Downshire Diary – (08) First Impressions

 

When the Mornington Estate exercised its option to purchase Mornington Field from the Ministry Of Defence, 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 2014.

The guardians of the Mornington Estate were the St George family and the head of both the family and the estate was Baron Gabriel St George.

His architect, Scott Collier, was tasked with designing appropriate conversions to the buildings and infrastructure on the airfield to maximize the potential returns for the estate, and Ray Walker, who dealt with all things estate maintenance, was responsible for getting the old Air force housing stock up to standard and occupied ASAP.

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 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 and the brewery other than that they were to be rented 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 lived and worked in Town all week and only returned to the village on the weekend.

One such person was Lianne Martin who worked at the Mornington Dental & Orthodontic Surgery two days a week.

 

The Doctors, Dentists, Orthodontists and Pharmacists were all based elsewhere and provided a skeleton service to the village of Mornington.

The Doctors presence was maintained by the Dancingdean Health Centre in Shallowfield and one of their number, Locum Doctor Kelly Spearman lived in one of the Military Row houses.

The Dental and Orthodontic staff came from a large specialist practice in Finchbottom, Downshire Denticare. 

The Shallowfield, Robert Harvey Pharmacy in Oakwood Road filled any prescriptions and delivered them to the surgery every day.

The Norman family, who also ran the general store and post office provided Lily Norman and her son Robbie to staff the chemist shop for its limited opening times.

 

The Doctors Surgery, the Pharmacy, and the Dental & Orthodontic Surgery were on the opposite side of The Street from the Old Mill Inn and the reception area for the Doctors, Dentist & Orthodontic Surgeries sat in an extension between the two buildings.

Because Mornington was such a small village none of the practices were open full time but Baron St George, the head of the Mornington Estate heavily subsidized all three as well as the small Chemist shop, which shared the Doctors premises, but there weren’t enough patients to warrant full time staffing so in order to make appropriate use of the facilities the doctors surgery was made available to other practitioners in the afternoons and evenings, such as Chiropractors, Hypnotherapists, Acupuncturists etc. but villager Claire Pollard, a Chiropodist was the only regular the others tended to be a bit more sporadic in their attendance.

 

32 year old Dentist Lianne Martin moved into number 2, Military Row with her younger sister Kirsty and her six year old niece Sasha on the 18th of July.

Lianne worked in Finchbottom for Downshire Denticare and divided her time between there and Mornington. 

After her sister Kirsty and her boyfriend split up she and her daughter moved in with Lianne but it was a bit cramped in her flat so when the opportunity of a house in Mornington presented itself she snapped it up. 

 

Lianne had always loved the village and had often dreamed of living there but never dared hope that it might actually happen.

She couldn’t imagine why no one else was prepared to work there but she didn’t think about it often after all their loss was very much her gain.

She wasn’t unhappy in Finchbottom but deep down she was a country girl at heart and the added strain of having her sister and niece living with her in a flat design for one was telling.

So a three bedroom house in Mornington was manna from heaven and they all loved living there.

Sasha was looking forward to starting at the village school in September and Kirsty hoped to get part time work up at Mornington Field once the premises were let.

The only downside for Lianne living in Mornington was having to journey to Finchbottom three days a week and battle through the rush hour traffic on the Expressway.

She would have liked to work all week in Mornington but there just wasn’t enough dentistry required for that.

But her tortuous journeys turned out to be relatively short lived as at the beginning of November she was asked to work at the Highfinch practice for three days a week instead of Finchbottom and she didn’t need asking twice.

It was further to drive than Finchbottom but it was a much easier one.

 

The reason for the change was because three of the existing staff in Finchbottom had been in a lottery syndicate and won the jackpot.

Good fortune for them and as it appeared, good fortune for Lianne.

 

Because it was a greater distance the company had agreed to provide bed and breakfast accommodation in Highfinch which meant for Lianne that for her three days she would be able to stay over for two nights on expenses, so she thought she had really landed on her feet.

