The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (142) Damage Report

 

In Manor Row Deborah Woodward received the report on the damage to the House, repairs were going to take four to six weeks as a substantial section of the roof needed to be replaced.

“Oh Hell” she exclaimed

“What’s up?” Stuart asked

“They’re saying a month to six weeks to do the repairs” she replied

“That’s ok, you can stay here as long as you need” he said

“I can’t possibly impose on you for that long” she protested

“Nonsense, its rather nice having company” he retorted and smiled

“What else does it say?”

“They say it’s safe for me to go into that room now, so I can move all my stuff into the spare room and see what’s salvageable and what I need to claim for on the insurance” she said 

“Well I know what we’re doing on Saturday then” Stuart said

“You don’t…” she began but stopped her with a look, so she smiled and said “Thank you”

 

As luck would have it, Adam Jandrell’s Team had just finished work on the Church Lane properties in Spaniards Creek and still had a site presence at St Clara’s Church, so they were in a position to be able to start almost immediately.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (141) Surprise Meeting

Kristina Causer worked at Nelson’s Boat Yard in Spaniards Creek and on Saturday Night she was supposed to be attending a Halloween Fancy Dress party with her Fiancé Martin at the Beaumont Manor, even though it wasn’t actually Halloween until Tuesday.

However, for a combination of reasons she was running late so arranged to meet Martin at the Beaumont and the party was in full swing when Kristina arrived and when she walked into the Ballroom, she was not only late to the party, but it also appeared she was too late to save her engagement.

Because she found her Fiancé Martin otherwise engaged in a very passionate kiss with her cousin Briony.

If Kristina had been surprised by what greeted her in the Ballroom, it was nothing compared to Martin’s surprise when she put her knee into his scrotum and there was definitely a look of surprise on Briony’s face a split second after Kristina slapped it.

With Martin doubled up on the floor, unable to speak and Briony with a scarlet handprint on her face, Kristina stormed out of the hall like a Norse Goddess with her blonde tresses  streaming behind her.

She was like a heat seeking missile and shot straight out into the car park and straight into Dave Glennie who was lost in thought as he walked the other way and they both ended up in a heap on the floor.

“Why don’t you look where you’re going, you idiot” she screamed.

Dave totally ignored Kristina’s angry bile, and instead chose to look at her golden locks shining in the moonlight and her striking blue eyes.  

“Are you ok?” he asked with concern

She looked confused at first and then opened her mouth to launch another tirade of abuse at him but dissolved into tears instead.

Dave took her in his arms and comforted her while she cried her pitiful tears and as they sat on the damp tarmac of the car park in the moonlight she sobbed and dribbled on his costume until their hearts somehow became entwined.

Kristina spent that night at his cottage, in his bed, while he slept on the sofa. 

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (140) Zoey’s in the office

 

When Lawrence Gilbert and Brian Baker opened their new Chandlery premises at the Old Mill in Spaniards Creek, he was particularly pleased that they were moving in next door to Baker’s Tree Surgery, who were one of the first tenants to move in, back in June.

The reason for that was Lawrence’s partiality for Vicki Baker, who was his partner Brian’s sister, but he hadn’t been able to separate her from her brother and fellow tree surgeon Nathan or her best friend and colleague Zoey Bargeman, long enough to ask her out. 

He had known her for many years, but it wasn’t until he moved to the island that his feelings towards her changed.

 

So on Monday morning when Lawrence and Brian arrived at their unit, Brian went straight inside, but Lawrence was surprised and delighted to see Vicki was walking towards her pickup, so he thought he would take full advantage of the situation.

“Hi Vicki” he said

“Oh hello” she replied “Zoey’s in the office”

“Ok that’s good to know” he said “but it was you I wanted to talk to”

“Me?” she said incredulously

“Yes you” he replied

“Why?” she asked

“Why do you think?” he said

“Oh I understand” she said with a sigh “you want her phone number I suppose”

“No” Lawrence replied with surprise “Why would I want her number?”

