In the Village of Pepperstock Green – Chapter (020) – Messing About on the Water

 

August

 

At the beginning of August one bright Friday morning the landscape gardening Thorne sisters, Katie, Kerry, Georgia and their close friend, Village Postman, Jack Gibbs, were driving up to Quarry Hill for the wedding of a friend.

The Wedding ceremony was taking place at St Theresa’s and the reception was at the Quarry View Hotel, which was where they were staying and all of them had targets among the other guests, either rekindling with ex’s or dealing with unfinished business.

It was hoped, though none of the four had expressed it out loud, that with liberal quantities of alcohol and dancing at the reception might get the job done.

 

They arrived in Quarry Hill and drove into the Hotel carpark just before twelve o’clock and they got their first look at the luxury Hotel it was not a particularly esthetically pleasing structure and was typically Victorian however the harshness of its hard lines had been softened by the matured shrubbery, but they were not there for the architecture they had other fish to fry.

They quickly checked in to their rooms and then made their way to the terrace to have a bite of lunch, and they were pleased to see that the objects of their desires were already sitting at separate tables, in that typically British way.  Solicitor Kevin Dixon, Nursery nurse Hailey Willmott, Rudyard Richmond who owned and ran the General Store in the Village and the only one not from Pepperstock Green, Susie Bradshaw who was from Pipershaven and was a Waitress at the Kissing Angel restaurant.

When the Thorne’s arrived, they immediately drew everyone together, because they all knew them so they all gathered around two tables and introductions were made for those who needed them. 

 

After lunch, which was more indulgent than any of them intended, they decided to take a walk round the lake in the Hotel grounds, to burn off some calories otherwise they would have spent the afternoon dozing on the terrace.

When they set off for the walk they were in a huddled chattering group, but it wasn’t long before they spread out into a ragged strand.

Jack and Rudyard were at the back about 20 yards behind Katie and Susie who appeared to be getting on like a house on fire.

About ten minutes later they were in sight of the lake and Kerry shouted back from her place in the vanguard.

“PUNTS”

And Jack and Rudyard started jogging towards her.

“What’s going on” Katie said with alarm

“Were going punting” Rud said and took her hand, and they ran hand in hand along the path, and she exclaimed

“But I’ve never punted”

“Nor have I” he admitted

The reason for all the excitement was because Kerry had once dated a Cambridge student and spent some glorious summer days in Cambridge, and a disproportionate amount of time was spent Punting on the river Cam and she often regaled them of the non-regulation games they used to get up to on the water.

The Quarry View Lake was not the River Cam, but it was uniformly shallow and therefore ideal for Punting.

The flat bottom boats available for hire were similar to the punts you find in Oxford and Cambridge but not precisely the same.

However, they hired four punts and divided up into teams made up of the respective couples they hoped to be in by the end of the weekend.

 

Kerry quickly explained the rules, of which there were few, in fact there weren’t any, the simple object of the exercise was not to get wet.

A few of the party had been on the water at one time or another, some more than others, but Kerry explained that when they were punting the winners were the ones who stayed dry.

“If your pole gets stuck in the mud you let it go, if the situation arises then you stay with the punt and not with the pole it’s simple really.” Kerry explained

Now having stated that the object of the exercise was to stay dry, in truth what she should have actually said was that the goal is to get your opponent’s wet.

“Once both occupants of a punt have been dunked then they can take no further part” Kerry added

Under normal circumstances hostilities wouldn’t begin until all craft were out of sight of the dock and the prying eyes of the boat keeper.

But on this occasion Kevin missed his footing and fell in the river without even setting foot onto his punt.

“God Kevin, you rowed at university” Jack shouted “you should be more at home on the water than any of us”

Once the flotilla had travelled sufficiently to be in open water hostilities could begin and against all the odds it wasn’t long before Kerry, the most experienced Punter among them, succumbed to an early bath and they were down to three vessels.

 

There had been a number of harmless skirmishes when Jack, who was now the most experienced on the water, narrowly avoided a ramming by Georgia’s punt only to find himself heading straight for a weeping willow.

Susie panicked and ran to the rear of the vessel and then she and Jack slid down the pole together.

During the ensuing laughter Hailey and Rudyard collided, and they both got dunked.

