Wednesday 27 October 2021

Mornington-By-Mere – (37) Three Days of Christmas (Boxing Day)

 

(Boxing Day)

 

On Boxing Day Siobhan and Bryan were once again in the Shallowfield Road bus shelter sharing a kiss when she suddenly said 

“I have a confession to make,”

“Not another one?” he said “I’ve still got the bruises from the last one” 
“No not that kind of confession” she said

“Oh, what then?” he asked her “You’re not married are you?”

“Not that I remember” she replied “and I would hope if I were married I wouldn’t be standing in a bus shelter kissing another man”

“No, that’s a very good point” he said

“And furthermore if I was married I don’t think I would have handcuffed you to my bed on Christmas Eve, would I”

“No” he admitted and wondered what the confession might be on that boxing.

 

 

They were on their way to the Old Mill Inn and the reason they were on their way there was because they showed live football in the bar and Abbottsford Town were playing Abbeyvale Borough and Bryan was an Abbottsford fan and not only was it a derby match but it was important match because it was a top of the table clash.

Although to be honest it was always an important match when Town played Borough.

But despite the importance of the game they still stopped in the bus stop where she was making another confession.

Bryan was pleased that she wasn’t married, she could have been married for all he knew, he hadn’t known her long and they’d only been dating for a month so there was a lot he still didn’t know about her, but she was only 17.

Her name was Siobhan Chapman and she was born and bred in the village, he also knew where she went to school and who her parents and siblings were.

He knew that he liked the look of her from the first minute and asked her out a minute later and he had seen her every day since.

So as they were on their way to the pub on Boxing Day to watch the football and she suggested they stopped for an intimate interlude in the bus shelter, how could he resist.

It was kind of an instant attraction thing, certainly for her, and since the first attraction it had gradually deepened and now he was head over heels in love with her.

“What then?” he asked still unaware what her confession was.
“Oh God I’ve been dreading saying this” she said and he was really worried, she may not have been married but she could still have been engaged or had a boyfriend.

But as worried as he was he wasn’t sure if he really wanted to know.

But Siobhan took a deep breath and he braced himself

“I’m an Abbeyvale supporter” she said and closed her eyes and grimaced but it took a moment for the full implications of her statement to sink in.

“I think I would have preferred it if you were married” he said and Siobhan moved close in to him and asked

“Do you mean you would prefer it if a married woman was in love with you rather than an Abbeyvale supporter?”

“She loves me” he said to himself and he wasn’t sure if that shocked him more than the fact she supported Abbeyvale Borough.

“I'm sorry,” she said “Not much of a Christmas present for my new boyfriend I’m afraid”
But she couldn't have been more wrong about that it was the perfect Christmas present.

Siobhan Chapman loved him and everything else paled into insignificance compared to that and he made sure she knew that.

Those Memories Made on Teardrop Lake – (37) One White Christmas

 

It was Christmas Eve and Samantha Dunlop, who worked at Hanratty’s Department Store in Abbottsford’s Phoenix Centre, was just on her way back to work after having had lunch with her boyfriend Darren.

“Bastard” she muttered under her breath as she entered the centre.

Sam was running the lunch time conversation through her head which was why she was so angry.

“You’re breaking up with me?” she asked in disbelieve across the table in McDonald’s.

“Don’t take it so hard babe” he said

“You’re breaking up with me on Christmas Eve?” she repeated

“I didn’t see why not I haven’t got your present yet so it was a win, win babe” he said

“You cheap bastard” she yelled and poured his chocolate shake over him   

 

“I can see this is going to be another shit Christmas” she said to herself as she walked into Hanratty’s.

She went into the staff room and took off her coat and woollen had and shook her black hair like a wet dog.

The day before she had been passed over for promotion and then she gets dumped on Christmas Eve.

She was a 29 years old divorcee and she had worked for the department store in the cosmetics department for seven years and she was passed over for Abigail Subhan,

A 22 year old University graduate who had to take her head out of her arse to smell the perfume.

 

About 4 o’clock that afternoon a middle aged man entered the department and walked up to Samantha’s counter

“Good afternoon sir how may I help?”

"I would like to buy some perfume for my wife." he said

"Certainly sir" she replied. "What does your wife like?”

“I’ve no idea” he replied

“Do you have anything particular in mind?" she asked through gritted teeth

"Not really." he said "but nothing very expensive."

"I understand sir” she said and reached behind her “How about this one?"

He picked it up and looked it over and asked

"How much is it?"

"£150” she replied

“No, I did say nothing very expensive”

She place that bottle back where she had got it from and picked up its neighbour.

“This one is Eighty pounds sir”

"That's still too expensive" he replied

She presented him with a smaller bottle

“How about this one?" she said

"How much?” he asked.

"Fifty pounds sir."

"Do you have anything else?" he enquired.

"Well, there's this small bottle at twenty five pounds."

"Look love" he whispered "I want you to show me something really cheap"

Samantha smiled and said conspiratorially

“Come this way”

She led him to the makeup counter and said

“Just stand there and look straight ahead”

“What for?” he asked

Her green eyes narrowed and she said

“Because you said you wanted to see something really cheap, and that is as cheap as I’ve ever seen”

“Mrs Dunlop!!” Ms Subhan called “My office now”

 

So on top of missing out on promotion and being dumped by her boyfriend she was also sacked from Hanratty’s.

But then maybe saying to her boss that even with the biggest nose in Abbottsford she couldn’t tell the difference between Chanel and Dettol, didn’t really help her case.

