The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (161) Desperately Seeking Sarah

 

On Thursday morning after a painfully restless night Conrad awoke to find there had been some improvement.

He knew he should have stayed at home for the rest of the week to rest it, but he had to go to sea on Monday, so he would need to spend time on the weekend getting ready for sea.

 

Vet Warren Bramble was visiting Woodside farm, which was the largest of the five farms on the island covering the whole of the southeast corner, a large wedge-shaped parcel of land bordered by Halfway Lane to the north, Spanish River and Eagles Crag in the west and the rugged coastline from Manor Cliff Beach to Armada Head to the east.

 

Warren was making his second visit of the week to the farm to treat Natasha Baker’s horse who went lame when she was out for a ride.

He was just walking to his car after leaving the stables when a green van drove in and parked next to his vehicle and emblazoned on the side of it was “Terrell’s Acre’s”.

His heart soared when he saw it, but he hadn’t seen who the driver was at that point, so he didn’t know if it was Sarah or Ava, and it was the former that affected his heart.  

He held his breath as he heard the van door open and only breathed again when he saw the shock of Sarah’s red curls.

He continued to walk towards his car, and he watched as she opened the side door, and when he reached her, he said

“Hello Sarah”

 “Oh God” she exclaimed and nearly dropped the trays of eggs she was carrying “You startled me”

“Sorry” he said “I didn’t mean too”

“That’s ok” she said and smiled

“It was nice seeing you again” she added as she started walking away

“Before you go, I was hoping…” he began

“Hoping what?”

“That you would accompany me to our staff Christmas Party” he said falteringly

“Oh, er when?”

“Saturday” he replied “At the Beaumont”

“Erm yes then”

  

On Friday morning Conrad’s knee was well on the mend, he still used the walking stick though to get about and would keep using it when he returned to the boat.

 

At Terrell’s Acre’s Small Holding on the outskirts of Spaniards Creek, the property had been in the Terrell family for a hundred years and was now owned by 32-year-old Sarah  and her widowed younger sister.

Ava Adderley had made her sister Sarah get her nails done, such as they were, and she arranged for Hairdresser Maria Jenkins to do something with her unruly hair on Saturday morning.