In the Village of Pepperstock Green – Chapter (068) – The Spring Equinox

 March

 

Just a few miles outside Pepperstock Green was the Martlesham Park Industrial Estate and one of the biggest companies on that estate was Mitcheldean Merchandise.

Mitcheldean’s had begun life as a mail order catalogue goods business in the 1960’s, but in the 21st century they were exclusively an online company. 

The goods received warehouse supervisor was twenty-five-year-old Steve Selwyn, six feet four inches tall with dark brown hair and was a popular guy among the staff, in particular, by the goods dispatch supervisor, Nicki Piek, who was the same age as him and had had him in her sights since they were at school together.

She flirted with him shamelessly at every opportunity and she would incline her head to one side and play with her hair and behaved exactly like she did when they were still at school.

In was the same tactics she’d been employing for ten years, and it still wasn’t working, because he wasn’t interested he never had been and never would be.

Because he just wasn’t attracted to her, and he didn’t like her, he didn’t like the way she spoke, the way she laughed, even the way she walked, in fact she didn’t walk she slinked, and if that wasn’t enough he had another reason to rebuff her advances, Arianna Waters.

 

Arianna ticked all his boxes, he loved her voice, her laugh, and the way she walked was an absolute delight in fact there wasn’t anything about her that he didn’t like, brown hair, hazel eyes and Arianna was everything that Nicki wasn’t.

Arianna Waters lived at the opposite end of village from Mitcheldean’s and had only started working there a few days before Christmas and Steve was instantly smitten, and the attraction was mutual although they didn’t pick up on that, but Nicki did, and she did not like it one bit. 

Nor did she like that she was 4 inches taller than her and had longer shapelier legs, was 4 years younger and was prettier not that she would have admitted to the last part because Nicki Piek suffered from pretty girl syndrome.

Which is when an attractive girl thinks she is far more beautiful than all other women around her and for that reason she thinks that she deserves to get all the attention.

So, when Arianna met Steve and Nicki in the warehouse on her first day Nicki was at first shocked, then upset and finally angry when she realized Steve was more interested in Arianna than he had ever been in her.

 

Arianna was still in her probation period and was used as a bit of a gofer and she had to work in several different departments and had to work under both Steve and Nicki at different times of the day.

This was good for her because it meant she got to see Steve for a couple of hours every day guaranteed, but at the same time it was bad because she had to spend an equal amount of time working for Nicki and it was obvious that she didn’t like her and she really wasn’t very nice to her, and she couldn’t understand why, but she saw it as a price worth paying if it meant working with Steve.

 

As she walked through the village on her way to work on the first day of spring she had a spring in her step because it was the last day of her probation and when she had her meeting with Elizabeth Summers in HR she was going to request a permanent position in Steve’s department so she would see him all day, every day, even if he didn’t see her as she saw him she would at least be close to him.

 

Steve Selwyn glanced at the clock and pretended to be busy so as not to appear as if he was waiting for her arrival, he was trying to be cool.

She was always on time, in fact she was always ahead of time, and that day was no exception, the only difference being that she was even more bubbly and smiley than normal.

“Morning” she chirped

“Well, if it isn’t the soon to be “ex” probationer” he said

“Todays the day” Arianna retorted and crossed her fingers

“Not that you need it, but I got you something” he said and gave her a little gift box

“For me?” she asked and he nodded

Her hands were shaking when she opened the little box and then she gasped when she saw the little gold horseshoe charm.

He knew that she had been given a charm bracelet for Christmas by her parents and that she hadn’t got many charms on it yet.

“It’s gorgeous” she said, “Thank you”

She didn’t want to simply say thank you, she wanted to kiss him, not that that was unusual, but at that moment she wanted to kiss him more than she had ever wanted to before.

In the end it was taken out of her hands when the claxon went off to signify there was a delivery.

“When are you seeing Elizabeth?” he asked

“In an hour” she replied

“Well, if I’m not done before you go” he said “good luck”

And the good luck was accompanied by a squeeze of her hand and at that moment she was convinced for the first time that his interest in her was more than just friendship or co-worker.

So, with his gift to her in her pocket she felt 10 feet tall as she left the warehouse for her appointment with HR.

 

When they had finished unloading a 40ft trailer he looked around the warehouse and expected to see her excited face, but she was nowhere to be seen so he returned to his office.

He had been sitting at his desk for about ten minutes when the phone rang, which took him a few seconds to locate.

It was part of the company phone system but was portable, so he wasn’t tied to the office when he was on a call, which made it convenient to use, but sometimes difficult to find.

He found it on top of the filing cabinet with Arianna’s fleece on top of it, which he thought was odd, she always complained about the cold in the warehouse, so she always wore her fleece and his as well sometimes.

With the fleece in one hand and the phone in the other he pressed the green button and said

“Warehouse!”

“Hello Steve”

“Is that Arianna?”

“Yes” she replied, and her voice cracked

“Are you ok?”

