The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (107) The Doctor’s Day Out

 

July

Flaming June had given way to a humid and oppressive July and Stuart Cameron and Deborah Woodward finally had a weekend on which they could get out and walk together.

So on Saturday morning they were both up with the lark and set off to explore.

By making an early start they hoped to get some exploration in before the day became too oppressive, so they set off down an unfamiliar path and planned to explore anything that even vaguely resembled a trail.

 

Later that day, though not much later, Amelia Williamson met Victoria outside number 1 Stable Cottages and gave her the keys and after about ten minutes she left Victoria on her own enjoying her surroundings and then there was a knock on the door, and her bed had arrived.

Shortly after that Harold arrived with the van and they moved the rest of her furniture in, and when everything was in, he left her to settle in.  

And as she sat in her armchair drinking her coffee she felt at home, which made her smile because the cottage was the first place she really thought of as a home since she was a girl and living with her parents.

 

It wasn’t a long walk by their standards, and it wasn’t a particularly difficult one, but Deborah and Stuart were both sweating profusely by the time they reached Armada Head.

They’d chosen that particular walk as it was close enough to the cliffs to get whatever sea breeze might be on offer but there was also a lot of tree cover to offer them some shade.

They hadn’t been to that part of the island before and as they walked to the rocky outcrop and took in the vista it took away what little breath they had left.

She stopped on the crest to mop her brow and then she pinched the V-neck between her fingers and shook it violently causing the material to ripple and thus cause a draft up her shirt.

“Does that help?” he asked

“No not really” she replied, and they both laughed

Then they sat down on a slab of granite which bizarrely felt cool despite the heat of the sun and shared the bottle of water from Stuarts pack.

Stuart had taken to carrying a pair of binoculars on his solitary walks and they were still in his pack, so he took them out as well and they used them to look across the water to St Giles du Cabot.

When they had drunk their fill of the view they headed down towards the river where they found a shady spot to have their lunch.

They were both devotees of classical music and spent most of the time while they sat, talking about music, favourite composers, performers and individual pieces.

There was common ground on much but were diametrically opposed on others, for example he was a traditionalist whereas she was very definitely not and embraced the modern composers.

Their other favoured topics were literature as they were both veracious readers, contemporary and classics, or movies, and they both considered themselves to be classic film buffs.

 

When they had finished lunch and they emerged from the shade it had gotten unbearably hot, so they went into Spaniards Creek to Jardine’s General Store and restocked with bottled water for the walk home.

It was the first of several stops on the return walk, they took advantage to any and all shade as far as Norman Beach where they walked along the shore and cooled themselves before the most difficult part of the walk which covered a one mile stretch along the cliffs where there was no shade.

When they reached the next stand of trees, they instantly felt the coolness of the shade.

By the time they reached Manor Cliff Beach it was the hottest part of the day, so they removed their shoes and socks and paddled in the sea up to their knees and waded all the way until they climbed back up to Manor Cliff and the short walk home.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (106) Furnishings

 

Victoria could have ordered the furniture she wanted in St Pierre without having to leave the island, but they quoted six weeks for delivery, apart from the bed which would be delivered on Saturday, which was why she and Harold were sailing to Pipershaven early on Wednesday morning.

 

She managed to get everything she went for, as well as a few things she hadn’t thought of.  

“Thank you, Harold,” she said as they stood by the rail looking across the bay to the islands.

“What for?” he asked

“Helping me” she said “I couldn’t have done this without you”

And then she kissed him, and it was the first meaningful kiss that had shared, a gentle yet significant kiss, not a passionate embrace, she was saving that for when she had moved into the cottage.

 

On Thursday she made a number of trips to the cottage with items from Harold’s storeroom at the shop, curtain tracks, towel rails, blinds, kitchen accessories, bathroom fitting and a bathroom cabinet, which Franci had kindly offered to fit for her, and a case of wine as a thank you.

