Snippets of Downshire Life – Lark in the Square

 The Finchbottom Vale nestles comfortably between the Ancient Dancingdean Forest to the south and the rolling Pepperstock Hills in the north, and to the east, 15 miles inland from Sharpington-By-Sea, equidistant between the seaside resort and Pepperstock Green was the rambling village of Brookley and at its heart was St Mildred’s Church where Emily Sanders worked in the office and she had an admirer in the shape of Chorister Roy Peach.

Emily was a bright bubbly girl with a delightful giggle, at least in Roy’s opinion, he however was neither bright nor bubbly, he was shy and withdrawn, apart from when he was with his closest friends, or when he was singing in the choir where he would come alive and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

If only he was able to come alive when he wasn’t singing just long enough to ask her out.

 

Emily was a busy beaver around the church and was heavily involved in all aspects of Church life and was always the first to volunteer for everything.

So, it was not an exaggeration to say that the church was her life, and its people were her family.

There were of course some people she liked more than others and although she was on the face of it the bright bubbly girl, she was in reality a quivering jelly beneath her confident façade, and one of the things that made her quiver was Roy Peach.

So, when the time came to prepare for the St Mildred’s Lark community event she had no hesitation in co-opting Roy on board to help her with the task.

The first was to go to Wellham Farm, or more precisely the Wellham Barns which were both large and numerous, too numerous for the needs of the farm so many of them had been converted into storage spaces, popular with companies wishing to house their archives off site, theatrical and film companies storing sets and costumes, and St Mildred’s church who stored a variety of things there, Santa’s Grotto, all the stalls for Fete’s and Bazaars, processional items, the nativity scene and costumes of all shapes sizes and uses.

So, they travelled in her car, the four miles from the village, with Roy and his cousin Susan, in order to locate the St Mildred’s Lark props and paraphernalia which was required in order to prepare for the Church’s community even over the following week.

 

Before they left Roy noticed Emily was wearing heels and a skirt, which was unusual, he didn’t know the reason why, but he liked it.

He may not have cared why she wasn’t wearing her usual flats and trousers but Emily’s reason for the change was to show off her legs, with the intention of getting Roy’s attention.

It was beginning to rain, so she walked fast, but in her heels, it made her lean forward from the waist and consequently it made her thrust her buttocks backwards as she moved.

But when she reached the car she turned and saw the look on his face and she knew she had him.

Emily was two years old than he was and more experienced with the opposite sex, but that counted for nothing.

She found it infuriating that she could flirt with people she wasn’t attracted to, but not with him, so she would have to try a different tack

 

When they reached their destination they met Sam Wellham, who managed the storage side of the farms business and he only had one full time employee to assist him and he had just quit, so he led them to the appropriate barn and unlocked the door.

“You’ll have to manage on your own today” he said

“Why? Are you short staffed?” Emily asked

“No, I’m no staffed as on twenty minutes ago”

“I’m looking for a job” Susan blurted out

“Do you live in Brookley?” he asked

“Yes”

“So, did the last person and he was always late” Sam stated

“Well I can vouch for the fact that she’s annoyingly punctual”, Roy said “in fact she is punctual to the point of obsession”

“She will never ever be late” Emily added “Because she is half an hour early for everything”

“I am still here you know” Susan said and blushed

“And what can you do when you get here?” he asked with a smile

“Whatever she’s asked to” Emily answered

“Thanks mum” Susan said

“Ok come and see me before you leave, and we can have a chat” Sam said and headed back to the office.

Emily had just entered the barn when a thought occurred to her, which was that getting Roy alone in the barn might give her the chance she had been looking for, so she said

“Susan! Why don’t you go and talk to Sam now?”

She opened her mouth to protest but Emily quickly continued

“Strike while the irons hot, I’m sure Roy and I can manage to locate the bits we need while you’re busy with Sam”

“Oh ok, if you’re sure” Susan said

“Absolutely” Emily assured her

 

While Emily was busily getting Susan out of the way Roy had located the mobile steps and was wheeling them down the appropriate aisle.

“Do you want to go up and hand the boxes down to me or vice versa?” he asked

“Well as I’m wearing a skirt and heels I think in order to preserve my modesty and dignity I should stay down here” she said

“Yes, good point” Roy agreed and made his way up the steps and very quickly located the two dozen boxes they had come for, and began handing them down to her, none of them were particularly heavy, but some of them were awkward sizes.

They were making steady progress between the two of them, but Emily knew that if she was going to do something it had to be soon, or Susan would be back, and the chance would be gone.

“The weight of this one is a bit lopsided” Roy said as he handed it to her

“Ok I’ve got it” she said and watched him as he turned to get the next box.

“Ahhhh!” she exclaimed and when Roy turned to look he saw Emily lying prone on the floor with the box on top of her.

“Emily! Oh my God Emily” he shouted and rushed down the steps

“Are you ok?”

He removed the box and cast it aside and knelt beside her and asked

“Are you hurt?”

There was no response to his question, she just lay there

“Even unconscious you look gorgeous” he thought but then grave dark thoughts filled his mind about how he might lose her before he got the chance to tell her how he felt about her, so Roy took her hand in his hands and said

“Darling Emily, please don’t leave me, I don’t….”

“Did you call me darling?” she asked, and he gasped

“Yes, I did”

“I like the sound of that” she said

“Are you ok?” Roy asked with concern still holding her hand

“I like this too” she said and squeezed his hand.

“Are you hurt?” he asked

“I’m fine, but why are you holding my hand and calling me darling?” Emily asked

Roy was really concerned that she was delirious and might lose consciousness again any moment and he didn’t want to lose her without telling her what was in his heart

“Because I love you, Emily Sanders” he said “I have loved you since the first moment I saw you, and I always will”

“Good” she said “Now help me up”

“No, you might collapse again” he said

“I didn’t fall to the floor” she confessed and giggled “I arranged myself seductively, so help me up off this cold floor, and then you can kiss me”

“There’s no need for you to get up for that” he said and kissed her where she lay.

 

So, the trip from Brookley to Wellham Farm was a very fruitful one, St Mildred got the Lark Community Event decorations, Susan Peach got a job and Emily and Roy got each other.