When the Mornington Estate exercised its option to purchase Mornington Field from the MOD it also acquired all the buildings and infrastructure on the airfield itself as well as 29 houses in the village formally used as quarters for military personnel.
Plans were immediately drawn up to optimize the newly acquired assets the moment the property was formally handed over on the 1st of June.
The guardians of the estate are the St George family and the head of which is Baron Gabriel St George and his friend and architect Scott Collier was tasked with designing appropriate conversions to maximize the potential returns and enhance the benefits to the village.
Another friend Ray Walker, who was also employed to deal with all thing estate maintenance wise and was responsible for getting the old Air force housing stock occupied asap, and Ray worked tirelessly to that end to have not just the first six houses ready within the month as originally promised, but eight, which were handed over on the 6th of July, two days earlier than forecast.
Gabriel was then able to instruct Lyndon-Sanders Properties of Shallowfield to find appropriate tenants.
Priority was to be given to local people or people with ties to the area or those who worked in some capacity for the estate such as agriculture or the brewery.
Consideration was also given to potential employees for any new commercial premises that might open on Mornington Field in the following January.
Other than that they were to be rented with the only condition being that it had to be the tenant’s primary residence.
Gabriel St George was always conscious of creating a ghost town of professionals who live and work in Town and Cities all week and only return to the village on the weekend.
This was also meant to encourage more trade for the local shops that had to be heavily subsidized by the estate in order to survive.
One such business was Addison’s Bakery, which was located on the River Brooke side of The Street between Boddington’s Butcher’s and Norman’s General Store.
It was only a small shop in the village and as a result it hadn’t had a full time manager since before RAF Mornington was mothballed at the end of the 90s.
The Addison family owned and operated the Addison’s Bakery in Shallowfield and more than two dozen baker’s shops and an equal number of coffee shops and sandwich bar’s throughout the county of Downshire.
The Addison family lived in Tower House which was located at the Shallowfield end of Teardrop Lake, and they were an old Teardrop family who were also very important to the local economy as they were one of the largest employers in the area.
The Patriarch of the family and managing director of the company was Simon Addison and his wife Eleanor who was two years his junior was the finance director.
And they weren’t the only family members employed by the firm, there were more than thirty of them in all, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces and cousins and among them was Nathan.
Nobody in the family wanted to take on the Mornington shop on a full time basis because it was too small and had a limited clientele.
Everyone but everyone in the Addison clan had done a stint in the Mornington shop at one time or another but no one took it seriously and treated any time spent there as a bit of vacation.
Every man jack of them thought it was a dead duck but Nathan and his daughter Chloe had other ideas.
Nathan Addison was a second cousin twice removed from the head of the company, Simon, and he was considered as something of a joke in the family.
It wasn’t always so, he was once a big wheel in the well-oiled Addison’s machine but after his wife died tragically in a skiing accident and he had a nervous breakdown, the wheels came off his wagon.
That was three years earlier and in the time that had elapsed since, he had been worse than useless to the company.
So it came as some surprise to Simon when on the eve of his 50th birthday Nathan approached him to suggest that he take over the running of the Mornington shop.
At first Simon was reluctant to agree as Nathan was not the force he once was but he implored him to give him a chance.
Finally he came to the conclusion that if he didn’t give him that chance Nathan Addison might never come back from his breakdown.
Simon knew it wasn’t really a valuable asset to Addison’s and he couldn’t really do any irrevocable harm to the business so that was the basis under which he granted Nathan permission.
Chloe for her part didn’t really share her father’s opinions that the shop could really take off she was just pleased that he was showing an interest in something.
So she gave up her assistant manager’s job in Abbeyvale and left behind her unreliable boyfriend and went to work with her dad.
Nathan understood that it was only a small shop with a small clientele but as soon as he heard that the old Mornington Field was returning to the Estate he could see the potential and he believed that when the houses in Military Row were all occupied and the old RAF buildings on the airfield were converted to commerce that the trade would increase exponentially.
However before they took over the shop Chloe took Nathan away for a mystery weekend break for his 50th birthday.
They arrived in Salisbury on a hot sunny day and Nathan still wasn’t sure if that was their final destination, until
“Turn right” Chloe shouted
“What here?” he asked
“Yes” she answered
He followed her instructions and drove into the car park of the Castle View Hotel.
