The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (180) The Fourth Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve

 

Christmas Eve was a busy day for the clergy with the Sunday service in the morning including lighting the fourth Advent Candle and then at 11 o’clock at night they had Midnight Mass.

It was also a busy day for families as parents made final preparations for the big day as their children’s excitement reached fever pitch.

 

Fifty-year-old Elizabeth Rodriguez was staying on St Giles with her cousin Shelagh Marks for Christmas, and despite the weather she took a walk around Hastings Lake and the surrounding woodland on Christmas Eve with her Cockapoo, Brandy.

As she and Brandy enjoyed their surroundings she was stunned to bump into her old flame, Matthew Woods, who was also walking a dog, in his case it was a Jack Russell, who she discovered went by the name of Digger.

They were both so taken aback by the chance encounter that they parted with things unsaid and unasked questions unanswered.

 

Despite the intermittent snow showers, St Joan of Arc’s was well attended for Midnight Mass, even in the bitter cold.

And to the great delight of everyone in attendance at St Clara’s, Reverend Arielle Archer was in attendance for the Mass.

At both Churches the service began in semi darkness to add to the atmosphere.

Midnight Mass was very moving and at the stroke of midnight when the lights come up to signify the light of Christ in the world made it really Magical.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (179) Christmas Joy

 

Joy was the sole breadwinner in the Melbin family and her parents were very proud, but they were a poor family, her mother Sarah had Terminal Cancer, and her father Liam lost a hand the year before in a car accident.

It was a terrible weight that she had to bear on her 20-year-old shoulders, and she worked three jobs to pay the bills, and throughout December she picked up every extra shift she could to pay for Christmas and have enough to treat herself to a new laptop.

She had just reached the point where she could order a laptop when the universe ganged up on her and the boiler broke down.

They didn’t have boiler cover, and because of her mother’s illness it was important to have a working boiler.

She was able to get the boiler repaired promptly and set up breakdown insurance for it, but it meant the extra outgoings she wasn’t going to have enough to fund her new laptop, and she burst into tears.

Joy had just got her tears under control and was drying her eyes when there was a knock on the door and when she opened the door and saw Sam Hoban standing there, she broke down again.

“What’s wrong?” he asked with concern as he stepped towards her, but she couldn’t speak, so he quickly closed the door, and she threw herself into his arms.

 

Sam was literally the boy next door, and he worshipped Joy, though he had never told her that.

He was two years older and worked full time at the Beaumont Manor Hotel as a chef, he had just finished his shift for the day and thought he would pop in and have a chat, they were all getting together at his house that evening for Christmas Drinks but he didn’t expect he would get to speak to her on her own, so he figured it was best to do it when he knew she was alone in the house.

Her dad had taken her mum to the hospital for an appointment, and with just the two of them there was always the possibility that he might actually get around to asking her out, it would be his last opportunity before Christmas.

He had rehearsed at length what he was going to say, but he wasn’t prepared to find her in floods of tears.

It was some minutes before she had composed herself sufficiently to be able to speak, and when she began, she couldn’t stop, and told him about the Boiler, and the insurance and how her finances weren’t going to stretch to the new laptop.

“I’ll just have to make do,” she sobbed and then the tears flowed again.

 

Sam knew how hard she had worked, and how much she wanted the new laptop, and he also knew how much she wanted a particular laptop, she had talked about it often enough, and it almost broke his heart when she said she would just have to wait, and even then, she would probably have to get something cheaper.

“That’s not going to happen” he thought.

 

When he was sure she was ok, he made his excuses and left on the pretext of having to run an errand for his folks regarding that evenings get together, the real reason was something much more important.

 

He was at the front door to greet the Melbin’s that evening and directed Liam and Sarah towards the lounge, but he halted Joy’s progress.

“Come into the dining room for a minute” he said.