Katie stood up and laughed like a drain before she shouted

“Abandon ship” and jumped in and joined Rud.

“I’ll save you captain” she said and wrapped her arms around him as they stood in the cool water, him up to his thighs and Katie waist deep and they laughed in the summer sunshine, which was when he kissed her.

As Rud stood in the waters of the Cam kissing Katie his new girlfriend, Georgia noisily declared herself the winner.

They spent the next hour employing the Punts as they were designed to be used until their time was up.

 

After they had done battle on the lake and returned the Punts to the jetty they squelched their way back along the banks of lake in high spirits.  

Georgia, the youngest of the Thorne sisters, had never won at anything before and was so thrilled with her victory she wouldn’t shut up about it on the walk back to the Hotel, so they picked her up and threw her into the water and her last words before she hit the water were

“You can’t do that I’m the winner”

 

As they got closer to the Hotel, they could hear a happy chatter and the sound of glasses chinking and then they walked around the side to the terrace where they found it crowded with other wedding guests.

“Oh goodness you’re all wet” the bride’s mother said, “What on earth has happened?”

“They threw me in river” said Georgia indignantly “because they’re bad losers”

This information was received with raucous laughter and not with the wave of sympathy she had been expecting so she flounced off to get showered.

The rest of the group decided to have a drink on the terrace first.

Over the next hour everyone slowly drifted off in their ones and twos to get ready for the evening.

 

Katie Thorne and Rudyard Richmond were back on the terrace after dinner, and they spent a romantic hour cuddling on a bench watching the sun go down.

“This is nice” Rudyard said

“This is perfect” Katie corrected him

 

So, half of the group that had driven up to Quarry Hill on Friday had achieved their romantic goal before the wedding bells were rung whereas for the other four, they would have to wait until the wedding reception to ensure the deal was done before the weekend was over.

In the Village of Pepperstock Green – Chapter (019) – Revelation’s

July

 

After the Thorne girls had finished the hard landscaping, Built the Greenhouse as well as installing the water feature and BBQ, the garden was ready for planting, and Toddy was in her element.

A week and a half later everything was looking good, apart from the lawn, but the turfing would have to wait.

The Thorne’s had leveled the new topsoil that had been deposited, but that would have to bake in the sun until the end of the summer when Toddy would lay the turf.

 

Charlie and Toddy were at St Agatha's for the Sunday service on the second week of July and then went onto the Vicarage for one of Chloe's very excellent roast dinners.

In addition to the Virtue’s they were also joined by local composer and chorister Stephen Farnsworth, as he and Verity had recently become a couple.

As the last piece of cutlery rattled on the China plates Chloe said

“I think we should adjourn to the garden, we can have desert on the patio when our dinner has gone down” 

“Good ides” the Vicar agreed

They were sat drinking their wine or fruit punch in the warm July sunshine for about half an hour when there was a lull in the conversation so Chloe, who was the epitome of the axiom that “Nature Abhors a Vacuum” filled the gap and said

“I heard today that the convent has been sold”

“What!” Exclaimed Toddy 

“Thats according to Emma Daley” she clarified “Who heard it from one of her ladies”

Emma was the Village hairdresser, and the “Ladies”, were considered to be reliable sources.

“Do they know who the new owner is?” the Vicar asked

“No not yet, but they will” she replied

“What are they planning to do with it?”, Toddy asked sadly

“According to Catherine Scott, not yet” she replied 

Catherine was the go-to for a Mani Pedi and was also considered a good source, especially in this case as her Aunt Sylvia worked in the planning office of the Pippershaven Council.

“And her Aunt Sylvia says there is absolutely nothing on the planning system, or in the pipeline, and she should know” 

“Well, that's a good sign” Verity suggested “Isn't it?”

Toddy remained quiet in response, and was not reassured. 

Once they had eaten desert and had all praised its deliciousness Toddy turned to Charlie and quietly asked

“Can we walk up to the convent?”

“Of course we can” he replied 

 

When they left the Vicarage Verity and Stephen left at the same time, but not to go for a walk, their intention was to “make music” together for the afternoon.

It wasn’t a long walk up to the Convent, about 2 miles, as the crow flew, but a little longer through the woods, but took longer than normal as it was a hot day.

When they reached the gates, they found them closed and chained and a sign stating the property had been sold.

