(Part 01)
The Olsen family were originally from Abbeyvale but Lorraine’s older sister Hannah moved to Abbottsford after she had married Mick Hill.
Mick however deserted his wife and family after the birth of their second child leaving huge debts behind him including 6 six months of mortgage arrears.
As a result Hannah lost her home and she and her children ended up living in a two bedroom flat in a dingy part of town.
However what was once dingy and undesirable was, after five years, suddenly up and coming, and so her landlord decided to sell out to a developer.
She didn’t know what she was going to do, the council would rehouse her but it would be to another shitty corner of town.
She couldn’t move back home with her mum, Irene because her and her sister Lorraine were banned from any kind of contact with their mum by their abusive stepfather Graham.
And her sister Lorraine lived in a room above the restaurant at the Old Mill Inn in Mornington.
What Hannah was unaware of was however that the Mornington Estate had exercised its option to purchase Mornington Field back from the MOD and along with it the estate also acquired all the buildings and infrastructure on the airfield itself as well as 29 houses in the village formally used as quarters for military personnel.
And furthermore her sister had applied for one, however when Lorraine went to Lyndon-Sanders Properties in Shallowfield she was told that she might not be successful, being a single woman and the new housing stock all being 3 and 4 bedroom homes.
It just so happened though that Hannah’s eviction notification came within a few days of her sisters meeting with a property agent about a house in Mornington and with her sister about to be made homeless it meant Lorraine could make a new application for them all and this time they qualified for a 4 bedroom house.
Lorraine got word from the agents that she was being given the tenancy of number 6 The Close on Friday September 26th, and the first thing she did was ring Hannah.
It wasn’t the best timing in the world as she was catering the Topliss wedding breakfast and the reception the next day so she was rushed off her feet.
Which meant they couldn’t move in until the following weekend but even when the following weekend arrived Lorraine couldn’t take any time off because the restaurant still hadn’t replaced Francois the chef.
Not that the move required a lot of efforts as between them they had little or no furniture and number 6 the Close was unfurnished.
However help with that came from an unusual quarter in the shape of Gabriel St George, the Lord of the Manor, and general philanthropist and all round good egg who on the day of the move just happened to be having lunch at the Old Mill Inn with his girlfriend Chantel.
When he heard that they would all be sleeping on the floor in sleeping bags he called his old friend Jonathon Springthorpe.
He was a resident of the village himself at The Old Forge.
Gabriel decided to phone Jon who was one of the Springthorpe’s at O’Sullivan and Springthorpe Auctioneers in Shallowfield.
(Part 02)
Apart from their normal business as one of the premier auctioneers in Downshire, O’Sullivan and Springthorpe were also required rather more often than they would have liked to do house clearances.
On many occasions they would turn up a few choice pieces to at least cover the cost of the clearance but that still meant there was a lot of serviceable items that weren’t worth auctioning but still had value which eventually found their way into one of their many second hand shops across the county.
However most of it spent a prolonged period in storage first.
Gabriel managed to secure a van load of furniture and arranged for its delivery to The Close that afternoon it was a tall order to get it done that quickly but people tended to pull out all the stops for Gabriel, not because he was the Baron of Mornington but because if he had asked for it to be done it was important that it was.
He always tried to help people when he could he was very lucky to have the life he had and he tried every day to remind himself of that fact but some people didn’t like charity so he played out a bit of a charade with Lorraine when he put his head around the kitchen door and spoke to her.
Gabriel St George put his head around the kitchen door and spoke to Lorraine
“Lorraine I must apologize” he said “the furniture should have been delivered yesterday”
“What furniture?”
“Well you’re renting number 6 the Close” he said
“Which is supposed to be furnished”
“Is it?” Lorraine asked
“Yes” he said “and it will be delivered this afternoon between 3 and 4”
After he had convinced Lorraine that it was a clerical error that it didn’t mention “furnished” in her tenancy agreement he and Chantel went back to the Manor to tell the family that they were engaged, his proposal happening during the conversation with Jonathon.
Hannah had been working hard all day driving back and forth from Abbeyvale with the family’s meagre possessions, the final trip she had the boys in the car as well, who she was able to leave with a neighbor while she did the bulk of the move.
She could have really done with Lorraine’s help but she appreciated she had to work and hers would be the only wage.
It was Lorraine’s day off on Monday but Hannah had to vacate the flat by Saturday midnight so it was unavoidable.
Lorraine hadn’t been fooled for a moment by Gabriel St George’s performance regarding the clerical error in the tenancy agreement but she was very grateful to him so she played along.
Almost the moment the kitchen door closed she was on the phone to Hannah.
Hannah and the boys had only been in the house for ten minutes and they had only that minute established who was having what room and hadn’t even begun to put the boxes in the appropriate rooms when the phone rang.
“Han you will not believe what’s just happened?” Lorraine said excitedly.
(Part 03)
At ten past three the boys came running down the stairs in a state of great excitement.
“Mum, mum the lorry is here” Nick said because his brother Joe was too excited to say anything his mouth kept opening but nothing came out.
Hannah went outside and the four guys in O & S Auctioneer’s overalls were opening the back up.
“What have you got for us then?” she asked
“Everything” the older of the men replied
“What?” she said
“It’s all for you love” he said
“All of it?”
“Yes” he replied “So just tell us where you want it”
“In the lounge I suppose”
“We have express instruction to put every item in situ” One of the younger men said
“So you direct and we’ll deliver”
It wasn’t until 4.30 in the afternoon that Lorraine managed to slip off her whites and hang them up.
Once she had, she took the green bandana from her head and let her carrot coloured hair cascade onto her shoulders before she went over to the house.
When she arrived the shutter was just being pulled down on the O’Sullivan and Springthorpes truck and she could see Hannah stood on the doorstep.
It was obvious from a thousand yards that they were kin, both of them possessed of freckled cheeks and open smiling faces and the flaming red hair.
The only difference between them was that of stature, Lorraine was tall and slim while Hannah was shorter with a fuller figure but then she had given birth to two children, 7 year old Nick and Joe who was 5, and they too had the carrot coloured hair.
As she got closer Hannah ran to meet her she said
“You should see what they sent us Loz”
“Well show me then” she replied and Hannah and the excited boys took her from room to room showing her the new furniture.
Lorraine had to go back to work but with Hannah’s hard work they soon settled in to The Close and the children were enrolled at the school.
Hannah had to do all the work at the house as her sister was still bearing all of the burden at the Old Mill Inn as she was running the kitchen virtually on her own from prep to clean down, and as a result she was completely frazzled, and noticeably so.
This went on until Halloween when there was suddenly a change of fortune when Helen Andrew offered Lorraine the Chefs job and employed two local girls trainee to help her.
It turned out that the girls lived in The Close, either side of Lorraine and Hannah, Tegan Crockford was at number 5 and Cally Wilson at number 7.
Cally was the older of the two by about two weeks and she was significantly larger, not fat but very definitely cast from a bigger mold.
She stood six feet tall with short curly auburn hair, and a very large bust.
Tegan on the other hand was a foot shorter and at least six stones lighter.
She was small with delicate features and bobbed strawberry blonde hair.
And was small enough to shelter beneath the bust of her friend if it rained.
However the anomaly with the pair wasn’t their physical appearance it was their personalities.
The giant Cally was quiet and reserved while tiny Tegan was feisty and forthright.
When the two newbies started work it was amazing as almost immediately the three of them gelled and worked extremely well together and with having the extra pairs of hands to do the prep it meant Lorraine could try out new dishes to add to the menu and from day one Lorraine was visibly more relaxed as the two trainees proved to be every bit as good as expected and as a result of that Hannah and the boys got to see more of her.
(Part 04)
Hannah had worked hard keeping the home fires burning and stopping Nick and Joe going off into orbit as they fast approached Christmas and Lorraine was looking forward to having four days off, the first proper break she’d had since Easter.
The restaurant would close on the afternoon of Christmas Eve and would not reopen fully until the following Tuesday.
When Lorraine got home on Christmas Eve she was in an extremely good mood, which Hannah mistakenly put down to excitement about Christmas but then she was totally unaware that Lorraine had spent the last half an hour of her work day snogging Tegan.
So as she had been kissing in the kitchen she was a little later getting home, so she wasted no time in packing the car because she, Hannah and the children were off to Abbeyvale to spend Christmas with their mum, Irene.
It was the first time in four years they would all be together.
Lorraine and Hannah had been prevented by their abusive stepfather from contacting her.
But Irene had finally had enough after 9 years of being used as a punch bag and hit him in the face with an iron and broke his jaw.
The sisters were so looking forward to spending time with their mum, and having a family Christmas all under one roof, but most of all Hannah was looking forward to her children getting to know their granny.
However what Lorraine was looking forward to more than anything was no cooking but what she wasn’t happy about was that she was missing the strawberry haired slip of mischief Tegan already.
One thing that Hannah was worried about, in fact she was dreading it, was her mum asking her and the kids to move in with her.
She loved living in Mornington, she loved the village, the people, the house, the kids loved their school they had made loads of friends, she loved everything about it, well almost everything, and she wasn’t prepared to give it up without a fight.
The only thing that wasn’t perfect was that she was “lonely”, but she planned to take steps to rectify that situation in the New Year.
After Christmas Dinner Irene and her daughter were in the kitchen clearing away while Nick and Joe were playing with their toys in the lounge.
“That was the best Christmas dinner I’ve had for years” Lorraine said “I can’t wait until next year”
“Well I was meaning to speak to you about that” Irene said and Hannah thought
“Here we go”
“Why what’s the matter?” Lorraine asked with concern
“You’re not going to let that bastard Graham get his foot in the door”
“Good God no” Irene said “I never want to see him again”
“Then what?” Hannah asked with dread in her heart
“I’m selling up” she replied
“Oh God I knew it” Hannah thought
“Selling up?” Lorraine said
“I know it’s the family home but it too big for me now” she explained
“I think it’s a great idea, isn’t it Han?”
“Yes, great” she replied somewhat unconvincing
“But where will you live” Loz asked
“I’ll come and live with you two in Mornington” Hannah said in her head
“I’ve got a little bungalow in the Oak Dale Retirement village over in Dulcets Green” she replied
“And I’ll only be 15 minutes away so I’ll be able to see more of you both and I can come and babysit”
“That’s fantastic” Hannah said “the boys will love that”
“They get to have Granny in their lives and we get our mum back” Lorraine said and then they all hugged and shed a tear or two.
(Part 05)
They stayed at their mum’s in Abbeyvale until the last possible moment and savoured every second of the best Christmas they had had for 5 years.
When they got back home it was late on Sunday evening and while Hannah got the boys upstairs into the bath Lorraine unloaded the car.
With the children in bed and themselves fed Hannah announced she was going to have a long hot soak in the bath and then go to bed herself.
Lorraine looked at the clock and knew what she was going to do, she had already seen the tall busty frame of Cally Wilson pass by the window so she knew Tegan would be about half an hour behind her, as they were only doing bar snacks, so just as Hannah was slipping into the foamy waters of the bath tub, Lorraine slipped out the front door and down the alley that led from The Close to The Street and waited in the shadows.
Hannah didn’t even know that Lorraine had gone out she was still reflecting on the lovely time they’d spent with their mum and was thinking about how to solve her other problem.
Lorraine had stood in the shadows for about 10 minutes and was beginning to wonder if it was such a good idea when she saw her quarry cross the road.
As the diminutive figure of Tegan got to within ten yards Lorraine could wait no longer and stepped out into the light.
At first she was startled but then she recognized her assailant and a huge smile lit up her face.
“I wasn’t expecting to see you tonight” she said
“I thought I’d surprise you” Lorraine said
“Couldn’t wait to see me more like” Tegan said cockily
“I didn’t say that” she said and felt herself blushing
“You missed me though didn’t you?”
“What do you think?” Lorraine replied and took hold of her by her lapels and pulled her into the shadows and kissed her.
When their mouths separated Tegan Said
“I really missed you too”
Lorraine returned unnoticed to the house before Hannah even knew she’s gone, just as she stepped out of the bath, and as she lay in her bed she looked forward to seeing Tegan again the next day.
As Hannah lay in the bath she came to a decision in regard to her problem and was so determined to solve it that she made it her New Year’s resolution.
It was a few days after the New Year that Lorraine arrived home to find Hannah surrounded by an assortment of local papers.
“What are you up to?” she asked as she tried to see what her sister was reading but Hannah pulled it towards her chest so Loz couldn’t read it and this action served only to make Lorraine even more curious.
“Why so secretive? What are you hiding?” Lorraine asked as she tried to wrestle the paper from her sister’s hands until Hannah snapped, and shouted
“Leave it alone”
“Ok, I was only messing about” Lorraine said and went upstairs.
(Part 06)
“I’m sorry Loz” Hannah said immediately Lorraine returned
“That’s ok” she said “is everything ok?”
“Yes” she replied “it’s just…”
“Just what?” Lorraine asked “Aren’t you happy here?”
“Are you kidding? I love it here, I love living with you, I love the house and the village, so do the kids and they’ve made loads of friends and even I’ve made a few”
“But I’m lonely for “company”” she emphasized
“Well now the girls are up to speed in the kitchen I could maybe take a bit of time off”
“It’s not that kind of “Company” I’m looking for” she said and Lorraine just looked puzzled
“Company” she repeated
Still Lorraine looked at her with confusion on her face
““Male” company” she said
“Oh I see”
“I know you’re not interested in men, love and romance or even a bit of lust for that matter” Hannah said
“But I really am”
Lorraine agreed with the men part in her statement but she could have pointed out that she was getting plenty of love, romance and lust next door with Tegan but she didn’t think it would help the situation and besides it was really exciting to have a secret lover.
“So what’s with the papers?” Lorraine asked
“Lonely hearts” she replied quietly
“What?” Loz said
“Lonely hearts” Hannah replied
“Really?” Lorraine replied and picked up one of the papers and started reading.
It was the Shallowfield and Childean Chronicle, which seemed fairly typical of its type, but Lorraine found the personals quite engrossing.
She had to figure out the shorthand which took a few minutes,
But once she knew the code she could decipher the ads, for example, WLTM was would like to meet, NS was nonsmoker, LTR was long term relationship, and GSOH was good sense of humour.