 

It was early on morning of the 3rd of November when she set off from Mornington and she was very excited at the prospect of starting at a different practice in a village she had never been to before and of course meeting new people.

 

On her arrival she was greeted by the practice manager, Rachel Bradley, and another dentist Jonathan Walters.

Jonathan was also a newbie, from Sharpington, although he had a two week head start on her, he was tall, dark and handsome with penetrating blue eyes, a square jaw and a dimple, perfect skin and a marvelous smile.

He stood tall and proud and his physique was slender, he was well-toned, athletically sculpted and was very well groomed.

And the very moment he said

“Hello Lianne” she took an instant dislike to him.

 

The very moment that Jonathon Walters said

“Hello Lianne”

She took an instant dislike to him.

He was everything that she was not, he was tall and she stood 4ft 10 in her socks, his hair was dark and luscious and hers was mousy and wayward, he had penetrating blue eyes while hers were grey and a bit squinty, he had a strong square jaw and a dimple, she had a pointy chin with a mole on it.

Jonathon had perfect skin and a marvelous smile Lianne had a face full of freckles and her smile was lopsided.

He had a sportsman’s physique and was built like an athlete, Lianne was not, she was slim though and despite her imperfections she was not unattractive but she was not sporty by any stretch of the imagination.

And finally he was well groomed without a single hair out of place and she, despite having spent longer than normal on her appearance, looked like she’d been dragged through a hedge backwards.

 

However Lianne’s savage self-assessment would not have struck any cords with Jonathon because he saw someone altogether different to the person Lianne imagined herself to be and his first impression of her was a very positive one.

 

Because they were both newbies, Practice manager Rachel Bradley, tasked Jonathon with showing Lianne around the practice and doing the introductions and then showing her the places of interest in the village finishing off at the end of the day at the Greenwood Guesthouse and introducing her to landlady Janita Front. 

“Good evening Jonathon” she said warmly “And who have we here?”

“Hi Janita, this is my new colleague Lianne” he said

“Smarmy git” Lianne thought to herself

“Pleased to meet you Lianne” Janita said warmly and shook her hand “I’ve put you across the landing from Jonathon”

“Oh lovely” she said but in her head she continued

“As if it’s not bad enough that I’ve had to put up with the condescending ponce all day strutting around like he’d been there for years, now I find we’re staying at the same B&B”

 

She avoided him at dinner that night by making an excuse about visiting and old friend and hid in the Church for a while and then drove around until she found a pub that did food.

Breakfast however was a different story but she decided that nothing was going to come between her and a full English so she just had to put up with him.

It got better for Lianne after that first week when they were both there together, because they settled down into a fixed routine, she was there Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday while he was there Wednesday, Thursday, Friday so she only had to tolerate him one day a week and one breakfast.

 

Over the following few weeks and months everyone told her what a lovely man he was, a gentleman, thoughtful, kind and considerate.

But she couldn’t see it, she just saw a smarmy condescending git.

 

On her first day in Highfinch when she was desperately trying to avoid Jonathon, she ducked into St Martin’s church and got talking to the Curate, Jenna Lawton and although she was not a practicing Christian or even any kind of a Christian for that matter they became firm friends.

And furthermore she made a good many friends in the village as she got close to her first anniversary in Highfinch, all of whom continued to tell her what a wonderful man Jonathon was.

 

After six months of temping Jonathon Walters was offered the position full time and it took him thirty seconds to accept and he even moved from Sharpington to the village and had a small house between the village and Kingfisherbridge just a stone’s throw from the guest house.

Lianne still found him annoyingly friendly and smiley and she still thought he was smarmy but even with him being at the practice full time she had managed to keep contact with him to minimum.

 

One evening in mid-September Jonathon was sitting in his house at the end of the day wondering just what he had to do to break down Lianne’s Defences, he had been nothing but pleasant to her, he was always friendly, polite, helpful, kind and he smiled a lot but she was unmoved.