 

Her first reaction was to go straight to the pub and get plastered but she was driving to Shallowfield that evening.

And the way her luck was going at that moment she was bound to get stopped by the police and lose her license along with everything else.

Samantha had phoned her best and oldest friend Emily as soon as she got back to work after Darren dumped her and Emily invited her to stay with her and her husband Matt for Christmas.

The Charlton’s had a Flat in East Cliff Lodge, on Teardrop Lake, so she went straight home after she was canned and packed a bag.

 

As she left Abbottsford it started to snow and the snow that had fallen ten days earlier was still evident on the ground so the fresh fall quickly settled.

Samantha didn’t like driving in the snow, well she didn’t like driving full stop if she was honest, and so she was driving very cautiously. 

The snow was obviously coming from the direction she was heading because as she was driving between Childean and Shallowfield the snow on the road was getting significantly deeper so she went even more cautiously.

But as she approached the last significant bend before the Shallowfield she lost control and after fighting with the steering she careered off the road into a ditch.

 

Richard O’Sullivan was in his mid-thirties and was one of the partners in O’Sullivan and Springthorpe Auctioneers in Shallowfield.

He had been driving in the same direction to Samantha Dunlop but then he received a phone call from his friend Jon cancelling their dinner date so he turned around and was heading back home when he witnessed her car briefly skidding across the road before disappearing from view.

 

He stopped the car and looked down into the ditch, the car was nose in and tilted upwards 20 degrees on the driver’s side.

The lights were on and the engine was still running and the driver’s door was open but there was no sign of the driver.

He got out of his car and shouted

“Hello”

He got no response so he clambered down into the ditch and approached the car.

He confirmed the car was empty and reached in and switched off the engine and killed the lights.

He could see footprints in the snow so he decided to follow them and resumed his calling.

After four or five minutes he found a young woman in a clearing blundering about in aimless circles.

“Are you ok?” he asked and she turned around towards him the snow was still falling and accumulating on her Wooly hat.

"It's Christmas Day. Shouldn't we be watching “White Christmas?”” she said
"No” he replied “it hasn’t started yet”

“I like “White Christmas”” she said

“Why don’t you come and watch it with me then?” he suggested and took her arm

“I wouldn’t want to miss it” she slurred and turned towards him which was when he noticed blood on her face.

He guided her slowly back the way they had come and helped her up out of the ditch and into his car.

Then he opened the boot and took out his torch and went back to her car, and located her handbag from the foot well and an overnight back and coat from the back seat and clambered back up to the road.

 

As he was only half a mile from his cottage and the snow was falling thick and fast he decided the best thing to do would be take her to the Old Mill Cottage.

After he settled her on the sofa he took a moment to look at her closely.

She had a bump on her forehead and a cut above her right eye but apart from that her face had a lovely shape and symmetry.

Richard got the first aid kit and cleaned and dressed her cut then he gave her another appraising look.

He noticed she had high cheekbones and flawless skin.

But her shinning black hair and wild green set her apart from every other girl he had ever met.

"My dad wants to play Monopoly" she said "Not me though”

“Quite right” he said and tucked a blanket around her legs and then he went to phone the Health Centre and was put through to the on call Doctor.

“Hello Doctor, its Richard O’Sullivan, there’s been a car accident, a young woman has banged her head, she has a bump on the head, a cut eye and she’s a little confused”

“Ok where are you?” Doctor Philips said

“Old Mill Cottage in Shallowfield” he replied

“I can’t get there myself, the roads are terrible and I’m stuck in Mornington” he said

“What should I do then?” he asked

“I will get to you when I can or failing that I’ll get someone closer to you to attend” he said  

“Just don’t let her go to sleep”

 

He hung up the phone and sat on the floor in front of her and had a nonsensical conversation with her until an hour later there was a knock on the door.

He got up stiffly and answered the door to find two snow covered figures.

“Hello Richard, where’s the patient?”

“Doctor Lutchford? Is that you?” he said “Come in, come in”

“It’s a bit Wintry” Claire said and stamped the snow off her boots “Where is she?”

“On the Sofa” he replied “Is that Peter under all that snow?”

“The roads are un-drivable” he said and shook Richards hand “so we walked”

“I guessed as much” Richard said

“It’s just as well we did there are two trees down so the Childean road is blocked”

“Come into the kitchen and let Claire do her thing” Richard said “I’ll make a hot drink”

 

Claire joined them in the kitchen about 10 minutes later.

“How is she?” Richard asked

“I’ve glued the cut and redressed it. The bump seems superficial and there’s no sign of a concussion”

“Good” he said

“Is it alright if you keep her here overnight?” Claire asked “Getting about is problematic at best”

“Of course it is” he said “Peter was just telling me what it’s like out there”

“Thank you Richard that’s very good of you” she said

“I’ve given her some pain killers, just let her sleep now, but keep an eye on her and call me if there is any change”

 

They stayed long enough to finish their drinks and then said their goodbyes and disappeared again into the snowy night.

Richard made himself another mug of coffee and went back to the lounge.

His houseguest was fast asleep on the sofa, he could have carried her into the bedroom but as she was a diminutive girl she fitted quite comfortably on the sofa, so he saw no point in moving her.

He did go upstairs and brought down the duvets, one he draped over her and the other he would use himself.

Before he settled down he put another log in the burner and picked up her handbag and rummaged inside until he found her purse.

In the front pocket of a rather gaudy pink purse was her driving license and he checked the photo and confirmed it was her.