They weren’t all as easy to work out however,
“What does this one mean?” Lorraine asked “OHAC”
“I don’t know” she replied “it sounds a bit exotic”
“Google it” Loz suggested and Hannah duly obliged
“Oh how disappointing” Hannah said “It means “own house and car”
They then sat down together and read the ads together.
“I have been pouring over these all afternoon” Hannah said “But no luck”
“Are you sure this is the answer?” asked Loz
“I don’t know” she replied “but what else do lonely people do”
“There must be another way to meet a man” Loz said
“All I ever do is meet other mums” Hannah said
“There is one Dad that I see outside the school every day but he’s more of a woman than I am”
“Oh dear” Loz responded “and there’s no one else?”
“There was a man outside the after school club last week who smiled at me” she replied “but he could have been a serial killer”
The two sisters laughed at the prospect and then Lorraine suggested.
“What you need to do is put your own ad in”
“Me?” she replied
“Why not?”
“Ok then” she said resolutely
Lorraine and Hannah spent the next half an hour composing an ad for the lonely hearts column.
And what they came up with was,
“Pretty 30 something Divorcee, Mother of two,
Red hair, Hazel Eyes, medium build,
Who Loves going out and enjoys nights in,
WLTM fun, honest man / single Dad
With GSOH to fall head over heels in love with and who will mend my broken heart”
She thought the broken heart line was pushing a point somewhat because her heart was broken five years earlier and was well mended.
(Part 07)
Hannah was going to phone her ad through the next day but she was chatting to some of the other mums outside the school and she heard about a part time job in the village and it completely went out of her head.
After looking at the local map, the new Bakery manager, Nathan Addison had realized that although Mornington was a relatively small village there were very many farms and hamlets dotted around the Vale as well as a number of small villages full of people who had to buy their bread somewhere, so along with the brewery, the butchers, the farm shop and the general store he set up a free twice weekly deliver service to customers who placed regular orders.
For the first few months the shops took turns to supply a driver but as the business had grown they decided to employ someone on an adhoc basis to make the deliveries for them in the van provided by the Mornington estate.
Hannah went straight from the school down to Addison’s to register her interest in the driving job, but instead of picking up an application form she found herself being led up the staircase to the little office and after filling in a modified Addison’s Bakery application form she was given an interview.
After half an hour of a fairly informal interview Nathan said
“I will need to take a copy of your driving license for the insurance”
“Oh I don’t have the paper part on me” she said rummaging in her bag “but I have the ID bit”
“Well if you pop back with the other part either today or tomorrow, we can get things moving” he said “and providing you don’t have 12 points on your license the job is yours, can you start next Monday?”
“Really?” she said “next Monday?”
“Yes is that ok?”
“Absolutely”
When she told Lorraine later that day that she had a part time job working Mondays and Thursdays, she was over the moon firstly because Hannah was so happy about it and secondly because it meant she would have the house to herself on her day off so she could entertain her girlfriend Tegan.
The kids were very happy about it as well as it meant they could go into the after school club with their new best friends.
On her first day she did the round with Nathan so he could show her the ropes and he was very methodical and a bit long winded so subsequently she was almost late picking the children up from club.
They were standing by the door with another couple of children Karen and Sam Moore and a man who turned out to be their father.
He was a slim balding man and what hair hadn’t already fallen out was going grey.
He smiled at her but she didn’t return it she had had a long day and she was in no mood to exchange smiles with a married man.
(Part 08)
Tim Moore was 33 years old and had worked at the Mornington brewery since he left school and he had made the walk from number 3, Windmill Cottages to the brewery every morning for 17 years, with his father for the first five of those and on his own since his premature death aged 54.
He didn’t know it at the time but that early loss was to set the benchmark in his life, as his mother suffered a massive heart attack and died only six months after he lost his wife to breast cancer leaving him with two children under 3.
But despite the hand he had been dealt he never complained he just got on with life and he thanked God every day for his Children.
Karen was 7 going on 17 and Samuel was an energetic 5.
But that was all he had was his work and his family.
On Thursday, Hannah had Ruby Legg riding shotgun for her, she was in her mid-twenties and a bit more lively than Nathan, she gave her all the gossip about people on the delivery round as well as in the village and she clued Hannah in on one or two short cuts and so as a result she was home in time to enjoy an hour of peace and quiet before she needed to pick up the kids.
As she walked up to the school she was feeling a little guilty because she had found out from Ruby that Mr. Moore, the married man who had smiled at her the other day was in fact a widower.
“If he smiles today I’ll smile back” she said to herself.
As it turned out he wasn’t there and the children were picked up by Mrs. Kincade-Smith, a middle aged woman who lived next door to the Moore’s.
The best part of two weeks had passed when as she was driving back to Mornington she remembered that she hadn’t placed her lonely hearts ad.
So the next morning after she had dropped the children at school she called The Shallowfield and Childean Chronicle and placed her ad which would also go in the Chronicles Sister Papers, the Downshire Journal, and the Finchbottom Flyer.
She had initially put it in for the following two weeks but she figured that being in three papers for two weeks if she didn’t get a nibble she never would.
It was three weeks later when Tim was sitting in the doctor’s surgery with Karen who had a bad cold which was aggravating her asthma.
She was happily playing games on Tim’s phone so he was reading a two week old copy of the Finchbottom Flyer.
It didn’t take long to consume most of its contents, the flyer was not a weighty tome, and then he found himself reading the lonely hearts column which always made him chuckle.
Sue: was looking for no strings fun.
Anna: WLTM a man of any age and at any location.
Maria: was broadminded.
Sam: was looking for a discreet man for casual meetings and
Jane: was interested in Adult fun.
Quite a lot of them liked to dress up but it wasn’t patently clear what that meant.
He wasn’t sure if they meant they liked to wear posh frocks, sexy underwear or a suit of armour.
He thought if he were looking for someone they were the ones to give a wide berth to, although he hadn’t read them because he intended to contact anyone he was just passing the time.
Not that he wouldn’t like to meet someone but he wasn’t sure that the personal ads was the way to go about it, not for a proper relationship anyway.
That was until he read:
“Pretty 30 something Divorcee, Mother of two,
Red hair, Hazel Eyes, medium build,
Who Loves going out and enjoys nights in,
WLTM fun, honest man / single Dad
With GSOH to fall head over heels in love with and who will mend my broken heart”
“I like the sound of you” he said to himself, he liked a red head.
There was a nice one he had seen outside the school, she was pretty when she didn’t have a “back of the chip shop queue face” on her.
Anyway he took out his pen and wrote down the details in case he wanted to pick up the phone later.
(Part 09)
Hannah had barely noticed the fact that she had received no feedback from her ad, as she had been really busy, between her delivery job and running over to Abbeyvale every spare minute to help her mum pack up the house, as she was moving to Dulcets Green over the Easter weekend.
So Valentine’s Day came and went and so did the rest of February, then March came and went and as the remainder of March ebbed away Easter came and went.
Two days after Tim had taken Karen to see the doctor she had a very severe asthma attack and had to spend a week in hospital.
Even when she had been discharged from hospital she suffered a number of minor attacks until they finally got her medication sorted so Tim was on tender hooks right through March and it wasn’t until Easter he finally felt he could relax.
It was during the Easter weekend when he was catching up with things that he found the note he had written in the Doctors surgery.
He read, smiled to himself and screwed it up into a ball and tossed it into the bin.
Five minutes later he retrieved the ball of paper unscrewed it and phoned the paper.
Obviously with it being the holiday weekend he only got the answerphone so he left his details.
With her mother safely moved into the Oak Dale retirement village, the week after Easter brought a little bit of peace and quiet and it also brought an email completely out of the blue.
The email took her completely by surprise as it was in response to her entry in the personal ads which had been so long in coming.
Hannah had long since written off the whole lonely heart thing as a folly, a foolish flirtation, the stuff of schoolgirl dreams.
But now she had a reply the one and only response.
In the email a meeting is brokered and several dates and locations are suggested, The Huntsman’s Lodge in Childean, The Woodcutters Arms in Shallowfield, the Red Lion in Pangmere or the Old Mill Inn in Mornington.
Ideally she would have preferred to have met in Childean, it being the furthest away in a town where she knew no one.
But as it was her first date for more years than she cared to remember she thought that several glasses of wine would be required so that ruled out any location she had to drive to, so she chose the Old Mill Inn because she could walk there in five minutes or get home in a similar time if required.
Tim Moore was also thankful he had only a short journey that evening because he had been required to work late at the brewery.
He would also have preferred to meet in Childean, away from prying eyes.
Siobhan Chapman, from two doors away at number one, was babysitting and was getting the children ready for bed.
So when he got back home from work that night he could quickly get showered and changed.
(Part 10)
At Hannah’s house she was having to get the children ready for bed as well as getting herself ready for her date as her babysitter, Tegan’s younger sister Victoria, wasn’t expected until 7.45.
They had made a date to have a drink at The Old Mill Inn at 8 o’clock and Tim was in the pub with ten minutes to spare.
He sat down at the bar and ordered a pint of Mornington Ale, and he was sitting on a bar stool and was halfway down his pint when his date appeared and as soon as their eyes met their hearts sank as the recognition spread across their faces.
Hannah remembered him from outside the school and how she thought he was a philanderer and he remembered the look on her face that could have stripped paint.
“Oh it’s you” Hannah said “From the school”
“Yes I’m Tim” he replied “Can I get you a drink?
She sat on the stool next to his and replied
“A large white wine please” she said to John Andrew behind the bar.
“I’m Hannah” she said
It was a nervous start to the evening as neither of them was what the other was hoping for.
But Tim kept remembering the wording of the ad and thought that the unknown person in print was worth him taking a risk, so why shouldn’t he give the flesh and blood woman behind the words a chance.
Hannah softened as well because she had found out from Ruby Legg that her initial impression of him was false so she thought she should soften her view of him, if only for the following couple of hours.
Where they were sitting they were in direct line of sight of the kitchen door and Hannah soon became aware of Lorraine’s face peering periodically through the round glass window.
“Shall we go and sit somewhere more comfortable?” she suggested
“Good idea” he said “I’ll just get us another drink”
Hannah chose a seat in a quiet corner well away from Lorraine’s prying eyes and they spent the next hour talking about their children, who had fortunately become friends.
As the alcohol began to take effect they relaxed and began to talk about life before family and after a further hour and a couple more drinks the conversation became more random.
“Ok” she said halfway down her fourth glass of wine “let’s talk about guilty secrets”
“That sounds dangerous” he said
“Who would be your secret fantasy lover?”
“Jessica Rabbit” he said instantly
“That was quick” Hannah said “are you sure?”
“Yes” he confirmed “Jessica Rabbit”
“Oh I’ll have to have a look at her” she said “as she googled Jessica Rabbitt on her phone”
Then after a couple of minutes she said
“She’s a cartoon”
“Well obviously she’s not a real Rabbit” he said defensively “I’m not a complete weirdo”
There was a split second of silence and then they both roared with laughter.
As Tim walked her home she put her arm through his almost subconsciously
“I’ve had a lovely evening” she said as they stepped into the close
“Me too” he agreed
“Perhaps we could go further afield next time” she suggested
“Would you like there to be a next time?”
“Yes I would” she said
“Why don’t you?”
“I would like it very much” he replied and kissed her cheek.
Friday, 24 February 2017
Thursday, 23 February 2017
Alone
Tears stung her eyes
And her voice cracked
As she remembered
Her loss hung heavy
Since he, what?
Even now she can't say it
Could not utter the word
Euphemisms fill her head
Crossed over, left the world,
Gone to a better place
He's in the next room
Passed away
Other people can say dead
But she cannot
Seven years have passed
Since it happened, her loss
And she lost so much
A husband, lover, friend
Partner, confident
Soul mate
And even now it hurt
Though the wound
Is an old one
It is still unhealed
Still vivid red, angry
Time is a great healer
They said to help her
To comfort her
But she thinks they lied
And her voice cracked
As she remembered
Her loss hung heavy
Since he, what?