Everyone told him what a warm friendly person she was but he hadn’t seen that side of her, but was still hopeful.

However that didn’t stop him from being in love with her, and it had been a year since cupids arrow struck and he was still no nearer a resolution.

He had asked her out countless times and she always brushed him off but he wasn’t prepared to give up on her.

 

While Jonathon sat in his house wondering how he could get through to Lianne, she was sitting in her room at the Greenwood guest house after having had a conversation with her landlady Janita Front who spent ten minutes extolling to her the virtues of Jonathon bloody Walters.

“Everyone loves Jonathon” she said

“Except me” Lianne said

“Why is that?” Janita asked with a quizzical look on her face “He’s so nice”

“So everyone keeps telling me” she said

“But he is” Janita said

“I can’t help it I just don’t like him” Lianne snapped and went to her room.

Once she was inside she heard Janita’s question repeating in her head

“Why is that?”

And in truth she walked away because she couldn’t answer that simple question, she didn’t know why she didn’t like him, she just didn’t.

She couldn’t put her finger on the reason, Jonathon had never uttered a single bad word to her in the ten months that Lianne had been working in Highfinch and nor had he done any deed that would have her incurred her wrath, he had always been “nice” in all their interactions, he was pleasant, friendly and polite, but when he was nice to her it made her dislike him even more.

About half an hour into her reflection her train of thought was broken by the telephone ringing and she cursed under her breath about the interruption before she answered it.

“Hello” she said flatly

“Hello Lianne, it’s Jenna” said the curate, although by then she was the de facto Vicar of St Martins while the Reverend Mortimer was recovering from a heart attack.

“Jenna Lawton”

“Hello Jenna, Jenna Lawton” she said lightheartedly Jenna always had that effect on her.

After a brief chuckle she continued

“The reason for the call is that I’m having an informal dinner party at the vicarage, well when I say dinner party I mean a takeaway curry, I can’t cook to save my life” she paused briefly “so if you’re free on Saturday night, it’s just beer, curry and Trivial Pursuits and you’ll know most of the others” 

On Saturday night she would be in Mornington and wouldn’t have contemplated travelling back to Highfinch on the weekend and would have politely refused but for two crucial reasons, firstly her 7 year old niece was having three friends to stay for a sleep over and secondly Jenna mentioned Trivial Pursuits, and Lianne loved Trivial Pursuits.

“I would love to Jenna” Lianne said, “Should I bring anything?”

“Only if you can drink it” she replied, “come about eight, bye”

 

After she hung up the phone she went downstairs to find Janita so she could book a room for Saturday night as it was obvious that driving back to Mornington would not be an option.

 

It was a lovely sunny summer afternoon as she left Mornington on Saturday and headed out into the country towards Highfinch and was looking forward to a stress free journey through the beautiful countryside of the Vale, which was beautiful enough but as she got closer to the Pepperstock Hills she knew it would get even more so.

The village of Highfinch sits just on the edge of the Pepperstock Hills and the Lily Green Hollows Golf Club separates the village from the Hamlet of Lily Green, and the combination of those two and Kingfisherbridge made up the parish of St Martins where Jenna Lawton was curate.

 

When Lianne arrived at the Vicarage, bang on 8 o’clock she was surprised to be told that she was the last.

“Come in” the Vicar said and handed her a menu “we’ve all chosen”

Lianne felt positively tardy.

Jenna Lawton had said that Lianne knew almost everyone and she was not wrong.

Jade Flowers, was the local Doctor and her practice manager

Lorraine Weaving, who was completely bald.

The two redoubtable village good eggs, middle-aged buddies Vicki Paulding and Julia Thomas, and their best friend Cressida van Meeuwen.

Local celebrity TV presenter Nick Faulkner, furniture maker Farron Sutherland and to her utter disbelief Jonathon Walters.