 

Friday marked the end of June and the completion of the renovations of the properties on the west side of the river, but it was more significant than that for Amelia Williamson as Clive Crossfield was returning to the island, and she couldn’t wait to see him again.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (105) Good Company

 

Elisa Ghelardoni had always been an early riser, so she showered and dressed and after a solitary coffee in the conservatory she set off for a walk down the hill to the river.

She liked the early morning walks, whatever the weather, but even more so on a bright morning while the rest of the world were still in their beds. 

Spaniards Creek was such an idyllic spot and starting out from Cliff Haven she was really spoilt for choice when it came to pleasant walks.

She strode purposefully down the hill her salt and pepper hair dancing about her Swan neck.

 

Once she was on the quayside, she watched the fishing boats heading out to sea and then strolled on towards the bridge from where she followed the riverbank, and continue beyond the village, and just as she left the village behind her, she saw Reverend Henry Noble standing by the bend in the river gazing out across the water.

“You’re up early Vicar” she called but got no response, so called louder

“Morning Vicar!”

But still got no response, so she tapped him on the shoulder

“Morning” she said again, and he jumped and went as white as a sheet.

“Good God” he exclaimed “I nearly had a heart attack”

And then he roared with laughter, a laugh which was so infectious Elisa was soon laughing along with him and their hearty laughter echoed across the water.

“I’m sorry” she said “But I did callout”

“Vaughan Williams” he retorted

“Excuse me?”

“The Lark Ascending” he explained and removed his ear pods

“Oh I see” she said, and they laughed again, then he said

“I’ve really missed this”

“I beg your pardon?” Elisa said

“I haven’t laughed like this since before ….” he began

“I understand” she said

 

They decided to continue their early morning walk together and they were an unlikely looking pair, Victoria possessed an inherent elegance about her, she may have been plain looking, and she spent little or no time on her appearance, she always looked more than presentable.

In stark contrast Henry Noble was a big man, well over six feet tall and built like a rugby player, and he looked as unlike a clergyman as it was possible to get, but he was very eloquent and in Elisa’s humble opinion he had a very cultured voice.

Which she heard a lot over the next half an hour as he spoke at length about his wife’s death and the emptiness he had felt.

“But today when I got up this morning, I felt alive, for the first time since Linda died, I actually felt alive” he said “And that’s why I’m out so early enjoying the beauty in the world, and here we are sharing this wonderful countryside together”

“Beautifully expressed” She remarked and took his arm.

 

When she finally got back to Cliff Haven the household had stirred.

Danny had already got the coffee on, and Molly was in the kitchen boiling eggs and making toast.

“Hi Elisa” she said brightly “Did you have a good walk?”

“Yes, I did”

“You’ve been a long time” Victoria said

“I know it was such a beautiful morning we got a bit carried away” Elisa replied

“We?” Molly asked

“Yes, I bumped into the Vicar” she said

“Really?” Molly said, “How much bumping was involved?”

“Don’t be dirty dear” Elisa said “He’s a man of the cloth”

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (104) Finding a Home

 

On Monday morning the scaffolding went up around the Church and the twelve Church Lane Cottages and Molly felt a great sense of relief.

Which meant she could return to working with Danny on the book with a great weight lifted from her shoulders.

 

Doctor Woodward said the hospital had accommodation available, but that was up near the Hospital, so Victoria ruled that out as she really wanted to stay close to her friendship base in Spaniards Creek.

Harold had suggested she rent the flat above his shop, which was nice and it was fully furnished but she ruled that out as well for two reasons, firstly because it felt a bit like the apartment’s she had in the states, and the second reason was she didn’t really want her boyfriend to be her landlord, and what if their relationship didn’t last, that could lead to awkwardness, and she didn’t want that. 

So she took Molly up on her offer to have one of the renovated properties, so she directed her to Amelia Williamson, and she took one of the stable cottages which had a lovely riverside view.

The only problem was she couldn’t move in until Saturday but Amelia asked Franci Liebenberg to let her in so she could take measurements for curtains and nets etc.