He was a little alarmed as it looked like a very expensive hotel and Chloe was treating him for his birthday.
“This looks nice” He said “Maybe too nice”
“Don’t be silly,” she said, “You’re worth it”
They checked in and went upstairs, Chloe had booked them into executive suites, complete with four poster beds and fantastic views of the Cathedral.
“This is too much Chloe” he said
“Nonsense” she said and kissed his cheek
After they unpacked, Nathan and Chloe decided to go for a walk.
They followed the long winding route that crossed over the river, then they followed the pathway as it passed a water mill and went over the mill stream and a weir before the path dissected the lush green water meadow on its way to the town.
And at every turn they were blessed with a fresh view of the Cathedral bathed in the summer sunshine, so once they reached the great edifice they just had to go in.
And it was an afternoon well spent; the Cathedral had a fabulous façade that merely hinted at its grand interior, the stained glass illuminated by the sun’s rays was breathtaking.
The two of them spent hours inside reading every plaque and inscription and when they left they felt cleansed and refreshed.
On the way home they took the same route back across the water meadow they enjoyed the wonderful views only this time they were illuminated by the sun set which made it twice as picturesque.
By the time they got back to the hotel they didn’t have much time to get ready.
“No dawdling dad” Chloe said
“Why is that?” he asked
“We have a table booked at the Cloche Hat for eight o’clock” she replied
“You’re spending too much on me” he admonished her
“I’m really not” Chloe replied
“Executive suites and a Michelin starred restaurant” he pointed out
She took hold of his hand and said.
“Look dad” she said “let me spoil you for your birthday, you deserve it”
All too soon the weekend was over after having visited every place of interest in Salisbury and after one last full English fried breakfast it was time to check out.
However once they had left they had plenty of time to take in at least one more of the local sights before they headed home.
After a few moments discussion they both agreed on Stonehenge as it was on the way they were headed anyway.
“I haven’t been there for years” Chloe said “not since junior school”
“Nor me” Nathan agreed
“Yes but they were still building it when you were at school”
Chloe said and laughed raucously
“You cheeky cow” he said and laughed as well.
After Stonehenge they took in the ruins of Salisbury Castle and the old Cathedral after which they headed towards home, though they took the scenic route and talked all the way.
And talked more than they had since he lost his wife and she lost her mother.
“I’m really grateful” he said
“For what?” Chloe asked “it was only a long weekend”
“No I don’t mean that” he explained
“What then?” she asked with a puzzled expression
“For giving up your life to come to Mornington with me”
He replied
“Nonsense” she said “I didn’t give up anything”
“But you had a life in Abbeyvale” he insisted
“And I’ll have a better one in Mornington” she said
“And what if I’m wrong about the shop?”
“You’re not” she said though in truth she wasn’t sure but she wasn’t go to let him know that.
Nathan and Chloe moved into Number 8 Military Row on August 15th and took over the running of the Baker’s one week later.
For the first few days they had a handover period with the help of Gary Bronson who was probably the most regular of the temporary staff at the shop and then they were all on their own.
Chloe knew the shop was going to be a lot quieter than the Abbeyvale Bakery she was used to.
But she wasn’t prepared for just how quiet it actually was.
The shop itself was quiet small but the footprint of the building was three times the size of the shop floor, so there was room for expansion but she couldn’t envisage the necessity to expand.
It was a pleasant enough shop though and she had to admit Mornington was a very picturesque location.
There was a small patio at the back and a small grassed area that ran down to the banks of the River Brooke.
She liked to sit outside and drink her morning coffee and she would eat her lunch out there.
So there were pluses, and she was sure her dad would be happy to just go through the motions in a stress free way but personally if she didn’t have more to do she would go mad.
The day always started well when the van from Shallowfield brought their delivery.
They would unload the van and fill the shelves and then a flurry of customers would come in and have their pick of the fresh bread and then it slowed down to a trickle until lunchtime and then after lunch virtually nothing.
Along with everything else in Mornington the premises were owned by the Mornington Estate and provided free of charge to Addison’s in order to maintain the presence of a bakers in the village.
All the businesses had similar arrangements their trade was further protected in that for example the Post office and General store were not permitted to sell bread products or cakes other than the packaged kind.
