(Part 01)
It was a successful organization that district nurse Elena Fedeli joined on a bitter cold January morning along with another new nurse named Harriet Robinson.
It was two years to the day after Dr Claire Andrews took over The Shallowfield Surgery and in that short time she and her business partner Olivia Adamson had transformed it into the Dancingdean Heath Centre, which necessitated the expansion of staff numbers.
However while things had been going well for Claire and Olivia in the two years they had been in Shallowfield.
It had been quite a different story in those two years for Elena, despite the fact that they began with her meeting the man that within a few weeks she would be in love with.
She was working at St Bernadette’s Covent Hospital in Abbeyvale, although in truth it was more of a hospice, there were a number of wards for convalescents but mainly it was palliative care.
Which she didn’t mind because she was good at her job and she was a caring soul.
It was at the end of her shift on a winter’s night and she was on her way home.
She was taking a shortcut through the hospital garden when she found Dave McAteer sitting alone in the dark.
It was snowing and she was walking along lost in her thoughts when she suddenly saw something moving in her peripheral vision which made her jump then he spotted her and let out an involuntary yelp.
Which resulted in Elena subsequently letting out a scream.
“Oh Shit” she said in very un-convent like language.
The reason he was sitting in the dark on a cold winter’s night was that he had just received the worse possible news about his mother.
Elena was a kind and caring nurse so despite the bitter cold night and the falling snow she sat with him.
And they smoked a cigarette and drank from a hip flask as they chatted in the snow.
After about forty minutes the snow began falling harder and it was getting colder when he asked.
“Are you off duty?”
“Yes” she replied “I’m done for the day”
“Well I’m chilled to the bone” He said “do you fancy getting something to eat?”
“Yes, that would be nice” she replied and a broad smile crossed her face
It was a kind face with a delicate smile and her coloring clearly betrayed her Mediterranean ancestry and he smiled back at her.
But when he offered and she accepted neither of them expected it to be anything other than a mutually companionable meal.
They certainly weren’t looking for anything else.
Elena Fedeli had been disappointed by love too many times in her 32 years to walk into another potential disaster with a man who had a very difficult and fraught time ahead.
Dave had also been through the mill relationship wise and wanted no more than to be there for his mother every step of the way until she passed.
With all that said they promptly went and fell in love.
More than two years on with the benefit of hind sight it was disaster waiting to happen.
Apart from the fact his mother was dying by inches before his eyes there were other aspect of their lives which were not compatible.
Dave was a lapsed Catholic in fact he was a lapsed Christian while she was a practicing Anglican and had a very deep faith.
He worked 9 to 5 for an insurance company while she was a nurse who worked shifts and there was the age difference he was three years her junior.
But despite their differences they really did love each other and there was a time that she thought it might even lead to marriage.
(Part 02)
They had met under difficult circumstances with her being one of the palliative care nurses caring for his terminally ill mother.
Then when the day came that his mother died he leant on her.
In fact he leant on her a lot and perhaps foolishly she let him do so more than she should have.
But it did hit him hard, and his mum was the last relative he had left.
The biggest problem was that his faith which had been crumbling over a number of years before they met had disintegrated altogether and that became a problem between them.
She tried to help and support him but she had a deep and sustaining faith.
Her faith was as strong as ever, if not stronger, but he had none and it drove a wedge between them and the resulting chasm between them could not be reconciled.
Dave losing his faith was not in itself a problem, she could have lived with that, she could have dealt with that.
But what she couldn’t live with in any way shape or form was that he resented her relationship with God and that she could not live with.
After his mum died he blamed everyone and everything except the cancer.
In the end, for the sake of her sanity she had to make a hard decision, to stop being his crutch and to leave him to wallow in self-pity.
They were together for two years before they split up which in the end they did quite amicably and then she lived alone for six months before she had an epiphany.
She decided to change everything in her life, firstly she quit smoking and when she had licked that she went teetotal.
With a clear head and clearing lungs she took up running although in truth the running only lasted a week when she reverted to walking.
She figured if that went well enough she would then start walking faster.
And finally she applied for a new job.
Teardrop Lake and the surrounding woodland was privately owned and divided into twelve parcels each with one significant dwelling although there were a number of cottages dotted around the woodland.
Elena moved into number 3 Folly Cottages just before Christmas, the previous occupant was one of her new bosses Olivia Shenton who now lived at the Vicarage in Shallowfield with her husband and she fell in love with the cottage and its location instantly.
Originally there were six dwellings but after conversion there were now three terraced cottages and they were situated high above the northern perimeter road in a rocky glade.
The two end ones had two bedroom and the one in the middle had one.
Once upon a time they were home to peasants who worked the woods but now the peasantry couldn’t afford to live anywhere near the lake.
The view of the lake 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.
Although much of the modest body of water was obscured from view it was still quite beautiful and relatively unspoilt which was why the she instantly fell in love with the place, and as there was snow on the ground the scene was very picturesque.
It was both idyllic and peaceful, there was little or no noise pollution and she had been reliably informed that although the lake was used there were no speed boats or jet skis, only rowing boats, canoes, dinghies and skiffs.
(Part 03)
Fortunately Elena was not the only new starter at the health centre or the only newbie to the area.
Harriet Robinson who was the new phlebotomist moved into number 1 a couple of days before her.
However whereas Elena’s move had been out of choice because she was looking for a change Harriet’s had been forced upon her due to cost cutting measures.
As they both moved in before Christmas and weren’t due to start work until the New Year and as they were neighbours the two new girls gravitated towards each other especially as Harriet’s University Professor husband, Nathan, was only around at the weekend for the first week until the end of the semester.
Eva Christodoulou and Siti Shahara, who lived in number 2, also worked at the health centre, volunteered to show the new girls around and help them get their bearings and settle in.
She was dreading that first Christmas in a new place without Dave, she thought that all that time on her own would drive her crazy.
But she needn’t have worried for a second the mad girls in number 2 made sure she wasn’t sad or lonely and didn’t give her a minute to think.
She did find herself missing him in her quieter moments though.
After a very enjoyable first Christmas in her new home Elena was really pleased that she wasn’t starting the new job on her own and she knew Harriet felt the same way.
They both slotted right in at the Heath Centre and they soon found that the rest of the staff were just as friendly as their new neighbours were.
Elena loved her job from the first moment she walked through the doors and she loved living on the Lake even more.
She had continued on her healthy approach to life and walked a circuit of the lake every morning except the weekends, on Saturdays she split her time between housework and exploring the forest and Sundays after she’d attended church in the morning she watched old films on TV in the afternoon, after all she was 35 by then.
Apart from enjoying the Lake and its environs she was fast becoming a regular part of Church life in Shallowfield and along with Harriet where in full voice when on Easter Sunday when her neighbour Nathan Robinson debuted as Choir master.
After Easter, life continued in much the same way until the summer festivities filled the calendar.
It began as it did every year on Teardrop Lake with Lynn Cooper’s birthday BBQ at Coopers Villa on the first of May and ended at the Shallowfield Lodge Hotel in September for Rob and Sheryl Browns Wedding Anniversary party.
It had been such a busy summer with the seemingly endless round of Hog Roasts and BBQ’s, parties and picnics that it wasn’t until summer drifted relentlessly into autumn that loneliness struck her.
Although if truth be told since she had split up with Dave she had not been short of admirers so her loneliness was not for want of an offer.
Her loneliness was so heartfelt because she missed Dave because at the end of the day she still in love with him.
There were other distractions in September such as
Olivia Shenton’s Wedding Anniversary and Chantelle Dooney’s birthday and Siti Shahara’s was in October, but overall not enough.
Throughout October at the health centre the main topic of conversation was the upcoming Lutchford’s Annual Fancy Dress Halloween party at Forest Lodge, to which all the staff were invited.
The talk was primarily of what costumes would be worn but more interestingly the gossip was mainly about past misdemeanours.
(Part 04)
Although Elena was not a Catholic her years spent at the convent hospital exposed her to what she considered a more dignified way to spend Halloween than dressing up in a ridiculous costume and drinking so much you couldn’t remember if you enjoyed yourself or not.
So she choose to decline the invitation to the Halloween party and chose instead to attend the Halloween celebrations at St Mary’s.
Everyone at the health centre apart from Elena and the Vicar’s wife Olivia were going to the Halloween Party at the Lutchford’s so the two of them left work early for the Church.
The evening began with a short children’s service followed by a Children’s party in the church hall which included music and games and of course sweets.
After the parents and children had gone Elena stayed on to help Olivia and Ben and the other helpers to clear away.
“Come and have supper with us” Olivia said when they were done “its only bread and soup”
“No I wouldn’t want to intrude” Elena said
“Nonsense” the Vicar said “We insist”
“In that case then, thank you” she conceded
As they sat eating homemade soup and bread in the Vicarage Olivia asked
“So will you be lighting a candle tonight?”
“Yes” she replied
“Might I ask for whom?” she asked
“My parents” Elena replied “And someone who isn’t dead yet”
“Ok” Olivia said “that’s intriguing, but I won’t press you”
At St Marys the All Hallows Eve vigil was a quiet solemn time where you could light a candle for dead loved ones.
After quiet contemplation she then lit one for a living person, Dave McAteer, she thought if she lit a candle for him on Halloween she could let him go and get on with her life.
Elena took a seat on the front pew and lost herself in prayer, she had no idea how long she had been praying or even when another worshiper had joined her.
“Hello El” he said when she eventually raised her head up from her devotions.
She turned around and it slowly dawned on her who it was
“Hello Dave” she said “how on earth did you find me?”
“Sister Agatha told me” he replied
“Why are you here?”
“I missed you” he said
“I’ve missed you too” Elena confided “but I’m not in your life anymore”
“I’ve realized since you left that you were my life” Dave said
“And I foolishly let you go”
Elena said nothing and looked away
“And you were right to leave me” he said “I had to learn to stand on my own two feet”
Still she said nothing
“I’ve grown up and come to my senses and as soon as I did I knew I had to win you back, but I didn’t know how”
Elena still said nothing
“So I asked someone for help”
“Who?” she asked turning and looking at him for the first time
“God” he replied and she gasped
“I opened my heart to God and suddenly everything made sense”
“Truly?” she asked with moistened eyes
“Truly” he replied and took her hand
“But I lit a candle for you tonight” she confessed
“No, you lit a candle for a different Dave” he replied “and he is dead and gone”
Elena looked at him and she placed her other hand on his and smiled.
Saturday 20 May 2017
Those Memories Made on Teardrop Lake – (29) Family Ties
(Part 01)
Martha and Vikki were both “sweet sixteen and never been kissed” and the girls were the best of friends.
And to be perfectly honest they were not really interested in boys, their leisure time was spent sailing, mountain biking, orienteering, climbing, you name it and they did it.
Basically Martha and Vikki were the outdoorsy type.
They both lived in Dancingdean Hall, Martha in flat D with her widower father Andrew and Vikki in flat F with her divorced mother Alexandra and their primary aim in life was to get their respective parents interested in each other so they could become sisters.
Dancingdean Hall was once the residence of the Earls of Dancingdean but that line of aristocracy had long since died out and the hall was now divided into 6 spacious family apartments.
Alexandra Quarit was 38 years old and had raised Vikki on her own since she was 10 months old when her husband walked out on them.
He hadn’t contested the divorce and although he had not reneged on his financial obligations he had made no attempt over the years to see his daughter.
She was content however with her life, she loved Vikki and she had a successful business that she had built up from nothing.
And she now had a shop in Abbottsford’s Phoenix Centre called Crazy Chocolatiers and for the past seven years she and Vikki had lived on Teardrop Lake.
Alex was a no nonsense practical person, a “what you see, is what you get” type and she wasted no time on frills and fripperies.
Her normal apparel was a blue shirt, sleeves turned up, black skirt, blue wool tights and stout shoes.
And she wore her grey streaked dark hair short and low maintenance.
She was an attractive woman, clean and presentable but she didn’t tend toward the glamorous, she favoured the subdued look.
She wasn’t interested in attracting a partner because she didn’t think she could ever trust a man again.
Dancingdean House was situated on the highest point on the cliffs above the Lake and commanded a magnificent view.
Which was a great comfort to Andrew McShane as it was a much loved view of his wife Rachel which became all too familiar in the summer of her death.
Andrew was an accountant and had not long turned 40, an event he would have ignored entirely had it not been for his daughter who did her best to mark the milestone with party poppers, banners and helium filled balloons.
Although he humoured her and put on a brave face, for him it merely marked another year without the love of his life.
Martha knew her dad still missed her mum and she did too but she was determined to get him back into the world of the living if it was the last thing she did.
But Andrew thought he would be betraying Rachel’s memory if he found someone else, if he even entertained the thought it would be a betrayal of her memory.
Martha was 10 when the cancer finally took her mum, and it was her friend Vikki who got her through it.
The girls were gregarious, bubbly and outgoing and everybody liked them.
Victoria was the ring leader and was the complete opposite of her mother in almost every respect apart from the fact they both stood five foot two inches tall and Vikki wasn’t looking for a guy either.
She wore her unruly chestnut brown hair tied in a kind of loose arrangement on top of her head which gave the impression she was taller than she was.
And when it came to her mode of dress there was nothing that could be in any way considered to be subdued.
Vikki generally went for the Tomboy appearance and as summer began to give way to autumn
She wore a white top beneath a garishly bright multi-coloured striped shrug.
Red skinny trousers and orange converse shoes and she loved jewellery, lots and lots of jewellery.
She had lovely laughing hazel eyes which narrowed when she smiled, which was often, and her smile illuminated her face.
(Part 02)
Like Vikki, Martha was also a tomboy but she was a little more subtle in her choices and favoured blue jeans, a white top and blue plaid shirt and on her feet she wore either baseball boots or just plain black leather boots.
Her hair was mousy hair and there was less of it than Vikki’s but like her friend she stood five foot two inches tall.
And Martha never wore jewellery but then Vikki wore enough for the two of them.
Her complexion wasn’t as clear as her friends and she had a number of what some people would have called blemishes which far from detracting from her beauty, enhanced it rather.
With her stunning green eyes she was by far the prettier of the two girls.
They had made the decision to intervene in their parents love lives the previous Christmas.
Although “love lives” wasn’t really an accurate description as they had no love in their lives save for what they held for their children.
The incident occurred after Christmas lunch which that year the girls had suggested they do together,
It had always seemed silly to them that they should have separate Christmas lunches when they lived in the same building, when they lived next door in the same building.
It was met with some resistance from both parties initially but the girls were very persistent.
After all it was not unusual for them to do shared events, they were both big BBQ fans and their children were the best of friends so they often used to eat together in the communal gardens during the summer.
So Alex reluctantly agreed to host Christmas dinner and Andrew said he would do the next one, quietly hoping that there wouldn’t be a next one.
But despite their misgivings the occasion was less onerous than either of them had expected.
The girls helped clear away and as they were exiting the kitchen the grownups were coming the opposite way, they paused to let the girls past and Vikki and Martha both blurted out in unison.
“You’re under the mistletoe”
“You have to kiss” Martha added “it’s the law”
“What law?” her father said
“Christmas law” Vikki replied
“Nonsense” Andrew said
“Poppycock” Alex agreed
“Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss” the girls chanted
Eventually Andrew and Alex agreed to kiss, just to shut them up, but they made such a palaver about that one simple peck that the girls resolved to help them loosen up which in turn led to them to the task of trying to fix them up.
But it was not an easy task, they had set their target for something meaningful to have occurred between then by Christmas day, one year on from the mistletoe debacle.
Alex and Andrew got on very well together they were both very hardworking and they were both devoted to their children.
And that wasn’t their only common ground they were also avid readers so literature was always a popular subject for them to converse in, as well having a love of classical music.
So they got on well, had shared interests and liked each other’s company,
But despite all of that neither of them had any designs on progressing to another level, they were quite comfortable with the way things were.
Between Lynn Cooper’s birthday bash in May and Rob and Sheryl Brown’s anniversary party in September they had had a dozen BBQs at least, and half a dozen day trips, cinema, bowling, tree walking you name it they had done it, including getting them both out on the lake sailing but by the end of September they hadn’t made an ounce of progress.
Alexandra wasn’t stupid and she knew exactly what the girls were up to, and although she hadn’t discussed it with him she assumed Andrew must have been aware of it as well.
She was happy enough to play along the shared meals and the days out were fun but she wasn’t interested in anything other than friendship and judging by his reluctance to kiss her the previous Christmas she was certain sure Andrew shared her disinterest in the romantic.
Andrew was also well aware of his daughters plot to hook him up with Alex, whom he liked very much, but only as a friend.
And regarding the Christmas kiss incident he remembered it slightly differently to her in as much as he thought she was the reluctant one.
But he had enjoyed her friendship and their combined social life, and he had actually begun to feel alive again.
(Part 03)
For Alex, October began her busy period at the shop, firstly because the novelty stock had to be displayed in preparation for Halloween and then at the beginning of November the Halloween stock had to be removed over the weekend and replaced with the Christmas stock.
The shop also had to be decorated and the window dressed for the season.
And because Crazy Chocolatier’s sold the best handmade chocolates in Downshire they were also beginning to take orders for Christmas.
Andrew was himself burning the midnight oil during that period preparing the year end accounts for his biggest client.
As a result of them both being exceptionally busy they hadn’t done anything as a foursome for a couple of months.
So when Vikki and Martha suggested going bowling one Saturday night in December, Alex and Andrew both jumped at the chance and furthermore surprised themselves by how much the idea appealed to them.
From the girl’s perspective as it was already December time was running out for them to hit their target of having their parents involved, in some way, by Christmas Day.
Bowling was, they would have to admit not the most original idea and even a little lame, but they were getting desperate.
In the week preceding the bowling Alex found herself looking forward to it considerably more than she had anticipated and even treated herself to a colourful new blouse and a pair of slacks.
On the day before the outing Andrew decided he needed a haircut.
It was a bitter cold day when the night of the bowling came around, and snow had been predicted so as Andrew had a 4x4 he drove them.
After queuing to get their shoes they made their way to lane 10 and took their coats off.
It was at that point that they lost Vikki and Martha who were totally distracted by the devastatingly good looking Addison twins on the next lane.
They weren’t identical twins but they were clearly brothers and the girls thought they were absolutely gorgeous.
As Alex slipped off her coat to reveal her new outfit Andrew was moved to comment
“Wow you look lovely”
“Thank you” she replied and blushed a little at the compliment and then began entering the names on the screen.
The girls struggled to focus on the game as they were totally smitten by the boys on the neighbouring lane.
Andrew was a good bowler but his game had gone to pieces which left Alex in the unfamiliar position of leading after nine frames.
She knocked down 7 with the first ball of frame 10 and she was waiting for her ball to return.
Andrew was manipulating the unwanted balls on the carrier and when Alex reached down to retrieve her ball their hands touched.
Neither of them moved and their hands remained in contact,
It was like electricity was passing between them, then after a moment they made eye contact and smiled
“Gosh” she said and took a proper hold of his hand.
“Indeed” he said and squeezed hers and then they kissed
“What will the girls think?” she said
“They’ve been throwing us together all year, so they’ll be delighted” he said and they kissed again
Which was when the Addison twin’s pointed out to the girls what was going on behind them
“It’s about time” Martha said after turning around
“Absolutely” Vikki agreed and they high fived
Neither Alex nor Andrew could pinpoint the moment their feelings changed from friendship to something more, they surmised it must have happened by osmosis.
Martha and Vikki had achieved their target for something meaningful to have occurred between their respective parents by Christmas day, one year on from the mistletoe debacle with over two weeks to spare.
And that Christmas beneath the mistletoe in Andrews’s apartment there was no hesitancy on eithers part, in fact it went on a little longer than the girls were really comfortable with.
Martha and Vikki were both “sweet sixteen and never been kissed” and the girls were the best of friends.
And to be perfectly honest they were not really interested in boys, their leisure time was spent sailing, mountain biking, orienteering, climbing, you name it and they did it.
Basically Martha and Vikki were the outdoorsy type.
They both lived in Dancingdean Hall, Martha in flat D with her widower father Andrew and Vikki in flat F with her divorced mother Alexandra and their primary aim in life was to get their respective parents interested in each other so they could become sisters.
Dancingdean Hall was once the residence of the Earls of Dancingdean but that line of aristocracy had long since died out and the hall was now divided into 6 spacious family apartments.
Alexandra Quarit was 38 years old and had raised Vikki on her own since she was 10 months old when her husband walked out on them.
He hadn’t contested the divorce and although he had not reneged on his financial obligations he had made no attempt over the years to see his daughter.
She was content however with her life, she loved Vikki and she had a successful business that she had built up from nothing.
And she now had a shop in Abbottsford’s Phoenix Centre called Crazy Chocolatiers and for the past seven years she and Vikki had lived on Teardrop Lake.
Alex was a no nonsense practical person, a “what you see, is what you get” type and she wasted no time on frills and fripperies.
Her normal apparel was a blue shirt, sleeves turned up, black skirt, blue wool tights and stout shoes.
And she wore her grey streaked dark hair short and low maintenance.
She was an attractive woman, clean and presentable but she didn’t tend toward the glamorous, she favoured the subdued look.
She wasn’t interested in attracting a partner because she didn’t think she could ever trust a man again.
Dancingdean House was situated on the highest point on the cliffs above the Lake and commanded a magnificent view.
Which was a great comfort to Andrew McShane as it was a much loved view of his wife Rachel which became all too familiar in the summer of her death.
Andrew was an accountant and had not long turned 40, an event he would have ignored entirely had it not been for his daughter who did her best to mark the milestone with party poppers, banners and helium filled balloons.
Although he humoured her and put on a brave face, for him it merely marked another year without the love of his life.
Martha knew her dad still missed her mum and she did too but she was determined to get him back into the world of the living if it was the last thing she did.
But Andrew thought he would be betraying Rachel’s memory if he found someone else, if he even entertained the thought it would be a betrayal of her memory.
Martha was 10 when the cancer finally took her mum, and it was her friend Vikki who got her through it.
The girls were gregarious, bubbly and outgoing and everybody liked them.
Victoria was the ring leader and was the complete opposite of her mother in almost every respect apart from the fact they both stood five foot two inches tall and Vikki wasn’t looking for a guy either.
She wore her unruly chestnut brown hair tied in a kind of loose arrangement on top of her head which gave the impression she was taller than she was.
And when it came to her mode of dress there was nothing that could be in any way considered to be subdued.
Vikki generally went for the Tomboy appearance and as summer began to give way to autumn
She wore a white top beneath a garishly bright multi-coloured striped shrug.
Red skinny trousers and orange converse shoes and she loved jewellery, lots and lots of jewellery.
She had lovely laughing hazel eyes which narrowed when she smiled, which was often, and her smile illuminated her face.
(Part 02)
Like Vikki, Martha was also a tomboy but she was a little more subtle in her choices and favoured blue jeans, a white top and blue plaid shirt and on her feet she wore either baseball boots or just plain black leather boots.
Her hair was mousy hair and there was less of it than Vikki’s but like her friend she stood five foot two inches tall.
And Martha never wore jewellery but then Vikki wore enough for the two of them.
Her complexion wasn’t as clear as her friends and she had a number of what some people would have called blemishes which far from detracting from her beauty, enhanced it rather.
With her stunning green eyes she was by far the prettier of the two girls.
They had made the decision to intervene in their parents love lives the previous Christmas.
Although “love lives” wasn’t really an accurate description as they had no love in their lives save for what they held for their children.
The incident occurred after Christmas lunch which that year the girls had suggested they do together,
It had always seemed silly to them that they should have separate Christmas lunches when they lived in the same building, when they lived next door in the same building.
It was met with some resistance from both parties initially but the girls were very persistent.
After all it was not unusual for them to do shared events, they were both big BBQ fans and their children were the best of friends so they often used to eat together in the communal gardens during the summer.
So Alex reluctantly agreed to host Christmas dinner and Andrew said he would do the next one, quietly hoping that there wouldn’t be a next one.
But despite their misgivings the occasion was less onerous than either of them had expected.
The girls helped clear away and as they were exiting the kitchen the grownups were coming the opposite way, they paused to let the girls past and Vikki and Martha both blurted out in unison.
“You’re under the mistletoe”
“You have to kiss” Martha added “it’s the law”
“What law?” her father said
“Christmas law” Vikki replied
“Nonsense” Andrew said
“Poppycock” Alex agreed
“Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss” the girls chanted
Eventually Andrew and Alex agreed to kiss, just to shut them up, but they made such a palaver about that one simple peck that the girls resolved to help them loosen up which in turn led to them to the task of trying to fix them up.
But it was not an easy task, they had set their target for something meaningful to have occurred between then by Christmas day, one year on from the mistletoe debacle.
Alex and Andrew got on very well together they were both very hardworking and they were both devoted to their children.
And that wasn’t their only common ground they were also avid readers so literature was always a popular subject for them to converse in, as well having a love of classical music.
So they got on well, had shared interests and liked each other’s company,
But despite all of that neither of them had any designs on progressing to another level, they were quite comfortable with the way things were.
Between Lynn Cooper’s birthday bash in May and Rob and Sheryl Brown’s anniversary party in September they had had a dozen BBQs at least, and half a dozen day trips, cinema, bowling, tree walking you name it they had done it, including getting them both out on the lake sailing but by the end of September they hadn’t made an ounce of progress.
Alexandra wasn’t stupid and she knew exactly what the girls were up to, and although she hadn’t discussed it with him she assumed Andrew must have been aware of it as well.
She was happy enough to play along the shared meals and the days out were fun but she wasn’t interested in anything other than friendship and judging by his reluctance to kiss her the previous Christmas she was certain sure Andrew shared her disinterest in the romantic.
Andrew was also well aware of his daughters plot to hook him up with Alex, whom he liked very much, but only as a friend.
And regarding the Christmas kiss incident he remembered it slightly differently to her in as much as he thought she was the reluctant one.