Franci supplied her with a floor plan with dimensions so she could figure out what furniture she could fit in.

“If you want curtain tracks, blinds, towel rails, or kitchen gadgets, fitting get them to me by Friday and I’ll put them up for you” Franci said

“That would be amazing, thank you” Victoria replied

“My pleasure”   

 

She didn’t need to buy much in the way of furniture, the bedroom had built-in wardrobes, dressing table and drawer units, so she just needed a Bed, bedside tables and a chair, and downstairs she had a kitchen/diner/lounge, so a small folding dining table and chairs, either a sofa or two armchairs, a coffee table and a sideboard/dresser.

 

She was able to get most of the things she needed on the island, bedding, towels, curtain rails, curtains, cutlery, China, glass, tablecloths, kitchen bits and bobs, but the bigger items she needed to go further afield.

Harold made regular trips to the mainland in his van to go to the cash and carry to restock the shops, so it was no hardship to offer to do another trip to help her out.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (103) The Wedding

 

Arielle stayed the night at Cliff Haven and got ready for  the wedding there and when it was time to go, Molly entered the room and said excitedly

“Your carriage has arrived”

Arielle hurriedly left the room and as soon as she got outside, she gasped

“It’s beautiful!” Arielle said

“It’s absolutely gorgeous”

“Isn’t it” agreed Molly

The thing they were so enraptured by was a small two-wheeled horse-drawn cart with a small tub body decorated with flowers and inside were two opposite inward-facing seats, it was known as a Governess Cart, Danny had borrowed from Woodside Farm.

It was pulled by a heavy-set white horse and by the horse’s head was stable girl Lisa Scott wearing a tweed hacking jacket and jodhpurs and riding boots.  

“Climb aboard” Lisa said

There was a small, hinged door at the back with a step below George opened the door and Arielle got in first, then Molly and finally George himself.

“We’ll see you there” Danny said and closed the door and then nodded to Lisa.

“Walk on boy” she said, and the horse and cart moved off.

 

It took less than ten minutes for Lisa to lead the Horse and Trap down the hill and along Church Lane to the Church.

George and Molly were chattering away the whole trip, but Arielle didn’t hear a word as she was lost in the magic of it all, she was so happy.

When they reached St Clara’s Lisa halted the cart where the other bridesmaids were waiting.

 

The church was full to overflowing, such was her popularity not merely in the village but across the island and it was a wonderful ceremony and afterwards, even those who didn’t attend the Church waved her off as she and Harry left the Church in a 1930 Bentley Speed Six.

 

The reception was being held at the Beaumont Manor, which was Molly’s wedding present to them along with the wedding night in the Bridal Suite, the Bentley was Danny’s contribution.

 

One of the Wedding Guests was Max Parsons and in order to prevent him from pestering them about the latest chapters, which were well overdue, Molly made sure they were seated out of earshot, so he was as far away as possible and was seated next to St Clara’s Headteacher Margaret Johnson and the striking thirty eight year old redhead kept his attention throughout the reception and beyond, because Danny and Molly saw him sheepishly leaving her room the next morning as they were heading to the restaurant for breakfast.

 

They were laughing as they headed downstairs because they had seen him, but he hadn’t seen them, then Molly suddenly stopped and said with alarm.

“If they become a thing, he might come to the island more often”

“Yes, but he’ll be coming to see the busty redhead, not us” he reassured her, and suitably comforted she thoroughly enjoyed her full English.

 

They stayed at the Hotel long enough to see Arielle and Harry off then they drove home with their wedding clothes and got back just in time to hear Henry Noble deliver his first sermon, then after lunch they both dozed off in front of the TV.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (102) Wedding Plans

 

Reverend Henry Noble arrived in Spaniards Creek on Friday afternoon and there was a tearful reunion between him, and Arielle and they talked into the wee small hours.

 

Stuart Cameron spent his weekend walking well-worn and familiar paths while Deborah was in Sharpington visiting her brother.

