(Part 01)
Downshire is a relatively small English county but like a pocket battleship it packs a lot in, a short but beautiful coastline, a channel port, the Ancient forests of Dancingdean and Pepperstock, the craggy ridges and manmade lakes of the Pepperstock Hills National Park, the rolling hills of the Downshire Downs, the beautiful Finchbottom Vale and farm land as far as the eye can see from the Trotwood’s and the Grace’s in the south to the home of the Downshire Light infantry, Nettlefield, and their affluent neighbour’s, Roespring and Tipton in the north but our story begins in the East, or more precisely, 20 miles inland from Sharpington-By-Sea, equidistant between Finchbottom and Pepperstock Green, in the sprawling village of Denmead.
Owen Carrington’s Uncle Glyn died on New Year’s Day and left him his Cottage and a small cash sum, more than enough to keep him going for a few more years.
He left it to him because he felt they were kindred spirits, he wanted to be a writer himself but his father made him get a proper job, Owen really liked him and he was a great story teller, and it was his Uncles colourful tales that helped him when he was writing his novels.
His death came as a great shock as it was sudden though not unsurprising given his health.
So that was how he found himself living in a lovely Victorian Cottage in the quaint Downshire Village of Denmead.
It was a very tranquil place though not without its distractions.
From his study he could look out through the open French windows and across the expanse of lawn to a stand of ancient woodland, there was no fence to separate garden and wood the two just merged.
And on the other side of the wood was the hub of the village, the Green Oak, everyone seemed to go there at some point, either for a drink, the restaurant or the coffee suite.
As a writer Owen’s star was definitely in the ascendency after the success of his first Romantic novel “The Maiden Muse” but the change in the fortunes of his writing career were not universally well received, his publisher liked it, his new agent loved it, the bank manager was ecstatic about it but his mother was disappointed by it because she thought it was a bit girlie.
But it wasn’t just his writing career that was climbing high, so was his love life thanks to his muse and lover, Juliana Molesworth, who had brought his writers block to an end, and since she had become his muse he had become a writer of bodice ripping romances which had proved to be an occupation which suited him very well indeed.
And it suited him in many ways, but the main benefit was that he was able to work at home, so he had no tedious commute every day and his working day was flexible to the point that some days he didn’t write at all.
This afforded him the opportunity of playing a round of Golf during the working week when most people had their noses to the grindstone or even taking a day out to go fishing.
(Part 02)
Owen Carrington’s muse and lover Juliana Molesworth, was in her third year at the University of Downshire where she studied English at Abbottsford.
In the short time they had been together she had come to mean everything to him so in the final weeks of the year he did something that rocked her world, he asked her to marry him, and she said yes.
Since the day of the proposal they missed each other terribly while she was at University and he was in Denmead time hung heavy so he was really looking forward to her coming home for the three week Christmas break.
Due to some heavy snow fall over night and him having to clear the drive before he could get the car out of the garage, he was about forty minutes late leaving for the drive to Abbottsford.
He called ahead to let Juliana know he was running late but she was ok about it as she was all behind herself.
He got to Juliana’s place around one o’clock and miracle of miracles she was ready to go.
Half an hour after he finished loading the car they finally got away when she had finished saying her goodbyes of course.
When they got back to Denmead he thought Juliana would be eager to be reunited with her nearest and dearest, but it turned out that she was more eager to be reunited with him.
“Don’t take me home yet” she said as they entered the village
“Aren’t you in a hurry to see your mum and dad?” he asked
“Yes, but I want to spend a couple of hours with my fiancé first” she said
“I like the way that sounds” Owen replied
He parked on the drive and walked to the door and went inside and they had barely got through the front door before she launched herself at him and kissed him.
“Merry Christmas” she said
They spent a pleasant couple of hours cuddling on the sofa as they watched a classic Christmas movie and when it was finished he was allowed to take her home to be reunited with her family.
It was starting to snow again as he reversed onto the Molesworth’s drive, it was little more than a flurry really, barely even enough to qualify as a light shower.
He unloaded the car while Juliana rushed inside and hugged her waiting parents and he traipsed in with her stuff amidst the scene of reuniting embraces and jovial laughter.
And after a farewell kiss when his duties were fulfilled he left the Molesworth’s to their reunion and drove home.
But he knew he would see his homecoming muse again the next day.
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