“Oh ok” she responded, she thought he probably just wanted to check to see if she was alright after her embarrassing display earlier, but she wasn’t sure, after all he’d made himself scarce as soon as he could, and she was a bit disappointed in him for that if truth be told.

Once inside the room he closed the door behind them and said.

“I just wanted to talk to you for a few minutes.”

“It’s alright I’m recovered now, there won’t be a repeat of my histrionics” she said flatly.

“No, it’s not that” he said, “I just wanted to do this away from prying eyes.”

Suddenly her heart started to flutter, and she had butterflies in her stomach as he spoke, could it be that he was finally going to ask her out?

“Oh”

“Well, it’s because you were so sad and disappointed this morning, so I got you a little Christmas present” he said.

“Is that all?” she screamed in her head but aloud she said.

“You shouldn’t have.”

Sam went behind the sofa and she braced herself for some cheesy gift but when he reappeared, he was carrying a brown cardboard box tied with a bright red ribbon.

“What’s this?” she said.

“Open it” he said, “It’s not the exact one.”

“The exact one what?” she asked confusedly.

“Open it and find out” Sam urged.

So, she untied the ribbon and lifted the flaps on the box and then she gasped, and her eyes widened with delight, and she smiled broadly.

It was a laptop, the same make and colour as the one she was going to buy, but the one she was staring at had all the software she needed preinstalled, better graphics and a bigger memory.

“Is it ok?” he asked.

“It’s perfect” she replied, “But is it for me?”

“Of course, it’s for you” Sam said and laughed.

“But why?” she asked, “Why would you spend so much on me?”

“Because you deserve it” he replied and then he took a deep breath before adding.

“And because I love you.”

Joy couldn’t believe her ears; did he really just say he loved her or was it just wishful thinking on her part?

“Can you say that again?”

“Because you deserve it” he said.

“No not that bit, the other bit” she explained.

“Because I love you” he said and smiled.

“You really said it? And I’m not dreaming?” Joy asked.

“I really said it and you’re not dreaming” he confirmed “Do you mind?”

“No, of course not, because I love you too” she replied, “And now I want to kiss you.”

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (178) Snowblind

 

 

Danilo Franzo is the postman covering the southern half of Beaumont island and the island of St Giles he was only 25 years old and a hard worker, he also had a secret crush, Agnes Starr.

Agnes was the only child of a wealthy couple who were always off globetrotting, but Agnes had no interest in that lifestyle.

She did meet up with them for special occasions, but for the most part she stayed on the island, and although she had no need to work, she looked after her Cousin Oliver Kingham’s horses which where stabled at his yard adjacent to Kingham’s Saddle and Tack, which was also where she kept her own horse.

 

As it was the last working day before Christmas and after work his presence was requested at Philips Folly for Christmas drinks, which proved to be a very jovial evening and a little more of a boozy get together than he was expecting and the beer was as free flowing as the joviality, unfortunately when he left, he had imbibed a little too much to drive.

He had never been much of a drinker and the rest of the assembled group were more hardened drinkers.

Danilo set off down the road and he hadn’t gone more than a hundred yards when it started to snow and before long it was snowing so hard that he struggled to get his bearings so concentrated on keeping tarmac beneath his feet, and all was going well until he tripped on a curb stone and crashed into someone and they both fell to the floor in an untidy heap, when he scrambled to his feet he found he was outside Kingham’s Saddle Maker’s.

“Thank God,” he muttered before his thoughts turned to the cute girl that he loved, but then he remembered he had to help the other poor soul he had left on the ground.

“I’m so sorry” he said as he grabbed a handful of their belt and pulled the stricken body to its feet.

The individual muttered incoherently under their breath as they brushed themselves off and he got the impression his apology was not accepted, and when they began to turn in his direction he was bracing himself for a volley of unchristian language but to his great surprise he found the previously stricken figure to be Agnes Starr and the muttering scowling indignant face instantly changed to a beaming cute smile when she recognized the face of her assailant.

