The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (210) Life’s too Short

 

June

 

At the beginning of June local lass Evie Martyn and two friends left the island to play in a football tournament, they had been selected to represent Downshire in the under sixteens girl’s squad.

Evie was a chorister at St Clara’s and was particularly popular in Spaniard Creek, so everyone was devastated when they heard the news of the tragedy.

The girls where travelling back down the Expressway after having reached the latter stages and narrowly losing the semifinal when the caravan in front of them, jack knifed, and they crashed into it.

Evie’s father, who was driving, and two of the girls escaped with cuts and bruises, however Evie and the other driver died at the scene.     

 

When the day of her funeral came it was greeted with a glorious sunny late June day and such as Evie’s popularity was everyone wanted to pay their respects, however seating in the church was quite inadequate for the numbers of people wanting to attend.

So, St Clara’s was packed to the gunwales, and it seemed like the whole village had turned out to say goodbye, so well-loved was she in the village as her young life had touched so many,

Every inch of the lane was crammed with the throng of mourners for what was to be the last service that Locum Vicar, Justyna Krajewska would officiate at as she was leaving the island at the end of the month to become the spiritual head of St Adelaide’s Reflection and Healing Retreat in Pepperstock Green.

 

The service was a very moving one and when it came to the moment for the readings, Danny rose from his pew where Molly had been holding his hand and walked slowly to the lectern.

He stood and looked out at the sea of faces watching him and he was suddenly afraid, but then he remembered the courageous young girl they were there to honour and how she embraced every moment of her life, so he took the folded paper from his pocket and began.

“I would like to read a poem to you which I think sums up the loss of such a young and vital girl taken in the early summer of her life,

It’s called “Ode to an athlete dying young” by A.E.Houseman.

 

The time you won your town the race

We chaired you through the marketplace.

Man, and boy stood cheering by,

And home we brought you shoulder high.

 

Today, the road all runners come,

Shoulder-high we bring you home,

And set you at your threshold down,

Townsman of a stiller town.

 

Smart lad, to slip betimes away

From fields where glory does not stay,

And early though the laurel grows

It withers quicker than the rose.

 

Eyes the shady night has shut

Cannot see the record cut,

And silence sounds no worse than cheers

After earth has stopped the ears.

 

Now you will not swell the rout

Of lads that wore their honours out,

Runners whom renown outran

And the name died before the man.

 

So set, before its echoes fade,

The fleet foot on the sill of shade,

And hold to the low lintel up

The still-defended challenge-cup.

 

And round that early laurelled head

Will flock to gaze the strengthless dead,

And find unwithered on its curls

The garland briefer than a girl’s.

 

Afterwards he returned to his seat with tears in his eyes but at the end of the service he was in no hurry to leave, and he and Molly were the last two in the Church and as they were walking slowly to the door Danny stopped suddenly and said

“There’s something I need to say Molly”

“That sounds ominous” she retorted

“I hope not” he said and turned to face her

“Oh?” she said, “Is everything alright?”

“I know this may be a strange time to do this” he began “but I’ve been putting it off, and putting it off, but it has to be done”

Molly was speechless, she knew he’d had something on his mind she was puzzled as to why it had come to a head at the funeral.

“The thing is” he continued.

“You’re going away aren’t you” she said sadly, “Another research trip”

“No” he said and looked at her

“Why would think that?”

“Because….” she began

“I am not going anywhere without you; we have an amazing future together ahead of us”

“So why are you behaving so oddly?”

“Because today has shown me that life is too short and I want the next time that I stand in front of this congregation in this church to be our wedding”

“But we’re already engaged” she pointed out

“I know, but I don’t want people saying I’m just marrying you for your money” he said

In October on the occasion of her 25th birthday she will inherit her grandfather’s estate and overnight will become insanely rich. 

“So don’t you want to marry me then” she asked sadly

“What?” he exclaimed

“No, the opposite”

“I don’t understand” Molly said

“I don’t want to wait until you’re a billionaire” he explained

“So will you marry me as soon as we can arrange it?”

“Yes, of course I’ll marry today if you want” she replied and kissed him

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (209) Nesting

 

June

 

The morning after Andrea ambushed him in his room, he rose late again but this time when he headed to the shower the door didn’t suddenly open, and Andrea did not appear.

This time he was already in the shower and had already given himself a good soaping before she joined him and on that morning, he had no need to undress her as Andrea was already naked.