But he had enjoyed her friendship and their combined social life, and he had actually begun to feel alive again.
(Part 03)
For Alex, October began her busy period at the shop, firstly because the novelty stock had to be displayed in preparation for Halloween and then at the beginning of November the Halloween stock had to be removed over the weekend and replaced with the Christmas stock.
The shop also had to be decorated and the window dressed for the season.
And because Crazy Chocolatier’s sold the best handmade chocolates in Downshire they were also beginning to take orders for Christmas.
Andrew was himself burning the midnight oil during that period preparing the year end accounts for his biggest client.
As a result of them both being exceptionally busy they hadn’t done anything as a foursome for a couple of months.
So when Vikki and Martha suggested going bowling one Saturday night in December, Alex and Andrew both jumped at the chance and furthermore surprised themselves by how much the idea appealed to them.
From the girl’s perspective as it was already December time was running out for them to hit their target of having their parents involved, in some way, by Christmas Day.
Bowling was, they would have to admit not the most original idea and even a little lame, but they were getting desperate.
In the week preceding the bowling Alex found herself looking forward to it considerably more than she had anticipated and even treated herself to a colourful new blouse and a pair of slacks.
On the day before the outing Andrew decided he needed a haircut.
It was a bitter cold day when the night of the bowling came around, and snow had been predicted so as Andrew had a 4x4 he drove them.
After queuing to get their shoes they made their way to lane 10 and took their coats off.
It was at that point that they lost Vikki and Martha who were totally distracted by the devastatingly good looking Addison twins on the next lane.
They weren’t identical twins but they were clearly brothers and the girls thought they were absolutely gorgeous.
As Alex slipped off her coat to reveal her new outfit Andrew was moved to comment
“Wow you look lovely”
“Thank you” she replied and blushed a little at the compliment and then began entering the names on the screen.
The girls struggled to focus on the game as they were totally smitten by the boys on the neighbouring lane.
Andrew was a good bowler but his game had gone to pieces which left Alex in the unfamiliar position of leading after nine frames.
She knocked down 7 with the first ball of frame 10 and she was waiting for her ball to return.
Andrew was manipulating the unwanted balls on the carrier and when Alex reached down to retrieve her ball their hands touched.
Neither of them moved and their hands remained in contact,
It was like electricity was passing between them, then after a moment they made eye contact and smiled
“Gosh” she said and took a proper hold of his hand.
“Indeed” he said and squeezed hers and then they kissed
“What will the girls think?” she said
“They’ve been throwing us together all year, so they’ll be delighted” he said and they kissed again
Which was when the Addison twin’s pointed out to the girls what was going on behind them
“It’s about time” Martha said after turning around
“Absolutely” Vikki agreed and they high fived
Neither Alex nor Andrew could pinpoint the moment their feelings changed from friendship to something more, they surmised it must have happened by osmosis.
Martha and Vikki had achieved their target for something meaningful to have occurred between their respective parents by Christmas day, one year on from the mistletoe debacle with over two weeks to spare.
And that Christmas beneath the mistletoe in Andrews’s apartment there was no hesitancy on eithers part, in fact it went on a little longer than the girls were really comfortable with.
Friday 19 May 2017
Those Memories Made on Teardrop Lake – (10) Loves Young Dream
(Part 01)
Lynn Fletcher was a Shallowfield girl born and bred.
When she was born in 1958 her father Colin was a Forrester for the Dancingdean Forestry Commission and up until she fell pregnant her mother Laura worked at Addison’s bakery.
Baby Lynn’s arrival brought great joy tinged with a good deal of sadness when complications almost cost Laura and Lynn their lives.
After a tense and difficult couple of days, they both survived but at a cost, Laura was left unable to conceive again.
As an only child Lynn grew up as the apple of her parent’s eye and as a result she was spoilt but she was not spoiled.
Lynn was a popular girl, kind and thoughtful, who made friends easily and kept them through her gentle nature.
Shallowfield’s fortunes had always relied largely upon forestry and agriculture for its survival.
In the post war years with rationing and a shortage of work a lot of people moved away, to Abbottsford, Abbeyvale and beyond and it only barely survived.
And the community around Teardrop Lake fared even worse.
Only a few of the houses around the Lake were thriving, a lot of the houses had been rented out and those that hadn’t were in a poor state of repair, some too such an extent they were little more than ruins.
But by the 70s things were beginning to change, thanks mainly to tourism and an increase in leisure time.
More importantly these people had money in their pockets.
This trend was reflected by the fact that the derelict Shallowfield Lodge, which had been inherited by a young couple from Lincolnshire, Rob and Sheryl Brown, was being turned into a hotel.
Its completion formerly marked the rebirth of Teardrop Lake.
When Lynn started school at St Mary’s in Abbottsford, Laura was able to return to work at Addison’s Bakery.
And by the time Lynn left school the bakery had expanded into the shop next door and opened a tea shop which provided Lynn with her very first job as a school leaver aged fifteen.
Paul Cooper was a year younger than Lynn and he too had a troubled entry into the world, however his mother did not survive it, and it was touch and go for Paul.
When Paul was born his father Harry was a Captain in the Downshire Light Infantry, he’d already seen action in Korea and Cyprus and was set to deploy to Aden.
Paul had an older brother named Simon who was 8 years older than him but they were never close.
Simon was already at boarding School when Paul was born and when it was time for him to go, Simon had already moved on to a military college.
When he was at home Paul was cared for by a nanny who was by definition a woman, but looked and acted more like a sergeant major.
He was jealous of Simon, partly because he was his father’s son, but mainly because he resented the time he had with his mother.
Simon himself resented Paul for killing his mother.
In 1969 Simon followed Harry into the Downshire’s regiment and was rewarded with three tours of duty in Northern Ireland he did not return from the third after he was shot dead while on patrol on the streets of Londonderry in 1972.
The loss of his son almost broke Harry but Paul felt nothing and for that he felt guilt.
And it was a guilt that almost consumed him and had he not taken shelter in Addison’s Tea Shop one rainy day it may well have done.
It was Lynn’s first day in the shop and she was quite nervous, it wasn’t what she wanted to do for the rest of her life but she working as a waitress in a Tea Shop and she wanted to do it well.
The weather was foul and the shop had been open for half an hour and not one customer had come in, which wasn’t helping her nerves at all.
So when the little bell above the shop door rang and a sad looking, sopping wet teenage boy walked in, she sprang into action with great efficiency.
He sat down at the table by the window, and pushed the hood of his raincoat off his head.
Lynn recognized the boy, though she didn’t know his name, she knew he lived in one of the posh houses by the lake.
“Good morning” she said brightly and took out her little note book and pencil
“Hey” he responded
“I only started today, you’re my first customer” she whispered
“So be gentle with me”
“Just a Coke” he said flatly
Lynn nodded and turned to walk away and he added
“Please”
Which made her smile.
(Part 02)
After the first occasion he went to the Tea Shop the conversation didn’t become any deeper than it had the first time but he became a regular fixture over the coming weeks.
It was the only real human contact he had that summer despite the fact his father was home on leave, they were only really speaking in monosyllables, when they spoke at all.
There were added tensions because when he re-joined his regiment at the end of the summer he was to join them on deployment in Northern Ireland.
The Tea Shop was the only oasis in his desert of unhappiness and he looked forward to his daily visits.
It was almost the end of the summer holidays before Paul finally worked up the courage to ask Lynn out.
And when he did he rather spat the words out at her.
He’d been in twice already that day and bottled out both times and then he walked up and down outside the shop for half an hour before he went back in again.
“Hi” she said “Back again?”
“Yes” he replied
“Coke?” she asked
“No” he barked
“Ok, so what do you want?” Lynn said cheerfully
“Pictures” he said abruptly
“Sorry?”
“Will you come to the pictures?” He blurted
“When?”
“Saturday” he replied with a crack in his voice
Lynn did like him, she even looked forward to him coming in every day, he was a good looking boy and he was very sweet, but he was younger than her and he was a Lakesider so he was of a different social status.
So she rather surprised herself when she said “yes”
And that was how it all began, a first date to the Cinema in Abbottsford to see American Graffiti.
That first date led to a second and a third, a fourth and a fifth, there would even have been a sixth but Paul had to go back to boarding school in Roespring for the start of the new term but by that stage the bond was well and truly made.
Lynn missed him when he went away to school, she missed him coming in to the Teas shop each day and ordering a Coke, she missed his smile.
She also missed holding hands with him at the pictures, but most of all she missed his kiss.
The goodbye kiss before he left, it was her first so she had no frame of reference, but she knew she liked it.
So she counted down the days while he was away at school and looked forward to October.
By the middle of the second week Lynn was beginning to think it was a very slow count down when she arrived at the shop with her mum at the normal time.
They went inside and changed into their uniforms as usual and were ready to start work when Elsie Addison walked into the staff room.
She was a lovely jovial lady in her sixties, she was quite rotund and was always laughing.
“Good morning ladies” she said
“Good morning Mrs Addison” they chorused
“I think someone has an admirer” she said enigmatically and reached a chubby hand into her overall pocket
Laura and Lynn just looked at each other and smiled.
When Elsie’s hand came out of her pocket it was holding a letter
“Someone has a billet-doux”
“I wonder who that might be for” Laura said looking at her daughter
“Well it’s addressed to L Fletcher” she said and paused “Miss L Fletcher”
“For me?” she asked
“Yes” she replied laughing heartily “now you had better go and read it quick before we open”
So she did, and Lynn consumed every word and digested every romance laden syllable, it was the first love letter she had ever received but it wasn’t the last time she would read it.
Nor was it the last letter she received that autumn as she and Paul exchanged letters every two or three days.
The correspondence which helped the day’s race by until October when he would be coming home.
(Part 03)
But October came and went and Paul didn’t come home because his father had instructed the Head Teacher that he should stay at Roespring school for the half term as he was still in Londonderry.
When Paul received the news from the School and not his father it did nothing to improve their already fractious relationship.
So the letters continued between them until the Christmas holidays and Paul had pledged that he would be home for the holidays in spite of his father rather than because of him.
As it turned out Colonel Cooper and the Downshire’s returned to the UK in the middle of December and Paul returned home from school a week later.
Paul’s first port of call, after dumping his bags in the hall at the family home was Addison’s.
He got a cab from the station and he asked the driver to wait while he dropped his bags off and then drop him back in Shallowfield.
It was already dark when he exited the cab.
When he approached the shop, he looked through the window and sighed when he saw Lynn.
She hadn’t seen him as she was serving a customer and he stared, mesmerised by her loveliness as he drank in the picture.
It was the thought of seeing her looking like that, which had got him through the last term.
He pushed open the door and the little bell rang which caused her to throw a glance at the door.
There was a moment of hesitation and then the comprehension of what she was seeing spread across her face and she smiled.
“I’ll be with you in a moment sir” she said and went behind the counter
Paul sat down at his normal table where he could keep Lynn in full view as she finished serving a table of middle-aged women.
Lynn turned around and walked to Paul’s table, but kept her eyes averted in case she gave away just how much she had missed him.
She had not wanted to miss him. Lynn had not even intended going out with him, he was too young for a start and he was posh, but then she hadn’t intended to go out with anyone, she didn’t think she was ready at 15 to have a boyfriend.
But she did go out with him and she really did miss him.
His love letters to her were wonderful, she would keep them forever, but he was there in the Tea Shop in the flesh.
Lynn kept her eyes down until the very last second, determined to maintain her composure.
But as soon as her eyes met his she turned to jelly.
“Hello” she said soppily
“Hi” he said grinning like a half wit
“What can I get you” she asked desperately trying to keep her cool.
“A kiss” he whispered
“That’s not on our menu” she said and giggled
“I’ll get you a Coke sir, for now” then she blushed at her forwardness.
Paul waited outside for her until closing time and walked her home, the long way round.
“Can I see you tonight?” Paul asked
“I can’t tonight” she replied “I have choir practice”
“Oh” he said
“But its half day closing tomorrow” Lynn said “we could do something then”
“That would be great” he said
“I was going to go Christmas shopping in Abbottsford” she said “we could go to the pictures after that if you like”
“I don’t care what we do as long as I’m with you” he replied and then he got his kiss.
Lynn Fletcher was a Shallowfield girl born and bred.
When she was born in 1958 her father Colin was a Forrester for the Dancingdean Forestry Commission and up until she fell pregnant her mother Laura worked at Addison’s bakery.
Baby Lynn’s arrival brought great joy tinged with a good deal of sadness when complications almost cost Laura and Lynn their lives.
After a tense and difficult couple of days, they both survived but at a cost, Laura was left unable to conceive again.
As an only child Lynn grew up as the apple of her parent’s eye and as a result she was spoilt but she was not spoiled.
Lynn was a popular girl, kind and thoughtful, who made friends easily and kept them through her gentle nature.
Shallowfield’s fortunes had always relied largely upon forestry and agriculture for its survival.
In the post war years with rationing and a shortage of work a lot of people moved away, to Abbottsford, Abbeyvale and beyond and it only barely survived.
And the community around Teardrop Lake fared even worse.
Only a few of the houses around the Lake were thriving, a lot of the houses had been rented out and those that hadn’t were in a poor state of repair, some too such an extent they were little more than ruins.
But by the 70s things were beginning to change, thanks mainly to tourism and an increase in leisure time.
More importantly these people had money in their pockets.
This trend was reflected by the fact that the derelict Shallowfield Lodge, which had been inherited by a young couple from Lincolnshire, Rob and Sheryl Brown, was being turned into a hotel.
Its completion formerly marked the rebirth of Teardrop Lake.
When Lynn started school at St Mary’s in Abbottsford, Laura was able to return to work at Addison’s Bakery.
And by the time Lynn left school the bakery had expanded into the shop next door and opened a tea shop which provided Lynn with her very first job as a school leaver aged fifteen.
Paul Cooper was a year younger than Lynn and he too had a troubled entry into the world, however his mother did not survive it, and it was touch and go for Paul.
When Paul was born his father Harry was a Captain in the Downshire Light Infantry, he’d already seen action in Korea and Cyprus and was set to deploy to Aden.
Paul had an older brother named Simon who was 8 years older than him but they were never close.
Simon was already at boarding School when Paul was born and when it was time for him to go, Simon had already moved on to a military college.
When he was at home Paul was cared for by a nanny who was by definition a woman, but looked and acted more like a sergeant major.
He was jealous of Simon, partly because he was his father’s son, but mainly because he resented the time he had with his mother.
Simon himself resented Paul for killing his mother.
In 1969 Simon followed Harry into the Downshire’s regiment and was rewarded with three tours of duty in Northern Ireland he did not return from the third after he was shot dead while on patrol on the streets of Londonderry in 1972.
The loss of his son almost broke Harry but Paul felt nothing and for that he felt guilt.
And it was a guilt that almost consumed him and had he not taken shelter in Addison’s Tea Shop one rainy day it may well have done.
It was Lynn’s first day in the shop and she was quite nervous, it wasn’t what she wanted to do for the rest of her life but she working as a waitress in a Tea Shop and she wanted to do it well.
The weather was foul and the shop had been open for half an hour and not one customer had come in, which wasn’t helping her nerves at all.
So when the little bell above the shop door rang and a sad looking, sopping wet teenage boy walked in, she sprang into action with great efficiency.
He sat down at the table by the window, and pushed the hood of his raincoat off his head.
Lynn recognized the boy, though she didn’t know his name, she knew he lived in one of the posh houses by the lake.
“Good morning” she said brightly and took out her little note book and pencil
“Hey” he responded
“I only started today, you’re my first customer” she whispered
“So be gentle with me”
“Just a Coke” he said flatly
Lynn nodded and turned to walk away and he added
“Please”
Which made her smile.
(Part 02)
After the first occasion he went to the Tea Shop the conversation didn’t become any deeper than it had the first time but he became a regular fixture over the coming weeks.
It was the only real human contact he had that summer despite the fact his father was home on leave, they were only really speaking in monosyllables, when they spoke at all.
There were added tensions because when he re-joined his regiment at the end of the summer he was to join them on deployment in Northern Ireland.
The Tea Shop was the only oasis in his desert of unhappiness and he looked forward to his daily visits.
It was almost the end of the summer holidays before Paul finally worked up the courage to ask Lynn out.
And when he did he rather spat the words out at her.
He’d been in twice already that day and bottled out both times and then he walked up and down outside the shop for half an hour before he went back in again.
“Hi” she said “Back again?”
“Yes” he replied
“Coke?” she asked
“No” he barked
“Ok, so what do you want?” Lynn said cheerfully
“Pictures” he said abruptly
“Sorry?”
“Will you come to the pictures?” He blurted
“When?”
“Saturday” he replied with a crack in his voice
Lynn did like him, she even looked forward to him coming in every day, he was a good looking boy and he was very sweet, but he was younger than her and he was a Lakesider so he was of a different social status.
So she rather surprised herself when she said “yes”
And that was how it all began, a first date to the Cinema in Abbottsford to see American Graffiti.
That first date led to a second and a third, a fourth and a fifth, there would even have been a sixth but Paul had to go back to boarding school in Roespring for the start of the new term but by that stage the bond was well and truly made.
Lynn missed him when he went away to school, she missed him coming in to the Teas shop each day and ordering a Coke, she missed his smile.
She also missed holding hands with him at the pictures, but most of all she missed his kiss.
The goodbye kiss before he left, it was her first so she had no frame of reference, but she knew she liked it.
So she counted down the days while he was away at school and looked forward to October.
By the middle of the second week Lynn was beginning to think it was a very slow count down when she arrived at the shop with her mum at the normal time.
They went inside and changed into their uniforms as usual and were ready to start work when Elsie Addison walked into the staff room.
She was a lovely jovial lady in her sixties, she was quite rotund and was always laughing.
“Good morning ladies” she said
“Good morning Mrs Addison” they chorused
“I think someone has an admirer” she said enigmatically and reached a chubby hand into her overall pocket
Laura and Lynn just looked at each other and smiled.
When Elsie’s hand came out of her pocket it was holding a letter
“Someone has a billet-doux”
“I wonder who that might be for” Laura said looking at her daughter
“Well it’s addressed to L Fletcher” she said and paused “Miss L Fletcher”
“For me?” she asked
“Yes” she replied laughing heartily “now you had better go and read it quick before we open”
So she did, and Lynn consumed every word and digested every romance laden syllable, it was the first love letter she had ever received but it wasn’t the last time she would read it.
Nor was it the last letter she received that autumn as she and Paul exchanged letters every two or three days.
The correspondence which helped the day’s race by until October when he would be coming home.
(Part 03)
But October came and went and Paul didn’t come home because his father had instructed the Head Teacher that he should stay at Roespring school for the half term as he was still in Londonderry.
When Paul received the news from the School and not his father it did nothing to improve their already fractious relationship.
So the letters continued between them until the Christmas holidays and Paul had pledged that he would be home for the holidays in spite of his father rather than because of him.
As it turned out Colonel Cooper and the Downshire’s returned to the UK in the middle of December and Paul returned home from school a week later.
Paul’s first port of call, after dumping his bags in the hall at the family home was Addison’s.
He got a cab from the station and he asked the driver to wait while he dropped his bags off and then drop him back in Shallowfield.
It was already dark when he exited the cab.
When he approached the shop, he looked through the window and sighed when he saw Lynn.
She hadn’t seen him as she was serving a customer and he stared, mesmerised by her loveliness as he drank in the picture.
It was the thought of seeing her looking like that, which had got him through the last term.
He pushed open the door and the little bell rang which caused her to throw a glance at the door.
There was a moment of hesitation and then the comprehension of what she was seeing spread across her face and she smiled.
“I’ll be with you in a moment sir” she said and went behind the counter
Paul sat down at his normal table where he could keep Lynn in full view as she finished serving a table of middle-aged women.
Lynn turned around and walked to Paul’s table, but kept her eyes averted in case she gave away just how much she had missed him.
She had not wanted to miss him. Lynn had not even intended going out with him, he was too young for a start and he was posh, but then she hadn’t intended to go out with anyone, she didn’t think she was ready at 15 to have a boyfriend.
But she did go out with him and she really did miss him.
His love letters to her were wonderful, she would keep them forever, but he was there in the Tea Shop in the flesh.
Lynn kept her eyes down until the very last second, determined to maintain her composure.
But as soon as her eyes met his she turned to jelly.
“Hello” she said soppily
“Hi” he said grinning like a half wit
“What can I get you” she asked desperately trying to keep her cool.
“A kiss” he whispered
“That’s not on our menu” she said and giggled
“I’ll get you a Coke sir, for now” then she blushed at her forwardness.
Paul waited outside for her until closing time and walked her home, the long way round.
“Can I see you tonight?” Paul asked
“I can’t tonight” she replied “I have choir practice”
“Oh” he said
“But its half day closing tomorrow” Lynn said “we could do something then”
“That would be great” he said
“I was going to go Christmas shopping in Abbottsford” she said “we could go to the pictures after that if you like”
“I don’t care what we do as long as I’m with you” he replied and then he got his kiss.
Mornington-By-Mere – (03) Living with the Lesbians
(Part 01)
The three friends up at Wood Hill Farm were all single girls and looked likely to remain so, Rachel Pegg had an admirer but she thought him unsuitable or unworthy, no one was quite sure which or for that matter why.
The wellington boot was on the other foot for Kashveena Kaur who had already lost her heart but was reluctant to do anything about it and Jenna Newman thought that any search for a meaningful love with someone of a like mind would be a fruitless exercise so she wasn’t prepared to bother, which is how the three of them all ended up living together at Wood Hill farm.
The Newman’s and the Pegg’s had been tenant farmers on the Mornington Estate since God was a boy.
The Newman’s farmed up at Wood Hill on the edge of the Dancingdean Forest and the Pegg’s below them at Vale Farm.
The farm up on Wood Hill was the larger of the two, which had at its center the large farmhouse, parts of which dated back six centuries.
It had been added to over the years to accommodate the growing Newman clan until it was now comprised of six upstairs bedrooms and an equal number of rooms on the ground floor.
There was also milking sheds, barns, hen houses, assorted out buildings and a farm cottage.
Vale Farm on the other hand was smaller and less diverse in nature but it had been around every bit as long.
However much of the Pegg’s land that made Vale Farm prosperous was lost as it formed part of the tract of land compulsory purchased by the War Office that became Mornington Field a hundred years earlier but they still worked what was left to good effect.
But the remaining land was never enough to support the whole family, so many of the Pegg’s had to leave the Vale in search of work elsewhere or get work as labourers for other farmers, so Vale Farm suffered as a result.
The only surviving Pegg’s, Bob and Rachel, were hopeful that when Mornington Field returned back to the Estate’s ownership they would get the land back that they had lost and they could rebuild the farm to what it was in its heyday.
Wood Hill farm however had thrived over those same hundred years but despite that, and for very different reasons there were now only two Newman’s left as well, Jenna and Gavin.
Fortunately as well as being neighbour’s they were also very good friends and had grown up together.
As a result of the two very different sets of circumstances the Pegg’s had two little land and the Newman’s had more than the two of them could manage, so they joined forces, and divided their time between the two farms.
They shared resources and expenditures alike.
All four of them had been to Finchbottom College, who amongst other things ran an Agricultural course, the girls were there two years earlier than the boys, and it was while they were at college that they met Kashveena Kaur, who was studying catering and the three of them clicked, and Jenna and Rachel took her under their wing, and Kashveena had subsequently become a key part of the family.
Despite being the outsider of the group, so to speak, Kashveena quickly became the matriarch of the “Family” who kept order while also keeping an exceeding good table.
She was born in India to a Tamil Mother and a Sikh Father but on their deaths she was raised from the age of 8 by her maternal Aunt Anjuli, in Abbottsford, as a Christian.
Her maiden Aunt was a marvelous cook and she had passed all her not inconsiderable knowledge on to her niece and the Newman’s and the Pegg’s now tasted the benefit of that education.
(Part 02)
Kashveena’s Aunt Anjuli died while she was studying cookery at college, and the death of her only remaining family and the only real mother she had ever known hit her very hard indeed which was why the girls felt so protective towards her and why they asked her to move in with them at the farm.
Suddenly being all alone in the world, moving in with her best friends seemed like the most natural thing in the world to do.
Kash had never regretted it for a second and she had been very happy with her decision, the only fly in the ointment being that she was hopelessly in love with Jenna’s brother Gavin.
But she didn’t hold out any great expectation that her feelings were reciprocated.
Kashveena was a striking looking young woman, not supermodel beautiful but very lovely with dark hypnotic eyes.
Though the Kash that stared back at her from the bedroom mirror each day she thought was far from lovely.
She stood 5 feet 4 inches tall in her stocking feet and was half a stone heavier than she should have been which was thanks to her own cooking.
She wasn’t though disappointed with everything she saw in the mirror she liked her legs which she thought were quite shapely and her hair which she thought of as her crowning glory, which was long and straight and was of a brown so dark that it looked black.
However Kashveena didn’t think that nice legs and beautiful hair was sufficient to win the love of Gavin Newman, she valued herself so little, which was why she held no expectation in his regard.
He for his part had shown no interested in her nor given any indication that he thought of her in anyway other than as a friend.
And her dilemma was that if she told him of her feelings for him and he didn’t feel the same about her it would create an unbearable awkwardness.
So that was why she decided it was best not to upset the Status Quo, and to just remain as friends.
After all friendship was better than nothing and that had been her opinion for three long years.
Jenna Newman, like her friends Rachel and Kashveena was 28 years old and was best described as Statuesque, she was tall and straight backed, and proud.
She was blessed with an abundance of red hair that trailed behind her like a mane.
She loved Wood Hill farm and she loved farming and she considered herself fortunate to live where she lived, with friends and family that she adored and doing the thing she loved to do most in the world.
But, and there was always, a but, the thing Jenna wanted more than anything in the world other than that was someone to share the life she loved so much.