“Samantha Dunlop” he said out loud and smiled

He also checked her mobile phone and noticed a lot of missed calls, all from the same number.

“Someone is worried about you” he said and dialed the number

 

He pulled the armchair closer to the fire and made himself comfortable and covered himself with the duvet.

That was the last thing he remembered until he awoke in the eerie light of Christmas Morning with a stiff neck.

He got up and stretched and then winced when he turned his head.

He checked first his watch and saw it was after eight and then his guest and found she was still sleeping peacefully.

So he revived the fire and dropped in another log and crept out of the room.

    

Showered, shaved and dressed he returned downstairs to the kitchen.

He looked out of the window and could see it was still snowing though much lighter than the night before.

He flicked on the kettle and turned his attention to lunch.

As he lived alone he didn’t bother with Christmas lunch and all the trimmings, not because he couldn’t cook, he was a very good cook, he just didn’t bother for himself.

In fact he hadn’t done Christmas lunch since his wife died.

Helena loved Christmas and everything that went with it and so did he.

But five years earlier his love of it died along with her.

And even though that was at a different time in a different house he still didn’t put up the decorations like Helena used to.

 

First things first he looked in the fridge and the freezer and checked the cupboards and set about his task.

It wouldn’t be a Christmas Lunch per se but it would be a cooked lunch on Christmas Day.

Once he had everything prepared he made his drink and went back to the lounge.

It was 10 o’clock, Samantha had been asleep for more than 12 hours so he thought it was probably best if she began to come round.

He drew back the curtains and put on the radio, nothing too raucous he thought so he selected Christmas worship on the BBC, then he sat down in his armchair and drank his coffee.

Within ten minutes, helped along by a vigorous rendition of “O come all ye faithful”

She began to stir.  

He was leant back in his chair as first her breathing changed and then her eye flicked open, a little at first, and then fully as her eyes tried to locate something familiar.

Eventually her eyes settled on Richard.

“Where am I?” she asked

“You’re in Shallowfield” he replied

“Have you kidnapped me?” Sam asked

“No” he replied and chuckled “You crashed your car”

She closed her eyes again and tried to remember

“How’s your head?” he asked and her eyes opened again

“Ow” she exclaimed after touching the bump

“Are you sure you didn’t bop me on the head and kidnap me?”

“I’m quite sure” he said “Merry Christmas by the way”

“Merry Christmas?” she said puzzled “I thought I’d already had that”

She sat herself up and asked

“Did I have a bag?”

“Two actually” he replied “Your overnight bag is in the hall, and your hand bag is here”

He leant over the arm of his chair and retrieved it and handed it to her.

“I took the liberty of checking your mobile last night after the doctor left”

“The doctor was here?” she asked

“Yes”

She closed her eyes tight and tried to remember.

“You’re friend Emily called you numerous times, she was clearly quite worried, so I called her and told her what happened”

“Emily” she said in a eureka moment “that’s where I was going”

She grinned broadly at successfully accessing the memory.

“They will come and get you when the roads are passable again” Richard said

“Why don’t you call her while I make a drink?”

“Ok” she agreed

“Tea or coffee?”

“Tea please” she replied and then as he was leaving the room she asked

“Who are you?”

“I’m Richard but my close friends call me Tripp”

He had had the nickname Tripp since he first started big school he was now 35.

It was all thanks to his namesake Richard O’Sullivan whose most famous character portrayal was of Robin Tripp in the shows “Man about the house” and “Robin Nest” and thanks to reruns of the shows when he was a schoolboy the name stuck with him.

 

While he made the drinks she made her phone call to Emily which dispelled her fears of being kidnapped and she was much happier.

He entered the room with the drinks and a pack of Paracetamol

“I spoke with Emily” she said “And I am now happy that I haven’t been kidnapped”

“Good” he said putting her mug down and giving her the pain killers

“Of course Emily and I could be in it together”

“No don’t say that” she said “my head is already messed up”

 

As she finished her tea she asked sheepishly

“Could I be really cheeky and have a shower”

“Of course you can” he said and laughed “I took your bag up and put it in the spare room there’s an en suite so you have complete privacy”

“Thank you Richard” she said

“Call me Tripp” he said

“But were not close friends” she pointed out

“That’s very true” he agreed “But we have slept together”

 

He watched her gingerly climb the narrow stairs and found himself once again admiring her.

He had not looked upon a woman in that way for a very long time, when his wife was alive he only had eyes for her and after her death he focused only on his work. 

When she reached the top he said

“It’s the room on the left”

“Thank you” she called back and then she turned towards him and added “Merry Christmas Tripp”

 

Richard smiled and walked into the kitchen and got on with the lunch

He was an ordinary looking man in fact he was so ordinary if he were to commit a crime the witnesses to it would supply a description that would fit half the population.

He was neither tall nor short or fat nor thin, his face was not unpleasant to look but it wasn’t handsome, his hair was mousy in colour and was unremarkable.     

In summary he was not the type of man who would attract the attention of someone like Samantha.

In fact it occurred to him that only the particular chain of events that had already occurred could have brought them together on Christmas day.

“Apart from kidnap” he said to himself and laughed

         

While the Roast Potatoes were cooking he set the table in the dining room, he always ate at the dining room table, and it was a hangover from when Helena was still alive.

It was her Latin upbringing, she would always say

“Meal times are for more than just refueling”

 

After he’d laid the table he went into the lounge to check on Samantha and found her back under the duvet watching TV.

“Do you want more tea?” he asked

“Yes please” she said “can I do anything to help?”

