Mornington-By-Mere – (38) On Account of a Surgeon

(Part 01)

Mornington-By-Mere is a small country village lying in the Finchbottom Vale nestled between the Ancient Dancingdean Forest and the rolling Pepperstock Hills.
It is a quaint picturesque village, a proper chocolate box picturesque idyll, with a Manor House, 12th Century Church, a Coaching Inn, Windmills, an Old Forge, a Schoolhouse, a River and a Mere.
But Mornington-By-Mere was not just a quaint chocolate box English Village it was the beating heart of the Finchbottom Vale and there were a number of cottages and small houses on the Purplemere road and Dulcets Lane which formed the part of Mornington Village known as Manorside and 41 year old Rhonda Kane lived on Dulcets Road at Marigold Cottage.
She was a solicitor with Bramstock, Goodman, Crossfield and Bushe in Abbottsford.
Normally she lived alone but at that time her younger brother Brian was staying with her following his divorce.

Brian was a 39 years old Accountant with Brady and Clare, in Abbeyvale, although in the six months since the divorce he had been working out of the Sharpington office.
But on a bright Wednesday morning in May he had the day off and decided to take a walk into the village.

He walked past the brewery and then through Manor wood and then crossed the bridge into the village.
He wanted to cook his sister something special for dinner as a thank you for putting up with him.
He went to the Legg’s Farm shop first and bought some eggs and fresh vegetables, then Norman’s General Store for some wine, Boddingtons Butchers for some bacon and a nice bit of liver and finally he headed for Addison’s Bakery to get a French stick.

Just as he stepped inside the door he heard Chloe Addison call
“Happy Birthday Kate”
And a tall dark haired woman replied
“Thank you” and not looking where she was going she walked straight into Brian as she was leaving the shop, dropping some of her bags.

Kate Pottinger was a local girl and also lived in Manorside at number 5 Brooke Side Cottages with her brother Gary.
And apart from living together they also worked together as tree surgeons, who like their father and uncles before them, worked exclusively for the Mornington Estate which kept them busy enough tending to the health and welfare of upwards of 25 thousand trees.
Kate was in the village to do a bit of shopping while her brother was at the doctors and then Gary was taking her for lunch at the Old Mill Inn for her 38th birthday.

“I’m so sorry” Brian said gallantly even though it wasn’t his fault
“Don’t be silly” she said to the tall, slim, good looking man with neat black hair, more than a little flustered.
“Are you ok?” he asked as she gathered herself
“I’m alright, but I think you squashed my baps”
She said and realising what she’d said she burst out laughing which set him off.

(Part 02)

Kate Pottinger and Brian Kane stood outside Addison’s Bakery laughing and flirting for about 10 minutes.
Working outdoors in a physical occupation Kate was well tanned well-toned but despite that was well groomed.
She was not as tall as Brian, which she liked, she stood five foot eight, a full inch and a three quarters taller than her brother, which was something she never let him forget and always referred to him as her “little brother”.
Despite the height difference they were alike in almost every other way blue eyes, chestnut coloured hair, broad smiles and infectious laughs.
And Kate was exercising that laugh to great effect that morning.

She could see over Brian’s shoulders when Gary left the surgery and she could also see he was looking flushed, though at that time she didn’t know why.
Gary spotted his sister outside Addison’s Bakery where he could see she was still laughing and joking.

He crossed the road and approached the laughing pair.
“Hi Kate are you ready for that lunch” he said and the man looked a little crestfallen.
“Hi Gary” she said “I just need to get some stamps from Norman’s”
“This is my brother Gary” she said and the man’s expression lifted
“Gary this is…”
“Brian” he responded and shook Gary’s hand “Pleased to meet you”
“Likewise”
“Well enjoy your lunch and the rest of your birthday” Brian said and shook her hand and it was long and lingering.
“Thank you, goodbye” she said and headed towards the Post Office & General Store to buy stamps but Gary noticed she kept glancing over her shoulder.

Brian watched the Pottinger’s walk away although in truth it was only the taller half that he was really interested in.
He had sworn off the opposite sex when he first split with his wife and that morning was the first time he had met a woman that he wanted to do more than pass the time of day with.
And as he walked back home after buying his bread he wished that it was he that was taking her for her birthday lunch instead of going back to his sisters to make her liver and bacon.


They sat at a table in the Old Mill Inn and he said
“He seemed nice”
“He was alright I suppose” she replied coyly
“Only alright, you were flirting with him like it was an Olympic sport”
“No I wasn’t” she retorted
“And he was flirting back” Gary said
“He was not” she said “Was he?”
He smiled and made her blush and then she changed the subject
“So how did you get on at the doctors?”
“Excellent” he replied “A clean bill of health”
“That’s great news” Kate said “They must have really put you through your paces, you looked very flushed when you came out”
“Ah there’s a very good reason for that” Gary said and then he went on to tell her all about the attractive doctor and his embarrassing arousal and she roared with laughter.