“No”

“Why, what’s wrong?” He asked with concern

“They’re not keeping me on” she replied

“What?” he asked in utter disbelief

“I’m leaving”

“That can’t be right, when?”

“Today”

“Today?” he asked as he left the office

“Yes, I’m leaving now” she said weekly

“Now?” He repeated with alarm “I don’t understand”

“I’m not good enough” she sobbed

“Where are you?” He asked when he left the warehouse and emerged into the main reception, but when he saw Nicki standing on one side of the entrance wearing a smirk he began to comprehend what had happened

“I’m outside, I’m waiting for a cab” she said just as he stepped out into the sunshine.

“Oh Steve” she exclaimed when she saw him

“Come here” he responded with his arms outstretched and she ran between them.

“What am I going to do?” she sobbed

“Hey its ok”

“It’s not though” she said “Because I won’t get to see you every morning”

“Well, if it comes to that, you’ll have to see me every evening instead” he assured her

“Really?” she asked as she lifted her head from his chest, and he answered by kissing her

 

The kiss only ended when the taxi pulled up, and he turned and looked into the smiling face of the taxi driver who was an old school friend of his brother, Billy Carlin.

He kissed Arianna once more on the mouth and then opened the back door, so she could get in.

“I will see you later” he said and squeezed her hand before he closed the door on the Taxi’s precious cargo.

He knew she would get home safely, but he still said

“Look after her Billy”

“No sweat” he replied then Steve blew Arianna a kiss and the cab drove away.

 

When he went back inside Nicki was still there and after watching him kiss Arianna she wasn’t smirking anymore, and she turned on her heels and stomped off.

Also assembled in reception were a group of half a dozen supervisors who had all had been part of Arianna’s probationary training and they were as perplexed as Steve had been when he first heard that the firm was letting her go.

Having seen Nicki’s delight at Arianna’s sobbing figure he was pretty sure that she had reported something to HR to paint her in a bad light.

After sharing his suspicions with the assembled group, they decided that they should pay a visit to HR and set the record straight. 

 

The delegation to HR met with Elizabeth Summers who was at first bemused, then confused, followed by horrified and then finally deeply apologetic. 

Frantic meetings between upper management and the whole HR department followed which resulted in the reinstatement of Arianna, providing she would accept it, and to that end Steve was asked to deliver the news to her.

 

After the taxi dropped Arianna at her parents’ house she had an up and down kind of day where she would be in tears one moment because of the loss of her job, because she loved working up at Mitcheldean’s, and then total elation because Steve Selwyn had hugged and kissed her, and in between the two extremes she dared to dream that she had imagined her dismissal but not the kiss.

She had a vague recollection that he had said that he would see her later, but she wasn’t sure if it was the traditional farewell “see you later” or that she would actually see him later.

It was during one of her periods of reflection that there was a knock at the door, she was going to ignore it, because she didn’t want to see anyone, and when she looked in the mirror she thought it more likely that no one would want to see her, but she took a deep breath and opened it and to her surprise it was Steve, and she instantly forgot how she looked and kissed him.

 

They were sitting on the sofa after he had given her the news about her reinstatement 

“So, if I come back will I still be on probation?”  

“No” he replied “And you will be working full time in Goods in”

“So, I’ll see you every day?”

“Yes, every day”

“Oh”

“Well, you don’t have to” he said “you can choose whichever department you want”

“No, I want to but….”

“But what?”

“Well, if I see you every day, does that mean I won’t get to see you in the evenings?”

“No” he said and smiled “it doesn’t mean that”

“Oh good” she said, and she kissed him again

In the Village of Pepperstock Green – Chapter (067) – Interviewees

March

 

Charlie and Toddy Phelps were delighted to have secured the services of the Robert’s sisters to work as therapists up at the St Adelaide’s Reflection and Healing Retreat, but they weren’t the only interviewees that March, nor were they the only successful applicants, one of whom was Emily Hemmings.

Emily was a native of Pepperstock Green, she was 29 years of age and was a pretty girl, with fine corn coloured hair and was only a tiny little thing, four foot eleven if she had her hair up.
Emily was the only child of a local couple, who were both surgeons who lived in a huge house poshest part of the village.
When she finished her very expensive private education she had no interest in following in her parents footsteps in the world of medicine, as her passion was horses so she got a job working in a small riding school at Carpenters Farm on the outskirts of village and her parents were outraged when she chose to be a stable girl, rather than go to university, her father offered to buy the riding school and let her run it, but she forbade him from doing any such thing and threatened never to speak to either of them again if he did.
She just wanted to work with horses and when she wasn’t working she could be seen sat astride a great Chestnut coloured colt called Hector.
But the most remarkable thing about Emily was that in spite of her parent’s wealth and snobbery she had no airs and graces whatsoever.

She worked at Carpenters Farm for five years before Mrs. Carpenter died and the Riding School closed.

