Mornington-By-Mere – (03) Living with the Lesbians

(Part 01)

The three friends up at Wood Hill Farm were all single girls and looked likely to remain so, Rachel Pegg had an admirer but she thought him unsuitable or unworthy, no one was quite sure which or for that matter why.
The wellington boot was on the other foot for Kashveena Kaur who had already lost her heart but was reluctant to do anything about it and Jenna Newman thought that any search for a meaningful love with someone of a like mind would be a fruitless exercise so she wasn’t prepared to bother, which is how the three of them all ended up living together at Wood Hill farm.

The Newman’s and the Pegg’s had been tenant farmers on the Mornington Estate since God was a boy.
The Newman’s farmed up at Wood Hill on the edge of the Dancingdean Forest and the Pegg’s below them at Vale Farm.

The farm up on Wood Hill was the larger of the two, which had at its center the large farmhouse, parts of which dated back six centuries.
It had been added to over the years to accommodate the growing Newman clan until it was now comprised of six upstairs bedrooms and an equal number of rooms on the ground floor.
There was also milking sheds, barns, hen houses, assorted out buildings and a farm cottage.
Vale Farm on the other hand was smaller and less diverse in nature but it had been around every bit as long.
However much of the Pegg’s land that made Vale Farm prosperous was lost as it formed part of the tract of land compulsory purchased by the War Office that became Mornington Field a hundred years earlier but they still worked what was left to good effect.
But the remaining land was never enough to support the whole family, so many of the Pegg’s had to leave the Vale in search of work elsewhere or get work as labourers for other farmers, so Vale Farm suffered as a result.
The only surviving Pegg’s, Bob and Rachel, were hopeful that when Mornington Field returned back to the Estate’s ownership they would get the land back that they had lost and they could rebuild the farm to what it was in its heyday.
Wood Hill farm however had thrived over those same hundred years but despite that, and for very different reasons there were now only two Newman’s left as well, Jenna and Gavin.
Fortunately as well as being neighbour’s they were also very good friends and had grown up together.
As a result of the two very different sets of circumstances the Pegg’s had two little land and the Newman’s had more than the two of them could manage, so they joined forces, and divided their time between the two farms.
They shared resources and expenditures alike.

All four of them had been to Finchbottom College, who amongst other things ran an Agricultural course, the girls were there two years earlier than the boys, and it was while they were at college that they met Kashveena Kaur, who was studying catering and the three of them clicked, and Jenna and Rachel took her under their wing, and Kashveena had subsequently become a key part of the family.
Despite being the outsider of the group, so to speak, Kashveena quickly became the matriarch of the “Family” who kept order while also keeping an exceeding good table.
She was born in India to a Tamil Mother and a Sikh Father but on their deaths she was raised from the age of 8 by her maternal Aunt Anjuli, in Abbottsford, as a Christian.
Her maiden Aunt was a marvelous cook and she had passed all her not inconsiderable knowledge on to her niece and the Newman’s and the Pegg’s now tasted the benefit of that education.

(Part 02)

Kashveena’s Aunt Anjuli died while she was studying cookery at college, and the death of her only remaining family and the only real mother she had ever known hit her very hard indeed which was why the girls felt so protective towards her and why they asked her to move in with them at the farm.
Suddenly being all alone in the world, moving in with her best friends seemed like the most natural thing in the world to do.
Kash had never regretted it for a second and she had been very happy with her decision, the only fly in the ointment being that she was hopelessly in love with Jenna’s brother Gavin.
But she didn’t hold out any great expectation that her feelings were reciprocated.
Kashveena was a striking looking young woman, not supermodel beautiful but very lovely with dark hypnotic eyes.
Though the Kash that stared back at her from the bedroom mirror each day she thought was far from lovely.
She stood 5 feet 4 inches tall in her stocking feet and was half a stone heavier than she should have been which was thanks to her own cooking.
She wasn’t though disappointed with everything she saw in the mirror she liked her legs which she thought were quite shapely and her hair which she thought of as her crowning glory, which was long and straight and was of a brown so dark that it looked black.

However Kashveena didn’t think that nice legs and beautiful hair was sufficient to win the love of Gavin Newman, she valued herself so little, which was why she held no expectation in his regard.
He for his part had shown no interested in her nor given any indication that he thought of her in anyway other than as a friend.
And her dilemma was that if she told him of her feelings for him and he didn’t feel the same about her it would create an unbearable awkwardness.
So that was why she decided it was best not to upset the Status Quo, and to just remain as friends.
After all friendship was better than nothing and that had been her opinion for three long years.

Jenna Newman, like her friends Rachel and Kashveena was 28 years old and was best described as Statuesque, she was tall and straight backed, and proud.
She was blessed with an abundance of red hair that trailed behind her like a mane.
She loved Wood Hill farm and she loved farming and she considered herself fortunate to live where she lived, with friends and family that she adored and doing the thing she loved to do most in the world.
But, and there was always, a but, the thing Jenna wanted more than anything in the world other than that was someone to share the life she loved so much.
It was difficult enough to meet a suitable guy if you lived in a town or a city but she lived in a farmhouse 8 miles from the nearest village.
Obviously she had boyfriends when she was at school and at college of course but those relationships never went anywhere, not in a way that she wanted anyway.
Jenna had no problem attracting men, in fact the opposite was true, and in particular the Smith brothers from the village.
They were always persistent, though in truth not only with her, Kash and Rachel were also on the Smith boy’s radar and none of them were interested in the Smith’s even though they were farmers. While most of her other admirers who she did like had no interest in farming or living the rural life and she had no interest in moving away from the home she loved.
She remained forever hopeful though and kept her dreams alive.

(Part 03)

Over the years things at Wood Hill Farm had settled into a comfortable routine but sometimes the universe has a habit of forcing change on people and it was on a cold misty morning in early March as winter turned slowly into spring that the fates conspired to have their way and the incident occurred.

Jenna was returning to the farm after having delivered that mornings eggs to the Farm Shop in Mornington,
She was lumbering up the hill through the woods with her head full of the most wonderful thoughts about her sharing her life with the perfect partner when all of a sudden out of the mist a figure appeared and stumbled into the path of the Landrover.
“Oh shit” She shouted and swerved violently to avoid the man but still hit him and she watched in slow motion as he rolled over the bonnet and his limp body then shot off the other side and flew briefly through the air before it landed with a thump in a patch of bracken.
“Shit, shit, shit” Jenna repeated as she braked to a halt, she threw open the door and ran to where she last saw the victim.
But as she got closer to the patch of bracken he was just getting to his feet.
“Are you ok?” she asked with great concern just as he became upright.
“Where am I?” he slurred
“Never mind that” she said crossly “Are you ok?”
“Erm” he responded and put his hand to his head “ouch”
And at the moment of his exclamation his legs buckled and Jenna rushed forward and caught him just in time.
“Right let’s get you into the Landie” she said and he muttered something in response which she couldn’t make out.

Once she had him in the front seat and his seatbelt done up she tried her phone, but as expected there was no signal, now as she was only a mile from the farm she decided it would be better to go there and call for help on the landline than to head back down the hill towards Mornington.

As she drove into the yard Rachel Pegg had just left the milking shed, she was a small skinny girl with long curly chestnut hair, had she and the rest of the “Family” all been of the same kin she would have been the runt of the litter.
But the fact that she was so slight was made all the more remarkable by the fact that she had a voracious appetite for Kashveena’s home cooking, fortunately she had an equally huge appetite for work and a fast metabolism.
Though it wasn’t the home cooking alone that brought her to Wood Hill, she actually preferred dairy farming to arable, and she liked the diversity Wood Hill farm had to offer.
Plus she liked living with her best friends.
She waved and smiled when she saw Jenna drive across the yard but the smile faded when she saw she was not alone and her face was pale and panic stricken.

Rachel ran over to the Landrover as soon as Jenna had come sharply to a halt.
As soon she’d stopped Jenna flung open the door and immediately jumped out, and raced around to the passenger door.


“What’s wrong Jen?” Rachel asked
“I hit him Rach” she said “I sent him flying”
“What happened?” Rachel asked
“He just appeared” Jenna said and began to sob
“Where?”
“From the woods, just down the hill” she replied
Rachel opened the passenger door and the man turned and looked at her blankly.
“Let’s get him inside” she said
“Ok” Jen said and wiped away her tears
Between them they managed to man handle him out of the Landrover and across the yard to the farmhouse.
When they reached the kitchen door Rachel called out
“Kash! Kash! Come quick”
When there was no response Jenna kicked the bottom of the door and Rachel called again
“Kash! Kash! Please come quick”
“I’m coming I’m coming” Kashveena said from behind the door “What’s all the fuss about?”
But when the door opened and she saw the pallid bloodstained man in between the girls she said
“Oh my God”

(Part 04)

From the moment she laid eyes on him Kashveena instantly assessed the situation and then took complete control.
“Let’s sit him down in the kitchen” Kash said and Jenna assisted her in silence
“Rachel! Call for an Ambulance” she added and then began cleaning his wound.
“So let’s have a look at you” she said
“Who are you?” he asked
“I’m Kashveena” she replied
“Pashmina?” he responded
“No” she said with a chuckle “Kashveena, and the skinny whippet on the phone is Rachel and the redheaded Muppet is Jenna”
He looked long and hard at Jenna but couldn’t see a Muppet.
“So what’s your name?” Jen asked and his brow furrowed as he processed her question and then finally he replied
“I don’t know”
The patient still didn’t know who he was by the time the ambulance arrived, but Kash had cleaned him up as best she could and his complexion did seem a little less pale at least.

Following on behind the Ambulance when it arrived was a police car driven by Sgt David Jones who was based in Mornington although his patch covered most of the Finchbottom Vale and he was required to take a statement from Jenna in regard to the accident which involved them driving down the hill to the scene of the incident.

“I could have killed him Dave” Jenna said still quite dazed by her experience
“Don’t beat yourself up Jen” he said as he took some photos on his phone
“Accidents do happen and had it not been for your quick reactions it could have been far worse” he reassured her “try to think of the positives”
On hearing that Jenna started to cry and so Dave stopped what he was doing and comforted her.
Which involved him just letting her sob on his shoulder.
Jenna and Dave were good friends and had it not been for her he would never have met his wife Peta and for that alone he would be forever grateful to her.
They were also on the same quiz team when his shift pattern allowed.
“It was an accident” he insisted
“Ok” she replied weakly
“And that’s what I’m putting in my report” Dave said
“But he can’t remember his name, he’s got brain damage and I’m responsible” Jenna contradicted
“Temporary memory loss is very common” he said
He managed to calm her down, even if he failed to entirely convince her and after he had dropped her back at the farm he headed over to the hospital to take a statement from the mystery man, but he promised to keep her posted on his condition and the last thing he said before he drove off was
“Don’t fret”
Dave might just as well have said don’t breathe for all the good it did, fret was all she did for the rest of the day.
In fact she fretted so much that she gave herself a migraine.
The only thing she could do then was first to take a tablet and then to take herself off to her bed.

Jenna slept right through till the next morning until she was woken by the smell of bacon cooking.
As she came to her senses she was thankful for two things, firstly her migraine had completely gone and secondly that she hadn’t missed breakfast, she was absolutely starving, as she hadn’t eaten since breakfast the day before.

After one of Kashveena’s hearty breakfast she felt reinvigorated and she was just contemplating getting on with some work to make up for the day before when Sgt Jones drove into the yard.
“Oh God” she exclaimed staring out the window “he’s dead, I’ve killed him”
“What are you on about?” Kash asked from her position at the sink
“Sgt Jones is here to arrest me”
“Don’t be such a drama queen” she said as she dried her hands and then went outside
“Morning Dave” she called
“Hi Kash” he replied “is Jenna about?”
“She’s hiding in the kitchen, she thinks you’re here to arrest her”
“What for?” he asked
“Murder by Landrover” she replied and they both laughed

(Part 05)

While Kashveena and Dave were in yard talking Jenna was in the kitchen and couldn’t hear the conversation, but she was more than a little confused by the laughter.
When they walked in she blurted out
“Is he ok, is he dead, he’s dead isn’t he? I’ve killed him haven’t I, oh God”
“He’s fine Jen” he said interrupting her in full flow
“What?”
“He’s fine” he said “No broken bones or brain damage, just bruised ribs and a few contusions”
“Really?” she asked in disbelief
“Really, and no lasting effects apart from the memory loss”
He said and anticipating her next comment added
“Which you didn’t cause”
“But…” she began
“He already had a head wound when he stumbled out of the woods” he said “A couple of days old at least according to the medics”
It was a great relief to her that she hadn’t killed him and she closed her eyes and sighed to herself a she digested the knowledge.
“So he still can’t remember his name?” she asked
“No” Dave replied
“So what is his name?” she asked
“I’ve no idea” he said
“Well what about his wallet?” Kashveena asked
“He didn’t have one” he replied “In fact all of his pockets were empty apart from 17 pence and a blood stained handkerchief”
“So how can you find out who he is?” asked Jenna
“Well I’ve put through a missing persons enquiry, which has so far drawn a blank” He replied
“And I took his fingerprints and a DNA sample, neither of which were on record”
“Oh” Kash exclaimed
“In addition he has no distinguishing marks, scars or Tattoos so it’s not going to be easy” Dave continued
Strangely Jenna found that she was really pleased that he had no tattoos, she didn’t like tats.
“The hospital even did a full body scan, to see if he’d had any surgical implants that might have been traceable by serial number but he has had no invasive procedures”
“What about jewelry?” Kash asked
“There was none” he replied “there is a white mark on his wrist where a watch had been and that’s all we know”
“Well I know his hands are manicured and soft but they are not an idle man’s hands”
Jenna said
“How do you know that?” Kash asked curiously
“I held his hand in the Landie” she replied defensively and then asked
“What about his clothes?”
“His coat is old and shabby and doesn’t match everything else which is very good quality and certainly expensive, Handmade Italian shoes, A Versace suit and a hand stitched silk shirt”
“Maybe he stole the coat” Kash suggested
“Or traded his watch for it” Jenna added
“That’s probably the more likely scenario” Dave said
“So what now then?” Kash asked
“Well they will keep him in hospital for another night and then he’ll be discharged” Sgt Jones replied
“Where will he go?” Jenna asked with real concern
“A hostel probably” Dave answered
“A hostel?” Kash asked and looked at Jenna in disbelief
“That won’t do at all” Jenna said
“No it won’t” agreed Kash who looked at Jen again unsure what she was agreeing to
“He can stay here” Jenna said defiantly and when Kash went to speak she added
“I know what you’re going to say but I feel responsible”
“Well Miss forceful I was going to say “What a great idea” Kash said and smiled
“Well if you’re all sure?” the Sgt asked
“We are all sure” Jenna replied
“What are you sure about?” Rachel asked as she walked in
“We’re having a house guest” Kashveena responded
“Cool” Rach said
“That’s unanimous then” said Jen

(Part 06)

Jenna and Rachel were working together in the barn the following afternoon when a strange car arrived in the yard with a strange driver behind the wheel and a familiar looking passenger beside them.
Jen had been working like a Trojan since breakfast the previous day trying to make up for the time she lost on the day of the accident and she had been driving Rachel as hard as she had herself, so when the visitors arrived Rachel was relieved as it meant they would be taking a break.

Dr Andrews got out of the driver’s side and walked briskly around to the other side and opened the passenger door.
Claire Andrews was a very well-respected General Practitioner who had spent more than ten years at the surgery in Bushy Down.
But for personal reasons, despite her popularity and her love of the place and of the people of the village, she sold her share and bought the vacant practice in Shallowfield and relocated with her practise manager and now business partner Olivia Adamson.
She had only been at the Shallowfield Practice for two months so there were still a lot of patients on the surgery’s books that she hadn’t seen yet and the inhabitants of Wood Hill farm were among them.
Her visit to the farm was also the first chance the girls had to get a good look at the new doctor that everyone in the village was talking about.
Claire was still an attractive woman, even though she was fast approaching forty, a very attractive woman in fact.
Pretty face, blue eyes, soft shoulder length brown hair, 5ft 3, nice figure, everything where it should be and equally proportioned.
Later the girls would compare notes on her and would all express the sentiment that they liked what they saw.

