In the Village of Pepperstock Green – Chapter (048) – Meeting Jade

January 

 

Craig Russell first met Jade Kimberley at the Barnabus Manor Hotel in Pepperstock Green or more precisely outside the Hotel.

Craig was a writer by profession, more accurately a sportswriter and had travelled all over the world and had covered major sporting events, near and far.

But he wasn’t in Pepperstock Green for sport, or for a writing assignment, what had brought him to a quiet corner of Downshire was the annual Russell Clan Burns Night Supper, which was held at a different luxury Hotel each year and this year was at the Barnabus Manor.

He didn’t attend every year because of work but when he could he did. 

He was outside the Hotel looking up at the slate grey January sky and thinking to himself about the last time he attended a supper, and the people who were there, and all of that was going through his head when a girl bumped into him, a girl he would come to know as Jade, who was dressed from head to toe in dull Autumn colours and looked as drab and gloomy as the January sky, and her countenance was equally gloomy as she said without expression

“Sorry”

“No reason to apologize,” he said as he stooped down to pick up her bag.

“My fault entirely”

“Thank you” she said and smiled, and the effect of the smile on her face was like the sun had come out on a dreary day, such was the difference before, she then went quickly on her way, and he went inside and checked in.

 

He saw Jade for the second time while he was in the restaurant, and he was just finishing his breakfast when she walked in, dressed in Autumnal hues again and sporting a winter expression to go with it.

She didn’t notice him, however, as she was too busy staring at her feet as she walked behind an older couple and it seemed to him, she was trying her best not to be noticed.

The group proceeded to their table in convoy led by a rather imposing woman in her late 50s, quite elegant with a regal stature, who was also immaculately dressed.

Behind her was a slightly younger man of military bearing, except when he was fawning over the woman, and then came the girl, twenty something, he ascertained, who he presumed to be the daughter of the couple, although there was no warmth between them.

His journalistic eye was denied the opportunity to analyse the threesome any longer by the arrival in the restaurant of his cousin Angus.

 

Apart from being cousins Angus and Craig had been friends since university and always got together for lunch or dinner whenever they found themselves in the same locale.

But their kinship went deeper than that as he was also best man at Angus and Sally’s wedding and their child, Gregor, was his godson and that evening he was having dinner with them at their home in Quarry Hill, but between then and lunch was catching up time for the two of them.

Afterwards he went to Finchbottom to the Hummingbird Shopping Centre which was where he saw Jade Kimberley for the third time in two days. 

He had just bought himself some new shirts and was looking for a new tie to go with them when they had their second collision in as many days.