The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (149) Beginnings

 

When Emma Jane Ratcliffe was approaching her twenty first birthday Blake Ramsey wasn’t at all surprised-on Monday to get an invitation, they had after all been friends since nursery school.

It had clearly been established that Emma Jane was one of the popular group, Blake was in no uncertain terms, not.

He was not athletic, artistic, or sexy but they did have intelligence in common and his forte was science, in particular Physics.   

So under normal circumstances, friendship and intelligence aside, why would one of the popular girls invite a Science geek to her 21st birthday party?

Anyone not close to her could be forgiven if they were surprised but Blake was not.

They would have been further surprised when it turned out he was only one of six guests at the party, one of those being Emma Jane herself.

Though for Blake it certainly wasn’t a surprise knowing her as he did, she was never a flashy person, so she didn’t want a big flashy party with lots of superficial friends.

 

In the days following the engagement party at the Beaumont, Dale Power couldn’t get Eden Hills out of his head, and by the Tuesday he was totally smitten.

His Dad was a massive Star Trek fan and when he was a child he watched the films with his Dad, and when he first saw Eden, he was taken back to his childhood when he watched the first Star Trek movie.

In the movie there was an alien character, Lieutenant Ilia, onboard the Enterprise, played by Persis Khambatta, and she was completely bald, and in his adolescent sexual awakening the sexy bald alien featured heavily in his fantasies.

Since meeting Eden at the party his youthful yearning had been rekindled and he looked forward to seeing her again, and as she worked with the horses at Woodside Farm, and he worked for the only Blacksmith’s on the island the chances of them meeting again were very high.

 

While Dale was fantasizing about Eden, Michelle Kendal was doing the same about his older brother.

She was approaching twenty-four, was five feet two with brunette hair and an olive complexion and she had it bad for Mark Power.

He was a couple of years older than her, and they had known each other for a few years because she worked with horses and he shooed their horses, but she hadn’t been able to make that count.

Even when they both attended the same engagement party, she couldn’t get close enough to him, for long enough to seal the deal.

However, on Wednesday she found out that he had also been invited to a mutual friend’s birthday drinks in Spaniards Creek that Friday, and that offered her an opportunity that she wasn’t going to waste.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (148) The Hair of the Dog

 

Molly and Danny were among those who had decided to stay the night at the hotel after the engagement party as they were attending the Remembrance Service in St Pierre the next morning, so it just made sense to stay.    

 

When they were on the way to breakfast the next morning, they met Elisa coming out of her room

“Hello, you two” she said

“Hello Elisa” Molly said and kissed her just as Carolyn Livingston appeared bleary eyed from her room.

“My goodness you look a little green around the gills” 

“This is nothing, you should see Howard” Carolyn said

“But he’s supposed to be taking part in the remembrance parade” Molly said, “Is he going to be alright?”

“You’d better judge for yourselves” she said and unlocked the door to her room, and they saw Howard Nelson standing in front of them looking like death warmed over. 

“Good God” Molly said

“Heavens above” exclaimed Elisa, who after a moment took charge

“Right I think we can get you sorted out”

Elisa turned on her heels and went back into her room and returned a minute or two later, by which time they were all in the room, so she joined them and closed the door

“I have just the thing for what ails you Howard” she said

Elisa was a great believer in herbal remedies and concoctions, and she had in her hand a medicine bottle with an ominous coloured substance in it.

“This will sort you out” she said

“I’ll try anything” Howard said pitifully and was about to sit on the bed

“No don’t sit” Elisa commanded forcefully,

“Why?”

“You need to be ready to move” Elisa said and handed the glass bottle to Howard

“Take a good slug of that”

“And then what?” he asked

“You’ll know what” Elisa replied, and he took a good long slug on the bottle and then licked his lips before saying

“That’s not as bad as it lo….”

He never finished the sentence as he turned a funny shade of puce and headed for the toilet.

The noises that came from behind the bathroom door were their cue to leave, so they closed the door behind them and headed down to breakfast.

 

When Howard appeared in reception some fifty minutes after consuming the foul concoction he looked much more like his old self, and twenty minutes after that he was fit to be seen in church, or more precisely the church parade.

 

It was a bright sunny morning outside St Pierre’s church where the Townspeople were thronging around the war memorial as the Remembrance Day parade, with clergy from the three churches on the islands, St Pierre, St Joan of Arc and St Clara’s, representatives of all the services, both civil and Military, a proud bunch of Old soldiers, all arms of the scouting fraternity, local dignitaries et al, came to a halt.