Her father again suggested he buy the Riding School but again she declined and instead chose to cast her net further afield and got a job in the Dulcets, a collection of villages and hamlets comprising of Dulcet Meadow, Dulcet-on-Willow, Dulcet St Mary and Dulcet-on-Brooke, to name but a few, and of course Dulcet Green which was where Scott’s Farm was located and that was where she learned everything she knows about Equine Therapy.

It was her skill as an Equine Therapist that interested Charlie and Toddy but there were two things that interested Emily, firstly setting up a Riding School from scratch and secondly returning to Carpenters Farm which was now part of St Adelaide’s.

 

Another notable interviewee attended Beechwood, Justyna Krajewska a tall willowy forty-year-old woman, with shoulder length brunette hair, intelligent green laughing eyes, a broad toothy smile and a warm open manner and altogether a very pleasant demeanour and Toddy took to her immediately, and she and Charlie thought she would be perfect as the spiritual head of the Retreat.

“So, you are locum at St Clara’s on Beaumont Island” Toddy said, “So when does that end?”

“The end of June” Justyna replied “But they may offer me the curacy after that.”

“And how do you feel about that?” Charley asked.

“I’m not sure” she replied, “It difficult settling down to parochial matters after St Giles retreat.”

“You were at St Giles?” Toddy asked as she studied her CV “I didn’t see that in here.”

“I didn’t work there” she said and then went onto explain that she had spent a prolonged period at the retreat following a long battle with cancer.

“Then its sounds to me that you are the perfect person for St Adelaide’s” Toddy said.

“We’ve been telling everyone else that the start date would be June the 1st but as we won’t be opening the doors until a month later, we can extend it for you until July 1st although we don’t expect to be fully up and running until the beginning of August.”

“Does that work for you?” Charlie asked.

“Yes, I rather think it does” Justyna said and smiled.

In the Village of Pepperstock Green – Chapter (066) – The St Patricks Day Party

March

 

At the beginning of March, twin sisters Candice and Anna Roberts were in Pepperstock Green attending interviews for positions as Therapists at St Adelaide’s. 

After being successful they returned to the Shady Glade Guesthouse where they had a very pleasant evening meal courtesy of Debbie Barrington and were contemplating an early night so they could hit the road straight after an early breakfast when Debbie knocked on their door.

“You have some visitors” she said and smiled.

They assumed it must be Charlie and Toddy, in regard to their earlier interviews, however when they got downstairs the visitors turned out to be Callum and Jamie who were there to invite them out for a drink at the Deer Stalker.

They spent a very enjoyable couple of hours with the boys at the pub which resulted in an invitation for the upcoming St Patrick’s Day Party at the Mablethorpe Spa Hotel.

 

So, two weeks later they were back in the village and staying at the Shady Glade because Callum Gallocker and Jamie Gomm, had persuaded the twins to join them at the party, not that it took much persuading.

 

During the relatively short drive from the village to the Mablethorpe Spa Hotel the four passengers, dressed in green outfits, chatted incessantly.

But when they got to the party the twins no longer had the undivided attention of the boys as they seemed to know everyone.

Candice and Anna looked at each other as if they had both come to the same conclusion, namely that they weren’t going to accept any other outcome than getting their undivided attention back again.

The Roberts’s were determined not to let their chosen quarry out of their sight and they in turn had resolved not to let the girls out of view.

When Callum first saw Candice in Abbottsford after the fender bender with her bobbed brunette hair, olive complexion and hazel eyes he was smitten and Jamie felt the same about Anna who was identical to her sister but was two inches taller and had longer hair, but at the party they were wearing low cut St Patrick’s party outfits, so they were doubly smitten.

So, they spent most of the night on the dance floor and during the time that they were not dancing they were at the bar with the exception of spending a penny.

 

As midnight approached, Anna was dancing with Jamie to a slow number by Karen Carpenter when Anna kissed him and he responded in kind.

Candice was standing at the bar and looked across at her sister kissing Jamie and then she looked at Callum and thought “why aren’t we doing that?”

She smiled at him, and he smiled back, but no kiss, she smiled again and still nothing happened, so she said.

“Have you seen what Anna and Jamie are doing?”

He turned to look at the kissing couple.

“Oh yes”

“Can I ask you a question Callum?”

“Of course,”

“Why aren’t we doing that?” she asked and before she could press her point further, he was kissing her.

 

As things turned out that night didn’t just mark St Patrick’s Day for the two couples it marked the end of their old lives and new beginnings.

 

In the Village of Pepperstock Green – Chapter (065) – Mothering Sunday

 March

 

St Agatha’s Primary School was where Georgie Devereaux worked as a Teacher after making a home for herself in the village following her divorce three years earlier.

In those three years she had made herself part of the community, as a well-respected teacher, a volunteer at the Church and as an enthusiastic member of an amateur dramatics group, but all her busyness was merely to fill the lonely hours of her life. 

 

However, one day in March something occurred that set her on a different path.

It was after morning break when the children were making their way back to their classrooms when one of the children, Emily Robinson, tripped and fell down the last three stairs and banged her head.