Gary and Kate sat at a table in the Old Mill Inn and he said
“He seemed nice”
“He was alright I suppose” she replied coyly
“Only alright, you were flirting with him like it was an Olympic sport”
“No I wasn’t” she retorted
“And he was flirting back” Gary said
“He was not” she said “Was he?”
He smiled and made her blush and then she changed the subject
“So how did you get on at the doctors?”
“Excellent” he replied “A clean bill of health”
“That’s great news” Kate said “They must have really put you through your paces, you looked very flushed when you came out”
“Ah there’s a very good reason for that” Gary said and then he went on to tell her all about the very attractive doctor and a combination of very exotic perfume and a glimpse of expensive pink lingerie made him behave in such a way that he had experience since he was a teenager.
And the resulting arousal had been responsible for his looking flushed.
On hearing his full uncensored account of his embarrassing arousal she roared with laughter.

(Part 03)

It was the first Friday in June and Kate and Gary were going up to Abbottsford for a few days.
They had a big family christening on Sunday at St Dunstan’s Church when their cousins triplets were being baptized.
So it was one not to miss, but as it was at the 9.30 service and they didn’t want the hassle of traveling up on the day so they decided to put up at the Abbottsford Regents Hotel the night before.
However Gary was then given a ticket to the Downshire versus Surrey one day match at the Abbottsfield cricket ground so he suggested going on Friday and staying two nights so they would have the whole of Saturday in town so he could go to the match and Kate could go shopping at the Phoenix Shopping Centre and she jumped at the chance, but not to spend the day at the shopping mall.
What she wanted to do was to visit the Castle Hill Museum and Art Gallery.

Gary and Kate were not the only Mornington residents planning a weekend away, the Goman-Smiths and the Kane’s were also going to be in Abbottsford for the whole weekend though not all for the same reasons.
So when the Pottinger’s set off after work on Friday evening their fellow villagers were already there.

Brian Kane travelled up to Abbottsford early on Friday with his sister, he had an important meeting with a client and then he was meeting Rhonda for lunch.
Because of the importance of the meeting he had allowed a three hour window but as it turned out it was concluded in under two.
So he went for a ridiculously expensive coffee at the Espresso Phoenix to kill some time and then made his way to Bramstock, Goodman, Crossfield and Bushe to meet his sister.

He walked into reception and exchanged pleasantries with Sandra, the receptionist, and then took a seat and a few minutes later Sandra delivered him a coffee.

He sat there about half an hour reading a magazine when he heard Rhonda’s voice which grew progressively louder as she got closer.
He looked to his left and he could see her talking to a male client who had his back to him as they shook hands
“I will be in touch in due course” she said
“Thank you Ms Kane” the man said
“Please call me Rhonda”
“Call me Rhonda?” Brian said to himself “She never lets her clients call her Rhonda, this one must be important”
But when the man turned around he saw that he knew him and said
“Daniel”
“Hello Brian, what are you doing here?”
“I’m here to take my sister to lunch” he replied as the two men shook hands.
“Kane, der, I didn’t make the connection”
Meanwhile Rhonda, who had turned to go back to her office turned on her heels and joined them.
“You two know each other?” she asked
“Yes we were at University together” Brian said
“Are you a bean counter as well then?” Rhonda asked with a smile
“No I’m a Doctor” he replied
The following few minutes of the conversation completely excluded Brian who just looked on in from the sidelines in amusement.
In fact it only came to an end when the receptionist, Sandra, interrupted with a message.
“Mr. Bishop phoned to say he can’t make his appointment but can you squeeze him in at 2 o’clock”
Rhonda looked at her watch and replied
“Yes that’s fine”
After Sandra had left them she said
“We will have to make it an early lunch Brian”
“That’s fine with me”
“And perhaps Daniel would like to join us” she added
“I’d love to” he replied to her

(Part 04)

They had lunch at an Italian Restaurant called Roberto’s just around the corner from her office.
“So was it just Rhonda that brought you too Abbottsford?” Brian asked
“No it wasn’t, but I would have made the trip just to see her” he thought but out loud he said
“No I’m in town for the weekend, at the Regent’s, Sarah and I are going to the cricket tomorrow”
“We’re putting up at the Regents as well” Brian said
“Never mind that who the hell is Sarah?” Rhonda asked herself and then as if he had heard her internal question Brian explained
“Sarah is Daniels ex-wife, but they’re still friends, in fact they still share a house, how odd is that?”
“I think it’s quite nice” she said

The food at Roberto’s was excellent but the lunchtime service was very slow and unfortunately Rhonda had to excuse herself before desert.
“I’m sorry but I have to go” she said “I really love the desert’s here as well”
“Perhaps we might run into each other over the weekend” he said
“I hope so, that would be nice” she said then she said goodbye to her brother and left.
“Are you going to talk to me now?” Brian asked and laughed but Daniels thoughts were elsewhere.
After leaving the restaurant Brian and Daniel went their separate ways but arrived at the Hotel within ten minutes of each other.

