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, but
his muse was going away for ten days to Greece with her folks so he planned to
catch up on his writing as he had fallen hopelessly in love with her and the
only antidote for his wanting her, in her absence was to throw himself into his
work.
However while she was
away it occurred to him that although he was in love with her and he had neglected
to tell her, either when she returned from University or before she left for
Greece, and that was something he clearly had to rectify.
Since he had become a
writer of bodice ripping romances it 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.
But all the normally
enjoyable pastimes that would ordinarily keep him entertained didn’t distract
him for the ten day Juliana was away and the time dragged by like a month, but
he poured all his love and longing into his second novel instead.
However as much as the
time may have dragged, the time of his lonely exile did come to an end.
Owen left home bright
and early so he could touch base with Juliana, who he hadn’t seen for 10 days,
since she went away with her family to Greece.
She was working all
weekend, at the Green Oak because she had missed quite a few shifts while she
was away, so it would just be a quick hello then he would see her properly on
Monday when they would have a proper hello.
He stepped out into
the sunlight and headed off in the direction of the Normandie Woods towards the
Molesworth’s house.
Owen Carrington was on
his way to spend some time with his girlfriend before she went to work when he
was button holed by Andrea Dean who was a very stern looking young woman with
short brown hair who managed the local Stephenson’s Supermarket.
She was a pleasant
enough young woman but she never smiled and always peered superciliously over
her specs at everyone, and didn’t look like a joyful person by any means, but
she was actually a very nice person.
“Hello Mr. Carrington”
Andrea said
“Good morning Miss Dean
and how are you today”
“Fine” she replied
“I’m selling raffle
tickets for the for the Summer Fete”
“Oh ok I’ll have a
couple of books”
“That will be £10” she
said and handed him the tickets.
He took out his wallet
and paid her the cash, and with the transaction done he got underway.
As he got close to the
Molesworth’s he caught sight of Juliana sitting alone on the brick wall at the
front of her house and his heart soared and then he noticed she wasn’t wearing
her work clothes.
He guessed she was probably
going to change just before she left for work.
He quickened his
stride and he thought he’d caught her eye and he gave her a wave, but instead of
waving back she got up and got in her dads car and then they drove away.
“Oh bugger” he said
He did go to the house
anyway and had a coffee with Lavinia, her mum, and found out that Juliana had
gone shopping with her dad to get new shoes for work as she had ruined her
other pair while they were away.
He was going to stay
until she returned but in the end they were longer than expected so her dad,
Gregory, dropped her straight at work.
After leaving the
Molesworth’s he set off for a walk around the village and headed towards the
Church of Saint Jane Frances de Chantal and then he spent another two hours
strolling around the environs of Denmead and found himself back in Normandie
woods hot, tired, thirsty and a little peckish.
It was 2.30pm by the
time he finally got to the pub and the place was absolutely heaving.
He could see Juliana
as he walked into the bar and he thought she’d seen him but she just kept
walking, so he went to the bar, they were really busy and he was at the bar for
5 minutes or more and he wasn’t even close to being served.
He looked to his left
and he saw Juliana briefly before she strode off again and as there was no sign
of a pint and a sandwich on the horizon he followed her.
She led him on a
weaving yomp in between crowded tables, and along a short corridor, through a
door that led into the beer garden, in and out of packed tables on the terrace
and back up the same corridor arriving back in the main bar where he lost sight
of her.
“Oh Shit” he exclaimed
and returned to the bar and thought he might at least get his pint and
sandwich.
Owen stood at the bar
for another ten minutes and still hadn’t been served when Suddenly Juliana was
stood next to him.
“Hi honey” he said “Shouldn’t
you be serving?”
“I’m due a break,” she
replied “But I wasn’t expecting to see you today”
“I’m just after a pint
and a sandwich” he said
“And I’ve been trying
to talk to you all day”
“Why?” she asked
“I have something important
to say to you”
“What?” she asked
suspiciously
“I’ll tell you when
we’re sitting down” he replied
“Go and find a seat in
the garden and I’ll meet you out there” she said
“Great” he said and
muttered to himself “I’ll get my sandwich now?”
Owen went and sat down
in the furthest corner of the beer garden at the only vacant table and sat
alone for ten minutes or so before Juliana arrived with a pint of beer and a
tuna sandwich.
“There you are sir,”
she said in her best wench’s voice, putting first the beer and then the plate
on the table “sorry to keep you waiting sir”
“Thank you miss” he
said pompously
“Well if that’s all sir?
I do have other customers”
“No, you may sit
beside your master” he said and patted the bench
“Thankee sir” Juliana
replied and bobbed a curtsey
She then gave a quick
glance around her, and kissed him tenderly.
She was only able to
grab a 10 minute break so they continued to sit in the beer garden where he could
at least steal an occasional kiss.
But before she went
back to work she asked
“Are you going to dump
me?”
“No of course not” he
replied “why would you think that?”
“You said you had
something important to say to me” she pointed out
“That’s right, but I
didn’t mean that” he said
“Well what do you want
to say to me then?”
“I wanted to tell you
that I love you” he said
“Is that all?” she
asked and laughed
“What do you mean is that
all?”
“Well I already knew
that” she said
“But I’ve never told
you”
“You didn’t need to”
she said smugly “I knew you loved me before you did”
“So shouldn’t I say it
then?” he asked
“Oh yes, whenever you
like”
“Good” he replied “I
love you”
“I love you too” she
replied and kissed him
“I missed you” he said
“I missed you too” Juliana replied “but I have to go”
“Aren’t you going to show me your white bits?” he asked
“No I am not” she replied indignantly “well not here anyway”
Then she turned away
to go but she gave another quick glance around her and then lifted the side of
her skirt up exposing a quick glimpse of untanned thigh.
“Just to keep you
interested” she said letting the skirt fall and then she rushed away giggling.
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