When
the Mornington Estate exercised its option to purchase Mornington Field back
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.
The guardians of the estate are the St George family and the head
of which is Baron Gabriel St
George made immediately plans to
optimize the newly acquired assets the moment the property was formally handed
over on the 1st of June.
There was an acute shortage of family properties in
the village so while his
architect Scott Collier was tasked with designing appropriate conversions to
maximize the potential returns and bene, Ray Walker who dealt with all things
estate maintenance wise was responsible for getting the old Air force housing stock occupied ASAP.
To that end Ray worked tirelessly 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 and by that he meant that.
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 and the brewery.
Other than that they were to be rented out with the
only condition being that it had to be the tenant’s primary residence.
Gabriel was always conscious of creating a ghost
town of professionals who live and work in Town all week and only return to the
village on the weekend and he was determined that that wouldn’t happen.
One
such family to benefit from the new housing in Mornington were the Legg’s, who
were one of the first to move into Military Row.
The Legg family where poultry farmers and
lived on Dryfield Farm near the hamlet of Fallowacres, which was as near as
damn it the center point of the Vale, though only geographically.
They also ran Legg’s Farm Shop in Mornington and had done for
several decades.
Helena
Legg, a 48 year old Widow ran it with her daughter Ruby and her nephew Nick, Nick
was an orphan and Helena had raised him since he was 11 She enjoyed her job very
much but the journey from Fallowacres to Mornington every morning and back
again each night made the days very long indeed and she found it was quite wearing.
So
when she heard about the new houses she was straight onto the agents and as a
result they moved into number 4 on July 13th and from the moment they moved in they felt at
home and it was so nice to have somewhere of their own to call home.
Living at the farm had its pluses but privacy wasn’t
one of them.
Ruby
was 25 and was a pretty girl, Tall and willowy with long yellow hair and she
couldn’t wait to escape the farm and start afresh.
The
farm shop was situated at the opposite end of The Street from Addison’s bakers
which was significant because that was where her new best friend worked.
She
and Chloe Addison became friends almost immediately and she liked her a lot and
they’d become really good mates even though she was a little bit jealous of
her, not because of her looks or anything like that, if anything Ruby was the
prettier of the two.
No
what she was jealous of was that Chloe had found someone, a significant
someone.
She
had only been in the village for 5 minutes and she had snaffled Scott Collier,
she’d lived in and around Mornington all her life and she’d had hardly a
nibble.
They
had become friends because they had a lot in common.
They
were a similar age, Chloe was a year younger, both were only children and they had
both lost a parent and they had both moved into Military Row within weeks of
each other.
Since
moving into Military Row everything was going so well for Ruby and then he
arrived in the village, her nemesis.
She
had been covering for Chloe at the Bakers while Nathan was out doing the
grocery deliveries and Chloe was doing her sandwich run up to the Mornington
field.
She’d
said goodbye to her friend and just stepped out on the street when he said
“Well
look who it is”
Although
he was behind her he recognized his voice immediately, Allen Boddington.
She
turned around hoping she was wrong but alas no.
“God
I thought I’d seen the last of you” she snapped
“Now
don’t be like that Rube” he said
“Don’t
call me that”
“We’ll
get to see lots of each other now I’m living in the village and working in the
shop”
“You’re
moving to the village?
“Yes
Military Row” he replied “number 7”
“Oh
terrific” she exclaimed
“You
don’t seem very pleased” he remarked
“That’s
because I’m not”
“But
why” he asked in disbelief
“Because
I don’t like you” she retorted
“Why?”
Ruby
and Allen and his twin Eleanor, had been good friends when they were younger,
they were always around each other’s houses, they would sit together on the bus
to school, and they spent a lot of their spare together during their childhood
and were the best of mates.
That is until she turned 15 and he changed towards her and started teasing her.
His favourite line was
“Ruby
Legg? What colour is the other one?”
She put on a brave face at first but he was relentless with his torments and so
they stopped being mates and he teased her even more so she started avoiding
him which was a shame because they were really good friends.
So when he asked her why she didn’t like him she replied
“Because
you’ve tormented me for years”
“It
was just a bit of fun” he said
“It
wasn’t fun from where I was standing”
“We
were just kids” he said dismissively
“Oh
well that’s ok then” she snapped and marched away
“We
were just kids” he shouted after her “I’ve changed”
Ruby
was cross and stomped off up the road but the thing she was really cross about
was that she still thought he was a good looking lad with his thick black curly
hair and wild gypsy eyes, dark and mysterious, and he was buff too.