There were walks to different parts of the island he wanted to explore but he wanted to save them for when Deborah was back, it was always more enjoyable with her, shopping on his own at Stephenson’s wasn’t as enjoyable on his own either.

When he wasn’t out walking, he was at work on the irregular shaped piece of Perspex they found on one of their walks.

 

Because the wedding was much sooner than Arielle and Harry originally planned there was a lot of “last minute” thinking.

Her dress was not one of the after thoughts however, as she was wearing the same silk wedding dress that her mother and grandmother wore, which was currently in the hands of Lily Nunthorpe in St Pierre who owned a vintage clothes shop, “Then for Now” and specialised in repairing and rejuvenating old garments, as well as stocking a large quantity of Vintage wear.

However there were other things that she didn’t have in her bottom draw, including some very unecclesiastical underclothes.

So following the traditional Barrington Sunday lunch after Church, the ladies of the wedding party Molly, Arielle, Katie, Nikki and Rachel were leaving on a shopping trip to Abbotsford.

“I’m going to miss you” Molly said

“I’m going to miss you too” Danny said and kissed her 

“We’ve never been properly apart before” she said “Not more than a few hours”

“Then this is our test” Danny said

“A test of what?” she asked

“The strength of our love” he said, and they embraced

 

Henry Noble wasn’t just officiating at the wedding he was covering all off her ecclesiastical and parochial duties for the week either side of the wedding and was staying at the vicarage.

 

Elisa Ghelardoni had worked for Sir Avery Arnold for thirty years and although she had lived in America since she was twenty five she was not an America in fact she was a Devonian and after her employer passed she decided to move back to the land of her birth, but as of that moment she had not decided where and all her worldly goods were now in storage awaiting the destination of her choice, wherever that might be.

 

She was a spinster, and by her own admission a bit of a plain Jane, but despite having a difficult start being raised in the care system, she had had an amazing life, and although she has no family, she has a wealth of friends.

She could easily feel sorry for herself, because she had never known romantic love and knew she would never have children, but she was cut from different cloth, she was a “cup half full” type of person.

 

On Monday afternoon she was walking down by the River looking out across the water and the opposite bank beyond bathed in June sunshine when a voice said

“It’s very picturesque isn’t it”

“Oh hello Vicar, yes, it is, its very charming” she replied

“In fact everything here is, on the Island I mean”

“I agree,” he said “I felt it the moment I set foot here”

“I’m going to explore a bit more of the charm along the riverside” she said “Would you care to join me”

“I would” he said and the spent a very pleasant hour or so walking and talking until he had to get back to the church.

 

While the ladies were in Abbottsford shopping Danny George and Sam where sorting out the wedding vehicles, which was why they took the ferry to the mainland on Tuesday to look at some suitable candidates.

 

Headteacher of the village school, Margaret Johnson, was organizing the bouquet, buttonholes and sprays, as well as the flowers for the church, and Church Warden Howard Nelson was organizing the ladies of the parish to decorate the church with them.

 

Victoria was surprised how quick and easy it was to liquidate her existence in a City that had been her home for more than a decade, and the only fly in the ointment was her having to pay three months’ rent in order to terminate the lease early.

Perhaps because she had lived such a nomadic life her entire existence was represented by two suitcases and a dozen boxes, which the shipping agent collected from her appartment.

With water and electricity disconnected she spent her last night on American soil in an airport hotel then eight days after leaving the island Victoria flew home, and that was what convinced her that she was doing the right thing, because it felt like home.

When Victoria caught the early ferry on Thursday she was surprised to find Molly, Arielle, Katie, Nikki and Rachel on the ferry as well.

That evening all the principles met at Molly’s for wine and pizza.

And the next day was hair, facials and nails day and all the ladies travelled to St Pierre for their pampering, and afterwards they picked up Arielle’s wedding dress.  

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (101) Decision’s

 

Bank Holiday Monday was Molly and Danny’s last full day before their guests returned so they made the most of it, it was an inclement day, so they put all their effort into enjoying the day and enjoying each other.