Claire had been at the Winston Churchill visiting another patient when the mystery patient was ready to be discharged.
As he was to be her patient once he was released Claire had the mystery man discharged into her care, and as Miss Newman had insisted he stay at the farm to recuperate, she decided the least she could do was drop him off at Wood Hill as she was going over to the Mornington Surgery in the village anyway.
Part of the remit for the Shallowfield Practice was to maintain a part time surgery in the Street in Mornington, which was, like many thing in the village, heavily subsidized by the Mornington Estate.
“Come on then John” the doctor said “out you get”
She only called him John as he was listed at the Winston Churchill Hospital as John Doe 1979.
Jenna and Rachel emerged from the barn just as he got out of the car and hurried over.
“These must be your hosts” Dr Andrews said
“Yes Muppet and…” he began and then thought for a second before adding “Greyhound”
“Whippet” Rachel said and laughed
Claire looked puzzled so Rachel said
“It’s a long story” she said, “I’m Rachel Pegg and this is Jenna Newman”
“Oh ok” she responded doubtfully and shook their hands
“I’m Dr Andrews and of course you’ve met John already”
“John? So you know who he is now?” Jenna said excitedly speaking to the Doctor but looking at the patient and smiling.
“Not exactly” Claire replied
“Oh, well let’s all go inside and you can fill us in on the details” Jen suggested
So they all went inside.

(Part 07)

Jenna introduced Doctor Andrew’s to Kashveena who was in the kitchen and in her element with a houseful to cater for.
And when Kash had supplied everyone with a hot drink and produced a plate of biscuits Dr Andrews began.
“I know it's the stuff of Hollywood movies and cheap fiction, someone suffers a blow to the head, and that person wanders around aimlessly, unable to remember who they are or where they came from” she said “But while such sudden, profound loss of memory is rare, it does happen”
“So what caused it?” Jenna asked
“Well a severe blow to the head for example can injure the brain and cause both short and long term memory loss, either being struck or as the result of a fall or a car accident”
Jenna’s head went down when she mentioned a car accident and Claire quickly said
“But it wasn’t as result of being struck a glancing blow by a beaten up old Landrover on a misty morning in the woods”
Then she took hold of Jenna’s hand and added
“John’s head wound was sustained several days before you had your coming together”
Jenna looked up and smiled at the Doctor and felt reassured and then she asked
“Will his memory come back?”
“Memory may come back altogether of it might gradually improve over time, or it may never return, it’s impossible to know for sure”
“Do you remember anything at all John?” Jenna asked
“I think I can drive” he said
“Well Jenna thinks she can drive” Kash said which made everyone laugh
“Very funny” she said and couldn’t help laughing herself
“I remember how to tie my shoelaces” John added proudly
“That’s “Procedural” memory, muscle memory if you like, leaned skills” Claire said “Let John try a variety of tasks, if he has done them before it might trigger something”
“What else John?” Jenna said
“I know who won the FA Cup in 1999” he said and all eyes turned to Claire
““Semantic” memory” she replied in response to their unasked questions “general knowledge, facts etc. test him by all means but if he gets it wrong it probably means he didn’t know before the accident”
“So what don’t you know?” Rachel asked
“My name, my age, where I was born, profession, everything of importance is a total blank” he stated
All eyes turned to Claire again so she said
““Episodic” memory, all the personal experiences of John’s life”
Dr Andrews then went on to explain why she had called the patient John.
“Well it’s as good a name as any” she said
“No not really” Jenna said “it’s a bit cold”
“I agree” said Rachel “We can do better than that”
“Much better” Jenna added “Is there anything in your clothes, a letter, a receipt or a scrap of paper?”
“No nothing” he replied
“Only the labels, Versace and…” he opened his coat and read “Harris Tweed”
“Well Mr. Tweed it is then” Rachel said “What about a first name?”
“Harry” Jenna shouted “Harry Tweed”
“I like the sound of that” he said
“Harry Tweed it is then” Jenna announced

The Doctor said her goodbyes and Jenna walked with her out to the car,
“So I’ll pop in once a week to see how he’s progressing but don’t be afraid to call me if you’re worried about anything” Claire said
“Is there anything we should be looking out for?” Jen asked
“Headaches, blurred vision, maybe photophobia” Claire replied
“Is that an aversion to light?” Asked Jenna
She got in the car and replied “Yes”
“Oh and one other thing Jenna” she said as she started the car
“Stop feeling guilty”
Jenna was going to protest but realized it was fruitless to attempt it so she just said “Ok”

(Part 08)

The first thing that happened after Harry had been settled in to his room was an introduction, he had to meet Jenna’s and Rachel’s brother’s Bob and Gavin who were keen to get a look at the potential nutter staying up at the Wood Hill farm.
They were an unlikely looking pair, Gavin was a big man, six foot two and a bit of a slow plodder with unruly red hair and a ruddy complexion, while Bob was a short spindly dynamo with long frizzy brown hair that made it look like he had a bad afro.
They had been best friends since their very first day at Infants School and it was a friendship which had endured because of their differences and the fact that they worked well together and played to each other’s strengths.

Having met Harry the two lads declared him to be harmless and did their part in his rehabilitation unquestioningly.
Over the weeks following his arrival at the farm Harry was made to sing for his supper in no uncertain terms.
He was rigorously put through his paces by everyone on the farm in turn, they all quizzed him on facts and gave him skills tests of every description.
Jenna took him out in the Landrover one day and it turned out that he could indeed drive.
Kash had him chopping vegetables in the kitchen and it appeared he was no stranger to a knife and a chopping board.
He was also familiar with the workings of the internal combustion engine as testified by Jenna’s brother Gavin who had him help to service the Landie.
And as it turned out the student knew more than the master and Gavin ended up assisting Harry.
He also helped Rachel in the milking sheds and Jenna with the chickens, he did dry stone wall repairs with Bob Pegg on Vale Farm and did cut and lay hedging with Bob and Gavin up at Wood Hill, but most of his time was spent with Jenna.

One day Jenna made the mistake of taking him with her to do the monthly shop at the supermarket and he drove her absolutely nuts, he spent ages examining each item trying to decide if he got a vibe from them.
At one point he held a tin of baked beans in one hand and one of spaghetti hoops in the other for a full five minutes before he put them both back.
As annoying as it was at the time though she rather enjoyed teasing him about it later.

It was at the end of his third week when Harry had had a thought.
He had watched Kash and some of the others go off to Church on the previous two Sundays and on both occasions there was something nagging at the back of his mind, just out of reach, which he couldn’t quite grasp, so straight after breakfast on the third Sunday he said
“Can I come with you to Church?”
“Of course you can lovely” Kash replied “Do you believe then?”
“I don’t know” Harry replied “But I feel something”
Kashveena was raised by her Aunt Anjuli as a Christian and from the moment she first stepped through the doors at St Hilda’s with her Auntie she felt at peace so the first thing she did when she moved to the farm was to attend a service at St Winifred’s in Mornington and she felt so immediately at home.
Kash felt really pleased that Harry had asked to go with her, she had wanted to broach the subject with him several times but she didn’t want to push it, and she was glad she had waited.
Everyone in the “family” went to church at some time or another but she was the only one who went week in week out.
But she always had someone to accompany her, although Bob and Rachel were believers they only really attended for hatches, matches and dispatches.
Jenna normally only managed one service in four but she always felt refreshed when she had been and when she heard Harry was going she decided she would too.
And Gavin liked going to Church as well, but apart from his faith he also had an ulterior motive.

(Part 09)

When they walked into the St Winnifred’s Church Harry took a good long look at his surroundings and then went straight to the back row and sat down, Jenna motioned towards him to take him to their normal seats but Kashveena took her by the elbow and said
“Leave him Hun, just let him take it all in”
“Ok, I’ll just sit with him then” Jen said
“No” Kash reiterated “He needs to be alone for the moment”
“But…” Jenna began
“Trust me” Kash said and reluctantly Jenna walked with her to their normal seats where Gavin was already seated.
He looked up as they approached and smiled at Kash who then stepped aside to let Jenna go first and his smile faded.
The service was being conducted by the locum minister, Ben Wakefield.
The vicar of St Winnifred’s Peter Cockcroft had taken a leave of absence after the tragic loss of his wife Carole and had gone on retreat and had been absent from the village for almost 12 months.
But a succession of Locum ministers covering for him at St Winifred’s during his absence had rather upset the rhythm of village life especially as his wife Carole was also no longer there to make sure the village ticked along.
But rumours abounded of his impending return and they were greeted with great relief about the village.
Although the service was being conducted by the locum, Ben Wakefield did a very fine job.
Not that Jenna noticed his competence, Guy the Gorilla could have been in the pulpit and she would have been completely unaware of it.
Because all through the service Jen kept looking over her shoulder looking for Harry, during the hymns she was constantly checking that Harry was ok, or more accurately that he was still there.
And had Kashveena not ensured she had the aisle seat trapping Jenna between herself and Gavin she would have sneaked out to go and sit with him.
When the service ended she couldn’t get out of her seat quick enough and got a bit cross that Kash was slowing her down.
And that was the moment that Kash realised that guilt wasn’t any longer the primary feeling she had in relation to Harry.
Jenna was frustrated by the snail’s pace as the congregation headed slowly towards the door and when she and Kash finally got to the back of the church where Harry was sitting Jenna found that he had gone and she turned and scowled at Kashveena.
“He’s outside” she said
“How do you know?” Jenna snapped
“Because I saw him”
And on receiving that information Jenna really began fretting
“He’s outside for God’s sake” She muttered to herself
“He could wander off anywhere”
And she began to elbow her way through the throng but once she emerged into the outside world she instantly relaxed because she saw Harry talking to the locum minister, Ben Wakefield.
Harry smiled broadly when he saw Jenna and Kash approaching.
“You shouldn’t just wander off like that” Jenna chastised him
“I was quite safe Jen” he said “wasn’t I Vicar”
“Absolutely” he confirmed

After they had said their goodbyes to the vicar and members of the congregation and were walking towards the Landrover Jenna was still scowling at Kashveena for almost losing him.
But Kash just ignored her and asked
“Well?”
“Well what?” Harry said
“Any revelations?” she pressed
“Oh well I’ve definitely done that before” he said
“So how do you feel?” she asked
“Great” he replied

(Part 10)

Harry had found his visit to the church both very enjoyable and quite useful in equal measure.
He recognized the hymns and the readings and although it hadn’t triggered any specific memory he thought it might be quite helpful if he tried some other stimuli so he asked Jenna if he could borrow a book
“Of course” she said and showed him into what was referred to as the office.
“Wow” he said “that’s quite a collection”
Jenna’s father, John, and his brother Charlie had both been avid readers and their collection still filled every inch of shelf space in their old office.
It was called the office but it was more of a study really, there was a writing desk under the window but that was the only nod towards it being an office.
There were a couple of old leather chesterfield chairs and an occasional table and lots and lots of shelves.
Gavin and Jenna should have cleared them all out after their Uncle Charlie went into a home and their Dad had died but neither of them could’ve borne to get rid of them at the time, and afterwards they found the clutter rather comforting and Jenna would often just sit in one of the leather chairs in the darkness and remember.
“Yes, Dad and Uncle Charlie loved to read” she said
She stood in the doorway and watched him as he perused the shelves and then he began running his finger along the bindings of each book in turn, stopping every now and then and tilted one over towards him and pulled it from its position.
Jenna was watching him intently and found herself uncharacteristically concerned on whether he would put it back in the correct order, she needn’t have worried.
He opened and read the sleeve notes before putting it back from where it came.
“Are you looking for anything in particular, maybe I could help?”
“That would be nice but I don’t know what I’m looking for” he replied
“I’m hoping to spot one that I recognize”
“Ok” she said doubtfully
“If I pick a book I’ve read before it might trigger something in my brain” He explained “I know it’s a long shot”
“It’s worth a try though” she said encouragingly
It was going to be a slow process, this had become the norm with Harry, everything he was asked or every choice he had to make resulted in slow thoughtful responses.
It was driving everyone bonkers but she didn’t mind, and not just because she felt responsible for his condition, she was actually enjoying helping him.
She carried on watching him until he finally picked out a book and spent considerably longer pondering over it than any of the others.
“This one ….” He began
“What is it?” Jen asked
“A Tale of Two Cities” he replied “Is it any good?”
“Yes it’s a classic” she replied “Does it seem familiar?”
“No not really but I got an image flash into my mind”
“Really? That’s encouraging” she said “What was it?”
“A Guillotine” he replied “Does that mean anything?”
“Yes” she said and hugged him “It was a memory, from this book”
“You’d better write it down then” he said
Ever since he arrived at the farm Jenna had been keeping a note book, and every time he had a dream or the vaguest of memories or he demonstrated another learned skill she wrote it down.
In fact any clue that might point to his former identity, she wrote it the notebook.
And now she could add “A Tale of Two Cities” to the book.

(Part 11)

It was the Friday afternoon of Harry’s 5th week at Wood Hill Farm which was less than a week after his sojourn to St Winnifred’s and it was raining cats and dogs.
As a result of the inclement weather everyone was indoors at the farmhouse.
Kash as usual was in the kitchen making tea on that typical rainy Friday afternoon in April, while Gavin and Bob were firing sports questions at Harry as they sat around the kitchen table.
To the amazement of the boys Harry was coping with them very well.
“How did I do?” he asked when the questions ended
“Not bad” Bob said
“Not bad at all in fact” Gavin agreed
“Good” Harry said
“However you do seem to know a bit too much about Manchester United for my taste but other than that you seem to know your stuff”
“Do you think they might be my team then?” he asked hopefully
“Well it’s certainly possible” he said
“Jen!!” he called
“What’s up?” she said coming in from the other room with Rachel following in her wake
“Gav thinks I might be a Man Utd fan” Harry said
“Oh dear, as if brain damage wasn’t enough” she replied and laughed at her own joke
“Never mind that laughing girl” he said “Put it in the book”
Jenna had been very diligent regarding the notebook and she always kept it close at hand.
She was always jotting down spurious notes of anything and everything and when she wasn’t writing in it she was reading through it trying to divine some solution to the Harry Tweed puzzle.
It was almost half full but they hadn’t really learned much at all, apart from the fact that he had read A Tale of Two Cities and he was probably a Manchester United fan.
“He’s a real wiz on sport” Gavin said “you can put that down in the book as well”
“We should get him on the team” Kash suggested
“What team?” Harry said
“The quiz team” Bob said proudly “We’re in a quiz league”
“I’m not sure if that’s such a good idea” Jenna said
“Why not?” Bob asked
“It can get quite raucous” she replied
“Raucous?” Gavin exclaimed “The Old Mill?”
“It could be too overwhelming for him” Jen said
“What do you think Harry?” Gavin asked “Do you fancy it?”
“I’ve no idea” he replied
Jenna was washing her hands at the sink and Kash sidled up to her and whispered
“You can’t keep him all to yourself forever”
Jenna turned to look at her and blushed, her secret was out.
“Ok” Jenna said “But if Harry finds it too much I’ll bring him home”
“Fair enough” Bob said
“Is that alright with you Harry?” Gavin asked
“Jen’s the boss” he said
“No she’s just bossy” Rachel said and everyone laughed including Jenna
“Well now that’s settled” Kashveena
“What, that Harrys going to the quiz night or that Jenna’s bossy?”
“Both” Kash said “So what do you want for your birthday Rach”
her 29th birthday was only a week and a half away and since Harry’s arrival they had been so wrapped up in the mystery man’s life that they were in danger of missing Rachel’s birthday and Kashveena wasn’t about to let that happen, which was why she raised the subject while everyone was present.
“I think I want some Hair Straighteners” Rachel replied
“Really?” Kash replied “What sort?”
“VK’s are the best” Harry said and the three women just turned and looked at him
“They are aren’t they?” He asked
“Yes” Rachel replied “but how do you know that?”
Harry just shrugged
And they all chorused “Jen put it in the book”

(Part 12)

The quiz night was on the Saturday night of the Easter weekend in Mornington at the Old Mill Inn.
Each team in the league was comprised of six players, Kash, Jenna, Bob, Rachel, Gavin and Harry were The Wood Hill-Billie’s.
Sgt Dave Jones was normally on their team but he was on duty that night so had already cried off before Harry was drafted in.
The St George family from the Manor were “The Manorian’s”, “Wort’s n’ All” were the team from the Mornington brewery, “Bakers half Dozen” were predictably from Addison’s Bakery, and the other four teams were really just there to make up the numbers.
The landlord at the Old Mill, Peter Andrew, was the quiz master and his wife, Helen, did the food, or more accurately she supervised the food as the kitchen was run by chef Lorraine Olson, and their children John and Polly ran the bar.

It was a really busy night, the pub was packed and the place was really buzzing in fact Peter Andrew regretted not putting more staff on.
The large attendance was in some part as a result of the mystery man’s presence and it seemed that Harry had attracted a lot of attention even before the quiz started but his minder Jenna kept the overly inquisitive at arm’s length.
It wasn’t as if it was his first time in Mornington but the other occasion was at St Winnifred’s so they clearly weren’t inquisitive enough to have gone to church but a pub event was obviously a different matter entirely.
Harry was dressed in a mixture of his own clothes and some borrowed from Gavin Harry was an inch or two shorter than Gavin who was six foot two but they were of similar build.
Jenna was quite pleased with his appearance especially his hair which was wavy and sandy coloured, and considerably neater since she trimmed it.

