She was nature’s child
The most special one
Her smile as warm
As the summer sun
Yet Fragile and delicate
Like an early spring bloom
Bright as shaft of sunlight
Illuminating the gloom
Spectacular and exiting
As the days first dawning
Yet simple and refreshing
As a clear winter morning
Tempestuous like
An autumn gale blowing wild
The most special one
She was nature’s child
Young and beautiful
She looked at the life ahead
With hope and optimism
But a life was planned for her instead
A loveless marriage
With a distant stranger
Arranged by her family
She decided was not for her
She gave her heart
To the love of her life
She listened to her heart
And not her fathers voice
She simply fell in love
With a man of her choice
She wanted too make a life
With the love of her life
The consequence of this love
So precious to her
Was shame on her family
And death for the dishonour
She risked her life
For the love of her life
Her cries for help
Went sadly unheeded
The cruellest punishments
For the love she needed
She gave her life
For the love of her life
Her father wanted to arrange her life
And cursed the love of her life
Her father took her life
Because of the love of her life
She wanted to live her life
With the love of her life
Make her safe in paradise
God protect her in the afterlife
Mornington-By-Mere is
a small country village lying in the Finchbottom Vale nestled between the
Ancient Dancingdean Forest and the rolling Pepperstock Hills.
It is a quaint picturesque
village, a proper chocolate box picturesque idyll, with a Manor House, 12th
Century Church, a Coaching Inn, Windmills, an Old Forge, a Schoolhouse, a River
and a Mere.
Throughout its history
the Village of Mornington was largely dependent on agriculture for its survival
but shortly before the beginning of the Great War a large tract of land was
compulsorily purchased by the War Office as a training base for the newly
formed Royal Flying Corps which changed the dynamic to some extent with them loosing
valuable farm land, this was offset partly by the fact that the Mornington
Estate had the contract to provision the Airfield.
It remained as a training
squadron when the RFC became the RAF and right through to the end of the
nineteen thirty’s.
During World War Two
it became a front line fighter base in the Battle of Britain and many sorties
were flown from the field and many brave young men failed to return to it.
RAF Mornington remained
an operational base beyond the end of the 1939-45 conflict and was a NATO base
throughout the cold war.
However after the
breakup of the USSR it played a much lesser role until the end of the century
when it was mothballed and although the RAF maintained a presence it was only
really used as storage facility for the last decade of its existence.
When the War office
purchased Mornington Field in the summer of 1914 it was on a 100 year lease,
with an option for them to extend when the lease expired.
However in 2014 the
Ministry of Defence were in the midst of dramatic cutbacks in front line
resources and Mornington was one of the first facilities to be axed.
This meant that the
original owners, the St George family, had first refusal to buy it back for a
peppercorn fee.
Stanislas, Boivin and Champeaux, were the solicitors who administered the Teardrop Lake estate, in the
Dancingdean Forest and were also the St George Family solicitors.
The original Champeaux was
actually the firm’s representative who negotiated the original sale and was
instrumental in drafting the deal that allowed Gabriel St George to buy it back
for a song.
The firm had been the
Mornington estate Solicitors ever since.
So it was at 6 am on
the 2nd of May when Gabriel St George drove away from the Manor and into
the village.
He crossed the bridge
over the river and stopped outside Church View cottage, he only had to wait for
a moment or two and the door opened and a slim fine featured thirty something
emerged wearing a smart business suit.
“Good morning” Natasha
Hayle said brightly as she settled herself in the car
“Hi Tash” he responded
as he pulled away.
Natasha was an
associate solicitor with Stanislas,
Boivin and Champeaux and was in particular the Mornington Estate lawyer, which
was why she chose to live in the village.
They were on their way
to Whitehall for an important meeting at the Ministry of Defence to finalise
the repurchase of the land.
They drove to
Shallowfield and parked the car at the station and then went by train to London
via Abbottsford.
First class seats on
the train gave them the opportunity to dot the I’s and cross the T’s and be
fully prepared before they arrived, even though it really was only a formality.