A religious service followed and then the assembled duly paid its tribute to the fallen in the time-honoured fashion.

 

As he looked on, Danny felt a little humbled after honouring those men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice, and if they had known the outcome, their actions would not have differed.

He wondered if the modern generation would be so resolute faced with the same challenges, and sadly he thought it doubtful.

But the whole occasion had left him feeling that he had to further explore that theme in the book.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (147) The Engagement Party

 

After the Guy Fawkes weekend it was time to get back to writing, and after their Italian adventure they had plenty of ideas to weave into their story, which kept them gainfully employed right through to the weekend.

 

On Saturday night they were invited to a party at the Beaumont Manor to celebrate Church Warden Howard Nelson’s engagement to Architect Carolyn Livingston.

It was a big function as they were both in their forties and had a lot of friends on the island.

The party guests were a mixed bunch of the Godly and the heathen, the old and the young, the sublime and the ridiculous.

 

Among the guests were Dale and Mark Power who worked at their dad’s Blacksmiths business on Roman Road, and they were standing by the bar when the girls from Woodside Farm arrived.

Michelle Kendal, April Portnall and Eden Hills all worked at the Woodside Farm stables in one capacity or another and were all in their twenties. 

Michelle was five feet two with brunette hair and an olive complexion and her friend, April, was an inch shorter with Jet-black hair and alabaster skin, and the third girl Eden who was a new arrival to the farm, was five feet eight and was completely bald, and they were followed in by Horse Breeder Natasha Baker.

 

The only one of the groups that Dale didn’t know was Eden. who was the youngest by a few years and was only in her early twenties, and he thought she was remarkably striking because she was not only bald but also appeared to be completely devoid of any hair at all, no eyebrows, arm hair and he couldn’t help wondering if there was nothing down there as well.

Obviously curious as to how or why and he thought he might ask her later once the booze began to flow, not necessarily about “down there” but if she were to volunteer the information he wouldn’t mind.

 

Also attending the party were Blake Ramsey and Emma Jane Ratcliffe.

Anyone who looked closely at Emma Jane Ratcliffe couldn’t help but see why she was one of the most popular girls at school.

Her Elphin face had a shape and symmetry that was easy on the eye and her figure was to die for.

Although there were girls who were more classically beautiful, they didn’t have any of the character of Emma Jane’s.

Her silky red hair shone and shimmered as she moved her head and her brown eyes bore into your soul when you met their gaze.

As if her unique beauty was not enough, she was also athletic, artistic, intelligent and sexy.

Everyone, boy or girl, that ever met her fell instantly in love with her.
But Blake had been in love with her since before she blossomed.

Despite all the attention though Emma Jane managed to keep everyone of the suitors at bay which led to the rumour that she played for the other side.

Blake never believed that for a moment and he had known her longer than anyone, because Emma Jane Ratcliffe was the girl next door and she had lived there since she was three and they had been best friends since the beginning, but they were never more than that.

 

While Dale was musing about Eden’s nether regions, Saddle maker Oliver Kingham’s eye, as always, was turned on Natasha Baker.

On the farm she always wore jodhpurs and boots but that night she was wearing a dress and high heels.

As she was not used to such footwear, when she walked, they forced her to lean forward from the waist and as a consequence she thrust her buttocks out behind her which he thought was rather delicious.

 

It was a good night and there was a lot of laughing, drinking and dancing during the evening, but it was quite loud and wasn’t the ideal place for chatting, although  connections were made, but at the end of the evening, they went their separate ways.  

Some of the guests were staying the night but most were either picked up or shared taxis.

 

While he was waiting his turn in reception, he watched Eden get in a taxi with some friends and Dale said

“Damn”

“What’s wrong?” Asked Michelle

“I never did ask Eden why she was bald” he replied

“She fell out of a tree when she was six” she stated

“Oh” he responded and was about to speak when Michelle interrupted

“And she’s bald down there as well”

“I wasn’t going to ask that” he protested

“But you were curious though, weren’t you” she continued, and Dale nodded.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (146) Guy Fawkes

 

November

On the first of November after a pleasant breakfast Molly and  walked slowly down Cliff Top Road until they reached Church Lane, and then they followed the lane that wound its way around the cottages for about 100 yards.

