Mornington-By-Mere – (27) Maggie May

(Part 01)

Mornington-By-Mere was not just a quaint chocolate box English Village it was the beating heart of the Finchbottom Vale.
And although the village was the hub it was the surrounding farms and hamlets that were its life blood.
One such Farm was Mereside on the Southern side of the village.
The Hoddinott family had farmed the land at Mereside Farm for five generation and with fair winds and following seas they would do so for the next five.
The head of the Hoddinott’s was Clive, at least that was what his wife Suzanne allowed him think.
But they were in their mid-fifties and were looking forward to be able to hand the reins’ on to their offspring.
There were three children the eldest was Robert Hoddinott 27 who they knew they could safely rely on to take over the running of the farm to such an extent that the handover would be seamless but they were less sure he would pass on the family name, as he appeared to have no inclination in finding himself a wife.
The second child was Amy who was 24 years old and had no interest whatsoever in becoming a farmer or a farmer’s wife for that matter, not that she hated the farm or indeed farming but she just loved her chosen path more which was teaching and she was a Teacher at the village school, and the youngest was 21 year old April who wasn’t a natural farmer but she had other strengths and she was recently married to Calvin Chance and was carrying the first of the next generation of farmers.
Aprils mother Suzanne was surprised that she was the first to settle and if the truth be told she was a little relieved because she feared her tomboy daughter would never find someone.

On the farm there was a two bedroom cottage that had been renovated earlier that year by April and the man that became her husband and the cottage was advertised for holiday lets.

The first guest took up residence in the cottage at the beginning of May and following the initial guest there were back to back bookings right through the summer.

It was quite fortuitous that there were a limited number of cottage lets in the Mornington area.
So they had a little gold mine in the cottage, the Finchbottom Vale was a very popular destination during the summer months as well as out of season, for rambling, birding or fishing.
The village itself as well as the surrounding country side proved to be a popular attraction.

Everyone on the farm had to do their bit and Amy was no exception, and the kind of tasks she had to perform were far removed from her professional life as a teacher but she never complained and although she would never admit it to her parents or siblings she sometimes welcomed the time she spent working on the farm to think.

(Part 02)

One of the tasks which fell to Amy more often than not was the management of the cottage, advertising, bookings and when necessary the housekeeping.
And it was when she was cleaning the cottage after a two week long let to a newlywed couple that Amy got her first pangs of regret at having no one special in her life, her tomboy sister had manage to get herself a man, eventually, so why couldn’t she.

The cottage having already brought April and Calvin together was destined to prove the catalyst of other relationships when the cottage worked its magic for the Hoddinott’s once again in October when the new tenant, Mike Tooke, arrived at the farm and he and Amy were simultaneously struck by cupid’s arrow.
He was there for a change of scene and instead he met a girl that changed his life.
He was a few years older than Amy was with a rugged face and thick dark curly hair.
He was a few inches over six feet, which Amy liked because she liked tall, and he was big, not fat but solid, she liked well-made men as well because they were big and cuddly.
He was only there for a couple of weeks and was by profession an LED Lighting specialist and worked for the family business “Light and Day” along with his older sister Maggie, and part of the reason he chose Mornington for his sojourn was Mornington Field.
The lease was due to expire on one of their premises in Pepperstock so the following year he was going to have to move his workshop and he wanted to know if Mornington was a viable option for relocation.
He hadn’t bargained on falling in love but from the moment she kissed him on the bank of the River Brooke they were bound for life.
The Hoddinott women all had the same look as Twenty four year old Amy and her younger sister April, although three years apart, could easily have passed for twins and their mum was just an older version of them.
Though they didn’t resemble their brother Robert in the slightest he was his father’s son and they took after their mum.
They were smaller than their brother, leaner and wiry.
Like their mum they had the fine strawberry blonde hair that all of their mums side of the family possessed, as well as her cool blue eyes.

The Hoddinott men on the other hand were cut from different cloth and Clive was a great bear of a man in his mid-fifties with curtly black hair that was greying at the temples and his son Robert was a chip off the old block.

Roberts’s parents supposed that the reason he was still single and unattached was that he was disinclined to find himself a wife but nothing could have been farther from the truth.
He would have loved to find someone and it was entirely untrue that he hadn’t been looking, he most certainly had, he just hadn’t found anyone suitable.

(Part 03)

Robert Hoddinott was a farmer and he loved being a farmer and he never saw a time in his future when he would cease to be a farmer.
Unfortunately it was not a lifestyle that appealed to everyone and young girls, even from a rural community were not always enamoured by farming or the prospect of being a farmer’s wife.
The other problem was even if he could find someone who didn’t mind farming they didn’t necessarily fit his criteria.
He was wasn’t interested in the lacy bits of fluffiness who spent more on their hair, eyebrows and nails than he did on his car and the amount they spent on clothing was shameful.
So that was the reason he was single was that he hadn’t found anyone to fit the bill.