Toddy had been very quiet on the walk, uncharacteristically so in fact, and when she saw the sold sign she sighed and said   

“I wish we knew who the new owner was”

“I do,” said Charlie

“You do what?”

“Know”

“What?” she asked

“I know who the new owner is”

“Who?”

“It’s me, I’m the new owner” he confessed

“What! Why didn’t you say something earlier at the Vicarage” she retorted angrily

“I wanted to tell you when we were alone” he said

“I can’t believe you have been so deceitful” she stammered

“All this time you’ve been plotting to… to… well I don’t know what you’ve been plotting, but you have” she ranted

“So what abomination are you going build? What are you planning to do with this beautiful place?”

“Well, that’s kind of up to you” he replied calmly

“What do you mean? It’s up to me?” she retorted angrily

“Well, I bought it precisely to prevent it from being redeveloped, I bought it to preserve it, I bought it for you”

“What?” she asked quietly

“You said yourself that as a convent it wasn’t sustainable, but as a retreat, or an escape from the world it could be a place of reflection and healing” he explained

“Equine therapy for example, and you said you found the kitchen garden very therapeutic, so there are so many possibilities”

“For the rich I suppose” she rebuked

“For anyone, Artists, writers, the bereaved, burnt-out carers, retired clergy, so many could benefit” he said

“Those who can afford it will pay, those who can’t, will be provided for”

“And where is the money going to come from might I ask?” she snapped

“You’re retired and I’m unemployed.”

“Do you remember my saying I sold my business?” he asked, and she nodded

“Well, it was an Aerospace Engineering Company, and it sold for an obscene amount of money, more money than I could ever hope to spend in five lifetimes, and what has been keeping me busy is spending it on philanthropic endeavour’s” he explained

“Oh, so is that what I am to you, a philanthropic endeavour”

She asked brusquely

“No, you are the woman I have fallen in love with” he replied,

“What you can do with this place is a philanthropic endeavour”

“What did you say?”

“What you can do with this place….”

“No before that”

“You are the woman I have fallen in love with” he repeated

“You love me?” she asked as she turned to face him

“Yes, with all my heart”

“You never said” Toddy said quietly

“I was waiting for the right moment” Charlie replied

“I love you too” Toddy said and stood on her tiptoes and kissed him

 

They stood outside the Convent gates in a comfortable embrace for about ten minutes on the beautiful July afternoon when Toddy sighed and quietly said

“I’m still cross with you for not telling me”

In the Village of Pepperstock Green – Chapter (018) – The Starling’s Seduction

 

June

 

After putting some distance between himself and Verity Virtue following their New Years Eve kiss, Stephen Farnsworth was pleased to be back at the, uncomplicated by sexual attraction stage, while still being able to enjoy the company of an attractive, funny musical equal, and it would probably have continued like that indefinitely had it not been for the Vicars wife, Verity’s mother.

 

It happened at the end of June on the night of the Barnabus Boarding School Centenary Ball.

Stephen had just returned to the house from his studio and was sat on his sofa and was just contemplating what takeaway to order when she stepped through the French doors wearing a distinctive white party dress.

“Don’t you dare laugh” she barked

“I wasn’t going to laugh” he lied “You look lovely”

“I look like bloody Tinkerbelle” she retorted and kicked off her shoes.

“You won’t look out of place at the party” he assured her

“I’m not going, especially looking like this” she replied and started pacing up and down.

“I didn’t want to go in the first place, I’ve only got two really good friends at School and they’re not going, Gina has appendicitis, and Kayleigh is on Holiday, but my mum insisted I go and put me in an Uber”

“So how did you get here?” he asked

“I told him to drop me off before we got there” she replied “Then I needed somewhere to hide so I came here, sorry”

“Theres nothing to be sorry for” he said “And I’m happy for you to hide out here”

“Thank you” she said as her pacing continued at a pace

“Why don’t you sit down” he said “Before you wear out my carpet”

She tutted loudly then sat down heavily on his knee and huffed, that wasn’t quite what he had in mind, but at least she’d stopped pacing.

“I’m so cross with myself,” she said and then started tapping her foot agitatedly

“Just calm down” he said and put his hands on her narrow shoulders and pulled her back towards him, so her head was on his shoulder, and he was looking down on her.