Molly was feeling very pleased with herself as they passed the renovated cottages, with new roofs, solar panels, double glazing, guttering and external decorations.

When they reached the plateau where St Clara’s Church stood, it was not as picturesque as it was the first time she saw it, as it was still clad in scaffolding, and she looked forward to seeing it at its best when the renovators had finished.

 

Natasha Baker was good to her word, she helped Sheridan Tilbrook fill in the form, and got her an interview, and she and the other girls at the stables helped her with her literacy and at the beginning of November when she started working at the Beaumont Manor Hotel which was when Leo Humphrey came into Sheridan’s life.

They had both spent their entire lives in Saxvirdan they had never met.

He was four years older than her, tall dark and handsome, whereas she had thick chestnut coloured hair, she was small at and skinny, but she was wiry and strong even though she was only 5ft 2.

Leo took her under his wing immediately and showed her how things were none.

“You’re a quick learner” Leo said

“Thank you” Sheridan said meekly

During her first week they got on really well although the conversations were fairly one sided as Sheridan was as quiet as a mouse, while Leo prattled on, about this and that, but she didn’t mind, she’d never had anyone that talked to her so much before.

 

On Thursday, Molly decided that they were still on holiday and as it was a lovely sunny autumn day, they took the Water Taxi over to St Giles du Cabot and explored the island which they really enjoyed.

Unfortunately, as is often the case in the autumn, the weather turned after lunch to such an extent that the Water Taxi had to cancel the last trip of the day.

They could have caught the ferry up to St Pierre, but instead chose to spend the night at the Seaview Hotel which meant they could spend the evening with Elisa and Henry.

 

On Friday they enjoyed one of Elisa’s wonderful breakfasts and as the weather had calmed down a bit, they took the long route back to Cabot Town via Hastings Lake and caught the midday ferry up to St Pierre where they did a little shopping before having lunch at the Gondolier.

 

After an enjoyably long relaxing and overly indulgent lunch they got a taxi back to Spaniards Creek and spent the afternoon asleep on the sofa.

 

Deborah Woodward and Stuart Cameran were up early on Saturday and drove up to Stephenson’s Supermarket in St Pierre, then after lunch they went to her house to clear Deborah’s bedroom.

“Let me go in first in case I’ve left any unmentionables laying around” she said

“If there are, then half the tradesmen on the island will have seen them already” Stuart said and chuckled

“Oh that’s reassuring” she retorted and laughed

 

On Saturday night there was a firework’s display in the village, but Molly didn’t understand Guy Fawkes Night, it wasn’t a thing in America, and it made no sense to her.

“So he tried to blow up King James” she said “and got caught”

“That’s correct”

“So is the celebration because he tried or because he failed?” she asked “I don’t understand what it’s about”

Then Danny explained that it was a Catholic plot against a Protestant King, and she understood it even less.

However she did enjoy the fireworks immensely.

 

Nicole Wilson 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 curvy redhead Poppy Nunthorpe.

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.

 

Nicole was five foot five, and a quiet and reserved busty brunette and she lived at Roman Water Farm which is the second largest of the five farms on the island covering the area from Beaumont head in the north to Bellevue Woods in the south, the rugged coast to the west and Saxvirdan in the east.

 

Jordan Lawrence was a postman, and his round took him out to the farms and on Saturday night he attended the Guy Fawkes Bash, at the Beaumont Manor, which was a fancy dress party, but in addition it was also a masquerade.

Jordan was staring up at the starry November sky when he was approached by a busty brunette wench wearing a satin mask across her eyes, who sauntered up to him and without saying a word kissed him wetly on the mouth, which took him by surprise at first, but he soon recovered and returned her passionate kiss with interest and as the pyrotechnic display began it grew in intensity.  

 

When the kiss was at an end, she stepped back and removed the mask and he gasped

“You?”

“Disappointed?” Nicole asked

“No, but this has been a surprise” he said “I didn’t think you liked me like that”

“I know” she replied “but I’ve fancied you for ages”

“I had no idea” he said

“I know that too, clueless aren’t you” she said

“That’s why I had to take you by surprise to get your attention”

“Well, it worked”

“So, can I take it that I now have your full attention?”

“Oh yes” he said “But…”

“But what?” she asked with concern

“I’d like to be one hundred percent sure” he said

“Oh, I think that can be arranged” she said and moved in close for another kiss, and they never did see the fireworks.