Although Emily didn’t lose consciousness, she did cut her head badly and the sight of the blood upset the onlooking children, which in turn upset Emily.

 

Georgie knew Emily outside of school as she and the child’s mother, Anna, did am dram together, and she therefore was also aware that she worked in Pipershaven and would not be able to get back to the village in time, so as the first aider stemmed the flow of blood, it was decided that an ambulance should be called.

Also, Georgie phoned Anna and said that she would go to the Hospital with Emily and meet her there. 

 

When the ambulance arrived, the paramedics were very cool, calm and efficient and they were soon on their way to Pipershaven, and Georgie was in the back-holding Emily’s hand while Paramedic Rich Thomas looked after the patient and spoke reassuringly to her.

 

When the ambulance arrived at the Pepperstock and District Hospital, Anna was already there waiting for them and she took over the hand holding duties and the paramedics took Emily straight into the emergency department and she was immediately attended to by Doctor Lauren Lewis and Nurse Mia Lawson, and Georgie sat down heavily on the nearest chair.

 

Georgie sat in reception watching the comings and goings for a couple of hours, flicking through old magazines to amuse herself, then she needed to spend a penny and decided she needed a drink and a sandwich, so she went to find the shop.

 

It was at the shop that she bumped into Rich Thomas, the Paramedic, who had had the same idea as she had.

“Hello” he said

“Oh hi”

“How’s Emily doing?” he asked

“Not sure, her mum hasn’t come out yet”

“I’m going in now, so I’ll find out for you” he offered

“Thank you, that’s very kind”

The remainder of the conversation on the way back to reception was fairly banal, but she did find that by the time they got there the conversation had definitely got a bit flirty, particularly on her side, and then she saw Anna appear, so she said goodbye to Rich and went and hugged her friend.

 

They were sitting down while Anna filled her in on what had happened, scans, x-rays and sutures, and what was happening, namely that she was being admitted.

“I got you a sandwich and a drink” Georgie said

“Oh, bless you, I am hungry”

 

As they sat and ate Georgie suddenly said

“I’m sorry”

“What for?”

“For flirting with the Paramedic, very inappropriate behaviour, I don’t know what came over me” she said

“Did you get his number?” Anna asked

“No”

“Well then you need to try harder” she retorted and laughed

Georgie wasn’t sure it was funny, after all it was something of a moral dilemma on whether it was appropriate for her to “hit on” a man while she was representing the school during a medical emergency.

“It’s not funny, it was unprofessional” Georgie said

“It’s no wonder you’re still single” Anna said

“What do you mean?”

“If you like him, which you obviously do, just go for it, before someone else does” she replied

“Really?”

“Really” she said “Especially as he likes you”

“Do you think he does?”

“Well put it this way, you weren’t the only one flirting”

 

As Emily was being admitted, Anna was going to stay at the hospital, so she persuaded Georgie to take her car and go home.

“Are you sure?” Georgie said as they stood by the entrance

“Yes” she insisted

“Ok, I’ll come back tomorrow, text me with a list of things you want me to bring from the house”

“That would be great, thanks”

“Everything is going to be fine” Georgie said as they had one final hug.

 

Emily made good progress over the following few days, but she was still in hospital on Sunday, so Anna was with her daughter all day on Mother’s Day.

 

Georgie had also visited on Mothering Sunday before going to spend the rest of the day with her mum, she was in the lift ready to go down and was just waiting for the doors to close when Rich Thomas stepped into the lift, he wasn’t wearing his green uniform, but it was definitely him.

 “Mrs. Andrews?” he said

“Oh hello” she said feigning surprise

“Have you been visiting Emily?” he asked

“Yes, she’s on the mend” She replied

“Yes, I know I popped in to see her myself yesterday”

“Oh?”

“Yes” he confirmed “I like to look in on my former passengers”

“Is that normal?” she asked knowing full well that it was not

“It’s just something I like to do” he replied

“That’s a good thing that you do” Georgie said genuinely impressed

“Not really” he said modestly

“Is that why you’re here today?” she asked

“No, I’ve been visiting my sister, she’s just had a baby” he replied proudly as the lift came to a halt and the doors opened.

“Well it was nice to see you again Mrs Andrews”

“Please call me Georgie” she insisted “I only stick to formality in the classroom”

“Ok then, it was nice seeing you again, Georgie” he said

“Do you have time for a coffee Rich?” she asked hopefully

“Absolutely” he replied and led the way to the Hospital Café

It was one of those awful cold and sterile, impersonal self-service places, selling everything pre-packed, that have sprung up all over the Health Service, which had squeezed out the old WVS Cafes that offered homemade cakes and a friendly smile along with your cup of tea.

Rich suggested that Georgie find them a table while he got the drinks and a brief discussion about who should pay followed, Georgie was adamant that it should be her, but Rich insisted.

 

They were sitting at a table, drinking coffee and chatting when they were interrupted.

“Well hello stranger” said a man in surgical scrubs.