However what they hadn’t
prepared for was the opening gambit from the man that they were meeting with, Sir
Robin Gordon, a Senior Civil Servant at the Ministry of Defence.
“We have had a better
offer” Sir Robin said
“I beg your pardon”
Natasha retorted
“We have had a better
offer” he repeated “From a local business man”
“Let me guess” Gabriel
said “Poole Industries”
“That I can neither confirm
nor deny” he said
“You don’t have to,
he’s already approached me directly in an attempt to buy it” Gabriel said
“That withstanding we
do have a firm offer on the table for the purchase of Mornington Field” Sir
Robin said confidently
“Well that’s all well
and good” Natasha said “But you don’t have anything to sell”
“On the contrary…” he
began but Natasha just kept going
“… You may either
extend the lease for a further 10 years or return it to the original owner, i.e.
The St George family, for the specified fee, as agreed in this legally binding document
signed by no less a figure than David Lloyd George”
“A very distinguished
signatory” Sir Robin agreed “But in Government things change and times are hard
and we as custodians have to make sure we get the very best deal for the
British people, so if you were to match the offer on the table then we can
proceed, and you can have first refusal”
Which was when Gabriel
shielded his eyes because he had seen Natasha in action before and he knew what
was coming.
“Now I’m going to tell
you what’s going to happen, we are going to conclude our business as prescribed
in this notarised document, for the amount detailed in it”
She paused for effect
“Or we will drag your
pinstriped arse through every court in the land and beyond and cost this
government so much money that questions will be asked in the house and you will
lose your pension”
In response Sir Robin
went very pale and picked up his pen.
As they stood on the
pavement trying to hail a cab a smartly dressed, well groomed man in his
forties got out of the back of a Rolls Royce.
“No hard feelings I
hope posh boy” he said in a course voice that was diametrically opposed to the
way he looked.
“Our business was very
satisfactorily concluded” Natasha said
“I was talking to the
organ grinder darling, not his monkey” he said through gritted teeth.
He couldn’t have made
it more obvious that he clearly had a problem with the fact that Gabriel was
posh and that Natasha was Black.
“So what was it? The
old boy network” Adam Poole said
“No it was legal” she
said
“I won’t tell you again” he snapped
“You are a thoroughly unpleasant man Mr Poole, and it’s all over”
Gabriel said just as a cab pulled into the curb
Gabe held the cab door open for Tash and then he got in too.
The tract of land which had one hundred years earlier become a military
airfield had finally come back to the family and along with it came all the
buildings and infrastructure on the airfield itself as well as 29 houses in the
village formally used as quarters for military personnel.
So after he returned from London he retreated to his study and turned his
mind to the task of deciding what to do with his acquisition and had soon started
to draw up plans for when the property was formally handed over to him on the 1st
of June.
His adversary in the matter, Adam Poole was a self-made man, ruthless and
driven, sociopathic, totally devoid of
conscience or empathy.
Adam Poole also hated to lose.
He was an extremely wealthy man who thought that with money he could get
whatever he desired and he wasn’t used to not getting what he wanted.
He wanted Mornington Field in order to start up a private flying club,
but having tried to buy Mornington Field from the Ministry of Defence, totally against
protocol, he had failed.
The family having had first refusal on the land and they chose to
exercise their option.
However he wasn’t going to let that stop him so when Gabriel St George took
up their option to repurchase it was not the end to it as he would have hoped.
It was the week after the handover when Adam Poole was spotted in
Mornington Village with a leggy blonde trying to gain access onto the airfield.
They were up by the main gate to Mornington Field and he was trying to
force open the gate when Gabriel pulled up in one of the estate Landrover’s.
Poole was immaculately dressed as usual and the blonde, who was about a
foot taller than he was, was also very well presented but not adorned in
designer gear like her companion was.
“Can I help?” he said as he got out.