“Everybody always wants her number” she replied “Which is a waste really, as she never wants to go out with any of them, she’s only ever had eyes for Brian”

“Really?”

“Yes”

“Well no I do not want her number” he said

“Now I’m confused” Vicki said, “Do you want to ask her out or not?”

“No! I wanted to ask you out” he explained

“Me?” she said incredulously

“Yes you” he replied

“I’ve been wanting to ask you out for ages but you’re always working or you’re with Zoey and I never get a look in”

“Seriously?” she asked 

“Yes” he replied “So?”

“So what?”

“Will you go out with me?” Lawrence asked

“Yes” she said and grinned from ear to ear

“I’m free tonight”

“Great” he responded “Dinner?”

“Lovely” she acquiesced 

“Where do you fancy?” he asked

“How about The Cherry Blossom?”

“Ok, do you want me to pick you up?” Lawrence asked

They both lived in St Pierre but on opposite sides of the town and the restaurant was equidistant between them.

“Why don’t we meet there” Vicki replied

“Great, I’ll see you there then” he said and walked toward the building.

“Lawrence?” she called, and he stopped and walked n

back 

“Yes” he replied

“In order to seal the deal” she said “shouldn’t there be a kiss”

“You want a kiss?” he asked

“Yes please” she replied

“Anything to oblige” Lawrence said and kissed her

 

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (139) Birthday Salutations

 

On Thursday evening Molly and Danny returned to the island in time for her 24^th birthday the next day and were on the last ferry of the day and drove through the rain to Spaniards Creek and had an early night.

 

They rose late the next morning and after serving her breakfast in bed he wished her happy birthday again and so they were even later rising, so much so that she didn’t have time to open her presents from Danny before they had to leave for the Orangery.

When they arrived at the Beaumont Manor, George, Katie, Sam and Nikki were already at the table and Arielle and Harry joined them shortly afterwards.

 

After the usual birthday salutations Katie asked

“So what wonderful present did he get you this time?”

“Whatever it was, he didn’t get it from me” Sam Archer said

“I haven’t had chance to open my presents yet” she replied, and Katie raised an eyebrow

“But he did give me this” Molly added extended her left hand for them to see the ring, and after the squeals and congratulations had died down the engagement was all they wanted to talk about.

 

She did get to open her presents later that day but there were more birthday and engagement celebration with friends over the weekend.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (138) The Tempest

 

While Molly and Danny were sunning themselves on the white Sardinian sands, the Pepperstock Bay Islands were taking a battering from an autumn storm, which in the early hours of Wednesday morning brought part of an oak tree down in Manor Row which ended up going through Deborah Woodward’s bedroom window.

Fortunately she wasn’t at home at the time as she was on a night shift, but she got a nasty shock when she got home at 8 o’clock even though Stuart Cameron had phoned her.

 

The fire service was in attendance when she got home and she was greeted by part time firefighters Frazer Richmond, who she knew from the hospital as he was also a paramedic, and Adrian Robinson.

The damage was much worse than she expected, the huge oak bough had indeed gone through her bedroom window, but it had taken a big chunk of wall as it did so, and there was substantial damage to the roof as well.

Frazer and Adrian had secured a tarpaulin over the damage in order to keep the elements out, but the tree was still in situ as it was still partially attached to the tree.

“Is it safe to go in?”

“I wouldn’t recommend it until the tree has been removed” Frazer replied

“Can I at least go in and pack a bag?” she asked

“Yes, but don’t go into that bedroom” Frazer said, and she let herself in.

 

Deborah returned about ten minutes later carrying a large suitcase and a small holdall, she paused briefly to lock the door and then she walked up the path. 

The rest of the crew had stowed their gear on the vehicle and Frazer and Adrian had been joined by Stuart.