The Tooke’s company “Light and Day manufactured and sold LED Lighting products in their many forms, from Christmas Tree lights to Studio and Theatre spotlights.
Mike Tooke was not a salesman or a marketer, the Tooke’s employed people to fill those roll’s Mike’s love was converting older lighting products to LED and there was a healthy profit in doing that.
His older sister Maggie was fast approaching 30 years of age and her role in the business was as Finance Director and she was very good at it despite having to get there the hard way.

When she was 19 and Mike was only 16 their parents died in a car accident and she had to give up University to be guardian to her brother.
She threw all of her efforts into looking after Mike and ensuring the business stayed on track, which involved the transition to LED, which was the future.
She had no family of her own or even had an enduring relationship because although she wasn’t conscious of it she was waiting until Mike settled down first, which she suspected would never happen so she concentrated on work.

But when he told her he had met someone while he was staying in Mornington she couldn’t wait to meet her because when she spoke to him on the phone all she got was Amy this and Amy that she had never known him so smitten.
As he was staying at the cottage for 2 weeks the plan was always for her to drive down on Saturday morning of the middle weekend and stay with him until Sunday.
Which after speaking with him on the phone she was looking forward to it even more.

When Saturday came she set off straight after breakfast and drove through the autumn mist and arrived at the farm just after ten o’clock.
She spotted her brothers car and parked next to it and got out but couldn’t see the cottage so she took out her phone.
“Are you Mike’s sister?” a voice said
When she turned around there was an attractive middle-aged woman with faded strawberry blonde hair leading a horse.
“I hope that’s not her” she thought to her self
“Yes I’m Maggie” she replied
“I thought so, you have the look of your brother” she said “I’m Suzanne Hoddinott, Amy’s mum”
“Pleased to meet you” Maggie said
“The cottage is just through the trees” Suzanne said pointing the way.
“Thank you”
“No problem” She said “see you later”

(Part 04)

Maggie was pleased that Suzanne had recognised Mike in her.
She was tall like him just a few inches shorter and she had the thick dark curls, but beyond that he had rugged features and hers were a bit indistinct but clearly there was enough of a likeness to be identified.
“Unless she thinks I look like a man” She said to herself “That’s a bit worrying”
She reached the cottage and knocked on the door and a few moments later it opened and Mike was standing there smiling broadly.
“Hello sis” he said and hugged her.

Amy had to go to Abbottsford that morning with a friend of her’s who was getting married so she was going to be gone most of the day so mike took Maggie up to Mornington Field and discussed the possibilities of moving the workshop over there.
“It’s all down to cost” she said “But I agree in principle”
“Good we have an appointment with Victoria Johnson Higham on Monday morning to look at plans and discuss rents”
“I didn’t bring any business clothes with me” she said
“That’s ok the meeting is in that hangar” Mike said “So its wellies and hard hats”
“Lovely” she said “any other bombshells?”
“No I don’t think so” he said “unless you count dinner with the Hoddinott’s tonight”
“Oh do we have to?” she pleaded “Can’t we just go and eat at a gastro pub, just the two of us?”
“Yes we have to go” he said “What are you worried about? They’re really nice people”
“I sure they are but…”
“And they might become our in-laws” he added
“Yes but…” she began “What do you mean in-laws?”
“You know, mother in law, father in law, brother in law”
“I know what in laws are, idiot boy” she said slapping his arm “Are you that serious about Amy?”
“Yes I am” he confessed
“I am so pleased for you” she said and hugged him so tightly
“You haven’t even met her yet”
“I met her mum this morning” she said and giggled “and I thought that was her”
“You thought I’d fallen in love with Mrs H?” he said and laughed until his sides hurt.

Mike and Maggie left the cottage together, both wearing jeans and casual tops.
“Are you sure we don’t need to dress up?” Maggie asked
“Of course not” Mike replied
“You should have warned me we were invited to dinner and I’d have had the chance to dress up a bit”
“I understand you want to look your best” Mike said “But don’t worry about it, they’re good people”
“I’m sure they are but I’m wearing jeans” she added and as they approached the farmhouse Maggie was dreading spending the evening with a bunch of strangers.