But he was also a pig, which was quite apt because apart from being Butchers
the Boddington’s were also pig farmers at Saddleback Farm.
After
that it seemed like every time she turned around he was there pestering her, he
didn’t tease her, he wasn’t un-pleasant or unkind he was just persistent.
And every time he saw her, which was a lot, he would ask her out, a drink, the
pictures, bowling, and she would brush him off and this continued for the first
three weeks of October and Ruby was beginning to weary of it.
It
was Ruby’s turn on the delivery run that Nathan Addison had instigated to
service the many farms and hamlets dotted around the Vale.
They
had to buy their bread, meat, produce and groceries from somewhere so offering
a free delivery service to customers who placed regular orders they ensured
they got their supplies from them.
After
the Bakers, Ruby had loaded all the orders with the exception of Boddington’s
so she took a deep breath and then walked into the shop and steeled herself.
But
instead of having to fend off Allen’s persistent advances she found his twin
sister Eleanor behind the counter.
“Ellie!”
she squealed
“Hey
Rube” she screamed and ran around the counter and the two of them danced around
the shop hugging.
“Where’s
Al?” Ruby asked suspiciously
“He’s
covering in the Shallowfield Shop” she replied
The
Boddington’s had a number of butcher’s shops in the Vale.
“Is
he staying there for good?” Ruby asked hopefully
“No
he’s just there for a couple of days”
“Shame”
“What
happened with you two?” Ellie asked “I always thought you two would get
together”
“He
happened” Ruby said
“What
do you mean?”
“Well,
just when I started to look at him as something other than a mate he started
being mean”
“He
was just winding you up”
“He
tormented me for two years”
“But
he adores you”
“Pah”
Ruby exclaimed
“No
he really does” Ellie said
“Anyway”
Ruby said changing the subject
“How
come you’re here? I thought you were living in Childean”
“I
was”
“So?”
“Boyfriend
trouble”
“I
see”
“I
thought I would hide out in for a while, it was either Mornington or the pig farm”
“No
brainer” Rube agreed and looked at her watch
“I
really need to get going”
“Let’s
catch up soon” Ellie said
“It’s
great to see you again” Ruby said and loaded the meat order into the back of
the van and off she went.
And
as Ruby drove away Ellie said “time for an intervention I think”
It
wasn’t until the end of the week that they bumped into each other again and
Ellie asked.
“Are
you going to the Halloween party at the Church Hall?”
“I
wasn’t”
“Come
with me then” she said casually
“Oh
I don’t know”
“Come
on Rube, a burger, a beer and a natter”
“Oh
ok”
Halloween
was one of the few nights of the year apart from Mondays when the restaurant at
the Old Mill Inn was closed to diners, instead they did the hot dogs and
burgers for the Halloween party at the Church Hall.
The
early part of the evening was more for children with traditional games but
later on when the beer arrived from the brewery it was all about the adults.
Ruby however was there right from the beginning helping
with the games and playing with the little ones until they were taken home
which was when Ellie arrived and Ruby smiled but when she saw that right behind
her was Allen her smile faded.
“What’s
he doing here” Ruby asked as she kissed Ellie’s cheek
“Sorry”
she replied
“Have
you got one of those for me?” Allen asked
“In
your dreams” she retorted and turned her back on him.
The
girls sat down at a table and Allen went off to get them drinks.
“I
didn’t know he was coming” Ruby said
“Nor
did I until half an hour ago” she lied
“But
when he heard you were here there was no stopping him”
Despite her loathing of him
she couldn’t stop herself stealing glance at him as they sat at the table
eating their burgers.
He was still so damn good
looking and she suddenly felt as she did when she was 15.
Allen caught her watching him
and when their eyes met she blushed and looked away.
“Could she actually be embarrassed?”
he thought to himself and it gave him some hope.
He could’ve been mistaken but
she certainly looked to be
blushing although it could have been his imagination.
When they had finished eating
Ellie got up and said
“Just going to the loo, back
in a mo”
Ruby wasn’t very happy at
being left on her own with him but she thought if she ignored him he might go
away.
The all of a sudden he broke
the silence.
“I’m sorry”
“What?”
“I’m sorry”
“What for?”