Jenna wasn’t much of a help in the quiz as she was far too preoccupied with Harry but at the half way stage with or without her help it was neck and neck between the Manorian’s and the Hill-Billies.
It was Harry’s turn to get the drinks in, not that he had any money of his own in fact he didn’t even have the 17p he had in his pocket after the accident.
Fortunately Gavin subbed him for the night so he wouldn’t feel uncomfortable and Jenna was going to go with him up to the bar as his body guard but Bob Pegg got there first and instead she had to sit anxiously at the table, fidgeting and repeatedly looking in his direction.
Polly Andrew took his order as her brother John was collecting glasses and taking the opportunity to flirt with Rachel.
John had fancied her for years but Rachel always brushed him off because she didn’t think he was sincere.
It wasn’t just because she was 28 and he was 4 years younger, it was mainly because she was a farmer and he was being groomed for the hospitality trade, but it didn’t deter him.
He had her in his sights and nothing would deflect him from his mission.
As Polly put each drink on the counter Bob ferried the drinks back to the table.
When she had put the last drink on the bar he handed her the money and while he was waiting for the change was when Grant Smith ambled up alongside him.
The Smiths were tenants at Smithfield Farm and their quiz team was rather imaginatively name “The Smiths”
“So you’re living up at Wood Hill with the Lesbians then” he said
In his tiny addled mind the fact that all three of them lived together coupled with the fact that when he had hit on them they had all declined his offers of companionship, they clearly had to be lesbians.
“Yes I am” Harry replied and winked at Polly
“So you like it up there then?” he asked
“Yes it’s fantastic” Harry said enthusiastically and as he took his change from Polly he added
“They let me watch”
Grants jaw dropped on hearing this and Polly had to turn away as she burst out laughing.

(Part 13)

Jenna watched the exchange between Harry and Grant Smith at the bar and she was intrigued by Polly Andrew’s reaction as he got his change.
“What was all that about?” Jenna asked when he returned to the table so he whispered it in her ear
“What?” she said with a look of horror on her face
“Has something happened?” Rachel asked
“Grant Smith thinks we’re lesbians” Jenna said indignantly
“We know” Kash said
“You knew?”
“Of course, he’s not very subtle” Rachel added
“That’s terrible” Jenna said
“It’s worse than that though” Harry said
“Why?” she asked suspiciously
“Because now he thinks you let me watch” Harry said
“And what makes him think that?” Jenna demanded
“Because I told him you did” Harry replied
There was a tense 10 seconds of silence and then everyone roared with laughter except Jenna who punched Harry on the arm instead.
“You are an awful man Harry Tweed” she said “Or whatever your bloody name is”
“And you two should have told me” she said to Kash and Rachel who were still laughing
Gavin was laughing so hard that his face had turned purple and although his shoulders were shaking and mouth was open no sound was coming out.
And Bob and slid off his chair.
“I don’t know why you all find this so funny” Jenna said sharply which was intended to jolt them back to their senses but in fact had the opposite effect and made them laugh all the more.
At which point she got up and stropped away.
“Should I go after her?” Harry said
“Absolutely not” Kash said “She’ll be fine in five minutes”
The route of the problem wasn’t what Harry had said or the others resultant laughter.
She didn’t want to be thought of as a lesbian by Harry first and foremost but the main problem was that she was the designated driver and therefore sober and everything appears to be a lot funnier when you’re wearing bear goggles.

The second half of the quiz started and a few minutes later Jenna reappeared red eyed.
“Are you ok?” Harry whispered
“I’m fine” she replied and smiled
Harry was unconvinced so he reached under the table and took hold of her hand and said
“Sorry”
And she squeezed his hand in response.
Jenna was much happier after that and they could concentrate on the quiz and at the end of the evening The Wood Hill-Billie’s had beaten the Manorian’s by 2 points and there was absolute uproar, they had never won before and so they were dancing around the table cheering loudly and Jenna hugged Harry very tightly and whispered in his ear
“I’m not a lesbian”
And kissed his cheek
“I know” he replied and kissed her on the lips
Rachel was so thrilled with the fact that they had won the quiz and that Harry had kissed Jenna that she actually hugged John Andrew.
The celebration continued back at the Farm and went on well into the night.

That kiss at the Old Mill should have been the turning point for Harry and Jenna, the launch pad if you will, but it didn’t turn out that way.
Although the cat was out of the bag and everyone knew about them, in the cold light of day, sober and slightly jaded from celebrating their victory, Harry and Jen both had doubts and held back from total commitment.
The thing Jenna wanted more than anything in the world was someone to share the life she loved and she so wanted it to be Harry or whoever he was.
And although she was happy that they were now a couple it was that uncertainty of the unknown that caused her to hold back from giving all of herself to him.
Harry himself thought she was perfect and his doubts were not about Jenna, his problem was with himself and his reservations were based around the fear of breaking her heart.

(Part 14)

The next morning was Easter Sunday and despite the fact they were all feeling more than a little jaded they were all at St Winifred’s early next morning though not necessarily bright.
It was on the other hand a very bright morning for John Andrew who had been greatly encouraged by the hug he received from Rachel Pegg after her team’s victory on the quiz night.
So when he saw the Wood Hill Farm Landrover trundle through the village towards the church with Rachel sitting in the back smiling at him he was elated.
He was not looking his best as he was returning home from his morning run so he quickly returned home, showered and changed and ran round to the church.
Once inside he worked his way down the aisle until he saw her.
The church was very well attended for the Easter service at St Winnifred’s as virtually the whole village were in attendance to support their much loved Vicar, Peter Cockcroft in his return to the pulpit.
So he behaved in a rather unchristian way as he pushed in front of Mrs. Underhill in order to reach the vacant seat next to Rachel before anyone else could get there.
“Good morning” he said and made her jump
“Where did you spring from?” She said putting a hand on her heart and he found himself wishing he could always make her heart flutter.
“I saw your smile and I floated here on a cloud” he said and Rachel laughed
“You’re persistent, I have to give you credit for that”
“That’s because you’re worth it” he said
“Oh John, give it up” Rachel said
“Why?”
“I am too old for you for one thing and we are too different” she said
“I don’t care about the age difference and in what way are we different?” John asked
“Well I’m a farmer and happy to be one” she said “But you haven’t even been on a farm”
Before he had a chance to mount a reply to defend himself, the service began and everyone stood up.

Throughout the service John went over in his mind the conversation that he planned to have with her when it had ended.
Well in truth it wasn’t so much a conversation as a speech, and he rehearsed his short speech in his head over and over as the service progressed.
Having honed and polished the speech to perfection in his head, he planned to deliver it to her after the service and he hoped it would allay all of her fears and win her heart.
However he didn’t get the chance because anticipating the end of the service better than he did, Rachel got up first and slipped out of her seat and managed to give John the slip as he then got caught up in the general exodus, which was very slow moving as almost all of the congregation wanted to shake Peter’s hand or welcome him back or just say hello, there were so many in fact that the throng allowed Rachel to escape.

As Jenna drove the Landie through the village towards home Rachel sat quiet and thoughtful in the back.
She realized that when in her excitement at the Hill-Billie’s winning the quiz she hugged John it may well have sent out the wrong signal.
And then there was the smile only that morning when she drove passed in the car that was definitely a mistake and very definitely sent out the wrong message, but she couldn’t help herself, he made her smile.
But she hoped that the way she had obviously escaped him in the church might have served to make her feelings towards him quite plain.

(Part 15)

On Easter Monday it was business as usual up at the farm, livestock were no respecters of public holidays.
Cows still needed milking and chickens still needed feeding and there were daily chores that couldn’t be left.
That was the thing that John Andrew didn’t understand about farming, it was a hard life, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and you had to love it to survive it.
Admittedly the pub trade was no picnic either and was also a demanding life but not in the same way.
She was had resigned to believe that despite what he might say to the contrary he would soon tire of farming and would then tire of her.
So what was the point of starting something with him in the first place?


Two days after Easter Sunday was Rachel’s 29th birthday.
Everyone was there at Wood Hill farm for one of Kashveena’s cooked breakfasts after which Rachel opened her cards and presents.
When she was finished Gavin and Bob went off to Vale Farm and Harry and Jenna went to feed the livestock.
Kash cleared away the dishes while Rachel sat at the table rereading her cards and then just before 10 o’clock as Kash was washing up at the sink, a van pulled into the yard at Wood Hill, a white van liveried in green, Bizzie Lizzie of Abbottsford.
A young woman, Michelle Norman, got out and opened the side door.
Kashveena recognized her, she was a local girl who lived in the village, the girl then reached inside and when she emerged she was carrying a large bouquet a very large bouquet.
She walked to the door and knocked briskly
“Yes?” Kashveena said as she opened the door
“Flowers for Rachel Pegg” the girl said
“Ok I’ll take them” Kash said and took the flowers and signed for them.
Michelle then got back in the van and drove off as Kash took the flowers inside.
“Someone’s sent you flowers Rach”
“What?”
“Flowers for Rachel Pegg” Kash repeated
“They’re very beautiful” Rachel said as she took the bouquet
“But no one ever sends me flowers, it must be a mistake”
“There is a card” Kash pointed out
Rachel took the envelope off the bouquet and opened it and it read
“Now you’re even older and I still don’t care”
“That’s quite sweet” she said quietly
“Who are they from then?” Kash asked
“My secret admirer” she replied
“So John Andrew then”
“How do you know that?” Rachel asked
“I didn’t know it was a secret” said Kash “I thought everyone knew”
“Well nobody mentioned it” Rachel said
“We all think John’s really nice”
“So do I” Rachel said “He’s just a bit young though”
“That’s nonsense” Kash said “What’s the real reason?”
“Well I don’t want to be a publican’s wife and I don’t think he will want to be a farmer” she replied
“Have you actually asked him?”
“Well no” answered Rachel “but then I don’t have to”
“Oh Rachel” Kash said resignedly
“If you don’t ask him you’ll never know”
Rachel didn’t respond she just stood admiring her flowers then she reread the card and smiled.
Kashveena just shook her head, however no matter how exasperated she might have been with Rachel she really had no room to talk.
She had had the man of her dreams sitting in her kitchen almost every day for more than three years and she had done absolutely nothing about it.
At least Jenna had a man in her life and all she had to do was run him over with the Landrover.

(Part 16)

It was almost the end of April, a week and a half after the quiz night at the Old Mill when Harry and Jenna drove into Mornington together and it was the first they had both been in the village together since Easter Sunday.
Jenna had an appointment with Lianne Martin, her Dentist and afterwards they were going to drive into Abbottsford to buy Harry some new clothes, his Versace suit was the best will in the world was never going to be appropriate for farm laboring and the few clothes that Gavin had given him were not wearing well at all.

The Mornington Dental & Orthodontic Surgery was in The Street, between the Doctors Surgery and Mazzone’s Hairdressers and opposite Addison’s Bakery.
Rather than wait in the waiting room for her Harry kissed Jenna goodbye and chose to take a walk around the village but he only got as far as the St Winifred’s Bridge where he stood gazing into the rippling waters of the River Brooke.
“It’s mesmerizing isn’t it?” a voice said
“Yes it is” Harry agreed and turned around to see the voice belonged to the Vicar, Peter Cockcroft.
Peter had only been back in the village for three weeks following a year’s absence on retreat, mourning the devastating loss of his beloved wife Carole.
It knocked him for six, it was so unexpected, coming completely out of the blue as it did.
“You must be Harry” the Vicar said
“Yes” he replied straightening up and offering his hand
“Peter Cockcroft” the Vicar said and shook Harry’s hand
“Well I don’t need to ask what troubles you Harry.”
“Really?”
“You are not the first love struck soul to gaze into these waters” Peter said “And I speak from personal experience”
“It’s that obvious then?”
“I’m afraid so yes” he said and slapped Harry on the back
“I’m surprised though, I would have thought that you and Jenna would make a perfect couple, she’s a lovely girl”
“She is perfect” Harry said wistfully
“So?”
“Do you know my circumstances?” Harry asked
“Yes I do, it’s a fascinating case” Peter said
“Well that’s one way of looking at it” Harry said unconvinced
“So what’s the problem?”
“Me, I’m the problem” Harry said “What happens if she falls in love with me and she wants to get married?”
“So what would be the problem with getting married?” Peter asked
“The problem is I can’t marry her” Harry replied
“Why not?”
“Well what if I’m already married?” Harry asked “What if I already have a wife and children?”
“Life is full of “What ifs”” Peter said
“Not like this one” Harry said and began walking away
“Harry!!” Peter called after him and he stopped and turned around to face him.
“Listen Harry, you may not be able to marry her but you can love her”
“Oh I know I can love her” Harry said “I already do”
“Then you’ve got to hold on to her” Peter said
“Don’t waste a second of the time you have together Harry, you never know how long it’s going to last”

As Harry walked back down the Street to the Dentist to meet Jenna he thought what great piece of advice Peter had given him but as it turned out he never got the opportunity to act on his advice because over the next two weeks things were very busy on the farm and he and Jenna barely got a minute to themselves.

(Part 17)

The first two weeks of May were hectic in the extreme on the farm and Harry and Jenna barely got a minute to themselves.
By the time they reached one particular day in the middle of the month, which was the hottest day of the year so far Bob and Gavin had been out in the fields since first light, fertilising and muck spreading, for days on end, Kash was spring cleaning the downstairs of the house and Jenna, Rachel and Harry were cleaning out all livestock buildings.
And by the end of that hot May afternoon they had all had enough, they were hot, sweaty and filthy from head to toe.
There was no way Kash was going to let them into the house in their state so Rachel suggested hosing each other down before they attempted to gain entry to the downstairs bathroom.
Rachel hosed Jenna down first and then they swapped over and finally Jen turned the hose on Harry while Bob and Gavin looked on and roared with laughter.
It was during the horseplay that followed that the incident happened.
Jenna had him cornered and was giving him a good soaking and he was stooping down to give her a smaller target when Kashveena called out.
“What on earth is all that noise about?”
And as she said it she flung open the kitchen door and hit the stooping Harry on the head and knocked him spark out.
When they got to him, blood was gushing from a wound on his head and he wasn’t moving
“Oh God” Kash said and started crying. Which showed how serious it was to reduce Miss Dependable to tears
“Oh not again” Jenna exclaimed
“Call an Ambulance” Rachel shouted
“There’s no time” Gavin said “Let’s get him in the Landie”
“Ok” Jenna said “I’m coming too”
Kashveena had got control of herself and grabbed some clothes off the ironing pile and a pair of shoes from the scullery and gave them to Jen
“You’ll have to change on the way” she said
“Thanks Kash” she said and got in the back “Phone Doctor Andrews”
“And Dave Jones” Gavin added
“Why does this keep happening?” Jen said as they drove off
“Don’t worry Sis he’ll be fine” he said but he really wasn’t sure.

By the time they got to the end of Farm Lane Jenna had changed her clothes and was sitting in the back holding Harry’s hand.
Also waiting at the end of the lane was Sgt Jones, standing by his car, and he flagged them down.
“Follow me to Shallowfield, an Ambulance will meet us there” he instructed
Gavin nodded and Dave returned to his car and with his blues and twos going he led the way at speed to Shallowfield.

They were in Shallowfield in about five minutes and Dr Andrews and the Ambulance were waiting outside the Surgery.
As soon as Gavin stopped the Landrover Dr Andrews and the paramedics sprang into action.
Jenna and Gavin stood back as they examined him and tried desperately to hear what was being said, but failed.
Within a minute or two the Doctor was walking away from the car making a phone call and the paramedics had got him on to a trolley and wheeled him to the Ambulance.
Claire was still on the phone but broke off long enough to shout to Andy Mason, one of the Paramedics.
“I’ll follow on behind Andy”
“Ok” he replied
And a few minutes later Claire ended her call and walked over to join Jenna and preempted her questions
“He’s still unconscious but he’s stable and they’re taking him to the Winston Churchill”
“Ok” Jenna said not knowing what to do next.
She looked at Gavin and then at the doctor and then Claire said
“Do you want to come with me Jenna?”
“Yes please”

Just before she got in the car Jenna gave Gavin a hug and Gav said
“He’s going to be fine sis”
Gavin watched his sister drive away and he felt so helpless.
Sgt Jones asked Gavin to give him a quick statement about the accident, which he did, and then he went back to the Farm.