“Oh” she said, and her face hardened

“Well fancy finding you here, I thought you’d run off to the country” he continued “Does this mean you’re back?”

“Not really” she said uncomfortably which Rich picked up on.

“Perhaps introductions would be in order” the doctor said

“This is Ian, my Ex-husband” she said “and this is Rich...”

“Her next husband” Rich said and stood up to shake his hand.

Ian was not a tall man but even standing less than six-foot-tall Rich still towered above the diminutive Doctor, who quickly took his leave of them.

“That was kind of you” she said relieved to see her ex go.

“Not at all” he said “I had an ulterior motive as it happens”

“Which was?” she asked suspiciously

“Simply to have you in my debt so that you would be obliged to say yes when I ask you out” he said

“Well, that’s very calculating” she retorted

“So, has it worked?”

“You’ll have to ask for a date to find that out” Georgie said with a grin.

In the Village of Pepperstock Green – Chapter (064) – The Interview

 March

 

Candice and Anna Roberts needed the assistance of two knights in shining armour, Callum Gallocker and Jamie Gomm, to get them from Abbottsford to Pepperstock Green following a head on crash with a taxi.

They were staying for a couple of nights at the Shady Glade Guesthouse in the village and as Callum drove onto the drive Candice said.

“It sounds more like somewhere you would inter a loved one for their eternal rest than a B&B.”

“It’s not as bad as you think” Jamie said, “I promise.”

 

The boys were right; the Guesthouse was very comfortable and was run by a lovely lady called Deborah Barrington who made sure they had a full English before they left for their interviews.

The boys had shown them where Beechwood was, and it was only a ten-minute walk from the Guesthouse.

It was a cold bright morning, so they decided to walk, which helped their nerves, up until the moment Anna knocked on the door.

They thought they had a good chance with their qualifications, experience and the fact that they were practicing Christians.

They had already discussed the possibility that only one of them would be successful and promised that whichever of them got an offer they should take it.

After a moment the door opened, and Anna said.

“Hello, Mr. Phelps?”

“Yes, good morning, please come in” he said and after shaking hands he added “Come through to the kitchen.”

“Thank you” they said in harmony.

“Can I offer you a hot drink?” he asked.

“Thank you, a black coffee please” Candice replied then Anna added “Same for me please Mr. Phelps.”

“Call me Charlie, we’re very informal here” he said as they sat down at the large oak kitchen table.

“And I’m Toddy” his wife said as she suddenly appeared from behind them and shook hands with the girls.

“Are you both ok?” she asked with concern “Callum told us about the accident.”

“We’re fine thank you” Candice replied.

“Certainly, better than the car is” Anna added. 

When they all had fresh steaming coffees in front of them, Toddy said.

“I hope you don’t mind the informality.”

“Not at all” Candice replied for them.

“We didn’t see any point in conducting separate interviews as your CVs are identical and the intention is to employ both of you” Charlie said.

 

The interview lasted about an hour, after which Toddy said.

“We are very happy to offer you the therapist positions, subject to references and DBS checks, which we have every expectation will me more than satisfactory.”

“Wow,” they said in unison.

“The start date would be June the 1st but we won’t be opening the doors until a month later and don’t expect to be fully up and running until the beginning of August” Charlie explained.

“Does that suit?”

“Absolutely” Candice said, and Anna nodded.

They then spent another hour chatting about Toddy’s former life as a Nun up at the Convent and how she came to meet Charlie and what led to their subsequent marriage.

After which Toddy suggested they take a drive up to St Adelaide’s to view the site.      

 

“So, are you still interested in working here now you’ve seen it?” Charlie asked.

“Very much so” Anna replied.

“We’re looking forward to it even more now” Candice added.

“That’s good to hear” Toddy said and hugged them both.

“We just need to find somewhere to live” Anna said practically.

“Well, Pepperstock Green is a very popular place to live so the property prices reflect that” Charlie said, “So renting might be a better option.”

“We’re renting at the moment” Anna said.

“Well on the other side of the river, beyond those trees” Toddy said pointing.

“There is a row of cottages which are available for staff.”

“We can’t show you them at the moment as the bridge isn’t open yet and the farm track on the other side isn’t usable at the moment otherwise, we could show you around them” Charlie explained.

“We have photos back at the house though” Toddy said as they reached the car she said with a chuckle.

“Of course, the secret to finding the perfect place to live is to marry someone who already has a house.”

 

When they got back to Beechwood, they had another coffee and as they sat in the lounge Charlie’s phone bleeped to announce that he had a text, which he quickly read and then showed it to Toddy, and she nodded.

“We hired a car for you from Clarion Cars, and it’s just been delivered,” she said.

“It’s a one-way hire, so if you contact Clarion in Abbottsford, they will pick it up from you.” 

“That’s very kind of you” Candice said, “Thank you.”

“Thank you so much” Anna added.

 

The girls walked back to the Guesthouse feeling very pleased with themselves, the job was everything they wanted and more and their future employers were amazing.