When Andrea got in the cubicle, she was only wearing a broad grin, so he kissed her smiling lips and made love to her.

And after Andrea’s timely arrival there followed an exhausting but rewarding union which culminated in Andrea screaming out in orgasm.

She clearly enjoyed it sufficiently that she ambushed him in his bathroom the next morning after which she once again left him exhausted.

 

There was no repeat the following day however, as Wednesday was Andrea’s day off at the Hotel, but being a really hard worker, on her day off she had another two jobs, because she also worked part time at the Wildlife HQ, and the Meteorological Station.

Andrea finished at the Met Station at 1pm and then she went on and did her other job cleaning out the Wildlife huts and sheds, and that job finished at 4pm and the plan was for him to meet her afterwards and they would go and do something together maybe just a walk in the woods.

 

So, he had a quiet morning at the Hotel followed by an early lunch before he left to go birdwatching.

But his heart wasn’t really in it, he was really missing Andrea, so after about an hour he decided to go and meet her from work. 

Garwood followed the path up from the lighthouse and when he was approaching the hides the rain came and so he took shelter in one of them for five minutes and then he got going again, and then ten minutes later the rain came again, heavier this time there was no convenient hide to shelter in.

But he did see, some thirty yards or so ahead of him, the Wildlife huts and thought even if it wasn’t the destination he was looking for, it was still the most likely source of shelter, so he ran in that direction.

Once he got close he noticed that the door was a jar, so he pushed on it softly.

“Hello” he called as the door opened and inside, he was surprised to find Andrea in the hut sweeping the floor wearing only a baggy sweater and wellington boots.

“Oh” she gasped “it’s you.”

“And what are you up to exactly?” he asked as he gave her a thorough appraisal.

“I’m not doing anything wrong” she said defensively and giggled “Honestly I’m not.”

“Really?” he quizzed.

“I got caught in the rain and my shirt and leggings got wet so I’m drying them on the heater, and this is the only dry thing I had to wear” she blurted out and was almost breathless when she had finished.

“Well, you look really hot” he said.

“Really?” she said coyly and blushed deeply “I think you’re biased, I know I look like a nutter.”

he said, “A lovely nutter” and kissed her.

“What are you doing here anyway?” she asked.

“I missed you” he said and kissed her again.

“Well, it’s lovely to see you” Andrea said, “But I have to work, and I can’t leave until I’m finished.”

“I know but I can help you and we’ll have it done in half the time.”

“Why would you want to do that?” she said, “you’re on holiday.”

“I’m doing it so I can be with you” He said.

“That’s so sweet” Andrea said but looked at him a bit glumly.

“What’s the matter?” he asked but she just shrugged and then tears welled up in her eyes and he hugged her.

“I’m sorry” she sobbed.

“What for?” he asked.

“I’ve spoiled everything” she said.

“How?”

“My period started this morning” she howled and buried her face in his chest.

“So, I guess you won’t want to be with me now.”

“When I said I wanted to be with you, I meant I want to be with you, to be near you and to hold you” he said, “that’s the only place I want to be, with you.”

“So, you don’t mind that we can’t make love?” she sobbed.

“We don’t need to make love all the time” he replied, “We can just have a cuddle.”

And when she looked up at him through teary eyes he knew he was now in her heart forever.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (208) Birders Paradise

 

June

 

Garwood Grimm was a 25-year-old singleton and was what they used to call a twitcher, although nowadays they prefer to be called birders, and he was staying at the Seaview Hotel on the Pepperstock Bay island of St Giles du Cabot.

It is beautiful and relatively un-spoilt, and three quarters of the island is a Wildlife Sanctuary, a lot of avid bird watchers gravitated to St Giles which was the reason he chose it for his holiday, that and Hastings Lake which would facilitate his other passion, Angling.

It was both idyllic and peaceful, and there was little, or no noise pollution and the lake was free from boats or jet skis.

Garwood was a bit of a loaner so birdwatching and angling were the perfect hobbies for him.

He would have preferred not to be such a loaner but unfortunately, he was a bit socially awkward, but the main reason he was alone was because he was shy and preferred to go unnoticed, which was difficult to do when you’re extremely tall with wild unruly hair.

Not that he wasn’t attracted to the opposite sex, he was very much indeed, in fact while he was on the island he took a liking to a girl at the Hotel, Andrea Stephan, who he seemed to run into a lot as she was very industrious and turned her hand to everything, but he was too shy to initiate a conversation with her.

