Mornington-By-Mere
is a small country village lying in the Finchbottom Vale nestled between the
Ancient Dancingdean Forest and the rolling Pepperstock Hills.
It is a
quaint picturesque village, a proper chocolate box picturesque idyll, with a
Manor House, 12th Century Church, a Coaching Inn, Windmills, an Old Forge, a
Schoolhouse, a River and a Mere.
But Mornington-By-Mere
was not just a quaint chocolate box English Village it was the beating heart of
the Finchbottom Vale and there were a number of cottages and small houses on
the Purplemere road and Dulcets Lane which formed the part of Mornington
Village known as Manorside and 41 year old Rhonda Kane lived on Dulcets Road at
Marigold Cottage.
She was a
solicitor with Bramstock, Goodman, Crossfield and Bushe in Abbottsford.
Normally she
lived alone but at that time her younger brother Brian was staying with her
following his divorce.
Also living in
Manorside on Dulcets Road in Brewery
House was Daniel
Goman-Smith, who lived with his ex-wife Sarah.
It was a
curious arrangement, they had been divorced for two years, but there was no
hatred, betrayal or estrangement they just simply fell out of love.
They were
still the best of friends, which they agreed that they perhaps should have
stayed as such and not married in the first place.
But because
they were still friends and enjoyed each other’s company and as neither of them
had anyone else they decided to continue living together.
They were both
doctors, Daniel worked at the Sharpington Jubilee Surgery and Sarah worked for
the Dancingdean Health Centre in Shallowfield.
Sister and
brother Tree surgeons, Kate and Gary Pottinger were also Manorside residents and
they lived at number 5 Brooke Side
Cottages.
On the first
Friday in June the Goman-Smiths and Brian Kane travelled separately to
Abbottsford and would be spending the whole weekend at the Abbottsford Regents
Hotel, Rhonda Kane was already in town as she had to work.
But they
were not the only Mornington residents planning a weekend away, Gary and Kate
Pottinger would also be there but they wouldn’t set off after work on Friday
evening when their fellow villagers were already there.
Sarah
Goman-Smith, on arriving in town took the opportunity for a spot of retail
therapy in the Phoenix Centre.
She didn’t
often have the time to spend shopping in places like Abbottsford, with the big
name stores, so the thought of spoiling herself was very tempting so she took
full advantage of the time she had and come the end of the day she had found it
very therapeutic and among her many purchases were some delicious items of
lingerie.
While Gary
and Kate were still working among the Mornington Estate woodland Brian Kane and
Daniel Goman-Smith were both at the offices of Bramstock, Goodman, Crossfield
and Bushe, though quite independently.
Daniel had a
meeting with one of the Solicitors, Rhonda Kane, to discuss his late Uncles
estate, which was really only a formality.
Brian Kane
was there however to take his sister to lunch.
After
dropping his ex-wife Sarah at the Phoenix Centre Daniel Goman-Smith was sitting
in reception at Bramstock, Goodman, Crossfield and Bushe, the firm of Solicitors
handling his late Uncles estate, by 11 o’clock.
He had an
appointment with Rhonda Kane at 11.15 but he always liked to be early but he
was still waiting at 11.25.
It made him
angry when people didn’t keep to time so he presumed Ms. Kane to be some Manish
ball breaker who enjoyed keeping people waiting.
So when he
saw an attractive woman, tall and slender in her early forties wearing a
tailored business suit and spectacles he assumed she must be Ms. Kane’s
personal assistant.
“Mr.
Goman-Smith?” She said holding out her hand “sorry to keep you waiting”
He took the
offered hand, which she gripped firmly
“Rhonda Kane,
so pleased to meet you”
“Like wise,
please call me Daniel”
She smiled
broadly and said
“Would you
like to come through then Daniel?”
She led the
way and he followed on, and the receptionist caught him staring at Ms. Kane’s
rather lovely legs and she frowned at him but he just shrugged and she smiled.
He spent a
very pleasant hour with the very un-Manish Ms. Kane who couldn’t have been less
of a ball breaker if she tried.
She went
through all the papers very professionally and assured him that everything
would be tied up with a bow in the coming few weeks.
He would
however have had to admit that he didn’t take in everything she was saying, due
to a combination of the hypnotic posh plummy tones of her voice which he found
very seductive, a turn on even, especially the way she peered over the top of
her specs and the fact she was very attractive.
But apart
from her being pleasing on the eye, he’d always had a soft spot for well-spoken
women.
Plus from
where he was sitting he had a good view of her magnificent long legs.