The only negative on the day was unrelated to the job, they had hoped to run into Callum and Jamie, but they were working on a part of the site that they couldn’t access because they didn’t have any PPE.     

But on the plus side they were going to be living in the same village so there was always hope they would see them again.

 

They had a very pleasant evening meal courtesy of Debbie Barrington and were contemplating an early night so they could hit the road straight after an early breakfast when Debbie knocked on their door.

“You have some visitors” she said and smiled.

They assumed it must be Charlie and Toddy, in regard to their earlier interviews, however when they got downstairs the visitors turned out to be Callum and Jamie who were there to invite them out for a drink at the Deer Stalker.

In the Village of Pepperstock Green – Chapter (063) – The Knights in Shining Armour

 March

 

Twin sisters Candice and Anna Roberts had both been nurses at the Winston Churchill Hospital, until they retrained to be therapists.

They were identical twins and their 30th Birthday was on St Davids Day, the same day as their interviews, which they took to be a good omen.

Candice was the older of the two by an hour and was five foot eight with bobbed brunette hair and an olive complexion and hazel eyes.

Anna was two inches taller than her sister and had more hair.

The girls were both foot lose and fancy free and liked to party, when the chance arose, and were in no hurry to tie themselves down, but that was more because they were focused on their careers, and they hadn’t really done any serious partying since the occasion of their 27th birthdays, so partying and relationships had been strictly on the back burner, however that all changed, when they met best friends Callum Gallocker and Jamie Gomm.

 

Callum and Jamie were self-employed tradesmen, Callum was an Electrician and Jamie a general builder, and both of them were currently working on the St Adelaide’s project, which was to become the St Adelaide’s Reflection and Healing Retreat, where the girls were hoping to work.

Although they hailed from Pepperstock Green they had been in Abbottsford for the weekend to watch the Abbottsford Town match.

The Gallocker and Gomm families had lived in the village for many years and although they were not of the landed gentry, the boys were both privately educated and were university graduates.

So, their choice of careers initially didn’t sit well with the families, but they had both made a go of their business and even had employees of their own.  

Abbottsford was a world away from Pepperstock Green geographically and socially from the Roberts girls who were a world away from Callum and Jamie, they did not come from a wealthy background and didn’t benefit from a private education so on the face of it they were like chalk and cheese, and their first meeting was purely by chance.

The twins were travelling from their home after getting ready for the journey down the Expressway, but as they turned out of the end of their road, a taxi was travelling in the opposite direction from them and the two vehicles collided.

Callum and Jamie had witnessed the crash and pulled over to see if they could assist.

The effect of the crash on the Taxi wasn’t serious just a bit of minor damage, but the driver had only had the car for a month so he got very angry with Candice, who had been driving, and a furious rant from the driver ensued, which Jamie tried to cool, to no avail, but when Callum interceded and pointed out to the cab driver that he was at fault the two leggy drop dead gorgeous brunette girls emerged from the damaged car, the two adversaries and the peacemaker all went quiet. 

They were both stunningly beautiful even wearing baggy sweaters and leggings and when Callum first saw the one with the bobbed brunette hair, he was smitten and the fender bender was no longer of any importance to him, whereas Jamie felt the same about the tall one.

The taxi driver, who had been at fault for the accident, took full advantage of the distraction and got in his cab and sped away.

“Hey come back!” Candice shouted as the Cab disappeared around the corner.

“What are we going to do now?” Anna asked as she looked at what was now an undrivable car.

“Don’t worry” Callum said, “We’ll get you to your destination.”

“You don’t know where we’re going” Candice pointed out.

“You could tell us and then we would” Jamie said.

“Problem solved then” Anna added and gave her sister a look that said, “just get in the car.”

So after retrieving their bags from their car and making a quick phone call to their brother to tell him about their stricken vehicle, Candice complied because it was obvious her sister fancied the driver’s friend, and she thought the driver was ok, and he sounded posh, and she liked posh.

 

“So where are we taking you?” Callum asked as they drove away.

“A village called Pepperstock Green” Anna said.

“I hope it’s not too far out of your way” Candice added, and the two men laughed.

“We live in the village.”

The girls then explained they were on the way to a Guesthouse in the village and the next morning they had interviews for a job at St Adelaide’s, and they laughed again before explaining that they were working there. 

 

They were staying for a couple of nights at the Shady Glade Guesthouse in the village and as Callum drove onto the drive Candice said.

“It sounds more like somewhere you would inter a loved one for their eternal rest than a B&B.”

“It’s not as bad as you think” Jamie said, “I promise.”

In the Village of Pepperstock Green – Chapter (062) – The Newlyweds Return

 March

 

Newlyweds Charlie and Toddy Phelps had a wonderful honeymoon in Rome enjoying the culture, history and romance of the city, seeing all the sites, and because of her religious background, albeit as a Church of England Nun, they couldn't leave the city without a visit to the Vatican.