“Danilo” she said excitedly then cautiously gave a long look in the direction of the stable doorway, then in a quieter voice she continued

“I didn’t know it was you”

“Are you ok?” he asked

“I am now” she replied and glanced again at the door.

He looked her up and down and realized why he hadn’t recognized her before, she was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt instead of her customary jodhpurs.

She was still looking anxiously towards the stable as if she was worried about something, then she suddenly set her chin resolutely and steered him around the side of the building and kissed him passionately, which he reciprocated eagerly.

After a minute of mutual passion Oliver Kingham called from the stable doorway

“Agnes! Are you ok out there?”

Reluctantly they ceased their passionate exchange

“Yes, everything’s fine, I’ll be there in a moment” Agnes called back then she kissed him again.

“I have to go now” she said regretfully, and he looked at his watch

“I can wait until you finish” he suggested

“Oh yes please” she replied excitedly and then she rushed off.

“You do work in mysterious way Lord” he said looking to the heavens.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (177) St Thomas’s Day

 

After the defeat of King Harold at Hastings, a minor nobleman, Gilbert du Beaumont, claimed the Pepperstock Bay islands for himself, and took up residence on the larger Island which he promptly named after himself. 

He named the smaller island St Giles du Cabot in honour of his cousin and childhood friend who died of his wounds after the battle.

It was a rugged inhospitable and largely uninhabitable island surrounded by treacherous rocks. 

For hundreds of years following the dissolution of the monasteries a hardy community of Monks eked out a meagre existence before they had to share their seclusion when work on a lighthouse at Cabot point began in the middle of the 19th Century.

By the 21st Century, three quarters of the island is a Wildlife Sanctuary, there is a small Meteorological Station, a small Hotel, the Seaview, and the Monks, who now run St Giles’s religious retreat, which meant there was a population of between 50 and a 150 people, depending on the time of year. 

There is no Church on the Island but for those of a religious bent were always welcome at the St Giles Chapel.

 

St Giles is where Rachel Walker and Carla Moody first met and was also where Rachel fell head over heels in love, with Carla.

Rachel had worked at the Seaview Hotel since she left school, but Carla only joined in October, Rachel was from Beaumont Island and lived in at the Hotel whereas Carla lived on St Giles with her parents and brother.

She was three years younger than Rachel, but like her she was socially awkward, and lacked confidence.

As a result, they just smiled at each other for the first month, but at least sat at the same table for lunch, and by December they progressed beyond monosyllabic conversations, and in the week before Christmas they arranged to go Christmas shopping together in Pipershaven.

Rachel was a little concerned there might be an awkward silence on the ferry over, or at some point during the day as they had never spent more than half an hour at a time in each other’s company before that day.

She needn’t have worried as Carla chattered away for the whole journey, as she was so full of excitement.

 

Rachel had a lovely day, and she was pretty sure that Carla had too, so when they were heading back to the ferry, walking past the library, hands full of bags and chatting, Rachel formulated her plan.

Just after the library they turned left by the art gallery and down a cobbled alley which led to the dock, then they boarded the ferry and headed back to St Giles.

Carla was anxious to go and show her mum her purchases, but Rachel had other ideas.

So, as Carla had to walk past the Hotel to get to the cottage Rachel took hold of some of Carla’s bags and rushed up the path to the staff accommodation.

“Come on Carla” Rachel called “come in for a minute”

“Ok I’m coming” Carla called back “Just for five minutes though”

“Alright come in and close the door” she said and went inside Rachel’s room was the first door on the left.

Carla followed her in a bag in each hand and closed the door behind her as instructed, but as she went into the sitting room, she found Rachel standing in front of her holding up a sprig of mistletoe, and before she could react Rachel took her by surprise and kissed her,

“I didn’t think we were doing presents until Christmas Eve”

Carla said, dropped her bags and kissed her back. 

