The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (132) Surprises and Endeavours

 

The next day after Frank Neary and Maya Davenport shared a goodbye kiss, and Frank was walking away, Maya suddenly said

“Oh Frank I almost forgot”

“What?” he said and turned around

“Violeta wants you to pop into the shop, sooner rather than later,” she said

“Ok”

He had to admit he was a little intrigued, but he would have to wait until the next day to find out what Violeta had to share that was so important.

 

Violeta and Arron were outside the shop arranging the assortment of goods on display.

“Hello, you two” Frank said brightly

“Frank” she said excitedly and ran towards me.

“Frank” she said again “Arron darling Frank’s here”

“Frank” Arron said as he offered his hand

They were both in a state of great excitement

“Is everything ok?” he asked

“Oh yes” Violeta said grinning from ear to ear, then after an exchange of looks between them and a nod from Arron she waved her slender hand under his nose and displayed the sparkling engagement ring.

“We wanted you to be the first to know” Violeta said and then danced excitedly on the spot, then after a quick glance at Arron they said together

“We are engaged”

“Isn’t it wonderful?” Aunt Louisa said as she stepped out of the shop

“Congratulations” he said shaking hands with Arron

“Congratulations” he said again kissing Violeta “I couldn’t be more pleased”

And he really couldn’t have been more pleased, especially with himself as he had engineered the union unbeknown to both parties.

After leaving the lovebirds he continued on his way to work.

 

Rachel Musson was a very stern looking young woman with short brown hair, who managed the commercial side of the Yacht Club in Sharpington.

Her attire was always dour, and drab and she never smiled, and peered superciliously over her spectacles at everyone, and was universally believed that she was not a joyful person.

William Bailey was the treasurer of the club, and they exchanged pleasantries, if you could call them that, but nothing more than that.

However, one weekend a month they travelled independently to the Beaumont Manor Hotel on the island, where they entertained one another, while her normal dour and drab attire was replaced by much more exotic garb.

 

While the Island was enjoying an Indian summer Molly and Danny’s near miss with Max Parsons the previous week threw them into a blind panic.

So they spent Monday to Friday working frantically to get the Sharon Jacques Book back on track and worked from early every morning and burnt the midnight oil, and when they were done Molly said

“Wow that’s good stuff”

“I agree,” Danny said “perhaps we should work like this all the time” 

They looked at each other for about 10 seconds and they both said simultaneously

“Nah”

 

Elisa and Henry were staying on St Giles for the weekend so Molly and Danny could have a chilled-out weekend which was just what they needed after the kind of frantic week they’d just had.

In the final week of September the Island was still enjoying an Indian summer as the harvest came to an end while they had a more restrained week of writing and by Saturday, they were ready to take a trip up to see Max after the weekend.

 

Midday on Monday Molly and Danny left St Pierre on the ferry when the weather broke, and it rained all the way

to Applesford where they stayed overnight at the flat.

It was still raining heavily when they set off again the next day, but it had eased off by the time they got to Abbotsford.

They booked straight into the Regents Hotel and had a relaxing remainder of the day then met up with Max on Wednesday and he was delighted with their output and over dinner that night they announced that they were taking the rest of the month off, which he took surprisingly well.

They spent Thursday in Abbottsford and did some shopping and in the evening had dinner and went to the theatre.

The weather on the return journey on Friday was atrocious so they overnighted at the flat again and got the ferry back to the island on Saturday morning in the sunshine.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (131) Assignation’s

 

On Tuesday Danny received a message from his publisher

Max Parsons to say he was visiting the island which threw them into a panic because they had allowed themselves to be side tracked from the Sharon Jacques Book that they had been  working on and had turned their attentions to a Fraser Markham story instead.

 

As it turned out he wasn’t there to pester them about the latest chapters, which were well overdue, he was there to see St Clara’s Headteacher Margaret Johnson.

Max had been seated next to the striking redhead at Arielle and Harry Archer’s wedding reception and they spent the first of many nights together, and it was the busty redhead that had drawn him to the island.