Mike had come accustomed to using the kitchen door over the previous week but he knew the kitchen would be chaotic at best so he gave that one a miss and went to the front door instead.
When they reached it Mike knocked lightly on the door and went straight in.
“Hello” he called

(Part 05)

Mike had come accustomed to using the kitchen door over the previous week but he knew the kitchen would be chaotic at best so he gave that one a miss and went to the front door instead.
When they reached it Mike knocked lightly on the door and went straight in.
“Hello” he called
“Come in Mike” a voice instructed
“Here we go” Maggie thought “Smile through the pain”
Mike led the way down the hall and Maggie followed.
“Hi everyone” he said and Amy emerged from the kitchen and kissed Mike then he introduced Maggie to her and she returned to the kitchen to help her mum and left him to complete the introductions and last one was Robert.
“This is Rob….” Mike began
“Oh hello!” she interrupted “I’m Maggie”

During the meal, Robert and Maggie monopolised each other and paid only passing interest in the rest of conversation.
At the other end of the table Mike was sitting between Amy and her mum and whispered
“I think Maggie is smitten”
“I think it’s mutual” Suzanne replied and smiled
“I haven’t seen him look like that since the time we got the new cows”
“Did you just liken my sister to a cow?” Mike said and after thirty seconds all three of them started laughing hysterically.

Desert was followed by Coffee and liqueurs and the conversation got onto birthdays or to be more precise Maggie’s up coming.
“It’s Mag’s birthday on Wednesday” Mike said “A significant birthday no less”
“Oh really?” Robert said “Which one?”
“The big three zero” Maggie confessed
“Well don’t look at it that you’re going to be 30, think of it more as turning twenty ten” Robert said and touched her hand and a look passed between them.
“Well I think I know what my sister wants for her Birthday” Mike said
“Yes but how is she going to get her present if he is on the farm and she’s in Pepperstock?” Amy asked
“I don’t know but I have never seen her so mesmerized” Mike replied
“Why don’t the four of you do something together tomorrow afternoon” Suzanne suggested “Maybe that would give her a reason not to go home on Monday”
“We were going fishing?” Amy said
“You don’t fish” her mum pointed out “But Robert does, what about Maggie, does she like to fish?”
“Not a bit” he replied
“We could just go for a walk along the river bank and up to the woods beyond Hill Top Farm” Amy offered
“Well it’s better than nothing” her Mum agreed
“Well whatever we do, we mustn’t let the embers cool” Mum said
“That’s very poetic way of saying we have to play cupid mother” Amy said
“What can I say I have hidden talents” she retorted

“Well that wasn’t so bad was it?” he said as they walked back to the cottage.
“I admit it was much more enjoyable than I was expecting” she agreed
“And Robert?” he asked
“Oh yes he was very nice” she said and qualified her statement “For a farmer”

(Part 06)

Before the meal on Saturday Night it wasn’t anyone’s intention to match-make it was just meant to be a pleasant meal for everyone to get to know each other, the fact that she and Robert were clearly attracted to each other was an unexpected bonus.
“So you didn’t think he was anything special then?” he asked
“He was pleasant enough” she replied coyly
“So you won’t want to go for a walk after lunch tomorrow with me, Amy and the farmer?
“Well I wouldn’t want to be unsociable” Maggie said and grinned

Sunday morning and the Hoddinott’s, the Chances and the Tooke’s assembled in the farmyard with the notable exception of Robert who was tending to another sick cow with the vet.
Maggie got a bit panicky and was anxiously looking around when Suzanne noticed her discomfort and announced to the crowd.
“Robert is with the vet and will follow us down shortly”

Inside St Winifred’s Maggie sat on the aisle and kept darting glances over her shoulder like a fighter pilot in the Battle of Britain hoping to see Robert appear which he did eventually halfway through the final hymn, but instead of coming to sit beside her in the place she had saved for him he stood at the back of the church until the service ended.

But when the service was over and they began filing out he walked up to her immediately.
“Hello” he said and she inexplicably blushed and then they walked back up to the farm together.
After lunch was done and dusted Amy and Maggie helped Suzanne clear away and then they joined Robert and Mike and the four of them went outside.
The Hoddinott’s planned to show their guests the delights of the village and its environs.

When the walk began the four of them exchanged small talk as they walked unhurriedly out through the gate and onto Windmill Lane.
They continued down the lane when it bore to the right and continued along it passing the four Windmill Cottages on the left with the Old East Mill ahead of them.
The walk took them along the familiar path Amy and Mike had taken down to the River the week before but instead of turning left by the East Bridge they turned right to follow the River upstream toward Shallowfield.
But no sooner had they set foot on the river side path than the heavens opened.
Fortunately Scott Collier and his girlfriend Chloe Addison were working inside the derelict Windmill and happened to see the four of them out in the rain.
“Hey Robert! Over here” Scott called
“Come in and shelter” Chloe added
Once inside Robert did the introductions and they took shelter from the rain for half an hour until it eased a little and they took their chance to get back home before the next deluge arrived.