Fortunately Andrea was not so shy and made a point of chatting to him every time she ran into him, which was a lot, and one evening she suggested he take a trip to the neighbouring Beaumont island and visit Bellevue Woods to enjoy some different sights so on his fifth day on the island he got up bright and early and took the Ocean Breeze water taxi from Cabot Town to Spaniards Creek then he headed up towards the woods but first of all he went up to Cragg Edge which Andrea had recommended it to him. 

Andrea had also given him a number of popular birding sites and one in particular where she said a Green Woodpecker had been sighted so he made his way there and what he found waiting for him in the clearing, sitting on a blanket was a girl, and after a few seconds he realized it was Andrea herself.

He was standing on the edge of the clearing and moved a little closer and was about to announce himself when she stood up and took off her dress to reveal a green bikini.

“Oh my” he said to himself as he studied a most interesting scene.

“This is much better than a Green Woodpecker, “Much better.”

It wasn’t the usual type of bird he was spotting for, but it was a rare sight indeed.

Andrea was a year or two younger than Garwood, shorter in stature, with straight brown hair and a rather plain, heavily freckled face, but lovely blue eyes, a cute nose, and a thin-lipped smile, she also had nice legs tights tiny feet always which was a bonus for him.

 

It was his habit to write down his more exotic sightings in his little book, not that he had anything in his book to equal Andrea, however as pleasant as the diversion from birdwatching was he wasn’t comfortable to spy on her further.

However, as he prepared to slip quietly back into the woods Andrea turned around and looked directly at him and smiled, and then she gestured him to join her.

“I’m so sorry” he said as he approached “I didn’t mean to stare.”

“That’s alright you were meant to” she retorted.

“Wwhat?” he stammered.

“I’ve been trying to get your attention all week” she said and slithered up to him and embraced him and when the kiss was over she said.

“Now don’t you think that’s better than bird watching?”

“Oh yes definitely” he replied and leant in for another helping and thought.

“This is definitely going in the book.”

 

The morning after Andrea had successfully lured Garwood to the clearing in Bellevue Woods and they shared an extended period of kissing he rose late and was trying to figure out when he would get to kiss her again.

And it was with those thoughts about kissing the girl in the yellow bikini that he decided he would take a shower and then go in search of her, however just as he got midway between the bed and the bathroom, naked and aroused, the maid, receptionist, waitress and all-round dogs’ body, Andrea Stephan, suddenly appeared at the door.

There followed a delightful interlude, in which she declared that she was his girlfriend, which culminated in them making love in his bed.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (207) The Longest Day

 

June

 

In picturesque Spaniards Creek Nove Leyte was mourning the death of her Mother.

Nove was an only child and had lived on the island her whole life, and her mother had just celebrated her 40th birthday when she fell pregnant, and Nove was cherished, because her parents had given up all hope of parenthood, and she cherished them in return for the love they showered on her.

So, she was naturally devastated when her father died suddenly when she was still in her mid-twenties, and his loss brought her and her mother even closer together, and she devoted herself to her Mum at the expense of all other personal attachments, and Nove had never regretted her decision.

In the last five years of her mother’s life, she had become more like her nurse than her companion, then at the age of 38 she was suddenly alone.

 

The Wake was being held in the private rooms at the village pub, Philips Folly, named after the King of Spain, who launched the Armada against Queen Elizabeths England.

But Nove couldn’t face it, so instead of joining everyone else at the pub she went home after the service at St Clara's to an empty house.

The house she had lived in all her life and the one she and her mother had shared for 13 years.

When she got inside she slipped her jacket off and went to the kitchen and poured herself a drink and then cried.

It was June the 21st, the longest day of the year, which felt to her like the longest day of her life.

After sitting alone quietly for about half an hour and wondering why she was all alone at 38 years of age, she was disturbed by a knock at the door, so she ignored it and poured herself another drink.

A few moments later there was another, more persistent knock so she ignored it again and drained her glass.

A few seconds more and there was another even more persistent knock, so she got up and walked down the hall and reluctantly opened the door.

It was Oliver Clarke, the man who had been carrying a torch for her since his twenties, who she had been keeping at arm’s length while she gave all of herself to her mother’s welfare.

They had dated, after a fashion, theatre, cinema, and the occasional meal for special occasions.

Her mother urged Nove to snap him up, but she wouldn’t hear of it.