 

On Wednesday, single parent Billy Forster walked his daughter Kayleigh to school and made sure that he made eye contact with her teacher Maureen Morrow who smiled knowingly at him.

When he had kissed Kayleigh goodbye, and she went inside he stood beside her teacher.

“Hello Miss Morrow” he said

“Hello Mr Forster” she replied a little flustered.

“So you have a busy day today then, with it being parents evening” he said

“Yes, busy and late” She replied “Not quite burning the midnight oil though”

“But quite late” he mused

“Yes,” she replied with a blush “No later than 9 o’clock”

“I’ll bear that in mind Maureen” he whispered then much louder he added “Goodbye”

Then he walked back home safe in the knowledge that their assignation had been arranged.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (130) Changing GP

 

Austin Freshwater had been away from the island for almost a week, but she didn’t get to see him until the Monday of the following week when he walked into the Gilbert.

“Hello stranger” she said and smiled

“Hi Caroline” he said

“Sit down and I’ll get your coffee” she said so he complied

When she returned, she was carrying two coffee’s and she sat down opposite him.

After a brief conversation about his family and what had taken him to the mainland she said 

“I have a pair of tickets for Madam Butterfly, in Abbottsford, it’s not Covent Garden, but it’s a good company”

“Oh, yes?”

“I would like to take you on your birthday” she said nervously

“What as a birthday present or a date?” he asked

“Well both” Caroline replied

“Then I can’t” he said

“Oh” she expressed disappointedly  

“I can’t go on a date with you” Austin replied “you’re my patient”

“Ah and that’s a problem?” she asked

“Yes, it wouldn’t be proper” he said “Or ethical”

“We meet for lunch and coffee all the time,” She pointed out

“And that’s fine, as we meet as friends” he said

“But it’s a shame to waste a ticket” she persisted “Its Puccini”

“I’m afraid I can’t, you will have to invite someone else” he said “or change your Doctor”

“Ok” Caroline said and got up

“Oh that wasn’t quite what I had in mind” he said to himself as he watched her walk away.

 

When he got back to the Saxvirdan surgery he settled himself in his consulting room and was updating some records when there was a knock on his door.

“Come in” he called

When the door opened, he saw it was fellow Doctor Stuart Cameron.

“Hi Stuart, how are you?”

“That would depend” he responded

“Oh?”

“Is there something you need to tell me?” he asked

“Why?”

“One of your patients has just requested a change of Doctor,” Said Stuart

“Oh, Which patient?”

“Caroline Wells”

“Really?” he said “That really is excellent news”

“So is there a problem with her?” Stuart asked

“Is she a bunny boiler or the village idiot?”

“On the contrary” Austin said “She’s neither”

“So why did she request a change?”

“So she can take me to the opera” Austin replied and smiled

Stuart just shook his head and left, and Austin was smiling broadly as the door closed behind him.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (129) While Aunties Away

 

Poppy Nunthorpe went to the University of Downshire where she did Business Studies in Abbottsford and it was for her, like many girls of her age, a life defining time.

She was in halls for the first year and she shared with three other girls from Beaumont Island, Stacey Jackson, a tall, beautiful and kindly brunette girl, her cousin Paige Chapman, a skinny flat chested girl, who was beautiful but painfully shy and Nicole Wilson a quiet busty brunette.

All four of the girls were studying different subjects, but their strong friendship resulted from their shared history as islanders, and as they got on so well the four of them decided very early on to rent a house between them for the second and third years.

 

Poppy was five foot eight with long cascading red hair, and mesmerizing green eyes, a heart melting smile, a gorgeous figure, substantial breasts and a pert derriere, all gracefully underpinned by stunning legs.

Out of all the girls Poppy was the only one of them who had a boyfriend when they first arrived on campus during fresher’s week.

Tyler Simmons was four years older than Poppy and had already been through university.

He was literally the boy next door for her, and she had loved him since she was 12 years old but because she was younger and was a skinny tomboy with braces on her teeth, she was invisible to him.