(Part 18)

When they reached the Winston Churchill Hospital, Claire went straight through and Jenna waited anxiously in the waiting area.
She had been sitting there for two hours before Claire returned with a grave expression on her face.
Claire sat down next to Jenna and took hold of her hand, it was supposed to put her mind at rest, but it had the opposite effect.
“He’s gone into surgery to remove a clot” Claire said
“Oh God” Jenna said and crumpled.
“He’s going to be in surgery for several hours” she continued “Do you want me to run you home”
“No I’ll stay here” she replied
“I thought you’d say that so I’ve told the Nurse, Molly Curtis, to keep you posted” Claire said “and I’ll be back in the morning”
“Thanks Doctor”
As soon as Dr Andrews had gone, Jenna went outside and phoned home.

Just after 4 am Molly Curtis appeared in the waiting room and tracked Jenna down to give her the promised update.
“Are you Jenna?” she asked
“Yes” she replied nervously “is he ok?”
“The surgery went very” Molly said “and he’s been moved to ICU”
“Can I see him?” She asked
“Yes” she replied “but you won’t be able to see him until much later”
“Ok”
“You should get some rest now” Molly said “I’ll let you know if there’s any change”
“Thanks nurse”
After that Jenna slept on and off on an uncomfortable bench in the main reception.
She woke up at 6.30 with a crick in her neck and a desperate need for a pee.
She stood up and had a good long stretch before she walked to the loo yawning.
When she emerged ten minutes later she was confronted by some familiar faces.
“There you are?” Kashveena said
“How is he?” Asked Rachel “Any more news?”
“No not yet” Replied Jen, and she was close to tears
“Gav and Bob are holding the fort” Rachel said with a crack in her voice trying to change the subject
Then Kash handed Jenna a carrier bag and said
“I brought you some clean ironed clothes, clean undies and some lippie”
“Thank you” she said and hugged her “you’re priceless”
Rachel joined the hug and the three of them ended up crying.
After a minute or two Kashveena said
“Rachel and I will go and get some coffees while you go and get changed”
“And a sandwich” Jenna said “I’m starving”
“I packed breakfast” Kash said and patted her bag
“Of course you did” Jen said and kissed her cheek

Jenna felt so much better after she’d freshened up, it was amazing how much better she felt just having clean underwear on and a little lippie.
When she came out she quickly found her friends and they sat downstairs in the main reception and drank coffee and ate Kashveena’s homemade bacon sandwiches and then they went upstairs to ICU.

“You are not allowed in because you’re not family”
The nurse repeated in an officious tone.
“Stop repeating the same thing over and over” Kash said crossly
“Now I’m going to have to ask you to leave” she said “Or else I’ll call security”
“Oooh are we supposed to be scared?” Jenna mocked childishly
Kash gave her a sideways look and hoped she wasn’t going to do something silly.
Rachel wasn’t being helpful either as she was just glaring at the nurse in an intimidating manner
Just then Jenna noticed Claire Andrews was walking down the corridor towards them.
“Doc” Jenna called “She won’t let us in”
“As I’ve explained already Doctor, its family only” the nurse said “And they’re not family”
“For goodness sake let them in” Claire said “They are the only family the man knows, and she’s his girlfriend”
“But…”
“But nothing, let them in”

The nurse wasn’t happy at having her authority usurped but she did comply with Dr Andrews’s instruction, but only two of them could go in at a time, and she was adamant about that so Rachel said that the other two could go in first and she would wait downstairs.

(Part 19)

When they went into ICU they found Harry in a High Dependency bed and Jenna was pleasantly surprised,
She had imagined in her mind’s eye that he would be a mass of bruises and abrasions, with tubes coming out of every orifice, he didn’t even have a breathing tube in.
His head was bandaged obviously, but other than that he looked very peaceful.
“He looks well” Kash said clearly as surprised as Jenna was.

They sat down beside his bed and Jenna immediately took hold of his hand and prayed.
When she had finished her prayer Kashveena squeezed her arm and said
“I think it’s going to be a happy ending”
“I don’t” Jenna snapped
“Why not?”
“I think I know the end of the story Kash” She said softly “I know the end of the story”
“And what’s that?”
“He’s going to wake up and remember who he is, and remember he has a wife and children and a whole wonderful life”
She explained
“And when he wakes up and remembers his old life, he will forget everything about his life with us, and it won’t matter a jot to him that I’m in love with him”
“You’re wrong” Kashveena said
“Am I?” she said flatly
“Yes” Kash said “I’ve seen the way he looks at you”
“Yes but that’s Harry that’s looking at me, not the real him, whoever he is”
Kash knew she wasn’t going to shake Jenna out of her black mood so she decided to leave her and Harry alone.
“I’ll go and get us a drink” she said and kissed the top of her head

Down stairs in reception Rachel was sitting in a corner flicking through magazines when she turned the page and saw a full page ad for Bizzie Lizzie of Abbottsford and her nostrils were suddenly full of the sweet perfumed bouquet that John Andrew sent her for her birthday.
And the lovely words written on the card came to her mind
“Now you’re even older and I still don’t care”
She sighed as she thought of him, he was such a sweet, sweet boy, and then she scowled because since she received the flowers and the card she had avoided him.
She was just reflecting on that decision when she saw John Andrew walk through the main doors so she got up from her corner and intercepted him by the lifts
“What are you doing here?” she asked
“I come bearing gifts” he said holding up a “get well soon” card and a carrier bag for her to see.
“And who are they from?” she asked suspiciously
“Everyone in the pub” he replied “the card went around the bar last night”
“That doesn’t explain why you’re here” she pressed
“I volunteered” he said defiantly
“And that wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact that I’m here I suppose”
“It has everything to do with the fact that you’re here” he admitted
“I thought so” she said
“I’m mad about you Rachel” he said unashamedly “I always have been”
Rachel went to speak but he kept talking
“And I don’t care that you’re a few years older than me, I’m still mad about you”
“And I don’t intend spending the rest of my life behind a bar either” he said
“And where do you want to spend it then?”
“Where ever you are of course” John replied

As Kashveena rode down in the lift she was thinking of ways she could lift her dearest friend’s spirits and snap her out of her black mood.
But nothing came to mind and then as the lift doors opened the first thing she saw was Rachel and John Andrew kissing.
“Thank God” she said “I was beginning to think we might need an intervention”
They stopped kissing and Rachel put her head on John’s shoulder and grinned red faced at Kash
“I take it that this means you are now a couple?”
“Is that ok?” Rachel asked
“Oh yes” Kash said and giggled “Just what the doctor ordered”

(Part 20)

After Kash had left her alone in the room with Harry, Jenna began to sob uncontrollably and was still going ten minutes later.
“Come back Harry” she sobbed “Please come back”
She was holding his hand in hers and periodically kissing it in between sobs so she didn’t notice his eyes were open.
“I haven’t been away “Muppet”” he said weekly
“Harry? Is that you?” she whispered
“Yes and no” he said
She still hadn’t looked at him and she said
“You remember again don’t you?”
“I do” he confessed
“I knew it” she said looking at him for the first time
“You remember your other life, your wonderful other life”
“Yes I do” He replied
“So I’ve lost you then” Jenna said and fresh tears welled up in her eyes
“No, never” he said
“I don’t understand” Jenna said as the tears rolled down her cheeks
“In my old life I’m not married, I have no family” he said
“The wonderful life is the one I’ve found with you”
And as the realization of what he had said dawned on her, a smile as dazzling as the sun spread across her tear stained face.

The ride back up in the lift for Kashveena was a little happier than the one down had been and all thoughts of Jenna and her dark mood had been expelled from her mind to be replaced by the happy picture of Rachel and John kissing.
She was rather looking forward to sharing the good news with Jenna.
She thought that would give her something to smile about and maybe even lift her dark mood.
And when she opened the door she found Jenna stood beside the bed stooping over and kissing Harry, and furthermore he was kissing her back.
“My God what do they put in the coffee in this place” she said “everybody’s at it”
When Kash had explained what she had discovered downstairs in reception, Harry said
“It’s a pity Gavin isn’t here then”
Kashveena blushed on hearing that and was visibly flustered and just managed to say
“I think you must still be concussed” Before quickly excusing herself

Harry was discharged four days later fully recovered and with his memory completely restored and after his discharge he returned with Jenna to Wood Hill farm.
He had further visits over the following weeks from Dr Andrews which were just routine.
In truth she was more interested in his history than his health,
He also had to give a full statement to Sgt Jones regarding the accident, of which Kash was completely absolved of any responsibility and more significantly details about his true identity.

Harry’s real name was Keith Topliss and he was a 33 years old divorcee.
Although he was born in Abbottsford he had spent the previous 10 years living and working in Canada.
He was an Engineer by profession and had a small engineering company in Toronto but after his divorce he decided to sell up and move back to Downshire.
It was his intention to start up a small engineering firm somewhere in Downshire so he had hired a car in London and he planned to look at some suitable premises in Shallowfield.

But before he got started he wanted to stop off in his old neighbourhood in Abbottsford and to visit his parent’s graves.
And it was while he was in Abbottsford that he was attacked.

He had parked the car just around the corner from a Kebab shop, he hadn’t had a lamb Doner for over ten years and he just couldn’t resist.
The last time he had parked there ten years earlier it was a perfectly safe place to do so but apparently things had changed while he had been away and as he returned to the car with his Kebab he was struck from behind.
Which was the last thing he remembered and he had no idea how he got from Abbottsford to the Dancingdean Forest or where he had acquired the Harris Tweed coat, but everything else had come back to him in crystal clarity, before the assault and very definitely after Jenna hit him with the Landie.

(Part 21)

It was the first of June, a week after Harry was discharged from hospital, when the dust had finally settled, that Harry and Jenna finally found time to have a proper conversation.
They were sitting in the office in the leather Chesterfields surrounded by the Newman brother’s book collection.
Harry had been trying get Jenna alone since he got back and the office was the only quiet corner they could find.
“So what was it you wanted to talk about?” Jenna asked nervously
“Well it’s about the future” he said
“That doesn’t sound good” she said to herself
But out loud she just said “oh”
“Yes” he said but Jenna didn’t respond so Harry took a deep breath and began
“If I’m going to stay at Wood Hill”
“If?” Jenna said with alarm
“Yes” he confirmed “if I’m going to stay at Wood Hill I’m going to need two things”
“What things?” she asked with a sense of impending doom
“Firstly, I need to find somewhere locally to do my day job” he said
“Ok” she acknowledged thinking that wasn’t too bad “and the second thing”
“I need you to become Mrs Topliss”
It took a moment or two for what he had said to sink in, she had gotten so used to calling him Harry Tweed, so when he said Mrs Topliss she was a little confused and then the penny dropped and so did her jaw.
For about a minute she was completely unable to form a verbal response, her mouth was moving but nothing came out of it.
So she just pointed at him and then at herself and just kept repeating that while Harry looked on and smiled.
Finally he said
“Is that a yes then?”
“Of course it’s a yes” she replied and launched herself at him and they sealed the deal with a kiss
“You pig” she said and punched him “I thought you were dumping me”
“No way” he said “I’m not letting you get away, unless another one you mad lot crack me on the skull again”
“Well Rachel hasn’t hit you yet” Jen said laughing “but she’s too busy with John at the moment to be a serious threat”
“That’s a relief” he said and kissed her again

After the initial excitement, which was of the loud squealing variety, when she told Kash and Rachel, he thought they should perhaps tackle the task of setting the date.
Harry wanted to strike while the iron was hot, before Jenna had the chance to change her mind.
Jenna was so thrilled that she had finally met a man that ticked all her boxes and her search for a meaningful love with someone of a like mind had finally borne fruit that she couldn’t concentrate long enough to decide.
The only thing she was firm on was that she wanted a church wedding, although there was a minor setback in that regard as he was a divorcee.
There was also the belief that they needed to select a date that fitted in with the rhythm of the farm.
However the general consensus from the family was that rather than trying to find the right time to fit in with the farming calendar, they should just pick a date and the rest of them would cover for them.
So they made an appointment to see the Vicar Peter Cockcroft.

(Part 22)

Harry thought it quite appropriate that it was the 6th of June, D-Day, when Jenna and Harry drove into Mornington and parked in the church car park and walked to the rectory, and Harry thought it was appropriate because he was expecting a fight.
“Hello Jenna, Harry” The vicar said as he opened the door “Come in, Come in”
“Should I still call you Harry?” Peter asked
“Yes please, the name has rather stuck now” he said “And to be honest I never really liked the name Keith”
They sat down in his lounge and Peter put down a large diary on the coffee table in front of them.
“I assume you’re here to discuss dates” he said cheerfully
“Yes we are, but how did you know?” Jenna asked
“Ah well Mornington is a small village” he replied “And my spies are everywhere”
And there followed some nervous laughter on behalf of the affianced.
“Well as luck would have it, for you two anyway, not so much for them, but there is a cancellation” Peter continued
“When?” Harry asked
“September 27th” The vicar replied
“Next September?” Jenna said with real disappointment in her voice she was really hoping for something sooner,
“Oh dear, bless your heart Jenna, no” Peter Cockcroft said “it’s this September, it was a last minute cold feet kind of cancellation”
“Really?” Jenna said and squeezed Harry’s hand
“Yes” he confirmed “Shall I pencil you in?”
“No, write it in ink” Jenna said immediately and then turned and smiled at Harry but he didn’t return it instead he said
“There is however one slight issue”
“You mean your divorcee status” Peter Cockcroft said
“My God, do you know absolutely everything?” Harry asked and laughed
“Not quite” he said “But enough to get by”
“So do you have a solution?” Jenna asked
“Well I’ve spoken to the Bishop and told him your story and he being something of a romantic has no objection with it per se”
Peter explained
“So he has left the final decision to me and basically, if I’m happy, he’s happy”
“And?” Harry asked
“Well, convince me that I’m happy” Peter said

When they finally left the rectory an hour later it was with the knowledge that they had secured both the date in September for the wedding and the Vicar’s approval.
“Now the fun begins” he said as they walked towards the car
“What do you mean?” she asked
“Well you know all the arrangements” he explained
“That will be a breeze” Jenna responded, “I have Kash remember”
“What about your wedding dress?” he asked
“I already have it” she replied smugly
“Really?”
“Yes” she said “It was my mum’s”

The reason they had been at the rectory for so long wasn’t due to them needing to convince Peter Cockcroft of their sincerity they had his blessing before they even arrived.
No what delayed them at the rectory for that long was the talk about Harry’s plans which genuinely interested Peter.
On his return to Downshire from Canada it was his intention to start up a small engineering business and he was on a quest to find suitable premises when he lost his memory.
He really wanted something local to Mornington as his intention was to live at Wood Hill but there didn’t appear to be anything suitable.
Which was when the Vicar, pointed Harry in the direction of the Manor for a solution.

Of course Jenna and Harry’s was not the only love story at Wood Hill Farm there was also Rachel and John burgeoning romance.
After they had finally gotten together, to everyone’s delight, it took a while for them to settle down into a rhythm.
But as time went on John ended up spending half his time on the farm with Rachel and the other half in the pub serving behind the bar.
His parents were a little disappointed to find that his heart was not in hospitality as there’s were but they had brought up their children, John and Polly to follow their hearts and that was precisely what he was doing after all.
But keeping a foot in both camps seemed to be the best way forward while he found his role on the farm with the girl he loved.

(Part 23)

It was two weeks after the Vicar had suggested Harry should meet with Gabriel St George up at the Manor that it actually happened and Harry walked up to the front door at the Manor on a Sunny Friday afternoon in June.
He knocked firmly on the door and after a few moments it was opened by a very striking looking woman with bobbed blonde hair and a Swan neck.
“Hi” he said “I have an appointment with Mr St George”
“Ah you must be the famous Harry” she said and shook his hand “I’m Philomena Cruickshank’s, come this way”
And he followed her as she strode purposefully through the house.
Gabriel had chosen to received his guest on the terrace, and he stood up as Harry and Philomena approached, he was tall and blonde, and was clearly related to Philomena.
Harry was an inch or two shorter than Gabriel with wavy sandy coloured hair.
The two men both harboured preconceived ideas about the other, Harry thought he would be meeting a man born of privilege who wouldn’t even know which century he was living in and Gabriel thought Harry was just going to be another in a long line of business men who had approached him since Mornington Field returned to the Estates control.
However both of them were to be delightfully surprised.
They talked enthusiastically and at some length and in fact talked so long that Philomena had to interrupt and remind them of the time.
“Oh goodness” Gabriel said “I’m so sorry I’ve kept you longer than I should”
“Nonsense” Harry replied “It was very absorbing”
“Perhaps we could talk again” Gabriel enquired
“I would like that very much” Harry replied and the two men shook hands warmly
“Just one other thing” Harry said “If I don’t ask the question I will be in the dog house”
“Well we can’t have that, ask away” he said amiably
“It’s about Vale Farm”
“Ah the compulsorily purchased land” Gabriel said “Well I can tell you that the Smiths are very interested in it”
“I see” Harry said
“But as it was part of Vale Farm originally, if the Pegg’s apply in writing I can promise that I will look favorably on it” Gabriel said
“Well you can’t say fairer than that” Harry said and they shook hands again “thank you”

It was the first of July when Harry and the Pegg’s received hand delivered letters from the Mornington Estate, informing them that Vale Farm would have 90% of the land restored and that Topliss Engineering of Mornington was born.
Officially it wasn’t to be until January the first of the following year that the leases would begin.
However the Pegg’s were given special dispensation to plough and sow the restored land so as not to lose a whole growing season.
Harry was also allowed to instruct an architect to get the ball rolling on converting Hangar A into Topliss Engineering.
Gabe had recommended his own architect and friend Scott Collier therefore doing both men a favour.