It was difficult enough to meet a suitable guy if you lived in a town or a city but she lived in a farmhouse 8 miles from the nearest village.
Obviously she had boyfriends when she was at school and at college of course but those relationships never went anywhere, not in a way that she wanted anyway.
Jenna had no problem attracting men, in fact the opposite was true, and in particular the Smith brothers from the village.
They were always persistent, though in truth not only with her, Kash and Rachel were also on the Smith boy’s radar and none of them were interested in the Smith’s even though they were farmers. While most of her other admirers who she did like had no interest in farming or living the rural life and she had no interest in moving away from the home she loved.
She remained forever hopeful though and kept her dreams alive.
(Part 03)
Over the years things at Wood Hill Farm had settled into a comfortable routine but sometimes the universe has a habit of forcing change on people and it was on a cold misty morning in early March as winter turned slowly into spring that the fates conspired to have their way and the incident occurred.
Jenna was returning to the farm after having delivered that mornings eggs to the Farm Shop in Mornington,
She was lumbering up the hill through the woods with her head full of the most wonderful thoughts about her sharing her life with the perfect partner when all of a sudden out of the mist a figure appeared and stumbled into the path of the Landrover.
“Oh shit” She shouted and swerved violently to avoid the man but still hit him and she watched in slow motion as he rolled over the bonnet and his limp body then shot off the other side and flew briefly through the air before it landed with a thump in a patch of bracken.
“Shit, shit, shit” Jenna repeated as she braked to a halt, she threw open the door and ran to where she last saw the victim.
But as she got closer to the patch of bracken he was just getting to his feet.
“Are you ok?” she asked with great concern just as he became upright.
“Where am I?” he slurred
“Never mind that” she said crossly “Are you ok?”
“Erm” he responded and put his hand to his head “ouch”
And at the moment of his exclamation his legs buckled and Jenna rushed forward and caught him just in time.
“Right let’s get you into the Landie” she said and he muttered something in response which she couldn’t make out.
Once she had him in the front seat and his seatbelt done up she tried her phone, but as expected there was no signal, now as she was only a mile from the farm she decided it would be better to go there and call for help on the landline than to head back down the hill towards Mornington.
As she drove into the yard Rachel Pegg had just left the milking shed, she was a small skinny girl with long curly chestnut hair, had she and the rest of the “Family” all been of the same kin she would have been the runt of the litter.
But the fact that she was so slight was made all the more remarkable by the fact that she had a voracious appetite for Kashveena’s home cooking, fortunately she had an equally huge appetite for work and a fast metabolism.
Though it wasn’t the home cooking alone that brought her to Wood Hill, she actually preferred dairy farming to arable, and she liked the diversity Wood Hill farm had to offer.
Plus she liked living with her best friends.
She waved and smiled when she saw Jenna drive across the yard but the smile faded when she saw she was not alone and her face was pale and panic stricken.
Rachel ran over to the Landrover as soon as Jenna had come sharply to a halt.
As soon she’d stopped Jenna flung open the door and immediately jumped out, and raced around to the passenger door.
“What’s wrong Jen?” Rachel asked
“I hit him Rach” she said “I sent him flying”
“What happened?” Rachel asked
“He just appeared” Jenna said and began to sob
“Where?”
“From the woods, just down the hill” she replied
Rachel opened the passenger door and the man turned and looked at her blankly.
“Let’s get him inside” she said
“Ok” Jen said and wiped away her tears
Between them they managed to man handle him out of the Landrover and across the yard to the farmhouse.
When they reached the kitchen door Rachel called out
“Kash! Kash! Come quick”
When there was no response Jenna kicked the bottom of the door and Rachel called again
“Kash! Kash! Please come quick”
“I’m coming I’m coming” Kashveena said from behind the door “What’s all the fuss about?”
But when the door opened and she saw the pallid bloodstained man in between the girls she said
“Oh my God”
(Part 04)
From the moment she laid eyes on him Kashveena instantly assessed the situation and then took complete control.
“Let’s sit him down in the kitchen” Kash said and Jenna assisted her in silence
“Rachel! Call for an Ambulance” she added and then began cleaning his wound.
“So let’s have a look at you” she said
“Who are you?” he asked
“I’m Kashveena” she replied
“Pashmina?” he responded
“No” she said with a chuckle “Kashveena, and the skinny whippet on the phone is Rachel and the redheaded Muppet is Jenna”
He looked long and hard at Jenna but couldn’t see a Muppet.
“So what’s your name?” Jen asked and his brow furrowed as he processed her question and then finally he replied
“I don’t know”
The patient still didn’t know who he was by the time the ambulance arrived, but Kash had cleaned him up as best she could and his complexion did seem a little less pale at least.
Following on behind the Ambulance when it arrived was a police car driven by Sgt David Jones who was based in Mornington although his patch covered most of the Finchbottom Vale and he was required to take a statement from Jenna in regard to the accident which involved them driving down the hill to the scene of the incident.
“I could have killed him Dave” Jenna said still quite dazed by her experience
“Don’t beat yourself up Jen” he said as he took some photos on his phone
“Accidents do happen and had it not been for your quick reactions it could have been far worse” he reassured her “try to think of the positives”
On hearing that Jenna started to cry and so Dave stopped what he was doing and comforted her.
Which involved him just letting her sob on his shoulder.
Jenna and Dave were good friends and had it not been for her he would never have met his wife Peta and for that alone he would be forever grateful to her.
They were also on the same quiz team when his shift pattern allowed.
“It was an accident” he insisted
“Ok” she replied weakly
“And that’s what I’m putting in my report” Dave said
“But he can’t remember his name, he’s got brain damage and I’m responsible” Jenna contradicted
“Temporary memory loss is very common” he said
He managed to calm her down, even if he failed to entirely convince her and after he had dropped her back at the farm he headed over to the hospital to take a statement from the mystery man, but he promised to keep her posted on his condition and the last thing he said before he drove off was
“Don’t fret”
Dave might just as well have said don’t breathe for all the good it did, fret was all she did for the rest of the day.
In fact she fretted so much that she gave herself a migraine.
The only thing she could do then was first to take a tablet and then to take herself off to her bed.
Jenna slept right through till the next morning until she was woken by the smell of bacon cooking.
As she came to her senses she was thankful for two things, firstly her migraine had completely gone and secondly that she hadn’t missed breakfast, she was absolutely starving, as she hadn’t eaten since breakfast the day before.
After one of Kashveena’s hearty breakfast she felt reinvigorated and she was just contemplating getting on with some work to make up for the day before when Sgt Jones drove into the yard.
“Oh God” she exclaimed staring out the window “he’s dead, I’ve killed him”
“What are you on about?” Kash asked from her position at the sink
“Sgt Jones is here to arrest me”
“Don’t be such a drama queen” she said as she dried her hands and then went outside
“Morning Dave” she called
“Hi Kash” he replied “is Jenna about?”
“She’s hiding in the kitchen, she thinks you’re here to arrest her”
“What for?” he asked
“Murder by Landrover” she replied and they both laughed
(Part 05)
While Kashveena and Dave were in yard talking Jenna was in the kitchen and couldn’t hear the conversation, but she was more than a little confused by the laughter.
When they walked in she blurted out
“Is he ok, is he dead, he’s dead isn’t he? I’ve killed him haven’t I, oh God”
“He’s fine Jen” he said interrupting her in full flow
“What?”
“He’s fine” he said “No broken bones or brain damage, just bruised ribs and a few contusions”
“Really?” she asked in disbelief
“Really, and no lasting effects apart from the memory loss”
He said and anticipating her next comment added
“Which you didn’t cause”
“But…” she began
“He already had a head wound when he stumbled out of the woods” he said “A couple of days old at least according to the medics”
It was a great relief to her that she hadn’t killed him and she closed her eyes and sighed to herself a she digested the knowledge.
“So he still can’t remember his name?” she asked
“No” Dave replied
“So what is his name?” she asked
“I’ve no idea” he said
“Well what about his wallet?” Kashveena asked
“He didn’t have one” he replied “In fact all of his pockets were empty apart from 17 pence and a blood stained handkerchief”
“So how can you find out who he is?” asked Jenna
“Well I’ve put through a missing persons enquiry, which has so far drawn a blank” He replied
“And I took his fingerprints and a DNA sample, neither of which were on record”
“Oh” Kash exclaimed
“In addition he has no distinguishing marks, scars or Tattoos so it’s not going to be easy” Dave continued
Strangely Jenna found that she was really pleased that he had no tattoos, she didn’t like tats.
“The hospital even did a full body scan, to see if he’d had any surgical implants that might have been traceable by serial number but he has had no invasive procedures”
“What about jewelry?” Kash asked
“There was none” he replied “there is a white mark on his wrist where a watch had been and that’s all we know”
“Well I know his hands are manicured and soft but they are not an idle man’s hands”
Jenna said
“How do you know that?” Kash asked curiously
“I held his hand in the Landie” she replied defensively and then asked
“What about his clothes?”
“His coat is old and shabby and doesn’t match everything else which is very good quality and certainly expensive, Handmade Italian shoes, A Versace suit and a hand stitched silk shirt”
“Maybe he stole the coat” Kash suggested
“Or traded his watch for it” Jenna added
“That’s probably the more likely scenario” Dave said
“So what now then?” Kash asked
“Well they will keep him in hospital for another night and then he’ll be discharged” Sgt Jones replied
“Where will he go?” Jenna asked with real concern
“A hostel probably” Dave answered
“A hostel?” Kash asked and looked at Jenna in disbelief
“That won’t do at all” Jenna said
“No it won’t” agreed Kash who looked at Jen again unsure what she was agreeing to
“He can stay here” Jenna said defiantly and when Kash went to speak she added
“I know what you’re going to say but I feel responsible”
“Well Miss forceful I was going to say “What a great idea” Kash said and smiled
“Well if you’re all sure?” the Sgt asked
“We are all sure” Jenna replied
“What are you sure about?” Rachel asked as she walked in
“We’re having a house guest” Kashveena responded
“Cool” Rach said
“That’s unanimous then” said Jen
(Part 06)
Jenna and Rachel were working together in the barn the following afternoon when a strange car arrived in the yard with a strange driver behind the wheel and a familiar looking passenger beside them.
Jen had been working like a Trojan since breakfast the previous day trying to make up for the time she lost on the day of the accident and she had been driving Rachel as hard as she had herself, so when the visitors arrived Rachel was relieved as it meant they would be taking a break.
Dr Andrews got out of the driver’s side and walked briskly around to the other side and opened the passenger door.
Claire Andrews was a very well-respected General Practitioner who had spent more than ten years at the surgery in Bushy Down.
But for personal reasons, despite her popularity and her love of the place and of the people of the village, she sold her share and bought the vacant practice in Shallowfield and relocated with her practise manager and now business partner Olivia Adamson.
She had only been at the Shallowfield Practice for two months so there were still a lot of patients on the surgery’s books that she hadn’t seen yet and the inhabitants of Wood Hill farm were among them.
Her visit to the farm was also the first chance the girls had to get a good look at the new doctor that everyone in the village was talking about.
Claire was still an attractive woman, even though she was fast approaching forty, a very attractive woman in fact.
Pretty face, blue eyes, soft shoulder length brown hair, 5ft 3, nice figure, everything where it should be and equally proportioned.
Later the girls would compare notes on her and would all express the sentiment that they liked what they saw.
Claire had been at the Winston Churchill visiting another patient when the mystery patient was ready to be discharged.
As he was to be her patient once he was released Claire had the mystery man discharged into her care, and as Miss Newman had insisted he stay at the farm to recuperate, she decided the least she could do was drop him off at Wood Hill as she was going over to the Mornington Surgery in the village anyway.
Part of the remit for the Shallowfield Practice was to maintain a part time surgery in the Street in Mornington, which was, like many thing in the village, heavily subsidized by the Mornington Estate.
“Come on then John” the doctor said “out you get”
She only called him John as he was listed at the Winston Churchill Hospital as John Doe 1979.
Jenna and Rachel emerged from the barn just as he got out of the car and hurried over.
“These must be your hosts” Dr Andrews said
“Yes Muppet and…” he began and then thought for a second before adding “Greyhound”
“Whippet” Rachel said and laughed
Claire looked puzzled so Rachel said
“It’s a long story” she said, “I’m Rachel Pegg and this is Jenna Newman”
“Oh ok” she responded doubtfully and shook their hands
“I’m Dr Andrews and of course you’ve met John already”
“John? So you know who he is now?” Jenna said excitedly speaking to the Doctor but looking at the patient and smiling.
“Not exactly” Claire replied
“Oh, well let’s all go inside and you can fill us in on the details” Jen suggested
So they all went inside.
(Part 07)
Jenna introduced Doctor Andrew’s to Kashveena who was in the kitchen and in her element with a houseful to cater for.
And when Kash had supplied everyone with a hot drink and produced a plate of biscuits Dr Andrews began.
“I know it's the stuff of Hollywood movies and cheap fiction, someone suffers a blow to the head, and that person wanders around aimlessly, unable to remember who they are or where they came from” she said “But while such sudden, profound loss of memory is rare, it does happen”
“So what caused it?” Jenna asked
“Well a severe blow to the head for example can injure the brain and cause both short and long term memory loss, either being struck or as the result of a fall or a car accident”
Jenna’s head went down when she mentioned a car accident and Claire quickly said
“But it wasn’t as result of being struck a glancing blow by a beaten up old Landrover on a misty morning in the woods”
Then she took hold of Jenna’s hand and added
“John’s head wound was sustained several days before you had your coming together”
Jenna looked up and smiled at the Doctor and felt reassured and then she asked
“Will his memory come back?”
“Memory may come back altogether of it might gradually improve over time, or it may never return, it’s impossible to know for sure”
“Do you remember anything at all John?” Jenna asked
“I think I can drive” he said
“Well Jenna thinks she can drive” Kash said which made everyone laugh
“Very funny” she said and couldn’t help laughing herself
“I remember how to tie my shoelaces” John added proudly
“That’s “Procedural” memory, muscle memory if you like, leaned skills” Claire said “Let John try a variety of tasks, if he has done them before it might trigger something”
“What else John?” Jenna said
“I know who won the FA Cup in 1999” he said and all eyes turned to Claire
““Semantic” memory” she replied in response to their unasked questions “general knowledge, facts etc. test him by all means but if he gets it wrong it probably means he didn’t know before the accident”
“So what don’t you know?” Rachel asked
“My name, my age, where I was born, profession, everything of importance is a total blank” he stated
All eyes turned to Claire again so she said
““Episodic” memory, all the personal experiences of John’s life”
Dr Andrews then went on to explain why she had called the patient John.
“Well it’s as good a name as any” she said
“No not really” Jenna said “it’s a bit cold”
“I agree” said Rachel “We can do better than that”
“Much better” Jenna added “Is there anything in your clothes, a letter, a receipt or a scrap of paper?”
“No nothing” he replied
“Only the labels, Versace and…” he opened his coat and read “Harris Tweed”
“Well Mr. Tweed it is then” Rachel said “What about a first name?”
“Harry” Jenna shouted “Harry Tweed”
“I like the sound of that” he said
“Harry Tweed it is then” Jenna announced
The Doctor said her goodbyes and Jenna walked with her out to the car,
“So I’ll pop in once a week to see how he’s progressing but don’t be afraid to call me if you’re worried about anything” Claire said
“Is there anything we should be looking out for?” Jen asked
“Headaches, blurred vision, maybe photophobia” Claire replied
“Is that an aversion to light?” Asked Jenna
She got in the car and replied “Yes”
“Oh and one other thing Jenna” she said as she started the car
“Stop feeling guilty”
Jenna was going to protest but realized it was fruitless to attempt it so she just said “Ok”
(Part 08)
The first thing that happened after Harry had been settled in to his room was an introduction, he had to meet Jenna’s and Rachel’s brother’s Bob and Gavin who were keen to get a look at the potential nutter staying up at the Wood Hill farm.
They were an unlikely looking pair, Gavin was a big man, six foot two and a bit of a slow plodder with unruly red hair and a ruddy complexion, while Bob was a short spindly dynamo with long frizzy brown hair that made it look like he had a bad afro.
They had been best friends since their very first day at Infants School and it was a friendship which had endured because of their differences and the fact that they worked well together and played to each other’s strengths.
Having met Harry the two lads declared him to be harmless and did their part in his rehabilitation unquestioningly.
Over the weeks following his arrival at the farm Harry was made to sing for his supper in no uncertain terms.
He was rigorously put through his paces by everyone on the farm in turn, they all quizzed him on facts and gave him skills tests of every description.
Jenna took him out in the Landrover one day and it turned out that he could indeed drive.
Kash had him chopping vegetables in the kitchen and it appeared he was no stranger to a knife and a chopping board.
He was also familiar with the workings of the internal combustion engine as testified by Jenna’s brother Gavin who had him help to service the Landie.
And as it turned out the student knew more than the master and Gavin ended up assisting Harry.
He also helped Rachel in the milking sheds and Jenna with the chickens, he did dry stone wall repairs with Bob Pegg on Vale Farm and did cut and lay hedging with Bob and Gavin up at Wood Hill, but most of his time was spent with Jenna.
One day Jenna made the mistake of taking him with her to do the monthly shop at the supermarket and he drove her absolutely nuts, he spent ages examining each item trying to decide if he got a vibe from them.
At one point he held a tin of baked beans in one hand and one of spaghetti hoops in the other for a full five minutes before he put them both back.
As annoying as it was at the time though she rather enjoyed teasing him about it later.
It was at the end of his third week when Harry had had a thought.
He had watched Kash and some of the others go off to Church on the previous two Sundays and on both occasions there was something nagging at the back of his mind, just out of reach, which he couldn’t quite grasp, so straight after breakfast on the third Sunday he said
“Can I come with you to Church?”
“Of course you can lovely” Kash replied “Do you believe then?”
“I don’t know” Harry replied “But I feel something”
Kashveena was raised by her Aunt Anjuli as a Christian and from the moment she first stepped through the doors at St Hilda’s with her Auntie she felt at peace so the first thing she did when she moved to the farm was to attend a service at St Winifred’s in Mornington and she felt so immediately at home.
Kash felt really pleased that Harry had asked to go with her, she had wanted to broach the subject with him several times but she didn’t want to push it, and she was glad she had waited.
Everyone in the “family” went to church at some time or another but she was the only one who went week in week out.
But she always had someone to accompany her, although Bob and Rachel were believers they only really attended for hatches, matches and dispatches.
Jenna normally only managed one service in four but she always felt refreshed when she had been and when she heard Harry was going she decided she would too.
And Gavin liked going to Church as well, but apart from his faith he also had an ulterior motive.
(Part 09)
When they walked into the St Winnifred’s Church Harry took a good long look at his surroundings and then went straight to the back row and sat down, Jenna motioned towards him to take him to their normal seats but Kashveena took her by the elbow and said
“Leave him Hun, just let him take it all in”
“Ok, I’ll just sit with him then” Jen said
“No” Kash reiterated “He needs to be alone for the moment”
“But…” Jenna began
“Trust me” Kash said and reluctantly Jenna walked with her to their normal seats where Gavin was already seated.
He looked up as they approached and smiled at Kash who then stepped aside to let Jenna go first and his smile faded.
The service was being conducted by the locum minister, Ben Wakefield.
The vicar of St Winnifred’s Peter Cockcroft had taken a leave of absence after the tragic loss of his wife Carole and had gone on retreat and had been absent from the village for almost 12 months.
But a succession of Locum ministers covering for him at St Winifred’s during his absence had rather upset the rhythm of village life especially as his wife Carole was also no longer there to make sure the village ticked along.
But rumours abounded of his impending return and they were greeted with great relief about the village.
Although the service was being conducted by the locum, Ben Wakefield did a very fine job.
Not that Jenna noticed his competence, Guy the Gorilla could have been in the pulpit and she would have been completely unaware of it.
Because all through the service Jen kept looking over her shoulder looking for Harry, during the hymns she was constantly checking that Harry was ok, or more accurately that he was still there.
And had Kashveena not ensured she had the aisle seat trapping Jenna between herself and Gavin she would have sneaked out to go and sit with him.
When the service ended she couldn’t get out of her seat quick enough and got a bit cross that Kash was slowing her down.
And that was the moment that Kash realised that guilt wasn’t any longer the primary feeling she had in relation to Harry.
Jenna was frustrated by the snail’s pace as the congregation headed slowly towards the door and when she and Kash finally got to the back of the church where Harry was sitting Jenna found that he had gone and she turned and scowled at Kashveena.
“He’s outside” she said
“How do you know?” Jenna snapped
“Because I saw him”
And on receiving that information Jenna really began fretting
“He’s outside for God’s sake” She muttered to herself
“He could wander off anywhere”
And she began to elbow her way through the throng but once she emerged into the outside world she instantly relaxed because she saw Harry talking to the locum minister, Ben Wakefield.
Harry smiled broadly when he saw Jenna and Kash approaching.
“You shouldn’t just wander off like that” Jenna chastised him
“I was quite safe Jen” he said “wasn’t I Vicar”
“Absolutely” he confirmed
After they had said their goodbyes to the vicar and members of the congregation and were walking towards the Landrover Jenna was still scowling at Kashveena for almost losing him.
But Kash just ignored her and asked
“Well?”
“Well what?” Harry said
“Any revelations?” she pressed
“Oh well I’ve definitely done that before” he said
“So how do you feel?” she asked
“Great” he replied
(Part 10)
Harry had found his visit to the church both very enjoyable and quite useful in equal measure.
He recognized the hymns and the readings and although it hadn’t triggered any specific memory he thought it might be quite helpful if he tried some other stimuli so he asked Jenna if he could borrow a book
“Of course” she said and showed him into what was referred to as the office.
“Wow” he said “that’s quite a collection”
Jenna’s father, John, and his brother Charlie had both been avid readers and their collection still filled every inch of shelf space in their old office.
It was called the office but it was more of a study really, there was a writing desk under the window but that was the only nod towards it being an office.
There were a couple of old leather chesterfield chairs and an occasional table and lots and lots of shelves.
Gavin and Jenna should have cleared them all out after their Uncle Charlie went into a home and their Dad had died but neither of them could’ve borne to get rid of them at the time, and afterwards they found the clutter rather comforting and Jenna would often just sit in one of the leather chairs in the darkness and remember.
“Yes, Dad and Uncle Charlie loved to read” she said
She stood in the doorway and watched him as he perused the shelves and then he began running his finger along the bindings of each book in turn, stopping every now and then and tilted one over towards him and pulled it from its position.
Jenna was watching him intently and found herself uncharacteristically concerned on whether he would put it back in the correct order, she needn’t have worried.
He opened and read the sleeve notes before putting it back from where it came.
“Are you looking for anything in particular, maybe I could help?”
“That would be nice but I don’t know what I’m looking for” he replied
“I’m hoping to spot one that I recognize”
“Ok” she said doubtfully
“If I pick a book I’ve read before it might trigger something in my brain” He explained “I know it’s a long shot”
“It’s worth a try though” she said encouragingly
It was going to be a slow process, this had become the norm with Harry, everything he was asked or every choice he had to make resulted in slow thoughtful responses.
It was driving everyone bonkers but she didn’t mind, and not just because she felt responsible for his condition, she was actually enjoying helping him.
She carried on watching him until he finally picked out a book and spent considerably longer pondering over it than any of the others.
“This one ….” He began
“What is it?” Jen asked
“A Tale of Two Cities” he replied “Is it any good?”
“Yes it’s a classic” she replied “Does it seem familiar?”
“No not really but I got an image flash into my mind”
“Really? That’s encouraging” she said “What was it?”
“A Guillotine” he replied “Does that mean anything?”
“Yes” she said and hugged him “It was a memory, from this book”
“You’d better write it down then” he said
Ever since he arrived at the farm Jenna had been keeping a note book, and every time he had a dream or the vaguest of memories or he demonstrated another learned skill she wrote it down.
In fact any clue that might point to his former identity, she wrote it the notebook.
And now she could add “A Tale of Two Cities” to the book.
(Part 11)
It was the Friday afternoon of Harry’s 5th week at Wood Hill Farm which was less than a week after his sojourn to St Winnifred’s and it was raining cats and dogs.
As a result of the inclement weather everyone was indoors at the farmhouse.
Kash as usual was in the kitchen making tea on that typical rainy Friday afternoon in April, while Gavin and Bob were firing sports questions at Harry as they sat around the kitchen table.
To the amazement of the boys Harry was coping with them very well.
“How did I do?” he asked when the questions ended
“Not bad” Bob said
“Not bad at all in fact” Gavin agreed
“Good” Harry said
“However you do seem to know a bit too much about Manchester United for my taste but other than that you seem to know your stuff”
“Do you think they might be my team then?” he asked hopefully
“Well it’s certainly possible” he said
“Jen!!” he called
“What’s up?” she said coming in from the other room with Rachel following in her wake
“Gav thinks I might be a Man Utd fan” Harry said
“Oh dear, as if brain damage wasn’t enough” she replied and laughed at her own joke
“Never mind that laughing girl” he said “Put it in the book”
Jenna had been very diligent regarding the notebook and she always kept it close at hand.
She was always jotting down spurious notes of anything and everything and when she wasn’t writing in it she was reading through it trying to divine some solution to the Harry Tweed puzzle.
It was almost half full but they hadn’t really learned much at all, apart from the fact that he had read A Tale of Two Cities and he was probably a Manchester United fan.
“He’s a real wiz on sport” Gavin said “you can put that down in the book as well”
“We should get him on the team” Kash suggested
“What team?” Harry said
“The quiz team” Bob said proudly “We’re in a quiz league”
“I’m not sure if that’s such a good idea” Jenna said
“Why not?” Bob asked
“It can get quite raucous” she replied
“Raucous?” Gavin exclaimed “The Old Mill?”
“It could be too overwhelming for him” Jen said
“What do you think Harry?” Gavin asked “Do you fancy it?”
