Mornington-By-Mere – (41) A Brief’s Tale

(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.
Also living in Manorside on Dulcets Road in Brewery
House was Daniel Goman-Smith, who lived with his ex-wife Sarah.
It was a curious arrangement, they had been divorced for two years, but there was no hatred, betrayal or estrangement they just simply fell out of love.
They were still the best of friends, which they agreed that they perhaps should have stayed as such and not married in the first place.
But because they were still friends and enjoyed each other’s company and as neither of them had anyone else they decided to continue living together.
They were both doctors, Daniel worked at the Sharpington Jubilee Surgery and Sarah worked for the Dancingdean Health Centre in Shallowfield.
Sister and brother Tree surgeons, Kate and Gary Pottinger were also Manorside residents and they lived at number 5 Brooke Side Cottages.

On the first Friday in June the Goman-Smiths and Brian Kane travelled separately to Abbottsford and would be spending the whole weekend at the Abbottsford Regents Hotel, Rhonda Kane was already in town as she had to work.
But they were not the only Mornington residents planning a weekend away, Gary and Kate Pottinger would also be there but they wouldn’t set off after work on Friday evening when their fellow villagers were already there.
Sarah Goman-Smith, on arriving in town took the opportunity for a spot of retail therapy in the Phoenix Centre.
She didn’t often have the time to spend shopping in places like Abbottsford, with the big name stores, so the thought of spoiling herself was very tempting so she took full advantage of the time she had and come the end of the day she had found it very therapeutic and among her many purchases were some delicious items of lingerie.

While Gary and Kate were still working among the Mornington Estate woodland Brian Kane and Daniel Goman-Smith were both at the offices of Bramstock, Goodman, Crossfield and Bushe, though quite independently.
Daniel had a meeting with one of the Solicitors, Rhonda Kane, to discuss his late Uncles estate, which was really only a formality.
Brian Kane was there however to take his sister to lunch.

(Part 02)

After dropping his ex-wife Sarah at the Phoenix Centre Daniel Goman-Smith was sitting in reception at Bramstock, Goodman, Crossfield and Bushe, the firm of Solicitors handling his late Uncles estate, by 11 o’clock.
He had an appointment with Rhonda Kane at 11.15 but he always liked to be early but he was still waiting at 11.25.
It made him angry when people didn’t keep to time so he presumed Ms. Kane to be some Manish ball breaker who enjoyed keeping people waiting.

So when he saw an attractive woman, tall and slender in her early forties wearing a tailored business suit and spectacles he assumed she must be Ms. Kane’s personal assistant.
“Mr. Goman-Smith?” She said holding out her hand “sorry to keep you waiting”
He took the offered hand, which she gripped firmly
“Rhonda Kane, so pleased to meet you”
“Like wise, please call me Daniel”
She smiled broadly and said
“Would you like to come through then Daniel?”
She led the way and he followed on, and the receptionist caught him staring at Ms. Kane’s rather lovely legs and she frowned at him but he just shrugged and she smiled.
He spent a very pleasant hour with the very un-Manish Ms. Kane who couldn’t have been less of a ball breaker if she tried.
She went through all the papers very professionally and assured him that everything would be tied up with a bow in the coming few weeks.
He would however have had to admit that he didn’t take in everything she was saying, due to a combination of the hypnotic posh plummy tones of her voice which he found very seductive, a turn on even, especially the way she peered over the top of her specs and the fact she was very attractive.
But apart from her being pleasing on the eye, he’d always had a soft spot for well-spoken women.
Plus from where he was sitting he had a good view of her magnificent long legs.

Rhonda Kane was aware of her client admiring her legs and was flattered by the fact that a younger man found her attractive, albeit only younger by a couple of years, but nonetheless.
He wasn’t bad looking himself, blue eyes, and brown hair, tall enough so she would be able to wear heels and he also seemed to be a nice gentle man, and she didn’t meet many of those, and he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring.
As a result she did something that she had never done before, which made her feel a bit naughty, it was certainly unprofessional, and she dragged out the meeting.
Rhonda went into more detail about the process than she normally would, or was necessary, the unpleasant clients she rather hurried through and got them out the door as soon as possible.
He didn’t seem to mind, and didn’t seem in any hurry to leave so she carried on.
She didn’t even mind the fact that she would be keeping her next client waiting.