She finally got him in the summer before she went off to Abbottsford and she had his heart, body and soul.

 

After University Tyler got a job at Accountants Webster and Lindstrom in Pipershaven, and rented a flat there, but he returned to St Pierre every weekend to his parent’s house, and to see Poppy.  

Poppy Lived with her Aunt Lily but she was away on a dirty weekend with David Lee on the mainland, which is why on Sunday he knocked on the front door of her house, but there was no reply, so he knocked again and was just about to ring her when the door opened, though only a crack, and Poppy peered around the door at him.

“Hi babe, I was beginning to think you weren’t in” he said

“Hello Mr. Simmons” she said in a lispy Violet Elizabeth voice “Mummy and Daddy aren’t here”

“Oh” he said and then it dawned on him that little Poppy wanted to play dress up “Can I come in”

“Yeth” she lisped and opened the door.

As he closed the door, she stood in the hall with her red hair tied in pigtails and was wearing her old school uniform.

“Do you like my uniform?” she asked as she stood pigeon toed in her stocking feet with her hands behind her back.

“Yes, you look very pretty” he answered as he took his coat off.

“Would you like to see my room?” Poppy asked

“Yes please” he replied, and she darted upstairs so he followed the giggling schoolgirl.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (128) Lust Ahoy

As much as Jodie liked Mats and Daniel and spending time with them  it was sometimes a relief to do something without them and enjoyed it when she could get out on her own or to do something with Sally.

 

Fortunately on their days off Daniel and Mats were late risers and as Jodie was always up with the lark, she managed to get away well before they surfaced.

Sometimes she would just set off through the wood or take the dinghy out and sail up and down on Roman Water Lake or on other days she would get on her bike and explore the island.

However on a Saturday at the beginning of September she had arranged to meet Sally by Roman Water Lake.

 

Even though it was the beginning of September it was still quite a mild and sunny day with a gentle breeze.

Jodie was the experienced sailor of the two, because she had been brought up by parents who loved to sail, and her mother Debbie still moored her sloop down in Spaniards Creek and they often went out together.

That day however they were in a dinghy, and she took the tiller and Sally just went along for the ride, they noticed they were not the only craft on the lake, there was another dinghy close by, but they couldn’t make out who the occupants were.

After about half an hour Jodie noticed the other dinghy appeared to be on the same tack as them but was making better headway.

On closer inspection Jodie realised it was Geoff Chapman and Adam Jackson from Crag Edge Farm.

“We’ve got company” Jodie shouted

“Are they pirates?” Sally asked and chuckled

“No they’re yummy farmers” she replied

“Oh goody, yummy pirates” Sally said in a lecherous manner.

When they were a few lengths astern of them Jodie let her sail go slack and a few moments later the other boat did the same and they came along side.

“Hi” Adam said from the tiller “We’ve been looking for you”

“Really” Jodie said

“Yes, we went to the farm and your mum said you were on the water” Adam said “so we came out on our boat”  

“Now you’ve found us what do you suggest we do?” Jodie asked the other captain

“We could change crew” he suggested

“What a great idea” Jodie said and was about to give Sally the heads up just as her friend was literally jumping ship.

Once aboard she relieved Adam who was holding the two craft together and he stepped effortlessly from one boat to the next.

“We’ll meet back at our jetty at one o’clock” she said to Geoff.

“Aye, aye captain” he said and pushed off.

They spent the next hour and a half racing up and down the lake until they both came to a halt alongside the jetty.

“That was fun” Sally said as she stepped onto terra firma

“We can do it again later” Geoff suggested

“Or we could just go into St Pierre to the pictures and a meal afterwards” Jodie countered

“That sounds even better” Sally said enthusiastically

“We’ll pick you up at two” Adam said as their dinghy drifted away

“Make it 2.30” Jodie shouted and then her and Sally waved them off.

“That was very well played” Sally said

“Not bad eh” Jodie retorted “Now we need make ourselves gorgeous” 

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (127) Love Letter’s

 

Correspondence continued between Jade Bargeron and Matt Deighton until the first week in September when Matt returned home.