“I’ve no idea” he replied
Jenna was washing her hands at the sink and Kash sidled up to her and whispered
“You can’t keep him all to yourself forever”
Jenna turned to look at her and blushed, her secret was out.
“Ok” Jenna said “But if Harry finds it too much I’ll bring him home”
“Fair enough” Bob said
“Is that alright with you Harry?” Gavin asked
“Jen’s the boss” he said
“No she’s just bossy” Rachel said and everyone laughed including Jenna
“Well now that’s settled” Kashveena
“What, that Harrys going to the quiz night or that Jenna’s bossy?”
“Both” Kash said “So what do you want for your birthday Rach”
her 29th birthday was only a week and a half away and since Harry’s arrival they had been so wrapped up in the mystery man’s life that they were in danger of missing Rachel’s birthday and Kashveena wasn’t about to let that happen, which was why she raised the subject while everyone was present.
“I think I want some Hair Straighteners” Rachel replied
“Really?” Kash replied “What sort?”
“VK’s are the best” Harry said and the three women just turned and looked at him
“They are aren’t they?” He asked
“Yes” Rachel replied “but how do you know that?”
Harry just shrugged
And they all chorused “Jen put it in the book”
(Part 12)
The quiz night was on the Saturday night of the Easter weekend in Mornington at the Old Mill Inn.
Each team in the league was comprised of six players, Kash, Jenna, Bob, Rachel, Gavin and Harry were The Wood Hill-Billie’s.
Sgt Dave Jones was normally on their team but he was on duty that night so had already cried off before Harry was drafted in.
The St George family from the Manor were “The Manorian’s”, “Wort’s n’ All” were the team from the Mornington brewery, “Bakers half Dozen” were predictably from Addison’s Bakery, and the other four teams were really just there to make up the numbers.
The landlord at the Old Mill, Peter Andrew, was the quiz master and his wife, Helen, did the food, or more accurately she supervised the food as the kitchen was run by chef Lorraine Olson, and their children John and Polly ran the bar.
It was a really busy night, the pub was packed and the place was really buzzing in fact Peter Andrew regretted not putting more staff on.
The large attendance was in some part as a result of the mystery man’s presence and it seemed that Harry had attracted a lot of attention even before the quiz started but his minder Jenna kept the overly inquisitive at arm’s length.
It wasn’t as if it was his first time in Mornington but the other occasion was at St Winnifred’s so they clearly weren’t inquisitive enough to have gone to church but a pub event was obviously a different matter entirely.
Harry was dressed in a mixture of his own clothes and some borrowed from Gavin Harry was an inch or two shorter than Gavin who was six foot two but they were of similar build.
Jenna was quite pleased with his appearance especially his hair which was wavy and sandy coloured, and considerably neater since she trimmed it.
Jenna wasn’t much of a help in the quiz as she was far too preoccupied with Harry but at the half way stage with or without her help it was neck and neck between the Manorian’s and the Hill-Billies.
It was Harry’s turn to get the drinks in, not that he had any money of his own in fact he didn’t even have the 17p he had in his pocket after the accident.
Fortunately Gavin subbed him for the night so he wouldn’t feel uncomfortable and Jenna was going to go with him up to the bar as his body guard but Bob Pegg got there first and instead she had to sit anxiously at the table, fidgeting and repeatedly looking in his direction.
Polly Andrew took his order as her brother John was collecting glasses and taking the opportunity to flirt with Rachel.
John had fancied her for years but Rachel always brushed him off because she didn’t think he was sincere.
It wasn’t just because she was 28 and he was 4 years younger, it was mainly because she was a farmer and he was being groomed for the hospitality trade, but it didn’t deter him.
He had her in his sights and nothing would deflect him from his mission.
As Polly put each drink on the counter Bob ferried the drinks back to the table.
When she had put the last drink on the bar he handed her the money and while he was waiting for the change was when Grant Smith ambled up alongside him.
The Smiths were tenants at Smithfield Farm and their quiz team was rather imaginatively name “The Smiths”
“So you’re living up at Wood Hill with the Lesbians then” he said
In his tiny addled mind the fact that all three of them lived together coupled with the fact that when he had hit on them they had all declined his offers of companionship, they clearly had to be lesbians.
“Yes I am” Harry replied and winked at Polly
“So you like it up there then?” he asked
“Yes it’s fantastic” Harry said enthusiastically and as he took his change from Polly he added
“They let me watch”
Grants jaw dropped on hearing this and Polly had to turn away as she burst out laughing.
(Part 13)
Jenna watched the exchange between Harry and Grant Smith at the bar and she was intrigued by Polly Andrew’s reaction as he got his change.
“What was all that about?” Jenna asked when he returned to the table so he whispered it in her ear
“What?” she said with a look of horror on her face
“Has something happened?” Rachel asked
“Grant Smith thinks we’re lesbians” Jenna said indignantly
“We know” Kash said
“You knew?”
“Of course, he’s not very subtle” Rachel added
“That’s terrible” Jenna said
“It’s worse than that though” Harry said
“Why?” she asked suspiciously
“Because now he thinks you let me watch” Harry said
“And what makes him think that?” Jenna demanded
“Because I told him you did” Harry replied
There was a tense 10 seconds of silence and then everyone roared with laughter except Jenna who punched Harry on the arm instead.
“You are an awful man Harry Tweed” she said “Or whatever your bloody name is”
“And you two should have told me” she said to Kash and Rachel who were still laughing
Gavin was laughing so hard that his face had turned purple and although his shoulders were shaking and mouth was open no sound was coming out.
And Bob and slid off his chair.
“I don’t know why you all find this so funny” Jenna said sharply which was intended to jolt them back to their senses but in fact had the opposite effect and made them laugh all the more.
At which point she got up and stropped away.
“Should I go after her?” Harry said
“Absolutely not” Kash said “She’ll be fine in five minutes”
The route of the problem wasn’t what Harry had said or the others resultant laughter.
She didn’t want to be thought of as a lesbian by Harry first and foremost but the main problem was that she was the designated driver and therefore sober and everything appears to be a lot funnier when you’re wearing bear goggles.
The second half of the quiz started and a few minutes later Jenna reappeared red eyed.
“Are you ok?” Harry whispered
“I’m fine” she replied and smiled
Harry was unconvinced so he reached under the table and took hold of her hand and said
“Sorry”
And she squeezed his hand in response.
Jenna was much happier after that and they could concentrate on the quiz and at the end of the evening The Wood Hill-Billie’s had beaten the Manorian’s by 2 points and there was absolute uproar, they had never won before and so they were dancing around the table cheering loudly and Jenna hugged Harry very tightly and whispered in his ear
“I’m not a lesbian”
And kissed his cheek
“I know” he replied and kissed her on the lips
Rachel was so thrilled with the fact that they had won the quiz and that Harry had kissed Jenna that she actually hugged John Andrew.
The celebration continued back at the Farm and went on well into the night.
That kiss at the Old Mill should have been the turning point for Harry and Jenna, the launch pad if you will, but it didn’t turn out that way.
Although the cat was out of the bag and everyone knew about them, in the cold light of day, sober and slightly jaded from celebrating their victory, Harry and Jen both had doubts and held back from total commitment.
The thing Jenna wanted more than anything in the world was someone to share the life she loved and she so wanted it to be Harry or whoever he was.
And although she was happy that they were now a couple it was that uncertainty of the unknown that caused her to hold back from giving all of herself to him.
Harry himself thought she was perfect and his doubts were not about Jenna, his problem was with himself and his reservations were based around the fear of breaking her heart.
(Part 14)
The next morning was Easter Sunday and despite the fact they were all feeling more than a little jaded they were all at St Winifred’s early next morning though not necessarily bright.
It was on the other hand a very bright morning for John Andrew who had been greatly encouraged by the hug he received from Rachel Pegg after her team’s victory on the quiz night.
So when he saw the Wood Hill Farm Landrover trundle through the village towards the church with Rachel sitting in the back smiling at him he was elated.
He was not looking his best as he was returning home from his morning run so he quickly returned home, showered and changed and ran round to the church.
Once inside he worked his way down the aisle until he saw her.
The church was very well attended for the Easter service at St Winnifred’s as virtually the whole village were in attendance to support their much loved Vicar, Peter Cockcroft in his return to the pulpit.
So he behaved in a rather unchristian way as he pushed in front of Mrs. Underhill in order to reach the vacant seat next to Rachel before anyone else could get there.
“Good morning” he said and made her jump
“Where did you spring from?” She said putting a hand on her heart and he found himself wishing he could always make her heart flutter.
“I saw your smile and I floated here on a cloud” he said and Rachel laughed
“You’re persistent, I have to give you credit for that”
“That’s because you’re worth it” he said
“Oh John, give it up” Rachel said
“Why?”
“I am too old for you for one thing and we are too different” she said
“I don’t care about the age difference and in what way are we different?” John asked
“Well I’m a farmer and happy to be one” she said “But you haven’t even been on a farm”
Before he had a chance to mount a reply to defend himself, the service began and everyone stood up.
Throughout the service John went over in his mind the conversation that he planned to have with her when it had ended.
Well in truth it wasn’t so much a conversation as a speech, and he rehearsed his short speech in his head over and over as the service progressed.
Having honed and polished the speech to perfection in his head, he planned to deliver it to her after the service and he hoped it would allay all of her fears and win her heart.
However he didn’t get the chance because anticipating the end of the service better than he did, Rachel got up first and slipped out of her seat and managed to give John the slip as he then got caught up in the general exodus, which was very slow moving as almost all of the congregation wanted to shake Peter’s hand or welcome him back or just say hello, there were so many in fact that the throng allowed Rachel to escape.
As Jenna drove the Landie through the village towards home Rachel sat quiet and thoughtful in the back.
She realized that when in her excitement at the Hill-Billie’s winning the quiz she hugged John it may well have sent out the wrong signal.
And then there was the smile only that morning when she drove passed in the car that was definitely a mistake and very definitely sent out the wrong message, but she couldn’t help herself, he made her smile.
But she hoped that the way she had obviously escaped him in the church might have served to make her feelings towards him quite plain.
(Part 15)
On Easter Monday it was business as usual up at the farm, livestock were no respecters of public holidays.
Cows still needed milking and chickens still needed feeding and there were daily chores that couldn’t be left.
That was the thing that John Andrew didn’t understand about farming, it was a hard life, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and you had to love it to survive it.
Admittedly the pub trade was no picnic either and was also a demanding life but not in the same way.
She was had resigned to believe that despite what he might say to the contrary he would soon tire of farming and would then tire of her.
So what was the point of starting something with him in the first place?
Two days after Easter Sunday was Rachel’s 29th birthday.
Everyone was there at Wood Hill farm for one of Kashveena’s cooked breakfasts after which Rachel opened her cards and presents.
When she was finished Gavin and Bob went off to Vale Farm and Harry and Jenna went to feed the livestock.
Kash cleared away the dishes while Rachel sat at the table rereading her cards and then just before 10 o’clock as Kash was washing up at the sink, a van pulled into the yard at Wood Hill, a white van liveried in green, Bizzie Lizzie of Abbottsford.
A young woman, Michelle Norman, got out and opened the side door.
Kashveena recognized her, she was a local girl who lived in the village, the girl then reached inside and when she emerged she was carrying a large bouquet a very large bouquet.
She walked to the door and knocked briskly
“Yes?” Kashveena said as she opened the door
“Flowers for Rachel Pegg” the girl said
“Ok I’ll take them” Kash said and took the flowers and signed for them.
Michelle then got back in the van and drove off as Kash took the flowers inside.
“Someone’s sent you flowers Rach”
“What?”
“Flowers for Rachel Pegg” Kash repeated
“They’re very beautiful” Rachel said as she took the bouquet
“But no one ever sends me flowers, it must be a mistake”
“There is a card” Kash pointed out
Rachel took the envelope off the bouquet and opened it and it read
“Now you’re even older and I still don’t care”
“That’s quite sweet” she said quietly
“Who are they from then?” Kash asked
“My secret admirer” she replied
“So John Andrew then”
“How do you know that?” Rachel asked
“I didn’t know it was a secret” said Kash “I thought everyone knew”
“Well nobody mentioned it” Rachel said
“We all think John’s really nice”
“So do I” Rachel said “He’s just a bit young though”
“That’s nonsense” Kash said “What’s the real reason?”
“Well I don’t want to be a publican’s wife and I don’t think he will want to be a farmer” she replied
“Have you actually asked him?”
“Well no” answered Rachel “but then I don’t have to”
“Oh Rachel” Kash said resignedly
“If you don’t ask him you’ll never know”
Rachel didn’t respond she just stood admiring her flowers then she reread the card and smiled.
Kashveena just shook her head, however no matter how exasperated she might have been with Rachel she really had no room to talk.
She had had the man of her dreams sitting in her kitchen almost every day for more than three years and she had done absolutely nothing about it.
At least Jenna had a man in her life and all she had to do was run him over with the Landrover.
(Part 16)
It was almost the end of April, a week and a half after the quiz night at the Old Mill when Harry and Jenna drove into Mornington together and it was the first they had both been in the village together since Easter Sunday.
Jenna had an appointment with Lianne Martin, her Dentist and afterwards they were going to drive into Abbottsford to buy Harry some new clothes, his Versace suit was the best will in the world was never going to be appropriate for farm laboring and the few clothes that Gavin had given him were not wearing well at all.
The Mornington Dental & Orthodontic Surgery was in The Street, between the Doctors Surgery and Mazzone’s Hairdressers and opposite Addison’s Bakery.
Rather than wait in the waiting room for her Harry kissed Jenna goodbye and chose to take a walk around the village but he only got as far as the St Winifred’s Bridge where he stood gazing into the rippling waters of the River Brooke.
“It’s mesmerizing isn’t it?” a voice said
“Yes it is” Harry agreed and turned around to see the voice belonged to the Vicar, Peter Cockcroft.
Peter had only been back in the village for three weeks following a year’s absence on retreat, mourning the devastating loss of his beloved wife Carole.
It knocked him for six, it was so unexpected, coming completely out of the blue as it did.
“You must be Harry” the Vicar said
“Yes” he replied straightening up and offering his hand
“Peter Cockcroft” the Vicar said and shook Harry’s hand
“Well I don’t need to ask what troubles you Harry.”
“Really?”
“You are not the first love struck soul to gaze into these waters” Peter said “And I speak from personal experience”
“It’s that obvious then?”
“I’m afraid so yes” he said and slapped Harry on the back
“I’m surprised though, I would have thought that you and Jenna would make a perfect couple, she’s a lovely girl”
“She is perfect” Harry said wistfully
“So?”
“Do you know my circumstances?” Harry asked
“Yes I do, it’s a fascinating case” Peter said
“Well that’s one way of looking at it” Harry said unconvinced
“So what’s the problem?”
“Me, I’m the problem” Harry said “What happens if she falls in love with me and she wants to get married?”
“So what would be the problem with getting married?” Peter asked
“The problem is I can’t marry her” Harry replied
“Why not?”
“Well what if I’m already married?” Harry asked “What if I already have a wife and children?”
“Life is full of “What ifs”” Peter said
“Not like this one” Harry said and began walking away
“Harry!!” Peter called after him and he stopped and turned around to face him.
“Listen Harry, you may not be able to marry her but you can love her”
“Oh I know I can love her” Harry said “I already do”
“Then you’ve got to hold on to her” Peter said
“Don’t waste a second of the time you have together Harry, you never know how long it’s going to last”
As Harry walked back down the Street to the Dentist to meet Jenna he thought what great piece of advice Peter had given him but as it turned out he never got the opportunity to act on his advice because over the next two weeks things were very busy on the farm and he and Jenna barely got a minute to themselves.
(Part 17)
The first two weeks of May were hectic in the extreme on the farm and Harry and Jenna barely got a minute to themselves.
By the time they reached one particular day in the middle of the month, which was the hottest day of the year so far Bob and Gavin had been out in the fields since first light, fertilising and muck spreading, for days on end, Kash was spring cleaning the downstairs of the house and Jenna, Rachel and Harry were cleaning out all livestock buildings.
And by the end of that hot May afternoon they had all had enough, they were hot, sweaty and filthy from head to toe.
There was no way Kash was going to let them into the house in their state so Rachel suggested hosing each other down before they attempted to gain entry to the downstairs bathroom.
Rachel hosed Jenna down first and then they swapped over and finally Jen turned the hose on Harry while Bob and Gavin looked on and roared with laughter.
It was during the horseplay that followed that the incident happened.
Jenna had him cornered and was giving him a good soaking and he was stooping down to give her a smaller target when Kashveena called out.
“What on earth is all that noise about?”
And as she said it she flung open the kitchen door and hit the stooping Harry on the head and knocked him spark out.
When they got to him, blood was gushing from a wound on his head and he wasn’t moving
“Oh God” Kash said and started crying. Which showed how serious it was to reduce Miss Dependable to tears
“Oh not again” Jenna exclaimed
“Call an Ambulance” Rachel shouted
“There’s no time” Gavin said “Let’s get him in the Landie”
“Ok” Jenna said “I’m coming too”
Kashveena had got control of herself and grabbed some clothes off the ironing pile and a pair of shoes from the scullery and gave them to Jen
“You’ll have to change on the way” she said
“Thanks Kash” she said and got in the back “Phone Doctor Andrews”
“And Dave Jones” Gavin added
“Why does this keep happening?” Jen said as they drove off
“Don’t worry Sis he’ll be fine” he said but he really wasn’t sure.
By the time they got to the end of Farm Lane Jenna had changed her clothes and was sitting in the back holding Harry’s hand.
Also waiting at the end of the lane was Sgt Jones, standing by his car, and he flagged them down.
“Follow me to Shallowfield, an Ambulance will meet us there” he instructed
Gavin nodded and Dave returned to his car and with his blues and twos going he led the way at speed to Shallowfield.
They were in Shallowfield in about five minutes and Dr Andrews and the Ambulance were waiting outside the Surgery.
As soon as Gavin stopped the Landrover Dr Andrews and the paramedics sprang into action.
Jenna and Gavin stood back as they examined him and tried desperately to hear what was being said, but failed.
Within a minute or two the Doctor was walking away from the car making a phone call and the paramedics had got him on to a trolley and wheeled him to the Ambulance.
Claire was still on the phone but broke off long enough to shout to Andy Mason, one of the Paramedics.
“I’ll follow on behind Andy”
“Ok” he replied
And a few minutes later Claire ended her call and walked over to join Jenna and preempted her questions
“He’s still unconscious but he’s stable and they’re taking him to the Winston Churchill”
“Ok” Jenna said not knowing what to do next.
She looked at Gavin and then at the doctor and then Claire said
“Do you want to come with me Jenna?”
“Yes please”
Just before she got in the car Jenna gave Gavin a hug and Gav said
“He’s going to be fine sis”
Gavin watched his sister drive away and he felt so helpless.
Sgt Jones asked Gavin to give him a quick statement about the accident, which he did, and then he went back to the Farm.
(Part 18)
When they reached the Winston Churchill Hospital, Claire went straight through and Jenna waited anxiously in the waiting area.
She had been sitting there for two hours before Claire returned with a grave expression on her face.
Claire sat down next to Jenna and took hold of her hand, it was supposed to put her mind at rest, but it had the opposite effect.
“He’s gone into surgery to remove a clot” Claire said
“Oh God” Jenna said and crumpled.
“He’s going to be in surgery for several hours” she continued “Do you want me to run you home”
“No I’ll stay here” she replied
“I thought you’d say that so I’ve told the Nurse, Molly Curtis, to keep you posted” Claire said “and I’ll be back in the morning”
“Thanks Doctor”
As soon as Dr Andrews had gone, Jenna went outside and phoned home.
Just after 4 am Molly Curtis appeared in the waiting room and tracked Jenna down to give her the promised update.
“Are you Jenna?” she asked
“Yes” she replied nervously “is he ok?”
“The surgery went very” Molly said “and he’s been moved to ICU”
“Can I see him?” She asked
“Yes” she replied “but you won’t be able to see him until much later”
“Ok”
“You should get some rest now” Molly said “I’ll let you know if there’s any change”
“Thanks nurse”
After that Jenna slept on and off on an uncomfortable bench in the main reception.
She woke up at 6.30 with a crick in her neck and a desperate need for a pee.
She stood up and had a good long stretch before she walked to the loo yawning.
When she emerged ten minutes later she was confronted by some familiar faces.
“There you are?” Kashveena said
“How is he?” Asked Rachel “Any more news?”
“No not yet” Replied Jen, and she was close to tears
“Gav and Bob are holding the fort” Rachel said with a crack in her voice trying to change the subject
Then Kash handed Jenna a carrier bag and said
“I brought you some clean ironed clothes, clean undies and some lippie”
“Thank you” she said and hugged her “you’re priceless”
Rachel joined the hug and the three of them ended up crying.
After a minute or two Kashveena said
“Rachel and I will go and get some coffees while you go and get changed”
“And a sandwich” Jenna said “I’m starving”
“I packed breakfast” Kash said and patted her bag
“Of course you did” Jen said and kissed her cheek
Jenna felt so much better after she’d freshened up, it was amazing how much better she felt just having clean underwear on and a little lippie.
When she came out she quickly found her friends and they sat downstairs in the main reception and drank coffee and ate Kashveena’s homemade bacon sandwiches and then they went upstairs to ICU.
“You are not allowed in because you’re not family”
The nurse repeated in an officious tone.
“Stop repeating the same thing over and over” Kash said crossly
“Now I’m going to have to ask you to leave” she said “Or else I’ll call security”
“Oooh are we supposed to be scared?” Jenna mocked childishly
Kash gave her a sideways look and hoped she wasn’t going to do something silly.
Rachel wasn’t being helpful either as she was just glaring at the nurse in an intimidating manner
Just then Jenna noticed Claire Andrews was walking down the corridor towards them.
“Doc” Jenna called “She won’t let us in”
“As I’ve explained already Doctor, its family only” the nurse said “And they’re not family”
“For goodness sake let them in” Claire said “They are the only family the man knows, and she’s his girlfriend”
“But…”
“But nothing, let them in”
The nurse wasn’t happy at having her authority usurped but she did comply with Dr Andrews’s instruction, but only two of them could go in at a time, and she was adamant about that so Rachel said that the other two could go in first and she would wait downstairs.
(Part 19)
When they went into ICU they found Harry in a High Dependency bed and Jenna was pleasantly surprised,
She had imagined in her mind’s eye that he would be a mass of bruises and abrasions, with tubes coming out of every orifice, he didn’t even have a breathing tube in.
His head was bandaged obviously, but other than that he looked very peaceful.
“He looks well” Kash said clearly as surprised as Jenna was.
They sat down beside his bed and Jenna immediately took hold of his hand and prayed.
When she had finished her prayer Kashveena squeezed her arm and said
“I think it’s going to be a happy ending”
“I don’t” Jenna snapped
“Why not?”
“I think I know the end of the story Kash” She said softly “I know the end of the story”
“And what’s that?”
“He’s going to wake up and remember who he is, and remember he has a wife and children and a whole wonderful life”
She explained
“And when he wakes up and remembers his old life, he will forget everything about his life with us, and it won’t matter a jot to him that I’m in love with him”
“You’re wrong” Kashveena said
“Am I?” she said flatly
“Yes” Kash said “I’ve seen the way he looks at you”
“Yes but that’s Harry that’s looking at me, not the real him, whoever he is”
Kash knew she wasn’t going to shake Jenna out of her black mood so she decided to leave her and Harry alone.
“I’ll go and get us a drink” she said and kissed the top of her head
Down stairs in reception Rachel was sitting in a corner flicking through magazines when she turned the page and saw a full page ad for Bizzie Lizzie of Abbottsford and her nostrils were suddenly full of the sweet perfumed bouquet that John Andrew sent her for her birthday.
And the lovely words written on the card came to her mind
“Now you’re even older and I still don’t care”
She sighed as she thought of him, he was such a sweet, sweet boy, and then she scowled because since she received the flowers and the card she had avoided him.
She was just reflecting on that decision when she saw John Andrew walk through the main doors so she got up from her corner and intercepted him by the lifts
“What are you doing here?” she asked
“I come bearing gifts” he said holding up a “get well soon” card and a carrier bag for her to see.
“And who are they from?” she asked suspiciously
“Everyone in the pub” he replied “the card went around the bar last night”
“That doesn’t explain why you’re here” she pressed
“I volunteered” he said defiantly
“And that wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact that I’m here I suppose”
“It has everything to do with the fact that you’re here” he admitted
“I thought so” she said
“I’m mad about you Rachel” he said unashamedly “I always have been”
Rachel went to speak but he kept talking
“And I don’t care that you’re a few years older than me, I’m still mad about you”
“And I don’t intend spending the rest of my life behind a bar either” he said
“And where do you want to spend it then?”
“Where ever you are of course” John replied
As Kashveena rode down in the lift she was thinking of ways she could lift her dearest friend’s spirits and snap her out of her black mood.
But nothing came to mind and then as the lift doors opened the first thing she saw was Rachel and John Andrew kissing.
“Thank God” she said “I was beginning to think we might need an intervention”
They stopped kissing and Rachel put her head on John’s shoulder and grinned red faced at Kash
“I take it that this means you are now a couple?”
“Is that ok?” Rachel asked
“Oh yes” Kash said and giggled “Just what the doctor ordered”
(Part 20)
After Kash had left her alone in the room with Harry, Jenna began to sob uncontrollably and was still going ten minutes later.
“Come back Harry” she sobbed “Please come back”
She was holding his hand in hers and periodically kissing it in between sobs so she didn’t notice his eyes were open.
“I haven’t been away “Muppet”” he said weekly
“Harry? Is that you?” she whispered
“Yes and no” he said
She still hadn’t looked at him and she said
“You remember again don’t you?”