Eventually the time came to leave and she led him back to reception where they shook hands again.
“I will be in touch in due course” she said
“Thank you Ms Kane”
“Please call me Rhonda”

(Part 03)

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.

Eventually the time came to leave and she led him back to reception where they shook hands again.
“I will be in touch in due course” she said
“Thank you Ms Kane”
“Please call me Rhonda”

While Rhonda was prolonging her meeting her brother arrived at reception and exchanged pleasantries with Sandra, the receptionist, and then took a seat and a few minutes later Sandra delivered him a coffee and then he sat there about half an hour reading a magazine when he heard Rhonda’s voice which grew progressively louder as she got closer.
And when he heard his sister say
“Please call me Rhonda”
Brian thought he had misheard because she never let her clients call her Rhonda, so he assumed the client she was with must be an important one 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

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

(Part 04)

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.

The meeting with Mr. Bishop was even more tedious than she thought it would be but thankfully it didn’t last long, just over an hour.
She showed him out to reception and said goodbye and then Sandra called her over.
“Dr Goman-Smith dropped this off for you” she said and handed her a small white parcel tied up with a ribbon and when she opened it there was a slice of Tiramisu.
“How sweet” she said and giggled

After leaving the restaurant Brian and Daniel went their separate way but arrived at the Hotel within ten minutes of each other.
Whereas Rhonda, after eating her desert, had a very unproductive afternoon and left the office early and was at the Regents before either of them.

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)

It was a glorious June day and there was a good crowd at the Cricket Ground and Gary Pottinger and the Goman-Smith’s were among them though due to the numbers they were oblivious to the others presence.
Downshire were in great form and won the match by sixty runs and the delighted fans disgorged onto the streets of Abbottsford in great spirits even before the tea interval.

When they got back to the Hotel Sarah went straight up to her room for a long soak while her ex-husband Daniel went for a swim.
The Hotel pool was a very decent size, which extended up to large glass doors at one end which opened out onto a large terrace with table, chairs and sun loungers.
He quickly changed and then dived in and swam ten lengths before he climbed out and he caught sight of her.

She was sitting on a sun lounger on the Garden Terrace drinking a large Gin and Tonic and reading a magazine when he walked up on her blind side dripping onto the terrace.
She was wearing a one piece costume which was bone dry.
“Are you not going in?” he said and made her jump
“Oh hello” she said wiping tonic off her chin
“Hi Rhonda, are you not swimming?”
“No I swam this morning” she replied “and I’ve had my hair and nails done since”
“Well if you won’t join me in the pool would you mind if I joined you for a drink?”
“Not at all” she said and gestured to the neighboring lounger.
“Please take a seat”
“Can I order you a drink?” she asked
“Thank you, yes,” he said and to the waiter who had suddenly appeared “I’ll have what the lady is having”
When the waiter left with the drinks order he said
“I was hoping to see you again, I just didn’t think it would be so soon”
“Me too” she admitted and her cheeks flushed.
The waiter returned with the drinks to cover her embarrassment.
“Cheers” he said and took a big sip of his G & T.
After a few moments he asked
“So are you going somewhere special?”
“I’m sorry”
“You said you had your hair and nails done, so are you going somewhere special?” he asked
She thought about it for a moment and then answered his question with another one
“I don’t know, where would you suggest taking me?” she asked blushing at her boldness
“Well, how about dinner?”
“Ok dinner it is, tell me more” she said
“Well this is more difficult not knowing what you like” he said “I do know you like Italian but…”
“So what are you going to choose?”
He deliberated for a moment or two and then said
“I’m going to go with Chinese, at the Scented Garden”
Rhonda almost spilled her drink and exclaimed
“That’s my absolute favourite, how did you know?”
“Well actually I didn’t but it’s my favourite”
“It’s a sign” Rhonda thought “Not that I believe in such things, but if I did it would be a sign”
So that was decided, Rhonda phoned Brian to cancel their plans which he didn’t seem to mind and Daniel broke the news to his ex-wife in person that he had a date and she was thrilled for him.
So at 8 o’clock Daniel and Rhonda went on their first date to The Scented Garden Chinese restaurant, a date which was to be the first of many.