“No, you just need to relax and enjoy the hospitality” he replied and returned to the kitchen

 

He was lacking too many key ingredients to make an authentic Christmas Lunch, Turkey, Cranberry sauce chestnut stuffing and Christmas pudding and brandy butter, so in lieu of a Turkey he cooked duck breasts, accompanied by Roast potatoes, and a selection of vegetables, desert was an apple crumble.

 

He had taken everything to the table, apart from the wine, which he retrieved from the fridge he then pushed open the Lounge door and said

“Luncheon is served madam”

“Oh goody” she responded     

When she was seated at the table he said

“It’s not your usual Christmas fare I’m afraid, but I did quite a lot of it as I wasn’t sure how hungry you’d be”

“Wow it looks great and I’m absolutely starving” she replied “I can’t remember when I last ate”

Although she couldn’t remember at the time her previous meal was actually lunchtime the day before prior to Darren dumping her.

Richard needn’t have concerned himself about cooking too much because Samantha ate more than her share and still had room for two helpings of Apple Crumble.

 

Richard cleared the table and took the plates to the kitchen and found Samantha stood running the taps at the sink.

“Hey what do you think you’re doing Samantha Dunlop?” he asked crossly

“I’m washing up” she retorted

“You are my guest and guests don’t wash up, now go and sit down”

“I can’t” she replied

“You can’t what?”

“I can’t sit down” she said “I’m too full”

“Ok then I’ll let you off”

 

With the washing up done and two reviving mugs of tea made they adjourned to the lounge.

As the day wore on the snowfall had petered out and by late afternoon the skies cleared just as the light began to fade and the temperature dropped like a stone.

So Richard put on the lights and drew the curtains then he attended to the wood burner before sitting down in his chair.

“Would like music or TV?” he asked

“Is “White Christmas” on today?” she asked “Or did I imagine it”

“Yes it is” he replied “would you like to watch it?”

“Yes please, it’s one of my favourites”

“I know, I remember you saying”

“Really? When?”

He then explained the conversation they had in the woods the night before and she put her head in her hands

“Oh God how embarrassing” she said

“And then when we got back here you announced "My dad wants to play Monopoly””

“Now you’re making it up?”

“Not at all, you said, "My dad wants to play Monopoly, but not me though"”

“Because I wanted to watch White Christmas” she said “I was seven when that happened”

Samantha laughed at the memory and Richards’s rendition of her and then she shivered.

“Are you cold?” he asked and got up from his chair and retrieved the folded Duvet she had used the night before

“Here put this over you” he said unfolding it onto her lap

“Thank you” she said and smiled

“It’s definitely chilly I think I might get my fleece” he said

“We could share the duvet” she suggested and flapped the duvet aside

“Oh, ok, yes” he said and sat next to her on the sofa and she flapped it over him.

As he nervously fumbled with the TV control Samantha’s phone rang for which he was grateful as it diverted attention away from him.

“Hello” she said

“Hi Em, Merry Christmas”

Suddenly he wasn’t so grateful for the interruption once he realized it was her friend Emily presumably to arrange a time to collect her.

There was a long tortuous silence until she said

“Hold on I’ll ask” and Samantha turned her attention back to him

“Emily says the road is still closed so they can’t pick me up until tomorrow, and could you put me up for another night, or put up with me for another night”

“Of course, you can stay as long as you like” he said struggling to keep the delight out of his voice

“Ok Hun bye”

“I’m sorry” she said

“Whatever for?”

“Imposing on you”

“It’s no imposition Sam, it’s a pleasure” he said

“Now watch the film”

 

When he woke up on Boxing Day he was thrilled to see it was snowing again and settling fast on the frozen snow of the day before.

He showered and shaved and dressed for the day and went down stairs with a spring in his step.

When he got to the kitchen he found Samantha was up before him and was in high spirits.

“Morning Tripp” she said “It’s snowing again”

“Yes I know, it looks like I might have to put up with you for another night”

“Really?” she queried

“Well I can’t see them reopening the road today in this”

"How's the head?" Richard asked her
"Better," she told him
“Good”

“Do you mind?” she asked

“Do I mind what?”

“Being stuck with me for another day”

“Not for a second” he replied and she smiled

“In that case can I cook you breakfast?” she asked

“I don’t know, can you cook?”

“Go and set the table and then you’ll find out” she said

As she cooked the omelet’s she was feeling very happy with the situation and was not entirely sure why.

Richard O’Sullivan was not the kind of man who would normally show up on her radar, she went for a very different type, he was rather ordinary.

As she dished the omelets onto the waiting plates the thought occurred to her that, that was probably why she had never landed a good one.

 

Later that day they were playing cards in front of the log burner when Richard said.

“I bet this wasn’t how you envisaged spending your Christmas”

“No it wasn’t” she agreed

“So what was the plan?”

“Christmas dinner with my boyfriend’s parents” she said

“Oh” he said barely hiding his disappointment

“But that was before I was dumped by my skinflint boyfriend on Christmas Eve because he was too tight to buy me a present”

“Ouch”

“Then I lost my job because I embarrassed a miserly customer at Hanratty’s who was too mean to buy a £25 pound bottle of scent for his wife’s gift”

“Oh dear”

“So I called Emily and she invited me to stay and then I crashed the car in the snow”

“That I can verify”

“Me too” she said touching the wound above her eye

“You managed to pack a lot in to one day” he said

“Yes” She agreed “As Christmas Eve’s go, boring it was not”

“Indeed” he said

“Christmas Day on the other hand” she began and then they exchanged a smile.