“There will be time enough for that” Nove would say to her and her mother would shake her head and smile.

“I was told to come and get you,” he said

“You’ve been missed”

“I don’t think I can” Nove replied

“Nonsense” he said firmly, “you’re expected”

But Nove turned around and walked back to the kitchen and sat down.

“You must” Oli insisted crouching down in front of her.

“I can’t” she retorted

“You have no choice” he insisted

“I can’t go; how many times must I say it?” she snapped “it’s just too hard”

“It’s not about you,” he whispered in his face “it’s about your mum”

She said nothing in response, she just looked at him, as if she’d never seen him before and then inexplicably and right out of the left field, she kissed him.

“That’s not helping” he shouted and then kissed her back, before he pushed her away and said

“We shouldn’t be doing this”

“Shut up and kiss me,” Nove begged “I thought you wanted to, you kissed me back”                                             

“I do want to” he said “But I don’t want you to kiss me just because you’re sad”

“Oh, how precious” she sneered

“Well call me old fashioned but I want the woman I love to kiss me because she wants to” he said as he stood up “and because she wants to do it as much as I do”

“Well, we can’t always have what we want, can we” she snapped

“I’m going back to the wake” he said “you should come too”

“Why? Because I’m expected”

“No because you’ll never forgive yourself if you don’t” he said and walked towards the door, but he didn’t get far.

“Wait for me” she called “Please”

 

They walked in the pub together and she put on a brave face for everyone and internally counted the minutes until it was over.

When she got back home she planned on finishing the bottle of Scotch she’d opened earlier and would then crash out and not surface for a few days.

But instead, she tidied herself up, tended to her make up, and went back out, locking the front door behind her.

 

She walked up the short footpath and knocked on the front door of the cottage and waited nervously until the door opened and Oli smiled and invited her in.

“I came to apologize for earlier” she said

“There’s really no need”

“I think there is” Nove said “so I’m sorry”

“Apology accepted” Oli said brightly “Come and have a drink”

“There was something else I need to say” she said nervously “And I’m a bit worried about how you will react”

“That sounds ominous” he said suddenly feeling nervous himself, so he sat down on the staircase

“Saying sorry was just the first part” Nove said and took a deep breath before she added

“The second was to ask the man that I love to kiss me”

“Well, that is something totally different to accepting an apology” he said as he stood up “and my reaction to it is this”

And he leant in and kissed her and brought a satisfactory end to her longest day.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (206) Seen in a Different Light

 

May

 

It was in late May when Paul Milford, a Uniform Police Constable from St Pierre, left the island for a stag weekend with a group of friends from University in the traditional seaside resort of Sharpington-by-Sea.

It was a popular destination for visitors with its Victorian Pier, seafront hotels, crazy golf, the Palladium ballroom, well maintained gardens, promenade, theatre and illuminations, and had all the usual things to have a great time by the seaside, as well as amusement arcades and of course the Sharpington Fun Park.

They were staying in a Caravan Park up at Whitecliffe Hill for the Bank Holiday weekend and were blessed with warm clement weather, which brought many more visitors to enjoy all the seaside fun.

The lads had been there for one day when quite by chance they met up with some familiar faces, a group of girls from Abbottsford.

Among them was Vicki Govett, who he knew slightly from his University days, and he thought she was pretty enough and had a nice figure, but he always found her to be a bit aloof.

But early on Bank Holiday Monday morning as he walked along the pier he saw her in an entirely different light. 

It was 6 am and Paul had been up and about for a couple of hours and had been to the end of the pier and had been enjoying a joke with the fishermen and then he decided it was time for breakfast.

As it was early, so other holidaymakers were few and far between but the first one he saw was a familiar face.

Vicki Govett walked towards him with the sunlight behind her and after the initial recognition his eyes were drawn to the contents of her white summer dress, which were unfettered, and dancing hypnotically, it was the most delicious sight, because the early sun had rendered her white cotton summer dress almost invisible and displayed her exceptional figure to great effect.

Vicki saw him staring with his gaze fixed and unshakable and she turned up her nose as she approached him and gave him a look conveying utter disgust.

“Have you seen enough?” Vicki asked with contempt, and he smiled and nodded and then replied
“I’ve seen everything thank you”

Unaware of his meaning she delivered yet another contemptible look and then he said.
“You might want to slip this on” he suggested as he offered her his jacket, but she just gave him a puzzled look in response and sneered at his offering.