 

There were more firework’s the next day on the 5^th mainly private and domestic, but there was one organised display up in Saxvirdan, with a bonfire on the village green.  

Two of the crowd watching proceedings at that display were teenagers John Rawling and Lucy Nuttall, who were on their first date. 

The two of them lived on the outskirts of St Pierre and after the display was over, they headed slowly home down the lane. 

It was dark along the path and just ahead of them they could see there was a dog walker smoking a cigarette as some kind of dog snuffled in the undergrowth.

The man took one last drag on the butt and it glowed red on his face and then he flicked it into the darkness, and it span through the air like a Catherine wheel.

Which was quite appropriate as they had just been to a firework’s display.

The smell of the gun powder was still thick in the damp night air.  

But despite the cold and damp neither John nor Lucy were in any hurry to get home as it was their very first date.

However it was not only their first date together, but it was also the first date for either of them.

John was fifteen and Lucy was a year younger and quite naturally they wanted their date to last forever and they both walked as slowly as it was possible to go without actually standing still.

However they eventually arrived in the street outside her house.

An awkward silence ensued as John shuffled his feet and tried to think what to do next and Lucy waited patiently for John’s next move, but when she realized he didn’t have one, she took decisive action and reach up and kissed him and then the fireworks truly began.

Their first magical kiss, a kiss that neither of them wanted to end, sent their heart soaring into the heavens.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (145) Halloween Treat

 

After finishing their wine they walked up to Philips Folly still wearing their Witches outfits, and the moment the door opened and the two witches walked in, wearing long black cloaks, floppy witch’s hats, white striped socks and black high-heeled ankle boots, and there was a roar of approval.

When they reached the bar, they found Geoff Melling and Brian Baker ordering drinks.

“Aren’t there supposed to be three witches in a coven?” Brian queried

“Be careful or with a wave of a hand we could shrivel your extremities” Zoey said

“We had better buy you both a drink then” Geoff said

 

In the hours following their meeting at the bar the four of them had a great evening, drinking and laughing, but the evening ended in an alcoholic haze in the early hours on the doorstep of Zoey’s home.

Zoey wrapped her arms around Brian’s neck and slurred

“Trick or treat”

“Treat” he replied “But not tonight”

“So to be perfectly clear, you don’t want to kiss me?” Zoey asked

“I do want to kiss you” Brian said

“But I want us both to be sober”

“When will that be?” she slurred

“Tomorrow” he replied

“Promise?” she asked

“Promise” he replied and kissed the top of her head

Just at that moment Geoff and Marion staggered towards them holding each other upright

“Am I going to get a treat?” Marion asked

“Yes, but not until tomorrow” Brian replied

“I don’t want a treat from you” she said trying to focus on him with one eye shut.

“I know, you want Geoff”

“I do”

“Good choice” Zoey responded     

“A very good choice” Geoff agreed

Brian watched Zoey steer Marion through the front door then he turned towards Geoff and said

“You come along with me”

“Where did the girls go?” Geoff asked looking around

“They went inside” Brian replied

“Shame”

“Don’t worry we’ll see them again tomorrow”

Brian said

“Cool” Geoff retorted

 

At Beth Brine’s house in St Pierre on Halloween, they didn’t eat the snacks or watch any movies, they did however drink the wine and hid from the trick or treaters in her bed.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (144) Trick or Treat

Halloween had arrived at Cliff Haven and Molly was very excited about the evening, because it had been many years since she had celebrated Halloween.

Because all the years she lived at Lakeside with her grandfather in Colorado Springs they were too far out and too remote to attract trick or treaters.

That was not the case in Spaniards Creek, and she intended to make the most of it.

 

Elsewhere, in another part of the village, there was also excited anticipation of the evening’s events at the Bargeman’s house.

25-year-old Zoey Bargeman, worked in the village for Baker’s Tree Surgeon’s, and she had become close friends with one of her bosses, Vicki Baker, and it was through Vicki that she met her brother Brian and lost her heart.

She was a stunningly attractive girl and had been on the radar of every man she’d ever met, but she was very choosy, so for her being the pretty girl was a blessing and a curse.

It wasn’t her feeling excited anticipation of the evening however, it was her cousin Marion Fuller.

Marion had never done Halloween before; she had spent all her life living on remote farms, so she had never had Trick or Treaters knock on her door.