They didn't however restrict their time to Rome, they had two days in Naple's primarily to visit Pompeii and Herculaneum, and from Naples they flew to Israel in time for Christmas and saw the sites of Jerusalem , because it is a city of great significance for Christians, so they saw the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Mount of Olives, and the Via Dolorosa before flying back to Rome for the New Year.

On returning to the village, she moved into Beechwood officially and as they had returned to Pepperstock Green in the grip of winter they didn’t venture out much for the first few days and addressed some domestic issues.

With the exception of his study and the kitchen, which were the rooms he inhabited the most, he hadn't really made his mark on the house in terms of decor, so now he had a new wife he thought it was appropriate timing to impose their personalities on the place and turn the house into a home, this obviously required them, after the weather improved, to go off on several of their famous outings.  

One of the first things they bought was her own desk so they could share the study, and the only other major item was a new sofa, the rest of their shopping expeditions were for soft furnishings, cushions, and curtains, then there were lamps and shades, anything else they would get once they realized they needed it.

So, with the garden in good order and the home furnishings dealt with they paid a visit up to St Adelaide’s for a site meeting and were very pleased with what they saw and were given completion dates for the various parts of the project. 

With the work proceeding at pace up at the site of St Adelaide’s Reflection and Healing Retreat it was time for Charlie and Toddy to begin interviewing.

It was perhaps appropriate that they began on St Davids Day as the first two interviewees were Welsh, Candice and Anna Roberts.

The interviews were going to be held very informally at Beechwood, followed by a tour of St Adelaide’s, if they made a good impression and the interviews went well, but the Roberts girls almost didn’t make it to Pepperstock Green.

In fact, they very nearly didn’t make it out of Abbottsford at all after a fender bender with a taxi.

But a couple of knights in shining armour came to their rescue.

In the Village of Pepperstock Green – Chapter (061) – World Book Day

 February

 

The newest member of staff at the Pipershaven Public Library was Collette Kane and when she joined, she was a breath of fresh air around the place, she was a University graduate and openly admitted that she had only taken the job at the Library until she decided what she wanted to do with her life.

Collette was the antithesis of Chief Librarian Abbie Beach, for a start she did not dress in the subdued manner that Abbie did, she was an explosion of colours and styles, and her hair seldom stayed the same colour more than a week at a time, nor was she mousy or private, she was loud and proud, and you always knew when she was around.

The one thing they did have in common though was their love of the printed word, they were both well read and shared an encyclopedic knowledge of books, so despite the differences of age style and demeanour, they formed a rather unlikely friendship, a friendship the deepened immensely after she managed to play match maker between Abbie and her uncle Carl.

 

As a result, Abbie and Carl, decided to return the favour and she had just the candidate.

Jamie Collier was a Teacher at St Agatha’s Primary School in Pepperstock Green and he was a regular visitor to the Library, and it didn’t take too long for Chief Librarian, Abbie Beach to figure out that it wasn’t just the books that were attracting him, and Collette always seemed particularly attentive to him above all other patrons.

 

It was after she had received a letter from the Council announcing a number of joint initiatives between the council and other public and private bodies, one of which was the local education authority who wanted to do something between a local school and the Library for World Book Day.

It was something that had been marked by the Schools for a number of years and the Library also had a special program of events for the occasion.

But this year it was proposed that they should do something together, which Abbie thought was a great idea, especially provided she could get the correct Schools involved.

Abbie took it upon herself to arrange for St Agatha’s Primary to be nominated, and as the Headteacher was her next-door neighbour it wasn’t too difficult, once that was arranged, she then suggested that Jamie Collier could liaise with the Library staff on the planning as he was already a regular visitor and was well known by all the Librarians.

With that agreed all that was left to do was persuade Collette to be the Library’s representative.

“You want me to do it?” she asked

“Yes” Abbie replied

“But I’ve never done anything like that before, and I’ve not been here for long, what will the Librarians with more experience than me think about it” she pointed out “No, no I can’t do it”

“I know you haven’t done anything like it before, but then none of the staff have, so no one has more or indeed less experience for the task than you do” Abbie said “and you are a human dynamo with more natural enthusiasm than anyone I have ever known”       

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure” Abbie assured her “And you won’t be alone, Jamie Collier from St Agatha’s Primary will work closely with you on the arrangements, and there will be no shortage of help when you need it”

 

After being persuaded Collette worked very closely with Jamie, who was not asked if he would do it, he was given no choice, which he was unhappy about until he realised who he was going to be liaising with.

 

On the morning of World Book Day Jamie rose very early and although he was pleased to have been entrusted with the job, he was more than a little nervous, well in truth he was terrified, and he was pleased that he would not be enduring the ordeal alone and would be sharing the experience with Librarian Collette Kane.

He treated himself to an extra close shave, a much closer one than usual in order to accommodate the beard, and as a result when he applied the aftershave it stung so much that he thought his face was on fire.

 

He arrived at the Library, red faced but sweet smelling to find Collette fussing around uncharacteristically.

She was already in her Snow-White costume, and he thought she looked gorgeous.