“Only if you’re going to open the gate” Poole said
“Why would I want to do that?” Gabriel replied
“I want to have a look around” he growled
“Sorry its private property”
“Well it’ll be mine soon enough” He barked and reached inside his jacket
and pulled out an envelope “You can do what you want with the houses as long as
I get the field”
“What’s this?” Gabe asked
“Take it back to Toff Towers” he said smugly “I’ve increased my offer”
With that he walked back to his Rolls and got in.
“Mr St George, I’m Chantel Ridgway”
she said and offered her hand.
His first reaction was
to just turn his back on her and get back in the Landie, but she hadn’t been
rude to him, so she didn’t deserve ant rudeness from him and she had a nice
smile so he shook her hand.
“I’m pleased to meet
you Chantel but you can tell your
boyfriend that Mornington Field is not for sale” he said and put the envelope
in her hand.
“He’s not my boyfriend” she said but her words were drowned out by the
sound of the Landrover revving up.
Like Gabriel St George, Scott Collier was
Mornington born and bred, they were at the Village school together and at University,
and they had been lifelong friends.
He lived in Bridge
View Cottage where he had lived all his life, and like his father he was born
and raised there, and Scott couldn’t envisage living anywhere else.
It was his home now
since his parents had retired to Spain and he loved it.
He and Gabe were very
alike in many ways, though not in appearance.
Gabriel was tall and
blonde and quite striking whereas Scott was short and mousy and singularly
unremarkable.
Scott was primarily an Architect but he also liked to get his hands dirty
and so when he wasn’t designing he was renovating or converting old
properties.
He had already renovated two of the Mornington Windmills and was part way
through the last one when Gabriel called him up to the Manor.
It wasn’t too much of a surprise to get a summons he worked almost
exclusively for the Estate he just wasn’t sure what he had in mind for him this
time.
So when he knocked on the big oak door at the Manor Scott was in his work
clothes.
When it opened Gabriel’s Sister Elspeth was standing there smiling.
“What are you doing knocking on the front door? You should use the
tradesman’s entrance with the other peasantry” she said and laughed
“Very funny” he replied and kissed her cheek, they had dated for a while
just after university but it didn’t really work out, he thought of her more as
sister, and she felt the same way, as a result they were the best of friends
but no more than that.
“Look at the state of you” she said “Do I have to put newspaper down?”
“I don’t know, what do you think?” he asked and put his dirty hands on
either side of her face
“Urgh you minger” she yelped and ran off to wash her face
In response to the noise Gabriel emerged from his study.
“Are you frightening the children again?” he said
“Something like that” Scott replied
The reason Gabriel wanted to see Scott was in relation to Mornington
Field and the associated properties the Estate had acquired.
They went into the study and found their
mutual friend Ray Walker was already there, he was also a local boy born and
bred and he had worked for the estate since he left school.
He was a giant of a man with a shock of
unruly red hair and an abundance of freckles.
Ray’s job on the Estate was buildings
maintenance so he was about to get really busy.
“We’ll have to do the windows and get the
electrics up to code, loft insulation and all of that happy horse shit” Ray
said “But other than that they have been well maintained, we will need to
update fixtures and fittings and some basic decoration, but we should have the
first half a dozen available for rental within the month”
“Great news, but let’s not waste any time in getting the rest of them
ready” Gabriel said “Take on as many people as you need”
“Ok boss”
“So why am here exactly?” Scott asked
“I need you to look at the buildings on the airfield” Gabe said “And give
me some suggestions on what we can do with them, what we can change or adapt
and what needs to go”
“Great, do you have any thoughts at all?”
“Only that the hangers would convert easily into barns”
“So is it in your plans to return the field to agriculture?” Scott asked
“Absolutely” he replied “But it would be a shame not to make something of
the infrastructure the MOD have left behind”
“Ok” Scott said thoughtfully looking at the plans on Gabe’s desk
“We might make use of some of the building for commercial use”
“Just what I was thinking” Gabriel said
Two weeks later Gabriel drove over to the Council Offices in Finchbottom
to lodge the first part of the Estates planning application and change of use.
And it was when he was leaving that he met the leggy blonde that he had
seen with Adam Poole a few days before, coming the other way.