“Your dress is totally see-through in the sunlight” he said and offered her his jacket again, but it still took a moment for the penny to drop.

“Oh God” she said and quickly put on his jacket, and she was blushing vividly as she stood outside the toilets.  

“Thank you”

She walked to the door and half turned as she opened it

“Thank you” she said and smiled, and with that smile he saw her in entirely different light again.

 

Once she reappeared, her embarrassment had subsided, so he took her to breakfast where he discovered that a kind and gentle young woman dwelt beneath the aloofness.

After breakfast he walked her back to her guest house to change into something less revealing and then they spent the rest of the day together.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (205) Sisterly Pursuit

 

May

 

Sisters Rebecca and Sally Root live together in the house they grew up in, in the village of Spaniards Creek, on the neighbouring Beaumont Island.

But they spent 4 nights out of every 7 at the Seaview Hotel because they both worked at the Meteorological Station.

The girls were both in their early thirties and were only 13 months apart and they were very close in every other way and did everything together, and as they were both single, one of the things they did on a regular basis was to look for someone to change their single status.

But they were thwarted in their efforts time and time again and invariably ended up with their friends Cordelia Caldwell and Anelita Gordon on one or other of the Islands, enjoying outdoor pursuits, hanging out or just shopping.

They were also keen sailors and enjoyed, sailing around the bay Islands, but they and their friends also enjoyed partying in Pipershaven, and it was on one of their party nights when they first laid eyes on Derek and John Wright, who were in town for a few days, and they were perfect, good looking, funny, the same ages, and more importantly, single, and they seemed to be interested, and it turned out they were in Pipershaven on a short break because they were about to start a new job.

 

Rebecca and Sally were so taken with the boys that they didn’t return to the island with Cordelia and Anelita as they had decided to stay for another day just so they could hang out with them.

But the sisters were very frustrated by their inability to land their catch, however on the boys last night they told them that their new jobs were actually at the Wildlife Sanctuary on St Giles, so they thought if they upped their game when they got them on their own turf and finally induce a little bodily contact.

 

After three weeks the girls had made no more progress than they had on the mainland, so they thought perhaps getting them out sailing in the bay.

So, they arranged to meet early on Saturday morning at the Seaview Hotel, from where they would walk to Cabot Town where the boat was moored.

At eight o’clock Rebecca and the boys were on time, but Sally wasn’t, she had gone to the lighthouse because it was her turn to check the equipment, but she was much longer than she planned as there was a problem with one of the panels.

When she was eventually finished, she made a beeline for the Hotel following the path that led past along the cliffs and at the end of the path she took decisive action and decided to take the more direct route along the broad beach sands and was in constant touch with her sister via text message as she walked.

However, her decision to cross the beach proved to be problematic firstly because, although it was indeed the shorter route in would have been much easier to walk on the path rather than the inconsistent terrain of the beach, and that was coupled with the fact that the sea mist had rolled in, and the visibility was fading fast, which hampered her progress further.

She did have the lights of the Wildlife HW, the row of cottages and the Hotel to aim at and the light from her phone offered her some form of illumination, but she was still going to be very late, and then the phone rang.

“Hello”

“Where are you?” Rebecca asked.

“I’m coming as fast as I can” Sally replied.

“Yes but where are you? We’re looking down the path and there’s no sign of you” Rebecca said.

“I’m on the beach”

“What are you doing on the beach?” Rebecca asked incredulously.

“I thought it would be quicker” Sally retorted.

“How’s that working out for you?” Rebecca asked.

“Shut up” Sally snapped “I’m nearly there.”

 

Rebecca, Derek, and John were waiting at the Hotel but after finding out she was crossing the beach they went to the top of the steps that led down to the sand and after a few minutes an anxious Derek said.

“I’ll go down and see if I can spot her.”

And after a few minutes Rebecca and John started to descend as well.

“Can you see her yet” Rebecca shouted but Derek didn’t respond as he had wandered out of view into the mist.

 

Sally’s eyes had become accustomed to the gloom, and she was making steady progress as the sand beneath her feet was of a firmer nature as she got closer to cliffs.

As she approached steps up to the cliffs she was within easy reach of her destination but then she collided with something or someone in the darkness and she was knocked backwards, but she stumbled and fell against a figure in the dark.