“I do” he confessed
“I knew it” she said looking at him for the first time
“You remember your other life, your wonderful other life”
“Yes I do” He replied
“So I’ve lost you then” Jenna said and fresh tears welled up in her eyes
“No, never” he said
“I don’t understand” Jenna said as the tears rolled down her cheeks
“In my old life I’m not married, I have no family” he said
“The wonderful life is the one I’ve found with you”
And as the realization of what he had said dawned on her, a smile as dazzling as the sun spread across her tear stained face.
The ride back up in the lift for Kashveena was a little happier than the one down had been and all thoughts of Jenna and her dark mood had been expelled from her mind to be replaced by the happy picture of Rachel and John kissing.
She was rather looking forward to sharing the good news with Jenna.
She thought that would give her something to smile about and maybe even lift her dark mood.
And when she opened the door she found Jenna stood beside the bed stooping over and kissing Harry, and furthermore he was kissing her back.
“My God what do they put in the coffee in this place” she said “everybody’s at it”
When Kash had explained what she had discovered downstairs in reception, Harry said
“It’s a pity Gavin isn’t here then”
Kashveena blushed on hearing that and was visibly flustered and just managed to say
“I think you must still be concussed” Before quickly excusing herself
Harry was discharged four days later fully recovered and with his memory completely restored and after his discharge he returned with Jenna to Wood Hill farm.
He had further visits over the following weeks from Dr Andrews which were just routine.
In truth she was more interested in his history than his health,
He also had to give a full statement to Sgt Jones regarding the accident, of which Kash was completely absolved of any responsibility and more significantly details about his true identity.
Harry’s real name was Keith Topliss and he was a 33 years old divorcee.
Although he was born in Abbottsford he had spent the previous 10 years living and working in Canada.
He was an Engineer by profession and had a small engineering company in Toronto but after his divorce he decided to sell up and move back to Downshire.
It was his intention to start up a small engineering firm somewhere in Downshire so he had hired a car in London and he planned to look at some suitable premises in Shallowfield.
But before he got started he wanted to stop off in his old neighbourhood in Abbottsford and to visit his parent’s graves.
And it was while he was in Abbottsford that he was attacked.
He had parked the car just around the corner from a Kebab shop, he hadn’t had a lamb Doner for over ten years and he just couldn’t resist.
The last time he had parked there ten years earlier it was a perfectly safe place to do so but apparently things had changed while he had been away and as he returned to the car with his Kebab he was struck from behind.
Which was the last thing he remembered and he had no idea how he got from Abbottsford to the Dancingdean Forest or where he had acquired the Harris Tweed coat, but everything else had come back to him in crystal clarity, before the assault and very definitely after Jenna hit him with the Landie.
(Part 21)
It was the first of June, a week after Harry was discharged from hospital, when the dust had finally settled, that Harry and Jenna finally found time to have a proper conversation.
They were sitting in the office in the leather Chesterfields surrounded by the Newman brother’s book collection.
Harry had been trying get Jenna alone since he got back and the office was the only quiet corner they could find.
“So what was it you wanted to talk about?” Jenna asked nervously
“Well it’s about the future” he said
“That doesn’t sound good” she said to herself
But out loud she just said “oh”
“Yes” he said but Jenna didn’t respond so Harry took a deep breath and began
“If I’m going to stay at Wood Hill”
“If?” Jenna said with alarm
“Yes” he confirmed “if I’m going to stay at Wood Hill I’m going to need two things”
“What things?” she asked with a sense of impending doom
“Firstly, I need to find somewhere locally to do my day job” he said
“Ok” she acknowledged thinking that wasn’t too bad “and the second thing”
“I need you to become Mrs Topliss”
It took a moment or two for what he had said to sink in, she had gotten so used to calling him Harry Tweed, so when he said Mrs Topliss she was a little confused and then the penny dropped and so did her jaw.
For about a minute she was completely unable to form a verbal response, her mouth was moving but nothing came out of it.
So she just pointed at him and then at herself and just kept repeating that while Harry looked on and smiled.
Finally he said
“Is that a yes then?”
“Of course it’s a yes” she replied and launched herself at him and they sealed the deal with a kiss
“You pig” she said and punched him “I thought you were dumping me”
“No way” he said “I’m not letting you get away, unless another one you mad lot crack me on the skull again”
“Well Rachel hasn’t hit you yet” Jen said laughing “but she’s too busy with John at the moment to be a serious threat”
“That’s a relief” he said and kissed her again
After the initial excitement, which was of the loud squealing variety, when she told Kash and Rachel, he thought they should perhaps tackle the task of setting the date.
Harry wanted to strike while the iron was hot, before Jenna had the chance to change her mind.
Jenna was so thrilled that she had finally met a man that ticked all her boxes and her search for a meaningful love with someone of a like mind had finally borne fruit that she couldn’t concentrate long enough to decide.
The only thing she was firm on was that she wanted a church wedding, although there was a minor setback in that regard as he was a divorcee.
There was also the belief that they needed to select a date that fitted in with the rhythm of the farm.
However the general consensus from the family was that rather than trying to find the right time to fit in with the farming calendar, they should just pick a date and the rest of them would cover for them.
So they made an appointment to see the Vicar Peter Cockcroft.
(Part 22)
Harry thought it quite appropriate that it was the 6th of June, D-Day, when Jenna and Harry drove into Mornington and parked in the church car park and walked to the rectory, and Harry thought it was appropriate because he was expecting a fight.
“Hello Jenna, Harry” The vicar said as he opened the door “Come in, Come in”
“Should I still call you Harry?” Peter asked
“Yes please, the name has rather stuck now” he said “And to be honest I never really liked the name Keith”
They sat down in his lounge and Peter put down a large diary on the coffee table in front of them.
“I assume you’re here to discuss dates” he said cheerfully
“Yes we are, but how did you know?” Jenna asked
“Ah well Mornington is a small village” he replied “And my spies are everywhere”
And there followed some nervous laughter on behalf of the affianced.
“Well as luck would have it, for you two anyway, not so much for them, but there is a cancellation” Peter continued
“When?” Harry asked
“September 27th” The vicar replied
“Next September?” Jenna said with real disappointment in her voice she was really hoping for something sooner,
“Oh dear, bless your heart Jenna, no” Peter Cockcroft said “it’s this September, it was a last minute cold feet kind of cancellation”
“Really?” Jenna said and squeezed Harry’s hand
“Yes” he confirmed “Shall I pencil you in?”
“No, write it in ink” Jenna said immediately and then turned and smiled at Harry but he didn’t return it instead he said
“There is however one slight issue”
“You mean your divorcee status” Peter Cockcroft said
“My God, do you know absolutely everything?” Harry asked and laughed
“Not quite” he said “But enough to get by”
“So do you have a solution?” Jenna asked
“Well I’ve spoken to the Bishop and told him your story and he being something of a romantic has no objection with it per se”
Peter explained
“So he has left the final decision to me and basically, if I’m happy, he’s happy”
“And?” Harry asked
“Well, convince me that I’m happy” Peter said
When they finally left the rectory an hour later it was with the knowledge that they had secured both the date in September for the wedding and the Vicar’s approval.
“Now the fun begins” he said as they walked towards the car
“What do you mean?” she asked
“Well you know all the arrangements” he explained
“That will be a breeze” Jenna responded, “I have Kash remember”
“What about your wedding dress?” he asked
“I already have it” she replied smugly
“Really?”
“Yes” she said “It was my mum’s”
The reason they had been at the rectory for so long wasn’t due to them needing to convince Peter Cockcroft of their sincerity they had his blessing before they even arrived.
No what delayed them at the rectory for that long was the talk about Harry’s plans which genuinely interested Peter.
On his return to Downshire from Canada it was his intention to start up a small engineering business and he was on a quest to find suitable premises when he lost his memory.
He really wanted something local to Mornington as his intention was to live at Wood Hill but there didn’t appear to be anything suitable.
Which was when the Vicar, pointed Harry in the direction of the Manor for a solution.
Of course Jenna and Harry’s was not the only love story at Wood Hill Farm there was also Rachel and John burgeoning romance.
After they had finally gotten together, to everyone’s delight, it took a while for them to settle down into a rhythm.
But as time went on John ended up spending half his time on the farm with Rachel and the other half in the pub serving behind the bar.
His parents were a little disappointed to find that his heart was not in hospitality as there’s were but they had brought up their children, John and Polly to follow their hearts and that was precisely what he was doing after all.
But keeping a foot in both camps seemed to be the best way forward while he found his role on the farm with the girl he loved.
(Part 23)
It was two weeks after the Vicar had suggested Harry should meet with Gabriel St George up at the Manor that it actually happened and Harry walked up to the front door at the Manor on a Sunny Friday afternoon in June.
He knocked firmly on the door and after a few moments it was opened by a very striking looking woman with bobbed blonde hair and a Swan neck.
“Hi” he said “I have an appointment with Mr St George”
“Ah you must be the famous Harry” she said and shook his hand “I’m Philomena Cruickshank’s, come this way”
And he followed her as she strode purposefully through the house.
Gabriel had chosen to received his guest on the terrace, and he stood up as Harry and Philomena approached, he was tall and blonde, and was clearly related to Philomena.
Harry was an inch or two shorter than Gabriel with wavy sandy coloured hair.
The two men both harboured preconceived ideas about the other, Harry thought he would be meeting a man born of privilege who wouldn’t even know which century he was living in and Gabriel thought Harry was just going to be another in a long line of business men who had approached him since Mornington Field returned to the Estates control.
However both of them were to be delightfully surprised.
They talked enthusiastically and at some length and in fact talked so long that Philomena had to interrupt and remind them of the time.
“Oh goodness” Gabriel said “I’m so sorry I’ve kept you longer than I should”
“Nonsense” Harry replied “It was very absorbing”
“Perhaps we could talk again” Gabriel enquired
“I would like that very much” Harry replied and the two men shook hands warmly
“Just one other thing” Harry said “If I don’t ask the question I will be in the dog house”
“Well we can’t have that, ask away” he said amiably
“It’s about Vale Farm”
“Ah the compulsorily purchased land” Gabriel said “Well I can tell you that the Smiths are very interested in it”
“I see” Harry said
“But as it was part of Vale Farm originally, if the Pegg’s apply in writing I can promise that I will look favorably on it” Gabriel said
“Well you can’t say fairer than that” Harry said and they shook hands again “thank you”
It was the first of July when Harry and the Pegg’s received hand delivered letters from the Mornington Estate, informing them that Vale Farm would have 90% of the land restored and that Topliss Engineering of Mornington was born.
Officially it wasn’t to be until January the first of the following year that the leases would begin.
However the Pegg’s were given special dispensation to plough and sow the restored land so as not to lose a whole growing season.
Harry was also allowed to instruct an architect to get the ball rolling on converting Hangar A into Topliss Engineering.
Gabe had recommended his own architect and friend Scott Collier therefore doing both men a favour.
The dynamic at the farm’s changed after Harry proposed to Jenna and with Rachel and John’s passion showing no sign of abating
Kash started to feel like a third wheel and more and more she would look wistfully at Gavin and sigh.
She did not however recent for a moment the love and happiness that her friends had found and was as happy for them as it was possible to be, but it did however serve to heighten her own longings for Gavin.
By way of an antidote to her hopeless desire, Kashveena threw herself into the Jenna and Harry’s wedding plans body and soul and managed to get through to September relatively unscathed but all through the summer her feelings for Gavin had continued to deepen regardless.
(Part 24)
On September 27th, the day of the wedding, Gavin was chosen to be Harry’s best man, Kashveena and Rachel were bridesmaids, while Bob Pegg, John Andrew and Dave Jones were the ushers.
The wedding was a much anticipated event and not just by the bride and groom, Jenna was a popular character in Mornington and on the day the church was full to bursting with well-wishers including the whole of the St George family from the Manor.
Apart from her popularity, and the obvious romance, the interest was magnified by the fact that a lot of the villagers were involved in some way with the event.
Addison’s made the wedding cake, Giovanna D'Angelo and Antonella Gardelli at Mazzone’s did the girls hair and Michelle Norman of “Bizzie Lizzie’s” in Abbottsford arranged all the flowers in the church as well as the button holes and bouquet’s.
Even the local chiropodist, Nellie Hanson, was called into service to deal with a troublesome callous on Jenna’s food.
The drinks where supplied and served by the proprietors and the staff from The Old Mill Inn and their chef, Lorraine Olson, did the food for the wedding breakfast with the assistance of Jane Cooper and Emily Goff from Shallowfield.
The meal was at St Winnifred’s Church Hall and all the food was sourced from the Mornington Estate.
And finally the wedding car was a rare 1951 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn, owned by Gabriel St George.
The car was his father Valentines pride and joy so although he thought it rather ostentatious he couldn’t bear to part with it after his death.
Nor would he ever let anyone else drive it either, so as he and Harry Topliss had become such good friends over the summer he volunteered to drive the bride to the church in the Silver Dawn.
When Jenna Newman walked, callous free, down the aisle there were audible gasps as the statuesque red head Jenna processed resplendently in an antique silk dress, there were still some in the village who could remember her mother being married in that dress.
However while the eyes of the whole congregation were on the beautiful bride, there was one exception for as she followed in Jenna’s wake Kashveena’s gaze was fixed hungrily on the Best Man who she thought looked good enough to eat.
And when the bride reached the altar and Gavin saw Kashveena in her bridesmaids outfit his mouth fell open.
“Wow you look gorgeous” he said and then he blushed scarlet when he realised he’d said it out loud and furthermore loud enough for the first two rows to hear.
Fortunately for him the Vicar drew the attention away from him by starting the proceedings.
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you”
“And also with you” said the congregation
Although the church had been well attended there were only 30 people at the Wedding breakfast, just close friends and family but that evening there was to be a disco and there was an open invitation for everyone.
As Jenna did the seating plan for the breakfast she made sure that Kash was seated next to her clueless brother in the hope that they would finally sort themselves out.
They sat all through the breakfast talking and laughing and at times totally oblivious of their surroundings or even that there were other people present.
Later when the disco started dictated by the tradition that the best man and the bridesmaid had to dance they were encouraged by Harry and Jenna to take to the floor and once they got out there they weren’t getting off again in a hurry.
Jenna was dancing with her husband alongside Kashveena and Gavin for the first of three close up slow dances.
“Do you think tonight’s the night?” Harry asked
“I do hope so” Jenna replied “They are perfect for each other”
But despite the fact they were besotted with each other by the end of the evening the matter was still unresolved.
(Part 25)
Polly Andrew had been serving at the wedding breakfast but for a couple of hours at the dance she was just a guest and she had just got herself a drink when she caught sight of Bob Pegg.
Bob wasn’t a regular The Old Mill Inn, not as such, just quiz nights and darts matches but she always noticed when he was in, mainly because he was a bit of a gregarious character.
He was a popular guy and was never short of a friend to have a drink with, and Polly liked it when he was in because he made her smile.
He was clearly returning to his table from the gents so Polly intercepted him
“Hello Bob” she said looking him up and down, she wasn’t used to seeing him that smartly dressed
“Hi Polly” he said and smiled
“Well Bob Pegg I must say you scrub up quite well” Polly said and whisked him off to the dance floor
At the end of the evening Gabriel drove the happy couple to the
Worsted Viper Hotel in Purplemere where they were spending their wedding night before flying to Paris for a short honeymoon.
Accompanying him in the passenger seat was his girlfriend Chantel and after he had delivered the happy couple to their destination they drove to the Dancingdean Spa Hotel in Childean to have their own kind of honeymoon.
When Mr and Mrs Topliss returned from Paris the following weekend they found that Cupid’s arrow had struck at the reception in their absence but Kash and Gavin weren’t an item but Bob and Polly were.
And nothing was likely to happen between them for a month or so following the Topliss’s return as Gavin was going to be at Vale Farm.
Kashveena really enjoyed the Wedding, she thought it was magical, she even made believe it was hers as she danced in Gavin’s strong arms.
She so wanted to share her feelings and tell him how she felt.
To tell him that he was the sun in her sky, but she did not dare.
Kashveena was convinced as they danced that he might feel the same as she but she held back just in case he didn’t, hoping he would speak first.
So she decided it was best not to upset the equilibrium and hope and pray.
She would rather have him just as a friend, with the hope of more, than to create an unbearable awkwardness between them.
It was bad enough she had seen virtually nothing of him all through the autumn and she couldn’t bear to think that she might never see him at all, so she kept her own counsel.
Friendship was better than nothingness.
All that autumn, Gavin had been staying at Vale Farm with Bob, ploughing and sowing the rape seed, after which the pair of them ploughed and sowed Wood Hill’s lower fields with winter wheat, and ploughed and harrowed the Mornington Field land that hadn’t seen a plough for a hundred years, they only got back to Wood Hill for Sunday lunch if they were lucky.
They were an unlikely pair, Gavin was a six foot two slow plodder with unruly red hair and a ruddy complexion while Bob was a short spindly dynamo with long frizzy brown hair that made it look like he had a bad afro.
They had been best friends since their first day at Infants School and it was a friendship which had endured.
The two men worked well together because they played to each other’s strengths.
Gavin had found the prolonged period away from Wood Hill to be both a blessing and a curse.
Gavin Newman had been in love with Kash for 5 years, since the first moment he saw her in fact.
At his sister’s wedding he spent so much time with her talking, laughing and dancing then it felt like they were a couple.
And he really wanted that to be the case but why would a beautiful person like her be interested in a great lumbering farmer like him.
So he had never considered doing anything about his malady and he was hoping that the 5 or 6 week enforced absence from Wood Hills far away from the temptation of the voluptuous super cook might cool his ardour but the reverse was true and he ended up wanting her even more and he really looked forward more and more to the Sunday lunches.
(Part 26)
In between their normal chores, Harry and Jenna spent most of the autumn making Wood Hill Cottage habitable as they planned to make it their home in the New Year.
It hadn’t been lived in for more than thirty years so it needed a lot more than just a lick of paint.
By the time December came around John was spending most of the week at the farm learning the ropes with Rachel and weekends working at the pub with Polly.
He had really taken to farming even more than he expected to but like Rachel he preferred livestock to arable, particularly the dairy herd.
He was still keeping a foot in both camps to some degree but his parents had long since come to terms with his choice and they really liked Rachel and would not be disappointed with her as a daughter in law one day.
But he kept working the shifts at the pub because he needed the money for something special.
When Gavin and Bob had finished all the ploughing they brought all the equipment back to Wood Hill, to be cleaned and serviced and stowed away, so it was all hands to the pump to get everything done before Christmas.
Which was to be the most special yule tide’s at Wood Hill farm for many years.
However in order to preserve a happy Christmas for all, certain compromises had to be made.
John and Polly Andrew were expected to eat Christmas Dinner with their parents, as Christmas day was the only day of the year that the pub closed, so it didn’t seem an unreasonable expectation.
So Kashveena, ever the practical person, suggested that in order to get everyone around the same table for their Christmas Dinner they should have it on Christmas Eve.
A suggestion that was greeted with universal approval.
Kashveena had woken up early on Christmas Eve and she sat for almost an hour in front of her bedroom mirror.
She was disappointed with the woman looking back at her and concluded that things had to change so she decided it was time to take stock.
It had been a very eventful year a near tragic spring, a romantic summer and a long and awful autumn separated from the love of her life.
So she set her chin and stared defiantly at her own reflection and decided that the status quo could go to hell.
“It’s time for you to man up” she said and got up and went to the bathroom.
It was a noisy and raucous morning which got even more so when the champagne corks started popping on the stroke of noon.
By 3 o’clock Christmas Dinner was served and Kash had done them proud with the table groaning under the weight of the Christmas fare.
It was no mean feat to cook such a sumptuous feast for 8 people, especially farmers, which was made all the more remarkable as she appeared not to have a single hair out of place.
Everyone enthused at the magnificence of the Turkey and all the trimmings but Gavin had eyes for a different bird entirely.
He thought that she always looked beautiful but that day she seemed to have surpassed herself she looked even lovelier than she did on Jenna’s wedding day.
It was no accident that Kashveena was as immaculately turned out as the food on display, she wanted to make a good impression with Gavin.
And when she looked at him and saw his smile she thought it was worth all the effort and she couldn’t wait until she could be alone with him.
Under normal circumstances she would have considered the meal a triumph and have felt very pleased with herself but on that day the meal seemed to go on forever.
Everyone else had a great time and a great dinner and even Gavin seemed to be enjoying himself.
Finally the Christmas pudding was served and she could at last see the finishing line almost in reach.
But as the final scrapes of spoons on china echoed around the room John Andrew stood up and then called for order.
When he finally had everyone’s attention he firstly proposed a toast to the cook and then he proposed to Rachel.
“Wha…?” Rachel said
“Will you marry me?” he repeated hold the ring box out to her
“Of course I’ll marry you stupid” she said and wrapped her skinny arms around his neck and kissed him
(Part 27)
When Rachel said “Of course I’ll marry you stupid”
And wrapped her skinny arms around his neck and kissed him it was greeted with whoops and cheers and delayed the end of the meal.
Which left Kash with mixed feelings, she was delighted for her friends
As Harry went around the table refilling the glasses.
Polly got unsteadily to her feet
“Blimey!” Harry said “Not another one”
Bob sat staring at her wide eyed and Polly said to him
“Don’t you be getting any ideas Bob, we are never getting married, and there is no way that I’m changing my name to Polly Pegg”
This provoked a lot of laughter in response and then she plopped down hard on her bottom.
She tried in vain to regain her feet so she wagged her finger at Bob instead
“I’m serious” she said and Bob smirked “there are two thing I will not do, one is changing my name to Polly Pegg”
Everyone laughed again on hearing that, and she didn’t realise it at the time in her befuddled state that the name would stick with her forever marriage or no marriage
“And the other is that I will not become a farmer’s wife” she continued
“I’m not like John, I love the pub and I intend to take it over when mum and dad retire so let there be no doubt that, I’m going to be a publishian, a publictian, a pudlican, I’m going to be a landlady”
“Oh shut up and have another drink. Polly Pegg” Bob said
Everyone pitched in to clear away and Kash and Jenna dealt with the dirty dishes while Gavin and Harry wiped up.
Within half an hour everything but the pans were done.
“You and Jenna go and sit down” she told Harry
“Ok” he said giving Jenna a wink “come on Mrs. Topliss”
Kash had been looking forward to getting Gavin on his own all day but when he was there in front of her in the kitchen she lost her nerve.
“I can manage now” she said
“I don’t mind helping” Gav said
“I’m ok really” she insisted
Gavin walked into the hall and was immediately confronted by Harry
“What are you doing out here you plank?”
“I offered to help, but she said she was ok” he replied
“You have a lot to learn about women” he said shaking his head and thrust a sprig of mistletoe into his great paw of a hand
“Now get back in there and kiss her”
“But…” Gavin protested
“Do you like her or not?” Harry asked
“Well yes” he replied
“Then get back in there” Harry instructed “trust me Gav”
Gavin pushed open the kitchen door and walked in
“You don’t have to help” she said “I can manage really”
“I’m not here to help” he said and he held up the mistletoe and then his voice cracked as he said
“I’ve come for a kiss”
“Oh” she said and dried her hands as she stepped towards
They stood facing each other and there was a moment of hesitation but then Gavin kissed her.
And it was a perfect Kiss that brought all the feelings they had suppressed for so long bubbling to the surface and Kashveena was able to allow the love that filled her generous heart to spill out from her every pore.
And Gavin gratefully gathered it up and wrapped her in his strong loving arms.
The three friends up at Wood Hill Farm were all single girls and looked likely to remain so, Rachel Pegg had an admirer but she thought him unsuitable or unworthy, no one was quite sure which or for that matter why.
The wellington boot was on the other foot for Kashveena Kaur who had already lost her heart but was reluctant to do anything about it and Jenna Newman thought that any search for a meaningful love with someone of a like mind would be a fruitless exercise so she wasn’t prepared to bother, which is how the three of them all ended up living together at Wood Hill farm.
The Newman’s and the Pegg’s had been tenant farmers on the Mornington Estate since God was a boy.
The Newman’s farmed up at Wood Hill on the edge of the Dancingdean Forest and the Pegg’s below them at Vale Farm.
The farm up on Wood Hill was the larger of the two, which had at its center the large farmhouse, parts of which dated back six centuries.
It had been added to over the years to accommodate the growing Newman clan until it was now comprised of six upstairs bedrooms and an equal number of rooms on the ground floor.
There was also milking sheds, barns, hen houses, assorted out buildings and a farm cottage.
Vale Farm on the other hand was smaller and less diverse in nature but it had been around every bit as long.
However much of the Pegg’s land that made Vale Farm prosperous was lost as it formed part of the tract of land compulsory purchased by the War Office that became Mornington Field a hundred years earlier but they still worked what was left to good effect.
But the remaining land was never enough to support the whole family, so many of the Pegg’s had to leave the Vale in search of work elsewhere or get work as labourers for other farmers, so Vale Farm suffered as a result.
The only surviving Pegg’s, Bob and Rachel, were hopeful that when Mornington Field returned back to the Estate’s ownership they would get the land back that they had lost and they could rebuild the farm to what it was in its heyday.
Wood Hill farm however had thrived over those same hundred years but despite that, and for very different reasons there were now only two Newman’s left as well, Jenna and Gavin.
Fortunately as well as being neighbour’s they were also very good friends and had grown up together.
As a result of the two very different sets of circumstances the Pegg’s had two little land and the Newman’s had more than the two of them could manage, so they joined forces, and divided their time between the two farms.
They shared resources and expenditures alike.
All four of them had been to Finchbottom College, who amongst other things ran an Agricultural course, the girls were there two years earlier than the boys, and it was while they were at college that they met Kashveena Kaur, who was studying catering and the three of them clicked, and Jenna and Rachel took her under their wing, and Kashveena had subsequently become a key part of the family.