She looked much less officious this time favouring a summer dress instead
of a business suit and he found himself envying his adversary.
“Hello Ms Ridgway” he said
“Please call me Chantel and its miss”
“Chantel” he said trying the name on for size
“So what brings you here today?” he asked
“A meeting” she replied
“Without your boyfriend?”
“He is not my
boyfriend”
“I’m sorry, your boss”
“He is neither my
boyfriend nor my boss,” she said forcefully
“I have been engaged
by Finchbottom District Council who believe that developing Mornington Field as
an aviation centre for both leisure and commerce would be extremely beneficial
to the district”
“But unfortunately not to the
villagers of Mornington” he pointed out
“It will bring them employment opportunities” she said
“We both know that Poole Industries won’t employ locally except for the most
menial of jobs”
“Isn’t that rather cynical?” Chantel asked
“Possibly” He agreed “But Mornington has lived with an airfield in its back
yard for 100 years. It’s now time to return it to its former use”
“Which was?”
“Agriculture”
“You plan to return it to farmland?” she asked
“Almost all of it, yes I do” He replied
Over the month following the meeting with Gabriel and Scott, regarding
the old Air force housing stock, Ray had worked tirelessly to have not just the
first six houses ready within the month as promised, but eight, and with two
days to spare so he was more than good to his word.
Gabriel then instructed Lyndon-Sanders
Properties of Shallowfield to find tenants, within his strict guidelines.
Priority was to be given to local people or people with ties to the area.
Outside of that they were to be rented under the understanding being that
it had to be the tenant’s primary residence.
Gabriel was always conscious of creating a virtual ghost town of professionals
who live and work in Town all week and only return to the village on the weekends.
It was a few days before the summer Fête and the grounds around the Manor
were full of clutter and the hustle and bustle of activity.
He decided to retreat into the sanctity of his study to escape the summer
Fête preparations which were happening all around him and had become all
consuming.
He was also partly hiding from Aunty Phil so she couldn’t rope him in to
her plans but mainly he wanted to take a few moments to congratulate himself
for the progress that had been made and he even allowed himself to feel a
little bit smug about frustrating Adam Poole’s insidious plans.
Which was when the phone rang.
“Hello”
“Look posh boy take
that silver spoon out your arse and listen to me I want that airfield” Poole
said “And I won’t take no for an answer”
“How many more times,
no” he yelled
“You’re just being selfish, this project is for the common good”
“This project is to put more pound notes into your grubby little hands” Gabriel
corrected him
“Oh please don’t go all sanctimonious on me, I’ve met your sort before, titled,
entitled, privileged and cosseted, but with no backbone, I my posh friend am a
self-made man which is why I always win” Poole retorted
“And I’ve met your sort before” Gabriel countered “hardnosed bitter and
twisted, and the answer is still, No”
And as he hung up the
phone it immediately rang again.
“What?” he barked
“Is it a bad time?” Chantel asked
“I’m really sorry I thought you were someone else” he said really annoyed
with himself
“How can I help?”
“I was just wondering if you could spare me ten minute” she asked
“I don’t see why not” he replied “where are you?”
“I’m in Shallowfield at the moment, but I can come to you” she said
“Well we can’t meet here I’m afraid its
absolute pandemonium, what about the Old Mill?” he said and checked his watch
“in half an hour?”
“Ok great I’ll see you there, bye”
Gabriel was in the Pub first with about ten
minutes in hand.
“Morning Gabriel” the landlord said “Are you
avoiding the mayhem?”
Peter Andrew was a big barrel chested man
with a bushy beard and a happy jovial face.
“Hi Peter, you are not far from the truth” he
replied “But I’m also here to meet a rather attractive woman”
“So is it pint or a soft drink?” Peter asked
“Very definitely a pint” he replied and then he
sat himself down with his pint of Mornington Ale in a position where he could
see both doors and wondered which version of Miss Ridgeway would be joining
him, the business suited professional or the sweet feminine girl in the summer
dress.