“For being mean to you” he
said
“Why did you do it?” she asked
“I thought we were mates”
“That was the problem”
“What do you mean?” she asked
slightly confused
“I didn’t want to be mates”
“Oh”
“You ….” He began
“What about me?” she asked taking a swig of beer.
“You were so popular at school”
“In what way?” she asked
“All the boys fancied you, and some of the girls”
“Did they?” she asked in disbelieve because as a teenager she was totally
oblivious.
“Yes, and not just at school either” he added but didn’t clarify
“What’s that got to do with
you tormenting me?”
“Oh, because I was one of them”
“One of what?”
“One of the ones who fancied
you” he clarified
“Well you didn’t show it” she
said thrusting her chin out defiantly
“And you wouldn't have either if you’d been me” he said
“I was a year younger than you
and I didn’t stand a chance with you, especially when I got the braces”
“Braces didn’t stop me fancying you,” she said
Allen wasn't sure he’d heard her correctly and Ruby on realizing she had said
it out loud hoped he hadn’t.
“You fancied me?” he asked
pointing to his chest and she nodded.
“You really didn't know?”
He shook his head.
“What about all the times I flirted with you” she asked open-mouthed
“I was 14 I didn’t understand flirting”
He couldn't believe he had been
such a dunce. Ruby, this beautiful girl, had actually fancied him and he had
blown it.
“I still don’t understand why
you started being mean to me”
“You went to the pictures with
Callum and I was jealous” he explained “And once I’d started I didn’t know how
to stop”
“You idiot, I didn’t go to the
picture’s with Callum, I went to Shallowfield with Callum where he met his
girlfriend Emily, they went to the pictures and I spent the day by the lake”
“Oh”
“Where’s Ellie got to?” she
snapped
“I’m not sure”
“She’s not coming back is she?”
“No” he confessed
“Right” she
said “I’m off”
“Ruby!” he said a bit too aggressively which made her
jump
“Come to the bonfire with me”
“I don’t think so” she replied
“Well that’s an improvement” he said
“What do you mean?”
“Well last week it would have been a definite no” he said
“We could watch it together”
“No”
“Oh come on what harm can it do?” he pleaded
“I ...” she began and looked at his wild eyes and all of
a sudden she was 15 again
“Ok, but it’s not a date”
The Bonfire night party was normally held in the grounds
of Mornington Manor although there hadn’t actually been a bonfire lit in the
village in living memory but the fireworks were usually quite spectacular and
people came from every corner of the Vale to see them.
But this year it was being held up at the old airfield
and a huge bonfire had been built, kids in the area had been collecting wood
for weeks and the workmen up at the field had contributed materials and their
time to build a bonfire of colossal proportions.
And word of its magnificence had been spread far and wide
so a bigger than normal crowd was expected.
Allen waited by the main gate of the airfield
and hoped that she hadn’t said yes just to shut him up as he perused the faces
of the throng as it passed him.
Then because of the crowd he was concerned he
may have missed her, though he thought it unlikely.
She was after all the love of his life and he
could have picked her out of a crowd blindfolded.
Nonetheless with every second that passed his
confidence began to ebb away with the revellers.
It was over ten minutes after the agreed time
when he finally saw her walking slowly across the bridge and his heart skipped
a beat.
“I thought you were going to stand me up” he
said when she eventually reached him.
“I thought about it” she replied
“Well I’m glad you decided to come anyway”
Allen said
“Only time will tell if it was the right
decision” she said “I have my doubts”
“Have a little faith” he said softly and
smiled
“Easier said than done” Ruby said
“Shall we go in?” Allen said and gave a nod
of his head towards the air field.
“Alright” she agreed
They walked slowly through the gate and down the road towards the sound of
chattering voices, neither of them spoke as they both wanted to choose their
words carefully, and neither of them wanted to get things off on the wrong
foot.
When they reached the back of
the assembled crowd they stopped and Allen turned towards Ruby in order to
impart some well-chosen words of wisdom when out of the blue, Ruby kissed him
and it was a kiss that had been a long, long time coming.
But it wasn’t frantic or frenetic,
it wasn’t uncontrolled or reckless it was gentle and measured and…perfect.
They hadn’t even noticed the display
had started and when their lips reluctantly parted they had ignited fireworks
of their own and then they looked into each other’s eyes and then kissed again,
as if to seal the deal.
After that explosive kiss they did a lot of kissing after all they had a lot of kissing to do in order to make up for the ten years they had wasted.
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