two,’ Gary said, gesticulating his hand around the carriage and Juliette gasped as they stepped in. Gary had performed his decorating duties beautifully, and the whole of the carriage twinkled with tiny little white fairy lights.

An ice bucket with the bottle of pink champagne Juliette had been chilling in the fridge all week was sitting tucked into one of the luggage departments