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 our story begins in the East, or more
precisely, 20 miles inland from
Sharpington-By-Sea, equidistant between Finchbottom and Pepperstock Green, in
the sprawling village of Denmead.
Owen
Carrington’s Uncle Glyn died on New Year’s Day and left him his Cottage and a
small cash sum, more than enough to keep him going for a few more years.
He left it
to him because he felt they were kindred spirits, he wanted to be a writer
himself but his father made him get a proper job, Owen really liked him and he
was a great story teller, and it was his Uncles colourful tales that helped him
when he was writing his novels.
His death
came as a great shock as it was sudden though not unsurprising given his
health.
So that was
how he found himself living in a lovely Victorian Cottage in the quaint
Downshire Village of Denmead.
It was a
very tranquil place though not without its distractions.
From his
study he could look out through the open French windows and across the expanse
of lawn to a stand of ancient woodland, there was no fence to separate garden
and wood the two just merged.
And on the
other side of the wood was the hub of the village, the Green Oak, everyone
seemed to go there at some point, either for a drink, the restaurant or the
coffee suite.
As a writer Owen’s star was definitely in the
ascendency after the success of his first Romantic novel “The Maiden Muse” but
the change in the fortunes of his writing career were not universally well
received, his publisher liked it, his new agent loved it, the bank manager was
ecstatic about it but his mother was disappointed by it because she thought it
was a bit girlie.
But it wasn’t just his
writing career that was climbing high, so was his love life thanks to his muse and
lover, Juliana Molesworth, who had brought his writers block to an end, and
since she had become his muse he had become a writer of bodice ripping romances
which had proved to be an occupation which suited him very well indeed.
And it suited him in
many ways, but the main benefit was that he was able to work at home, so he had
no tedious commute every day and his working day was flexible to the point that
some days he didn’t write at all.
This afforded him the
opportunity of playing a round of Golf during the working week when most people
had their noses to the grindstone or even taking a day out to go fishing.
Owen
Carrington’s muse and lover Juliana Molesworth, was in her third year at the University of Downshire where she studied English
at Abbottsford.
In the short time
they had been together she had come to mean everything to him so in the final weeks of the
year he did something that rocked her world, he asked her to marry him, and she
said yes.
Since the
day of the proposal they missed each other terribly while she was at University
and he was in Denmead time hung heavy so he was really looking forward to her
coming home for the three week Christmas break.
Due to some
heavy snow fall over night and him having to clear the drive before he could
get the car out of the garage, he was about forty minutes late leaving for the
drive to Abbottsford.
He called ahead
to let Juliana know he was running late but she was ok about it as she was all
behind herself.
He got to Juliana’s
place around one o’clock and miracle of miracles she was ready to go.
Half an hour
after he finished loading the car they finally got away when she had finished
saying her goodbyes of course.
When they
got back to Denmead he thought Juliana would be eager to be reunited with her
nearest and dearest, but it turned out that she was more eager to be reunited
with him.
“Don’t take
me home yet” she said as they entered the village
“Aren’t you
in a hurry to see your mum and dad?” he asked
“Yes, but I
want to spend a couple of hours with my fiancé first” she said
“I like the
way that sounds” Owen replied
He parked on
the drive and walked to the door and went inside and they had barely got
through the front door before she launched herself at him and kissed him.
“Merry
Christmas” she said
They spent a
pleasant couple of hours cuddling on the sofa as they watched a classic Christmas
movie and when it was finished he was allowed to take her home to be reunited
with her family.
It was
starting to snow again as he reversed onto the Molesworth’s drive, it was
little more than a flurry really, barely even enough to qualify as a light
shower.
He unloaded
the car while Juliana rushed inside and hugged her waiting parents and he
traipsed in with her stuff amidst the scene of reuniting embraces and jovial
laughter.
And after a
farewell kiss when his duties were fulfilled he left the Molesworth’s to their
reunion and drove home.
But he knew
he would see his homecoming muse again the next day.
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