“Have you got everything you need?” Frazer asked 

“Yes, I think so” she replied despondently

“Where are you going to stay?” Adrian asked

“The Hotel I suppose” she replied

“Nonsense” Stuart interjected “I’ve made up the bed in the spare room”

“Are you sure?” she asked

“Absolutely” he replied as he took her suitcase

“Bless you” she said

“And thank you guys as well”

“No problem” Frazer said “The Baker’s will be along in a little while”

“Who are the Baker’s?” she asked

“The tree surgeons”

 

It was midmorning when Brother and Sister, Nathan and Vicki Baker arrived in Manor Row, it was not their first job of the day.

There were five siblings in the Baker family, but only two of them were tree surgeons, and they lived together in St Pierre in a large Victorian house, with rooms over 4 floors, since the substantial loft space had been converted into another bedroom, and there was also a cellar that was used as the movie/games room.

Their parents had retired to Spain and left the house to the five children equally, and it was built by one of their ancestors, and was something of a monstrosity, but it was home.

 

They soon set to work and quickly dealt with the problem bough, before dealing with any loose or damaged branches on the tree itself, and just as they had finished loading the last of the lumber onto the pickup, Adam Jandrell and Franci Liebenberg arrived to do a full inspection and make the tarpaulin secure after the tree was gone. 

 

Once they had finished in Manor Row Nathan and Vicki drove back to Spaniards Creek and unloaded the wood in the yard, where it would be cut and dried to sell as firewood by local girl Zoey Bargeman, who began working for the Baker’s within a week of them moving in.

Apart from working for them, stunningly attractive Zoey spent a lot of her spare time with Vicki, and they became great friends as they were both 25 years old and had a lot in common.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (137) Romantic Italy

 

Lawrence Gilbert and Brian Baker had been friends all their lives and when they left school aged sixteen, they both started working for a Chandler’s in Pipershaven and ten years later they decided to go out on their own and were doing very well for themselves, in a much smaller way than the company they had worked for, but after three years they had established themselves in St Pierre and in mid-October they opened a second premises at the Old Mill in Spaniards Creek, next door to Baker’s Tree Surgery, who were one of the first tenants to move in, back in June.

 

The Hotel Danny and Molly were staying in had a wonderful view over the bay of Naples and Capri beyond and as the scented sea breeze gently caressed her brunette hair Danny thought he had finally found the right moment in the right venue.

So on Friday Evening as they were gazing at the spectacular sunset he said

“Molly, I have to ask you something”

“What’s that?” she replied without looking at him

“Well it’s something I’ve been trying to ask you about for the last week” he added

“Well what is it?” Molly asked still staring at the sunset

“Perhaps this will give you a clue” he said putting a small package on the table and she turned to look

“It’s not my birthday for another week” she said and looked away again

“This is a different kind of gift” he said

“I’m not opening it until my birthday” she insisted

“Please”

“Definitely not” she replied  

“Molly Barrington, will you please do what you’re told when I’m asking you to marry me” he said

“What?” Molly exclaimed and turned around

“But if you don’t want to marry me, then I’ll take it back to the shop”

“No, no you can’t do that” she said in a panic

“No, the moment has passed” he said

“But you have to marry me” she pleaded, “You asked me, so you can’t take it back”

“I feel a bit silly now, but ok, will you …” he began said

“Yes, Yes, and Yes” she screamed and threw her arms around his neck.

He rummaged in his pocket and gave her the package and said

“You’d better have this then”

She snatched it from his hand and ripped the packaging to threads to expose a ring box.

Her hands were shaking as she snapped the lid back and when she saw the contents she gasped

“If you don’t like it, we can buy another ring together”

“It’s beautiful, I’ll keep it forever” she said and kissed him, and it was the kind of kiss that meant that they wouldn’t see any more of the sunset.

 

After celebrating their engagement rather spectacularly the night before they decided they had had enough of sightseeing so they thought they would take the ferry to Sardinia and have a bit of relaxion on the beach for the last five days of their holiday.   

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (136) Good Friend’s and Artisan’s

 

The beginning of the second week of October Molly and Danny left Beaumont Island for a short holiday in Italy, and their first stop was Venice.