Even now she can't say it
Could not utter the word
Euphemisms fill her head
Crossed over, left the world,
Gone to a better place
He's in the next room
Passed away
Other people can say dead
But she cannot
Seven years have passed
Since it happened, her loss
And she lost so much
A husband, lover, friend
Partner, confident
Soul mate
And even now it hurt
Though the wound
Is an old one
It is still unhealed
Still vivid red, angry
Time is a great healer
They said to help her
To comfort her
But she thinks they lied
Tales of Love # 16
I LOVE YOU BY ANY MEASURE # 5
I love you by any measure
You might wish to use
But I don’t know how to express
The way I feel about you
And the affect you have on me
So I hope this gives you a clue
If they gave out medals
Just for love untold
You would get the bronze
Silver and Gold
EVERY CORNER OF THE WORLD (14)
I’ve climbed the Himalayan Mountains
And walked the great lakes shore
I’ve seen the exotic Land of Smiles
And watched the glaciers thaw
But I came to the clear conclusion
I can’t live without you anymore
I LOVE YOU BY ANY MEASURE # 7
I love you by any measure
You might wish to use
But I don’t know how to express
The way I feel about you
And the affect you have on me
So I hope this gives you a clue
If I blew a single kiss
Into a typhoon
Only when they found it
Would I stop loving you
EVERY CORNER OF THE WORLD (15)
From the Anatolian salt springs
To Lake Victoria and the falls
From Mount St Helens volcano
To where the Pacific Ocean calls
Searching every corner of the world
Looking for one who enthrals
I LOVE YOU BY ANY MEASURE # 8
I love you by any measure
You might wish to use
But I don’t know how to express
The way I feel about you
And the affect you have on me
So I hope this gives you a clue
If I dropped a grain of sand
Onto a desert dune
Only when they found it
Would I stop loving you
EVERY CORNER OF THE WORLD (16)
I have seen many things in my long life
It is my plan to live to see many more
But I know I will never see more beauty
Now I stand beside you of that I’m sure
I will follow you to the ends of the earth
Now my youthful wanderlust is done
As I discovered something fundamental
Now I know that you are the only one
I LOVE YOU BY ANY MEASURE # 9
I love you by any measure
You might wish to use
But I don’t know how to express
The way I feel about you
And the affect you have on me
So I hope this gives you a clue
Without you in it, my world
Is monochrome
But your love colors it
With every conceivable tone
I LOVE YOU BY ANY MEASURE # 10
I love you by any measure
You might wish to use
But I don’t know how to express
The way I feel about you
And the affect you have on me
So I hope this gives you a clue
Without you in my world
My cup is empty
But your love fills me
To the brim you see
I LOVE YOU BY ANY MEASURE # 11
I love you by any measure
You might wish to use
But I don’t know how to express
The way I feel about you
And the affect you have on me
So I hope this gives you a clue
If you were a delicacy
Then I would say you are
Without a doubt
Beluga caviar
I love you by any measure
You might wish to use
But I don’t know how to express
The way I feel about you
And the affect you have on me
So I hope this gives you a clue
If they gave out medals
Just for love untold
You would get the bronze
Silver and Gold
EVERY CORNER OF THE WORLD (14)
I’ve climbed the Himalayan Mountains
And walked the great lakes shore
I’ve seen the exotic Land of Smiles
And watched the glaciers thaw
But I came to the clear conclusion
I can’t live without you anymore
I LOVE YOU BY ANY MEASURE # 7
I love you by any measure
You might wish to use
But I don’t know how to express
The way I feel about you
And the affect you have on me
So I hope this gives you a clue
If I blew a single kiss
Into a typhoon
Only when they found it
Would I stop loving you
EVERY CORNER OF THE WORLD (15)
From the Anatolian salt springs
To Lake Victoria and the falls
From Mount St Helens volcano
To where the Pacific Ocean calls
Searching every corner of the world
Looking for one who enthrals
I LOVE YOU BY ANY MEASURE # 8
I love you by any measure
You might wish to use
But I don’t know how to express
The way I feel about you
And the affect you have on me
So I hope this gives you a clue
If I dropped a grain of sand
Onto a desert dune
Only when they found it
Would I stop loving you
EVERY CORNER OF THE WORLD (16)
I have seen many things in my long life
It is my plan to live to see many more
But I know I will never see more beauty
Now I stand beside you of that I’m sure
I will follow you to the ends of the earth
Now my youthful wanderlust is done
As I discovered something fundamental
Now I know that you are the only one
I LOVE YOU BY ANY MEASURE # 9
I love you by any measure
You might wish to use
But I don’t know how to express
The way I feel about you
And the affect you have on me
So I hope this gives you a clue
Without you in it, my world
Is monochrome
But your love colors it
With every conceivable tone
I LOVE YOU BY ANY MEASURE # 10
I love you by any measure
You might wish to use
But I don’t know how to express
The way I feel about you
And the affect you have on me
So I hope this gives you a clue
Without you in my world
My cup is empty
But your love fills me
To the brim you see
I LOVE YOU BY ANY MEASURE # 11
I love you by any measure
You might wish to use
But I don’t know how to express
The way I feel about you
And the affect you have on me
So I hope this gives you a clue
If you were a delicacy
Then I would say you are
Without a doubt
Beluga caviar
Mornington-By-Mere – (09) Penny and Tom
(Part 01)
Happy go lucky Penny Williams had lived all her life in Abbeyvale and was a bubbly bright woman who always had a smile on her face she was in fact by nature a happy outgoing person.
Even when things didn’t always go her way she had a positive and happy outlook, for example when she found out she couldn’t have children she still looked on the bright side and took the positive to advance her career.
Penny managed to maintain that sunny attitude throughout her life until her fifty fifth year when her world fell apart, when Bryan, her husband of 34 years, had a sudden and catastrophic heart attack and died and Penny proceeded to fall apart along with it.
Penny who was always the picture of health had a complexion and demeanour as grey as her hair had become and the tragic loss of her husband had sucked all the spirit from her and left her frightened of her own shadow.
Forced to give up her job through ill health she also started to suffer from panic attacks and crowds really bothered her so she became a virtual prisoner in her own home the contents of which were a constant reminder of what she had lost.
She seemed totally unable to cope with the dreadful event that had befallen her and so after a year of total decline Bryan’s brother, Bob, who lived in Mornington, persuaded his wife Linda to invite Penny to stay with them for a while in an attempt to snap her out of her melancholic torpor.
Penny moved to Mornington in September, 14 months after she became a widow and the journey from Abbeyvale to Mornington was a tortuous one.
Mainly because she was leaving her home of so many years, albeit temporarily, but also it was the first time she had left the house that year and so she spent the entire journey with her eyes shut tight.
Bob Williams lived at number 1, The Close with his wife Linda and teenage children Kathryn and Bryan.
Although Linda had agreed to have Penny stay with them she did so reluctantly and was not happy in the slightest about having a nutty old lady living with them.
An unfair observation on her part as she wasn’t nutty and she was only 4 years older than Linda was.
Bob worked at the brewery full time so the “burden” fell upon Linda and she made everyone aware of the fact.
For the first week and a half Penny never left the house and was in danger of replacing one prison for another and that might well have been the case if not for the fact that she found herself in the house alone with just the family dog, Tyrion, for company, so called because the Williams family were fans of “Game of Thrones”
As the morning wore on, Tyrion became increasingly anxious and indeed vociferous, and made it patently obvious he wanted to go out.
She chose to ignore the noisy spaniel and concentrated on reading her book, which was her escape from everything.
Penny managed to ignore the dog up until lunchtime and then he got the better of her and she finally gave in
“Alright” she shouted “You win”
She found his lead and put her outdoor clothes on which she hadn’t warn since she arrived and then opened the door and she stood on the front step and after taking a deep breath and stepped off.
(Part 02)
Penny had always loved Abbeyvale because it was busy and vibrant and she was proud of the town too and she thought it more deserving of “County Town” status than Abbottsford.
But since her loss she had changed and she found that the busy noisy activity of the town which once excited her actually disturbed her, because there was so much evidence of people getting on with things, getting on with life.
So Mornington suited her very well, it was so quiet and so peaceful.
There was no noisy buzz in sleepy Mornington.
She didn’t venture far on that first outing when she stepped tentatively out into the world, she went out of The Close and turned left into Bridge Street following it down the hill before turning left again into The Street and walked head down past the Legg’s Farm Shop, The Doctors, Dentist, Mazzone’s Hairdressers and the Vets and then took another left up Military Row until she reached the top end of Bridge Street and turned back into The Close.
It was not exactly an epic journey but it was very significant for her.
“That wasn’t so bad” she said to Tyrion.
It wasn’t the most enjoyable walk for the dog as Penny walked at yomping pace and kept her head down all the way speaking to no one and making eye contact with no one and breathed a huge sigh of relief when she closed the door behind her.
However, as relieved as she was to be back in the house she knew that although in the scheme of things it was far from a momentous event in her life it was certainly a momentous first step.
The next day Penny ventured out again with Tyrion and briskly walked the same route again, though not quite as briskly as the day before, but again she didn’t interact with anyone on her short journey but she was at least getting out.
Getting out of the house was a good start on the path to her recovery but living with her relatives was also helping immensely, Bob was very supportive and Kathryn and Bryan were brilliant with her encouraging her to talk about life with her husband.
The only fly in the ointment was Linda who was at best disapproving of her and at worst, when they were alone, downright spiteful, calling her weak and mental.
Fortunately they weren’t alone often and the kindness of the others more than compensated for Linda’s meanness and Tyrion loved her.
Day by day over the three weeks following Penny and Tyrion’s initial sprint around the block slowed in tempo and they gradually increased the duration of their constitutionals and even began varying their route and by the end of October she had not only made eye contact with some of the locals she had actually nodded and smiled at one of them.
(Part 03)
By the time November arrived she had become a little more adventurous and looked with interest in the direction of the old airfield.
However it took a day or two before her curiosity finally got the better of her and she and Tyrion walked through the gates of Mornington Field.
Once through, her progress was halted by security fences, separating her from the construction work that was taking place, so she couldn’t explore as much as she had hoped so she had to follow the only unblocked road available to her and after about 20 yards or so she let the dog off the lead.
Standing on the runway in the middle of the airfield, sheltered from the bitter wind by the huge bonfire, Penny had felt so relaxed and so alive and she lost all track of time, so it was close to an hour later by the time she was returning towards the gate with the dog back on the lead.
As she and the dog approached the main gate once again, Tyrion’s attention was attracted to a man in a hard hat and hi-vis coat beyond the security barrier or more precisely the Border Collie at his heel.
“Well hello there” the man said as the two dogs introduced each other.
“What’s this fellow’s name?” he asked Penny
“Tyrion” she replied quietly slightly embarrassed
“Tyrion?”
“Yes” she said “silly isn’t it”
“I take it you didn’t choose it” he said with a smile
“No” she admitted and laughed
“My old lads name is Jack and I’m Tom”
“I’m Penny and Tyrion here belongs to my in laws who I’m staying with at the moment and they’re fans of “Game of Thrones”, whatever that is” She explained
“Ah it’s a rather strange and fanciful TV series” he said
“Hmm I’ve never been much of a TV person” Penny said
“I see”
“I was rather unhappy with the standard of programming 30 years ago but from what I’ve seen while I’ve been in Mornington it appears to have deteriorated since”
“I think you’re right there” Tom said
“So what’s going on here then?” Penny asked indicating his side of the barrier.
“We are converting the old airfield buildings to commercial premises” he replied
“So that will make it busier I suppose” Penny said
“Probably” Tom replied
“Shame” she said
“It won’t affect the village though” he assured her “The main entrance will be through the West gate.
“That not so bad then” she conceded and shivered
“Come on Tyrion let’s get you back home in the warm, goodbye Tom”
Her encounter with Tom McGuire proved to be the longest conversation Penny had had with another human being since before the death of her husband and she was surprised at how easy it came and she was quite pleased with herself.
When she got back home however she was greeted by her sister in law, Linda, who was wearing her angry face.
“Where the hell have you been?” she snapped
“Taking the dog for a walk”` she replied “I didn’t realise I had a curfew”
“You’re bloody unstable you are” Linda said
“I am not unstable” Penny replied and ran upstairs and Linda shouted after her
“Mentally unstable”
(Part 04)
Tom McGuire was the Construction Site manager up at Mornington Field, and he too was a Widow, but in his case his wife had passed away 20 years earlier.
It was a happy marriage even though it only lasted 15 years and they were blessed with two children, a son Kelvin who was 33 and was a Major in the Downshire Light Infantry and a daughter Charlotte 30 who was a nurse in Abbottsford.
Both of his children had children of their own and Tom McGuire was a very happy and doting Grandpa.
Also like Penny he was a recent and temporary arrival in the village.
Penny stayed in her room after her altercation with Linda and didn’t come out again until the next morning after everyone had left for the day.
After showering and getting dressed she made herself some breakfast and then got Tyrion’s lead and they went out into the cold crisp November morning.
Although he still had a financial interest in Normanton Construction Tom McGuire was actually semi-retired he hadn’t found a reason to give up completely so he liked to do a bit here and there just to keep his hand in.
As he was a resident of the Vale he volunteered for the Mornington job even though it was fairly menial compared to what he was used to.
His main residence was a quiet riverside cottage in the village of Dulcet-on-Brooke, about 20 miles downstream from Mornington, but during the initial phase of the construction work he was staying in one of the Military Row houses for at least 4 days a week, which also doubled up as his site office.
Part of Tom’s remit as site manager was to insure that the first job to be completed was to improve the link road from the Purplemere Road to the West Gate on Mornington Field so that all traffic, both construction and the future commercial, would not need to go through the village.
He had just left number 19 carrying some drawings with Jack trotting at his side as Penny and Tyrion were leaving the Close so with their differing gaits their paths crossed just before the main gates.
“Well hello again” Tom said
“Oh hello” Penny replied and noticing the rolled up drawings under his arm and the direction he had come from she asked
“Do you live in the village?”
“Yes but only in the short term while I have to be on site a lot, it’s easier than doing a 40 mile round trip each day”
“So we are both strangers in the village” she said
“So are you staying in the village for long?”
“Just a month or so I hope” she replied “my sister in law is driving me mad”
Tom detected no note of humour in her voice and so as they reached the gate he said
“My father was stationed here during the war”
“Was he a pilot?” she asked
“Yes he was”
“Was he brave or barmy?” Penny asked
“I’m sorry”
“My father always said pilots must be either brave of barmy” Penny explained
“Oh I see, yes I suppose he was a little of both” he said “he was only 19 years old when he rode through these gates on his Royal Enfield Bullet”
“So he was no stranger to dangerous machines then” she said with a smile
“No I don’t suppose he was” he agreed
“Are you going to the fireworks tomorrow night? There is likely to be quite a crowd”
“Oh I don’t think so, no, I don’t really like crowds”
“Oh that’s a shame” he said
“Yes it is, because I do like fireworks”
“Well this is where I leave you” he said opening the security gate “Enjoy your walk you have a lovely day for it”
“Thank you yes we will definitely make the most of it” she replied as Tyrion led her eagerly along the road
“Come on Jack” he said as Jack seemed more interested in following Tyrion and Penny than he did going with his master.
“We have work to do lad”
“Maybe next time Jack” Penny shouted
(Part 05)
It was pouring with rain the next morning so Penny didn’t venture out, but by midday it had brightened considerable so after lunch much to Tyrion’s approval she donned her wellies and they set off towards the airfield, Tyrion loved it up there with so much space to run around in and she loved the open space and the lack of people.
There was no sign of Tom or Jack as they passed through the main gate and they reached the airfield proper completely unnoticed.
Tom was walking back through the west gate after checking the progress on the road widening when Jack alerted him to the presence of Penny and Tyrion walking along the runway, well Penny was walking, Tyrion was running hither and thither.
The various groups of tradesmen were using the old control block as their site office, where they stored their gear and ate their lunch.
The guys working on the road improvements had site cabins and portaloos but everyone else used the control block.
Tom himself had set himself up in the tower itself as it commanded a 360 degree view of the whole site.
It was a bitterly cold afternoon and Tom went straight upstairs to the tower for a hot drink and as he drank he looked out across the site.
Large sections of the formerly grassed areas on the far side of the airfield had already been ploughed under by the Vale Farm Tractor and the larger grassed area between runways A and B, where the bonfire stood, had already been fenced off and hawthorn hedges planted and was to go under the plough as soon as the bonfire was reduced to ash.