They were a mixed bunch, varying ages and occupations, a mix of the Godly and the heathen, the old and the young the sublime and the ridiculous.

The only one of the party she was annoyed to see was Jonathon Walters but she decided to put him out of her mind and concentrate on enjoying the evening.

 

Lianne was sure that once the wine had flowed a little she might mellow towards him or alternatively slap him in the face with a Nan bread.

They had an excellent curry and a liberal quantity of beer and wine was consumed, apart from Jade who was on call.

The conversation ebbed and flowed and the overall atmosphere was very congenial and as the evening wore on the Trivial Pursuit appeared to universal acclaim.

Sadly after about an hour and with Lianne’s team winning Jade was paged and had to leave and also took Lorraine with her, then just after midnight Cressida called it a night as she needed to get back for the sitter and Farron offered to walk her home so he left as well.

That left Vicki and Jenna on her team and they were narrowly in the lead over Julia, Jonathon and Nick and when both teams needed only one cheese she looked at the clock and saw it was 2 o’clock.

“Have you seen the time Vicar?” Lianne said “don’t you have work in the morning?”

“Ah no” she slurred “this week there is a combined service at St Bartholomew’s in Springwater and they don’t start until 6 pm”

Jenna gave a huge grin and raised her glass.

“Happy days” she said and took a drink most of which went down her chin.

“Now let’s finish the game” she said wiping her mouth on her sleeve.

“Oh yes I remember now” Jonathon said “are we all going?”

“Yes there’s a coach laid on” said Julia

It was 3.15am when Julia answered the winning question to great rejoicing.

“Well done” Lianne said “on behalf of my team and myself”

One of her team, Vicki was asleep on the sofa beside her and feeling no pain and Jenna was still missing her mouth with her wine and didn’t even realize the game was over.

“Home time” Julia said

So everyone said goodnight to the Vicar and Julia and Nick guided Vicki homeward, and after about fifty yards Nick exclaimed

“Damn”

“What’s wrong?” Asked Julia

“I never did ask Lorraine why she was bald” he replied

“She fell out of a tree when she was six” Julia answered

“Oh” he responded and was about to speak

“And she’s bald down there as well” Julia interrupted

“I wasn’t going to ask that” he protested

“But you were curious” she continued and he nodded.

 

Meanwhile Lianne and Jonathon slightly the worse for wear, were just leaving the vicarage and the moment the night air hit her so did the alcohol and she wobbled on her feet.

“Come on I’ll help you back to Janita’s” He said

“Why are you always so nice?” she slurred

“Because it’s less effort than being mean” he replied curtly and steered her towards the guest house, although it was further than his house it wasn’t too far out of his way, and he couldn’t leave her to her own devices in her condition.

 

Lianne awoke early in the darkness to the sound of the Beach Boys emanating from the clock radio, and she could just make out in the half light, a large hand reaching out from below the duvet and silencing it, but then something occurred to her.

“I don’t have a clock radio” she thought so she tried desperately to figure out where the hell she was and who exactly the owner of the large hand was.

She tried desperately to identify some point of reference in the room, anything that might yield a clue to her location.

The problem was that the brain processes what you can see and then fills in the blanks with things from your memory bank.

For example if you she an indistinct shape in the gloom your brain compares that shape to your memories and chooses the nearest one and then that is what you see but when your eyes become more accustomed to the darkness a sleeping dog on the floor becomes a dressing gown discarded the night before, or a sleeping child on the chair becomes a sweater dropped haphazardly.

But even being aware of that she was still struggling to identify any point of reference that would identify her location which was all to no avail, but then why would she it’s not as if she had made a habit of waking up in strange bedrooms over the years.

But just then a head emerged from beneath the covers and Jonathon Walters face appeared above the duvet and he smiled and said

“Good morning, I hope you slept well, I know I did”

“Oh my god” she exclaimed “What have you done?”