The girls were alone in the house dressed as witches when Marion pulled the curtain back a couple of inches and peered out and she suddenly panicked.

“They’re coming, what do I do?” she asked urgently, and Zoey laughed

“What do I do?” she urged

“Alright just calm down” Zoey said and after Marion took a breath she added

“All the children will have a goody bag”

“Ok” Marion retorted

“You put a small handful of sweets into each bag, but don’t be too generous too early or you won’t have enough to go round everyone”

“Ok” she said and nodded.

“But first you have to open the door” Zoey said inclining her head towards the closed door.

“Oh yes” Marion said and laughed nervously “That’s a good idea”

Marion opened the door and was met with a chorus of “Trick or treat!” from a small group of excited witches, warlocks, ghosts and ghouls.

“Wow! look at all of you” she said “What brilliant costumes”

“Ok who’s first?” she asked as she picked up one of the sweet tubs and scooped up a handful.

At the back of the group, chaperoning the group, was a tall dark-haired man, wearing a flat cap and a leather jacket, and a shorter auburn haired man in an overcoat, the former was Geoff Melling and Marion caught his eye briefly and smiled and he smiled back, then she carried on but she kept glancing in his direction, he was in his mid-twenties, and was there because two of the group were his nieces.

Soon she had deposited a handful of sweets into every bag and the group moved back up the path in a chorus of thank you’s.

“Goodbye” the tall man said and smiled.

Marion smiled back and then looked self-consciously in Zoey’s direction and was still smiling as she shut the door.

“Who was that?” she asked

“Which one?” Zoey asked

“The tall one” she retorted

“Geoff Melling”

“And the other one?”

“Brian Baker” Zoey replied

“The Brian Baker that you fancy?” she asked, and Zoey blushed deeply just as the doorbell rang.

“Saved by the bell” Marion said and opened the door and repeated the exercise, and then another five times until the sweet tubs were empty and all the village children had had their share.

She closed the door and reached for her wine glass.

“I’m exhausted” she said

“I enjoyed it though” 

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (143) Halloween

 

The previous year Molly and Danny had only been at Cliff Haven for a few days so didn’t do Halloween or Guy Fawkes, but this year was different, so on Monday Molly said

“We need to get the sweets for Halloween”

So after breakfast they drove up to Stephenson’s Supermarket in St Pierre to stock up.

 

On the same day Tree Surgeon Nathan Baker was also in St Pierre, though much later in the day and for a very different reason. 

He was one of 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, it was built by one of their ancestors, and was something of a monstrosity, but it was home.

Two of his sisters Vicki and Morgan had now found new loves and although he was happy for them, it did remind him of the fact that he didn’t have anyone special himself.

Not that he didn’t have someone in his sights, because he did and the fact that he hadn’t done anything about it grated on him.

So he headed for Beth’s Coffee House which was located on the town square next to the Church and opposite the Forum Cinema.

There were no shops around the square anymore, it was virtually all eateries, café and bars and the cinema and a small theatre, so it was a sort of leisure haven.

When he walked into Beth’s it wasn’t for the coffee, even though there was nothing wrong with it, he was there for the person who it was named after, Beth Brine, and he had decided to ask her out, he had even decided where he wanted to take her.

Which was why, as he was sat waiting to be served, he was Googling the Forum to see what films were showing.

“Bloody Halloween!” he exclaimed

“Do you hate Halloween as well?” Beth asked as she arrived at his table

“Of course I hate Halloween, why wouldn’t I, why doesn’t everyone, all those ghastly trick or treaters begging door to door”

He ranted

“And then there are the implied threats of violence and vandalism” Beth added

He looked at her and raised his eyebrows and she laughed

 

“So what upset you about Halloween?” Beth teased him when she brought his coffee

“Well if you must know I was going to ask you out to the pictures, but all they have is stupid Halloween nonsense all week”

“You were going to ask me out?” Beth asked and she sat down opposite him

“Erm um yes” he replied

“Excellent” she retorted smugly

 

While she watched him drink his coffee she asked

“So what do you normally do on Halloween when you’re not taking attractive Coffee Shop owners to the pictures?”

“I normally stay indoors with the curtains shut and pretend I’m not in” he replied

“Interesting strategy” she mused

“So why don’t come to my place and we can have a movie night,” she suggested “Then we can close the curtains, and pretend not to be in together”

“That sounds like a great idea” he responded

“I’ll bring the wine and snacks”