But it was as he stood looking at the enormous unlit bonfire that he had an idea.
When he noticed Penny and Tyrion heading back towards the road he said to Jack who was warming himself by the heater
“Come lad lets go and say hello”
Jack reluctantly got to his feet but was the first to the security gate and was already saying hello to Tyrion, who was having the lead put on by Penny, by the time Tom got there.
“Hi Penny I’m glad I caught you” he said
“Hello Tom, hello Jack” she responded
“I’ve been thinking about tonight’s fireworks” Tom said “I know you don’t like crowds but…”
“It’s not just that I don’t like crowds Tom” she interrupted “they cause me to have panic attacks”
“Well I have a solution whereby you get to see the fireworks and completely avoid the crowd”
“How?” she asked suspiciously
“We watch from up there” he said pointing to the tower
“Are you sure you don’t mind us going?” Bob asked
“Too bad if she does” Linda snapped
“Bloody drama queen”
“Don’t me mean mum” Kathryn said
“She needs to pull herself together” Linda said looking directly at Penny as she said it
Linda was the last to leave and as soon as the door closed she said “Cow” and Tyrion barked as if in total agreement.
The truth was Linda disliked Penny, and always had done.
She resented everything about her, her slim finger, life style, wealth and career.
And although she hated having Penny in the house she still took some perverted pleasure from her circumstances.
She waited until the clock hands approached the time the bonfire was to be lit and then she got up and put on her coat.
Tyrion gave her a look as if to say “Where are you going?”
“You won’t like it out there with all the bangs” she said and gave him a fuss.
She wrapped a scarf around her neck and pulled on her woollen hat then slipped her feet into her wellies.
(Part 06)
Penny only passed one person on the way to the airfield, a young man who kept looking at his watch who was clearly waiting for a girl.
She passed him virtually unnoticed and then saw Tom step from the shadows and open the gate.
“Great, you made it just in time” he said “We have about 5 minutes before they light the bonfire”
Tom had a large torch in hand and illuminated the path ahead of them up to the control block, then once inside the way was well lit all the way along the ground floor and up the stairs to the tower.
“We can either stay inside and watch through the glass or sit outside on the balcony” he said and opened the door to reveal two fold up chairs complete with tartan car rugs.
“Wow this is perfect” Penny said sitting in one of the chairs
“Outside it is then” Tom said
He briefly went back inside and dimmed the lights and when he returned he was carrying three vacuum flasks, also tartan.
“We have Coffee, hot chocolate or soup”
“Ooh what flavour?” Penny asked
“Oxtail”
“That’s my favourite” she said
There was some delay in lighting the bonfire due to the torrential rain that fell that morning.
“So how long have crowds bothered you?” He asked as they sat sipping their waiting for the show to start
“Since my husband died” she replied sadly
She went on to explain how she had been so grief stricken she couldn’t leave her house for months and on the rare occasions when she had to venture out large numbers of people terrified her.
“Grief and depression can be a dangerous combination” he said
“Have you lost someone then?” she asked
“Yes my wife, but that was 20 years ago”
Then it was Toms turn to speak of his loss and the strength he drew from his children and continued to draw from.
He went onto explain about his grandchildren and how they were the lights in his life.
This was received with mixed feelings by Penny who wasn’t able to have children which was never a problem to her until she lost Bryan which kind of drew a line under it and made it final.
“Since I’ve been in the village I’m starting to get my confidence back” she said changing the subject
“But?”
“But not fast enough for my sister in law” she explained
“Ah”
“She would love me to go back to my own house, I would love to go back to my own house, but I don’t think I’m ready” she added
“Bob and the kids have been wonderful but Linda and I have never got on and the other day she called me a nutter”
“You’re kidding?”
“I wish I was” she said just as the bonfire roared into life
The bonfire was magnificent and the fireworks as usual were spectacular and when the display came to an end even Penny and Tom applauded, but the applause signalled not only the end of the display but also Penny’s time to exit the airfield before the crowd spewed towards the gate.
“Thank you so much Tom that’s the nicest evening I’ve had in a very long time” she said
“My pleasure” he responded
“Good night” she said “Tyrion and I may see you tomorrow”
“I will look forward to it” Tom replied “Good night”
As she walked down the Close she was reflecting on the evening and what good company Tom was and how nice it was to share the time with someone with a sympathetic ear, someone who wasn’t judging her, someone who understood.
Tyrion was pleased to see her when she got back to the house, Linda considerably less so when she waked through the door but Penny greeted her with a smile which Linda found quite disarming.
(Part 07)
The day after the fireworks Penny woke up with the most positive outlook she had had for many months, a feeling which didn’t diminish even when she didn’t see Tom, either going in through the airfield gates or coming out again.
Penny was still undaunted the next day when she repeated the experience.
She was however feeling a little jaded by the following Wednesday when she still hadn’t had a single encounter with Tom or Jack.
Penny and Tyrion had passed expectantly through the gates once again and when there was no sign they pressed on and were soon passing the old Officers Mess.
Penny had just released Tyrion from the leash and as he sprinted for the open space of the airfield he was suddenly joined by a very excited Jack.
He took them both by surprise, Tyrion’s response was to chase after him while Penny’s was to search for his master.
“Hello” he called
“Hello stranger” she responded and when she noticed his arm was in a sling she asked “what have you been up to?”
“I slipped in the shower” he replied “and hit my arm on the sink”
“Is it broken?”
“I’m afraid so yes” he replied “that’s why I’ve been staying at the cottage”
“I wondered why we hadn’t seen you around” she said “I hope you’re not back at work?”
“No not really”
“No not really?” she repeated disapprovingly
“I’m just here to make sure everything’s on track” he explained “and to join you on your walk”
“It will make a nice change to have some company” she said
“Tyrion is very sweet but his conversation isn’t very stimulating”
“And you think mine is?”
“Well it’s all relative” she replied with a smile
After walking almost as far as Vale Farm Penny looked at Tom and decided he had probably had enough and steered him back in the direction of the village and as she did so she asked
“If you’ve been staying at the cottage how did you get here from the Dulcets?”
The Dulcets referred to the collection of villages and hamlets such as Dulcet Meadow, Dulcet St Mary, Dulcet Green and the one Tom lived in, Dulcet-on-Brooke
“I hope you didn’t drive” she asked sternly
“No my daughter Charlotte dropped me off”
“Did she? I would have liked to meet her” Penny said
“Well you can” Tom said “She’s picking me up again later”
“Are you going back home tonight then?”
“No, it’s my granddaughters birthday so were going out for pizza,
I’ll stay at Charlottes tonight and then she’ll bring me back in the morning”
When they got back to Mornington Tom was looking a bit grey so Penny suggested
“I think you need to go and rest”
Tom didn’t protest and stayed only long enough for them to exchange phone numbers so Tom could text her when Charlotte arrived to pick him up then they said goodbye and went their separate ways and when she and Tyrion got home she made herself a cup of tea and then fell asleep in the armchair.
(Part 08)
It was just before 6 o’clock when she received a text message and she got up and put on her coat.
The family were all home and the house was full of wonderful cooking smells.
Linda might well have been a nasty cow but she could certainly cook well.
“Where are you going?” Linda barked
“I’m just popping out” she replied
“Where?” she demanded
“Out” she replied and put the lead on the dog
“One of you two had better go with her” she said to the children “in case the fruitcake gets lost”
“The fruit cake will be perfectly ok on her own thank you” Penny said and opened the door.
She walked quickly out of the Close as she didn’t want to keep Tom and his daughter waiting and when she turned into Military Row she could see Tom standing by a car outside number 19 with a woman in a dark blue Nursing uniform so she quickened her pace.
“Sorry to keep you waiting” she said
“Nonsense” Tom replied “This is my daughter Charlotte”
“So pleased to meet you” she said “I’ve heard a lot about you from Tom”
“Likewise” Charlotte said “And who is this?”
“Tyrion” Penny replied
“Game of Thrones?” she asked
“I’m afraid so” she admitted
They chatted for five minutes or so and then Tom and Charlotte got in the car.
“Where’s Jack?”
“He’s asleep on the back seat” he replied “he’s worn out”
“Same time tomorrow?” Tom asked
“Ok” she said “Nice meeting you Charlotte”
“She’s nice” Charlotte said
“Yes she is” he agreed
“You make a nice couple” Charlotte observed
“How would you feel?” he asked
“What about?”
“About me and Penny” he explained
“What do you mean?”
“Well if we were to become a couple”
“I think it’s been 20 years Dad and it’s about time you found someone” She said “in fact it’s well past the time”
“What about Kelvin?” he asked
“He thinks the same as me” she assured him
Penny and Tom continued their daily walks for the period of time he was on “light duties”.
He also took the time to escort her into the quiet meagre shops that Mornington had to offer and they had even ventured into the Old Mill Inn for a couple of quiet lunches, with every day that passed her confidence was returning.
The following week he resumed a few more of his duties but it still left him more than half the day to spend with Penny in whatever way they chose.
One day they were just walking past the Farm Shop when Linda immerged
“Oh” she uttered looking Tom up and down “You must be the boyfriend”
He was about to correct her but Penny spoke first
“This is Tom” Penny said and Linda looked him up and down again
“Tom this is Linda”
“Pleased to meet you” he lied
“Well I wasn’t expecting to see you down here” She said “Don’t you find it a bit scary by the shops?”
Linda had an ugly smile on her face which Tom would have gladly slapped off but instead he said proudly
“Penny is improving every day”
(Part 09)
On Saturday morning Tom was sitting in his kitchen drinking coffee and looking at the clock, he had arranged to meet Penny at lunchtime, and he had a couple of hours to kill.
And he had just decided to have a second cup when he heard his phone vibrate on the counter.
It was a text message and when he saw who it was from Penny he smiled, but his smile soon faded when he read the message.
“Help! They’re taking me to the Phoenix Centre”
“Shit” he said and he and Jack got straight in his car and headed for Abbottsford.
He didn’t rush he knew even if they’d had a half an hour start on him he would still get there ahead of them.
He was only 10 minutes away from the Pepperstock Express Way whereas from Mornington they had 15 miles of country roads before they got anywhere near a main road and when they did it was only single carriage way.
Once he got to Abbottsford he parked the car and the sent her a text.
“I’m at the Phoenix, text me when you know what carpark”
Within seconds he got a reply
“Thanks xx P”
Ten minutes later he got a another text
“Abbey View Road”
“Excellent” he said out loud, there was only one way in to the Centre from that car park so he knew exactly where to intercept them.
Penny spent most of the journey through Abbottsford with her eyes shut, she only opened them at all because Tom wanted to know which carpark they were in.
She really didn’t want to go Christmas Shopping but Linda had bullied her.
The moment she got out of the car her heart started to pound and her breathing quickened.
“Come on get moving” she heard Linda say and felt her pushing her from behind, reluctantly she complied.
The crowd grew steadily bigger the closer they got to the entrance as the shoppers were funnelled in,
Penny was looking down at the floor but began to feel claustrophobic as the crowd jostled along.
All at once she felt a hand on her arm and she was tugged sideways out of the throng.
Her nephew and niece followed close behind her, protecting her, but Linda stood her ground.
Penny looked up and relaxed when she saw it was Tom.
“Are you alright?” he asked
She nodded but it was unconvincing
“This is madness” he said directly to Linda
“I thought you said she was improving” she yapped
“She is, she’s doing very well but she’s not ready for the Phoenix Centre on a Saturday morning only four weeks before Christmas”
“She needs to buck up” Linda snapped
“It won’t do any good pandering to her you’ll just make a rod for your own back”
“It’s not pandering its caring” Tom retorted
“Well you can “care” for her all you like” she said bitterly “Come on kids, leave the fruit cakes to get on with it”
“Will you be ok auntie?” Kathryn asked but Penny just turned at looked up at Tom
“Yes we’ll do our thing and see you back at home later”
“If you’re sure” Bryan said “we don’t mind staying with you”
“I think Penny and I will have a quite coffee somewhere and decide what we want to do”
“Ok” they both said and went off to join their mother who was waiting impatiently about 20 yards away and she glared in Tom’s direction.
(Part 10)
The shopping Centre was jammed and as they reached the main concourse she grabbed his arm and held on for dear life.
“Let’s go and have a ridiculously expensive coffee” he said
“Ok” she responded weakly
They stopped at the first place they came to which was called Espresso Phoenix.
It was refreshingly quiet and Tom chose a table in the far corner and Penny sat with her back to the world.
After ten minutes had passed by, Penny had relaxed and was feeling calm again and was chatting happily seemingly oblivious to the world bustling by.
However while he was waiting in the carpark Tom had phoned his daughter Charlotte to vent and it turned out she was already in the centre with her husband and children and she offered to be a shoulder to cry on.
While he was at the counter getting the coffee’s he texted Charlotte the name of the coffee shop they were in, so ten minutes later, right on cue, Charlotte and six year old daughter Georgia walked in.
“I hope you don’t mind” he said “I asked Charlotte to join us”
“How lovely” she said and turned around for the first time since they had been in there to greet Charlotte.
“Hello Penny” she said and leant down and kissed her as Georgia hugged her grandpa
“And who’s this?” Penny asked
“Georgia” she replied “I’m six”
“Are you sure you’re six?”
“Yes” she said
“Then I think you must have just had a birthday” Penny said
“I have” Georgia said excitedly “How did you know?”
“That would be telling”
“So where’s your brother?” Tom asked
“He’s with Dad in the model shop” she replied and rolled her eyes.
“Yes they may be awhile” Charlotte said
Tom organised drinks and the four of them sat in the quiet corner for more than an hour before Charlottes
Husband Clive and 8 year old son Ben arrived and it was time to go.
As she stepped out from the sanctuary of the Phoenix Espresso she became instantly aware of the crowds again and she faltered so Tom took hold of her hand and said
“We’ll do it together”
Georgia noticed them holding hands and asked loudly
“Is Penny going to be our Grandma?”
“Only if she wants the job” Tom replied with his eyes on Penny
Penny wasn’t able to have children and although she hadn’t realised it under her later years it was a sadness in her life but life was full of compensations and so denied mother hood she would just have to be the best step grannie it was possible to be to make up for it.
“I think that would be rather nice” she replied and was blissfully unaware of the hustle and bustle around them.