The Pottinger’s got stuck in the Friday night traffic and finally arrived at the Hotel at 9 o’clock by which time the Kane’s and the Goman-Smiths had already gone out for the evening.
Brian and Rhonda were dining at a trendy nouvelle cuisine restaurant off Castle Street called The Wooden Slipper which served high flavour, low-calorie, and substance lacking dishes, where minor celebrities are known to dine.
The food was good, if you like tiny artistic arrangements the size of a Hors d'oeuvre, on a slab of welsh slate but there wasn’t enough to live on.
So when it was time to leave they were almost hungrier than when they arrived, so they went into town and shared a kebab.

The Doctors Goman-Smith meanwhile went to The Empire Theatre to watch a revival on An Inspector Calls followed by a fish supper.
But back at the hotel, Gary and Kate ordered sandwiches from room service and got an early night.

On Saturday morning everyone was up early and availed themselves of the full English breakfast but due to a miracle of timing all three couples managed to avoid each other.

Gary was ready to go far too early so left for the cricket ground on foot while the Goman-Smith’s left an hour later in a cab.
Kate who planned to spend much of the day in cultural pursuits had a measured start to the day and as she was leaving the Hotel Brian Kane was just walking into the gym with his sister Rhonda.
After a good workout he had an hours swim and she had a sauna and then she spent the rest of the day being pampered and preened, massaged, manicure, pedicure and hair in fact you name it and she had it.
Brian though had coffee and read the papers before he went out.

(Part 05)

Brian Kane spent the first part of the day rummaging in bookshops and antique shops of Abbottsford’s old town district and then he indulged his penchant for ridiculously expensive coffees in the trendy coffee shops.

Kate spent the morning in and out of every museum in Abbottsford and had lunch in one of the same coffee shops that Brian drank in and they only missed each other by minutes and in the afternoon she headed for the Art Gallery which housed one of the best collections of artwork outside of the capital.
The bulk of the collection was made up of pieces donated by the Trotwood Estate.
She paid deference to all the exhibits, even the cubists which she didn’t really like, she was really just filling the time until she got to the section she wanted to see the most, The French Impressionists.
She loved them all Camille Pissarro, Emile Schuffenecker, Eugène Boudin, the Bracquemond’s, Caillebotte, Cézanne, Forain, Stanislas Lépine, Georges Seurat, Paul Signac and her personal favorite Frédéric Bazille.

It was when she was sitting on a bench studying a lesser piece of Bazille’s when a tall, slim, good looking man with neat black hair sat down next to her.
“Do you like Bazille?” he asked
“Very much” she replied and turned to look and a smile spread across her face as she recognized his face.
“Hello Brian” she said all at once unable to return her eyes to the art
“What a lovely surprise”
“For me too Kate” he said

They spent the rest of the afternoon together, enjoying the art and each other’s company in equal measure and even revisited the exhibits she’d already seen on her own and as they stood in front of a magnificent renaissance canvas he said
“Are you free for dinner tonight?”
“I can be” she replied without hesitation and then she added
“Could I choose the restaurant?”
“Of course”

At the end of the afternoon Kate and Brian went back to the Hotel to change and met downstairs in reception again an hour later where Brian made a phone call and Kate left a message at reception.

She chose the Pig and Whistle in Little Trottwood and afterwards they took a walk in the countryside.
They left the village and headed towards Trottwood Manor and they paused before crossing the bridge and turned to look across the lake and they were amazed at how natural the scene was when considering that little more than a 100 years earlier it was a boggy field.
That was before a Victorian industrialist named Josiah Tiplady, who, having made his fortune amongst the smoking factory chimneys of Lancashire, was seeking a country retreat in which to enjoy his fortune as well as the considerably fresher air, so he purchased the old Trottwood Manor.
He famously said he chose the Trottwood Estate as it had everything he was looking for, but not apparently a lake complete with fountains and an island bird sanctuary.
But as they viewed the scene on that glorious June evening it was clearly money well spent.
“This is really beautiful” she said
He agreed and then they turned and continued onto the bridge and halfway across Brian paused and turned to face Kate and kissed her.
“And now it’s even more beautiful”