Not that he cared which, he rather liked them
both and he found himself unexpectedly curious almost to the point of
excitement as to which one would appear.
But when Chantel did arrive she ticked
neither of the boxes and instead opened up a third which was equally
satisfying.
She was wearing white 3 quarter length shorts
and a pink vest top and her hair was tied in bunches.
She stood in the doorway with the sun
streaming in behind her as she looked around the bar for him and he was
transfixed.
He only snapped out of it when her eyes fell
on him and she started walking towards him.
“Hello Mr. St George” she said and smiled
broadly
“Hi, please call me Gabriel” he responded “you
look very nice”
“Oh, yes sorry it’s my day off today”
“Don’t apologize” he said a little too
obviously and so he added
“Do you live in Shallowfield?”
“No I have a flat in Finchbottom” she replied
and he gave a look that clearly indicated a lack of understanding which is why
she added
“I was visiting friends in Shallowfield”
“Oh I see” he said pleased it was friends and
not her boyfriend
“Can I get you a drink Chantel?”
“Thank you Gabriel, a diet coke please, no
ice”
Gabriel left Chantel sitting at the table and
went up to the bar and ordered her a drink and Peter the Landlord said in a
hushed whisper
“I think you rather under sold the young lady
if you don’t mind my saying so Gabriel”
But Gabe just looked at him blankly, so Peter
added
“She is an absolute corker”
Gabriel turned to look at her as she sat
looking out of the window.
“Yes she is isn’t she?” he agreed
He put the drink on the table in front of her
“Thanks” she said and when he had sat she added
“So who did you think it was?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Earlier, on the phone, who did you think it was?” she asked
“Oh I thought it was your boyfriend again” he replied
She went to speak but he silenced her by saying
“I know he’s not your boyfriend” and they both laughed
“Well that explains it, I can understand your reaction completely” she
said
“You don’t like him then?”
“No not a bit, he’s an odious little man” Chantel admitted
So with that explained they both took a sip from their respective drinks.
“So what brings you
here on your day off then?” he asked “as lovely as your being here is”
“Well I just wanted to
give you the heads ups” Chantel said
“I’m intrigued” he
responded
“It’s a bit
unprofessional” she added “but then so is what they are doing”
“Ok now I’m really intrigued”
She paused long enough
to take another sip from her drink
“Finchbottom District Council on behalf of Poole Industries have asked me to
broker a new deal” she said pausing for another sip of coke “A counter proposal
if you like”
“Which is?”
“Which is an 18 hole
Golf Course”
“Oh give me strength and energy” Gabe said “the last thing Downshire needs is
another bloody Golf Course as you and they well know”
“Yes but what would you think of a plan like that?” she asked
This time Gabriel
paused to take a drink
“Well what I think is,
that if I sell Mornington Field to Poole Industries for use as a Golf Course,
there is nothing to prevent him from going ahead with an airfield once the dust
has settled, is what I think”
“But he couldn’t do what you’re suggesting without the proper planning consents”
Chantel said
“Which the council will grant, because it’s what they want” he said “After all isn’t
that why they engaged your services? To ensure it happens”
“You’re very cynical Gabriel”
she said “but I think you are right to be so in this case”
They both took another
drink and then she broke the silence
“So what do you
think?”
“Well I think we should
continue to disgust it over lunch”
I agree” she said
The Old Mill Inn has a great reputation for “pub grub” thanks to their
excellent chef, Lorraine Olsen, it was really very good and it was something of
a distraction for the two of them, but eventually the conversation returned to
the problem in hand and Gabriel said.
“The only problem with
going up against the District Council is that they will never grant our change
of use and planning consents”
“Well actually I have friends on the
planning committee and I know that they will not be easily bullied” she
explained
“Well that’s all well and good but that might not be enough to scupper
you boyfriend’s plans”
“He’s not my boyfriend” they chorused and laughed
“Well if he’s not your boyfriend you can come to the Fête with me on
Saturday” he suggested
“You really know how to show a girl a good time, a pub lunch and an
afternoon at the village Fête”
“Ok then dinner
tomorrow night” he suggested
“Where?” she asked suspiciously
“Your choice”
“Ok the Runcible Spoon in
Purplemere, I hear it’s very good”
“That’s a great choice, I’ll pick you up at 8” he said “and then you’ll
come to the Fête on Saturday?”