His first port of call on Friday, after dumping his bags in his room was the Galleon and when he approached the shop, he looked through the window and sighed when he saw Jade.

She hadn’t seen him as she was serving another customer and he stared, mesmerised by her loveliness as he drank in the picture.

It was the thought of seeing her looking like that, which had got him through the training.

He pushed open the door and the little bell rang which caused her to throw a glance at the door.

There was a moment of hesitation and then the comprehension of what she was seeing spread across her face and she smiled.

“I’ll be with you in a moment sir” she said and went behind the counter.

Matt sat down at his normal table where he could keep Jade in full view as she finished serving a table of middle-aged women.

Jade turned around and walked to his table, but kept her eyes averted in case she gave away just how much she had missed him.

She had not wanted to miss him, Jade had not even intended going out with him, he was older than her for a start, but then she hadn’t intended to go out with anyone, she didn’t think she was ready to have a serious boyfriend.

But she did go out with him, and she really did miss him.

His love emails to her were wonderful, she would keep them forever, but he was there in the Coffee Shop in the flesh.

 

Lynn kept her eyes down until the very last second, determined to maintain her composure.

But as soon as her eyes met his she turned to jelly.

“Hello” she said soppily

“Hi” he said grinning like a half wit

“What can I get you” she asked desperately trying to keep her cool.

“A kiss” he whispered

“That’s not on our menu” she said and giggled

“I’ll get you a Coffee, for now” then she blushed at her forwardness.

 

Matt waited outside for her until closing time and walked her home, the long way round.

“Can I see you tonight?” Matt asked

“I can’t tonight” she replied “I have choir practice”

“Oh” he said

“But it’s my day off tomorrow” Jade said “we could do something then”

“That would be great” he said

“I was going to go shopping in St Pierre” she said “we could go to the pictures after that if you like”

“I don’t care what we do as long as I’m with you” he replied and then he got his kiss.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (126) September

 

September

On Friday the first of September Frank and Maya did the cash and carry run in the shop van, and when they returned to the shop Violeta opened the rear door to the shop while Frank opened the back doors of the van.

“Arron, Arron” she called, and the amiable young man appeared.

“Yes Violeta” he said attentively

“Can you help Maya unload the van please” she asked kindly “So Frank can return home”

“Yes Violeta” he said surprised at being asked to do something rather than be ordered to “of course Violeta”

He looked at Frank and he nodded sagely, and Arron smiled before going about his task.

Frank patted him on the shoulder and said

“She’s warming to you Arron”

Then he stroked Maya’s arm and said

“And I’ll see you later”

 

On Saturday Stuart Cameron was alone at home as his friend and walking companion was working all weekend.

So Stuart continued working on the piece of Perspex they found on one of their walks.

It was about the size of a cigarette packet and was made of some kind of transparent plastic.

So Stuart had been fashioning a Celtic Cross and a dolphin from the piece as gifts for her birthday and Christmas.

Deborah had a faith, but she was not a churchgoer, it was hatches, matches and dispatches only for her.

He had been working on it since June and on Sunday he had done everything he could do himself.   

One of his patients, Daniel White, made jewelry as a hobby so on Sunday he drove out to Longlake Farm so that he could finish off the pieces with gold mountings so they could be worn on a chain.

 

It was another full week of writing up at Cliff Haven as it had been the last two weeks in August as they were in such a rich vein of creativity.

 

Austin Freshwater returned to the island in the middle of the week after he had to go to the mainland for a family emergency.

 

On Thursday Frank decided to call in at Martini’s on the way to work, just to see Maya and to see how Violeta was coping after the death of her Uncle and as he walked into the shop, he could distinctly hear giggling coming from behind the bead curtain at the back of the shop.

He was met by a smiling Maya who kissed him and said

“That’s loves young dream”

“Ah” he exclaimed “no need to ask if she’s bearing up then”

“She’s doing just find” she answered and gave him a wink

“I’ll go to work then” he said, and kissed her “see you later babe”

“Bye Frank” she replied still smiling