“Would you like breakfast?” he said

“Breakfast? Breakfast?” she yelled “So much for Mr. “Nice” guy, what kind of a man are you, taking advantage of a Defenceless woman”

“A hungry one” he replied and threw back the covers

“Urgh I don’t want to see you naked” she yelled

“Really you were happy enough about it last night, in fact you insisted and to encourage me you got naked first” he said

“Oh God I got naked” she simpered and lifted up the duvet to look at herself and did a double take “Ha! I’m not naked”

“Of course you’re not naked” he said walking across the room to the door in his PJ’s “Because I am not the kind of man to take advantage of a Defenceless woman”

“Yes but you got me into your bed and hoped you’d get lucky though” she shouted as she followed him out the door

“No” he snapped

“What do you mean no?”

“I put you in my spare bed, because you were too drunk to walk the rest of the way to the guest house” he explained “but you climbed into bed with me in the middle of the night because you were cold”

“But…” she began and then it all came flooding back to her, he had settled her in the spare room, but after no more than half an hour she had slipped out of the spare room and tried to slip into his bed, Lianne even begged him to let her get in bed with him and when he said yes she snuggled up to him.

She thought the fact that he had kept the more embarrassing details to himself was very much to his credit.

 

They sat at the kitchen table and ate breakfast in silence, although in truth it was lunch time and eating a fried breakfast at that time of day he in his dressing gown and she in the clothes she wore the night before, was all very decadent.

The silence was broken when there was a knock on the front door.

“Who’s that?” Lianne asked with panic in her voice and a look on her face like a startled rabbit.

“I don’t know” he replied “I’ll find out”

He closed the kitchen door and walked down the hall and he could tell by the shape through the glass it was his neighbour Frank so he opened the door.

“My God” Frank said “you do know it’s the afternoon” 

“Shut your face” he responded “I had a late night”

“I bet you did” he said “You lucky dog”

“I’m afraid not” Jonathon said “No princess for me”

“Oh well, better luck next time son” he retorted

“Maybe” he said “Anyway what can I do for you Frank?”

“Oh yes I almost forgot, I’m going to cut my front grass, do you want me to do yours at the same time?” Frank said

“That would be great thanks”

“Ok lad” he said as he walked away “I’ll be a couple of hours finishing off”

“Thanks Frank” Jonathon said and closed the door

 

Lianne had been listening to the conversation and the suggestion by his neighbour that he had brought back a conquest shocked her and although Jonathon had protected her honour she was still alarmed and ran upstairs.

 

Jonathon went back into the kitchen to find it empty so he went upstairs to find Lianne pacing around the spare bedroom.

“What am I going to do?” she said panic stricken

“Well don’t panic for a start” he said

“It’s alright for you” she shouted “everyone in this village thinks the sun shines out of your arse”

“Almost everyone” he said to himself

“What was that?” she asked as she continued pacing

“Nothing”

“What will people think” she ranted “if they see me leaving your house in what I’m wearing, in what I was wearing last night, in what I slept in last night, everyone will know I’ve been out all night”

 

Johnathon left the room while she continued her rant and returned a few minutes later carrying some clothes in his arms.

“The Jeans and sweater are my sister Molly’s, she’s a similar shape to you” he said handing Lianne the clothes “they may be a bit long in the leg, she’s taller than you”

“Everyone’s taller than me” she said without humour

“The pumps are hers as well but she doesn’t have the same size foot” Lianne looked at him and then ran into his arms

“You’re a life saver” she said and kissed his cheek and then he left the room again, and this time he returned carrying a small hold all

“Put your clothes in this and get dressed and I’ll see you down stairs”

While Lianne did as she was told he went to his bedroom and got dressed himself and went downstairs, and Lianne walked gingerly down the stairs to join him after about ten minutes.

 

When Lianne had joined him downstairs she waited nervously.