So the butchers, the bakers and Legg’s Farm Shop were the only ones who sell their specialties.
That way nobody was taking trade from anyone else and the General store sold everything else.
So as the shop was owned by the Estate any external maintenance was down to them and internal décor was down to the tenant.
As Addison’s, as a company had rather lost interest in Mornington since the RAF moved away, they had done little to the interior for decades.
So Chloe set about smartening it up, which in the main involved cleaning it really thoroughly.
The paint work required the lick of a paint brush, but she could only do that on Sundays when the shop was shut.
However the store room and the other rooms she could work on any time although she hadn’t really finalized in her mind what to do with them.
But obviously the shop was her first priority and it was the first week of September when she started on it in earnest.
While Chloe busied herself with the aesthetic, Nathan, far from being contend to free wheel, was thinking of ways to make the shop more profitable.
Nathan had been looking at the local map and soon realized that although Mornington was a relatively small village there were very many farms and hamlets dotted around the Vale who had to buy their bread from somewhere so he printed off some flyers offering a free deliver service to customers who placed regular orders.
After that his problem was how to distribute the orders and then an idea dawned on him.
“I’m just popping up to Norman’s love” Nathan said
“Alright dad” Chloe replied
Normans was the Post Office, General Store and newsagents.
He walked into the shop and found the post mistress, Evelyn Norman, fussing around the magazine display.
She was in her early 70’s and had held the post for forty years
“Hello Nathan” she said “How are you?”
“I’m fine thank you” he replied “I’m after a favour Evelyn”
“Well if I can, I will” she said brightly
“I wondered if you might distribute these with the papers” he said hopefully
Evelyn read the flyer very carefully and laughed, which didn’t fill him with a lot of confidence.
“You know Gavin had the selfsame notion just a few weeks ago”
She said
“Now if you could get the Boddington’s and the Legg’s on board as well it might just work”
“You mean make it a joint enterprise” he mused
“Mutually beneficial” she added
Over the next couple of days Nathan approached each business in turn to discuss the possibility of a joint enterprise and he was met with a lot skepticism however after several informal meetings between the 4 interested parties a tentative agreement was made to offer a twice weekly delivery service to the outlying homes and premises.
This service would be free to regular customers but deliveries would be liable to a nominal fee for one offs.
But what hadn’t been settled at the time however, was exactly how the deliveries would be made.
By Friday lunchtime of the first week in September Chloe had made very productive use of her time and finished her complete spring clean of the shop including the shop window inside and out.
Scott Collier was Mornington born and bred and he lived in Bridge View Cottage where he had lived all his life, and like his father he was born and raised there, and Scott couldn’t envisage living anywhere else, it was his home now since his parents had retired to Spain and he loved it.
Scott was short, mousy and singularly unremarkable, he was primarily an Architect but he also liked to get his hands dirty and so when he wasn’t designing he was renovating or converting old properties.
He had already renovated two of the Mornington Windmills and was part way through completing the last one.
When he wasn’t renovating or doing conversions he worked almost exclusively for the Mornington Estate.
Scott had been insanely busy since the Mornington Field and the associated properties had been acquired by the Estate, or reacquired in the case of the land, so any time he could spend on his windmill project was precious to him.
Scott Collier had managed to wangle a long weekend away from his computer so he spent the morning at the Old East Mill, which was the last of the Mornington Mills to be renovated.
He was exceedingly dirty from over two hundred years of dust and grime.
Normally on his day off he would go to the pub for a hot meal and a pint but he wasn’t comfortable with doing that in the state he was in.
So as the Mill was just over the bridge from The Street he decided to get something from the Bakers that he could take home for lunch and after he had eaten he would go back to the Mill.
He paused halfway across the bridge and stared down at the clear babbling water of the river then continued on his way and when he turned the corner Scott walked past the butchers.
But as soon as he put his hand on Addison’s shop door he was met on the threshold by a very slim, very pretty girl with dark brown pixie cut hair.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Chloe said turning her nose up at the state of his overalls
“I was going in the shop” he replied
“Not dressed like that you’re not”
“Why not?” he asked
“Because I’ve spent all week scrubbing off umpteen years of grime and I’m not going let a dirty builder muck it up again”
“I’m not a builder I’m an architect” he responded indignantly
“Do you treat all your customers like this?