In fact she was unaware of absolutely everything apart from Tom kissing her gently on the lips.
For Charlotte’s family it was time to do the shopping they had gone to Abbottsford to do in the first place and for Tom and Penny it was time to drive up to the Dulcets and celebrate a new chapter in both their lives.
Happy go lucky Penny Williams had lived all her life in Abbeyvale and was a bubbly bright woman who always had a smile on her face she was in fact by nature a happy outgoing person.
Even when things didn’t always go her way she had a positive and happy outlook, for example when she found out she couldn’t have children she still looked on the bright side and took the positive to advance her career.
Penny managed to maintain that sunny attitude throughout her life until her fifty fifth year when her world fell apart, when Bryan, her husband of 34 years, had a sudden and catastrophic heart attack and died and Penny proceeded to fall apart along with it.
Penny who was always the picture of health had a complexion and demeanour as grey as her hair had become and the tragic loss of her husband had sucked all the spirit from her and left her frightened of her own shadow.
Forced to give up her job through ill health she also started to suffer from panic attacks and crowds really bothered her so she became a virtual prisoner in her own home the contents of which were a constant reminder of what she had lost.
She seemed totally unable to cope with the dreadful event that had befallen her and so after a year of total decline Bryan’s brother, Bob, who lived in Mornington, persuaded his wife Linda to invite Penny to stay with them for a while in an attempt to snap her out of her melancholic torpor.
Penny moved to Mornington in September, 14 months after she became a widow and the journey from Abbeyvale to Mornington was a tortuous one.
Mainly because she was leaving her home of so many years, albeit temporarily, but also it was the first time she had left the house that year and so she spent the entire journey with her eyes shut tight.
Bob Williams lived at number 1, The Close with his wife Linda and teenage children Kathryn and Bryan.
Although Linda had agreed to have Penny stay with them she did so reluctantly and was not happy in the slightest about having a nutty old lady living with them.
An unfair observation on her part as she wasn’t nutty and she was only 4 years older than Linda was.
Bob worked at the brewery full time so the “burden” fell upon Linda and she made everyone aware of the fact.
For the first week and a half Penny never left the house and was in danger of replacing one prison for another and that might well have been the case if not for the fact that she found herself in the house alone with just the family dog, Tyrion, for company, so called because the Williams family were fans of “Game of Thrones”
As the morning wore on, Tyrion became increasingly anxious and indeed vociferous, and made it patently obvious he wanted to go out.
She chose to ignore the noisy spaniel and concentrated on reading her book, which was her escape from everything.
Penny managed to ignore the dog up until lunchtime and then he got the better of her and she finally gave in
“Alright” she shouted “You win”
She found his lead and put her outdoor clothes on which she hadn’t warn since she arrived and then opened the door and she stood on the front step and after taking a deep breath and stepped off.
(Part 02)
Penny had always loved Abbeyvale because it was busy and vibrant and she was proud of the town too and she thought it more deserving of “County Town” status than Abbottsford.
But since her loss she had changed and she found that the busy noisy activity of the town which once excited her actually disturbed her, because there was so much evidence of people getting on with things, getting on with life.
So Mornington suited her very well, it was so quiet and so peaceful.
There was no noisy buzz in sleepy Mornington.
She didn’t venture far on that first outing when she stepped tentatively out into the world, she went out of The Close and turned left into Bridge Street following it down the hill before turning left again into The Street and walked head down past the Legg’s Farm Shop, The Doctors, Dentist, Mazzone’s Hairdressers and the Vets and then took another left up Military Row until she reached the top end of Bridge Street and turned back into The Close.
It was not exactly an epic journey but it was very significant for her.
“That wasn’t so bad” she said to Tyrion.
It wasn’t the most enjoyable walk for the dog as Penny walked at yomping pace and kept her head down all the way speaking to no one and making eye contact with no one and breathed a huge sigh of relief when she closed the door behind her.
However, as relieved as she was to be back in the house she knew that although in the scheme of things it was far from a momentous event in her life it was certainly a momentous first step.
The next day Penny ventured out again with Tyrion and briskly walked the same route again, though not quite as briskly as the day before, but again she didn’t interact with anyone on her short journey but she was at least getting out.
Getting out of the house was a good start on the path to her recovery but living with her relatives was also helping immensely, Bob was very supportive and Kathryn and Bryan were brilliant with her encouraging her to talk about life with her husband.
The only fly in the ointment was Linda who was at best disapproving of her and at worst, when they were alone, downright spiteful, calling her weak and mental.
Fortunately they weren’t alone often and the kindness of the others more than compensated for Linda’s meanness and Tyrion loved her.
Day by day over the three weeks following Penny and Tyrion’s initial sprint around the block slowed in tempo and they gradually increased the duration of their constitutionals and even began varying their route and by the end of October she had not only made eye contact with some of the locals she had actually nodded and smiled at one of them.
(Part 03)
By the time November arrived she had become a little more adventurous and looked with interest in the direction of the old airfield.
However it took a day or two before her curiosity finally got the better of her and she and Tyrion walked through the gates of Mornington Field.
Once through, her progress was halted by security fences, separating her from the construction work that was taking place, so she couldn’t explore as much as she had hoped so she had to follow the only unblocked road available to her and after about 20 yards or so she let the dog off the lead.
Standing on the runway in the middle of the airfield, sheltered from the bitter wind by the huge bonfire, Penny had felt so relaxed and so alive and she lost all track of time, so it was close to an hour later by the time she was returning towards the gate with the dog back on the lead.
As she and the dog approached the main gate once again, Tyrion’s attention was attracted to a man in a hard hat and hi-vis coat beyond the security barrier or more precisely the Border Collie at his heel.
“Well hello there” the man said as the two dogs introduced each other.
“What’s this fellow’s name?” he asked Penny
“Tyrion” she replied quietly slightly embarrassed
“Tyrion?”
“Yes” she said “silly isn’t it”
“I take it you didn’t choose it” he said with a smile
“No” she admitted and laughed
“My old lads name is Jack and I’m Tom”
“I’m Penny and Tyrion here belongs to my in laws who I’m staying with at the moment and they’re fans of “Game of Thrones”, whatever that is” She explained
“Ah it’s a rather strange and fanciful TV series” he said
“Hmm I’ve never been much of a TV person” Penny said
“I see”
“I was rather unhappy with the standard of programming 30 years ago but from what I’ve seen while I’ve been in Mornington it appears to have deteriorated since”
“I think you’re right there” Tom said
“So what’s going on here then?” Penny asked indicating his side of the barrier.
“We are converting the old airfield buildings to commercial premises” he replied
“So that will make it busier I suppose” Penny said
“Probably” Tom replied
“Shame” she said
“It won’t affect the village though” he assured her “The main entrance will be through the West gate.
“That not so bad then” she conceded and shivered
“Come on Tyrion let’s get you back home in the warm, goodbye Tom”
Her encounter with Tom McGuire proved to be the longest conversation Penny had had with another human being since before the death of her husband and she was surprised at how easy it came and she was quite pleased with herself.
When she got back home however she was greeted by her sister in law, Linda, who was wearing her angry face.
“Where the hell have you been?” she snapped
“Taking the dog for a walk”` she replied “I didn’t realise I had a curfew”
“You’re bloody unstable you are” Linda said
“I am not unstable” Penny replied and ran upstairs and Linda shouted after her
“Mentally unstable”
(Part 04)
Tom McGuire was the Construction Site manager up at Mornington Field, and he too was a Widow, but in his case his wife had passed away 20 years earlier.
It was a happy marriage even though it only lasted 15 years and they were blessed with two children, a son Kelvin who was 33 and was a Major in the Downshire Light Infantry and a daughter Charlotte 30 who was a nurse in Abbottsford.
Both of his children had children of their own and Tom McGuire was a very happy and doting Grandpa.
Also like Penny he was a recent and temporary arrival in the village.
Penny stayed in her room after her altercation with Linda and didn’t come out again until the next morning after everyone had left for the day.
After showering and getting dressed she made herself some breakfast and then got Tyrion’s lead and they went out into the cold crisp November morning.
Although he still had a financial interest in Normanton Construction Tom McGuire was actually semi-retired he hadn’t found a reason to give up completely so he liked to do a bit here and there just to keep his hand in.
As he was a resident of the Vale he volunteered for the Mornington job even though it was fairly menial compared to what he was used to.
His main residence was a quiet riverside cottage in the village of Dulcet-on-Brooke, about 20 miles downstream from Mornington, but during the initial phase of the construction work he was staying in one of the Military Row houses for at least 4 days a week, which also doubled up as his site office.
Part of Tom’s remit as site manager was to insure that the first job to be completed was to improve the link road from the Purplemere Road to the West Gate on Mornington Field so that all traffic, both construction and the future commercial, would not need to go through the village.
He had just left number 19 carrying some drawings with Jack trotting at his side as Penny and Tyrion were leaving the Close so with their differing gaits their paths crossed just before the main gates.
“Well hello again” Tom said
“Oh hello” Penny replied and noticing the rolled up drawings under his arm and the direction he had come from she asked
“Do you live in the village?”
“Yes but only in the short term while I have to be on site a lot, it’s easier than doing a 40 mile round trip each day”
“So we are both strangers in the village” she said
“So are you staying in the village for long?”
“Just a month or so I hope” she replied “my sister in law is driving me mad”
Tom detected no note of humour in her voice and so as they reached the gate he said
“My father was stationed here during the war”
“Was he a pilot?” she asked
“Yes he was”
“Was he brave or barmy?” Penny asked
“I’m sorry”
“My father always said pilots must be either brave of barmy” Penny explained
“Oh I see, yes I suppose he was a little of both” he said “he was only 19 years old when he rode through these gates on his Royal Enfield Bullet”
“So he was no stranger to dangerous machines then” she said with a smile
“No I don’t suppose he was” he agreed
“Are you going to the fireworks tomorrow night? There is likely to be quite a crowd”
“Oh I don’t think so, no, I don’t really like crowds”
“Oh that’s a shame” he said
“Yes it is, because I do like fireworks”
“Well this is where I leave you” he said opening the security gate “Enjoy your walk you have a lovely day for it”
“Thank you yes we will definitely make the most of it” she replied as Tyrion led her eagerly along the road
“Come on Jack” he said as Jack seemed more interested in following Tyrion and Penny than he did going with his master.
“We have work to do lad”
“Maybe next time Jack” Penny shouted
(Part 05)
It was pouring with rain the next morning so Penny didn’t venture out, but by midday it had brightened considerable so after lunch much to Tyrion’s approval she donned her wellies and they set off towards the airfield, Tyrion loved it up there with so much space to run around in and she loved the open space and the lack of people.
There was no sign of Tom or Jack as they passed through the main gate and they reached the airfield proper completely unnoticed.
Tom was walking back through the west gate after checking the progress on the road widening when Jack alerted him to the presence of Penny and Tyrion walking along the runway, well Penny was walking, Tyrion was running hither and thither.
The various groups of tradesmen were using the old control block as their site office, where they stored their gear and ate their lunch.
The guys working on the road improvements had site cabins and portaloos but everyone else used the control block.
Tom himself had set himself up in the tower itself as it commanded a 360 degree view of the whole site.
It was a bitterly cold afternoon and Tom went straight upstairs to the tower for a hot drink and as he drank he looked out across the site.
Large sections of the formerly grassed areas on the far side of the airfield had already been ploughed under by the Vale Farm Tractor and the larger grassed area between runways A and B, where the bonfire stood, had already been fenced off and hawthorn hedges planted and was to go under the plough as soon as the bonfire was reduced to ash.
But it was as he stood looking at the enormous unlit bonfire that he had an idea.
When he noticed Penny and Tyrion heading back towards the road he said to Jack who was warming himself by the heater
“Come lad lets go and say hello”
Jack reluctantly got to his feet but was the first to the security gate and was already saying hello to Tyrion, who was having the lead put on by Penny, by the time Tom got there.
“Hi Penny I’m glad I caught you” he said
“Hello Tom, hello Jack” she responded
“I’ve been thinking about tonight’s fireworks” Tom said “I know you don’t like crowds but…”
“It’s not just that I don’t like crowds Tom” she interrupted “they cause me to have panic attacks”
“Well I have a solution whereby you get to see the fireworks and completely avoid the crowd”
“How?” she asked suspiciously
“We watch from up there” he said pointing to the tower
“Are you sure you don’t mind us going?” Bob asked
“Too bad if she does” Linda snapped
“Bloody drama queen”
“Don’t me mean mum” Kathryn said
“She needs to pull herself together” Linda said looking directly at Penny as she said it
Linda was the last to leave and as soon as the door closed she said “Cow” and Tyrion barked as if in total agreement.
The truth was Linda disliked Penny, and always had done.
She resented everything about her, her slim finger, life style, wealth and career.
And although she hated having Penny in the house she still took some perverted pleasure from her circumstances.
She waited until the clock hands approached the time the bonfire was to be lit and then she got up and put on her coat.
Tyrion gave her a look as if to say “Where are you going?”
“You won’t like it out there with all the bangs” she said and gave him a fuss.
She wrapped a scarf around her neck and pulled on her woollen hat then slipped her feet into her wellies.
(Part 06)
Penny only passed one person on the way to the airfield, a young man who kept looking at his watch who was clearly waiting for a girl.
She passed him virtually unnoticed and then saw Tom step from the shadows and open the gate.
“Great, you made it just in time” he said “We have about 5 minutes before they light the bonfire”
Tom had a large torch in hand and illuminated the path ahead of them up to the control block, then once inside the way was well lit all the way along the ground floor and up the stairs to the tower.
“We can either stay inside and watch through the glass or sit outside on the balcony” he said and opened the door to reveal two fold up chairs complete with tartan car rugs.
“Wow this is perfect” Penny said sitting in one of the chairs
“Outside it is then” Tom said
He briefly went back inside and dimmed the lights and when he returned he was carrying three vacuum flasks, also tartan.
“We have Coffee, hot chocolate or soup”
“Ooh what flavour?” Penny asked
“Oxtail”
“That’s my favourite” she said
There was some delay in lighting the bonfire due to the torrential rain that fell that morning.