“Hey” he said

“You’re cutting it fine” Collette said crossly

“There’s plenty of time” he retorted

“There’s still so much to do” she barked

He was going to say “Ok just calm down” but when he saw the look on her face he thought better of it and instead, he said

“Everything is in hand”

“Look Mr. Collier, it’s not just another day you know, we’re doing something really special” she said “it’s important for the children so it’s got to be done right”

Just then the Chief Librarian came through the door behind him

“Hello Professor” she said brightly

“Hi Abbie” he said, “Hey why aren’t you in costume?”

“Some of us have had a very busy morning setting up” Abbie replied

“Talking of costumes, go and get into yours” Collette said sharply

“This way” Abbie said and led him away to one of the offices

“I never realized that Snow White was so grumpy” he said

Abbie paused by the doorway and let Jamie go ahead of her and said

“She just wants everything to be perfect”

“Yes, she would because she is perfect” he said absentmindedly, and Abbie smiled and then left him in the office with the drama teacher from his school, Georgie Devereaux, who handed him his costume.

“Get this on and then I’ll help with your wig and beard, and do you face a bit”

 “Ok” he said hesitantly

“Don’t worry I do this for the amateur dramatics group” she reassured him

He didn’t vocalize it, but he didn’t find the “Amateur” in her statement to be particularly reassuring.

 

But he needn’t have been worried as he looked very convincing as Professor Dumbledore when he returned to the library proper, he saw Abbie again and this time she was in costume, and he did a double take.

Abbie Beach was the very epitome of the archetypal Librarian.

Her dark greying hair was pulled back severely into a bun arrangement; she wore heavy framed spectacles and dressed in black pinafore dress over a long-sleeved blouse and black tights and wore sensible shoes.

She dressed like that all year round, whatever the weather, the only variety being the addition of a black or grey cardigan, in the depths of winter.

So, to see her dressed as Wanda from Where’s Wally, took him a back.

Abbie was a riot of red, white and blue with not a square inch of black on the whole outfit.

“Wow” he said “Liking the outfit”

“Me too” a voice from behind him said, and when he turned around, he saw it was Postman Pat, or more precisely Carl Fernandes, who was Abbie’s love interest.

“Hi Carl” he said, “Are you wondering where the black outfit has gone too?”

“No, I was wondering whether Wanda is wearing stockings or tights” he replied

“Behave yourself” Abbie said

“On that note I’ll go and track down Snow White” he said

 

The whole Library had been decorated with coloured drapes festooned with images of literary figures and the main area had been subdivided into a number of reading circles, where the Librarian’s and Teachers would read stories, one was dedicated to Harry Potter, another to Disney and another to Roald Dahl and so on. 

 

There was a final meeting of costumed Librarian’s, Teachers and volunteers to run through the schedule one last time, but Jamie wasn’t really paying attention as his mind had wandered, as his eyes wandered over Collette dressed as Snow White and he found her staggeringly sexy.

 

They finished all the last-minute preparations and half the Children from Jubilee Primary School arrived at 10 o’clock, and they looked amazing dressed as characters from their favourite books.

Then they all went off to the reading circle of their choice where someone would read to them dressed as one of the characters, as Jamie was dressed as Dumbledore he read from Harry Potter and Collette (Snow White) read from a Disney story book.

About an hour into the event they had a surprise visit from Actress Louise Sexton, who was performing at the Heartstone Theatre in town, and caused a great deal of excitement, and then she relieved Jamie and read in his place.

 

After Lunch it was the turn of the other half of the School children to join the fun, and they were treated to a live reading from local Children’s Writer Chania Campbell who read from her latest book “Wiccan Wendy”.

 

At the end of the school day the parents began to arrive to collect the children and the teachers returned to the school,

When Jamie had escorted the last of his charges to the door and handed him over to his parents he returned to the Disney reading circle where Snow White was tidying up and asked

“Is that definitely the last of them?”

“I think so, I’ve checked under all the cushions” she replied and laughed

“But I suppose we should check the stacks”

“Ok lead on” he said

 

They wandered up and down the rows of books and when they reached the end of the last stack she said

“That’s definitely all of them then”

“Excellent” he sighed “I’m shattered”

“Me too” she said and leant against him

“It’s been a great day though”

“It has” he agreed

“In fact, there is just one thing that would make it better”

“Oh, what’s that?” she asked looking up at him

“This” he said as he leant down and kissed her expectant lips

 

After the dispersal of the schoolchildren Abbie and Carl both needed to spend a penny and when Carl exited the gents, he spotted the red and white striped legs of his girlfriend by one of the stacks, and as he got closer, he saw that she was peering through a gap between the reference books on one of the stacks.

“What are you looking at, have you found Wally?” he asked

“Shush” she said and put her finger to her lips “Come and have a look”

He tiptoed up behind her and also peeked through the gap between the books and could see Snow White snogging Dumbledore.

“Well, well” he said “Just wait until her Prince Charming finds out about this”

“Oh, I think he already knows” Abbie said