 

The road through Shallowfield was finally reopened on the day after Boxing Day so Emily and Matt Charlton arrived mid-morning to collect Samantha.

While Sam was upstairs getting her bag, Richard entertained the Charlton’s in the lounge.

“It was kind of you to take Sam in”

“It was nothing” Richard said dismissively

“It was my pleasure”

Just then he heard Samantha’s footfalls on the stairs

“We’re having a party on New Year’s Eve and you are more than welcome to come” Emily said

“Thank you but no I’m not much of a reveler”

“Oh do come” Sam said

“I’m not really much of a one for parties” he replied

“Well if you change your mind its flat 3 East Cliff Lodge any time after nine” Matt said and shook his hand

On the door step Samantha turned and kissed his cheek

“Thank you Tripp”

 

Samantha waved through the back window as he watched them drive down the lane and he felt a strange sense of loss.

Since his wife died he had lived in quiet isolation and he had grown content in his existence.

But Samantha had disturbed his calm and muddied the quiet waters of his life.

 

As Matt drove carefully along the snow covered roads, Emily chatted excitedly at a pitch that was only audile to dogs while Samantha was feeling lost and alone.

 

When he got up on New Year’s Eve the snow had all but gone and he still planned to spend it alone as had become the norm.

All day long he was content it would be business as usual for the turn of the year.

 

Samantha was in Emily and Matt’s spare room for hours getting ready for the party.

Hair, nails, legs, the whole nine yards she even borrowed one of Emily’s raciest dresses.

“You look gorgeous” Emily said

“Thank you” she replied “I thought I should make the effort”

“But you haven’t gone to all this trouble just for us, have you?”

“I don’t know what you mean” Samantha said adjusting her makeup.

“He probably won’t come you know” Emily said

“He doesn’t have to” Sam said

 

Richard was dressed in his smartest suit and was rushing around the lounge muttering under her breath, looking for his car keys when there was a knock at the door.

“Who’s that now” he said to himself

Abandoning his search he went to the door prepared to bark his disapproval in their direction but instead he found Samantha standing on the doorstep dressed to kill and carrying a bottle of Champaign.

“I thought if you won’t come to the party I’d bring the party to you”

She said holding up the bottle

“I was just coming to find you” he said

“Well I beat you to it” she said and smiled

“Shall we go to the party then?” he asked

“No let’s have a quiet night in” she said and closed the door behind her.

THE HOLD OUT

 

You are so cute and fit

But you don’t seem up for it

Is there a reason you won’t play

Do you swing the other way?

Are you playing hard to get

Or haven’t met the “one” yet

It will take more than charmers

To get into your pajama’s

Because I think for a start

They must get into your heart

WHEN I SAY

 

When I say, "I love you", I mean it.

Look into my eyes and believe it

Look into my heart and feel it

I BELIEVE IN SOUL MATES

 

I believe in soul mates

Whom you can sense long before

They come into sight

I believe mine is close

Snippets of Downshire Life – The Latest Girlfriend

 

Downshire is a relatively small English county but like a pocket battleship it packs a lot in, a short but beautiful coastline, a channel port, the Ancient forests of Dancingdean and Pepperstock, the craggy ridges and manmade lakes of the Pepperstock Hills National Park, the rolling hills of the Downshire Downs, the beautiful Finchbottom Vale and farm land as far as the eye can see from the Trotwood’s and the Grace’s in the south to the home of the Downshire Light infantry, Nettlefield, and their affluent neighbour’s, Roespring and Tipton in the North but it’s the leafy Village of Brocklington where our story takes place.

Brocklington is on the River Brooke about six miles downstream from Sharping St Mary in the Finchbottom Vale, and one of the longest established families in the Village were the Payne’s and their forbears had been in the Vale from the time Baron St George first commissioned the building of the famous Mornington Mills, of which only three had survived to the present day and even those were no longer functional and were in various states of repair.

It was largely down to their efforts that the once great wetland that centuries earlier stretched from Mornington in the East to Childean in the west and from Shallowfield in the south to Purplemere in the north had been successfully drained for agriculture.

There were only three small bodies of water left in the Vale now one in Mornington, one in Childean and third of course was Purplemere.

The significance of the Mornington Mills in relation to the Payne family was that the man entrusted by the Baron to oversee the construction of the Mills was a Geoffrey Payne.

His family remained on the Mornington Estate for several centuries working for the St George family, who had been landowners in Downshire since the Norman Conquests.

At one time their lands covered the whole of the Finchbottom Vale however over time the estate became much reduced and Brocklington fell outside of the Estates boundary, and therefore so did the Payne’s.

 

The head of the family was 80-year-old Nathaniel, but he now resided in the Oak Dale Retirement Village and Nursing home in Dulcets Green and was unlikely to leave anytime soon.

So effectively the patriarchal head of the family elect was his eldest son David, although in truth his wife Katie was actually the brains of the outfit and David’s role was more as the figure head and Katie’s was one of absolute ruler.

One of her dictates was Sunday lunch, on the first Sunday of every month the whole family were expected to attend the ritual gathering of the clan.

Of course, it wasn’t always possible for everyone to attend every month for a variety of reasons but on the first Sunday in November it was to be a full house and that had only happened once before, and the reason for the 100 percent turnout was all because of eldest child Gary and the fact he was bringing his girlfriend.

Not that Gary having girlfriend was unusual, far from it, in fact it would have been difficult for the rest of the family to remember a time when Gary didn’t have a girlfriend, and all of them had been unforgettable.