“So how long have crowds bothered you?” He asked as they sat sipping their waiting for the show to start
“Since my husband died” she replied sadly
She went on to explain how she had been so grief stricken she couldn’t leave her house for months and on the rare occasions when she had to venture out large numbers of people terrified her.
“Grief and depression can be a dangerous combination” he said
“Have you lost someone then?” she asked
“Yes my wife, but that was 20 years ago”
Then it was Toms turn to speak of his loss and the strength he drew from his children and continued to draw from.
He went onto explain about his grandchildren and how they were the lights in his life.
This was received with mixed feelings by Penny who wasn’t able to have children which was never a problem to her until she lost Bryan which kind of drew a line under it and made it final.
“Since I’ve been in the village I’m starting to get my confidence back” she said changing the subject
“But?”
“But not fast enough for my sister in law” she explained
“Ah”
“She would love me to go back to my own house, I would love to go back to my own house, but I don’t think I’m ready” she added
“Bob and the kids have been wonderful but Linda and I have never got on and the other day she called me a nutter”
“You’re kidding?”
“I wish I was” she said just as the bonfire roared into life
The bonfire was magnificent and the fireworks as usual were spectacular and when the display came to an end even Penny and Tom applauded, but the applause signalled not only the end of the display but also Penny’s time to exit the airfield before the crowd spewed towards the gate.
“Thank you so much Tom that’s the nicest evening I’ve had in a very long time” she said
“My pleasure” he responded
“Good night” she said “Tyrion and I may see you tomorrow”
“I will look forward to it” Tom replied “Good night”
As she walked down the Close she was reflecting on the evening and what good company Tom was and how nice it was to share the time with someone with a sympathetic ear, someone who wasn’t judging her, someone who understood.
Tyrion was pleased to see her when she got back to the house, Linda considerably less so when she waked through the door but Penny greeted her with a smile which Linda found quite disarming.
(Part 07)
The day after the fireworks Penny woke up with the most positive outlook she had had for many months, a feeling which didn’t diminish even when she didn’t see Tom, either going in through the airfield gates or coming out again.
Penny was still undaunted the next day when she repeated the experience.
She was however feeling a little jaded by the following Wednesday when she still hadn’t had a single encounter with Tom or Jack.
Penny and Tyrion had passed expectantly through the gates once again and when there was no sign they pressed on and were soon passing the old Officers Mess.
Penny had just released Tyrion from the leash and as he sprinted for the open space of the airfield he was suddenly joined by a very excited Jack.
He took them both by surprise, Tyrion’s response was to chase after him while Penny’s was to search for his master.
“Hello” he called
“Hello stranger” she responded and when she noticed his arm was in a sling she asked “what have you been up to?”
“I slipped in the shower” he replied “and hit my arm on the sink”
“Is it broken?”
“I’m afraid so yes” he replied “that’s why I’ve been staying at the cottage”
“I wondered why we hadn’t seen you around” she said “I hope you’re not back at work?”
“No not really”
“No not really?” she repeated disapprovingly
“I’m just here to make sure everything’s on track” he explained “and to join you on your walk”
“It will make a nice change to have some company” she said
“Tyrion is very sweet but his conversation isn’t very stimulating”
“And you think mine is?”
“Well it’s all relative” she replied with a smile
After walking almost as far as Vale Farm Penny looked at Tom and decided he had probably had enough and steered him back in the direction of the village and as she did so she asked
“If you’ve been staying at the cottage how did you get here from the Dulcets?”
The Dulcets referred to the collection of villages and hamlets such as Dulcet Meadow, Dulcet St Mary, Dulcet Green and the one Tom lived in, Dulcet-on-Brooke
“I hope you didn’t drive” she asked sternly
“No my daughter Charlotte dropped me off”
“Did she? I would have liked to meet her” Penny said
“Well you can” Tom said “She’s picking me up again later”
“Are you going back home tonight then?”
“No, it’s my granddaughters birthday so were going out for pizza,
I’ll stay at Charlottes tonight and then she’ll bring me back in the morning”
When they got back to Mornington Tom was looking a bit grey so Penny suggested
“I think you need to go and rest”
Tom didn’t protest and stayed only long enough for them to exchange phone numbers so Tom could text her when Charlotte arrived to pick him up then they said goodbye and went their separate ways and when she and Tyrion got home she made herself a cup of tea and then fell asleep in the armchair.
(Part 08)
It was just before 6 o’clock when she received a text message and she got up and put on her coat.
The family were all home and the house was full of wonderful cooking smells.
Linda might well have been a nasty cow but she could certainly cook well.
“Where are you going?” Linda barked
“I’m just popping out” she replied
“Where?” she demanded
“Out” she replied and put the lead on the dog
“One of you two had better go with her” she said to the children “in case the fruitcake gets lost”
“The fruit cake will be perfectly ok on her own thank you” Penny said and opened the door.
She walked quickly out of the Close as she didn’t want to keep Tom and his daughter waiting and when she turned into Military Row she could see Tom standing by a car outside number 19 with a woman in a dark blue Nursing uniform so she quickened her pace.
“Sorry to keep you waiting” she said
“Nonsense” Tom replied “This is my daughter Charlotte”
“So pleased to meet you” she said “I’ve heard a lot about you from Tom”
“Likewise” Charlotte said “And who is this?”
“Tyrion” Penny replied
“Game of Thrones?” she asked
“I’m afraid so” she admitted
They chatted for five minutes or so and then Tom and Charlotte got in the car.
“Where’s Jack?”
“He’s asleep on the back seat” he replied “he’s worn out”
“Same time tomorrow?” Tom asked
“Ok” she said “Nice meeting you Charlotte”
“She’s nice” Charlotte said
“Yes she is” he agreed
“You make a nice couple” Charlotte observed
“How would you feel?” he asked
“What about?”
“About me and Penny” he explained
“What do you mean?”
“Well if we were to become a couple”
“I think it’s been 20 years Dad and it’s about time you found someone” She said “in fact it’s well past the time”
“What about Kelvin?” he asked
“He thinks the same as me” she assured him
Penny and Tom continued their daily walks for the period of time he was on “light duties”.
He also took the time to escort her into the quiet meagre shops that Mornington had to offer and they had even ventured into the Old Mill Inn for a couple of quiet lunches, with every day that passed her confidence was returning.
The following week he resumed a few more of his duties but it still left him more than half the day to spend with Penny in whatever way they chose.
One day they were just walking past the Farm Shop when Linda immerged
“Oh” she uttered looking Tom up and down “You must be the boyfriend”
He was about to correct her but Penny spoke first
“This is Tom” Penny said and Linda looked him up and down again
“Tom this is Linda”
“Pleased to meet you” he lied
“Well I wasn’t expecting to see you down here” She said “Don’t you find it a bit scary by the shops?”
Linda had an ugly smile on her face which Tom would have gladly slapped off but instead he said proudly
“Penny is improving every day”
(Part 09)
On Saturday morning Tom was sitting in his kitchen drinking coffee and looking at the clock, he had arranged to meet Penny at lunchtime, and he had a couple of hours to kill.
And he had just decided to have a second cup when he heard his phone vibrate on the counter.
It was a text message and when he saw who it was from Penny he smiled, but his smile soon faded when he read the message.
“Help! They’re taking me to the Phoenix Centre”
“Shit” he said and he and Jack got straight in his car and headed for Abbottsford.
He didn’t rush he knew even if they’d had a half an hour start on him he would still get there ahead of them.
He was only 10 minutes away from the Pepperstock Express Way whereas from Mornington they had 15 miles of country roads before they got anywhere near a main road and when they did it was only single carriage way.
Once he got to Abbottsford he parked the car and the sent her a text.
“I’m at the Phoenix, text me when you know what carpark”
Within seconds he got a reply
“Thanks xx P”
Ten minutes later he got a another text
“Abbey View Road”
“Excellent” he said out loud, there was only one way in to the Centre from that car park so he knew exactly where to intercept them.
Penny spent most of the journey through Abbottsford with her eyes shut, she only opened them at all because Tom wanted to know which carpark they were in.
She really didn’t want to go Christmas Shopping but Linda had bullied her.
The moment she got out of the car her heart started to pound and her breathing quickened.
“Come on get moving” she heard Linda say and felt her pushing her from behind, reluctantly she complied.
The crowd grew steadily bigger the closer they got to the entrance as the shoppers were funnelled in,
Penny was looking down at the floor but began to feel claustrophobic as the crowd jostled along.
All at once she felt a hand on her arm and she was tugged sideways out of the throng.
Her nephew and niece followed close behind her, protecting her, but Linda stood her ground.
Penny looked up and relaxed when she saw it was Tom.
“Are you alright?” he asked
She nodded but it was unconvincing
“This is madness” he said directly to Linda
“I thought you said she was improving” she yapped
“She is, she’s doing very well but she’s not ready for the Phoenix Centre on a Saturday morning only four weeks before Christmas”
“She needs to buck up” Linda snapped
“It won’t do any good pandering to her you’ll just make a rod for your own back”
“It’s not pandering its caring” Tom retorted
“Well you can “care” for her all you like” she said bitterly “Come on kids, leave the fruit cakes to get on with it”
“Will you be ok auntie?” Kathryn asked but Penny just turned at looked up at Tom
“Yes we’ll do our thing and see you back at home later”
“If you’re sure” Bryan said “we don’t mind staying with you”
“I think Penny and I will have a quite coffee somewhere and decide what we want to do”
“Ok” they both said and went off to join their mother who was waiting impatiently about 20 yards away and she glared in Tom’s direction.
(Part 10)
The shopping Centre was jammed and as they reached the main concourse she grabbed his arm and held on for dear life.
“Let’s go and have a ridiculously expensive coffee” he said
“Ok” she responded weakly
They stopped at the first place they came to which was called Espresso Phoenix.
It was refreshingly quiet and Tom chose a table in the far corner and Penny sat with her back to the world.
After ten minutes had passed by, Penny had relaxed and was feeling calm again and was chatting happily seemingly oblivious to the world bustling by.
However while he was waiting in the carpark Tom had phoned his daughter Charlotte to vent and it turned out she was already in the centre with her husband and children and she offered to be a shoulder to cry on.
While he was at the counter getting the coffee’s he texted Charlotte the name of the coffee shop they were in, so ten minutes later, right on cue, Charlotte and six year old daughter Georgia walked in.
“I hope you don’t mind” he said “I asked Charlotte to join us”
“How lovely” she said and turned around for the first time since they had been in there to greet Charlotte.
“Hello Penny” she said and leant down and kissed her as Georgia hugged her grandpa
“And who’s this?” Penny asked
“Georgia” she replied “I’m six”
“Are you sure you’re six?”
“Yes” she said
“Then I think you must have just had a birthday” Penny said
“I have” Georgia said excitedly “How did you know?”
“That would be telling”
“So where’s your brother?” Tom asked
“He’s with Dad in the model shop” she replied and rolled her eyes.
“Yes they may be awhile” Charlotte said
Tom organised drinks and the four of them sat in the quiet corner for more than an hour before Charlottes
Husband Clive and 8 year old son Ben arrived and it was time to go.
As she stepped out from the sanctuary of the Phoenix Espresso she became instantly aware of the crowds again and she faltered so Tom took hold of her hand and said
“We’ll do it together”
Georgia noticed them holding hands and asked loudly
“Is Penny going to be our Grandma?”
“Only if she wants the job” Tom replied with his eyes on Penny
Penny wasn’t able to have children and although she hadn’t realised it under her later years it was a sadness in her life but life was full of compensations and so denied mother hood she would just have to be the best step grannie it was possible to be to make up for it.
“I think that would be rather nice” she replied and was blissfully unaware of the hustle and bustle around them.
In fact she was unaware of absolutely everything apart from Tom kissing her gently on the lips.
For Charlotte’s family it was time to do the shopping they had gone to Abbottsford to do in the first place and for Tom and Penny it was time to drive up to the Dulcets and celebrate a new chapter in both their lives.