Rhonda Kane
was aware of her client admiring her legs and was flattered by the fact that a
younger man found her attractive, albeit only younger by a couple of years, but
nonetheless.
He wasn’t
bad looking himself, blue eyes, and brown hair, tall enough so she would be
able to wear heels and he also seemed to be a nice gentle man, and she didn’t
meet many of those, and he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring.
As a result
she did something that she had never done before, which made her feel a bit
naughty, it was certainly unprofessional, and she dragged out the meeting.
Rhonda went
into more detail about the process than she normally would, or was necessary,
the unpleasant clients she rather hurried through and got them out the door as
soon as possible.
He didn’t
seem to mind, and didn’t seem in any hurry to leave so she carried on.
She didn’t
even mind the fact that she would be keeping her next client waiting.
Eventually
the time came to leave and she led him back to reception where they shook hands
again.
“I will be
in touch in due course” she said
“Thank you
Ms Kane”
“Please call
me Rhonda”
Brian Kane
travelled up to Abbottsford early on Friday with his sister, he had an
important meeting with a client and then he was meeting Rhonda for lunch.
Because of
the importance of the meeting he had allowed a three hour window but as it
turned out it was concluded in under two.
So he went
for a ridiculously
expensive coffee at the Espresso Phoenix to kill some time and then made his
way to Bramstock, Goodman, Crossfield and
Bushe to meet his sister.
Eventually
the time came to leave and she led him back to reception where they shook hands
again.
“I will be
in touch in due course” she said
“Thank you
Ms Kane”
“Please call
me Rhonda”
While Rhonda
was prolonging her meeting her brother arrived at reception and exchanged
pleasantries with Sandra, the receptionist, and then took a seat and a few minutes
later Sandra delivered him a coffee and then he sat there about half an hour
reading a magazine when he heard Rhonda’s voice which grew progressively louder
as she got closer.
And when he
heard his sister say
“Please call
me Rhonda”
Brian thought
he had misheard because she never let her clients call her Rhonda, so he
assumed the client she was with must be an important one but when the man turned
around he saw that he knew him and said
“Daniel”
“Hello
Brian, what are you doing here?”
“I’m here to
take my sister to lunch” he replied as the two men shook hands.
“Kane, der,
I didn’t make the connection”
Meanwhile
Rhonda, who had turned to go back to her office turned on her heels and joined
them.
“You two
know each other?” she asked
“Yes we were
at University together” Brian said
“Are you a
bean counter as well then?” Rhonda asked with a smile
“No I’m a
Doctor” he replied
The
following few minutes of the conversation completely excluded Brian who just
looked on in from the sidelines in amusement.
In fact it
only came to an end when the receptionist, Sandra, interrupted with a message.
“Mr. Bishop
phoned to say he can’t make his appointment but can you squeeze him in at 2
o’clock”
Rhonda
looked at her watch and replied
“Yes that’s
fine”
After Sandra
had left them she said
“We will
have to make it an early lunch Brian”
“That’s fine
with me”
“And perhaps
Daniel would like to join us” she added
“I’d love
to” he replied to her
They had
lunch at an Italian Restaurant called Roberto’s just around the corner from her
office.
“So was it
just Rhonda that brought you too Abbottsford?” Brian asked
“No it
wasn’t, but I would have made the trip just to see her” he thought but out loud
he said
“No I’m in
town for the weekend, at the Regent’s, Sarah and I are going to the cricket
tomorrow”
“We’re
putting up at the Regents as well” Brian said
“Never mind
that who the hell is Sarah?” Rhonda asked herself and then as if he had heard
her internal question Brian explained
“Sarah is
Daniels ex-wife, but they’re still friends, in fact they still share a house,
how odd is that?”
“I think
it’s quite nice” she said
The food at
Roberto’s was excellent but the lunchtime service was very slow and unfortunately
Rhonda had to excuse herself before desert.
“I’m sorry
but I have to go” she said “I really love the desert’s here as well”
“Perhaps we
might run into each other over the weekend” he said
“I hope so,
that would be nice” she said then she said goodbye to her brother and left.
“Are you
going to talk to me now?” Brian asked and laughed but Daniels thoughts were
elsewhere.
The meeting with
Mr. Bishop was even more tedious than she thought it would be but thankfully it
didn’t last long, just over an hour.
She showed
him out to reception and said goodbye and then Sandra called her over.
“Dr
Goman-Smith dropped this off for you” she said and handed her a small white
parcel tied up with a ribbon and when she opened it there was a slice of
Tiramisu.
“How sweet”
she said and giggled
After
leaving the restaurant Brian and Daniel went their separate way but arrived at
the Hotel within ten minutes of each other.