Despite being the outsider of the group, so to speak, Kashveena quickly became the matriarch of the “Family” who kept order while also keeping an exceeding good table.
She was born in India to a Tamil Mother and a Sikh Father but on their deaths she was raised from the age of 8 by her maternal Aunt Anjuli, in Abbottsford, as a Christian.
Her maiden Aunt was a marvelous cook and she had passed all her not inconsiderable knowledge on to her niece and the Newman’s and the Pegg’s now tasted the benefit of that education.
(Part 02)
Kashveena’s Aunt Anjuli died while she was studying cookery at college, and the death of her only remaining family and the only real mother she had ever known hit her very hard indeed which was why the girls felt so protective towards her and why they asked her to move in with them at the farm.
Suddenly being all alone in the world, moving in with her best friends seemed like the most natural thing in the world to do.
Kash had never regretted it for a second and she had been very happy with her decision, the only fly in the ointment being that she was hopelessly in love with Jenna’s brother Gavin.
But she didn’t hold out any great expectation that her feelings were reciprocated.
Kashveena was a striking looking young woman, not supermodel beautiful but very lovely with dark hypnotic eyes.
Though the Kash that stared back at her from the bedroom mirror each day she thought was far from lovely.
She stood 5 feet 4 inches tall in her stocking feet and was half a stone heavier than she should have been which was thanks to her own cooking.
She wasn’t though disappointed with everything she saw in the mirror she liked her legs which she thought were quite shapely and her hair which she thought of as her crowning glory, which was long and straight and was of a brown so dark that it looked black.
However Kashveena didn’t think that nice legs and beautiful hair was sufficient to win the love of Gavin Newman, she valued herself so little, which was why she held no expectation in his regard.
He for his part had shown no interested in her nor given any indication that he thought of her in anyway other than as a friend.
And her dilemma was that if she told him of her feelings for him and he didn’t feel the same about her it would create an unbearable awkwardness.
So that was why she decided it was best not to upset the Status Quo, and to just remain as friends.
After all friendship was better than nothing and that had been her opinion for three long years.
Jenna Newman, like her friends Rachel and Kashveena was 28 years old and was best described as Statuesque, she was tall and straight backed, and proud.
She was blessed with an abundance of red hair that trailed behind her like a mane.
She loved Wood Hill farm and she loved farming and she considered herself fortunate to live where she lived, with friends and family that she adored and doing the thing she loved to do most in the world.
But, and there was always, a but, the thing Jenna wanted more than anything in the world other than that was someone to share the life she loved so much.
It was difficult enough to meet a suitable guy if you lived in a town or a city but she lived in a farmhouse 8 miles from the nearest village.
Obviously she had boyfriends when she was at school and at college of course but those relationships never went anywhere, not in a way that she wanted anyway.
Jenna had no problem attracting men, in fact the opposite was true, and in particular the Smith brothers from the village.
They were always persistent, though in truth not only with her, Kash and Rachel were also on the Smith boy’s radar and none of them were interested in the Smith’s even though they were farmers. While most of her other admirers who she did like had no interest in farming or living the rural life and she had no interest in moving away from the home she loved.
She remained forever hopeful though and kept her dreams alive.
(Part 03)
Over the years things at Wood Hill Farm had settled into a comfortable routine but sometimes the universe has a habit of forcing change on people and it was on a cold misty morning in early March as winter turned slowly into spring that the fates conspired to have their way and the incident occurred.
Jenna was returning to the farm after having delivered that mornings eggs to the Farm Shop in Mornington,
She was lumbering up the hill through the woods with her head full of the most wonderful thoughts about her sharing her life with the perfect partner when all of a sudden out of the mist a figure appeared and stumbled into the path of the Landrover.
“Oh shit” She shouted and swerved violently to avoid the man but still hit him and she watched in slow motion as he rolled over the bonnet and his limp body then shot off the other side and flew briefly through the air before it landed with a thump in a patch of bracken.
“Shit, shit, shit” Jenna repeated as she braked to a halt, she threw open the door and ran to where she last saw the victim.
But as she got closer to the patch of bracken he was just getting to his feet.
“Are you ok?” she asked with great concern just as he became upright.
“Where am I?” he slurred
“Never mind that” she said crossly “Are you ok?”
“Erm” he responded and put his hand to his head “ouch”
And at the moment of his exclamation his legs buckled and Jenna rushed forward and caught him just in time.
“Right let’s get you into the Landie” she said and he muttered something in response which she couldn’t make out.
Once she had him in the front seat and his seatbelt done up she tried her phone, but as expected there was no signal, now as she was only a mile from the farm she decided it would be better to go there and call for help on the landline than to head back down the hill towards Mornington.
As she drove into the yard Rachel Pegg had just left the milking shed, she was a small skinny girl with long curly chestnut hair, had she and the rest of the “Family” all been of the same kin she would have been the runt of the litter.
But the fact that she was so slight was made all the more remarkable by the fact that she had a voracious appetite for Kashveena’s home cooking, fortunately she had an equally huge appetite for work and a fast metabolism.
Though it wasn’t the home cooking alone that brought her to Wood Hill, she actually preferred dairy farming to arable, and she liked the diversity Wood Hill farm had to offer.
Plus she liked living with her best friends.
She waved and smiled when she saw Jenna drive across the yard but the smile faded when she saw she was not alone and her face was pale and panic stricken.
Rachel ran over to the Landrover as soon as Jenna had come sharply to a halt.
As soon she’d stopped Jenna flung open the door and immediately jumped out, and raced around to the passenger door.
“What’s wrong Jen?” Rachel asked
“I hit him Rach” she said “I sent him flying”
“What happened?” Rachel asked
“He just appeared” Jenna said and began to sob
“Where?”
“From the woods, just down the hill” she replied
Rachel opened the passenger door and the man turned and looked at her blankly.
“Let’s get him inside” she said
“Ok” Jen said and wiped away her tears
Between them they managed to man handle him out of the Landrover and across the yard to the farmhouse.
When they reached the kitchen door Rachel called out
“Kash! Kash! Come quick”
When there was no response Jenna kicked the bottom of the door and Rachel called again
“Kash! Kash! Please come quick”
“I’m coming I’m coming” Kashveena said from behind the door “What’s all the fuss about?”
But when the door opened and she saw the pallid bloodstained man in between the girls she said
“Oh my God”
(Part 04)
From the moment she laid eyes on him Kashveena instantly assessed the situation and then took complete control.
“Let’s sit him down in the kitchen” Kash said and Jenna assisted her in silence
“Rachel! Call for an Ambulance” she added and then began cleaning his wound.
“So let’s have a look at you” she said
“Who are you?” he asked
“I’m Kashveena” she replied
“Pashmina?” he responded
“No” she said with a chuckle “Kashveena, and the skinny whippet on the phone is Rachel and the redheaded Muppet is Jenna”
He looked long and hard at Jenna but couldn’t see a Muppet.
“So what’s your name?” Jen asked and his brow furrowed as he processed her question and then finally he replied
“I don’t know”
The patient still didn’t know who he was by the time the ambulance arrived, but Kash had cleaned him up as best she could and his complexion did seem a little less pale at least.
Following on behind the Ambulance when it arrived was a police car driven by Sgt David Jones who was based in Mornington although his patch covered most of the Finchbottom Vale and he was required to take a statement from Jenna in regard to the accident which involved them driving down the hill to the scene of the incident.
“I could have killed him Dave” Jenna said still quite dazed by her experience
“Don’t beat yourself up Jen” he said as he took some photos on his phone
“Accidents do happen and had it not been for your quick reactions it could have been far worse” he reassured her “try to think of the positives”
On hearing that Jenna started to cry and so Dave stopped what he was doing and comforted her.
Which involved him just letting her sob on his shoulder.
Jenna and Dave were good friends and had it not been for her he would never have met his wife Peta and for that alone he would be forever grateful to her.
They were also on the same quiz team when his shift pattern allowed.
“It was an accident” he insisted
“Ok” she replied weakly
“And that’s what I’m putting in my report” Dave said
“But he can’t remember his name, he’s got brain damage and I’m responsible” Jenna contradicted
“Temporary memory loss is very common” he said
He managed to calm her down, even if he failed to entirely convince her and after he had dropped her back at the farm he headed over to the hospital to take a statement from the mystery man, but he promised to keep her posted on his condition and the last thing he said before he drove off was
“Don’t fret”
Dave might just as well have said don’t breathe for all the good it did, fret was all she did for the rest of the day.
In fact she fretted so much that she gave herself a migraine.
The only thing she could do then was first to take a tablet and then to take herself off to her bed.
Jenna slept right through till the next morning until she was woken by the smell of bacon cooking.
As she came to her senses she was thankful for two things, firstly her migraine had completely gone and secondly that she hadn’t missed breakfast, she was absolutely starving, as she hadn’t eaten since breakfast the day before.
After one of Kashveena’s hearty breakfast she felt reinvigorated and she was just contemplating getting on with some work to make up for the day before when Sgt Jones drove into the yard.
“Oh God” she exclaimed staring out the window “he’s dead, I’ve killed him”
“What are you on about?” Kash asked from her position at the sink
“Sgt Jones is here to arrest me”
“Don’t be such a drama queen” she said as she dried her hands and then went outside
“Morning Dave” she called
“Hi Kash” he replied “is Jenna about?”
“She’s hiding in the kitchen, she thinks you’re here to arrest her”
“What for?” he asked
“Murder by Landrover” she replied and they both laughed
(Part 05)
While Kashveena and Dave were in yard talking Jenna was in the kitchen and couldn’t hear the conversation, but she was more than a little confused by the laughter.
When they walked in she blurted out
“Is he ok, is he dead, he’s dead isn’t he? I’ve killed him haven’t I, oh God”
“He’s fine Jen” he said interrupting her in full flow
“What?”
“He’s fine” he said “No broken bones or brain damage, just bruised ribs and a few contusions”
“Really?” she asked in disbelief
“Really, and no lasting effects apart from the memory loss”
He said and anticipating her next comment added
“Which you didn’t cause”
“But…” she began
“He already had a head wound when he stumbled out of the woods” he said “A couple of days old at least according to the medics”
It was a great relief to her that she hadn’t killed him and she closed her eyes and sighed to herself a she digested the knowledge.
“So he still can’t remember his name?” she asked
“No” Dave replied
“So what is his name?” she asked
“I’ve no idea” he said
“Well what about his wallet?” Kashveena asked
“He didn’t have one” he replied “In fact all of his pockets were empty apart from 17 pence and a blood stained handkerchief”
“So how can you find out who he is?” asked Jenna
“Well I’ve put through a missing persons enquiry, which has so far drawn a blank” He replied
“And I took his fingerprints and a DNA sample, neither of which were on record”
“Oh” Kash exclaimed
“In addition he has no distinguishing marks, scars or Tattoos so it’s not going to be easy” Dave continued
Strangely Jenna found that she was really pleased that he had no tattoos, she didn’t like tats.
“The hospital even did a full body scan, to see if he’d had any surgical implants that might have been traceable by serial number but he has had no invasive procedures”
“What about jewelry?” Kash asked
“There was none” he replied “there is a white mark on his wrist where a watch had been and that’s all we know”
“Well I know his hands are manicured and soft but they are not an idle man’s hands”
Jenna said
“How do you know that?” Kash asked curiously
“I held his hand in the Landie” she replied defensively and then asked
“What about his clothes?”
“His coat is old and shabby and doesn’t match everything else which is very good quality and certainly expensive, Handmade Italian shoes, A Versace suit and a hand stitched silk shirt”
“Maybe he stole the coat” Kash suggested
“Or traded his watch for it” Jenna added
“That’s probably the more likely scenario” Dave said
“So what now then?” Kash asked
“Well they will keep him in hospital for another night and then he’ll be discharged” Sgt Jones replied
“Where will he go?” Jenna asked with real concern
“A hostel probably” Dave answered
“A hostel?” Kash asked and looked at Jenna in disbelief
“That won’t do at all” Jenna said
“No it won’t” agreed Kash who looked at Jen again unsure what she was agreeing to
“He can stay here” Jenna said defiantly and when Kash went to speak she added
“I know what you’re going to say but I feel responsible”
“Well Miss forceful I was going to say “What a great idea” Kash said and smiled
“Well if you’re all sure?” the Sgt asked
“We are all sure” Jenna replied
“What are you sure about?” Rachel asked as she walked in
“We’re having a house guest” Kashveena responded
“Cool” Rach said
“That’s unanimous then” said Jen
(Part 06)
Jenna and Rachel were working together in the barn the following afternoon when a strange car arrived in the yard with a strange driver behind the wheel and a familiar looking passenger beside them.
Jen had been working like a Trojan since breakfast the previous day trying to make up for the time she lost on the day of the accident and she had been driving Rachel as hard as she had herself, so when the visitors arrived Rachel was relieved as it meant they would be taking a break.
Dr Andrews got out of the driver’s side and walked briskly around to the other side and opened the passenger door.
Claire Andrews was a very well-respected General Practitioner who had spent more than ten years at the surgery in Bushy Down.
But for personal reasons, despite her popularity and her love of the place and of the people of the village, she sold her share and bought the vacant practice in Shallowfield and relocated with her practise manager and now business partner Olivia Adamson.
She had only been at the Shallowfield Practice for two months so there were still a lot of patients on the surgery’s books that she hadn’t seen yet and the inhabitants of Wood Hill farm were among them.
Her visit to the farm was also the first chance the girls had to get a good look at the new doctor that everyone in the village was talking about.
Claire was still an attractive woman, even though she was fast approaching forty, a very attractive woman in fact.
Pretty face, blue eyes, soft shoulder length brown hair, 5ft 3, nice figure, everything where it should be and equally proportioned.
Later the girls would compare notes on her and would all express the sentiment that they liked what they saw.
Claire had been at the Winston Churchill visiting another patient when the mystery patient was ready to be discharged.
As he was to be her patient once he was released Claire had the mystery man discharged into her care, and as Miss Newman had insisted he stay at the farm to recuperate, she decided the least she could do was drop him off at Wood Hill as she was going over to the Mornington Surgery in the village anyway.
Part of the remit for the Shallowfield Practice was to maintain a part time surgery in the Street in Mornington, which was, like many thing in the village, heavily subsidized by the Mornington Estate.
“Come on then John” the doctor said “out you get”
She only called him John as he was listed at the Winston Churchill Hospital as John Doe 1979.
Jenna and Rachel emerged from the barn just as he got out of the car and hurried over.
“These must be your hosts” Dr Andrews said
“Yes Muppet and…” he began and then thought for a second before adding “Greyhound”
“Whippet” Rachel said and laughed
Claire looked puzzled so Rachel said
“It’s a long story” she said, “I’m Rachel Pegg and this is Jenna Newman”
“Oh ok” she responded doubtfully and shook their hands
“I’m Dr Andrews and of course you’ve met John already”
“John? So you know who he is now?” Jenna said excitedly speaking to the Doctor but looking at the patient and smiling.
“Not exactly” Claire replied
“Oh, well let’s all go inside and you can fill us in on the details” Jen suggested
So they all went inside.
(Part 07)
Jenna introduced Doctor Andrew’s to Kashveena who was in the kitchen and in her element with a houseful to cater for.
And when Kash had supplied everyone with a hot drink and produced a plate of biscuits Dr Andrews began.
“I know it's the stuff of Hollywood movies and cheap fiction, someone suffers a blow to the head, and that person wanders around aimlessly, unable to remember who they are or where they came from” she said “But while such sudden, profound loss of memory is rare, it does happen”
“So what caused it?” Jenna asked
“Well a severe blow to the head for example can injure the brain and cause both short and long term memory loss, either being struck or as the result of a fall or a car accident”
Jenna’s head went down when she mentioned a car accident and Claire quickly said
“But it wasn’t as result of being struck a glancing blow by a beaten up old Landrover on a misty morning in the woods”
Then she took hold of Jenna’s hand and added
“John’s head wound was sustained several days before you had your coming together”
Jenna looked up and smiled at the Doctor and felt reassured and then she asked
“Will his memory come back?”
“Memory may come back altogether of it might gradually improve over time, or it may never return, it’s impossible to know for sure”
“Do you remember anything at all John?” Jenna asked
“I think I can drive” he said
“Well Jenna thinks she can drive” Kash said which made everyone laugh
“Very funny” she said and couldn’t help laughing herself
“I remember how to tie my shoelaces” John added proudly
“That’s “Procedural” memory, muscle memory if you like, leaned skills” Claire said “Let John try a variety of tasks, if he has done them before it might trigger something”
“What else John?” Jenna said
“I know who won the FA Cup in 1999” he said and all eyes turned to Claire
““Semantic” memory” she replied in response to their unasked questions “general knowledge, facts etc. test him by all means but if he gets it wrong it probably means he didn’t know before the accident”
“So what don’t you know?” Rachel asked
“My name, my age, where I was born, profession, everything of importance is a total blank” he stated
All eyes turned to Claire again so she said
““Episodic” memory, all the personal experiences of John’s life”
Dr Andrews then went on to explain why she had called the patient John.
“Well it’s as good a name as any” she said
“No not really” Jenna said “it’s a bit cold”
“I agree” said Rachel “We can do better than that”
“Much better” Jenna added “Is there anything in your clothes, a letter, a receipt or a scrap of paper?”
“No nothing” he replied
“Only the labels, Versace and…” he opened his coat and read “Harris Tweed”
“Well Mr. Tweed it is then” Rachel said “What about a first name?”
“Harry” Jenna shouted “Harry Tweed”
“I like the sound of that” he said
“Harry Tweed it is then” Jenna announced
The Doctor said her goodbyes and Jenna walked with her out to the car,
“So I’ll pop in once a week to see how he’s progressing but don’t be afraid to call me if you’re worried about anything” Claire said
“Is there anything we should be looking out for?” Jen asked
“Headaches, blurred vision, maybe photophobia” Claire replied
“Is that an aversion to light?” Asked Jenna
She got in the car and replied “Yes”
“Oh and one other thing Jenna” she said as she started the car
“Stop feeling guilty”
Jenna was going to protest but realized it was fruitless to attempt it so she just said “Ok”
(Part 08)
The first thing that happened after Harry had been settled in to his room was an introduction, he had to meet Jenna’s and Rachel’s brother’s Bob and Gavin who were keen to get a look at the potential nutter staying up at the Wood Hill farm.
They were an unlikely looking pair, Gavin was a big man, six foot two and a bit of a slow plodder with unruly red hair and a ruddy complexion, while Bob was a short spindly dynamo with long frizzy brown hair that made it look like he had a bad afro.
They had been best friends since their very first day at Infants School and it was a friendship which had endured because of their differences and the fact that they worked well together and played to each other’s strengths.
Having met Harry the two lads declared him to be harmless and did their part in his rehabilitation unquestioningly.
Over the weeks following his arrival at the farm Harry was made to sing for his supper in no uncertain terms.
He was rigorously put through his paces by everyone on the farm in turn, they all quizzed him on facts and gave him skills tests of every description.
Jenna took him out in the Landrover one day and it turned out that he could indeed drive.
Kash had him chopping vegetables in the kitchen and it appeared he was no stranger to a knife and a chopping board.
He was also familiar with the workings of the internal combustion engine as testified by Jenna’s brother Gavin who had him help to service the Landie.
And as it turned out the student knew more than the master and Gavin ended up assisting Harry.
He also helped Rachel in the milking sheds and Jenna with the chickens, he did dry stone wall repairs with Bob Pegg on Vale Farm and did cut and lay hedging with Bob and Gavin up at Wood Hill, but most of his time was spent with Jenna.
One day Jenna made the mistake of taking him with her to do the monthly shop at the supermarket and he drove her absolutely nuts, he spent ages examining each item trying to decide if he got a vibe from them.
At one point he held a tin of baked beans in one hand and one of spaghetti hoops in the other for a full five minutes before he put them both back.
As annoying as it was at the time though she rather enjoyed teasing him about it later.
It was at the end of his third week when Harry had had a thought.
He had watched Kash and some of the others go off to Church on the previous two Sundays and on both occasions there was something nagging at the back of his mind, just out of reach, which he couldn’t quite grasp, so straight after breakfast on the third Sunday he said
“Can I come with you to Church?”
“Of course you can lovely” Kash replied “Do you believe then?”
“I don’t know” Harry replied “But I feel something”
Kashveena was raised by her Aunt Anjuli as a Christian and from the moment she first stepped through the doors at St Hilda’s with her Auntie she felt at peace so the first thing she did when she moved to the farm was to attend a service at St Winifred’s in Mornington and she felt so immediately at home.
Kash felt really pleased that Harry had asked to go with her, she had wanted to broach the subject with him several times but she didn’t want to push it, and she was glad she had waited.
Everyone in the “family” went to church at some time or another but she was the only one who went week in week out.
But she always had someone to accompany her, although Bob and Rachel were believers they only really attended for hatches, matches and dispatches.
Jenna normally only managed one service in four but she always felt refreshed when she had been and when she heard Harry was going she decided she would too.
And Gavin liked going to Church as well, but apart from his faith he also had an ulterior motive.
(Part 09)
When they walked into the St Winnifred’s Church Harry took a good long look at his surroundings and then went straight to the back row and sat down, Jenna motioned towards him to take him to their normal seats but Kashveena took her by the elbow and said
“Leave him Hun, just let him take it all in”
“Ok, I’ll just sit with him then” Jen said
“No” Kash reiterated “He needs to be alone for the moment”
“But…” Jenna began
“Trust me” Kash said and reluctantly Jenna walked with her to their normal seats where Gavin was already seated.
He looked up as they approached and smiled at Kash who then stepped aside to let Jenna go first and his smile faded.
The service was being conducted by the locum minister, Ben Wakefield.
The vicar of St Winnifred’s Peter Cockcroft had taken a leave of absence after the tragic loss of his wife Carole and had gone on retreat and had been absent from the village for almost 12 months.
But a succession of Locum ministers covering for him at St Winifred’s during his absence had rather upset the rhythm of village life especially as his wife Carole was also no longer there to make sure the village ticked along.
But rumours abounded of his impending return and they were greeted with great relief about the village.
Although the service was being conducted by the locum, Ben Wakefield did a very fine job.
Not that Jenna noticed his competence, Guy the Gorilla could have been in the pulpit and she would have been completely unaware of it.
Because all through the service Jen kept looking over her shoulder looking for Harry, during the hymns she was constantly checking that Harry was ok, or more accurately that he was still there.
And had Kashveena not ensured she had the aisle seat trapping Jenna between herself and Gavin she would have sneaked out to go and sit with him.
When the service ended she couldn’t get out of her seat quick enough and got a bit cross that Kash was slowing her down.
And that was the moment that Kash realised that guilt wasn’t any longer the primary feeling she had in relation to Harry.
Jenna was frustrated by the snail’s pace as the congregation headed slowly towards the door and when she and Kash finally got to the back of the church where Harry was sitting Jenna found that he had gone and she turned and scowled at Kashveena.
“He’s outside” she said
“How do you know?” Jenna snapped
“Because I saw him”
And on receiving that information Jenna really began fretting
“He’s outside for God’s sake” She muttered to herself
“He could wander off anywhere”
And she began to elbow her way through the throng but once she emerged into the outside world she instantly relaxed because she saw Harry talking to the locum minister, Ben Wakefield.
Harry smiled broadly when he saw Jenna and Kash approaching.
“You shouldn’t just wander off like that” Jenna chastised him
“I was quite safe Jen” he said “wasn’t I Vicar”
“Absolutely” he confirmed
After they had said their goodbyes to the vicar and members of the congregation and were walking towards the Landrover Jenna was still scowling at Kashveena for almost losing him.
But Kash just ignored her and asked
“Well?”
“Well what?” Harry said
“Any revelations?” she pressed
“Oh well I’ve definitely done that before” he said
“So how do you feel?” she asked
“Great” he replied
(Part 10)
Harry had found his visit to the church both very enjoyable and quite useful in equal measure.
He recognized the hymns and the readings and although it hadn’t triggered any specific memory he thought it might be quite helpful if he tried some other stimuli so he asked Jenna if he could borrow a book
“Of course” she said and showed him into what was referred to as the office.
“Wow” he said “that’s quite a collection”
Jenna’s father, John, and his brother Charlie had both been avid readers and their collection still filled every inch of shelf space in their old office.
It was called the office but it was more of a study really, there was a writing desk under the window but that was the only nod towards it being an office.
There were a couple of old leather chesterfield chairs and an occasional table and lots and lots of shelves.
Gavin and Jenna should have cleared them all out after their Uncle Charlie went into a home and their Dad had died but neither of them could’ve borne to get rid of them at the time, and afterwards they found the clutter rather comforting and Jenna would often just sit in one of the leather chairs in the darkness and remember.
“Yes, Dad and Uncle Charlie loved to read” she said
She stood in the doorway and watched him as he perused the shelves and then he began running his finger along the bindings of each book in turn, stopping every now and then and tilted one over towards him and pulled it from its position.
Jenna was watching him intently and found herself uncharacteristically concerned on whether he would put it back in the correct order, she needn’t have worried.
He opened and read the sleeve notes before putting it back from where it came.
“Are you looking for anything in particular, maybe I could help?”
“That would be nice but I don’t know what I’m looking for” he replied
“I’m hoping to spot one that I recognize”
“Ok” she said doubtfully
“If I pick a book I’ve read before it might trigger something in my brain” He explained “I know it’s a long shot”
“It’s worth a try though” she said encouragingly
It was going to be a slow process, this had become the norm with Harry, everything he was asked or every choice he had to make resulted in slow thoughtful responses.
It was driving everyone bonkers but she didn’t mind, and not just because she felt responsible for his condition, she was actually enjoying helping him.
She carried on watching him until he finally picked out a book and spent considerably longer pondering over it than any of the others.
“This one ….” He began
“What is it?” Jen asked
“A Tale of Two Cities” he replied “Is it any good?”