The reason for that was that Gary’s choices would be best described as “interesting” girls.

He didn’t really have a type, which you would have thought he would have done as he was almost 30 years old, but they didn’t even have hair colour in common, body shape, size, height, intellect, athleticism or age.

There had been Zoe, the tattooed one, bald Rachel, the multiply pierced Gretchen, a Butch one called Lennon, a Barbie doll named Candie, a goth, a punk, a biker, a pole dancer and a wrestler who answered to the name Crusher.

So, when word got out the Gary was bringing home another curiosity, nobody wanted to miss it.

His mother, Katie, would have been happy enough had he not felt so compelled to keep bringing them home, but he did, and he was rather like a cat who keeps bringing home various recently departed creatures and dropping them on the doorstep for mum to admire.

So, because of the families’ curiosity there were 18 for Sunday lunch, including Gary and whatever circus performer he might turn up with.

Not that the numbers were a problem to Katie in fact she relished it, she loved to cook and the more the merrier to her way of thinking, it was her disappointment in Gary for his appalling taste in women and his wounded expression at her disapproval which just seemed to say” I’ve done it again haven’t I?”

So, on Sunday morning when Gary’s car was spotted pulling onto the drive Katie braced herself as David looked out the window.

“Well?” she asked reluctantly

“Oh” he exclaimed

“Is the good or bad?”

“It’s good” he replied “she looks normal”

“Really?” she asked in surprise and joined him at the window and observed her sons latest squeeze, 5-6 slim brunette, well dressed, well-groomed and really rather pretty.

“Everyone’s going to be so disappointed” Katie said and smiled.

 

After all the introductions had been done it seemed that not only did she look normal, she appeared to be normal in every other respect, she conversed well and expressed no strong or controversial political views, she didn’t guffaw or shriek when she laughed, and everyone seemed to take to her very well as Gary looked on nervously. 

But it appeared that the only odd thing about her was her name which was Larcee, which made David raise an eye brow, but if that was the only strange thing about her then he could live with that, but he had a nagging doubt at the back of his mind that she might be too good to be true.  

 

When lunch was ready everyone made their way to the conservatory and took their places at the huge table except those already designated to ferry in the food.

When the table was sagging under the weight of Katies generous hospitality, David stood up with a carving knife in one hand and a steel in the other and began stroking the former on the latter and as Katie removed the platter lids to reveal a forerib of beef and a turkey crown he said

“What’s it to be Larcee beef or turkey?”

“Oh, neither thank you, I don’t eat meat” she replied, and a vein started to throb in his temple.

This didn’t go unnoticed, so she intervened in a soothing tone

“Not to worry dear, just eat the Yorkshire puddings and the vegetable, we have duck fat roast potatoes, buttered parsnips, asparagus in cream sauce and a rich gravy”

“I can’t eat any of that I’m a Vegan” Larcee stated and a stunned silence descended and a moment later after composing herself Katie asked calmly

“You two have been dating for two months now and you didn’t think that the fact she is a vegan was important information to share with us when she’s been invited for a meal?”

“That was my fault” Larcee said “I told him not to say anything”

“Why?” Katie asked in disbelief

“I like to see how people cope with the situation then I can gauge what kind of people they are” she explained

“Really?” Katie said and sat down and then David lay down his carving knife and shouted

“Well I’ll tell you what kind of people we are, we are meat eating people, who use cheese, butter and milk in their cooking, a lot of milk cheese and butter”

The tone and volume of David’s retort made her recoil and she pushed back her chair from the table and then he turned his attention on Gary

“As for you son, I suggest you go out and find somewhere to buy a vegan meal for miss fussy knickers”

“I’m not fussy” Larcee protested “it’s a lifestyle choice”

“It’s a fussy choice” David retorted

“What if I can’t find one?” he asked meekly

“Then you’ll have to take Lassie outside and find a pebble for her to suck”

“Its Larcee” she snapped as she stood up

“And now I know what kind of a person you are” she screamed

“Really? Do tell me what you think” David said

“You’re a pig Mr. Payne, that’s what I think”

“Well you’re the only that does, because if everyone else did they’d have killed me and cooked me already” he said brandishing the carving knife and she screamed before she turned on her heels and left and Gary trotted after her

“You enjoyed that didn’t you?” Katie asked

“Very much” he admitted and they all laughed, and he continued with the carving.

After Larcee departed with Gary in his wake the rest of the assembled clan turned their attention lunch, but it took about 30 seconds before proceedings to descend into laugher as they recounted the Vegan incident with several attempts by those present to mimic Larcee and David’s confrontation and when that was exhausted they recounted tales of Gary’s earlier disasters, which took most of the afternoon.

 

Gary caught up with Larcee a little way down the road heading towards the station and it took all of his effort to persuade her back to the car where he could drive her home but suffice is to say that they were no longer an item whether she accepted or not, and he was soon on the lookout for another girlfriend.

After Larcee there were to be three more “interesting” girls invited to Sunday lunch before he finally brought home an uninteresting one answering to the name of Andrea, but it took three Sundays before she was finally declared normal and Gary was able to look at his mum and not see disappointment in her eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mornington-By-Mere – (37) Three Days of Christmas (Christmas Day)

On Christmas Day Bryan and Siobhan woke up with more than the normal joy of a Christmas morning after having made love for the first time the night before.

Brian thought it was a very special night even though he had to climb out of her bedroom window in the small hours and nearly broke his neck in the process while Siobhan watched him all the way and giggled.