The dynamic at the farm’s changed after Harry proposed to Jenna and with Rachel and John’s passion showing no sign of abating
Kash started to feel like a third wheel and more and more she would look wistfully at Gavin and sigh.
She did not however recent for a moment the love and happiness that her friends had found and was as happy for them as it was possible to be, but it did however serve to heighten her own longings for Gavin.
By way of an antidote to her hopeless desire, Kashveena threw herself into the Jenna and Harry’s wedding plans body and soul and managed to get through to September relatively unscathed but all through the summer her feelings for Gavin had continued to deepen regardless.

(Part 24)

On September 27th, the day of the wedding, Gavin was chosen to be Harry’s best man, Kashveena and Rachel were bridesmaids, while Bob Pegg, John Andrew and Dave Jones were the ushers.
The wedding was a much anticipated event and not just by the bride and groom, Jenna was a popular character in Mornington and on the day the church was full to bursting with well-wishers including the whole of the St George family from the Manor.
Apart from her popularity, and the obvious romance, the interest was magnified by the fact that a lot of the villagers were involved in some way with the event.
Addison’s made the wedding cake, Giovanna D'Angelo and Antonella Gardelli at Mazzone’s did the girls hair and Michelle Norman of “Bizzie Lizzie’s” in Abbottsford arranged all the flowers in the church as well as the button holes and bouquet’s.
Even the local chiropodist, Nellie Hanson, was called into service to deal with a troublesome callous on Jenna’s food.
The drinks where supplied and served by the proprietors and the staff from The Old Mill Inn and their chef, Lorraine Olson, did the food for the wedding breakfast with the assistance of Jane Cooper and Emily Goff from Shallowfield.
The meal was at St Winnifred’s Church Hall and all the food was sourced from the Mornington Estate.
And finally the wedding car was a rare 1951 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn, owned by Gabriel St George.
The car was his father Valentines pride and joy so although he thought it rather ostentatious he couldn’t bear to part with it after his death.
Nor would he ever let anyone else drive it either, so as he and Harry Topliss had become such good friends over the summer he volunteered to drive the bride to the church in the Silver Dawn.

When Jenna Newman walked, callous free, down the aisle there were audible gasps as the statuesque red head Jenna processed resplendently in an antique silk dress, there were still some in the village who could remember her mother being married in that dress.
However while the eyes of the whole congregation were on the beautiful bride, there was one exception for as she followed in Jenna’s wake Kashveena’s gaze was fixed hungrily on the Best Man who she thought looked good enough to eat.
And when the bride reached the altar and Gavin saw Kashveena in her bridesmaids outfit his mouth fell open.
“Wow you look gorgeous” he said and then he blushed scarlet when he realised he’d said it out loud and furthermore loud enough for the first two rows to hear.
Fortunately for him the Vicar drew the attention away from him by starting the proceedings.
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you”
“And also with you” said the congregation

Although the church had been well attended there were only 30 people at the Wedding breakfast, just close friends and family but that evening there was to be a disco and there was an open invitation for everyone.
As Jenna did the seating plan for the breakfast she made sure that Kash was seated next to her clueless brother in the hope that they would finally sort themselves out.
They sat all through the breakfast talking and laughing and at times totally oblivious of their surroundings or even that there were other people present.
Later when the disco started dictated by the tradition that the best man and the bridesmaid had to dance they were encouraged by Harry and Jenna to take to the floor and once they got out there they weren’t getting off again in a hurry.
Jenna was dancing with her husband alongside Kashveena and Gavin for the first of three close up slow dances.
“Do you think tonight’s the night?” Harry asked
“I do hope so” Jenna replied “They are perfect for each other”
But despite the fact they were besotted with each other by the end of the evening the matter was still unresolved.

(Part 25)

Polly Andrew had been serving at the wedding breakfast but for a couple of hours at the dance she was just a guest and she had just got herself a drink when she caught sight of Bob Pegg.
Bob wasn’t a regular The Old Mill Inn, not as such, just quiz nights and darts matches but she always noticed when he was in, mainly because he was a bit of a gregarious character.
He was a popular guy and was never short of a friend to have a drink with, and Polly liked it when he was in because he made her smile.
He was clearly returning to his table from the gents so Polly intercepted him
“Hello Bob” she said looking him up and down, she wasn’t used to seeing him that smartly dressed
“Hi Polly” he said and smiled
“Well Bob Pegg I must say you scrub up quite well” Polly said and whisked him off to the dance floor

At the end of the evening Gabriel drove the happy couple to the
Worsted Viper Hotel in Purplemere where they were spending their wedding night before flying to Paris for a short honeymoon.
Accompanying him in the passenger seat was his girlfriend Chantel and after he had delivered the happy couple to their destination they drove to the Dancingdean Spa Hotel in Childean to have their own kind of honeymoon.

When Mr and Mrs Topliss returned from Paris the following weekend they found that Cupid’s arrow had struck at the reception in their absence but Kash and Gavin weren’t an item but Bob and Polly were.
And nothing was likely to happen between them for a month or so following the Topliss’s return as Gavin was going to be at Vale Farm.

Kashveena really enjoyed the Wedding, she thought it was magical, she even made believe it was hers as she danced in Gavin’s strong arms.
She so wanted to share her feelings and tell him how she felt.
To tell him that he was the sun in her sky, but she did not dare.
Kashveena was convinced as they danced that he might feel the same as she but she held back just in case he didn’t, hoping he would speak first.
So she decided it was best not to upset the equilibrium and hope and pray.
She would rather have him just as a friend, with the hope of more, than to create an unbearable awkwardness between them.
It was bad enough she had seen virtually nothing of him all through the autumn and she couldn’t bear to think that she might never see him at all, so she kept her own counsel.
Friendship was better than nothingness.
All that autumn, Gavin had been staying at Vale Farm with Bob, ploughing and sowing the rape seed, after which the pair of them ploughed and sowed Wood Hill’s lower fields with winter wheat, and ploughed and harrowed the Mornington Field land that hadn’t seen a plough for a hundred years, they only got back to Wood Hill for Sunday lunch if they were lucky.

They were an unlikely pair, Gavin was a six foot two slow plodder with unruly red hair and a ruddy complexion while Bob was a short spindly dynamo with long frizzy brown hair that made it look like he had a bad afro.
They had been best friends since their first day at Infants School and it was a friendship which had endured.
The two men worked well together because they played to each other’s strengths.

Gavin had found the prolonged period away from Wood Hill to be both a blessing and a curse.
Gavin Newman had been in love with Kash for 5 years, since the first moment he saw her in fact.
At his sister’s wedding he spent so much time with her talking, laughing and dancing then it felt like they were a couple.
And he really wanted that to be the case but why would a beautiful person like her be interested in a great lumbering farmer like him.
So he had never considered doing anything about his malady and he was hoping that the 5 or 6 week enforced absence from Wood Hills far away from the temptation of the voluptuous super cook might cool his ardour but the reverse was true and he ended up wanting her even more and he really looked forward more and more to the Sunday lunches.

(Part 26)

In between their normal chores, Harry and Jenna spent most of the autumn making Wood Hill Cottage habitable as they planned to make it their home in the New Year.
It hadn’t been lived in for more than thirty years so it needed a lot more than just a lick of paint.
By the time December came around John was spending most of the week at the farm learning the ropes with Rachel and weekends working at the pub with Polly.
He had really taken to farming even more than he expected to but like Rachel he preferred livestock to arable, particularly the dairy herd.
He was still keeping a foot in both camps to some degree but his parents had long since come to terms with his choice and they really liked Rachel and would not be disappointed with her as a daughter in law one day.
But he kept working the shifts at the pub because he needed the money for something special.

When Gavin and Bob had finished all the ploughing they brought all the equipment back to Wood Hill, to be cleaned and serviced and stowed away, so it was all hands to the pump to get everything done before Christmas.
Which was to be the most special yule tide’s at Wood Hill farm for many years.
However in order to preserve a happy Christmas for all, certain compromises had to be made.
John and Polly Andrew were expected to eat Christmas Dinner with their parents, as Christmas day was the only day of the year that the pub closed, so it didn’t seem an unreasonable expectation.
So Kashveena, ever the practical person, suggested that in order to get everyone around the same table for their Christmas Dinner they should have it on Christmas Eve.
A suggestion that was greeted with universal approval.

Kashveena had woken up early on Christmas Eve and she sat for almost an hour in front of her bedroom mirror.
She was disappointed with the woman looking back at her and concluded that things had to change so she decided it was time to take stock.
It had been a very eventful year a near tragic spring, a romantic summer and a long and awful autumn separated from the love of her life.
So she set her chin and stared defiantly at her own reflection and decided that the status quo could go to hell.
“It’s time for you to man up” she said and got up and went to the bathroom.

It was a noisy and raucous morning which got even more so when the champagne corks started popping on the stroke of noon.
By 3 o’clock Christmas Dinner was served and Kash had done them proud with the table groaning under the weight of the Christmas fare.
It was no mean feat to cook such a sumptuous feast for 8 people, especially farmers, which was made all the more remarkable as she appeared not to have a single hair out of place.

Everyone enthused at the magnificence of the Turkey and all the trimmings but Gavin had eyes for a different bird entirely.
He thought that she always looked beautiful but that day she seemed to have surpassed herself she looked even lovelier than she did on Jenna’s wedding day.

It was no accident that Kashveena was as immaculately turned out as the food on display, she wanted to make a good impression with Gavin.
And when she looked at him and saw his smile she thought it was worth all the effort and she couldn’t wait until she could be alone with him.
Under normal circumstances she would have considered the meal a triumph and have felt very pleased with herself but on that day the meal seemed to go on forever.
Everyone else had a great time and a great dinner and even Gavin seemed to be enjoying himself.

Finally the Christmas pudding was served and she could at last see the finishing line almost in reach.
But as the final scrapes of spoons on china echoed around the room John Andrew stood up and then called for order.
When he finally had everyone’s attention he firstly proposed a toast to the cook and then he proposed to Rachel.
“Wha…?” Rachel said
“Will you marry me?” he repeated hold the ring box out to her
“Of course I’ll marry you stupid” she said and wrapped her skinny arms around his neck and kissed him

(Part 27)

When Rachel said “Of course I’ll marry you stupid”
And wrapped her skinny arms around his neck and kissed him it was greeted with whoops and cheers and delayed the end of the meal.
Which left Kash with mixed feelings, she was delighted for her friends
As Harry went around the table refilling the glasses.
Polly got unsteadily to her feet
“Blimey!” Harry said “Not another one”
Bob sat staring at her wide eyed and Polly said to him
“Don’t you be getting any ideas Bob, we are never getting married, and there is no way that I’m changing my name to Polly Pegg”
This provoked a lot of laughter in response and then she plopped down hard on her bottom.
She tried in vain to regain her feet so she wagged her finger at Bob instead
“I’m serious” she said and Bob smirked “there are two thing I will not do, one is changing my name to Polly Pegg”
Everyone laughed again on hearing that, and she didn’t realise it at the time in her befuddled state that the name would stick with her forever marriage or no marriage
“And the other is that I will not become a farmer’s wife” she continued
“I’m not like John, I love the pub and I intend to take it over when mum and dad retire so let there be no doubt that, I’m going to be a publishian, a publictian, a pudlican, I’m going to be a landlady”
“Oh shut up and have another drink. Polly Pegg” Bob said

Everyone pitched in to clear away and Kash and Jenna dealt with the dirty dishes while Gavin and Harry wiped up.
Within half an hour everything but the pans were done.
“You and Jenna go and sit down” she told Harry
“Ok” he said giving Jenna a wink “come on Mrs. Topliss”

Kash had been looking forward to getting Gavin on his own all day but when he was there in front of her in the kitchen she lost her nerve.
“I can manage now” she said
“I don’t mind helping” Gav said
“I’m ok really” she insisted

Gavin walked into the hall and was immediately confronted by Harry
“What are you doing out here you plank?”
“I offered to help, but she said she was ok” he replied
“You have a lot to learn about women” he said shaking his head and thrust a sprig of mistletoe into his great paw of a hand
“Now get back in there and kiss her”
“But…” Gavin protested
“Do you like her or not?” Harry asked
“Well yes” he replied
“Then get back in there” Harry instructed “trust me Gav”

Gavin pushed open the kitchen door and walked in
“You don’t have to help” she said “I can manage really”
“I’m not here to help” he said and he held up the mistletoe and then his voice cracked as he said
“I’ve come for a kiss”
“Oh” she said and dried her hands as she stepped towards
They stood facing each other and there was a moment of hesitation but then Gavin kissed her.
And it was a perfect Kiss that brought all the feelings they had suppressed for so long bubbling to the surface and Kashveena was able to allow the love that filled her generous heart to spill out from her every pore.
And Gavin gratefully gathered it up and wrapped her in his strong loving arms.

Tales of Love # 7

HAIR OF RED

Hair of red
Falls untamed
Over ivory skin
Stark in contrast
Like a crimson rose
Against bridal white

IT WAS MY GOOD FORTUNE

It was my good fortune
That you came my way
For like a broom you swept
My loneliness away

TOUCHED BY THE GODDESS

Touched by the goddess
Our hearts surrendered
As Venus worked her spell of love
And nothing could break the bond
That fitted us perfectly
Like a hand inside a glove
So strong were the bonds
That entwined our hearts
And held us prisoners of love
Only death could part us
And I am now haunted
By the call of the mourning Dove

YOU VIEW LOVE AS A SNARE

You view love as a snare
Of ordinary everyday life
And won’t be trapped into
The ritual taking of a wife
But who will support and
Comfort in times of strife
If you don’t open your heart
To the simple joys of life

THE LOVE THAT DARE NOT SPEAK ITS NAME

The love that dare not
Speak its name
For fear of bringing
Upon them, shame

Denial of their love
Would be a cruel betrayal
For inside they knew
It was perpetual

Try as the families might
It would not be swept
Beneath a convenient carpet
Their bond was kept

And when they were safe
Behind a closed door
Their love was expressed
As true lovers adore

IF LONELINESS IS YOUR FEAR

If loneliness is your fear
There’s no need to shed a tear
For the solution is clear
Just find a love sincere
Someone to hold dear
And watch sadness disappear

OH FOR A SIGHT OF YOUR SMILE

Oh for a sight of your smile
Soothing as chamomile
To ease away my frown
Picking me up when I’m down

MY BROWN EYED FRAU

Where are you now
My brown eyed frau
It breaks my heart
Now that we’re apart
Sugar sweet brunette
My dearest Margaret
Wherever you might be
Come back to me

WHEN I PLIGHT MY TROTH

I don’t understand even though
I wear my heart on my sleeve
When I plight my troth
You find it so difficult to believe

I have never hidden my feelings
But I would not have plighted
Should I, for a moment, thought
They would not have been requited

A SPECIAL WORD FOR A SPECIAL GIRL

A “special” word for a “special” girl
Modesty prevents you saying its true
But if the word “special” didn’t exist
It would have to be invented just for you

HAIR OF BROWN

Hair of brown
Falls in cascade
Over freckled skin
In perfect complement
Like forest fronds
And dappled shade

KOWTOW IN MACAO

Do you remember?
In old Macao
I greeted you
With an elaborate bow
You responded
With a formal Kowtow
Then I said hello
And you said Ciao
But the formality
Was just for show
So anyone looking
Just wouldn’t know
That the two of us
In that tableaux
Were more familiar
And all aglow
In the privacy
Of the chateaux

When Harry Met Sally

Harry's mind wandered
As he wend his way
Through crowded streets
He would see her that night
Anna, his new love
He could smell her hair
Feel the softness of her skin
He could even taste her
He longed for her
As he remembered
Her smile, her kiss
Her writhing body
Then Harry stepped off the curb
Oblivious
And was struck
By a car unseen
Tossing him like a rag doll
Depositing him unceremoniously
Between car and gutter
As his body lay broken
And bleeding
Where it came to rest
On the unforgiving street
The last image in his mind
Was not the killer car
But his Anna, His new love
As his life ebbed away
His heart beat its last
The paramedic's best efforts
Were to no avail
A moment's carelessness
Had cost a young life
His heart beat no more
In his broken body
Only to beat once more
And reanimate
In another's chest
To bring new hope
To rekindle another's existence
Bringing a new beginning for Sally
Which like a phoenix
Rose from the ashes
Of another families grief

Mornington-By-Mere – (02) The Mornington Field Triangle

(Part 01)

Mornington-By-Mere is a small country village lying in the Finchbottom Vale nestled between the Ancient Dancingdean Forest and the rolling Pepperstock Hills.
It is a quaint picturesque village, a proper chocolate box picturesque idyll, with a Manor House, 12th Century Church, a Coaching Inn, Windmills, an Old Forge, a Schoolhouse, a River and a Mere.