“Ok Frank’s busy out the front” he called from the kitchen where he was looking through the window.

“What now?” she asked as he walked towards her

“Leave the bag there” he said and took her by the hand and led her out through the kitchen and out the adjoining door and into the garage.

“Wait in there” he instructed, but she looked worried

“Don’t worry” he said and kissed her forehead and then he went back in the house and picked up the hold all and the car keys and opened the front door.

He went to the back of the car and opened the boot and threw in the bag.

There was a car rug in the boot so he picked that up and closed the lid again then he opened the rear passenger door on the driver’s side, threw in the rug and left the door open before going back in the house where he went straight through the kitchen and rejoined Lianne in the garage and told her what to do.

Jonathon took a deep breath before emerging from the front door and closing it behind him.

He gave Frank a wave before opening the garage door then he walked down the path to speak to him

“Hey Frank” he called “Is that a new mower?”

While he walked down the path Lianne crept out from the garage and onto the back seat of the car where she hid under the blanket.

“It is” he replied

“It’s a corker” he added “I’m off out now so I’ll see you later”

“Ok lad” he replied

“The grass looks great by the way” he said

Once he was sure Lianne was safely hidden he went back up the path and closed the garage door and quickly checked that she couldn’t be seen before he closed the passenger door and got in the car himself.

“I think your reputation is safe Miss Martin” he whispered

“It’s very exciting” she said quietly then she added

“I feel like a scarlet woman” and she giggled

“So do I” he replied

“You’re clearly sex mad” she said 

Jonathon looked in the rear view mirror as they drove though the village, Lianne was laying across the back seat completely covered by the blanket apart from her finger which were gripping the edge of the blanket and the top of her head.

Every time they passed another car or a pedestrian he shouted

“Hide” and the top of her head would disappear from view.

They went the long way round, partly because it was quieter but mainly because he was in no hurry to drop her off.

Once around the village was all he could stretch it to however and sooner than he would have liked he drove the car into the guesthouse carpark and having seen landlady Janita by the front door pruning shrubbery he parked as close to the side entrance as possible.

“We made it” Lianne yelled triumphantly from beneath the blanket.

“Yes, your reputation is unblemished” he agreed “But you still need to get inside”

“Oh yes I hadn’t thought of that” she said as Jonathon got out of the car and opened the boot and retrieved the bag.

“I’ll go and distract Janita” He said after opening the back door “so count to a hundred and then make a run for it”

“Ok” she said quietly “Thank you”

 

He walked casually around to the front of the building where Janita stood secateurs in hand.

“Jonathon!” she said “What a lovely surprise”

“Hello Janita” he said and kissed her cheek

“What brings you here?” Janita asked

“I’m just dropping this off for Lianne” he said indicating the bag he was holding “Is she about?”

“I haven’t seen her today, she didn’t come down for breakfast” she replied “How are you getting on with her?”

“Well I’m still hopeful” he replied

“Do you want to go and knock?” she asked

“No I won’t I’m going to Springwater this afternoon” he replied “So if I could leave this with you I’ll get going”

“Ok love” Janita responded and Jonathon kissed her cheek again and headed back to the car.

 

Lianne was inside and listening at the door when Jonathon said

“I’m still hopeful”

“He’s hopeful, he said he’s still hopeful” she thought “And I’ve been an idiot”

Everyone told her what a lovely man he was, a gentleman, thoughtful, kind and considerate.

But she couldn’t see it, she had been blind to his true character and she just saw a smarmy condescending git.

But his actions on that weekend had shown his true colours.

She listened some more and he said

“I’m going to Springwater this afternoon”

By the time Jonathon was kissing Janita’s cheek she was already opening the door to her room.

 

After leaving the guest house, Jonathon drove home and got himself showered and dressed and then he walked the short distance to the house of TV sportscaster Nick Faulkner.

 

Sunday for Nick didn’t properly begin until 1 o’clock and he didn’t feel a hundred percent.