“Yes it’s a classic” she replied “Does it seem familiar?”
“No not really but I got an image flash into my mind”
“Really? That’s encouraging” she said “What was it?”
“A Guillotine” he replied “Does that mean anything?”
“Yes” she said and hugged him “It was a memory, from this book”
“You’d better write it down then” he said
Ever since he arrived at the farm Jenna had been keeping a note book, and every time he had a dream or the vaguest of memories or he demonstrated another learned skill she wrote it down.
In fact any clue that might point to his former identity, she wrote it the notebook.
And now she could add “A Tale of Two Cities” to the book.
(Part 11)
It was the Friday afternoon of Harry’s 5th week at Wood Hill Farm which was less than a week after his sojourn to St Winnifred’s and it was raining cats and dogs.
As a result of the inclement weather everyone was indoors at the farmhouse.
Kash as usual was in the kitchen making tea on that typical rainy Friday afternoon in April, while Gavin and Bob were firing sports questions at Harry as they sat around the kitchen table.
To the amazement of the boys Harry was coping with them very well.
“How did I do?” he asked when the questions ended
“Not bad” Bob said
“Not bad at all in fact” Gavin agreed
“Good” Harry said
“However you do seem to know a bit too much about Manchester United for my taste but other than that you seem to know your stuff”
“Do you think they might be my team then?” he asked hopefully
“Well it’s certainly possible” he said
“Jen!!” he called
“What’s up?” she said coming in from the other room with Rachel following in her wake
“Gav thinks I might be a Man Utd fan” Harry said
“Oh dear, as if brain damage wasn’t enough” she replied and laughed at her own joke
“Never mind that laughing girl” he said “Put it in the book”
Jenna had been very diligent regarding the notebook and she always kept it close at hand.
She was always jotting down spurious notes of anything and everything and when she wasn’t writing in it she was reading through it trying to divine some solution to the Harry Tweed puzzle.
It was almost half full but they hadn’t really learned much at all, apart from the fact that he had read A Tale of Two Cities and he was probably a Manchester United fan.
“He’s a real wiz on sport” Gavin said “you can put that down in the book as well”
“We should get him on the team” Kash suggested
“What team?” Harry said
“The quiz team” Bob said proudly “We’re in a quiz league”
“I’m not sure if that’s such a good idea” Jenna said
“Why not?” Bob asked
“It can get quite raucous” she replied
“Raucous?” Gavin exclaimed “The Old Mill?”
“It could be too overwhelming for him” Jen said
“What do you think Harry?” Gavin asked “Do you fancy it?”
“I’ve no idea” he replied
Jenna was washing her hands at the sink and Kash sidled up to her and whispered
“You can’t keep him all to yourself forever”
Jenna turned to look at her and blushed, her secret was out.
“Ok” Jenna said “But if Harry finds it too much I’ll bring him home”
“Fair enough” Bob said
“Is that alright with you Harry?” Gavin asked
“Jen’s the boss” he said
“No she’s just bossy” Rachel said and everyone laughed including Jenna
“Well now that’s settled” Kashveena
“What, that Harrys going to the quiz night or that Jenna’s bossy?”
“Both” Kash said “So what do you want for your birthday Rach”
her 29th birthday was only a week and a half away and since Harry’s arrival they had been so wrapped up in the mystery man’s life that they were in danger of missing Rachel’s birthday and Kashveena wasn’t about to let that happen, which was why she raised the subject while everyone was present.
“I think I want some Hair Straighteners” Rachel replied
“Really?” Kash replied “What sort?”
“VK’s are the best” Harry said and the three women just turned and looked at him
“They are aren’t they?” He asked
“Yes” Rachel replied “but how do you know that?”
Harry just shrugged
And they all chorused “Jen put it in the book”
(Part 12)
The quiz night was on the Saturday night of the Easter weekend in Mornington at the Old Mill Inn.
Each team in the league was comprised of six players, Kash, Jenna, Bob, Rachel, Gavin and Harry were The Wood Hill-Billie’s.
Sgt Dave Jones was normally on their team but he was on duty that night so had already cried off before Harry was drafted in.
The St George family from the Manor were “The Manorian’s”, “Wort’s n’ All” were the team from the Mornington brewery, “Bakers half Dozen” were predictably from Addison’s Bakery, and the other four teams were really just there to make up the numbers.
The landlord at the Old Mill, Peter Andrew, was the quiz master and his wife, Helen, did the food, or more accurately she supervised the food as the kitchen was run by chef Lorraine Olson, and their children John and Polly ran the bar.
It was a really busy night, the pub was packed and the place was really buzzing in fact Peter Andrew regretted not putting more staff on.
The large attendance was in some part as a result of the mystery man’s presence and it seemed that Harry had attracted a lot of attention even before the quiz started but his minder Jenna kept the overly inquisitive at arm’s length.
It wasn’t as if it was his first time in Mornington but the other occasion was at St Winnifred’s so they clearly weren’t inquisitive enough to have gone to church but a pub event was obviously a different matter entirely.
Harry was dressed in a mixture of his own clothes and some borrowed from Gavin Harry was an inch or two shorter than Gavin who was six foot two but they were of similar build.
Jenna was quite pleased with his appearance especially his hair which was wavy and sandy coloured, and considerably neater since she trimmed it.
Jenna wasn’t much of a help in the quiz as she was far too preoccupied with Harry but at the half way stage with or without her help it was neck and neck between the Manorian’s and the Hill-Billies.
It was Harry’s turn to get the drinks in, not that he had any money of his own in fact he didn’t even have the 17p he had in his pocket after the accident.
Fortunately Gavin subbed him for the night so he wouldn’t feel uncomfortable and Jenna was going to go with him up to the bar as his body guard but Bob Pegg got there first and instead she had to sit anxiously at the table, fidgeting and repeatedly looking in his direction.
Polly Andrew took his order as her brother John was collecting glasses and taking the opportunity to flirt with Rachel.
John had fancied her for years but Rachel always brushed him off because she didn’t think he was sincere.
It wasn’t just because she was 28 and he was 4 years younger, it was mainly because she was a farmer and he was being groomed for the hospitality trade, but it didn’t deter him.
He had her in his sights and nothing would deflect him from his mission.
As Polly put each drink on the counter Bob ferried the drinks back to the table.
When she had put the last drink on the bar he handed her the money and while he was waiting for the change was when Grant Smith ambled up alongside him.
The Smiths were tenants at Smithfield Farm and their quiz team was rather imaginatively name “The Smiths”
“So you’re living up at Wood Hill with the Lesbians then” he said
In his tiny addled mind the fact that all three of them lived together coupled with the fact that when he had hit on them they had all declined his offers of companionship, they clearly had to be lesbians.
“Yes I am” Harry replied and winked at Polly
“So you like it up there then?” he asked
“Yes it’s fantastic” Harry said enthusiastically and as he took his change from Polly he added
“They let me watch”
Grants jaw dropped on hearing this and Polly had to turn away as she burst out laughing.
(Part 13)
Jenna watched the exchange between Harry and Grant Smith at the bar and she was intrigued by Polly Andrew’s reaction as he got his change.
“What was all that about?” Jenna asked when he returned to the table so he whispered it in her ear
“What?” she said with a look of horror on her face
“Has something happened?” Rachel asked
“Grant Smith thinks we’re lesbians” Jenna said indignantly
“We know” Kash said
“You knew?”
“Of course, he’s not very subtle” Rachel added
“That’s terrible” Jenna said
“It’s worse than that though” Harry said
“Why?” she asked suspiciously
“Because now he thinks you let me watch” Harry said
“And what makes him think that?” Jenna demanded
“Because I told him you did” Harry replied
There was a tense 10 seconds of silence and then everyone roared with laughter except Jenna who punched Harry on the arm instead.
“You are an awful man Harry Tweed” she said “Or whatever your bloody name is”
“And you two should have told me” she said to Kash and Rachel who were still laughing
Gavin was laughing so hard that his face had turned purple and although his shoulders were shaking and mouth was open no sound was coming out.
And Bob and slid off his chair.
“I don’t know why you all find this so funny” Jenna said sharply which was intended to jolt them back to their senses but in fact had the opposite effect and made them laugh all the more.
At which point she got up and stropped away.
“Should I go after her?” Harry said
“Absolutely not” Kash said “She’ll be fine in five minutes”
The route of the problem wasn’t what Harry had said or the others resultant laughter.
She didn’t want to be thought of as a lesbian by Harry first and foremost but the main problem was that she was the designated driver and therefore sober and everything appears to be a lot funnier when you’re wearing bear goggles.
The second half of the quiz started and a few minutes later Jenna reappeared red eyed.
“Are you ok?” Harry whispered
“I’m fine” she replied and smiled
Harry was unconvinced so he reached under the table and took hold of her hand and said
“Sorry”
And she squeezed his hand in response.
Jenna was much happier after that and they could concentrate on the quiz and at the end of the evening The Wood Hill-Billie’s had beaten the Manorian’s by 2 points and there was absolute uproar, they had never won before and so they were dancing around the table cheering loudly and Jenna hugged Harry very tightly and whispered in his ear
“I’m not a lesbian”
And kissed his cheek
“I know” he replied and kissed her on the lips
Rachel was so thrilled with the fact that they had won the quiz and that Harry had kissed Jenna that she actually hugged John Andrew.
The celebration continued back at the Farm and went on well into the night.
That kiss at the Old Mill should have been the turning point for Harry and Jenna, the launch pad if you will, but it didn’t turn out that way.
Although the cat was out of the bag and everyone knew about them, in the cold light of day, sober and slightly jaded from celebrating their victory, Harry and Jen both had doubts and held back from total commitment.
The thing Jenna wanted more than anything in the world was someone to share the life she loved and she so wanted it to be Harry or whoever he was.
And although she was happy that they were now a couple it was that uncertainty of the unknown that caused her to hold back from giving all of herself to him.
Harry himself thought she was perfect and his doubts were not about Jenna, his problem was with himself and his reservations were based around the fear of breaking her heart.
(Part 14)
The next morning was Easter Sunday and despite the fact they were all feeling more than a little jaded they were all at St Winifred’s early next morning though not necessarily bright.
It was on the other hand a very bright morning for John Andrew who had been greatly encouraged by the hug he received from Rachel Pegg after her team’s victory on the quiz night.
So when he saw the Wood Hill Farm Landrover trundle through the village towards the church with Rachel sitting in the back smiling at him he was elated.
He was not looking his best as he was returning home from his morning run so he quickly returned home, showered and changed and ran round to the church.
Once inside he worked his way down the aisle until he saw her.
The church was very well attended for the Easter service at St Winnifred’s as virtually the whole village were in attendance to support their much loved Vicar, Peter Cockcroft in his return to the pulpit.
So he behaved in a rather unchristian way as he pushed in front of Mrs. Underhill in order to reach the vacant seat next to Rachel before anyone else could get there.
“Good morning” he said and made her jump
“Where did you spring from?” She said putting a hand on her heart and he found himself wishing he could always make her heart flutter.
“I saw your smile and I floated here on a cloud” he said and Rachel laughed
“You’re persistent, I have to give you credit for that”
“That’s because you’re worth it” he said
“Oh John, give it up” Rachel said
“Why?”
“I am too old for you for one thing and we are too different” she said
“I don’t care about the age difference and in what way are we different?” John asked
“Well I’m a farmer and happy to be one” she said “But you haven’t even been on a farm”
Before he had a chance to mount a reply to defend himself, the service began and everyone stood up.
Throughout the service John went over in his mind the conversation that he planned to have with her when it had ended.
Well in truth it wasn’t so much a conversation as a speech, and he rehearsed his short speech in his head over and over as the service progressed.
Having honed and polished the speech to perfection in his head, he planned to deliver it to her after the service and he hoped it would allay all of her fears and win her heart.
However he didn’t get the chance because anticipating the end of the service better than he did, Rachel got up first and slipped out of her seat and managed to give John the slip as he then got caught up in the general exodus, which was very slow moving as almost all of the congregation wanted to shake Peter’s hand or welcome him back or just say hello, there were so many in fact that the throng allowed Rachel to escape.
As Jenna drove the Landie through the village towards home Rachel sat quiet and thoughtful in the back.
She realized that when in her excitement at the Hill-Billie’s winning the quiz she hugged John it may well have sent out the wrong signal.
And then there was the smile only that morning when she drove passed in the car that was definitely a mistake and very definitely sent out the wrong message, but she couldn’t help herself, he made her smile.
But she hoped that the way she had obviously escaped him in the church might have served to make her feelings towards him quite plain.
(Part 15)
On Easter Monday it was business as usual up at the farm, livestock were no respecters of public holidays.
Cows still needed milking and chickens still needed feeding and there were daily chores that couldn’t be left.
That was the thing that John Andrew didn’t understand about farming, it was a hard life, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and you had to love it to survive it.
Admittedly the pub trade was no picnic either and was also a demanding life but not in the same way.
She was had resigned to believe that despite what he might say to the contrary he would soon tire of farming and would then tire of her.
So what was the point of starting something with him in the first place?
Two days after Easter Sunday was Rachel’s 29th birthday.
Everyone was there at Wood Hill farm for one of Kashveena’s cooked breakfasts after which Rachel opened her cards and presents.
When she was finished Gavin and Bob went off to Vale Farm and Harry and Jenna went to feed the livestock.
Kash cleared away the dishes while Rachel sat at the table rereading her cards and then just before 10 o’clock as Kash was washing up at the sink, a van pulled into the yard at Wood Hill, a white van liveried in green, Bizzie Lizzie of Abbottsford.
A young woman, Michelle Norman, got out and opened the side door.
Kashveena recognized her, she was a local girl who lived in the village, the girl then reached inside and when she emerged she was carrying a large bouquet a very large bouquet.
She walked to the door and knocked briskly
“Yes?” Kashveena said as she opened the door
“Flowers for Rachel Pegg” the girl said
“Ok I’ll take them” Kash said and took the flowers and signed for them.
Michelle then got back in the van and drove off as Kash took the flowers inside.
“Someone’s sent you flowers Rach”
“What?”
“Flowers for Rachel Pegg” Kash repeated
“They’re very beautiful” Rachel said as she took the bouquet
“But no one ever sends me flowers, it must be a mistake”
“There is a card” Kash pointed out
Rachel took the envelope off the bouquet and opened it and it read
“Now you’re even older and I still don’t care”
“That’s quite sweet” she said quietly
“Who are they from then?” Kash asked
“My secret admirer” she replied
“So John Andrew then”
“How do you know that?” Rachel asked
“I didn’t know it was a secret” said Kash “I thought everyone knew”
“Well nobody mentioned it” Rachel said
“We all think John’s really nice”
“So do I” Rachel said “He’s just a bit young though”
“That’s nonsense” Kash said “What’s the real reason?”
“Well I don’t want to be a publican’s wife and I don’t think he will want to be a farmer” she replied
“Have you actually asked him?”
“Well no” answered Rachel “but then I don’t have to”
“Oh Rachel” Kash said resignedly
“If you don’t ask him you’ll never know”
Rachel didn’t respond she just stood admiring her flowers then she reread the card and smiled.
Kashveena just shook her head, however no matter how exasperated she might have been with Rachel she really had no room to talk.
She had had the man of her dreams sitting in her kitchen almost every day for more than three years and she had done absolutely nothing about it.
At least Jenna had a man in her life and all she had to do was run him over with the Landrover.
(Part 16)
It was almost the end of April, a week and a half after the quiz night at the Old Mill when Harry and Jenna drove into Mornington together and it was the first they had both been in the village together since Easter Sunday.
Jenna had an appointment with Lianne Martin, her Dentist and afterwards they were going to drive into Abbottsford to buy Harry some new clothes, his Versace suit was the best will in the world was never going to be appropriate for farm laboring and the few clothes that Gavin had given him were not wearing well at all.
The Mornington Dental & Orthodontic Surgery was in The Street, between the Doctors Surgery and Mazzone’s Hairdressers and opposite Addison’s Bakery.
Rather than wait in the waiting room for her Harry kissed Jenna goodbye and chose to take a walk around the village but he only got as far as the St Winifred’s Bridge where he stood gazing into the rippling waters of the River Brooke.
“It’s mesmerizing isn’t it?” a voice said
“Yes it is” Harry agreed and turned around to see the voice belonged to the Vicar, Peter Cockcroft.
Peter had only been back in the village for three weeks following a year’s absence on retreat, mourning the devastating loss of his beloved wife Carole.
It knocked him for six, it was so unexpected, coming completely out of the blue as it did.
“You must be Harry” the Vicar said
“Yes” he replied straightening up and offering his hand
“Peter Cockcroft” the Vicar said and shook Harry’s hand
“Well I don’t need to ask what troubles you Harry.”
“Really?”
“You are not the first love struck soul to gaze into these waters” Peter said “And I speak from personal experience”
“It’s that obvious then?”
“I’m afraid so yes” he said and slapped Harry on the back
“I’m surprised though, I would have thought that you and Jenna would make a perfect couple, she’s a lovely girl”
“She is perfect” Harry said wistfully
“So?”
“Do you know my circumstances?” Harry asked
“Yes I do, it’s a fascinating case” Peter said
“Well that’s one way of looking at it” Harry said unconvinced
“So what’s the problem?”
“Me, I’m the problem” Harry said “What happens if she falls in love with me and she wants to get married?”
“So what would be the problem with getting married?” Peter asked
“The problem is I can’t marry her” Harry replied
“Why not?”
“Well what if I’m already married?” Harry asked “What if I already have a wife and children?”
“Life is full of “What ifs”” Peter said
“Not like this one” Harry said and began walking away
“Harry!!” Peter called after him and he stopped and turned around to face him.
“Listen Harry, you may not be able to marry her but you can love her”
“Oh I know I can love her” Harry said “I already do”
“Then you’ve got to hold on to her” Peter said
“Don’t waste a second of the time you have together Harry, you never know how long it’s going to last”
As Harry walked back down the Street to the Dentist to meet Jenna he thought what great piece of advice Peter had given him but as it turned out he never got the opportunity to act on his advice because over the next two weeks things were very busy on the farm and he and Jenna barely got a minute to themselves.
(Part 17)
The first two weeks of May were hectic in the extreme on the farm and Harry and Jenna barely got a minute to themselves.
By the time they reached one particular day in the middle of the month, which was the hottest day of the year so far Bob and Gavin had been out in the fields since first light, fertilising and muck spreading, for days on end, Kash was spring cleaning the downstairs of the house and Jenna, Rachel and Harry were cleaning out all livestock buildings.
And by the end of that hot May afternoon they had all had enough, they were hot, sweaty and filthy from head to toe.
There was no way Kash was going to let them into the house in their state so Rachel suggested hosing each other down before they attempted to gain entry to the downstairs bathroom.
Rachel hosed Jenna down first and then they swapped over and finally Jen turned the hose on Harry while Bob and Gavin looked on and roared with laughter.
It was during the horseplay that followed that the incident happened.
Jenna had him cornered and was giving him a good soaking and he was stooping down to give her a smaller target when Kashveena called out.
“What on earth is all that noise about?”
And as she said it she flung open the kitchen door and hit the stooping Harry on the head and knocked him spark out.
When they got to him, blood was gushing from a wound on his head and he wasn’t moving
“Oh God” Kash said and started crying. Which showed how serious it was to reduce Miss Dependable to tears
“Oh not again” Jenna exclaimed
“Call an Ambulance” Rachel shouted
“There’s no time” Gavin said “Let’s get him in the Landie”
“Ok” Jenna said “I’m coming too”
Kashveena had got control of herself and grabbed some clothes off the ironing pile and a pair of shoes from the scullery and gave them to Jen
“You’ll have to change on the way” she said
“Thanks Kash” she said and got in the back “Phone Doctor Andrews”
“And Dave Jones” Gavin added
“Why does this keep happening?” Jen said as they drove off
“Don’t worry Sis he’ll be fine” he said but he really wasn’t sure.
By the time they got to the end of Farm Lane Jenna had changed her clothes and was sitting in the back holding Harry’s hand.
Also waiting at the end of the lane was Sgt Jones, standing by his car, and he flagged them down.
“Follow me to Shallowfield, an Ambulance will meet us there” he instructed
Gavin nodded and Dave returned to his car and with his blues and twos going he led the way at speed to Shallowfield.
They were in Shallowfield in about five minutes and Dr Andrews and the Ambulance were waiting outside the Surgery.
As soon as Gavin stopped the Landrover Dr Andrews and the paramedics sprang into action.
Jenna and Gavin stood back as they examined him and tried desperately to hear what was being said, but failed.
Within a minute or two the Doctor was walking away from the car making a phone call and the paramedics had got him on to a trolley and wheeled him to the Ambulance.
Claire was still on the phone but broke off long enough to shout to Andy Mason, one of the Paramedics.
“I’ll follow on behind Andy”
“Ok” he replied
And a few minutes later Claire ended her call and walked over to join Jenna and preempted her questions
“He’s still unconscious but he’s stable and they’re taking him to the Winston Churchill”
“Ok” Jenna said not knowing what to do next.
She looked at Gavin and then at the doctor and then Claire said
“Do you want to come with me Jenna?”
“Yes please”
Just before she got in the car Jenna gave Gavin a hug and Gav said
“He’s going to be fine sis”
Gavin watched his sister drive away and he felt so helpless.
Sgt Jones asked Gavin to give him a quick statement about the accident, which he did, and then he went back to the Farm.
(Part 18)
When they reached the Winston Churchill Hospital, Claire went straight through and Jenna waited anxiously in the waiting area.
She had been sitting there for two hours before Claire returned with a grave expression on her face.
Claire sat down next to Jenna and took hold of her hand, it was supposed to put her mind at rest, but it had the opposite effect.
“He’s gone into surgery to remove a clot” Claire said
“Oh God” Jenna said and crumpled.
“He’s going to be in surgery for several hours” she continued “Do you want me to run you home”
“No I’ll stay here” she replied
“I thought you’d say that so I’ve told the Nurse, Molly Curtis, to keep you posted” Claire said “and I’ll be back in the morning”
“Thanks Doctor”
As soon as Dr Andrews had gone, Jenna went outside and phoned home.
Just after 4 am Molly Curtis appeared in the waiting room and tracked Jenna down to give her the promised update.
“Are you Jenna?” she asked
“Yes” she replied nervously “is he ok?”
“The surgery went very” Molly said “and he’s been moved to ICU”
“Can I see him?” She asked
“Yes” she replied “but you won’t be able to see him until much later”
“Ok”
“You should get some rest now” Molly said “I’ll let you know if there’s any change”
“Thanks nurse”
After that Jenna slept on and off on an uncomfortable bench in the main reception.
She woke up at 6.30 with a crick in her neck and a desperate need for a pee.
She stood up and had a good long stretch before she walked to the loo yawning.
When she emerged ten minutes later she was confronted by some familiar faces.
“There you are?” Kashveena said
“How is he?” Asked Rachel “Any more news?”
“No not yet” Replied Jen, and she was close to tears
“Gav and Bob are holding the fort” Rachel said with a crack in her voice trying to change the subject
Then Kash handed Jenna a carrier bag and said
“I brought you some clean ironed clothes, clean undies and some lippie”
“Thank you” she said and hugged her “you’re priceless”
Rachel joined the hug and the three of them ended up crying.
After a minute or two Kashveena said
“Rachel and I will go and get some coffees while you go and get changed”
“And a sandwich” Jenna said “I’m starving”
“I packed breakfast” Kash said and patted her bag
“Of course you did” Jen said and kissed her cheek
Jenna felt so much better after she’d freshened up, it was amazing how much better she felt just having clean underwear on and a little lippie.
When she came out she quickly found her friends and they sat downstairs in the main reception and drank coffee and ate Kashveena’s homemade bacon sandwiches and then they went upstairs to ICU.
“You are not allowed in because you’re not family”
The nurse repeated in an officious tone.
“Stop repeating the same thing over and over” Kash said crossly
“Now I’m going to have to ask you to leave” she said “Or else I’ll call security”
“Oooh are we supposed to be scared?” Jenna mocked childishly
Kash gave her a sideways look and hoped she wasn’t going to do something silly.
Rachel wasn’t being helpful either as she was just glaring at the nurse in an intimidating manner
Just then Jenna noticed Claire Andrews was walking down the corridor towards them.
“Doc” Jenna called “She won’t let us in”
“As I’ve explained already Doctor, its family only” the nurse said “And they’re not family”
“For goodness sake let them in” Claire said “They are the only family the man knows, and she’s his girlfriend”
“But…”
“But nothing, let them in”
The nurse wasn’t happy at having her authority usurped but she did comply with Dr Andrews’s instruction, but only two of them could go in at a time, and she was adamant about that so Rachel said that the other two could go in first and she would wait downstairs.
(Part 19)
When they went into ICU they found Harry in a High Dependency bed and Jenna was pleasantly surprised,
She had imagined in her mind’s eye that he would be a mass of bruises and abrasions, with tubes coming out of every orifice, he didn’t even have a breathing tube in.
His head was bandaged obviously, but other than that he looked very peaceful.
“He looks well” Kash said clearly as surprised as Jenna was.
They sat down beside his bed and Jenna immediately took hold of his hand and prayed.
When she had finished her prayer Kashveena squeezed her arm and said
“I think it’s going to be a happy ending”
“I don’t” Jenna snapped
“Why not?”
“I think I know the end of the story Kash” She said softly “I know the end of the story”
“And what’s that?”
“He’s going to wake up and remember who he is, and remember he has a wife and children and a whole wonderful life”
She explained
“And when he wakes up and remembers his old life, he will forget everything about his life with us, and it won’t matter a jot to him that I’m in love with him”
“You’re wrong” Kashveena said
“Am I?” she said flatly
“Yes” Kash said “I’ve seen the way he looks at you”
“Yes but that’s Harry that’s looking at me, not the real him, whoever he is”
Kash knew she wasn’t going to shake Jenna out of her black mood so she decided to leave her and Harry alone.