“Excellent” she thought to herself as gravity took control of her and she finished up straddling the prone figure of her assailant, fortunately she still had her phone in hand so she shone it in the face of the mugger and was surprised to see, illuminated in the eerie blue light, the handsome face of Derek Wright and not for the first time that evening she took decisive action and kissed him, and with that vigorous and passionate kiss all the frustrations of the previous few weeks were released.

Sally and Derek were so engrossed in the long hoped for kiss that they didn’t notice Rebecca arriving to witness the action.

Rebecca retraced her steps where John was waiting.

“Could you see them?” he asked.

“Oh yes”

“And are they together?” he enquired.

“Definitely”

“So, they’re, ok?” John asked.

“I would say so” she replied.

“So, what’s keeping them?” John asked naively.

“Erm, they’re busy” Rebecca replied.

“Busy?”

“Oh yes”

“Doing what?” he asked.

“What we should be doing” she replied.

“I don’t understand.”

“They’re snogging!” she snapped.

“Oh” he exclaimed “I see, well yes I think we should very definitely be doing that.”

“At last,” she said as he took her in his arms.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (204) The Darling Buds of May

 

May

 

May was a very eventful month, it began with Locum Vicar Justyna Krajewska informing Arielle Archer that she would not be staying on after the 6 months of her locum period, though she did recommend an alternative candidate for the Curacy.

 

Then civil engineer, Sam Richardson, left the island bound for Pepperstock Green, where he had to carry out the final inspections on the new bridges at the St Adelaide’s Reflection and Healing Retreat, and he would be staying at the Shady Glade Guesthouse where he planned to reacquaint himself with the lovely proprietor Debbie Barrington.

 

His departure coincided with Molly and Danny returning to the island after their extended book signing tour of Australia, New Zealand and the far east.

They arrived in St Pierre on the midday ferry it was a glorious day, and the Norman Port looked magnificent, as it always was when the sun was shining.

It was busy aboard the vessel because of the weather and there were a lot of foot passengers, there was always a greater concentration of day trippers on the weekend when the sun shone.

 

Molly and Danny were unusually anxious to get home, they had been away since January and had missed the island and their friends, but in addition to that they had had an encounter with a very obnoxious woman who was not unknown to them by the name of Máire Hanlan so as a result they were at the front when the ramp went down.

They were being met by George Wood and after being greeted with his gregarious hugs they made their way towards the car park until Molly said    

“What’s going on?”

“What?” Danny asked and tried to follow her gaze, and when he had established he was looking in the same place as she was he saw that there was a girl in a skimpy dress walking towards them who appeared to be causing something of a stir.

“Isn’t that Máire Hanlan?” he asked

“Yes, I think so” she replied “Although I prefer the name Mare)

She was someone they had known for a few years, and they had a mutual dislike for each other, so today’s altercation was not unexpected.

She was a rather innocuous looking woman certainly more than mildly attractive but not a stunner or of movie star caliber.

She definitely suffered from pretty girl syndrome, and though she was attractive she thought she was far more beautiful than all other women around her, and yet she was causing every head to turn, male and female, young and old.

Men’s jaws dropped to the floor and their eyes stood out on stalks and women looked sternly and shook their collective heads.

“What are they all gawping at?” George asked

“No idea” Molly replied also questioning if this unremarkable young woman was worthy of all the attention.

But as she passed them, without them acknowledging each other, they continued to follow her with their gaze and the reason for the head turning soon became apparent.

The hem of her skirt had snagged on the bottom of her shoulder bag rendering her rear aspect exposed from the waist downward.

Though it wasn’t that in itself which had elicited the response she had received, that was due solely to the fact she had neglected to wear any pants.

As she continued and turned more heads Danny asked Molly

“Do you think we should tell her?”

“No way” she replied “Serves her right for being such a cow”

 

The other reason Molly Barrington was so anxious to return to Cliff Haven cottage in Spaniards Creek was because she had promised her friend, Reverend Arielle Archer, to return before she had the baby.

They made it just in time, with a week to spare, as Arielle gave birth to a baby girl on May 25th.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (203) Birthday Trip

 

April

 

Renowned Downshire Poet, Mark Edmunds and his older brother Rich were staying for a few days at the Beaumont Manor Hotel just outside St Pierre on Beaumont Island.

It was his Rich’s idea, to have a short break on the largest of the Pepperstock Bay Islands for a change of pace and some R&R, but in reality it was Rich who needed it most as he was a TV News Reader and needed to go somewhere where he might be able to take a walk without being pestered by people who wanted to take a selfie.