Whereas
Rhonda, after eating her desert, had a very unproductive afternoon and left the
office early and was at the Regents before either of them.
The
Pottinger’s got stuck in the Friday night traffic and finally arrived at the
Hotel at 9 o’clock by which time the Kane’s and the Goman-Smiths had already
gone out for the evening.
Brian and
Rhonda were dining at a trendy nouvelle cuisine restaurant off Castle Street
called The Wooden Slipper which served high flavour, low-calorie, and substance
lacking dishes, where minor celebrities are known to dine.
The food was
good, if you like tiny artistic arrangements the size of a Hors d'oeuvre, on a
slab of welsh slate but there wasn’t enough to live on.
So when it
was time to leave they were almost hungrier than when they arrived, so they
went into town and shared a kebab.
The Doctors
Goman-Smith meanwhile went to The Empire Theatre to watch a revival on An
Inspector Calls followed by a fish supper.
But back at
the hotel, Gary and Kate ordered sandwiches from room service and got an early
night.
On Saturday
morning everyone was up early and availed themselves of the full English
breakfast but due to a miracle of timing all three couples managed to avoid
each other.
Gary was
ready to go far too early so left for the cricket ground on foot while the Goman-Smith’s
left an hour later in a cab.
Kate who
planned to spend much of the day in cultural pursuits had a measured start to
the day and as she was leaving the Hotel Brian Kane was just walking into the
gym with his sister Rhonda.
After a good
workout he had an hours swim and she had a sauna and then she spent the rest of
the day being pampered and preened, massaged, manicure, pedicure and hair in
fact you name it and she had it.
Brian though
had coffee and read the papers before he went out.
It was a
glorious June day and there was a good crowd at the Cricket Ground and Gary
Pottinger and the Goman-Smith’s were among them though due to the numbers they
were oblivious to the others presence.
Downshire
were in great form and won the match by sixty runs and the delighted fans
disgorged onto the streets of Abbottsford in great spirits even before the tea
interval.
When they
got back to the Hotel Sarah went straight up to her room for a long soak while
her ex-husband Daniel went for a swim.
The Hotel
pool was a very decent size, which extended up to large glass doors at one end which
opened out onto a large terrace with table, chairs and sun loungers.
He quickly
changed and then dived in and swam ten lengths before he climbed out and he
caught sight of her.
She was
sitting on a sun lounger on the Garden Terrace drinking a large Gin and Tonic
and reading a magazine when he walked up on her blind side dripping onto the
terrace.
She was
wearing a one piece costume which was bone dry.
“Are you not
going in?” he said and made her jump
“Oh hello”
she said wiping tonic off her chin
“Hi Rhonda,
are you not swimming?”
“No I swam
this morning” she replied “and I’ve had my hair and nails done since”
“Well if you
won’t join me in the pool would you mind if I joined you for a drink?”
“Not at all”
she said and gestured to the neighboring lounger.
“Please take
a seat”
“Can I order
you a drink?” she asked
“Thank you,
yes,” he said and to the waiter who had suddenly appeared “I’ll have what the
lady is having”
When the
waiter left with the drinks order he said
“I was
hoping to see you again, I just didn’t think it would be so soon”
“Me too” she
admitted and her cheeks flushed.
The waiter
returned with the drinks to cover her embarrassment.
“Cheers” he
said and took a big sip of his G & T.
After a few
moments he asked
“So are you
going somewhere special?”
“I’m sorry”
“You said you
had your hair and nails done, so are you going somewhere special?” he asked
She thought
about it for a moment and then answered his question with another one
“I don’t
know, where would you suggest taking me?” she asked blushing at her boldness
“Well, how
about dinner?”
“Ok dinner
it is, tell me more” she said
“Well this
is more difficult not knowing what you like” he said “I do know you like
Italian but…”
“So what are
you going to choose?”
He
deliberated for a moment or two and then said
“I’m going to
go with Chinese, at the Scented Garden”
Rhonda
almost spilled her drink and exclaimed
“That’s my
absolute favourite, how did you know?”
“Well
actually I didn’t but it’s my favourite”
“It’s a
sign” Rhonda thought “Not that I believe in such things, but if I did it would
be a sign”
So that was
decided, Rhonda phoned Brian to cancel their plans which he didn’t seem to mind
and Daniel broke the news to his ex-wife in person that he had a date and she
was thrilled for him.
So at 8 o’clock
Daniel and Rhonda went on their first date to The Scented Garden Chinese restaurant, a
date which was to be the first of many.
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