Wednesday, 22 February 2017
Tales of Love # 15
I LOVE YOU BY ANY MEASURE # 3
I love you by any measure
You might wish to use
But I don’t know how to express
The way I feel about you
And the affect you have on me
So I hope this gives you a clue
If they made a sport of loveliness
You would be the championess
EVERY CORNER OF THE WORLD (11)
I’ve sailed around the Cape of Good Hope
Where the two great oceans meet
I’ve sailed from the stormy southern isles
In the winter through the rain and sleet
I did all this and more for a reason,
The moment when we would meet
WHEN THE RAIN FALLS
When the rain falls
Look for the rainbows
When darkness falls
Look for the stars
When your love falls
You can look for me
I LOVE YOU BY ANY MEASURE # 4
I love you by any measure
You might wish to use
But I don’t know how to express
The way I feel about you
And the affect you have on me
So I hope this gives you a clue
If you were a heavenly star
You would be the brightest by far
EVERY CORNER OF THE WORLD (12)
I’ve walked the Mongolian steppes
And felt the desert heat of the Sahara
I’ve climbed Virginias Blue Ridge
And felt the coolness of Niagara
But every step was worth it
Because it delivered me to Sara
ALL OF MY ADULT LIFE
All of my adult life
I have been searching and
Eureka! I have the answer
I have finally worked it out
I shouldn’t be looking for
Someone I can live with
I should be looking for
Someone I can’t live without
TIME TICKS
Time ticks
Hearts beat
Butterflies,
When they meet
Time flies
Fast pace
Love grows
Heart beats race
All too soon
Alone again
Hour glasses empties
Grain by grain
Time ticks
Time flies
Only time now
For goodbyes
I LOVE YOU BY ANY MEASURE # 6
I love you by any measure
You might wish to use
But I don’t know how to express
The way I feel about you
And the affect you have on me
So I hope this gives you a clue
If you were a drink
Then I would say
I think that
You would be Moet
EVERY CORNER OF THE WORLD (13)
I’ve sailed from the Bell Rock Light House
Where the North Sea swells
And to the Newfoundland grand banks
Where the hardy mariner dwells
But on my own it was so unfulfilling
Having you with me is what tells
I love you by any measure
You might wish to use
But I don’t know how to express
The way I feel about you
And the affect you have on me
So I hope this gives you a clue
If they made a sport of loveliness
You would be the championess
EVERY CORNER OF THE WORLD (11)
I’ve sailed around the Cape of Good Hope
Where the two great oceans meet
I’ve sailed from the stormy southern isles
In the winter through the rain and sleet
I did all this and more for a reason,
The moment when we would meet
WHEN THE RAIN FALLS
When the rain falls
Look for the rainbows
When darkness falls
Look for the stars
When your love falls
You can look for me
I LOVE YOU BY ANY MEASURE # 4
I love you by any measure
You might wish to use
But I don’t know how to express
The way I feel about you
And the affect you have on me
So I hope this gives you a clue
If you were a heavenly star
You would be the brightest by far
EVERY CORNER OF THE WORLD (12)
I’ve walked the Mongolian steppes
And felt the desert heat of the Sahara
I’ve climbed Virginias Blue Ridge
And felt the coolness of Niagara
But every step was worth it
Because it delivered me to Sara
ALL OF MY ADULT LIFE
All of my adult life
I have been searching and
Eureka! I have the answer
I have finally worked it out
I shouldn’t be looking for
Someone I can live with
I should be looking for
Someone I can’t live without
TIME TICKS
Time ticks
Hearts beat
Butterflies,
When they meet
Time flies
Fast pace
Love grows
Heart beats race
All too soon
Alone again
Hour glasses empties
Grain by grain
Time ticks
Time flies
Only time now
For goodbyes
I LOVE YOU BY ANY MEASURE # 6
I love you by any measure
You might wish to use
But I don’t know how to express
The way I feel about you
And the affect you have on me
So I hope this gives you a clue
If you were a drink
Then I would say
I think that
You would be Moet
EVERY CORNER OF THE WORLD (13)
I’ve sailed from the Bell Rock Light House
Where the North Sea swells
And to the Newfoundland grand banks
Where the hardy mariner dwells
But on my own it was so unfulfilling
Having you with me is what tells
In The First Light of Dawn
I lie in the first light of dawn
Alone, thinking of her
Wishing her next to me
Feeling her breath
Against my skin
Her breasts
Pressed against me
In the quiet of the new day
Hearing her breathing
I ache for her touch
I long for her soft body
Against mine
In the dawns pale light
And in the darkness
I want her
But she is gone
She is mine no more
Never again will my hands
Caress her form
Never again will I hear
Her murmur and sigh in pleasure
She is mine no more
My angel of the night
Has left my side
And dwells now
With others of her kind
Alone, thinking of her
Wishing her next to me
Feeling her breath
Against my skin
Her breasts
Pressed against me
In the quiet of the new day
Hearing her breathing
I ache for her touch
I long for her soft body
Against mine
In the dawns pale light
And in the darkness
I want her
But she is gone
She is mine no more
Never again will my hands
Caress her form
Never again will I hear
Her murmur and sigh in pleasure
She is mine no more
My angel of the night
Has left my side
And dwells now
With others of her kind
Mornington-By-Mere – (08) Wild Eyed and Legless
(Part 01)
When the Mornington Estate exercised its option to purchase Mornington Field back from the MOD it also acquired all the buildings and infrastructure on the airfield itself as well as 29 houses in the village, formally used as quarters for military personnel.
The guardians of the estate are the St George family and the head of which is Baron Gabriel St George made immediately plans to optimize the newly acquired assets the moment the property was formally handed over on the 1st of June.
There was an acute shortage of family properties in the village so while his architect Scott Collier was tasked with designing appropriate conversions to maximize the potential returns and bene, Ray Walker who dealt with all things estate maintenance wise was responsible for getting the old Air force housing stock occupied ASAP.
To that end Ray worked tirelessly to have not just the first six houses ready within the month as originally promised, but eight, which were handed over on the 6th of July, two days earlier than forecast.
Gabriel was then able to instruct Lyndon-Sanders Properties of Shallowfield to find appropriate tenants and by that he meant that.
Priority was to be given to local people or people with ties to the area or those who worked in some capacity for the estate such as agriculture and the brewery.
Other than that they were to be rented out with the only condition being that it had to be the tenant’s primary residence.
Gabriel was always conscious of creating a ghost town of professionals who live and work in Town all week and only return to the village on the weekend and he was determined that that wouldn’t happen.
One such family to benefit from the new housing in Mornington were the Legg’s, who were one of the first to move into Military Row.
The Legg family where poultry farmers and lived on Dryfield Farm near the hamlet of Fallowacres, which was as near as damn it the center point of the Vale, though only geographically.
They also ran Legg’s Farm Shop in Mornington and had done for several decades.
Helena Legg, a 48 year old Widow ran it with her daughter Ruby and her nephew Nick, Nick was an orphan and Helena had raised him since he was 11 She enjoyed her job very much but the journey from Fallowacres to Mornington every morning and back again each night made the days very long indeed and she found it was quite wearing.
So when she heard about the new houses she was straight onto the agents and as a result they moved into number 4 on July 13th and from the moment they moved in they felt at home and it was so nice to have somewhere of their own to call home.
Living at the farm had its pluses but privacy wasn’t one of them.
Ruby was 25 and was a pretty girl, Tall and willowy with long yellow hair and she couldn’t wait to escape the farm and start afresh.
The farm shop was situated at the opposite end of The Street from Addison’s bakers which was significant because that was where her new best friend worked.
She and Chloe Addison became friends almost immediately and she liked her a lot and they’d become really good mates even though she was a little bit jealous of her, not because of her looks or anything like that, if anything Ruby was the prettier of the two.
No what she was jealous of was that Chloe had found someone, a significant someone.
She had only been in the village for 5 minutes and she had snaffled Scott Collier, she’d lived in and around Mornington all her life and she’d had hardly a nibble.
They had become friends because they had a lot in common.
They were a similar age, Chloe was a year younger, both were only children and they had both lost a parent and they had both moved into Military Row within weeks of each other.
(Part 02)
Since moving into Military Row everything was going so well for Ruby and then he arrived in the village, her nemesis.
She had been covering for Chloe at the Bakers while Nathan was out doing the grocery deliveries and Chloe was doing her sandwich run up to the Mornington field.
She’d said goodbye to her friend and just stepped out on the street when he said
“Well look who it is”
Although he was behind her he recognized his voice immediately, Allen Boddington.
She turned around hoping she was wrong but alas no.
“God I thought I’d seen the last of you” she snapped
“Now don’t be like that Rube” he said
“Don’t call me that”
“We’ll get to see lots of each other now I’m living in the village and working in the shop”
“You’re moving to the village?
“Yes Military Row” he replied “number 7”
“Oh terrific” she exclaimed
“You don’t seem very pleased” he remarked
“That’s because I’m not”
“But why” he asked in disbelief
“Because I don’t like you” she retorted
“Why?”
Ruby and Allen and his twin Eleanor, had been good friends when they were younger, they were always around each other’s houses, they would sit together on the bus to school, and they spent a lot of their spare together during their childhood and were the best of mates.
That is until she turned 15 and he changed towards her and started teasing her.
His favourite line was
“Ruby Legg? What colour is the other one?”
She put on a brave face at first but he was relentless with his torments and so they stopped being mates and he teased her even more so she started avoiding him which was a shame because they were really good friends.
So when he asked her why she didn’t like him she replied
“Because you’ve tormented me for years”
“It was just a bit of fun” he said
“It wasn’t fun from where I was standing”
“We were just kids” he said dismissively
“Oh well that’s ok then” she snapped and marched away
“We were just kids” he shouted after her “I’ve changed”
Ruby was cross and stomped off up the road but the thing she was really cross about was that she still thought he was a good looking lad with his thick black curly hair and wild gypsy eyes, dark and mysterious, and he was buff too.
But he was also a pig, which was quite apt because apart from being Butchers the Boddington’s were also pig farmers at Saddleback Farm.
After that it seemed like every time she turned around he was there pestering her, he didn’t tease her, he wasn’t un-pleasant or unkind he was just persistent.
And every time he saw her, which was a lot, he would ask her out, a drink, the pictures, bowling, and she would brush him off and this continued for the first three weeks of October and Ruby was beginning to weary of it.
(Part 03)
It was Ruby’s turn on the delivery run that Nathan Addison had instigated to service the many farms and hamlets dotted around the Vale.
They had to buy their bread, meat, produce and groceries from somewhere so offering a free delivery service to customers who placed regular orders they ensured they got their supplies from them.
After the Bakers, Ruby had loaded all the orders with the exception of Boddington’s so she took a deep breath and then walked into the shop and steeled herself.
But instead of having to fend off Allen’s persistent advances she found his twin sister Eleanor behind the counter.
“Ellie!” she squealed
“Hey Rube” she screamed and ran around the counter and the two of them danced around the shop hugging.
“Where’s Al?” Ruby asked suspiciously
“He’s covering in the Shallowfield Shop” she replied
The Boddington’s had a number of butcher’s shops in the Vale.
“Is he staying there for good?” Ruby asked hopefully
“No he’s just there for a couple of days”
“Shame”
“What happened with you two?” Ellie asked “I always thought you two would get together”
“He happened” Ruby said
“What do you mean?”
“Well, just when I started to look at him as something other than a mate he started being mean”
“He was just winding you up”
“He tormented me for two years”
“But he adores you”
“Pah” Ruby exclaimed
“No he really does” Ellie said
“Anyway” Ruby said changing the subject
“How come you’re here? I thought you were living in Childean”
“I was”
“So?”
“Boyfriend trouble”
“I see”
“I thought I would hide out in for a while, it was either Mornington or the pig farm”
“No brainer” Rube agreed and looked at her watch
“I really need to get going”
“Let’s catch up soon” Ellie said
“It’s great to see you again” Ruby said and loaded the meat order into the back of the van and off she went.
And as Ruby drove away Ellie said “time for an intervention I think”
It wasn’t until the end of the week that they bumped into each other again and Ellie asked.
“Are you going to the Halloween party at the Church Hall?”
“I wasn’t”
“Come with me then” she said casually
“Oh I don’t know”
“Come on Rube, a burger, a beer and a natter”
“Oh ok”
(Part 04)
Halloween was one of the few nights of the year apart from Mondays when the restaurant at the Old Mill Inn was closed to diners, instead they did the hot dogs and burgers for the Halloween party at the Church Hall.
The early part of the evening was more for children with traditional games but later on when the beer arrived from the brewery it was all about the adults.
Ruby however was there right from the beginning helping with the games and playing with the little ones until they were taken home which was when Ellie arrived and Ruby smiled but when she saw that right behind her was Allen her smile faded.
“What’s he doing here” Ruby asked as she kissed Ellie’s cheek
“Sorry” she replied
“Have you got one of those for me?” Allen asked
“In your dreams” she retorted and turned her back on him.
The girls sat down at a table and Allen went off to get them drinks.
“I didn’t know he was coming” Ruby said
“Nor did I until half an hour ago” she lied
“But when he heard you were here there was no stopping him”
Despite her loathing of him she couldn’t stop herself stealing glance at him as they sat at the table eating their burgers.
He was still so damn good looking and she suddenly felt as she did when she was 15.
Allen caught her watching him and when their eyes met she blushed and looked away.
“Could she actually be embarrassed?” he thought to himself and it gave him some hope.
He could’ve been mistaken but she certainly looked to be
blushing although it could have been his imagination.
When they had finished eating Ellie got up and said
“Just going to the loo, back in a mo”
Ruby wasn’t very happy at being left on her own with him but she thought if she ignored him he might go away.
The all of a sudden he broke the silence.
“I’m sorry”
“What?”
“I’m sorry”
“What for?”
“For being mean to you” he said
“Why did you do it?” she asked “I thought we were mates”
“That was the problem”
“What do you mean?” she asked slightly confused
“I didn’t want to be mates”
“Oh”
“You ….” He began
“What about me?” she asked taking a swig of beer.
“You were so popular at school”
“In what way?” she asked
“All the boys fancied you, and some of the girls”
“Did they?” she asked in disbelieve because as a teenager she was totally oblivious.
“Yes, and not just at school either” he added but didn’t clarify
“What’s that got to do with you tormenting me?”
“Oh, because I was one of them”
“One of what?”
“One of the ones who fancied you” he clarified
“Well you didn’t show it” she said thrusting her chin out defiantly
“And you wouldn't have either if you’d been me” he said
“I was a year younger than you and I didn’t stand a chance with you, especially when I got the braces”
“Braces didn’t stop me fancying you,” she said
Allen wasn't sure he’d heard her correctly and Ruby on realizing she had said it out loud hoped he hadn’t.
“You fancied me?” he asked pointing to his chest and she nodded.
“You really didn't know?”
He shook his head.
“What about all the times I flirted with you” she asked open-mouthed
“I was 14 I didn’t understand flirting”
He couldn't believe he had been such a dunce. Ruby, this beautiful girl, had actually fancied him and he had blown it.
“I still don’t understand why you started being mean to me”
“You went to the pictures with Callum and I was jealous” he explained “And once I’d started I didn’t know how to stop”
“You idiot, I didn’t go to the picture’s with Callum, I went to Shallowfield with Callum where he met his girlfriend Emily, they went to the pictures and I spent the day by the lake”
“Oh”
“Where’s Ellie got to?” she snapped
“I’m not sure”
“She’s not coming back is she?”
“No” he confessed
“Right” she said “I’m off”
“Ruby!” he said a bit too aggressively which made her jump
“Come to the bonfire with me”
“I don’t think so” she replied
“Well that’s an improvement” he said
“What do you mean?”
“Well last week it would have been a definite no” he said
“We could watch it together”
“No”
“Oh come on what harm can it do?” he pleaded
“I ...” she began and looked at his wild eyes and all of a sudden she was 15 again
“Ok, but it’s not a date”
(Part 05)
The Bonfire night party was normally held in the grounds of Mornington Manor although there hadn’t actually been a bonfire lit in the village in living memory but the fireworks were usually quite spectacular and people came from every corner of the Vale to see them.
But this year it was being held up at the old airfield and a huge bonfire had been built, kids in the area had been collecting wood for weeks and the workmen up at the field had contributed materials and their time to build a bonfire of colossal proportions.
And word of its magnificence had been spread far and wide so a bigger than normal crowd was expected.
Allen waited by the main gate of the airfield and hoped that she hadn’t said yes just to shut him up as he perused the faces of the throng as it passed him.
Then because of the crowd he was concerned he may have missed her, though he thought it unlikely.