Mark wasn’t particularly sympathetic and paraphrased Oscar Wilde and said “The only thing worse than being asked to take a selfie is not being asked to take a selfie”

 

They were both from the quiet country village of Pepperstock Green, with adjoining Cottages which backed on to a quiet stretch of the River Oxley.

Mark did suggest that a trip in a cabin cruiser would have been equally relaxing but thankfully he didn’t listen, and that was something that would later on prove to be a very significance decision in their lives, because on their first night at the Hotel they met sisters Linda and Kaylie Williams, who it turned out were also from Pepperstock Green, and the irony of that first meeting was that they asked Rich if they could have a selfie.

 

The four of them hit it off right from the start and decided as they were all there to enjoy the wonderful scenery they might just as well do it together.

So after breakfast the next day they set off and got their first proper look of the delights of the Island and its environs and then they got a map of the island from the receptionist which marked the best walks.

So they set off on a trail that took them through Bellevue woods and onward up into the crags and planned to climb up to the top, and everything was proceeding nicely until the weather closed in and they were forced back down to the safety of the Hotel where they remained for the rest of the day and the day after.

 

Perhaps because they were all around the thirty mark the four of them got on well and as a result, they had enjoyed their confinement at the Hotel, but Mark in particular enjoyed the time he spent with Kaylie, so quite naturally they fell in love.

 

Rich and Linda also liked each other but for the them the path to romance was more of a slow burn, in fact it hadn’t ignited beyond an ember by the time their short holiday was over, but unlike most holiday flirtations it didn’t end with the holiday because they all lived in the same village, and because Mark and Kaylie were a couple Rich and Linda continued to come into each other’s orbits over and over again in the two weeks following Mark and Kaylie’s courtship.

 

At the end of April they returned to the Island for the weekend to celebrate Kaylie’s impending birthday.

Linda and Kaylie lived together in what was once the family home so early on Saturday morning Rich and Mark picked them up and they got the first ferry from Pipershaven.

They spend most of Saturday exploring the island in the car as the weather was a bit inclement but on Saturday night, they had a great meal at the Orangery and three bottles of wine, and the conversation got onto birthdays or to be more precise Linda’s birthday.

“So, it’s your birthday tomorrow” Kaylie said “A significant birthday”

“Thanks sis” she rebuked

“Oh really?” Rich said “And if it’s not indelicate to ask, which one” 

“The big three zero” she confessed

“Well, I would never have guessed” he said gallantly

“Flatterer” she retorted

“Well don’t look at it in terms that you’re going to be 30, think of it more as turning 20 – 10” Rich said kindly and touched her hand

“I myself am 20 – 11”

Kaylie was watching her sister throughout the exchange and when Linda smiled at him.

 

Another wine bottle bit the dust but rather than open another one after that they thought it more prudent to call it a night.

Rich helped Linda to her feet and Kaylie said

“Wait for me while I find my bag”

“No rush” Rich said “I can walk her home, if you want to stay a bit longer”

“Oh ok” Kaylie said “Thank you, very gallant”

 

The next morning, at first light Kaylie crept along the corridor to her room and just reached her bedroom in time to see Linda’s door open and Rich tiptoe out.

“Well, that’s taking gallantry to the extreme” she thought and then slipped into her bed and slept a guilt free sleep.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (202) St George’s Day

 

April

 

The St Georges Day Ball was taking place at the Beaumont Manor Hotel just outside St Pierre on Beaumont Island.

It was a beautiful moonlit night, and Matthew Lloyd was enjoying a cigar on the Garden Terrace.

The reason he chose that particular place to smoke was because it was far enough away to escape the noise but close enough, so he could still hear the band.  

He also went there to be alone because he liked to enjoy his smoke in peace, while he mulled things over.

He looked up at the hunter’s moon hanging in the clear night sky as he exhaled the mellow smoke long and slowly, which was when his peace was broken by the appearance of a familiar face.

 

When Lady Allison Cranwell left the Hotel Ballroom via the French doors she was carrying her shoes in one hand, her pashmina was draped over her arm, and she was carrying her evening bag in her other hand as she padded along the terrace.

“Here you are” she said, “I wondered where you’d got to.”

“I thought I would leave you to your posse of admirers” he said.

“They’re not my posse” she replied as she put her shoes and bag down on the terrace wall.