However a shower, two mugs of coffee and some dry toast helped and he felt a lot better as he left the house at about 4.30pm after answering Jonathon’s knock.

They didn’t have to walk far as they were only going next door to Julia Thomas’s and Jonathon rang the doorbell and the door was opened by a young man.

“Hi Callum” he said “Is mum ready? 

“Yes” he replied “she’s just coming”

Julia appeared looking as fresh as a daisy and said

“See you later love” and kissed her son

Turning her attention to Nick she said “hello Nick, you look rough, Jonathon you look gorgeous as ever”

“Thanks Julia” they said and she laughed

Then the group moved on to Vicki’s and when she emerged even she looked ok considering what she put down her neck.

“Hello you three” she said and continued “goodness Nick you look a little green around the gills”

“We’ll try to get you home sober this time” she said

“Thanks mum” Nick said

Their next port of call was the vicarage and when the door eventually opened the vicar stood before them looking like death warmed over. 

“Good God” Jonathon said

“Heavens above” exclaimed Julia

“Right let’s get in the house” said Vicki taking charge.

“I have just the thing for what ails you vicar”

Vicki rummaged in her bag and fished out a medicine bottle with a dirty brown substance in it.

 

When the door to the vicarage eventually opened in response to their knocking the vicar stood before them looking like death warmed over. 

“Good God” Jonathon said

“Heavens above” exclaimed Julia

“Right let’s get in the house” said Vicki taking charge.

“I have just the thing for what ails you vicar”

Vicki rummaged in her bag and fished out a medicine bottle with a dirty brown substance in it.

“I’ll try anything” Jenna said pitifully about to sit in an armchair

“No don’t sit vicar” Vicki commanded, “You need to be ready to move”

Vicki handed the glass bottle to Jenna and said

“Take a good slug of that”

“And then what?” asked the Vicar

“You’ll know what” Vicki said

Jenna took a good long pull on the bottle and then licked her lips before saying

“That’s not as bad as it lo….”

She never finished the sentence as she turned a funny shade of puce and headed for the toilet.

The noises that came from behind the toilet door were best not described but left to the imagination.

When she emerged some ten minutes later she looked more like her old self.

Another twenty minutes after that she was fit to be seen in church but when they left the vicarage they were running late and when they reached the village green the coach was already loaded and waiting for them so they boarded quickly and apologies’ were made as they found seats.

Jonathon was going to sit next to Nick but then across the aisle he noticed another familiar face, which was smiling at him.

“There’s a spare seat here” Lianne said

He glanced at Nick who smiled and nodded and then he sat down next to her.

“I didn’t know you were coming” he said

“Nor did I until this afternoon” she replied

 

It wasn’t a bad service at St Bartholomew’s, a bit happy-clappy for Jonathans taste but it was ok, but then he wasn’t really concentrating, as for Lianne, who didn’t have anything to benchmark it against, was just happy to be there.

On the coach back to the village St Bart’s got mixed reviews although the general consensus was that it wasn’t as good as St Martin’s which made Jenna happy.

Lianne and Jonathon sat together again on the return journey and almost as soon as the coach pulled away from St Bartholomew she slipped her hand in his.

 

It was 7 o’clock when the coach returned to the village green and after disembarking from the coach a small select group of pilgrims decided on pub grub at the Downshire Arms, the vicar declined on religious grounds namely that she didn’t want any further communication with God on the porcelain telephone and Jonathon and Lianne who wanted to spend the evening together.

They could have been together in the pub over dinner but neither of them were in the mood to share themselves with others so they walked back to Jonathon’s where he cooked for her again.

Reluctantly after a couple of hours he drove her back to the guesthouse so she could collect her car for the drive back to Mornington.

Janita looked out of the window and smiled as they shared a lingering goodnight kiss.

He was sad as he watched her drive away but he was also content because she would be back again the next day.