“Just relax” he said, and she seemed to calm down, but the opposite was true for him.

Verity’s usual shock of red hair was tied up exposing the white flesh of her neck and shoulders, of which there was a lot due to the cut of the dress and the creamy whiteness of her skin looked delicious.

As he stared at the flesh, he was beginning to get aroused and his breathing deepened and his exhaling breaths on her skin was affecting her breathing in turn and then he began to kiss her gently on the neck and she gasped.

Stephen’s soft kisses travelled slowly from the nape of Verity’s neck along her collar bone to her shoulder and her breathing became more erratic and she adjusted her position on his lap as her hands gripped the leather upholstery, and he began to unzip the back of her dress.

Having met no resistance, he began pushing the straps of the dress off her shoulders and without speaking she accommodated him by slipping her skinny arms out one at a time while holding the bodice close to her breasts.

The moment both arms were free Stephens hands made immediate ingress inside her white dress.

 

After a prolonged period of foreplay, she was sprawled on the sofa moaning and sighing, when she opened her eyes and looked up at him and she asked

“Are you going to make love to me now?”

“Yes,” He replied, “Am I the first?” 

“Yes” she replied quietly

“Do you want me to take you to bed, or do you want me to make love to you here?” he asked

“Take me here” she begged “Take my virginity right here on the sofa while I’m wearing this hideous dress”

“Ok, honey” he said

 

He left her sleeping on the sofa while he got redressed and ordered a takeaway but when he returned to the lounge, he found she had redressed herself, except for her panties which she had in her hand.

“So, you’ve had your way with me, and now you’re ordering yourself pizza, I’m obviously just a one-night stand”

She said crossly

“I suppose you just want me to go home now, so you get back to one of your Posh Tipton girls”

“Firstly, I’ve ordered pizza for both of us” he said and snatched the knickers from her hand

“And you won’t be needing these for a while, because once you’ve got your strength back, I’m taking you to bed”

“But…” she began

“And this is not a one-night stand, not for me anyway, this is the first of many” he said

“Really?” she asked red faced

“Really” he replied and kissed her

“Sorry” she said, and he kissed her again

 

As they ate their pizza she quietly asked

“Not that I’m complaining, but are we just “friends with benefits”?”

“Well, I see us as friends and lovers, but the benefit for me is looking forward to divesting you of various outfits and ravishing you on a regular basis” he said

“As your boyfriend”

“Really?” she said and grinned then ate her last slice of pizza

“What kind of outfits?” she asked

“Well obviously your Barnabus School Uniform, your Hockey Kit, Brownie Leader’s Uniform, Surplice and even your Tinkerbelle dress again” he said “That will be enough to be getting on with I think”

“I’m not sure about Tinkerbelle, and I don’t see what’s sexy about a surplice”

“Well, it depends on what you’re wearing underneath it” he said

“You’ve really thought about this” she said “You’re a bit of a perve”

“Are you complaining?”

“Not a bit” she said “As long as you’re my perve”

“Good answer” Stephen said “Now put your pizza down and get your sexy arse upstairs”

In the Village of Pepperstock Green – Chapter (017) – The Treetop Trail

 

June

 

It was a bright Sunday morning in June, just one week after they had first met, when Emma Daly picked up James Tims in her Nissan Qashqai outside the Richmond’s General Store.

It was probably a little unconventional for the first date but after some discussion it was decided that she would pick him up as she lived furthest away from the Quarry Hill Road.

 

About fifteen minutes earlier, in a different part of Village, Philip Raynes had picked up Catherine Scott and they were well on their way to the same destination and despite her apprehension she was very much looking forward to her first date with Philip and was praying it would go well.

Her trepidation was quite apart from the normal first date nerves and it stemmed from the fact she had to contend with the death-defying heights of the Treetop Trail with all its incumbent hazards such as Tarzan swings, rope bridges and Zip Wires all at a height of 30ft.

She was not good with heights, she never had been, not that she suffered from vertigo or had an irrational fear of being up high.

In fact, she liked high places, Airplanes, the London Eye, Canary Wharf or the Empire States Building, as long as there was something between her and oblivion.

What scared here to death was gravity and the belief that it would at any moment pull her screaming to the ground, but she couldn’t show it, not to him, she had to put on a brave face for his benefit as she didn’t want her to think she was a wimpy Nail Technician.