Throughout its history the Village of Mornington was largely dependent on agriculture for its survival but shortly before the beginning of the Great War a large tract of land was compulsorily purchased by the War Office as a training base for the newly formed Royal Flying Corps which changed the dynamic to some extent with them loosing valuable farm land, this was offset partly by the fact that the Mornington Estate had the contract to provision the Airfield.
It remained as a training squadron when the RFC became the RAF and right through to the end of the nineteen thirty’s.
During World War Two it became a front line fighter base in the Battle of Britain and many sorties were flown from the field and many brave young men failed to return to it.
RAF Mornington remained an operational base beyond the end of the 1939-45 conflict and was a NATO base throughout the cold war.
However after the breakup of the USSR it played a much lesser role until the end of the century when it was mothballed and although the RAF maintained a presence it was only really used as storage facility for the last decade of its existence.

When the War office purchased Mornington Field in the summer of 1914 it was on a 100 year lease, with an option for them to extend when the lease expired.
However in 2014 the Ministry of Defence were in the midst of dramatic cutbacks in front line resources and Mornington was one of the first facilities to be axed.
This meant that the original owners, the St George family, had first refusal to buy it back for a peppercorn fee.

Stanislas, Boivin and Champeaux, were the solicitors who administered the Teardrop Lake estate, in the Dancingdean Forest and were also the St George Family solicitors.
The original Champeaux was actually the firm’s representative who negotiated the original sale and was instrumental in drafting the deal that allowed Gabriel St George to buy it back for a song.
The firm had been the Mornington estate Solicitors ever since.

So it was at 6 am on the 2nd of May when Gabriel St George drove away from the Manor and into the village.
He crossed the bridge over the river and stopped outside Church View cottage, he only had to wait for a moment or two and the door opened and a slim fine featured thirty something emerged wearing a smart business suit.
“Good morning” Natasha Hayle said brightly as she settled herself in the car
“Hi Tash” he responded as he pulled away.

Natasha was an associate solicitor with Stanislas, Boivin and Champeaux and was in particular the Mornington Estate lawyer, which was why she chose to live in the village.
They were on their way to Whitehall for an important meeting at the Ministry of Defence to finalise the repurchase of the land.
They drove to Shallowfield and parked the car at the station and then went by train to London via Abbottsford.
First class seats on the train gave them the opportunity to dot the I’s and cross the T’s and be fully prepared before they arrived, even though it really was only a formality.
However what they hadn’t prepared for was the opening gambit from the man that they were meeting with, Sir Robin Gordon, a Senior Civil Servant at the Ministry of Defence.
“We have had a better offer”

(Part 02)

“We have had a better offer” Sir Robin said
“I beg your pardon” Natasha retorted
“We have had a better offer” he repeated “From a local business man”
“Let me guess” Gabriel said “Poole Industries”
“That I can neither confirm nor deny” he said
“You don’t have to, he’s already approached me directly in an attempt to buy it” Gabriel said
“That withstanding we do have a firm offer on the table for the purchase of Mornington Field” Sir Robin said confidently
“Well that’s all well and good” Natasha said “But you don’t have anything to sell”
“On the contrary…” he began but Natasha just kept going
“… You may either extend the lease for a further 10 years or return it to the original owner, i.e. The St George family, for the specified fee, as agreed in this legally binding document signed by no less a figure than David Lloyd George”
“A very distinguished signatory” Sir Robin agreed “But in Government things change and times are hard and we as custodians have to make sure we get the very best deal for the British people, so if you were to match the offer on the table then we can proceed, and you can have first refusal”
Which was when Gabriel shielded his eyes because he had seen Natasha in action before and he knew what was coming.
“Now I’m going to tell you what’s going to happen, we are going to conclude our business as prescribed in this notarised document, for the amount detailed in it”
She paused for effect
“Or we will drag your pinstriped arse through every court in the land and beyond and cost this government so much money that questions will be asked in the house and you will lose your pension”
In response Sir Robin went very pale and picked up his pen.

As they stood on the pavement trying to hail a cab a smartly dressed, well groomed man in his forties got out of the back of a Rolls Royce.
“No hard feelings I hope posh boy” he said in a course voice that was diametrically opposed to the way he looked.
“Our business was very satisfactorily concluded” Natasha said
“I was talking to the organ grinder darling, not his monkey” he said through gritted teeth.
He couldn’t have made it more obvious that he clearly had a problem with the fact that Gabriel was posh and that Natasha was Black.
“So what was it? The old boy network” Adam Poole said
“No it was legal” she said
“I won’t tell you again” he snapped
“You are a thoroughly unpleasant man Mr Poole, and it’s all over” Gabriel said just as a cab pulled into the curb
Gabe held the cab door open for Tash and then he got in too.

The tract of land which had one hundred years earlier become a military airfield had finally come back to the family and along with it came all the buildings and infrastructure on the airfield itself as well as 29 houses in the village formally used as quarters for military personnel.
So after he returned from London he retreated to his study and turned his mind to the task of deciding what to do with his acquisition and had soon started to draw up plans for when the property was formally handed over to him on the 1st of June.

His adversary in the matter, Adam Poole was a self-made man, ruthless and driven, sociopathic, totally devoid of conscience or empathy.
Adam Poole also hated to lose.
He was an extremely wealthy man who thought that with money he could get whatever he desired and he wasn’t used to not getting what he wanted.
He wanted Mornington Field in order to start up a private flying club, but having tried to buy Mornington Field from the Ministry of Defence, totally against protocol, he had failed.
The family having had first refusal on the land and they chose to exercise their option.
However he wasn’t going to let that stop him so when Gabriel St George took up their option to repurchase it was not the end to it as he would have hoped.

(Part 03)

It was the week after the handover when Adam Poole was spotted in Mornington Village with a leggy blonde trying to gain access onto the airfield.
They were up by the main gate to Mornington Field and he was trying to force open the gate when Gabriel pulled up in one of the estate Landrover’s.
Poole was immaculately dressed as usual and the blonde, who was about a foot taller than he was, was also very well presented but not adorned in designer gear like her companion was.
“Can I help?” he said as he got out.
“Only if you’re going to open the gate” Poole said
“Why would I want to do that?” Gabriel replied
“I want to have a look around” he growled
“Sorry its private property”
“Well it’ll be mine soon enough” He barked and reached inside his jacket and pulled out an envelope “You can do what you want with the houses as long as I get the field”
“What’s this?” Gabe asked
“Take it back to Toff Towers” he said smugly “I’ve increased my offer”
With that he walked back to his Rolls and got in.
“Mr St George, I’m Chantel Ridgway” she said and offered her hand.
His first reaction was to just turn his back on her and get back in the Landie, but she hadn’t been rude to him, so she didn’t deserve ant rudeness from him and she had a nice smile so he shook her hand.
“I’m pleased to meet you Chantel but you can tell your boyfriend that Mornington Field is not for sale” he said and put the envelope in her hand.
“He’s not my boyfriend” she said but her words were drowned out by the sound of the Landrover revving up.

Like Gabriel St George, Scott Collier was Mornington born and bred, they were at the Village school together and at University, and they had been lifelong friends.
He lived in Bridge View Cottage where he had lived all his life, and like his father he was born and raised there, and Scott couldn’t envisage living anywhere else.
It was his home now since his parents had retired to Spain and he loved it.
He and Gabe were very alike in many ways, though not in appearance.
Gabriel was tall and blonde and quite striking whereas Scott was short and mousy and singularly unremarkable.
Scott was primarily an Architect but he also liked to get his hands dirty and so when he wasn’t designing he was renovating or converting old properties.
He had already renovated two of the Mornington Windmills and was part way through the last one when Gabriel called him up to the Manor.
It wasn’t too much of a surprise to get a summons he worked almost exclusively for the Estate he just wasn’t sure what he had in mind for him this time.
So when he knocked on the big oak door at the Manor Scott was in his work clothes.
When it opened Gabriel’s Sister Elspeth was standing there smiling.
“What are you doing knocking on the front door? You should use the tradesman’s entrance with the other peasantry” she said and laughed
“Very funny” he replied and kissed her cheek, they had dated for a while just after university but it didn’t really work out, he thought of her more as sister, and she felt the same way, as a result they were the best of friends but no more than that.
“Look at the state of you” she said “Do I have to put newspaper down?”
“I don’t know, what do you think?” he asked and put his dirty hands on either side of her face
“Urgh you minger” she yelped and ran off to wash her face
In response to the noise Gabriel emerged from his study.
“Are you frightening the children again?” he said
“Something like that” Scott replied

(Part 04)

The reason Gabriel wanted to see Scott was in relation to Mornington Field and the associated properties the Estate had acquired.
They went into the study and found their mutual friend Ray Walker was already there, he was also a local boy born and bred and he had worked for the estate since he left school.
He was a giant of a man with a shock of unruly red hair and an abundance of freckles.
Ray’s job on the Estate was buildings maintenance so he was about to get really busy.
“We’ll have to do the windows and get the electrics up to code, loft insulation and all of that happy horse shit” Ray said “But other than that they have been well maintained, we will need to update fixtures and fittings and some basic decoration, but we should have the first half a dozen available for rental within the month”
“Great news, but let’s not waste any time in getting the rest of them ready” Gabriel said “Take on as many people as you need”
“Ok boss”
“So why am here exactly?” Scott asked
“I need you to look at the buildings on the airfield” Gabe said “And give me some suggestions on what we can do with them, what we can change or adapt and what needs to go”
“Great, do you have any thoughts at all?”
“Only that the hangers would convert easily into barns”
“So is it in your plans to return the field to agriculture?” Scott asked
“Absolutely” he replied “But it would be a shame not to make something of the infrastructure the MOD have left behind”
“Ok” Scott said thoughtfully looking at the plans on Gabe’s desk
“We might make use of some of the building for commercial use”
“Just what I was thinking” Gabriel said

Two weeks later Gabriel drove over to the Council Offices in Finchbottom to lodge the first part of the Estates planning application and change of use.
And it was when he was leaving that he met the leggy blonde that he had seen with Adam Poole a few days before, coming the other way.
She looked much less officious this time favouring a summer dress instead of a business suit and he found himself envying his adversary.
“Hello Ms Ridgway” he said
“Please call me Chantel and its miss”
“Chantel” he said trying the name on for size
“So what brings you here today?” he asked
“A meeting” she replied
“Without your boyfriend?”
“He is not my boyfriend”
“I’m sorry, your boss”
“He is neither my boyfriend nor my boss,” she said forcefully
“I have been engaged by Finchbottom District Council who believe that developing Mornington Field as an aviation centre for both leisure and commerce would be extremely beneficial to the district”
“But unfortunately not to the villagers of Mornington” he pointed out
“It will bring them employment opportunities” she said
“We both know that Poole Industries won’t employ locally except for the most menial of jobs”
“Isn’t that rather cynical?” Chantel asked
“Possibly” He agreed “But Mornington has lived with an airfield in its back yard for 100 years. It’s now time to return it to its former use”
“Which was?”
“Agriculture”
“You plan to return it to farmland?” she asked
“Almost all of it, yes I do” He replied

Over the month following the meeting with Gabriel and Scott, regarding the old Air force housing stock, Ray had worked tirelessly to have not just the first six houses ready within the month as promised, but eight, and with two days to spare so he was more than good to his word.
Gabriel then instructed Lyndon-Sanders Properties of Shallowfield to find tenants, within his strict guidelines.
Priority was to be given to local people or people with ties to the area.
Outside of that they were to be rented under the understanding being that it had to be the tenant’s primary residence.
Gabriel was always conscious of creating a virtual ghost town of professionals who live and work in Town all week and only return to the village on the weekends.

(Part 05)

It was a few days before the summer Fête and the grounds around the Manor were full of clutter and the hustle and bustle of activity.
He decided to retreat into the sanctity of his study to escape the summer Fête preparations which were happening all around him and had become all consuming.
He was also partly hiding from Aunty Phil so she couldn’t rope him in to her plans but mainly he wanted to take a few moments to congratulate himself for the progress that had been made and he even allowed himself to feel a little bit smug about frustrating Adam Poole’s insidious plans.
Which was when the phone rang.
“Hello”
“Look posh boy take that silver spoon out your arse and listen to me I want that airfield” Poole said “And I won’t take no for an answer”
“How many more times, no” he yelled
“You’re just being selfish, this project is for the common good”
“This project is to put more pound notes into your grubby little hands” Gabriel corrected him
“Oh please don’t go all sanctimonious on me, I’ve met your sort before, titled, entitled, privileged and cosseted, but with no backbone, I my posh friend am a self-made man which is why I always win” Poole retorted
“And I’ve met your sort before” Gabriel countered “hardnosed bitter and twisted, and the answer is still, No”
And as he hung up the phone it immediately rang again.
“What?” he barked
“Is it a bad time?” Chantel asked
“I’m really sorry I thought you were someone else” he said really annoyed with himself
“How can I help?”
“I was just wondering if you could spare me ten minute” she asked
“I don’t see why not” he replied “where are you?”
“I’m in Shallowfield at the moment, but I can come to you” she said
“Well we can’t meet here I’m afraid its absolute pandemonium, what about the Old Mill?” he said and checked his watch “in half an hour?”
“Ok great I’ll see you there, bye”

Gabriel was in the Pub first with about ten minutes in hand.
“Morning Gabriel” the landlord said “Are you avoiding the mayhem?”
Peter Andrew was a big barrel chested man with a bushy beard and a happy jovial face.
“Hi Peter, you are not far from the truth” he replied “But I’m also here to meet a rather attractive woman”
“So is it pint or a soft drink?” Peter asked
“Very definitely a pint” he replied and then he sat himself down with his pint of Mornington Ale in a position where he could see both doors and wondered which version of Miss Ridgeway would be joining him, the business suited professional or the sweet feminine girl in the summer dress.
Not that he cared which, he rather liked them both and he found himself unexpectedly curious almost to the point of excitement as to which one would appear.
But when Chantel did arrive she ticked neither of the boxes and instead opened up a third which was equally satisfying.
She was wearing white 3 quarter length shorts and a pink vest top and her hair was tied in bunches.
She stood in the doorway with the sun streaming in behind her as she looked around the bar for him and he was transfixed.
He only snapped out of it when her eyes fell on him and she started walking towards him.
“Hello Mr. St George” she said and smiled broadly
“Hi, please call me Gabriel” he responded “you look very nice”
“Oh, yes sorry it’s my day off today”
“Don’t apologize” he said a little too obviously and so he added
“Do you live in Shallowfield?”
“No I have a flat in Finchbottom” she replied and he gave a look that clearly indicated a lack of understanding which is why she added
“I was visiting friends in Shallowfield”
“Oh I see” he said pleased it was friends and not her boyfriend
“Can I get you a drink Chantel?”
“Thank you Gabriel, a diet coke please, no ice”

(Part 06)

Gabriel left Chantel sitting at the table and went up to the bar and ordered her a drink and Peter the Landlord said in a hushed whisper
“I think you rather under sold the young lady if you don’t mind my saying so Gabriel”
But Gabe just looked at him blankly, so Peter added
“She is an absolute corker”
Gabriel turned to look at her as she sat looking out of the window.
“Yes she is isn’t she?” he agreed

He put the drink on the table in front of her
“Thanks” she said and when he had sat she added
“So who did you think it was?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Earlier, on the phone, who did you think it was?” she asked
“Oh I thought it was your boyfriend again” he replied
She went to speak but he silenced her by saying
“I know he’s not your boyfriend” and they both laughed
“Well that explains it, I can understand your reaction completely” she said
“You don’t like him then?”
“No not a bit, he’s an odious little man” Chantel admitted
So with that explained they both took a sip from their respective drinks.
“So what brings you here on your day off then?” he asked “as lovely as your being here is”
“Well I just wanted to give you the heads ups” Chantel said
“I’m intrigued” he responded
“It’s a bit unprofessional” she added “but then so is what they are doing”
“Ok now I’m really intrigued”
She paused long enough to take another sip from her drink
“Finchbottom District Council on behalf of Poole Industries have asked me to broker a new deal” she said pausing for another sip of coke “A counter proposal if you like”
“Which is?”
“Which is an 18 hole Golf Course”
“Oh give me strength and energy” Gabe said “the last thing Downshire needs is another bloody Golf Course as you and they well know”
“Yes but what would you think of a plan like that?” she asked
This time Gabriel paused to take a drink
“Well what I think is, that if I sell Mornington Field to Poole Industries for use as a Golf Course, there is nothing to prevent him from going ahead with an airfield once the dust has settled, is what I think”
“But he couldn’t do what you’re suggesting without the proper planning consents” Chantel said
“Which the council will grant, because it’s what they want” he said “After all isn’t that why they engaged your services? To ensure it happens”
“You’re very cynical Gabriel” she said “but I think you are right to be so in this case”
They both took another drink and then she broke the silence
“So what do you think?”
“Well I think we should continue to disgust it over lunch”
I agree” she said

The Old Mill Inn has a great reputation for “pub grub” thanks to their excellent chef, Lorraine Olsen, it was really very good and it was something of a distraction for the two of them, but eventually the conversation returned to the problem in hand and Gabriel said.
“The only problem with going up against the District Council is that they will never grant our change of use and planning consents”
“Well actually I have friends on the planning committee and I know that they will not be easily bullied” she explained
“Well that’s all well and good but that might not be enough to scupper you boyfriend’s plans”
“He’s not my boyfriend” they chorused and laughed
“Well if he’s not your boyfriend you can come to the Fête with me on Saturday” he suggested
“You really know how to show a girl a good time, a pub lunch and an afternoon at the village Fête”
“Ok then dinner tomorrow night” he suggested
“Where?” she asked suspiciously
“Your choice”
“Ok the Runcible Spoon in Purplemere, I hear it’s very good”
“That’s a great choice, I’ll pick you up at 8” he said “and then you’ll come to the Fête on Saturday?”
“Ok” she agreed and wrote down her address.

