The Oakham’s are made up of Upper and Lower Oakham, which are located
in the Finchbottom Vale, in the most rural part of the county between Millmoor
and Appleby.
The Upper village is so named because it sits on the hill and Lower
Oakham nestles in the Valley below and it was in the Lower Village where
twenty-five-year-old Clare
Todd lived and had done all her life as had her best friend, Samantha Caddick.
Well, she
always called her, her best friend, because although she had other friends
Sammi never put conditions on their friendship.
They also
had a lot in common, both had strong Christian upbringings, they both had
unwavering faith, were both only children, were both redheads, were both five
feet nothing and they were always there for each other.
Sammi was
there for her at every significant moment in Clare’s life, when she was getting
married, having a child, and getting divorced while pregnant with their second
child, and through all the joy and trauma in her life, Sammi was there.
Sammi had
never been married because she had spent the last seven years rebuilding her Narrowboat,
The Lily of the Vale, and when she had finished Toddy was on hand on
moving day to help, they were going to use both of their cars, but Sammi wasn’t
taking everything she owned because she would be a regular visitor to the old
family home, to use the washing machine and tumbler.
So, they headed away from the village for barely a mile along narrow
lanes until they suddenly turned off into a little car park by the Navigation
and came to a halt.
They were only about 50 yards from their destination, so they loaded
themselves up with boxes, but because of their diminutive statures they
struggled to see where they were going.
Fortunately, a fellow Bargie, or two, came to their aid, in the shape
of the Poll’s.
“Can we
help?” a voice asked
“Who said
that?” Toddy asked and peered around the box she was carrying and added
“Good
heavens”
It was at
that point that Sammi also looked around her bundle
“I think
I’m seeing double” she said
What they
were actually seeing were twins, identical twins, around their own age, just
shy of six feet tall, pleasant looking with short brown hair.
“Identical
twins” Sammi said
“George
Poll” the first one said
“Stuart” added
the other
“Samantha
Caddick” she said “Sammi”
“Clare
Todd” Toddy chimed in “Toddy”
“We’re not
quite identical” George said and lifted the hair away from his forehead to
reveal a horizontal 4-inch scar
“I got him
with a Cricket bat when we were seven” Stuart confessed proudly, Sammi thought
the scar was rather fetching.
“We assumed
you were headed for the “Lily of the Vale” George said “So we thought you might
like some help”
“That’s
very kind” Sammi said “Thank you, I’m afraid there’s more in the car”
“No
problem, let’s get this aboard first” George suggested “And then we’ll help
with the rest”
With the
first boxes and bundles safely on board the four of them walked back towards
the car park.
“So, which
one is yours” Sammi asked
“The Witch
of Oakham” George replied “Not as pristine as the “Lily”” he said “But I’m
getting there, it’s very much a work in progress”
“Just you?”
Sammi asked
“Yes, I’m
only visiting” Stuart interjected “I’m only up here for a week’s training
course, then I’m back home to Shallowfield”
“Shallowfield?”
Toddy echoed
“Toddy’s
spending Christmas in Shallowfield” Sammi added
“Really?”
Stuart asked
“Yes, the
girls and I are spending Christmas with my Aunt Ruth” Clare explained
“Girls?”
“Yes, my
daughters” Clare explained
“How old?”
Stuart asked
“Jane 6 and
Daisy 4” she replied proudly
“I have a
son Callum, who’s 6” Stuart said just as they reached the car.
They
comfortably managed the rest of Sammi’s possessions between them and George
pointed out that there didn’t appear to be a lot of stuff for two girls and
Sammi laughed and said
“No this is
all mine”
“I’m a land
lubber” Toddy explained “I prefer foundations, walls and a roof”
“Me too”
Stuart agreed
Once
everything was down in the cabin Samantha said
“Thank you
so much for the help, now you have to let me buy you a drink”
“Great
idea” Toddy chipped in
“Ok with
me” George replied
“Me too” added
Stuart “where do you want to go?”
“Well, I
need to get back to Lower Oakham to collect my car” Toddy explained “So why
don’t we go to the pub there”
“And I can
bring you back afterwards” Sammi offered
“Ok let’s
go” George replied, and he and Stuart started along the towpath.
“Nicely
done” Sammi mouthed, and they fist bumped before following the twins.
“I don’t
think I’ve ever been to Lower Oakham before, what’s the name of the pub we’re
going to?” Stuart asked and the three of them chorused
“The Navigators”
Despite
their promising beginning Clare only saw Stuart once more before he returned to
Shallowfield when he took her for a meal in Millmoor at the Downshire Grey,
which was very pleasant, but they were both hesitant to go too far, because they
lived some distance away from each other.
At the end
of the evening, they did make a fairy loose arrangement to do something when
she was in Shallowfield for Christmas, but she wasn’t convinced anything would
come of it.
But
encouragingly Sammi and Stuarts brother George had become an item, so she
figured there was hope for her yet
Toddy and
the girls were heading to Shallowfield as soon as school broke up, so Sammi
made sure they had their presents before they went.
“There’s a
little something extra in the card” Sammi said as she hugged Toddy “Happy
Christmas my lovely”
When she
opened the card, she found that Sammi had written Stuart’s address and
telephone number inside.
She packed
the car before picking up the girls from school and nursery and then they set
off straight away to her Aunty Ruth’s in Shallowfield a week before Christmas.
The next
day Aunty Ruth, took her and the girls to St Cuthbert’s School for the
Christmas Bazaar and the first people they saw as they strolled amongst the
throng, were Stuart Poll, and he beamed a smile in her direction the moment
they made eye contact and her legs instantly turned to jelly, however as much
as she was thrilled to see him, that elation was tempered by the same nagging
doubt that they could have no future together while they lived so far apart.
“Toddy!” he
said “What a lovely surprise”
“Hi Stuart”
“You look
great” he said
“So, when
did you get here?” he asked
“Last
night” she replied
“Well, it’s
so good to see you” he said before he realized they were not alone and
introduced his son Callum to her, Aunt Ruth and her daughters.
“We’re
going to get Hot Chocolate” Callum said
“You can
come too”
“Yes, do
go” Aunt Ruth said “I need to go and find the Vicar”
“Ok then
we’d love to” agreed Toddy
“Come on
then” Callum said taking Jane and Daisy by the hand “This way”
While the
children drank their hot chocolate and chatted excitedly among themselves Stuart
whispered in Toddy’s ear
“I’ve got a
transfer to the Millmoor office”
“Seriously?”
“Yes, at
the end of January” he replied, and she went weak at the knees again, but this
time her nagging doubts had melted away, so she reached under the table and
held his hand and said
“Happy Christmas”
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