“No” she replied “only the dirty ones”
“Please let me in, I promise not to touch anything” he pleaded “I just want some lunch”
“No” she replied adamantly and he was crestfallen
“However, if you tell me what you want I’ll bring it to the door”
“Great” he said rummaging in his pocket and producing a crumpled up ten pound note
“Just two crusty rolls and Danish”
“What Danish?” she asked and with the absolute minimum contact between her thumb and forefinger she took the bank note
“Pecan if you have it, but other than that I’m easy” he replied
“Ok wait there” she said sternly and returned a few minutes later with a small bag and his change.
“Thanks” he said “what should I do next time if you’re not at the door?”
“Knock” she said and closed the door but when she turned to go back to the counter she was smiling.
“She’s cute” he said to himself as he walked towards home, which was at the other end of the Street on the opposite side of the road.
As he passed the Post Office, Lord of the Manor Gabriel St George stepped out.
“Good God look at the state of you” Gabriel exclaimed
Like Scott, Gabriel was Mornington born and bred, they were at the Village school together and at University, and as a result they had been lifelong friends.
Gabriel was tall, blonde and quite striking whereas Scott was short and mousy and covered in filth.
“Hi Gabe” he replied
“I take it you’ve been over at the mill”
“Yes, does it show” he replied and the two friends laughed.
“Where are you off to?” Scott asked
“I need a word with the Addison in residence” Gabriel replied,
He was referring to the fact that there hadn’t been a regular hand at the helm and therefore it hadn’t really felt like part of the Mornington community, although from what he’d been hearing the latest one was not only there to stay but was making plans.
“Well make sure you wipe your feet before you go in, she’s cute but very strict” Scott said
“I’ll bear that in mind” Gabe said “I’ll see you at the house tonight”
“Ok” Scott replied as he was invited to the Manor for a special dinner for Gabe’s sister Elspeth’s 26th birthday.
Gabriel had hired a Chef from Shallowfield for the night to cook a special meal for them, and Gabriel had heard that she had a very good reputation.
Elspeth and Scott had dated for a while just after University but it didn’t really work out, he thought of her more as a sister, and she felt the same way, as a result they were the best of friends but no more than that.
When Gabriel St George got to hear about Nathan trying to introduce a delivery service to the farms and hamlets of the Vale, he was very encouraged.
In the fifteen years since the RAF base had closed Addison’s had only paid lip service to the Mornington shop, and if it hadn’t been for the Estate heavily subsidizing the shop they would have withdrawn altogether.
He walked into the Bakers and found Chloe behind the counter
“Hello” she said brightly “how can I help?”
“Well I was looking for Nathan, I’m Gabriel St George” he said and offered his hand to shake
“I’m Chloe my Lord” she replied more than a little flustered
“Actually I’m a Baron, but I don’t use the title and everyone calls me Gabriel”
“Oh ok” she said regaining her composure
“You’ve really smartened the shop up” he said “Scott warned me to wipe my feet”
“Scott?” she said confused
“Yes the scruffy little oick, yay big” he said extending his hand to approximate Scotts height “mousy hair, dirty face”
“Oh him” she said “I bet he said I was a right harridan”
“No, he said you were cute actually”
“Oh” she said and she was flustered again
To spare her further embarrassment he changed the subject and asked
“So is Nathan about?”
“He’s up at the house” she replied
“Oh ok I’ll go and see him there, number 8 isn’t it?” he said from the doorway
“Yes that’s right” Chloe said and with a nod of the head and a smile he was gone.
As he walked up Military Row, with the completed houses on his right and the untouched ones on his left, he could see what a great job Ray Walker and his team had done on renovating the old RAF houses.
Ray’s job on the Estate was normally buildings maintenance but since Mornington Field came back to the Estate he had been incredibly busy.
He was another local boy, born and bred and he had worked for the estate since he left school.
If you had ever met Ray you would never have forgotten him because he was a giant of a man with a shock of unruly red hair and an abundance of freckles, Gabriel liked him very much.
And after all his hard work there would be a sizable bonus in his pay packet at the end of the year.
Gabriel knocked on the door of number 8 and waited and when the door opened Nathan appeared.
In his youth he had been an athletically built young man with dark curly hair and blue eyes, but with age his blue eyes were paler, and his hair thinner and greyer and as a result of his wife’s death and his subsequent illness his physique had wearied and thinned.