“Just your admirers?”

“No, they’re not that either” she giggled “Let’s have a lug.”

“You can have one of your own if you want” he retorted.

“No, I’ll share yours” she said, and she stood very close to him as she took the cigar from his hand and took a long drag on it.

“So is that why you came out here, to smoke my cigar” he said.

“No, I came to find you, and to cool down” she said and giggled before adding “it’s very hot work having a posse of admirers.”

 

He studied her while they shared a smoke and Matthew thought she looked fabulous in the moonlight and after they finished the cigar Allison suddenly shivered.

“It looks like you’ve cooled down too much” he said, “Come on I’ll take you back inside.”

“No, I don’t want to” she protested.

“All right then but put this on” he said and slipped off his dinner jacket and put it around her shoulders.

“Thank you kind sir” she said, “That’s lovely and warm.”

“I’m here to serve mistress.”

As she stood before him in the moonlight she commanded 

“Good then dance with me.”

“Why here?”

“Because I command you” she said flamboyantly.

“Very well then mistress, but why wouldn’t you dance with me in there?” he asked.

“Because I didn’t want to share you with the crowd” she replied.

“I wanted it to be just the two of us.”

And then he became aware of being manipulated as if they were in a slow dance on the dance floor, so he just went with her and then he found his back against the wall.

“You may kiss me now” she said.

“Yes mistress”

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (201) Landing Her Catch

 

April

 

Matthew Brookfield was a native Beaumont Islander, but he was no longer a resident, but he had brought home in order to visit his sister who was waiting to undergo major heart surgery, in fact it had brought him back to the country, from sunnier climes, where he had been filming his TV Show.

When he got to the Bellevue Cottage Hospital he went straight upstairs to the private room he had arranged for her and found her lying in bed with wires and tubes coming out of her, he also found someone who would figure in both their futures, in the form of Shirley’s Doctor, Maxine Flaxmer.

Because later that night they met for the first time outside the hospital and spent a pleasant couple of hours in the bar of the Beaumont Manor Hotel, and they made an unlikely connection, considering that she was a Doctor and he was a TV Fisherman.

The next day, however, they were unable to build on that connection as it was a busy day on the ward for Max and Shirley went into surgery.

 

The following day however was a different matter, although when they were on the ward, they maintained their roles, conscious and sensitive to their surroundings, but when they met downstairs it was different.

“Hello Mark” she said as he stepped out of the lift.

“Hello yourself Doctor Max”

“Very funny” she said laughing “have you got time for a coffee?”

“I do” he replied so they went to the coffee shop where they spent a pleasant hour, helping him to escape his worries.

Because she knew that although he put on a brave face for his sister and her husband that he was worried sick, and she also knew that no matter how she tried to reassure him as a Doctor she wasn’t going succeed but as Max she could divert him, even if only for the briefest time.

 

The following day they repeated the process, twice, and the day after, and when Shirley was out of the woods and on the road to recovery the day after that, and she improved with each day that passed they went out for dinner.

Shirley had made such a good recovery that Doctor Flaxmer was happy to allow Shirley to be transferred to a nursing home to complete her convalescence.

As they loaded Shirley into an ambulance Max said

“You know what this means.”

“Yes, I have to take you fishing” He said.

“Well, I go back to the mainland so it will have to be on Thursday” she replied.

“Ok we’ll meet in reception at nine.”

“Great” she said, “what should I wear?”

“You’ll look great in whatever you wear” he replied, “But I would recommend no heels.”

 

It was an unseasonably warm sunny March day when they left the hotel and drove up to Roman Water.

After they parked by the Lake and he set up the folding chairs on the jetty and once they had set up he showed her the basic principle of casting and then he said.

“Come and stand in front of me and look towards the water.”

Max did as she was told, and he stood behind her, but before he could show her how to hold the rod she turned around and kissed him and after a full minute he said.

“You didn’t come for the fishing, did you?”

“Not really” she admitted, and they kissed again.

 

They decided that as she wasn’t interested in fishing, an early lunch was more favourable so after he’d packed his tackle away they walked back to the car, and he stowed it in the boot.

They walked up the steps to the Hotel and she announced.

“I like fishing, I think we should do it again soon.”

“I’m afraid that today is the last day of the season” he retorted.

“When does it start again?”

“The middle of June”

“Oh dear, what are we going to do until June?”

“I’m sure we’ll think of something” he said and kissed her.