“Ok” she agreed and wrote down her address.
As he walked her to her car she said
“You shouldn’t just invite me to the Fête you know”
“What do you mean?”
“Invite the members of the planning committee, show them what is you’re
trying to preserve” she said “Take them up to the Airfield and tell them your
plans”
“That’s a great idea” he said “Thank you”
As he watched her drive off he spotted his Aunt Philomena coming purposely
the other way accompanied by the Vicar so he hurriedly returned to the pub and
ordered another pint.
The next day Gabriel surprised the residents of the Manor by announcing
he was going on a date.
“What with a woman?” Corliss asked incredulously
“With a gorgeous woman actually” he said and left
As he drove to Finchbottom he was once again preoccupied with which
Chantel he would be meeting, he had seen three versions of her so far and he
was not disappointed with any of them.
When he knocked on the door of her flat he was astounded to find that what
she was wearing had surpassed all of his expectations, she was dressed in a
black designer dress.
“Wow” he said “you look stunning”
“Thank you”
Gabriel couldn’t take his eyes off her and just stood staring
“Should we go?” she asked
“Yes” he said but he was still hesitant “but I would rather like to kiss
you first”
But Chantel kissed him instead
The Runcible Spoon certainly didn’t disappoint and neither did the
company.
Over dinner, Chantel said
“I’ve spoken discretely to my friends on the planning committee and most
of them will be there on Saturday”
“That’s fantastic” he said
“It means a lot to you doesn’t it?” she asked
“Yes it does, I have
lived in Mornington all my life and I love the place so much”
“Well tell the planning committee that
when you meet them”
“I will” he said “And will you be there?”
“If I’m still invited” she replied
“Of course”
“Then I wouldn’t miss it for the world”
The next morning Chantel was in a very good humour as she walked into her
office despite the fact that she was two hours late and Adam Poole was seated
behind her desk.
“Oh do make yourself at home Mr Poole” she said
“Never mind that” he retorted “have you got good news for me?”
She walked around the desk and waited for him to move before she answered.
“No nothing to report”
“For God’s sake what am I paying you for?” he shouted angrily
“You don’t pay me at all, I don’t work for you remember”
“I want that airfield” he railed
“Well I think you need to come to terms with the fact that he’s not going
to sell” she said “so if you don’t mind I have work to do”
“So you’ve been taken in by “posh boy” he said
“You’ve let the smarmy bastard turn your head”
Chantel opened the door and motioned him out of the door without speaking
and as Adam Poole walked past her and up the corridor a young woman, Michelle
Norman, was coming the other way with a large bouquet of flowers,
“They must be from your boyfriend” Poole shouted over his shoulder.
“He’s not my boy…” she began and then she smiled
“No actually he is my boyfriend” she said to herself
The Annual Mornington Fête was a great success thanks to
Aunt Philomena’s tireless efforts and no small amount of bullying.
As promised by Chantel
the majority of the Finchbottom planning committee were in attendance and she
was at Gabriel’s side as they entertained and schmoozed them in equal measure
and when the planning meeting was held the following week all the Mornington
Estate’s planning and change of use applications were approved.
And a very disgruntled
Adam Poole left the public gallery very noisily but only after he had cast a
lingering disapproving glare in Gabriel’s direction.
“I don’t think I’m
going to be in the District Councils employ much longer” Chantel said
“I wouldn’t worry too
much in that regard” he said pulling her towards him “I have other plans for
you”
And then he kissed her.
Without you at my side
All my nights are long
and lonely,
And all my days are
empty
The clouds obscure each star
But the beauty of
heavens array
Is just out of sight
How gently she smiled, with
Love visible in the
clarity
Of her perfect green
eyes