As it turned out they got to do it all again on Tuesday because for a variety of reasons they weren’t going to get the ferry until Wednesday morning and the rest of that day was taken up with Victoria and Elisa telling them every detail of their trip which Molly and Danny enjoyed immensely but the following day in complete contrast, they were very quiet and restful.

 

Friday was Victoria’s 40^th birthday and they were taking her to the Orangery at the Beaumont Manor for dinner and they were being joined by Katie and Nikki Harrison, George Wood, the Vicar, Arielle Nicholas and Harry and Sam Archer.

But just after lunch Harold Jardine paid her a visit and after being invited in, he said   

“I know you're busy tonight, but I just wanted to wish you a very happy birthday and give you a little gift”

Victoria smiled at his embarrassed fidgeting as she unwrapped the present,

“Oh how thoughtful,” she said, “they’re my favourites”.

“I know, I had help” he said, and their eyes met for the first time

“I hope you enjoy them”

And as he turned to walk away it was her turn to blush.

“Thank you” she said and kissed his cheek

“Well I’ll leave you to enjoy the rest of the day and I’ll see you tomorrow”

“Ok bye Harold”

 

“Tomorrow?” Molly asked after he’d gone

“Yes, he’s taking me to dinner tomorrow night” she replied

“For a birthday meal”

“And I suppose it isn’t a date” Elisa commented

“Oh no this one is definitely a date” Victoria replied

 

On Saturday evening Harold knocked on the door of Cliff Haven and then he and Victoria got in the waiting taxi and travelled to St Pierre, and once they got out, he said

“I booked a table at The Gondolier”

“Is that ok?”

“Absolutely” she replied

 

During dinner she told Harold about the job offer at the Bellevue

“You might stay on Beaumont?” he asked hopefully

“Possibly, I’m not sure” she replied undecidedly

“Have you done the pros and cons?”

“I have” Victoria confirmed

“And?”

“Nearly all pros”

“What are the cons?” Harold asked

“Well firstly, I have a life in Colorado, which isn’t a deal breaker, but I have an apartment, such as it is” she explained “And the other one is I don’t have anywhere to live, I can’t stay at Molly’s long term”

“Well I can’t help to resolve the first, but the second one is a different matter, I have a flat over the shop in Spaniards Creek that you could rent” he said   

 

Straight after the Sunday service at St Clara’s and the third reading of the banns, Victoria changed her clothes and shoes and took herself off for walk to clear her mind and think about her future.

Victoria’s favourite walk was beside the Spanish River, but she was not alone in that, but that day she needed to be alone, so she walked in the direction of Beacon Rock so she could think.

Although she had an apartment in Colorado Springs, she had no roots put down anywhere, no family or close friends, no husband or lover, and no contracts to fulfil, so she was free to make the move almost immediately.

Since she’d been on the island, she had experienced feelings she had never had before, she actually felt part of the place, she felt like she belonged, but was she suffering a delusion.

She sat down on a rock beside a stream and as she listened to the babbling of the water she said

“Doctor Woodward said the hospital have accommodation available, Molly said I can have one of the renovated properties and Harold said I can rent the flat above his shop, so I’m not deluded, they really want me to stay.”

 

The next day Victoria phoned Chief of Medicine, Deborah Woodward and said that she was interested in working for her, and later that day they had a formal interview, which lasted several hours.

As a result she was booked on a flight back to Colorado on Wednesday to clear out her apartment and to arrange for her belongings to be shipped to the UK.

She rented a furnished apartment and because of the nature of her work she didn’t have a lot of belongings, there were some items she had inherited from her parents and a few precious items that had been gifted to her from her patient’s grateful family members.

She spent a day sorting through her drawers and closets donating the majority of them to Goodwill and packed the rest into suitcases.

Molly had recommended Here, There & Everywhere Domestic and Business Removals as she had used them when they were leaving the states, so she contacted them before she left and they gave her the details of their US agent, so that was who she used.