 

It was about half an hour’s drive to the site, but the time seemed to pass by very quickly as they chatted about something and nothing.

Once they arrived her trepidation deepened as she looked up and realized exactly how high 30 feet was.

As if sensing her reservations Philip took hold of her arm.

“Come on then” he said steering her in the direction of a large timber shack.

 

There were 12 in their group, and several of them were also first timers and one of the party she knew, Emma Daly, and that made her feel better, and they had a very jovial leader called Graham who was determined everyone  had a “great experience” and on the whole Catherine did, although there were moments when she was almost scared to death, though they were never in any real danger, as they all had harnesses and protective gear, but she was still scared up in the treetops.

But at the end of it, thanks to Graham, they all had a great experience, but for her it was nice to get back to terra firma and as soon as her feet hit the ground, she threw her arms around Philips neck and kissed him to within an inch of his life.

 

After divesting themselves from their safety gear they all made their way to the café for a well-earned coffee.

As Emma and James sat on either side of a picnic table discussing how much they had enjoyed the experience she announced

“I wouldn’t want to do it again”

“What?” James said with alarm

“The Treetop stuff” she assured him

But she continued with more than a little smugness, knowing she had him hook line and sinker

“I’m up for another date though”

Then after a minute or two she suddenly said

“I have a confession to make”

“Oh” he responded fearing the worst

“I would have enjoyed it more if I wasn’t scared of heights” she confessed

“I only finished the course because I didn’t want you to think I was a wimp”

And he laughed

“It’s not funny” she said crossly

“I’m laughing because I was scared to death myself, I just gritted my teeth and got on with it because I didn’t want you to think I was a wimp”

he said and she laughed as well.

When the laughter had subsided, they both concurred that it had been a good first date.

 

It was early evening when they finished their coffee and said farewell to their fellow adventurers, and the weather was still lovely.

They were both getting peckish and as neither of them were ready for the date to end and as they were only half an hour away from the coast, they headed off to Pepperstock Bay where they ended the momentous day eating fish and chips out of the paper on the sea front and talked about the day.

 

Their first kiss came in true romantic style as the sun slowly sank beyond the horizon and on the journey home they planned their second date.

So, following their unusual first date on the Treetop Trail, Emma and James spent a lot of time together on the full range of more conventional dates, country walks, museums, galleries, pubs, restaurants, cinemas and bowling alleys.

Over which time they got to know each other, and he discovered that quite apart from being gorgeous, which was plain to everyone, she was witty, intelligent, sensitive, loving and a totally rubbish bowler, just like him.

In the Village of Pepperstock Green – Chapter (016) – Deliberations

 

June

 

James Tims, having plucked up the courage, at his Godsons Christening, to ask Emma Daley out on a date and bolstered by her positive response he very foolishly neglected to cement the arrangement there and then and furthermore left the Christening party without securing, either a firm date for the erm…. date or any contact details for her, but it wasn’t until he got home that the full extent of his stupidity dawned on him.

In his defense of course he was so taken aback by Emma’s positive reply, and such was his elation that she had agreed to go out with him, he not only didn’t arrange anything, but he had also left without any means of contacting her.

He had just reached the point where he was well and truly feeling sorry himself when the phone rang.

“Hello” he answered forlornly

“Oh dear” his sister Lucy said unsympathetically “cheer up”

“Don’t joke” he said “I’ve done something really stupid”

“I know” she replied “you’re a plank”

“Oh don’t” he responded feebly

“Fortunately, your wonderful sister has come to the rescue” Lucy said

“And I gave your number to Emma so she can call you”

“You’re the best sis” he said

“I know” she said immodestly “now don’t cock it up”

 

James had been so diverted by his foolishness that he hadn’t even given any due consideration to where he would take her.

Given that prior to that morning she had been a complete stranger to him, he therefore had no idea what to suggest.

All he knew about her was that she was a pretty brunette, who was a very successful hairdresser with her own premises, and she drove a white Nissan Qashqai. 

His normal first date experience, limited though that might have been, consisted of either a drink, a meal, the cinema or bowling.

Well, a drink didn’t sound substantial enough for his liking and as he was somewhat nervous, he imagined he would probably drink too much and make a complete dog’s breakfast of it, so he ruled that out.