She was after all the love of his life and he could have picked her out of a crowd blindfolded.
Nonetheless with every second that passed his confidence began to ebb away with the revellers.
It was over ten minutes after the agreed time when he finally saw her walking slowly across the bridge and his heart skipped a beat.
“I thought you were going to stand me up” he said when she eventually reached him.
“I thought about it” she replied
“Well I’m glad you decided to come anyway” Allen said
“Only time will tell if it was the right decision” she said “I have my doubts”
“Have a little faith” he said softly and smiled
“Easier said than done” Ruby said
“Shall we go in?” Allen said and gave a nod of his head towards the air field.
“Alright” she agreed
They walked slowly through the gate and down the road towards the sound of chattering voices, neither of them spoke as they both wanted to choose their words carefully, and neither of them wanted to get things off on the wrong foot.
When they reached the back of the assembled crowd they stopped and Allen turned towards Ruby in order to impart some well-chosen words of wisdom when out of the blue, Ruby kissed him and it was a kiss that had been a long, long time coming.
But it wasn’t frantic or frenetic, it wasn’t uncontrolled or reckless it was gentle and measured and…perfect.
They hadn’t even noticed the display had started and when their lips reluctantly parted they had ignited fireworks of their own and then they looked into each other’s eyes and then kissed again, as if to seal the deal.
After that explosive kiss they did a lot of kissing after all they had a lot of kissing to do in order to make up for the ten years they had wasted.
When the Mornington Estate exercised its option to purchase Mornington Field back from the MOD it also acquired all the buildings and infrastructure on the airfield itself as well as 29 houses in the village, formally used as quarters for military personnel.
The guardians of the estate are the St George family and the head of which is Baron Gabriel St George made immediately plans to optimize the newly acquired assets the moment the property was formally handed over on the 1st of June.
There was an acute shortage of family properties in the village so while his architect Scott Collier was tasked with designing appropriate conversions to maximize the potential returns and bene, Ray Walker who dealt with all things estate maintenance wise was responsible for getting the old Air force housing stock occupied ASAP.
To that end Ray worked tirelessly to have not just the first six houses ready within the month as originally promised, but eight, which were handed over on the 6th of July, two days earlier than forecast.
Gabriel was then able to instruct Lyndon-Sanders Properties of Shallowfield to find appropriate tenants and by that he meant that.
Priority was to be given to local people or people with ties to the area or those who worked in some capacity for the estate such as agriculture and the brewery.
Other than that they were to be rented out with the only condition being that it had to be the tenant’s primary residence.
Gabriel was always conscious of creating a ghost town of professionals who live and work in Town all week and only return to the village on the weekend and he was determined that that wouldn’t happen.
One such family to benefit from the new housing in Mornington were the Legg’s, who were one of the first to move into Military Row.
The Legg family where poultry farmers and lived on Dryfield Farm near the hamlet of Fallowacres, which was as near as damn it the center point of the Vale, though only geographically.
They also ran Legg’s Farm Shop in Mornington and had done for several decades.
Helena Legg, a 48 year old Widow ran it with her daughter Ruby and her nephew Nick, Nick was an orphan and Helena had raised him since he was 11 She enjoyed her job very much but the journey from Fallowacres to Mornington every morning and back again each night made the days very long indeed and she found it was quite wearing.
So when she heard about the new houses she was straight onto the agents and as a result they moved into number 4 on July 13th and from the moment they moved in they felt at home and it was so nice to have somewhere of their own to call home.
Living at the farm had its pluses but privacy wasn’t one of them.
Ruby was 25 and was a pretty girl, Tall and willowy with long yellow hair and she couldn’t wait to escape the farm and start afresh.
The farm shop was situated at the opposite end of The Street from Addison’s bakers which was significant because that was where her new best friend worked.
She and Chloe Addison became friends almost immediately and she liked her a lot and they’d become really good mates even though she was a little bit jealous of her, not because of her looks or anything like that, if anything Ruby was the prettier of the two.
No what she was jealous of was that Chloe had found someone, a significant someone.
She had only been in the village for 5 minutes and she had snaffled Scott Collier, she’d lived in and around Mornington all her life and she’d had hardly a nibble.
They had become friends because they had a lot in common.
They were a similar age, Chloe was a year younger, both were only children and they had both lost a parent and they had both moved into Military Row within weeks of each other.
(Part 02)
Since moving into Military Row everything was going so well for Ruby and then he arrived in the village, her nemesis.
She had been covering for Chloe at the Bakers while Nathan was out doing the grocery deliveries and Chloe was doing her sandwich run up to the Mornington field.
She’d said goodbye to her friend and just stepped out on the street when he said
“Well look who it is”
Although he was behind her he recognized his voice immediately, Allen Boddington.
She turned around hoping she was wrong but alas no.
“God I thought I’d seen the last of you” she snapped
“Now don’t be like that Rube” he said
“Don’t call me that”
“We’ll get to see lots of each other now I’m living in the village and working in the shop”
“You’re moving to the village?
“Yes Military Row” he replied “number 7”
“Oh terrific” she exclaimed
“You don’t seem very pleased” he remarked
“That’s because I’m not”
“But why” he asked in disbelief
“Because I don’t like you” she retorted
“Why?”
Ruby and Allen and his twin Eleanor, had been good friends when they were younger, they were always around each other’s houses, they would sit together on the bus to school, and they spent a lot of their spare together during their childhood and were the best of mates.
That is until she turned 15 and he changed towards her and started teasing her.
His favourite line was
“Ruby Legg? What colour is the other one?”
She put on a brave face at first but he was relentless with his torments and so they stopped being mates and he teased her even more so she started avoiding him which was a shame because they were really good friends.
So when he asked her why she didn’t like him she replied
“Because you’ve tormented me for years”
“It was just a bit of fun” he said
“It wasn’t fun from where I was standing”
“We were just kids” he said dismissively
“Oh well that’s ok then” she snapped and marched away
“We were just kids” he shouted after her “I’ve changed”
Ruby was cross and stomped off up the road but the thing she was really cross about was that she still thought he was a good looking lad with his thick black curly hair and wild gypsy eyes, dark and mysterious, and he was buff too.
But he was also a pig, which was quite apt because apart from being Butchers the Boddington’s were also pig farmers at Saddleback Farm.
After that it seemed like every time she turned around he was there pestering her, he didn’t tease her, he wasn’t un-pleasant or unkind he was just persistent.
And every time he saw her, which was a lot, he would ask her out, a drink, the pictures, bowling, and she would brush him off and this continued for the first three weeks of October and Ruby was beginning to weary of it.
(Part 03)
It was Ruby’s turn on the delivery run that Nathan Addison had instigated to service the many farms and hamlets dotted around the Vale.
They had to buy their bread, meat, produce and groceries from somewhere so offering a free delivery service to customers who placed regular orders they ensured they got their supplies from them.
After the Bakers, Ruby had loaded all the orders with the exception of Boddington’s so she took a deep breath and then walked into the shop and steeled herself.
But instead of having to fend off Allen’s persistent advances she found his twin sister Eleanor behind the counter.
“Ellie!” she squealed
“Hey Rube” she screamed and ran around the counter and the two of them danced around the shop hugging.
“Where’s Al?” Ruby asked suspiciously
“He’s covering in the Shallowfield Shop” she replied
The Boddington’s had a number of butcher’s shops in the Vale.
“Is he staying there for good?” Ruby asked hopefully
“No he’s just there for a couple of days”
“Shame”
“What happened with you two?” Ellie asked “I always thought you two would get together”
“He happened” Ruby said
“What do you mean?”
“Well, just when I started to look at him as something other than a mate he started being mean”
“He was just winding you up”
“He tormented me for two years”
“But he adores you”
“Pah” Ruby exclaimed
“No he really does” Ellie said
“Anyway” Ruby said changing the subject
“How come you’re here? I thought you were living in Childean”
“I was”
“So?”
“Boyfriend trouble”
“I see”
“I thought I would hide out in for a while, it was either Mornington or the pig farm”
“No brainer” Rube agreed and looked at her watch
“I really need to get going”
“Let’s catch up soon” Ellie said
“It’s great to see you again” Ruby said and loaded the meat order into the back of the van and off she went.
And as Ruby drove away Ellie said “time for an intervention I think”
It wasn’t until the end of the week that they bumped into each other again and Ellie asked.
“Are you going to the Halloween party at the Church Hall?”
“I wasn’t”
“Come with me then” she said casually
“Oh I don’t know”
“Come on Rube, a burger, a beer and a natter”
“Oh ok”
(Part 04)
Halloween was one of the few nights of the year apart from Mondays when the restaurant at the Old Mill Inn was closed to diners, instead they did the hot dogs and burgers for the Halloween party at the Church Hall.
The early part of the evening was more for children with traditional games but later on when the beer arrived from the brewery it was all about the adults.
Ruby however was there right from the beginning helping with the games and playing with the little ones until they were taken home which was when Ellie arrived and Ruby smiled but when she saw that right behind her was Allen her smile faded.
“What’s he doing here” Ruby asked as she kissed Ellie’s cheek
“Sorry” she replied
“Have you got one of those for me?” Allen asked
“In your dreams” she retorted and turned her back on him.
The girls sat down at a table and Allen went off to get them drinks.
“I didn’t know he was coming” Ruby said
“Nor did I until half an hour ago” she lied
“But when he heard you were here there was no stopping him”
Despite her loathing of him she couldn’t stop herself stealing glance at him as they sat at the table eating their burgers.
He was still so damn good looking and she suddenly felt as she did when she was 15.
Allen caught her watching him and when their eyes met she blushed and looked away.
“Could she actually be embarrassed?” he thought to himself and it gave him some hope.
He could’ve been mistaken but she certainly looked to be
blushing although it could have been his imagination.
When they had finished eating Ellie got up and said
“Just going to the loo, back in a mo”
Ruby wasn’t very happy at being left on her own with him but she thought if she ignored him he might go away.
The all of a sudden he broke the silence.
“I’m sorry”
“What?”
“I’m sorry”
“What for?”
“For being mean to you” he said
“Why did you do it?” she asked “I thought we were mates”
“That was the problem”
“What do you mean?” she asked slightly confused
“I didn’t want to be mates”
“Oh”
“You ….” He began
“What about me?” she asked taking a swig of beer.
“You were so popular at school”
“In what way?” she asked
“All the boys fancied you, and some of the girls”
“Did they?” she asked in disbelieve because as a teenager she was totally oblivious.
“Yes, and not just at school either” he added but didn’t clarify
“What’s that got to do with you tormenting me?”
“Oh, because I was one of them”
“One of what?”
“One of the ones who fancied you” he clarified
“Well you didn’t show it” she said thrusting her chin out defiantly
“And you wouldn't have either if you’d been me” he said
“I was a year younger than you and I didn’t stand a chance with you, especially when I got the braces”
“Braces didn’t stop me fancying you,” she said
Allen wasn't sure he’d heard her correctly and Ruby on realizing she had said it out loud hoped he hadn’t.
“You fancied me?” he asked pointing to his chest and she nodded.
“You really didn't know?”
He shook his head.
“What about all the times I flirted with you” she asked open-mouthed
“I was 14 I didn’t understand flirting”
He couldn't believe he had been such a dunce. Ruby, this beautiful girl, had actually fancied him and he had blown it.
“I still don’t understand why you started being mean to me”
“You went to the pictures with Callum and I was jealous” he explained “And once I’d started I didn’t know how to stop”
“You idiot, I didn’t go to the picture’s with Callum, I went to Shallowfield with Callum where he met his girlfriend Emily, they went to the pictures and I spent the day by the lake”
“Oh”
“Where’s Ellie got to?” she snapped
“I’m not sure”
“She’s not coming back is she?”
“No” he confessed
“Right” she said “I’m off”
“Ruby!” he said a bit too aggressively which made her jump
“Come to the bonfire with me”
“I don’t think so” she replied
“Well that’s an improvement” he said
“What do you mean?”
“Well last week it would have been a definite no” he said
“We could watch it together”
“No”
“Oh come on what harm can it do?” he pleaded
“I ...” she began and looked at his wild eyes and all of a sudden she was 15 again
“Ok, but it’s not a date”
(Part 05)
The Bonfire night party was normally held in the grounds of Mornington Manor although there hadn’t actually been a bonfire lit in the village in living memory but the fireworks were usually quite spectacular and people came from every corner of the Vale to see them.
But this year it was being held up at the old airfield and a huge bonfire had been built, kids in the area had been collecting wood for weeks and the workmen up at the field had contributed materials and their time to build a bonfire of colossal proportions.
And word of its magnificence had been spread far and wide so a bigger than normal crowd was expected.
Allen waited by the main gate of the airfield and hoped that she hadn’t said yes just to shut him up as he perused the faces of the throng as it passed him.
Then because of the crowd he was concerned he may have missed her, though he thought it unlikely.
She was after all the love of his life and he could have picked her out of a crowd blindfolded.
Nonetheless with every second that passed his confidence began to ebb away with the revellers.
It was over ten minutes after the agreed time when he finally saw her walking slowly across the bridge and his heart skipped a beat.
“I thought you were going to stand me up” he said when she eventually reached him.
“I thought about it” she replied
“Well I’m glad you decided to come anyway” Allen said
“Only time will tell if it was the right decision” she said “I have my doubts”
“Have a little faith” he said softly and smiled
“Easier said than done” Ruby said
“Shall we go in?” Allen said and gave a nod of his head towards the air field.
“Alright” she agreed
They walked slowly through the gate and down the road towards the sound of chattering voices, neither of them spoke as they both wanted to choose their words carefully, and neither of them wanted to get things off on the wrong foot.
When they reached the back of the assembled crowd they stopped and Allen turned towards Ruby in order to impart some well-chosen words of wisdom when out of the blue, Ruby kissed him and it was a kiss that had been a long, long time coming.
But it wasn’t frantic or frenetic, it wasn’t uncontrolled or reckless it was gentle and measured and…perfect.
They hadn’t even noticed the display had started and when their lips reluctantly parted they had ignited fireworks of their own and then they looked into each other’s eyes and then kissed again, as if to seal the deal.
After that explosive kiss they did a lot of kissing after all they had a lot of kissing to do in order to make up for the ten years they had wasted.
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