 

Carla had stayed much longer than five minutes when they shared a soft, gentle, and affectionate farewell kiss, before Rachel opened the door and Carla went home to share her news with her mum.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (176) The Christmas Wagon

 

Emily Parsley lived in St Pierre in what was previously her family’s home, and she had lived there all 26 years of her life; and she had lived alone in the house for 2 of those years.

She worked in St Pierre for the St Pierre and District Council, but she had many more strings to her bow.

Emily was very active in the church, at St Joan of Arc as well as farther afield.

This involved among other things, being a greeter at the church services, delivering Parish Magazines, helping at the Christmas Bazaar, Summer Fete, and Sunday School, you name it, and she did it and that was only on the island.

Her wider good works included the Soup Kitchens in Pipershaven, who were always desperate for volunteers.

The Christmas Wagon in St Pierre and Spaniards Creek, which was an old Mornington Brewery dray, pulled by two of the Beaumont shire horses, which was bedecked with tinsel and lights and carried on the back, a multi denominational choir singing Christmas Carols.

Emily was not however, among those going from door to door, as the wagon drove around the town, collecting donations in plastic buckets and handing out sweets to the excited children, no she was in the choir on the back of the Dray because she had the voice of an angel.

The wagon plied its festive trade on three consecutive nights on the week before Christmas, starting in the Townsquare they travelled on three different routes so that by the end of the third evening they would have covered all of the town, they then did a fourth trip through Spaniards Creek. 

The collectors with the buckets were dressed as Elves, whereas Emily and the other choir members were dressed in Victorian costume.

 

There were always plenty of helpers, most of whom she already knew, but there was often a new face or two, and that Wednesday was no difference, but one helper fell into both categories.

She had just got aboard the wagon when a voice behind her said

“My God its Herbie”

Only one person had ever called her Herbie, and that was Clayton Cooper, but she hadn’t seen him since they were at school together when they were 14, because he moved away from the island, she didn’t know where to.

She turned around to face the speaker,

“It is you” he said and laughed, and the schoolgirl crush she had on him as a 14-year-old girl flooded over her again, even though the tall man with broad shoulders and hands like shovels, short brown hair, neatly trimmed beard, and hazel eyes, was so different from the boy she worshipped, only his infectious laugh was the same.

“Clay!” she exclaimed

“The very same” he replied

“Not the same” she corrected him “but definitely you”

She had never believed in love at first sight or in soul mates, she thought them rather fanciful notions, the stuff of romantic fiction and sentimental movies.

That was until she met the grown-up incarnation of Clayton Cooper when she was instantly smitten, but she doubted he would feel the same.

“What are you doing here?” she asked

“The same as you”

“That’s not what I meant” she said, but then became aware that they were moving off

“Here we go” she said regretfully  

“I would love to catch up though” she called over her shoulder

“Me too” he shouted after her

 

She did catch sight of him a couple of times after that, the first time was when one of the Elves, Lily Farmer managed to trap him in a bus shelter armed with a bunch of mistletoe and only when she had satisfied herself in the pagan ritual did, she let him go.

Irrationally, having witnessed the kiss, she was not at all happy about it, but she did enjoy seeing him again.

The second time she saw him was when they returned to the square and she disembarked, when her own cousin Ellie kissed him and said goodbye.

Sadly, she never got to speak to him again, not that day at any rate.

 

As she walked back home, she was rerunning the evening’s events in her head and just as she opened her front door, her phone rang, so she stepped inside and answered it.

“Hello!”

“Hi Emily” her cousin Ellie said

“Guess who asked me for your number today?”

An hour later her phone rang again and this time it was Clayton and two days later they had their first date.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (175) Secret Love

 

28-year-old Darren Beckley was a freelance Landscape Gardener and always walked to and from work, and on the way home he liked to call in at the shop, to see someone special.

Rebecca O'Toole, who was the Postmistress at Jardine’s General Store/Post Office in Spaniards Creek, her husband Peter played the role of shop manager, but it was his younger wife who did all the work, along with a few additional staff.