 

Christmas morning began with a frosty glaze decorating the rooftops and lightly dusting the evergreens and as the bells rang out to celebrate the birth of the Lord the joyous faithful of the village arrived under a clear blue sky.

It was a most glorious Christmas morning and Bryan’s spirits were high after the early exchange of Christmas presents in Siobhan bedroom.

He was with the rest of the Williams clan as the faithful answered the call of the bells, but he waited outside the church while the others took their places until Siobhan and the rest of the Chapman family arrived and he met Siobhan outside St Winifred’s

“Happy Christmas” he said

“Happy Christmas” she replied and then the two of them just stood and looked at each other with inane grins on their faces and then they were only brought back to the moment by a shout from Siobhan’s Dad telling her to get a move on.

So Bryan kissed her lovingly in the sunshine on the steps of the Church before they both went inside to join the rest of their families.

 

It was an excellent service with Peter Cockcroft on his very best form, but Bryan and Siobhan didn’t really follow preceding’s very closely as their minds and eyes were elsewhere.

 

Afterwards it took some while for the Church to empty as everyone wanted to share their best wishes with each other.

After they eventually left the church Bryan walked with her to Windmill Bridge where they shared a Christmas kiss, said their goodbyes before they went their separate ways.

 

As they had become inseparable in the weeks since they had first met, the days preceding Christmas there had been much debate as to where the couple would spend Christmas day but in the end they decided to have Christmas dinner at their respective homes with their own families and met up at hers in the evening although there was no repeat of the previous night’s excitements.

Instead they ate too much and drank too much and when he left the Chapman’s it was quite late.


Those Memories Made on Teardrop Lake – (26) Christmas Mornings, Christmas Days

 

There was a lot of love on Teardrop Lake that Christmas, some was old and had stood the test of time, and some had led to marriage already, while others waited in the wings.

Some loves were still in the first flush while others were mere embers that were yet to ignite.

And there was more than one person with the hope of love in their hearts.

 

The old loves on the Lake, like Patrick and Kay O’Neill were approaching 30 years of Marriage and Paul and Lynn Cooper were in their 35th year and both couples were blessed with children.

Chris and Jemima Harris had just celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary and Ellen and James Huston were in their 10th year.

Daniel and Winifred Travers were married for 40 years in a Childless union, but one that was overflowing with love and they were still a sublimely happy couple.

Even Rob and Sheryl Brown had survived the ups and downs of the hospitality business and remained married for 42.

 

So it was another year when the Lake had worked its magic and those who had no romantic love were blessed with familial love in its stead.

Some loves born on the Lake celebrated Christmas on foreign shores and others returned in time for the special day.

It was a week before Christmas and India Harris was waiting at the arrivals gate as the passengers from the Sydney flight came through.

She was there to meet her best friend Penny Davies who had been in Australia with her artist fiancé for over two months.

Danny had a commission piece to do over there and neither of them wanted to be without the other for so long so he took her along.

 

Penny came through the gate and squealed when she saw Indie and then her friend did the same.

On one of their trips in the woods, Penny’s fiancée, Danny had spotted something glistening in the water of the brook, so he braced himself against a tree trunk and reached down and picked it up, it was about the size of a pocket watch and was made of some kind of Perspex.

The sort used on world war two German aircraft, a Messerschmitt probably that had been shot off during a dogfight.

The aircraft that may or may not have survived, there was no way of knowing, he slipped the piece of Perspex into his pocket and he thought he could do something with it when he had a spare minute of two.

Well every spare minute he worked on the Perplex and he fashioned it into a number of small objects one of which he slipped on Penny’s finger as an engagement ring.

But on that day she wore a different ring on her finger and when India saw it the squealed again and then Indie showed Penny her ring they were off again.

Penny still proudly wore the Perspex ring on her other hand, and that would remain special to her forever.

Just then Danny appeared pushing the heavily laden trolley.

“It’s ok I can manage” he said before kissing and hugging Indie.

“Is Paul with you?” he asked

Paul was India fiancé Capt. Spreadborough of the Downshire Light Infantry.

“No he’s still on camp” she replied “He’ll be home for Christmas though”

“Did you come on your own then babe?” Penny asked

“No, Dad’s waiting outside” she said

 

On the Tuesday afterwards, paramedic Chris O’Neill took Karen Cooper out on their first date to a very exclusive restaurant in Purplemere called the Runcible Spoon and after all the attention he lavished on her she began to feel that she might be as pretty as her sisters after all.

On the following day it was his brother Fran’s turn when he when on his first date with the lovely Dakota Harris, but being a student he couldn’t afford a fancy restaurant their date consisted of bowling and a slice of pizza, but Dakota didn’t mind a bit.

 

Danny and Penny found the whole week after their return from Australia quite exhausting.

As they went from one friend’s house to another, retelling the same tales of their trip down under to different audiences.

So when Christmas finally arrived it came as something of a relief.

 

After midnight mass at St Mary’s, Megan and Angel shared the peace with fellow worshippers and then went back to Angelika’s Cottage and made love, again.

Early the next morning, just before dawn, Megan woke up and when her eyes grew accustomed to the dark she kissed Angels shoulder and got up.

She dressed quickly and then loaded Paris, Angel’s chocolate coloured Labrador, into her car and drove “Harrison” home to her flat.

She parked the car and went inside and when she came out again she was carrying a bag containing two changes of clothes and the Christmas presents and Skipper was trotting along behind her.

She let Paris out of her car and then she walked the dogs back to the Cottage.