“I’ll go and get us a drink” she said and kissed the top of her head
Down stairs in reception Rachel was sitting in a corner flicking through magazines when she turned the page and saw a full page ad for Bizzie Lizzie of Abbottsford and her nostrils were suddenly full of the sweet perfumed bouquet that John Andrew sent her for her birthday.
And the lovely words written on the card came to her mind
“Now you’re even older and I still don’t care”
She sighed as she thought of him, he was such a sweet, sweet boy, and then she scowled because since she received the flowers and the card she had avoided him.
She was just reflecting on that decision when she saw John Andrew walk through the main doors so she got up from her corner and intercepted him by the lifts
“What are you doing here?” she asked
“I come bearing gifts” he said holding up a “get well soon” card and a carrier bag for her to see.
“And who are they from?” she asked suspiciously
“Everyone in the pub” he replied “the card went around the bar last night”
“That doesn’t explain why you’re here” she pressed
“I volunteered” he said defiantly
“And that wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact that I’m here I suppose”
“It has everything to do with the fact that you’re here” he admitted
“I thought so” she said
“I’m mad about you Rachel” he said unashamedly “I always have been”
Rachel went to speak but he kept talking
“And I don’t care that you’re a few years older than me, I’m still mad about you”
“And I don’t intend spending the rest of my life behind a bar either” he said
“And where do you want to spend it then?”
“Where ever you are of course” John replied
As Kashveena rode down in the lift she was thinking of ways she could lift her dearest friend’s spirits and snap her out of her black mood.
But nothing came to mind and then as the lift doors opened the first thing she saw was Rachel and John Andrew kissing.
“Thank God” she said “I was beginning to think we might need an intervention”
They stopped kissing and Rachel put her head on John’s shoulder and grinned red faced at Kash
“I take it that this means you are now a couple?”
“Is that ok?” Rachel asked
“Oh yes” Kash said and giggled “Just what the doctor ordered”
(Part 20)
After Kash had left her alone in the room with Harry, Jenna began to sob uncontrollably and was still going ten minutes later.
“Come back Harry” she sobbed “Please come back”
She was holding his hand in hers and periodically kissing it in between sobs so she didn’t notice his eyes were open.
“I haven’t been away “Muppet”” he said weekly
“Harry? Is that you?” she whispered
“Yes and no” he said
She still hadn’t looked at him and she said
“You remember again don’t you?”
“I do” he confessed
“I knew it” she said looking at him for the first time
“You remember your other life, your wonderful other life”
“Yes I do” He replied
“So I’ve lost you then” Jenna said and fresh tears welled up in her eyes
“No, never” he said
“I don’t understand” Jenna said as the tears rolled down her cheeks
“In my old life I’m not married, I have no family” he said
“The wonderful life is the one I’ve found with you”
And as the realization of what he had said dawned on her, a smile as dazzling as the sun spread across her tear stained face.
The ride back up in the lift for Kashveena was a little happier than the one down had been and all thoughts of Jenna and her dark mood had been expelled from her mind to be replaced by the happy picture of Rachel and John kissing.
She was rather looking forward to sharing the good news with Jenna.
She thought that would give her something to smile about and maybe even lift her dark mood.
And when she opened the door she found Jenna stood beside the bed stooping over and kissing Harry, and furthermore he was kissing her back.
“My God what do they put in the coffee in this place” she said “everybody’s at it”
When Kash had explained what she had discovered downstairs in reception, Harry said
“It’s a pity Gavin isn’t here then”
Kashveena blushed on hearing that and was visibly flustered and just managed to say
“I think you must still be concussed” Before quickly excusing herself
Harry was discharged four days later fully recovered and with his memory completely restored and after his discharge he returned with Jenna to Wood Hill farm.
He had further visits over the following weeks from Dr Andrews which were just routine.
In truth she was more interested in his history than his health,
He also had to give a full statement to Sgt Jones regarding the accident, of which Kash was completely absolved of any responsibility and more significantly details about his true identity.
Harry’s real name was Keith Topliss and he was a 33 years old divorcee.
Although he was born in Abbottsford he had spent the previous 10 years living and working in Canada.
He was an Engineer by profession and had a small engineering company in Toronto but after his divorce he decided to sell up and move back to Downshire.
It was his intention to start up a small engineering firm somewhere in Downshire so he had hired a car in London and he planned to look at some suitable premises in Shallowfield.
But before he got started he wanted to stop off in his old neighbourhood in Abbottsford and to visit his parent’s graves.
And it was while he was in Abbottsford that he was attacked.
He had parked the car just around the corner from a Kebab shop, he hadn’t had a lamb Doner for over ten years and he just couldn’t resist.
The last time he had parked there ten years earlier it was a perfectly safe place to do so but apparently things had changed while he had been away and as he returned to the car with his Kebab he was struck from behind.
Which was the last thing he remembered and he had no idea how he got from Abbottsford to the Dancingdean Forest or where he had acquired the Harris Tweed coat, but everything else had come back to him in crystal clarity, before the assault and very definitely after Jenna hit him with the Landie.
(Part 21)
It was the first of June, a week after Harry was discharged from hospital, when the dust had finally settled, that Harry and Jenna finally found time to have a proper conversation.
They were sitting in the office in the leather Chesterfields surrounded by the Newman brother’s book collection.
Harry had been trying get Jenna alone since he got back and the office was the only quiet corner they could find.
“So what was it you wanted to talk about?” Jenna asked nervously
“Well it’s about the future” he said
“That doesn’t sound good” she said to herself
But out loud she just said “oh”
“Yes” he said but Jenna didn’t respond so Harry took a deep breath and began
“If I’m going to stay at Wood Hill”
“If?” Jenna said with alarm
“Yes” he confirmed “if I’m going to stay at Wood Hill I’m going to need two things”
“What things?” she asked with a sense of impending doom
“Firstly, I need to find somewhere locally to do my day job” he said
“Ok” she acknowledged thinking that wasn’t too bad “and the second thing”
“I need you to become Mrs Topliss”
It took a moment or two for what he had said to sink in, she had gotten so used to calling him Harry Tweed, so when he said Mrs Topliss she was a little confused and then the penny dropped and so did her jaw.
For about a minute she was completely unable to form a verbal response, her mouth was moving but nothing came out of it.
So she just pointed at him and then at herself and just kept repeating that while Harry looked on and smiled.
Finally he said
“Is that a yes then?”
“Of course it’s a yes” she replied and launched herself at him and they sealed the deal with a kiss
“You pig” she said and punched him “I thought you were dumping me”
“No way” he said “I’m not letting you get away, unless another one you mad lot crack me on the skull again”
“Well Rachel hasn’t hit you yet” Jen said laughing “but she’s too busy with John at the moment to be a serious threat”
“That’s a relief” he said and kissed her again
After the initial excitement, which was of the loud squealing variety, when she told Kash and Rachel, he thought they should perhaps tackle the task of setting the date.
Harry wanted to strike while the iron was hot, before Jenna had the chance to change her mind.
Jenna was so thrilled that she had finally met a man that ticked all her boxes and her search for a meaningful love with someone of a like mind had finally borne fruit that she couldn’t concentrate long enough to decide.
The only thing she was firm on was that she wanted a church wedding, although there was a minor setback in that regard as he was a divorcee.
There was also the belief that they needed to select a date that fitted in with the rhythm of the farm.
However the general consensus from the family was that rather than trying to find the right time to fit in with the farming calendar, they should just pick a date and the rest of them would cover for them.
So they made an appointment to see the Vicar Peter Cockcroft.
(Part 22)
Harry thought it quite appropriate that it was the 6th of June, D-Day, when Jenna and Harry drove into Mornington and parked in the church car park and walked to the rectory, and Harry thought it was appropriate because he was expecting a fight.
“Hello Jenna, Harry” The vicar said as he opened the door “Come in, Come in”
“Should I still call you Harry?” Peter asked
“Yes please, the name has rather stuck now” he said “And to be honest I never really liked the name Keith”
They sat down in his lounge and Peter put down a large diary on the coffee table in front of them.
“I assume you’re here to discuss dates” he said cheerfully
“Yes we are, but how did you know?” Jenna asked
“Ah well Mornington is a small village” he replied “And my spies are everywhere”
And there followed some nervous laughter on behalf of the affianced.
“Well as luck would have it, for you two anyway, not so much for them, but there is a cancellation” Peter continued
“When?” Harry asked
“September 27th” The vicar replied
“Next September?” Jenna said with real disappointment in her voice she was really hoping for something sooner,
“Oh dear, bless your heart Jenna, no” Peter Cockcroft said “it’s this September, it was a last minute cold feet kind of cancellation”
“Really?” Jenna said and squeezed Harry’s hand
“Yes” he confirmed “Shall I pencil you in?”
“No, write it in ink” Jenna said immediately and then turned and smiled at Harry but he didn’t return it instead he said
“There is however one slight issue”
“You mean your divorcee status” Peter Cockcroft said
“My God, do you know absolutely everything?” Harry asked and laughed
“Not quite” he said “But enough to get by”
“So do you have a solution?” Jenna asked
“Well I’ve spoken to the Bishop and told him your story and he being something of a romantic has no objection with it per se”
Peter explained
“So he has left the final decision to me and basically, if I’m happy, he’s happy”
“And?” Harry asked
“Well, convince me that I’m happy” Peter said
When they finally left the rectory an hour later it was with the knowledge that they had secured both the date in September for the wedding and the Vicar’s approval.
“Now the fun begins” he said as they walked towards the car
“What do you mean?” she asked
“Well you know all the arrangements” he explained
“That will be a breeze” Jenna responded, “I have Kash remember”
“What about your wedding dress?” he asked
“I already have it” she replied smugly
“Really?”
“Yes” she said “It was my mum’s”
The reason they had been at the rectory for so long wasn’t due to them needing to convince Peter Cockcroft of their sincerity they had his blessing before they even arrived.
No what delayed them at the rectory for that long was the talk about Harry’s plans which genuinely interested Peter.
On his return to Downshire from Canada it was his intention to start up a small engineering business and he was on a quest to find suitable premises when he lost his memory.
He really wanted something local to Mornington as his intention was to live at Wood Hill but there didn’t appear to be anything suitable.
Which was when the Vicar, pointed Harry in the direction of the Manor for a solution.
Of course Jenna and Harry’s was not the only love story at Wood Hill Farm there was also Rachel and John burgeoning romance.
After they had finally gotten together, to everyone’s delight, it took a while for them to settle down into a rhythm.
But as time went on John ended up spending half his time on the farm with Rachel and the other half in the pub serving behind the bar.
His parents were a little disappointed to find that his heart was not in hospitality as there’s were but they had brought up their children, John and Polly to follow their hearts and that was precisely what he was doing after all.
But keeping a foot in both camps seemed to be the best way forward while he found his role on the farm with the girl he loved.
(Part 23)
It was two weeks after the Vicar had suggested Harry should meet with Gabriel St George up at the Manor that it actually happened and Harry walked up to the front door at the Manor on a Sunny Friday afternoon in June.
He knocked firmly on the door and after a few moments it was opened by a very striking looking woman with bobbed blonde hair and a Swan neck.
“Hi” he said “I have an appointment with Mr St George”
“Ah you must be the famous Harry” she said and shook his hand “I’m Philomena Cruickshank’s, come this way”
And he followed her as she strode purposefully through the house.
Gabriel had chosen to received his guest on the terrace, and he stood up as Harry and Philomena approached, he was tall and blonde, and was clearly related to Philomena.
Harry was an inch or two shorter than Gabriel with wavy sandy coloured hair.
The two men both harboured preconceived ideas about the other, Harry thought he would be meeting a man born of privilege who wouldn’t even know which century he was living in and Gabriel thought Harry was just going to be another in a long line of business men who had approached him since Mornington Field returned to the Estates control.
However both of them were to be delightfully surprised.
They talked enthusiastically and at some length and in fact talked so long that Philomena had to interrupt and remind them of the time.
“Oh goodness” Gabriel said “I’m so sorry I’ve kept you longer than I should”
“Nonsense” Harry replied “It was very absorbing”
“Perhaps we could talk again” Gabriel enquired
“I would like that very much” Harry replied and the two men shook hands warmly
“Just one other thing” Harry said “If I don’t ask the question I will be in the dog house”
“Well we can’t have that, ask away” he said amiably
“It’s about Vale Farm”
“Ah the compulsorily purchased land” Gabriel said “Well I can tell you that the Smiths are very interested in it”
“I see” Harry said
“But as it was part of Vale Farm originally, if the Pegg’s apply in writing I can promise that I will look favorably on it” Gabriel said
“Well you can’t say fairer than that” Harry said and they shook hands again “thank you”
It was the first of July when Harry and the Pegg’s received hand delivered letters from the Mornington Estate, informing them that Vale Farm would have 90% of the land restored and that Topliss Engineering of Mornington was born.
Officially it wasn’t to be until January the first of the following year that the leases would begin.
However the Pegg’s were given special dispensation to plough and sow the restored land so as not to lose a whole growing season.
Harry was also allowed to instruct an architect to get the ball rolling on converting Hangar A into Topliss Engineering.
Gabe had recommended his own architect and friend Scott Collier therefore doing both men a favour.
The dynamic at the farm’s changed after Harry proposed to Jenna and with Rachel and John’s passion showing no sign of abating
Kash started to feel like a third wheel and more and more she would look wistfully at Gavin and sigh.
She did not however recent for a moment the love and happiness that her friends had found and was as happy for them as it was possible to be, but it did however serve to heighten her own longings for Gavin.
By way of an antidote to her hopeless desire, Kashveena threw herself into the Jenna and Harry’s wedding plans body and soul and managed to get through to September relatively unscathed but all through the summer her feelings for Gavin had continued to deepen regardless.
(Part 24)
On September 27th, the day of the wedding, Gavin was chosen to be Harry’s best man, Kashveena and Rachel were bridesmaids, while Bob Pegg, John Andrew and Dave Jones were the ushers.
The wedding was a much anticipated event and not just by the bride and groom, Jenna was a popular character in Mornington and on the day the church was full to bursting with well-wishers including the whole of the St George family from the Manor.
Apart from her popularity, and the obvious romance, the interest was magnified by the fact that a lot of the villagers were involved in some way with the event.
Addison’s made the wedding cake, Giovanna D'Angelo and Antonella Gardelli at Mazzone’s did the girls hair and Michelle Norman of “Bizzie Lizzie’s” in Abbottsford arranged all the flowers in the church as well as the button holes and bouquet’s.
Even the local chiropodist, Nellie Hanson, was called into service to deal with a troublesome callous on Jenna’s food.
The drinks where supplied and served by the proprietors and the staff from The Old Mill Inn and their chef, Lorraine Olson, did the food for the wedding breakfast with the assistance of Jane Cooper and Emily Goff from Shallowfield.
The meal was at St Winnifred’s Church Hall and all the food was sourced from the Mornington Estate.
And finally the wedding car was a rare 1951 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn, owned by Gabriel St George.
The car was his father Valentines pride and joy so although he thought it rather ostentatious he couldn’t bear to part with it after his death.
Nor would he ever let anyone else drive it either, so as he and Harry Topliss had become such good friends over the summer he volunteered to drive the bride to the church in the Silver Dawn.
When Jenna Newman walked, callous free, down the aisle there were audible gasps as the statuesque red head Jenna processed resplendently in an antique silk dress, there were still some in the village who could remember her mother being married in that dress.
However while the eyes of the whole congregation were on the beautiful bride, there was one exception for as she followed in Jenna’s wake Kashveena’s gaze was fixed hungrily on the Best Man who she thought looked good enough to eat.
And when the bride reached the altar and Gavin saw Kashveena in her bridesmaids outfit his mouth fell open.
“Wow you look gorgeous” he said and then he blushed scarlet when he realised he’d said it out loud and furthermore loud enough for the first two rows to hear.
Fortunately for him the Vicar drew the attention away from him by starting the proceedings.
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you”
“And also with you” said the congregation
Although the church had been well attended there were only 30 people at the Wedding breakfast, just close friends and family but that evening there was to be a disco and there was an open invitation for everyone.
As Jenna did the seating plan for the breakfast she made sure that Kash was seated next to her clueless brother in the hope that they would finally sort themselves out.
They sat all through the breakfast talking and laughing and at times totally oblivious of their surroundings or even that there were other people present.
Later when the disco started dictated by the tradition that the best man and the bridesmaid had to dance they were encouraged by Harry and Jenna to take to the floor and once they got out there they weren’t getting off again in a hurry.
Jenna was dancing with her husband alongside Kashveena and Gavin for the first of three close up slow dances.
“Do you think tonight’s the night?” Harry asked
“I do hope so” Jenna replied “They are perfect for each other”
But despite the fact they were besotted with each other by the end of the evening the matter was still unresolved.
(Part 25)
Polly Andrew had been serving at the wedding breakfast but for a couple of hours at the dance she was just a guest and she had just got herself a drink when she caught sight of Bob Pegg.
Bob wasn’t a regular The Old Mill Inn, not as such, just quiz nights and darts matches but she always noticed when he was in, mainly because he was a bit of a gregarious character.
He was a popular guy and was never short of a friend to have a drink with, and Polly liked it when he was in because he made her smile.
He was clearly returning to his table from the gents so Polly intercepted him
“Hello Bob” she said looking him up and down, she wasn’t used to seeing him that smartly dressed
“Hi Polly” he said and smiled
“Well Bob Pegg I must say you scrub up quite well” Polly said and whisked him off to the dance floor
At the end of the evening Gabriel drove the happy couple to the
Worsted Viper Hotel in Purplemere where they were spending their wedding night before flying to Paris for a short honeymoon.
Accompanying him in the passenger seat was his girlfriend Chantel and after he had delivered the happy couple to their destination they drove to the Dancingdean Spa Hotel in Childean to have their own kind of honeymoon.
When Mr and Mrs Topliss returned from Paris the following weekend they found that Cupid’s arrow had struck at the reception in their absence but Kash and Gavin weren’t an item but Bob and Polly were.
And nothing was likely to happen between them for a month or so following the Topliss’s return as Gavin was going to be at Vale Farm.
Kashveena really enjoyed the Wedding, she thought it was magical, she even made believe it was hers as she danced in Gavin’s strong arms.
She so wanted to share her feelings and tell him how she felt.
To tell him that he was the sun in her sky, but she did not dare.
Kashveena was convinced as they danced that he might feel the same as she but she held back just in case he didn’t, hoping he would speak first.
So she decided it was best not to upset the equilibrium and hope and pray.
She would rather have him just as a friend, with the hope of more, than to create an unbearable awkwardness between them.
It was bad enough she had seen virtually nothing of him all through the autumn and she couldn’t bear to think that she might never see him at all, so she kept her own counsel.
Friendship was better than nothingness.
All that autumn, Gavin had been staying at Vale Farm with Bob, ploughing and sowing the rape seed, after which the pair of them ploughed and sowed Wood Hill’s lower fields with winter wheat, and ploughed and harrowed the Mornington Field land that hadn’t seen a plough for a hundred years, they only got back to Wood Hill for Sunday lunch if they were lucky.
They were an unlikely pair, Gavin was a six foot two slow plodder with unruly red hair and a ruddy complexion while Bob was a short spindly dynamo with long frizzy brown hair that made it look like he had a bad afro.
They had been best friends since their first day at Infants School and it was a friendship which had endured.
The two men worked well together because they played to each other’s strengths.
Gavin had found the prolonged period away from Wood Hill to be both a blessing and a curse.
Gavin Newman had been in love with Kash for 5 years, since the first moment he saw her in fact.
At his sister’s wedding he spent so much time with her talking, laughing and dancing then it felt like they were a couple.
And he really wanted that to be the case but why would a beautiful person like her be interested in a great lumbering farmer like him.
So he had never considered doing anything about his malady and he was hoping that the 5 or 6 week enforced absence from Wood Hills far away from the temptation of the voluptuous super cook might cool his ardour but the reverse was true and he ended up wanting her even more and he really looked forward more and more to the Sunday lunches.
(Part 26)
In between their normal chores, Harry and Jenna spent most of the autumn making Wood Hill Cottage habitable as they planned to make it their home in the New Year.
It hadn’t been lived in for more than thirty years so it needed a lot more than just a lick of paint.
By the time December came around John was spending most of the week at the farm learning the ropes with Rachel and weekends working at the pub with Polly.
He had really taken to farming even more than he expected to but like Rachel he preferred livestock to arable, particularly the dairy herd.
He was still keeping a foot in both camps to some degree but his parents had long since come to terms with his choice and they really liked Rachel and would not be disappointed with her as a daughter in law one day.
But he kept working the shifts at the pub because he needed the money for something special.
When Gavin and Bob had finished all the ploughing they brought all the equipment back to Wood Hill, to be cleaned and serviced and stowed away, so it was all hands to the pump to get everything done before Christmas.
Which was to be the most special yule tide’s at Wood Hill farm for many years.
However in order to preserve a happy Christmas for all, certain compromises had to be made.
John and Polly Andrew were expected to eat Christmas Dinner with their parents, as Christmas day was the only day of the year that the pub closed, so it didn’t seem an unreasonable expectation.
So Kashveena, ever the practical person, suggested that in order to get everyone around the same table for their Christmas Dinner they should have it on Christmas Eve.
A suggestion that was greeted with universal approval.
Kashveena had woken up early on Christmas Eve and she sat for almost an hour in front of her bedroom mirror.
She was disappointed with the woman looking back at her and concluded that things had to change so she decided it was time to take stock.
It had been a very eventful year a near tragic spring, a romantic summer and a long and awful autumn separated from the love of her life.
So she set her chin and stared defiantly at her own reflection and decided that the status quo could go to hell.
“It’s time for you to man up” she said and got up and went to the bathroom.
It was a noisy and raucous morning which got even more so when the champagne corks started popping on the stroke of noon.
By 3 o’clock Christmas Dinner was served and Kash had done them proud with the table groaning under the weight of the Christmas fare.
It was no mean feat to cook such a sumptuous feast for 8 people, especially farmers, which was made all the more remarkable as she appeared not to have a single hair out of place.
Everyone enthused at the magnificence of the Turkey and all the trimmings but Gavin had eyes for a different bird entirely.
He thought that she always looked beautiful but that day she seemed to have surpassed herself she looked even lovelier than she did on Jenna’s wedding day.
It was no accident that Kashveena was as immaculately turned out as the food on display, she wanted to make a good impression with Gavin.
And when she looked at him and saw his smile she thought it was worth all the effort and she couldn’t wait until she could be alone with him.
Under normal circumstances she would have considered the meal a triumph and have felt very pleased with herself but on that day the meal seemed to go on forever.
Everyone else had a great time and a great dinner and even Gavin seemed to be enjoying himself.
Finally the Christmas pudding was served and she could at last see the finishing line almost in reach.
But as the final scrapes of spoons on china echoed around the room John Andrew stood up and then called for order.
When he finally had everyone’s attention he firstly proposed a toast to the cook and then he proposed to Rachel.
“Wha…?” Rachel said
“Will you marry me?” he repeated hold the ring box out to her
“Of course I’ll marry you stupid” she said and wrapped her skinny arms around his neck and kissed him
(Part 27)
When Rachel said “Of course I’ll marry you stupid”
And wrapped her skinny arms around his neck and kissed him it was greeted with whoops and cheers and delayed the end of the meal.
Which left Kash with mixed feelings, she was delighted for her friends
As Harry went around the table refilling the glasses.
Polly got unsteadily to her feet
“Blimey!” Harry said “Not another one”
Bob sat staring at her wide eyed and Polly said to him
“Don’t you be getting any ideas Bob, we are never getting married, and there is no way that I’m changing my name to Polly Pegg”
This provoked a lot of laughter in response and then she plopped down hard on her bottom.
She tried in vain to regain her feet so she wagged her finger at Bob instead
“I’m serious” she said and Bob smirked “there are two thing I will not do, one is changing my name to Polly Pegg”
Everyone laughed again on hearing that, and she didn’t realise it at the time in her befuddled state that the name would stick with her forever marriage or no marriage
“And the other is that I will not become a farmer’s wife” she continued
“I’m not like John, I love the pub and I intend to take it over when mum and dad retire so let there be no doubt that, I’m going to be a publishian, a publictian, a pudlican, I’m going to be a landlady”
“Oh shut up and have another drink. Polly Pegg” Bob said
Everyone pitched in to clear away and Kash and Jenna dealt with the dirty dishes while Gavin and Harry wiped up.
Within half an hour everything but the pans were done.
“You and Jenna go and sit down” she told Harry
“Ok” he said giving Jenna a wink “come on Mrs. Topliss”
Kash had been looking forward to getting Gavin on his own all day but when he was there in front of her in the kitchen she lost her nerve.
“I can manage now” she said
“I don’t mind helping” Gav said
“I’m ok really” she insisted
Gavin walked into the hall and was immediately confronted by Harry
“What are you doing out here you plank?”
“I offered to help, but she said she was ok” he replied
“You have a lot to learn about women” he said shaking his head and thrust a sprig of mistletoe into his great paw of a hand
“Now get back in there and kiss her”
“But…” Gavin protested
“Do you like her or not?” Harry asked
“Well yes” he replied
“Then get back in there” Harry instructed “trust me Gav”
Gavin pushed open the kitchen door and walked in
“You don’t have to help” she said “I can manage really”
“I’m not here to help” he said and he held up the mistletoe and then his voice cracked as he said
“I’ve come for a kiss”
“Oh” she said and dried her hands as she stepped towards
They stood facing each other and there was a moment of hesitation but then Gavin kissed her.
And it was a perfect Kiss that brought all the feelings they had suppressed for so long bubbling to the surface and Kashveena was able to allow the love that filled her generous heart to spill out from her every pore.
And Gavin gratefully gathered it up and wrapped her in his strong loving arms.
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