Rebecca was a year older than Derren, and he loved her to distraction, unfortunately she was already married.

It all began with some harmless flirtation, he would flirt outrageously with her and she would flirt back, but then one day as she handed him his magazine, she let go of it before he had hold of it properly in his grip and as they both reached to recover it, their hands touched and he thought it was like a mild electricity passing between them, and he could tell by her expression that she felt it too.

There were many such momentary touches, and they were always accompanied by the same tingling sensation but other than the flirting and brush of fingertip on hand nothing ever came of it because she was not free.

Also, it was all tacit, nothing had been said, no feelings had been expressed, and he had wanted to make it plain to her, and not just flirt and accidentally caress her hand.

So, on one Tuesday before Christmas when he went to buy the Christmas Radio Times, she was alone in the shop and there were no prying eyes, and as they were in a CCTV blind spot, he blatantly held her hand in his and caressed the back of it with the other, he would have liked to kiss her too, but he knew that was going too far.

“You’re not free, so I can’t say that I love you” he said

“I know” she gasped 

“But it’s true nonetheless”

“I know that too” she replied quietly

“And I would kiss you if I could, but I know I can’t, so you will have to imagine me doing it instead, until I can”

“I do that every day” She replied and squeezed his hand and would not have relinquished it if another customer hadn’t entered the shop.

So, their intimate moment had passed until another day.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (174) Moral Support

 

As Molly and Danny were walking to the Church Hall for the committee meeting on Monday, they were surprised to see Dr Cameron leaving the vicarage and get into his car, they said good morning, but he didn’t respond or stop and as he drove away, they wondered what the Doctor was doing there, when making house calls was not in vogue. 

When they got to the Church Hall, they were almost the last to arrive and they found the assembled group in sombre mood.

Also in the room was Henry Noble who was standing in for Arielle for the rest of the week.

It seemed that the stresses and strains of the Christmas calendar had taken its toll on Arielle.

But by all accounts, she would appear to be no more than thoroughly run down and had been advised to take a complete rest.

That was obviously the reason why the Doctor was leaving the vicarage.

Full bed rest for the week would hopefully put her right and she would be strong enough to participate on Christmas Eve.

Reverend Noble would be standing in for her wherever and whenever necessary until then.

There was still a busy program to get through, an advent Sunday, midnight mass and Christmas morning itself as well as the Christmas Wagon and the proceeds from the Christmas Bazaar to discuss.

The meeting moved on at a pace once they got started and they covered a good deal of ground.

 

As she had a day off on Monday, Fiona decided to take the water taxi to St Giles so she would have a chance to see Simon again and met them just as they were leaving the Seaview.

“This is a nice surprise” Jeannette said and embraced her friend

“I thought I would give you some more moral support” Fiona said but Jeannette knew that was only part of the reason she was there.

They walked with her as far as the Meteorological Station and wished her luck and watched her walk in then Simon and Jeannette took a walk round the Hastings Lake and got to know each other a little better.

He was from Northchapel like Jeannette but was living in Sharpington until he sold his house.

His marriage had just ended, and he just wanted to off load the house and draw a line under an unhappy episode in his life.

“I wouldn’t mind living on the islands” Simon said “first impressions and all that”

“I wouldn’t live anywhere else” Fiona admitted “but you’re not even seeing it at its best”

“I’m looking for a change once the house has been sold” he said “And I like what I see”

When Fiona looked up, she saw he was looking at her and it flustered her.

“Houses don’t come up for sale very often, and tend to remain in the family” she said

“That’s a shame” he said

“But tied properties are a different matter” Fiona suggested

 

When Jeannette finally reappeared it was clear that she had got the job and couldn’t keep quiet about it for the rest of the day because she was so excited, but for Fiona and Simon they were excited for quite different reasons because they had shared a kiss beside Hasting Lake.