As he walked her to her car she said
“You shouldn’t just invite me to the Fête you know”
“What do you mean?”
“Invite the members of the planning committee, show them what is you’re trying to preserve” she said “Take them up to the Airfield and tell them your plans”
“That’s a great idea” he said “Thank you”

As he watched her drive off he spotted his Aunt Philomena coming purposely the other way accompanied by the Vicar so he hurriedly returned to the pub and ordered another pint.

(Part 07)

The next day Gabriel surprised the residents of the Manor by announcing he was going on a date.
“What with a woman?” Corliss asked incredulously
“With a gorgeous woman actually” he said and left

As he drove to Finchbottom he was once again preoccupied with which Chantel he would be meeting, he had seen three versions of her so far and he was not disappointed with any of them.
When he knocked on the door of her flat he was astounded to find that what she was wearing had surpassed all of his expectations, she was dressed in a black designer dress.
“Wow” he said “you look stunning”
“Thank you”
Gabriel couldn’t take his eyes off her and just stood staring
“Should we go?” she asked
“Yes” he said but he was still hesitant “but I would rather like to kiss you first”
But Chantel kissed him instead

The Runcible Spoon certainly didn’t disappoint and neither did the company.
Over dinner, Chantel said
“I’ve spoken discretely to my friends on the planning committee and most of them will be there on Saturday”
“That’s fantastic” he said
“It means a lot to you doesn’t it?” she asked
“Yes it does, I have lived in Mornington all my life and I love the place so much”
“Well tell the planning committee that when you meet them”
“I will” he said “And will you be there?”
“If I’m still invited” she replied
“Of course”
“Then I wouldn’t miss it for the world”

The next morning Chantel was in a very good humour as she walked into her office despite the fact that she was two hours late and Adam Poole was seated behind her desk.
“Oh do make yourself at home Mr Poole” she said
“Never mind that” he retorted “have you got good news for me?”
She walked around the desk and waited for him to move before she answered.
“No nothing to report”
“For God’s sake what am I paying you for?” he shouted angrily
“You don’t pay me at all, I don’t work for you remember”
“I want that airfield” he railed
“Well I think you need to come to terms with the fact that he’s not going to sell” she said “so if you don’t mind I have work to do”
“So you’ve been taken in by “posh boy” he said
“You’ve let the smarmy bastard turn your head”
Chantel opened the door and motioned him out of the door without speaking and as Adam Poole walked past her and up the corridor a young woman, Michelle Norman, was coming the other way with a large bouquet of flowers,
“They must be from your boyfriend” Poole shouted over his shoulder.
“He’s not my boy…” she began and then she smiled
“No actually he is my boyfriend” she said to herself

The Annual Mornington Fête was a great success thanks to Aunt Philomena’s tireless efforts and no small amount of bullying.
As promised by Chantel the majority of the Finchbottom planning committee were in attendance and she was at Gabriel’s side as they entertained and schmoozed them in equal measure and when the planning meeting was held the following week all the Mornington Estate’s planning and change of use applications were approved.
And a very disgruntled Adam Poole left the public gallery very noisily but only after he had cast a lingering disapproving glare in Gabriel’s direction.
“I don’t think I’m going to be in the District Councils employ much longer” Chantel said
“I wouldn’t worry too much in that regard” he said pulling her towards him “I have other plans for you”
And then he kissed her.

Words on Love # 1

DOCTOR MY EYES

I’ve had my eyes tested
And I am 20/20
I am not short sighted
Nor long sighted
My eyes are healthy
There is no glaucoma
No floaters
Nor cataracts
My sight is perfect
So why is it
When I look at you
I see an angel
When you are anything but
I asked the optician
Why, with such perfect vision,
Can I not see betrayal?
He told me
That I have perfect vision
Its just rose tinted

APPETITE FOR LOVE

Your love
Was nourishing
And sustaining
But overly seasoned
With my tears

HERE, THERE AND EVERYWHERE

It happened on the beach
One afternoon in the sun
It happened in the shower
When the day was done
It happened in the car
Parked in the multistory
It happened on the sofa
Watching Toy Story
It happened on a bench
One night in the park
It happened at the pictures
On the back row in the dark
It happened on an airplane
I’m sure it will again
It happened in a bus shelter
One night in the rain
It happened in a taxi
On the way to waterloo
I got that empty feeling
Because I’m missing you

NOW SHE SLEEPS

Now she sleeps,
Her head on a white silk pillow
Her soft brunette curls
Framing her pretty face
Now relaxed and at peace
A soft glow still on her cheek
Contentment around her eyes
A subtle smile about her lips


THE VERY FIRST LOOK,

The very first look,
Little more than a glance really,
Is almost cursory in nature
Yet seems to be one of recognition
But you are a stranger to me.
So why if that is the case,
When our eyes meet,
Do the hairs stand up?
On the back of my neck
Now my skin is tingling
Like I’m full of electricity
My mouth is dry
And I think I’m actually blushing
I see confusion on your face
Is this the same for you?
Do you feel it too?
Why does a stranger affect me so?
What is this feeling?
What’s happening?
Who are you?
Now you are smiling
You do feel it too
Well, smiling stranger
Is this love at first sight?
Or is it déjà vu

WHEN DID ACQUAINTANCE

When did acquaintance
Turn into friendship?
When did friendship become affection?
When did affection change to love?
There were no obvious signs
That I can recall
No waves crashing on the rocks
No rockets in the sky
No bells and whistles
No brass band playing
No symbols crashing
But it has happened anyway
Was it when I saw you enter the room?
Or when I first heard you speak
Was it when I heard you laugh?
Or when you first spoke to me
Was it when I saw you smile?
Or when I made you blush
Was it when we danced?
Or when we first held hands
Was it when I stared deeply in to your eyes?
And saw into you soul
Perhaps it was while we kissed
Or when we made love
There was no obvious cause
It was not any one of the above
Yet it was all of them and more

LOVE IS THE SPICE OF LIFE

Love is the magical
Ingredient, seasoning an
Ordinary existence

LOVE IS TECHNICOLOR

Love is the element
Dispelling the blandness to
Bring colour to the world

In The Company of Angels

If I am the first to go
I will wait for you in the place
Where the crowns of Angels glow

If I go first because I lost the fight
I will be waiting with the Father
Where the tunnel opens into light

If I am the first one there
I will await you in lush meadows
Where heady perfume fills the air

If I go first and leave you lonely
We will meet again in paradise
In our loved ones company

If I am the first to go, allay your fears
I will be waiting in the place
Where there are no more tears

If I go before you and we must part
I will wait for you in heaven
Where sweet music soothes the heart

If I am first to go we will meet again
In a far better place than this
Where God has banished pain

If I go first through the eternal door
You will find me with the angels
Where suffering is no more

If I am first to go by days or years
You will find me waiting there
Far beyond this vale of tears

Mornington-By-Mere – (01) A Wandering Minstrel

(Part 01)

Mornington-By-Mere is a small country village lying in the Finchbottom Vale nestled between the Ancient Dancingdean Forest and the rolling Pepperstock Hills.
It is a quaint picturesque village, a proper chocolate box picturesque idyll, with a Manor House, 12th Century Church, a Coaching Inn, Windmills, an Old Forge, a Schoolhouse, a River and a Mere.

There is a very good reason why it has retained its old English quaintness and its heart and soul into the 21st Century and that’s simply because everything in the village is owned by the Mornington estate, and under their stewardship the village has remained a traditionally English and has not been allowed to become a soulless haven for hooray Henrys and weekenders with their second homes and country getaways.

The head of the Estate is the resident of Mornington Manor which is the family seat of the guardians of the estate who are the St George family and the head of which is Baron Gabriel St George, who lives at manor with his four sisters and his widowed aunt Philomena.

The St George family had been landowners in Downshire since the Norman Conquests and at one time their lands covered the whole of the Finchbottom Vale.
However in the 21st century the estate was much reduced and only extended to a radius of between 11 and 12 miles from the Mornington Mere.

Although the Mere in Mornington is only half a mile wide and half a mile long it sits at the heart of Mornington, figuratively if not literally.
It is one of three small bodies of water in the area that were all that remained of the great wetlands that at one time stretched from Mornington in the East to Childean in the west and from Shallowfield in the south to Purplemere in the north.
But over many centuries the vast majority had been drained for agriculture.
Part of the traditional drainage system were the Mornington Mills, of which only three had survived to the present day and even those were no longer functional and were in various states of repair.
The mills would have pumped the excess water into the River Brooke, which is so called because that’s what it was when the land was first settled, a narrow babbling brook.
It began its life at the head of Teardrop Lake in the Dancingdean Forest and in the days of the great wetlands petered it out to little more than a stream.
It was widened and deepened over the century’s and was now the River Brooke the course of which extended far beyond Mornington, flowing to the north where it eventually flowed into the River Finch.
In times past the Brooke was used as a transport route taking livestock and produce to market in Finchbottom or to the port at Pepperstock Bay.

Although Gabriel St George was a bona fide Baron he didn’t use the title and neither had his father before him.
As the Mornington Estate owned all of the properties in the area it derived almost all of its income from rents.
Although they also owned and operated two farms and the Mornington Brewery, as well as selling Estate produce.
It kept everyone in the village employed and everyone prospered and that was Gabriel’s main concern.

Shortly after the death of Gabriel’s father, Valentine, and Gabriel had taken over the running of the estate, his mother Persephone was taken seriously ill.
It was a bitter blow for the family and hit everyone very hard, it felt to him like he had been knocked to floor by his father’s death and was then being kicked while he was on the ground.
So Persephone’s younger sister Philomena moved into the Manor to help nurse her and organize the family at the same time.

(Part 02)

Philomena Cruikshank was 12 years younger than her sister Persephone and was able to up sticks and rally to the family’s side because she had no attachments, she was widowed and childless and lived alone in the village of Tipton in the North of the county.

In the turbulent two year period of Persie’s decline Aunty Phil became invaluable to the St George family, she was the glue that held the fracturing family together, with her stoical strength and practicality.
And she needed every ounce of her not inconsiderable strength of character to achieve it because even she couldn’t prevent the inevitable.

After Persephone’s untimely death just 55 years of age, and the subsequent funeral Philomena was desperate to return to her home in Tipton where she could shake off the façade she wore for her nephew and nieces and grieve in the privacy of her own home.
A place where she didn’t have to be everyone else’s tower of strength.

But that wasn’t to be as she stayed on in Mornington, because Gabe begged her to stay, he said he was concerned that the girls would fall apart without her guiding hand, but she knew it was really him that needed her support.
Aunty Phil reluctantly agreed, but with two conditions, firstly that it wasn’t to be a permanent arrangement, she still had a life in Tipton and secondly that she had to return to her home in Tipton for at least a month to set things in order.
Gabriel agreed unreservedly which in the end gave her four precious weeks in which she could fall apart unseen by the world.

When she returned to Mornington Aunty Phil was ready to resume her duties as the family’s tower of strength.
Then within a week of her return to the manor there was another tragic loss in her life and also for that of the village.

During the two long years she spent nursing her sister she had made some new friends in the village and had become very close to the Cockcroft’s.
Peter was the Vicar at St Winifred’s and his wife Carole was his rock, as well as being the kingpin of Church and village life.
The Baron may have held the land and title of Mornington but it was Carole Cockcroft who made sure the village ticked.

So the effect on village life and its inhabitants was tangible when in the week of Philomena’s return from Tipton, while attending to the flowers in the church, Carole Cockcroft suffered a sudden agonizing headache, so sudden and intense it felt like she had been struck violently on the head, but in reality it was the result of a ruptured brain aneurysm.
She was found by the church warden lying on the floor in the transept where she had collapsed loose flowers scattered all around her.
The Vicar was located and summoned and an ambulance was called and Carole was rushed to hospital where she lingered in ITU at the Winston Churchill Hospital for two weeks never to regain consciousness.

Peter was absolutely devastated, it was so unexpected, she wasn’t overweight and didn’t smoke, her blood pressure was normal and she had no history of aneurysms in her family.
Carole was only 44 years old, her death came completely out of the blue and knocked him for six.

It hit Philomena very hard too, coming so soon after losing her darling sister Persie, and because of that she was unable to help him, she had no strength left, she was stretch too thinly, so she didn’t try to help, in fact to her eternal shame she actually avoided him whenever possible.
Peter was so distraught at the loss of his wife he barely noticed who was there for him and who wasn’t, but she didn’t know that so she consciously avoided him.
Although in truth she didn’t have to avoid him for long, as he took a leave of absence to go on retreat and was absent from the village for almost 12 months.

(Part 03)

While Peter was on retreat a succession of Locum ministers covered for him at St Winifred’s in his absence which rather upset the rhythm of village life especially as Carole was no longer there to make sure the village ticked along.
So the news of his impending return was greeted with great relief about the village.
Even though, in truth he was not quite the same Peter Cockcroft they had known and loved before Carole’s death.
He was a little less open and a little more guarded, but his return had at least restored the equilibrium in Mornington.
Peter felt it was a good time for him to pick up the reigns again as it was the run up to Easter which was of course the most holy time in the church calendar.

When Philomena spoke to him in the days following his return there was an awkwardness to the converse, the easy banter they exchanged before Carole was taken was now largely replaced by an uncomfortable silence.
She regretted very much distancing herself from him and she was sure as a result of it she had now lost another friend.

Peter’s awkwardness was not born out of a hurt felt by Philomena’s distance, in fact at the time he welcomed it.
His reticence towards her was due to her being a reminder of the happy time before his wife’s death, Carole was so very fond of Phil, and they had some really happy times together.
He knew those times would not be repeated and that knowledge hurt him very deeply indeed.
Thankfully he had Easter to keep him focused and so he put all other thoughts from his head completely.

Philomena also busied herself, spring was a very busy time on the estate so there was plenty for her to do.
There were other distraction also but perhaps the biggest was Easter and of course there was the quiz night at the Old Mill Inn which was very well attended and extremely competitive.
The quiz night was on the Saturday night of the Easter weekend and it was part of the local quiz league.
The landlord, Peter Andrew, was the quiz master and his wife, Helen, did the food, or more accurately she supervised the food, as the kitchen was actually run by Chef Lorraine Olson, while their children John and Polly ran the bar.
Each team in the league comprised six players the St Georges from the Manor were “The Manorian’s” and right from the start they were neck and neck with “The Wood Hill-Billies”
At the end of the evening though The Hill-Billies had won by 2 points and their unexpected win brought uproar and led to much hugging and kissing amongst the victors.
Despite losing the quiz the St George’s all thought it was really nice for the family to get out and enjoy themselves together, it was the first time since Persephone’s death, so it was long overdue.