However after his first month in Mornington the colour had returned to his skin and he had a new vitality.
“Yes” he said
“Nathan Addison?”
“Yes that’s me”
“I’m Gabriel St George, do you have a minute or two”
Once inside the two men sat in the lounge and Gabriel said.
“I’ll get straight to the point, I understand you are trying to introduce a universal delivery service for the Mornington businesses?”
“Well yes, the other parties have agreed in principle” Nathan said “but they’re a bit sceptical that it will ever get off the ground, are you here to tell me it’s a non-starter as well?”
“No not at all” he replied quickly “in fact I have a proposition”
One of the biggest employers in the village was the Mornington Brewery, which produced some very highly regarded ales, sold far and wide.
The brewery also had a very profitable side line of brewery tours and tastings sessions, and more importantly “off sales”.
There was a very heathy trade in selling bottled and draught ales to individuals over the counter.
But what they didn’t offer was a delivery service, and people in the modern age like things delivered to their door, so much so that they will sacrifice the quality just to get the convenience.
They had draymen to deliver the large deliveries to pubs and distributors but no one to do the small stuff.
So what Gabriel suggested to Nathan was that along with the other village shops they could also deliver the brewery off ales as well.
“So if in return for delivering the off sales, I was to provide you with the use of a suitable vehicle two days a week and all you had to do between the four of you is supply a driver, what would you say?” he asked
“I would say you had yourself a deal” Nathan said and shook his hand.
After a wonderful meal and far too much wine on Friday night at the Manor, Scott was in no fit state on Saturday to be banging and crashing about in the Mill so he decided to write the day off but he would put in a full day on Sunday to make up for it.
Addison’s wasn’t open on a Sunday so he got himself something pre-packed from Norman’s and ate lunch on the river bank in the late summer sunshine.
Chloe Addison didn’t think she was pretty but she thought her dark hair was so she was flattered that the man outside the shop thought she was cute.
“That’ll be the pixie cut” she said to herself as she walked along the river bank.
As she walked along with the sun behind her she looked at her shadow, it wasn’t a very substantial shadow because she was very slim.
“I wonder if he thinks I’m skinny?” she thought to herself
She was a very slim girl despite the fact she was a bit too fond of the pastries.
But she kept that way because she never sat still, she was one of life’s doers, she was always busy at something, and on those occasion when she wasn’t she liked to walk.
Which was what she was doing when she came upon the scruffy builder laying in the grass beside the river in his dirty overalls.
Scott was laying back in the grass relaxing having finished his lunch when Chloe said
“Hello scruffy”
He opened his eyes and looked up at her
“Oh hello” he said and stood up
“I see you’re not any tidier on a Sunday” she said “You builders are a mucky lot”
“We architects if you don’t mind”
“So is this where you’re working” Chloe asked pointing at the old sail less windmill
“It’s a bit tired looking” she said “Not a bit like the other two in the village”
“Well they looked as bad as this one before I started” he said
“Really you renovated them?” she said impressed
“I did” he replied proudly “would you like to see inside”
“Yes please”
“Don’t forget to wipe your feet” he said
“Very funny”
“I meant on the way out” he said and she laughed.
“There’s a lot of work needed isn’t there” she said trying to sound as if she knew what she was talking about “how often do you work on it?”
“Not as often as I’d like” he replied “But I try to do at least one day a week, more when I can get some time off”
Chloe stayed for about 10 minutes and was genuinely interested in what he was saying, she would have stayed longer but she was expected back for lunch with her Dad.
The next day he spent the morning on a particularly gutty job and by lunchtime he’d had enough.
He finished earlier enough to go home and get cleaned up in time to have a pub lunch but he rather fancied seeing if cute Chloe would let him in the shop.
The last time he was there she told him to knock the next time, well he looked through the window and couldn’t see her so he decided he would just go in and see what happened.
But as soon as he put his hand on Addison’s shop door he was met on the threshold by Chloe.
“Where do you think you’re going?” she said “I thought I told you to knock”
“Really I don’t remember that” he replied
“A likely story”
“Honest” he said
“What can I get you this time?” she said with a smile
“Same as before please, two crusty rolls and Danish”
“I thought you might be in so I saved you a Pecan Platt” she said
“That’s my favourite” he said and held out a handful of coins
“Yes I remember” she said and took the appropriate amount
When she returned a few minutes later with a small bag and his change he thanked her and added
“Are you going to do this with all the workmen?”
