The medieval Village
of Withery, was located between Purplemere and Finchbottom, which was where at
one time the Monks of St Vitus Abbey were the first to grow grapes in the
county.
The Abbey was long ago
reduced to rubble and provided much of the fabric of the Village cottages
surviving from 15th and 16th centuries, and one of them
was occupied by a 45-year-old woman, Annette Slocombe, who was Deputy Warden,
at Withery Grange Nursing Home, which was the 21st century
incarnation of the old Manor House.
In the six months since her husband’s death, Annette had changed beyond
all recognition, she had moved to the village, partly to fulfil a lifelong
dream to live in the country, and partly to escape the marital home that she
viewed as a prison.
She also did all the things her husband heartily disapproved of, so she
was now the proud owner of a dog called Scamp, and a new car which she named
Seve, because it was a Golf, and she also watched trash on television, and she
was free to practice her faith without fear of ridicule.
However, at the age of 45, the one thing she had dared not dream of was
falling in love, and that was something else Malcolm would have disapproved of,
but fall in love she did, with
George Rushworth,
and they made their declaration during the Midnight Mass.
“I love you George
Rushworth” she said
“I love you too” he
replied “and I really want to kiss you”
“There will be time
enough for that” she said and squeezed his hand
After midnight,
Annette and George shared the peace with their fellow worshippers and then when
they went outside George got his kiss and then they went back to George’s
cottage.
Early the next
morning, just before dawn, Annette woke up and when her eyes grew accustomed to
the dark she kissed George’s shoulder and got up.
She dressed quickly
and then loaded Albie, George’s Jack Russell, into her car and drove her car “Seve”,
so called because it was a Golf, home to her cottage.
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 her dog Scamp was trotting
along behind her.
She let Albie out of
her car and then she walked the dogs the mile back to George’s Cottage.
“Settle down you two”
she said to the dogs who quickly arranged themselves in front of the log burner,
then she placed the presents beneath the tree and returned to bed and cuddled
up to George.
“Merry Christmas Darling”
Annette said as she kissed her love awake.
“Merry Christmas
honey” he replied sleepily, and they cuddled up close.
“This is really nice,
but we’d better get up and walk the dogs before breakfast” He said
“I did it already”
“Really? So, nothing
to get up for then” George said and started nibbling Annette’s ear.
George and Annette
finally dragged themselves out of bed and Annette walked the dogs again while George
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” George said
“Ok but no “funny
business”” she said
“But you like the
funny business” he pointed out
“I know but we don’t
have time” Annette said
Without any “funny
business” they made it to the Morning Service on time and when they returned to
the cottage they got the lunch prepared and enjoyed the first of many Christmas
together, including present opening after lunch followed by Christmas “Funny
Business”.
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