As soon as they got back to the farm Amy said
“Let’s go and dry off”
But Robert had different ideas
“I’m going to check on Juliet”
“Can I come too?” Maggie asked
“Oh yes” he said “Lovely”

(Part 07)

As soon as they got back to the farm Amy said
“Let’s go and dry off”
But Robert had different ideas
“I’m going to check on Juliet”
“Can I come too?” Maggie asked
“Oh yes” he said “Lovely”
Once inside the farmhouse Amy’s mum said
“You didn’t get very far then”
“No, only as far as the Old East Mill” Amy replied shedding her coat
“Where are the other two?” Suzanne asked
“They’re in the cow shed” Mike replied “checking on Juliet”
“What on earth did he take her in there for?” Suzanne said crossly
“I think he’s showing her the competition” Amy said and they all dissolved into laughter.

On Monday Mike and Maggie went up to Mornington Field
For their Meeting with Victoria Johnson Higham and afterwards as they walked back to the farm he asked
“What do you think?”
“Well I think we’re not going to get a better price per square foot anywhere” she said “I might even work form here too”
“So you think we should proceed?”
“Yes” she said
“Excellent” he said “Do you want to grab lunch before you head off?”
“You can buy me lunch by all means but I thought I might stay around for a few days” she said “at least until after my birthday”
“Did you?”
“Yes I did, so as I need a few things, like knickers and stuff why don’t we drive to Shallowfield and have lunch there”
So that’s what they did and as Robert and his Dad were away from the farm all day as they had taken some calf’s to market she was in no hurry to get back.
So they had a long leisurely lunch at the Woodcutters and then she left Mike sitting in the pub while she went and bought some new underwear and a couple of tops.

On Tuesday Robert and his Dad were again away from the farm as they were driving up to Millmoor in the north of the county to pick up some second hand farm equipment.
So Maggie caught up with some work back at the cottage and Mike spent the day fishing.

On Wednesday it was Maggie’s 30th birthday so Mike booked a table for 8 at the Old Mill Inn in the village, which was in part to thank the Hoddinott’s for the hospitality as well as to celebrate his sisters 30th.
Because he had decided to stay on in Mornington she had to spend most of the day working and skyping her office.

Mike and Maggie walked up to the farmhouse at 7.30 and knocked lightly on the door and went in.
“Hello!” he called and just as they reached the lounge they were assailed with a hearty
“Happy Birthday”
Followed by kisses from everyone with Robert being the last and after a tentative birthday kiss the couple became acutely aware that everyone was watching them.

(Part 08)

Mike and Maggie walked up to the farmhouse at 7.30 and knocked lightly on the door and went in.
“Hello!” he called and just as they reached the lounge they were assailed with a hearty
“Happy Birthday”
Followed by kisses from everyone with Robert being the last and after a tentative birthday kiss the couple became acutely aware that everyone was watching them and then Amy emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray with a chilled bottle of Champagne in a bucket and the wine glasses.
She set down the tray and poured the wine and everyone wished Maggie a happy birthday again.

When they had polished off the champagne they all got their coats on in preparation of the walk to the village but they realised the birthday girl and Robert were missing.
“Where’s Robert?” Suzanne asked
“I don’t know” April replied “but Maggie’s gone as well”
“They’re in the cow shed” Amy informed them “I just saw them go in”
“Why on earth does he keep taking her in there?” His mum said “I really despair of that boy”

“It’s alright I’ll go and get them” Mike said “then we need to get going”
Mike rushed across the yard and opened the cowshed door far enough for him to squeeze in and he was about to call out to them but then he caught sight of them in the throes of a very passionate birthday kiss.
“Are they coming?” Amy said from behind him.
“Shhsh” he whispered and then guided her through the door so she was standing in front of him so she had a front row seat at the show.
“Wow” she said quietly “We did it”
“I don’t think we had anything to do with it” he said as they sneaked back out through the door.

“Are they in there?” Suzanne asked
“Oh yes and they’re snogging” Amy said
“Hallelujah” she said and grabbed her husband’s arm “They’re snogging”
“As long as they’re not snogging the cows” Clive said and laughed
“Are you sure it wasn’t just a birthday kiss?” she asked
“Oh no it was very definitely a snog” Amy said

“Hello!” Mike shouted outside the door “Hello!”
“We’re in the cowshed” Robert shouted back
“Ok we’re heading off to the pub now” Mike said
“We’re nearly done here” Robert replied “Don’t wait, we’ll catch you up”
“Alright”

“It would appear there is more snogging to be done” Amy said
“That’s my boy” his dad, Clive said proudly
“If I’d realised all it took was the ambience of a cowshed I wouldn’t have bothered booking the table and I could have saved a fortune” Mike said as they walked along the lane at the rear of the group
“Yes but there are other rewards for your generosity” Amy said
“And what do you mean by that” he said stopping and taking her in his arms
“Well it may not just be the birthday girl who gets the present” she said and then they kissed

Suzanne glanced over her shoulder at the kissing couple and said
“Oh look, isn’t that lovely?”
“Then when she looked ahead of them April and Calvin were also exchanging a kiss
“Look even they’re at it now” she said
“Well if you can’t beat them join them” her husband said and kissed her.