A meal on the other hand was fraught with dangers of its own, food preferences, allergies and intolerances, and he didn’t know if she was vegan, so that was a mine field, and it was a given to rule out any food that required the wearing of a bib.

The cinema he had always found to be a difficult area date wise, sitting in the dark with a girl you didn’t know and spending most of the film weighing up the options of when it would be appropriate to move in for a cuddle or a kiss.

Not that that would be of concern to Emma, after all they were both well past the age of back row groping, but it was knowing her taste in film that was the issue, so he ruled out the cinema as well.

He also crossed off tenpin bowling but for no other reason than he wasn’t very good at it.

 

After a couple of fruitless hours of deliberation with himself, he still had no idea where to suggest that he and Emma should go on their first date and then the phone rang.

James took a deep breath and reluctantly picked up the receiver.

“Hello” he said timidly

“James?” a voice asked

“Speaking” he replied

“It’s Emma”

“Hi” he said weakly

“We didn’t make a firm date” Emma said hesitantly “At the Christening”

“No I...” he faltered

“Did you still… erm still want to?” she asked

“Of course,” he said firmly, almost shouting

“Good” Emma said with a giggle

“I thought you might have changed your mind”

“No not at all” he stated “But...”

“But?” she said falteringly “There is a but?”

“I don’t know where to suggest” he said

“Is that all?” she asked and laughed

She had had a similar struggle to the one he was having to find a suitable venue/activity but had, however, reached a totally different conclusion which he found out when she announced she had the perfect date in mind.

“A Treetop Trail”

“Brilliant idea” he exclaimed “Why didn’t I think of that?”

 

On the other side of the Village at roughly the same time a conversation was taking place between Catherine Scott and Philip Raynes in the back garden of her cottage.

Catherine was what’s called in modern parlance, a nail technician, but she preferred to be referred to as a manicurist and a pedicurist and was fully qualified in both disciplines.

Philip was a Tree surgeon who had been taking down a diseased beech tree from her back garden and there was a mutual attraction and as he packed away his tools for at the end of the job, he asked her out, and she said yes.

“When and where?” she asked

“Next weekend, how about a Treetop Trail”

“What’s that?” she asked genuinely oblivious

“It’s a trail through the treetops with Tarzan swings, rope bridges and Zip Wires” he said excitedly “There is a new one just opened near Quarry Hill I’ve heard its great fun, and I’ve fancied giving it a go”

Well, she had no great expectations when he asked her out and Catherine thought he would soon tire of her, because she was one of life’s spectators while he was center stage living life.

But she was wrong about that, Philip knew that they were cut from different cloth, but he didn’t care that they were so different.

Catherine had always been content to look on from the sidelines whereas Philip was in there participating with all his might, he was a “joiner in” while she was an applauder of other people’s efforts.

But no more, and despite the fact that the thought of walking through the Treetops 30 feet above the ground scared her to death she said.

“That sounds great”

In the Village of Pepperstock Green – Chapter (015) – Meeting Emma

 

June

 

James Tims had always been a contented person and altogether happy with his lot.

Though not an excessively wealthy person by any measurement, he was a successful Architect and had everything he wanted, and all was well in his world.

He had a job that he enjoyed immensely and a loving family that he loved and got along well with and lived in his own cottage in the Village.

In short, he had everything a man could want, and he was content, that was, until a few weeks after his thirty third birthday when he met Emma Daley for the first time.

 

It was a glorious Sunday morning in June, and the Village was looking particularly picturesque.

James was on his way to St Agatha’s Church in the Village, not somewhere he was completely unfamiliar with but somewhere he hadn’t been as often as he felt he should have.

Though on that particular morning he had a more pressing need to be there other than the neglect of his spiritual wellbeing, because on that morning James was to be Godfather to his nephew Nathan.

His sister Lucy was three years younger than him, and she was the baby of the family and now had a baby of her own who was about to be christened.

 

It was as he walked to the Church, preoccupied by thoughts of pride at his impending God fatherhood that his life was changed forever.

Having caught sight of Lucy on the Church steps he quickly crossed the road and was brought rudely to his senses by the blast of a car horn.