 

“Settle down you two” she said to the dogs who quickly arranged themselves in front of the fire, then she placed the presents beneath the tree and returned to bed and cuddled up to Angelika.

 

“Merry Christmas Angel” Megan said as she kissed her lover awake.

“Merry Christmas honey” she replied sleepily and they cuddled up close.

“This is really nice but we’d better get up and walk the dogs before breakfast” Angel said

“I did it already”

“Really? So nothing to get up for then” Angelika said and started nibbling Megan’s ear.

 

Admittedly Christmas morning was special for everyone but it was also different for everyone.

Olivia Shenton’s Christmas for example was the busiest she had ever known and her organizational skills were invaluable to steer her husband Ben through his numerous seasonal commitments and she loved every minute of it.

 

Practice nurse Kate Marston meanwhile spent her Christmas morning doing home visits, she had volunteered for duty because her Police Officer boyfriend Ian was on duty all day so they had their Christmas Day on Boxing Day.

 

That year, Kate’s colleagues Evangeline Christodoulou and Siti Shahara celebrated their first Christmas as a couple and their first one living together.

Siti’s wounds from the brutal attack by her estranged husband two months earlier, had all healed and the invisible scars would be cured in time by Eva’s love for her, which was abundant.

Siti’s estranged husband spent his Christmas Day in prison.

 

Dr Claire Andrews and film director fiancé Peter Lutchford were in California for Christmas and ate their holiday lunch in bright sunshine on the terrace at a house in Beverley Hills.

 

Penny Davies spent the night of Christmas Eve at Lake View Cottage with Danny and after beginning the day by making love they were nearly late picking up her aunts for Church.

After the Christmas worship they went back with Julia and Amanda and spent the day with them at East Side House.

Consequently they didn’t get to open their presents until the evening.

 

Paul Spreadborough only got home on leave from the army on Christmas Eve and he didn’t get a moment alone with India.

Paul, his sister Ellen and his brother in law James had all been invited to the Harris’s for Christmas Day.

Chris and Jemima Harris put on a wonderful dinner at Shoe Buckle House of tradition fare but Paul’s appetite had not been fully satisfied.

So after lunch Paul and India announced they were going for a walk but they only got as far as the house next door and spent the following hour and a half in his bedroom in Chapel House.

 

Later on Christmas afternoon India’s younger sister Dakota also went out for a walk on the pretext of seeing her friend Karen Cooper but in actuality she met up with Fran O’Neil by the old Tower and they wished each other a happy Christmas.

 

Chantelle Dooney and Richard Grimwood residents of East Cliff Lodge were unaccustomed to sharing Christmases’ and so this one was a novelty so they had their Christmas lunch at the Shallowfield Lodge Hotel and then they walked up to Lovers Leap and sat on the high ledge eating mince pies and drinking Mulled Wine as the snow began to fall.

 

Their downstairs neighbours, the Charlton’s, were away for Christmas and although they were over the moon at their recent reconciliation Matt and Emily’s Christmas was very hard work.

They had to divide their time equally between both sets of parents.

And neither set of parents were as thrilled with their reconciliation as the couple were themselves.

The atmosphere was at times tense and at others downright hostile but somehow they got through it.

Suffice is to say they were delighted when they returned to the sanctuary of their Lakeside home once again.

 

The Cooper and O’Neil families both had big family Christmas days full of loud voices and laughter.

But this year they were full of love as well.

Both families met briefly at St Mary’s on Christmas morning where Jane and Terry acted quite self-consciously around each other.

While Chris and Karen were quite conspiratorial, later during a lull in the festivities they snuck out of their respective houses and met down at the boathouse where they sat and held each other as they watched the snow fall on the lake.

 

Angelika and Megan finally dragged themselves out of bed and Meg walked the dogs again while Angelika put the bird in the oven and made breakfast.

After they’d eaten, they both needed to shower but time was running out.

“We’d better get in together” Angelika said

“Ok but no funny business” Meg said

“But you like the funny business” Angel pointed out

“I know but we don’t have time” Megan said

 

They made it to the service on time and when they returned to the cottage they got the lunch prepared.

Which was when they sat down with a large sherry and opened their presents.

Megan had never done Christmas presents before and she was very excited indeed, almost as excited as she was with the “funny business”.  

She was already on her hands and knees under the tree by the time Angelika entered the room

“Open this one first” Megan said and handed up a little gift bag to her. 

“Ok but let me sit down first” she said laughing

When she was seated she took the package and inside wrapped in tissue paper was a gold and platinum angel pendant inscribed on the back

Mijn engel van liefde”

To my angel of love

“It’s beautiful” Angelika said and cried “So, so beautiful”

And then she joined Megan on the floor and kissed her.

“Your turn” she said and reached under the tree and brought out a small parcel.

“I’ve never had a Christmas present before” Megan said

“Well, you have one now” Angel said “Open it, open it”

“I’m savouring it” Megan said

When she had carefully removed the paper she put it on the floor and opened the gift box and inside she found a gold locket.

“Wow” she exclaimed “it’s lovely”

“Look inside” Angelika urged “Look inside”

So Megan opened the locket up and in one side, it housed a pearl and on the other there was an inscription.

“To my little pearl”

When they had first met Angelika had told her that Megan was an Anglo-Saxon name which meant “Little Pearl”

“Oh Angel” Megan said “It’s so beautiful, I love you”

“And I love you too” she responded, and they hugged

 

Soon Christmas was over for another year but the love expressed in its many guises would live on into the coming year and beyond.