In the Village of Pepperstock Green – Chapter (096) – Opening their Doors

July

 

July 1^st marked the official reincarnation of the former St Adelaide’s Convent with the opening of the St Adelaide’s Reflection and Healing Retreat.

As a former Anglican Convent there was still going to be a strong spiritual element to the retreat, but it was not going to be exclusively Christian, despite the fact that there was an Anglican chapel on site, as all faiths and no faiths will be welcomed with open arms.

On top of the strong faith aspect, there was a variety of therapeutic support,

including individual therapy, group therapy, equine therapy, gardening therapy and holistic practices like yoga, meditation, and mindfulness, in addition there are workshops on personal development, stress and anxiety management, and emotional healing, for the bereaved, burnt-out carers, and a place of peace for retired clergy.

The founders of the retreat Charlie and Toddy Phelps thought it fitting that the first guests should be Toddy’s former religious Sisters, Sister Margaret and Sister Lucy, as they had served their whole lives at the former Convent and would be living out the rest of their days in tranquility.

 

The spiritual head of the Retreat was to be forty-year-old Justyna Krajewska, who officially took up the role on July 1^st, wasn’t even on the mainland when she was supposed to be in post.

That was because she had spent the previous six months as locum at St Clara’s Church in Spaniards Creek on Beaumont Island in Pepperstock Bay.

It wasn’t too critical because although they were opening the doors to guests on the first, the retreat wouldn’t be fully up and running until the beginning of August.

But she wasn’t late starting her new job due to tardiness, it was at the behest of her new employer Toddy Phelps.

Toddy had requested that she delayed her arrival in order that she could escort Sister Margaret and Sister Lucy on the ferry.

The elderly Nuns had been staying on the neighbouring Island since the Convent closed the previous year at the St Giles retreat.

So, on the morning of July 1^st, after saying her goodbyes, Justyna boarded a Water Taxi, the Ocean Breeze, from the quayside in Spaniards Creek.

Proceeding along the river to the open sea then crossed the channel from Spaniards Point to Cabot Town on St Giles island.

 

When she disembarked in Cabot Town she was met by Reverend Henry Noble, who worked at the retreat and the Sister’s as the ferry was already approaching the dock.

Fifteen minutes later they said goodbye to the Reverend and boarded the Empress Victoria, skippered by Olivia Shaw and soon after they set sail, metaphorically, for Pipershaven.

 

When they disembarked at the ferry port they were met by two drivers from Percival’s Luxury Cars, the first was the younger of the two, Henry Nixon, whose job it was to collect the luggage.

The second was the owner of the business, James Percival, who was there to collect the ladies.

He wouldn’t normally make himself available for a simple taxi job, but he had a soft spot for Charlie and Toddy Phelps.

It was James who drove Toddy from the Vicarage to the church in a Vintage 1936 Bentley on their wedding day, and as the starting point and the destination were so close together, he took a turn around the Village so she would get the maximum from the experience.

After the ceremony they he drove the happy couple to the reception, Toddy confided in him that he made her feel like a princess.

After helping Sister Margaret and Sister Lucy into the car and getting them settled his attention was drawn to their companion, a tall willowy woman, with shoulder length brunette hair, intelligent green laughing eyes, a broad toothy smile and a warm open manner.

He was overwhelmingly and instantly captivated by her remarkably pleasant demeanour and took to her immediately.

 

Justyna had already noticed the tall sandy-haired Chauffeur and his kind nature, while he settled the Sisters, and though she had never been one for instant attraction, she was smitten.

 

Justyna sat in the front passenger seat for the journey to St. Adelaide’s and she and James chatted amiably all the way and by the time they pulled in through the gates and along the drive the luxury car chauffeur and the spiritual head of the Retreat had a dinner date for Saturday night.

Nobody was more pleased than Toddy, who always knew they’d make a perfect couple, she just needed to make sure they could be encouraged into each other’s orbits, which was why she asked Justyna to travel over with the Sisters and she ensured James would meet them off the ferry.