They stayed at the Palazzo Canova and from there they did all the touristy stuff, a romantic cruise in a gondola along the Grand Canal, the Rialto Bridge and fish market, St Marks's Basilica, the Bridge of Sighs and the grandiose Doge's Palace.

They enjoyed it well enough, and the Hotel was excellent, but he wasn’t feeling how he wanted to feel in a city fabled for its romance.

 

Molly enjoyed the sightseeing in Venice, and they talked in loose terms of what Sharon Jacques or Frazer Markham might get up to, but Venice hadn’t really lived up to their expectations.

So after two chilly nights they decided to get on the train and three hours later they were in Rome, and it was everything they expected it to be and more, but it still didn’t tick one important box for Danny.

 

Tracey Moran and Penny Keats were lifelong best friends and were inseparable, and every milestone they had reached in their lives had been reached together.

They lived in Spaniards Creek and had both recently had their 18^th birthdays and were in their last week before going off to university.

Their parents were not well off so they had got all the grants and bursaries that were available to them and being hard workers, they earned every penny they could to fund the shortfall.      

Since their early teens they had worked as Stable Girls at Woodside Farm and as soon as they turned 18, they started doing bar work at Philips Folly in the village.

It was while they were working at the Folly that they first saw Ben Arscott and Paul Young on Thursday evening and they were instantly attracted to them.

 

Ben and Paul were not islanders and were in Spaniards Creek to work on St Clara’s as they were apprentice Artisan Stone Mason’s, and they too liked what they saw, and as trade was slow due to the inclement weather there was plenty of time for chatting up.

 

On Friday it was a busier night, but they still kept a watchful eye on the girls during the evening and even chatted them up some more, but it wasn’t until Saturday night when they were at bar and noticed Tracey head off in the direction of the smoking area, and they nodded to each other, so Paul went in search of Tracey while Ben walked briskly over to where Penny was standing. 

 

Ten minutes later Ben walked back to the bar just as Tracey returned from outside, accompanied by Paul who then returned to their pints.

“Well?” Tracey asked when she returned to her friend.

“Well, what?” Penny replied

“Did Ben ask you?” Tracey asked

“Yes” she said excitedly, and they hugged

“But how did you know?”

“Paul told me” She replied

“But how did he know?”

“Ben told him?” Tracey said

“Oh”

“Anyway, Paul told me” She said “and then he kissed me”

“Where?” asked Penny, wide eyed with curiosity

“On the lips stupid”

“No, I mean, where?” she explained “Where were you when he kissed you”

“Oh outside” Tracey clarified

“What were you doing outside?” Penny asked “Apart from being kissed”

“Well, I went to the smoking area” Tracey explained “and when I came back in Paul was there waiting for me and he told me not to go back to the bar because Ben was asking you out”

She paused for breath and then continued

“Which was taking forever by the way, and we were blocking the door, so he suggested we went outside to get out of the way and that was when he kissed me, in the moonlight, it was very romantic”

“Wow” Penny responded “And did he ask you out as well?

“Yes” she said excitedly, and they hugged again

“Who’d of thought it, I have a date with an Artisan”

Penny said

“Me too” Tracey squealed just as the last bell rang.

 

In Rome, Molly and Danny had seen all the sights the great City had to offer until their feet were sore, so they decided they needed a change of pace by Sunday.  

So after 5 days in the eternal City they sat on the terrace of the Palazzo Canova Hotel drinking Wine Danny and asked

“So where to next?”

And the words had barely left his lips when she said 

“Naples”

“That was very definite” he said, and she grinned

“Naples it is then”

 

So the next morning after breakfast they got the train from Rome and an hour and a half later, they were in Napoli.

“See Naples and die” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once famously said.

Well Molly and Danny did see Naples and they didn’t die, but they enjoyed amongst other things the ruins of Pompeii, Mt Vesuvius and a day trip to Capri.