The following morning the whole family attended church for the Easter service at St Winnifred’s.
And virtually the whole village were in attendance to support their much loved Vicar in his return to the pulpit.
Afterwards almost all of them wanted to shake Peter’s hand or just say hello, there were so many in fact that the throng allowed Philomena to slip by unnoticed.

With Easter come and gone Philomena thought the family had turned a corner and life at the Manor had settled down to normal, whatever that is, but there were more smiles than frowns among the St George’s and that could only be a good thing.

The downside of things running more smoothly at the big house was that she had more time on her hands, so she spent more and more of it wandering the Estate, the weather was typical of April, nice warm spring sunshine interspersed with violent showers.
She enjoyed her own company walking in the warm spring sunshine and revelled in the many harbingers of the season, such as the daffodils nodding in the breeze and the incessant birdsong everywhere.
But that spring she seemed to walk more than ever and she was accompanied by more than just her dog.
Also walking with her was her guilty conscience and it nagged at her so loudly she missed hearing the call of the first cuckoo of spring.

(Part 04)

It was the day after the May Bank holiday and it was a glorious morning.
Phil had always been an early riser and that morning was no exception.
She had a solitary coffee on the east terrace and then went for a walk with her golden retriever “Biscuit” in Manor Woods.
She liked the early morning walks, whatever the weather, but even more so on a bright morning while the rest of the world were still in bed.

Mornington was such an idyllic spot and starting out from the Manor she was really spoilt for choice when it came to pleasant walks.
Biscuit also liked to walk, and run and chase, she also on that particular morning decided the direction they would take as well.
Which was how and why she ended up in Manor Wood.
Biscuit was bounding up ahead and Philomena strode purposefully after her with her bobbed blonde hair dancing about her Swan neck.

Once she was in the wood Phil thought they would press on through to the other side until they reached the riverbank, and then turn right and follow the river back towards the village as far as the church, and then back to the Manor for a well-earned breakfast.
Philomena and Biscuit had just about reached the half-way point when the dog suddenly stopped in her tracks and her ears pricked up.
Philomena hadn’t heard anything apart from the stirring canopy above her head and the cacophony of birdsong.
Until all of a sudden she heard the rich and fruity tones of a baritone voice out singing the birds in the morning air

# A wandering minstrel I,
A thing of shreds and patches,
Of ballads, songs and snatches,
And dreamy lullaby!
My catalogue is long.
Through every passion ranging,
And to your humours changing
I tune my supple song!
I tune my supple song! #

The voice belonged to the Vicar Peter Cockcroft and he was heartily bellowing out his rendition of Gilbert and Sullivan’s classic to every tree and critter.
Under normal circumstances Philomena would have waited quietly in the shadows, as she often had over recent weeks, until he passed and then hurried off in the opposite direction.
She had done that a number of times when their paths almost crossed since he returned from retreat.
But on this occasion watching him singing Gilbert and Sullivan at the crack of dawn in Manor Wood made her smile so she kept quiet and listened to more.

# Are you in sentimental mood?
I'll sigh with you,
Oh, willow, willow!
On maiden's coldness do you brood?
I'll do so, too-
Oh, willow, willow!
I'll charm your willing ears
With songs of lover's fears,
While sympathetic tears
My cheeks bedew-
Oh, willow, willow! #

Several times she had to bite her knuckles to prevent herself from laughing and alerting him to her presence.
She managed to survive until the end of the second verse and then just before he launched into the next verse she stepped forward and said
“Aren’t you a bit old for Nanki-Poo?” and he jumped fully a foot and a half in the air and went as white as a sheet.
“Good God Woman” he exclaimed I nearly had a heart attack and then he roared with laughter, a laugh which was so infectious Philomena was soon laughing along with him.
Their hearty laughter was so reminiscent of those happy days before Carole passed and just for a moment, the briefest of moment, they both forgot Carole was gone.
Peter obviously felt the same because as the laughter subsided he said
“I’ve really missed this”
“Me too” she admitted

(Part 05)

Philomena and Peter were still intermittently giggling sometime after they had agreed to continue their early morning walks together.
They were an unlikely looking pair, Philomena looked every inch a member of the landed gentry, and possessed an inherent elegance about her and she made whatever she happened to throw on look like haute couture, and although she spent little or no time on her appearance she always looked more than presentable.
In stark contrast Peter Cockcroft was a big man, well over six feet tall and built like a rugby player, and he looked as unlike a clergyman as it was possible to get, but in Philomena’s humble opinion he had a most wonderful voice.
“So why were you singing songs from the Mikado in the woods?” she asked
“Ah” he said and ran his fingers through his short sandy hair
“I was afraid you were going ask that”
“So?”
“So why Gilbert and Sullivan?” he asked and she nodded
“Well I thought singing hymns in the woods just after dawn might be considered strange, in fact they might think I’d lost my mind”
“I see” Phil said doubtfully “whereas yodeling Gilbert and Sullivan to the wildlife in the woods would be considered quite unremarkable”
“Well when you put it like that I admit that sounds strange too” he said
“So are you off your trolley then?” she asked
“No” he protested
“It was just that when I got up this morning, I felt alive, for the first time since Carole died I actually felt alive” he said
“And I wanted to express it to the world, but as it turned out I expressed it to the inhabitants of Manor Wood, a dog called Biscuit and of course you”
“Well it was very beautifully expressed” She remarked and took his arm.

When she finally got back to the Manor the household had stirred.
Gabe had already left for the day as he had an important meeting in London, but Tallulah, the eldest of his sisters was in the kitchen boiling eggs and burning toast.
Cooking was not her forte and even boiled egg and soldiers was a little ambitious for her rudimentary skills.
“Hi Auntie Phil” she said brightly “Did you have a good walk?”
“Yes I did”
“You’ve been a long time” Tally said
“I know it was such a beautiful morning we got a bit carried away” Phil replied
“We?” Tally asked
“Yes, Biscuit and I” she said hurriedly
Tallulah was about to respond when Aunty Phil said
“I’ll do that Honey, you go and get ready for work”

Elspeth and the twins appeared once they knew that Aunty
Phil was at the cooker.
“Morning Aunty” Cordelia said and Corliss added
“What’s on the menu?”
Philomena spent the next hour in the kitchen feeding her nieces and the dog and only when they had all gone for the day could she feed herself.

She had so enjoyed her long early morning walk with Peter that over the week following it, rather than doing what had become usual, and going out of her way to avoid him, Philomena actually made every conceivable effort to engineer another seemingly casual meeting.

Peter meanwhile following his recent epiphany and realization that he was in fact still alive and having shaken off his bonds in the form of a heartfelt rendition of a Gilbert and Sullivan song in Manor Wood had inadvertently rekindled his friendship with Philomena Cruickshank.
He hadn’t realized how much he had missed her kindness and her gently laughter.
And he resolved not to let the embers of that rekindling die out without some considerable effort on his part.

The problem was that the two of them were so determined to engineer an accidental meeting that they inadvertently managed to avoid each other entirely.
When Peter was in Manor Wood Phil was by the Mere, when Peter walked the Riverbank she was by the church.
This was not good on either of their parts as there was the very real possibility that it would be misconstrued, giving the false impression that their last meeting was thought of as only an aberration and that could take them all the way back to square one, and neither of them wanted that.

(Part 06)

More than a week had passed since the Manor Wood Mikado incident and that was the last time she had seen him, and Philomena was thinking that her best course of action was to just knock on the Rectory door and say hello.
She was going into the village to pick up a few bits of shopping and decided she would do just that on her way home.
Philomena had been to Norman’s and chatted at length with Evelyn while she bought some stamps.

After leaving the Norman’s Store she went into Addison’s and got some fresh bread and it was as she left the bakers that she bumped into the Vicar who was going the other way.
“Hello” he said “I was hoping to bump into you”
“Really?” she replied causing Peter to panic as he wasn’t aware he’d said the last part out loud
“Yes, yes” he said desperately trying to think of a reason.
“Why was that?” Phil said at which time his eyes settled on the poster for the summer Fête in the shop window.
“The Summer Fête” he said with confidence
“What about it?”
“I could really use your help” he said
“With what exactly?”
“I need your assertiveness, to get things done” Peter explained
“Can’t you assert?” she asked “you’re a giant after all”
“Yes and look what happened to Goliath” he pointed out
“The committee expect me to be the voice of calm and reason, not a bully”
“Ah I see” Phil said “Good cop, bad cop”
“Exactly” he agreed “So will you do it?”
She had been involved to some degree with the previous three events so she said
“Yes why not”

Peter was very pleased with himself, he had very cleverly got out of a sticky situation and collaborating on the Fete was the perfect way for them to renew their friendship without any awkwardness and as a result they shared their future walking plans so they wouldn’t keep missing each other.
Philomena was feeling equally smug even though it meant allowing herself to be shanghaied onto the Summer Fête committee.
But it proved to be a very productive arrangement during that summer as they collaborated on the Fête and their friendship was as mutually agreeable as it had been in the past.
However as the big day arrived in mid-July their thoughts, which had been almost exclusively been wrapped up in things relating to the Fête, were suddenly preoccupied with what would follow it.
After all the Fête had become all-consuming and they dreaded the post Fête void.

As had been the long standing tradition the summer Fête was held in the Manor grounds and also in keeping with tradition it was extremely well attended.
It was a glorious day with not a cloud in the sky but it was extremely hot and so Philomena had insisted additional tented areas should be provided and free bottled water.
Fortunately a lot of money was raised for good causes and no one suffered any ill effects of the heat, well almost no one.

It was at the end of the day when all the punters had left and a few helpers were milling around packing up the stalls, Philomena was in the refreshments tent, packing away the undrunk water when Peter happened along.
“Ah Philly” he said “There you are”
“Hello Peter”
“It’s been a wonderful success” he said
“You sound surprised” Phil said
“Well I am a bit” he confessed and sat down
“We obviously make a good team” she offered as she picked up a box of water.
“Yes we do” he agreed just as Philomena stumbled and dropped the box she was carrying
“Damn it” she said and crouched down to pick it up then she looked up at him and smiled
“Sorry Vic”
Which was when he leant towards her and kissed her and more to the point she kissed him back.
When their lips parted they looked at each other and almost telepathically communicated that they had made a big mistake, and without speaking they left the tent in opposite directions

“You stupid, stupid woman” she said out loud as she marched towards the house “what on earth were you thinking”
She went through the front door still berating herself and up the main staircase.
“Well that’s the end of the friendship now”
She crossed the landing
“He’ll never trust you again” she said and went into her room and slammed the door behind her

(Part 07)

As Philomena was stomping her way to the Manor, Peter was doing much the same thing on his way to the Rectory.
“My God man have you no self-control?” he muttered
“Just because she’s a beautiful woman, you think it ok to go and kiss her”
He opened the gate and walked in to his front garden still muttering
“Just because she’s funny, and has an infectious laugh and has a pretty smile, and smells divine” he said as he opened the front door
“You cannot go around kissing her, her….” and as he struggled to complete the sentence he plopped down in his favourite chair and concluded.
“Her beautiful soft lips”

The following weeks were very difficult, there were a number of Fête committee meetings in the aftermath of the big event which they both had to attend and they had adopted the distanced stance and only spoke to one another when necessary.
They also reverted to the pre Mikado attitude of deliberately avoiding each other on a day to day basis.

The reason for their angst was not the kiss in isolation, they both rather enjoyed that, no what had them both tied up in knots was the overwhelming feelings of guilt and the deep sense of betrayal.
It was the despicable betrayal of Carole’s memory that was eating them up.
Which was ridiculous because no one would have been more delighted than Carole, in fact she was probably rooting for them in the wings.
The man who she loved, as much on the day she died as she did on the day that they met, and the woman who came into their lives like a breath of fresh air and made them laugh, and who incidentally, had Carole lived to a ripe old age would have been her friend till the end.
Why wouldn’t she want them to be together?
But for Peter and Philomena it was a case of why would she want them to be together.

It was a damp drizzly morning as July was coming to a close and she and Biscuit were not disappointed when the walk was over.
When they arrived at the boot room door she opened it and the dog beat her through it.
She toweled Biscuit dry before kicking off her boots and hanging up her coat.
And afterwards she went in search of the kettle.
When she reached the kitchen Tallulah was sitting at the table pouring a cup of tea from a large tea pot.
“Is there another one in there Tally?” she asked
“Yes Aunty, get yourself a mug”
After Tallulah had done the honour’s Philomena took a tentative sip.
“Oooh that’s nice” she said
“Did you enjoy your walk Aunty Phil?”
“No not much it’s a bit miserable out there today” she replied
“Have you been out walking with the Vicar lately?” Tallulah asked
“No, why?”
“It’s just that I thought you two had become inseparable”
“That was only because of the Fête”
“Oh that’s a shame” Tally said
“Why?”
“Well you’ve had a bit of a spring in your step for the past few weeks” she replied
“And you didn’t let a bit of rain dampen your enthusiasm, you’d have been out there for hours on a day like this”
“Oh I don’t know about that” Aunty Phil protested
“And you looked good together” Tally added
“Now you’re just being silly”
“And I’ll tell you something else Auntie, I think Carole would have been pleased”
“Would she?” Philomena asked with surprise
“Yes she was very fond of you aunty”
Philomena was thoughtful for a few moments as she finished her tea, then she stood up and walked around and kissed the top of Tallulah’s head
“You have wisdom beyond your year’s honey”
“It’s a gift” she replied
“Come on then dog, it’s time to get wet again”

Peter had had a very troubled night’s sleep and was still wearing his dressing gown while he was sitting in his study drinking black coffee.
The reason for his lack sleep was a series of recurring dreams which centered on the kiss he shared with Philomena on the day of the Fête.
And the shock and disgust he saw on Philomena’s face before she stormed off.
But in his dream they were not alone in the tent.
Another woman was watching them benignly and it was that image which perplexed him the most.

(Part 08)

Philomena and Biscuit walked past the Rectory five times before she plucked up enough courage to go and knock on the door.
The drizzle of earlier had turned into proper rain and there were rivulets running down her face and large droplets on the end of her nose as she knocked.
But when there was no answer she suddenly felt very foolish, he clearly didn’t want to see her, and he couldn’t have made it plainer.
She imagined him to be looking out the window and wishing she would go away.

But unknown to Philomena the reason Peter didn’t answer the door was that he was upstairs getting dressed.
After musing over his nocturnal trials he shook off his earlier torpor and galvanized into action and he was going to call on Phil.
But he had to make himself presentable, he was nearly finished, with only his trousers to go when he heard a knock at the door.
He did indeed look out of the window but his thought process when he saw who it was not to hide and hope she went away.
But it did throw him into a blind panic about how he could get his trousers on and get downstairs before she did go away.
After several false starts, firstly putting them on back to front and secondly trying to get both legs down one leg hole, he made it downstairs and opened the door just as Philomena had reached the front gate.
“Phillie!!” he called and she turned around
“Come on in Phillie, you look soaked to the skin”
Still thinking herself foolish she thought about ignoring him and just going home, but she didn’t.
Once through the door Peter closed it behind her and handed her a towel to dry her face
“Thanks Peter”
He then used a second one to dry Biscuits coat.
“There you go girl” he said when he was finished
He then helped Phil out of her coat and asked
“So what brings you out on a filthy day like this?”
“That’s a good question” she replied enigmatically
“Well come into the kitchen and you can tell me over a hot drink”
He suggested.
When they were seated at the table with a steaming beverage in front of them he repeated his question
“So what does bring you out on a filthy day like this?”
She had been desperately trying to work out what to say but it was all such a jumble in her head and all she could think to say was
“I’ve been thinking”
“Oh”
“Yes”
“What about” he asked
“About that day in the tent”
“Oh I see” he said and bowed his head
Philomena then took a deep breath and said
“I don’t regret it”
“You don’t?” he asked as he looked up
“No I don’t” she said proudly “in fact I really liked it”
“Oh” was all he could manage
“And I don’t think that Carole would mind”
“No nor do I” he agreed and reached across the table and held her hand
“So that’s what I’ve been thinking” she concluded and she squeezed his hand
“Well that is a lot of thinking” he said
“And have you done any thinking?” she asked coyly
“Yes I have” he replied but didn’t elaborate
After a minute had elapsed she could wait no longer and snapped
“Well?”
“Well I was thinking I should take you out tomorrow for your birthday and we can take it from there” he said and leant across the table and kissed her.
“Good thinking” she responded and then she returned his kiss with interest.