“All what workmen?” She asked
“The ones that are starting work up at Mornington Field at the end of the month”
“I didn’t know they were starting yet” She said
“I only found out myself on Friday night” he said just as another customer pushed past them into the shop
“Thanks for the heads up” Chloe said as he walked away
That afternoon was very quiet so she sat down and tried to figure out what she could do to capitalize on the influx of workmen.
The shop was quiet small but the footprint of the building was three times the size of the shop floor, so there was room for a food preparation area in what was currently the office, where she could make sandwiches.
And in the long tiny sitting room could be knocked through and house a self-serve coffee station.
The small room upstairs which was empty would be more suitable as an office and the two big rooms would do better as the sitting room and an additional storage area.
However as she stared out through the plate glass window she thought she would need some assistance if she was achieve what she envisaged and she smiled.
Despite having knocked on the door of Bridge View Cottage on three separate times during the week she didn’t actually get to see Scott Collier until the Friday of that week and when she did see him it was by accident rather than design.
It was Nathan’s turn to cook so after closing the shop her dad went home to start the dinner and Chloe went for a walk to work up an appetite.
She turned right and crossed the East Bridge over the River and once on the other side she looked to Windmill and found it to be deserted and so disappointed she turned right again and followed the riverbank path past the village hall and towards the church.
When she reached St Winnifred’s Chloe crossed the churchyard and proceeded on through manor wood, emerging on the other side in sight of the brewery and crossed to road.
She paused on the river bank and took a drink from her water bottle and gazed across the river to Dulcets Mill and admired Scott’s handiwork.
“If he can do that he can definitely help me” she said and then followed the Purplemere road back toward the village.
According to the church clock it was seven o’clock when she started across Church Bridge just as a man in a dinner suit was coming the other way.
“Hello” Scott said and Chloe did a double take
“Well look at you” she said “You scrub up quite nicely for a builder”
“What do you mean? This is what I normally wear underneath my overalls” he countered “I’m not a builder, I’m an architect”
“Don’t give me that you don’t wear anything under your overall” she said
“In your fantasies maybe” he said and made her blush
“So where are you off to anyway?” she asked trying to change the subject
“I’m going to a University Dinner in Abbottsford with Gabriel”
He replied
“I’ve been looking for you all week” she said
“I’ve been up at Mornington Field all week” he replied “Why?”
“Why what?” she asked
“Why were you looking for me?”
“I have need of an architect who moonlights as a builder” She said
“Can you suggest anyone?” she queried
“It sounds like something I might be able to help with” he admitted
“But why would I want to?”
“Because I’m the cute girl from the bakers” Chloe taunted him
“Ah” he exclaimed “who blabbed?”
“His Lordship did”
“Ok you got me” he surrendered “I’ll come and see you tomorrow”
It was late on Saturday morning as Chloe was dealing with a special order for a 4 tier wedding cake that she saw Scott through the window and he did not look well.
The wedding Cake was required for a wedding taking place at St Winnifred’s in two weeks’ time.
“So when will it be delivered?” the bride to be, Jenna Newman asked
“It will be here on the Friday the 26th” Chloe said
“Is that guaranteed?” Bridesmaid, Kashveen asked
“Well I can promise you that if it isn’t I will drive to Shallowfield myself to pick it up”
“Good enough” Jenna said
Scott held the door as Jenna and Kashveena left and then stepped inside himself.
“Oh dear” Chloe said as she looked at Scott’s face “A good night was it?”
“I think so” he replied
As the shop was empty she took him into the sitting room and explained what she had in mind, and how quickly she needed it.
He made a rough sketch and then, using a laser measure, added the dimensions to it.
“How big a budget do you have?” he asked
“Miniscule” she replied “Addison’s HQ don’t value this shop enough to invest in it, so it’s just my savings”
“So no budget and 3 weeks to spend it in”
“That’s about the size of it” she replied
“Great I love a challenge” He said
“So you’ll help me then?”
