You tell me first, Jiddy,’ he said, ‘why do you stay in Robin Hood’s Bay when you obviously don’t belong here?’



 



North Yorkshire, England, 1795.



Jiddy Vardy has always been different. With dark hair and skin, she’s nothing like the Baytown locals. Alienated by many in the small community, Jiddy finds friendship with farmhand Jonas, and a home with her adopted family.



But life in the Bay isn’t as simple as it seems. After Jiddy’s world is rocked by tragedy, she discovers the real reason for the mysterious Captain Pinkney’s interest in her, and why the village is the wealthiest town outside London…



 



Jiddy soon becomes embroiled in the Bay’s criminal activity. But as figures from her past threaten to throw her world into turmoil, will Jiddy ever find out where she truly belongs?



 



An epic story of one girl’s search for her identity. Set against the wild backdrop of rural Yorkshire, Jiddy Vardy is a historical tale of smuggling and class, but also racism, love and belonging.



 



 



Extract



 



Robin Hood’s Bay, England



 



Jiddy sat close to Jonas at the sea’s edge. The water glittered for miles and miles and Jiddy flicked the ripples gathering around her wet skirt at Jonas. He didn’t notice and she wriggled her toes under his legs, but he continued to peer into the shallow water on his other side. Giving up, she lifted her face upwards to enjoy the early September sun on her skin. She’d turned a deep walnut over the summer, Jonas’ skin tinged red-brown and freckly.



She prodded his arm repeatedly with her finger. ‘You’re covered in sun kisses,’ she said.



‘You’re covered in sand.’



A squawking gull disappeared over the cliff. If she could fly, she’d fly in the other direction, over the green-grey waves to those countries that ships sailed from. She peered sideways at Jonas. She knew he knew she was looking, but he was eleven years old and a farmer’s son and he kept telling her, he didn’t waste words on eight-year-olds.



‘I’m going to swim over there when I’m bigger,’ she said.



Jonas ran his hands through the water. ‘Why, when you can get a lift on Captain Pinkney’s cutter?’ he said.



He always had an answer. She wanted to swim though. She’d be strong enough when she was bigger. And besides, she was frightened of the captain’s big triangle hat and the huge cloak he wore. Jonas lifted up a cockleshell and held it out. ‘Lick it,’ he said.



Jiddy touched the ridged surface with her tongue. ‘It’s rough.’



‘What’s it taste of?’



‘Grit.’



Jonas threw it back into the water. He swirled his hand and brought out a frond of green-brown seaweed.  



‘What about this?’



She pulled away but Jonas held it out insistently and she leaned towards him. ‘It tastes like the sea,’ she said.



Jonas hurled the weed into the white surf and strode out up to his knees. Jiddy stood to watch, squinting in the dazzling reflection off the water.



‘What you doing?’ she said before he plunged his head under the surface. He emerged, chestnut hair a darker shade and cascades of water spouting from his wide mouth.



Running to join him, kicking up spray as she did so, she burst out laughing. ‘Can we go out further?’



‘Do the same.’ He wiped his face and pointed to the water. Jiddy extended her arms until she floated, flat out. After a minute, Jonas dragged her up. ‘Did you drink some?’ Jiddy spluttered. ‘Touch my tongue,’ he said. She put out a finger. ‘No. With your tongue.’



His tongue looked bumpy with goose pimples. She leaned forward. Her skirt weighed heavy and she concentrated hard on getting her tongue to touch his and not fall over and lick his chin. She always did what Jonas told her to do because he was three years older and always right. Determined not to make a mess of it, she stuck out her tongue as far as it would go.



‘It’s horrible.’ Recoiling, Jiddy wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. ‘Why couldn’t I use my finger?’



‘Because this is about taste not touch,’ Jonas said.



Jiddy licked her glistening hand.



‘It tastes salty,’ she said.



Jonas looked at the mass of water. ‘I don’t understand how there’s salt all around us yet we have to pay for it,’ he said.



‘That’s because the sea’s water, not salt.’ She didn’t look at him as she spoke. She’d never contradicted him before.



‘What’ve you just tasted?’



‘Salt.’



‘Sea is salt water, Jiddy, how many times? It’s not a river, it’s not a lake. It’s not fresh water. It’s salt water.’



‘I know.’



‘I’ve told you hundreds of times. Don’t you ever listen to what I say?’



‘I do listen.’ She listened to every word even if she didn’t always understand. She was so stupid and Jonas so clever.



‘Salt should be cheap when there’s this much salt water,’ he said. ‘We have to work out how to get it.’



‘Mr Griggs sells it for a lot of money in his shop so he can afford to buy beer.’ Jiddy cheered up. That were a fact Jonas couldn’t argue with. Everybody knew the shopkeeper spent all his money on drinking so much he fell asleep. And then the whole of Baytown heard what Mrs Griggs had to say about it.



‘I’m not saying it’s his fault he has to charge so much,’ said Jonas. Jiddy didn’t answer. Kneeling down, she twirled her fingers in the water, creating little whirlpools. ‘See that?’ Jonas pointed.



Along the beach, smoke curled up towards the sky.



‘They’re burning fish,’ said Jiddy.



‘Why d’you think they’re doing that?’



‘You can’t eat fish when it’s gone off.’



‘D’you know why it’s gone off?’



Jiddy wound her cold hands together.



‘They caught too much.’