He jumped out of the way and reached the safety of the footpath and braced himself to launch a tirade of abuse at the impatient arse on the other end of the car horn, but when he turned to face the driver and was greeted by a beautiful smiling brunette, who mouthed the word “sorry” it completely disarmed him.

 

Lucy and her husband Craig were watching from the Church steps and thought it was highly amusing that he had nearly been turned into roadkill.

He turned around to give them a withering look and when he turned his attention back to the pretty vehicular assassin she had gone and that was that or so he thought.

 

It was at the end of the main service when the Reverend Virtue began the Baptism of his nephew Nathan into the faith that he saw her again.

It turned out that “Penelope Pitstop” the beautiful, if dangerous brunette, was a close friend of his sister and was also to be a Godparent to his nephew.

Following that he would have freely confessed that as proud as he was to be Godfather, he didn’t really follow proceedings as closely as he should have as his eyes were constantly drawn to the beautiful girl on the other side of the font.

But in the end, he lost sight of her in the melee as everyone decanted from the Church, and such was the effect this beautiful stranger had on him that he walked to his mum’s house full of trepidation that she was gone forever. 

“Hey James” Lucy said as he entered the kitchen “you got here safely then?”

“Very funny” he countered

“You’re obviously not safe as a pedestrian” she said and roared with laughter.

“Shut up and give me a beer smart-arse” he retorted

She went to the fridge and took out a bottle, opened it and handed it to him.

“Thanks sis,” he said, “have you got a glass?”

James didn’t like drinking from the bottle, he couldn’t stand it, and it was a bit of a joke within the family, he thought it was common.

“You are so old” Lucy said laughing

“I just have standards” He retorted pompously “Where’s Craig?”

“He’s in the lounge showing Gran the video” She replied.

Gran was 91 and quite frail and wasn’t well enough to attend the Christening so the ceremony was videoed by one of the family and it was being played back for her so she would feel included in proceeding.   

“You should go and watch it yourself” she added “as you missed most of it as you were ogling Emma”

“Emma?” he asked playing dumb

“Yes, the pretty brunette you couldn’t take your eyes off” she said

“I think you’re imagining it” he answered as he left the kitchen

“I think you’re smitten” she shouted after him and he was about to unleash a witty retort in response, but he was suddenly knocked sideways into the wall slopping his drink down his trousers.

“Sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going” she said, and he turned around to face his assailant

“That’s…” and that was all he could say as he gazed upon the smiling face of the beautiful girl he knew to be, though they had not been introduced, Emma.

He didn’t know how long he stood there staring at her or how long he would have continued to stare had she not broken the silence.

“This is becoming a bit of a habit” She said “my name is Em…”

“Emma” he continued

“Yes” she answered “and you’re James”

And so, the introductions were complete and from the first moment they met she bought something into his world that he hadn’t even noticed he didn’t have romantic love.

James was besotted with the diminutive young woman with the immense personality and a heart as big as the moon.

He thought before that day he was quite content with his lot and had not felt his life suffered for the want of love, he had not craved it nor coveted it, he just thought it was something that was inflicted on other people and he was immune, but once he tasted it, he was hooked.

Had it not been for the fact that she had almost run him down and had fate not also decreed they both be Godparents to the same child it was unlikely he would ever have spoken to her, let alone ask her out but ask her out he did and furthermore she said yes.

In the Village of Pepperstock Green – Chapter (014) – Sister’s in Residence

 

June

 

Following her coronary angioplasty procedure, Sister Margaret was discharged the Pepperstock and District Hospital at midday on Saturday and was in good spirits, but it had been agreed over dinner the previous night that to journey back to the island that day might be detrimental, so Charlie suggested she stay at Beechwood for the rest of the weekend and cross to St Giles on the midday ferry on Monday.

Sister Margaret could have had Toddy’s room, and she could have gone back to the Vicarage, but he liked having her close, she he called Mrs Horne again and after apologizing for imposing on her weekend, asked if she would mind making up the fourth bedroom and explained the situation.

She couldn’t have been more obliging when she found out it was for another Nun, she thought the whole thing leant an air of respectability to Beechwood having 3 Nuns in residence, albeit one was and ex.

 

As it turned out the Sister’s stayed until Friday, Charlie thought it might be beneficial to build a relationship with the Sister’s as they were the closest thing to family that she had, so they went out on a few outings, but nothing too far or too strenuous.