“Yes I will” he replied “just as long as you understand I’m only doing it because you’re cute”
“Ok” Chloe replied and blushed
Chloe had told Nathan already what she planned, and the reason behind it and he fully supported her and he even gave her some more money for the pot.
He always had confidence that the shop had a future he was so relieved that Chloe was now a hundred percent on board.
Nathan was convinced that his daughter was only paying lip service to his beliefs, but he was apparently wrong and in a big way.
Over the few days after he said he would help her, Scott made numerous visits to the shop and took more measurements and then he would rush off again.
She didn’t know why he kept measuring because he didn’t stop to speak, but then Chloe didn’t realise that one of Scott’s clients in Finchbottom had commissioned him to draw up plans to convert a former tea shop into a solicitor’s office and the shop still had some of the fixtures and fittings including 2 stainless steel food preparation tables, which he was able to purchase for a bargain price.
To do the wok he used two local lads, Ian Hall and Richard Prewitt from Windmill Farm, who he had used on small conversion jobs, and as they both had young families they were always looking for extra cash.
Obviously they could only work in the evening when they were knocking through walls and erecting partitions.
But by the Saturday of the big wedding on the 27th they were onto the finishing stages.
Chloe left the shop a 4pm to go and get changed for the wedding reception at the village hall.
She wasn’t going to go, firstly because her Dad was away for the weekend and she didn’t want to go on her own, secondly social events weren’t really her thing, especially when she didn’t really know anyone in the village she wanted to socialise with, apart from Scott Collier.
Which was why she left the shop early to get ready because Scott had suggested they went together.
It wasn’t a date or anything they were just going as friends but she still spent two hours getting ready.
Chloe left the house at 7.45pm wearing a blue cocktail dress and a contrasting pashmina and she could see Scott was already waiting by the bridge as she looked down Military Row.
“He’s keen” she said and giggled
As she reached the bottom of the road she glanced over and could see the lights were still on in the shop.
“Am I late?” she asked
“No I’m early” he replied
“Good, so we’ve got time to check on how they’re getting on in the shop” she said and began walking that way
“Oh no you don’t” he said and grabbed her by the hand and pulled her back the other way.
“But I just want to see” she pleaded
“No” he said sternly and kept her moving “It will keep till tomorrow”
“Just for a minute, please” she asked
“No, tonight is for dancing” Scott said
“Dancing? I didn’t know there would be dancing” Chloe replied not even noticing they had crossed the bridge.
“Is that a problem?” he asked
“No” she replied “no it isn’t”
Scott smiled and any further notions of inspecting the shop seemed to have been expelled from her mind, but he didn’t relinquish his hold of her hand until they reached the village hall.
And then Scott made a point of introducing her to the other guests and then they got to the dancing which went on late into the night.
It was almost 2 am when Scott and Chloe crossed the river again and she was wearing his jacket and they were holding hands once more.
“Can we go to the shop now?” she asked “pretty please”
“Just for a minute” he agreed
Well it took more than twice that long for her to get the key into the lock.
When they eventually got into the shop and found the light switch Chloe got very excited.
“It’s finished”
“So it is” he agreed
“You did this” Chloe said
“No it wasn’t me, I was dancing with you remember” Scott replied
“I do remember, you also squeezed my bum” she recalled “but that’s not what I mean”
“What then?”
“All this” she said flourishing her hand and almost overbalancing until Scott caught her
“Qops”
“You made this happen” she said and took hold of his tie and pulled him closer to her and then she kissed him very passionately until he came up for air and said.
“I thought you didn’t allow anything dirty in the shop?”
“You’re absolutely correct” she said mispronouncing absolutely quite dramatically
“I don’t, but you can get dirty once you’re inside”
“I see”
“So you can kiss me again now” she said and wrapped her arms around his neck
“Or I could walk you home and kiss you goodnight on the door step” he said “and we can do this later when you’re sober”
“But you might not want to kiss me later” she said
“Oh yes I will” he explained
“Really?” she asked quietly
“Yes because you’re the cute girl from the bakers”
So later than Sunday afternoon, clear headed and stone cold sober the Architect and the Bakers daughter met once again and they did indeed kiss and then they made love but not on cold stainless steel in a Bakers shop smelling of fresh paint.
Scott made love to the cute girl from the Bakers in the house he had lived in all his life and the place that would be their home for the rest of hers.
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