On Monday they went to Sharpington, which was where Sister Lucy was from, and she took her name from St Lucy’s Church where she went as a girl, so that was one port of call because she hadn’t been back for many years, and she was amazed to find someone there that she knew from her school days.

So, Charlie and Toddy left them to reminisce and pushed Sister Margaret along the promenade to get some sea air and stopped by the pier entrance and got ice cream from Bizzoni’s before walking back to the Church to rejoin Sister Lucy, then Charlie took them all for lunch.

 

On Tuesday Charlie offered to take them to Upper Gracewood, which was where Sister Margaret was from and she also took her name from the Church where she found her faith, though she was in her twenties when she found God.

“Thank you no,” she replied “I knew no happiness there”

“Ok, is there anywhere you would like to go?” he persisted

“I’ve always wanted to go to Mornington-By-Mere and see the windmills and Teardrop Lake in Shallowfield” she replied

“That’s settled then” he said and looked at Toddy who smiled at him

 

Mornington-By-Mere was 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, an Old Forge, a Schoolhouse, a River, a Mere, which gave the Village its name and the Mornington Windmills.

Although the Mere in Mornington was only half a mile wide and half a mile long it sits at the heart of Mornington, figuratively if not literally, and is one of three small bodies of water in the area that were all that remained of the great wetlands that at one time stretched from Mornington in the East to Childean in the west and from Shallowfield in the south to Purplemere in the north.

But over many centuries the vast majority had been drained for agriculture and part of the traditional drainage system were the Mornington Mills, of which only three had survived to the present day and even those were no longer functional, but had been restored and converted into residences, and the mills would have once pumped the excess water into the River Brooke.

 

Sister Margaret was not disappointed with the Windmills or the Village itself, in fact both exceeded her expectations, and she even felt well enough to abandon the wheelchair as they strolled around the Village and then rewarded herself with half a pint of Mornington Ale at the Old Mill Inn. 

 

It was just a short drive to Shallowfield and when they arrived Charlie pulled into the lane leading towards Teardrop Lake which ran parallel to the River Brooke, which flowed from the head of the Lake and on through Shallowfield.

They parked outside the Shallowfield Lodge Hotel, and when they got out of the car and got their first view of the lake, and they were blown away by the vista which was spectacular, although they couldn’t see it all or discern the teardrop shape that gave the lake its name.

But the view of the surrounding ancient woodland of the Dancingdean Forest was majestic and the lake shimmered in the June sunshine.

 

Even though it was just a modest body of water, just over two miles long and just short of a mile at its widest point, they weren’t going to attempt to walk it, especially as Sister Margaret had returned to her wheelchair, so they just walked about a mile in total and ended up back at the Shallowfield Lodge Hotel.

“Lunch?” Charlie asked

“Does it come with more of that Mornington Ale?” Sister Margaret asked, and they all laughed.

 

The next day the weather was miserable, so they spent the day at home and on Thursday when the sun returned so they put together a picnic and Charlie drove them up through the Pepperstock Hills National Park which stretched from the bare, and often barren crags of Quarry Hill in the North to the dense wooded southern slopes on the fringe of the Finchbottom Vale and from Quarry Hill, and the Pits in the West to Pepperstock Bay in the East.

They had their picnic on a high rock outcrop which looked out to sea and enjoyed the natural beauty on display.

 

On Friday it was time for the Nuns to go back to the island and as they stood by the departure gate Toddy said her goodbyes to them and Sister Lucy turned to Charlie and said

“Thank you for your kindness and your hospitality”

“My pleasure” he responded then the seated Sister Margaret took his hand in both of hers and said

“As grateful as my damaged heart is for your kindness, you’d better not break hers, because we have friends in high places”

“Enough said” he responded “Her heart is safe in my hands”

Toddy held his hand as they watched as Sister Lucy pushed the wheelchair up the ramp and when she reached the top she turned and gave a wave.

 

They spent the rest of the month shopping for plants in anticipation of the Thorne girls completing the hard landscaping, but there were also periods of more intense excitement during the rest of June, such as when the Greenhouse arrived, which was particularly exciting for Toddy, and not so much for Charlie.

Then the roles were reversed the week after when the BBQ was delivered, though the arrival of the water feature was a source of joy for them both.