‘Thanks, but that’s okay. I’m sure I can find everything I need, and I promised to call my mum and my best friend the moment I arrived.’
‘We’ll leave you to it then,’ said Marcus, thankfully taking the hint, as he removed his arm from Adele’s waist and took her hand in his.
‘Don’t forget where we are,’ said Adele as Marcus led her back towards their cottage.
I opened the front door of Far Cottage, stepped inside, and placed my bags on the wood floor of the hall. They were all extremely kind and friendly people, but that had been a little overwhelming.
One thing was certain. I wasn’t going to be lonely in Midwinter.
Eight
The three cottages were very similar on the outside, so I wondered if they were also similar inside. Judging by my welcome, I would probably have an opportunity to find out. I’d been invited for drinks with Adele and Marcus that evening, so if I went, I would see inside End Cottage. I had a feeling that, before the week was out, I’d also have the chance to see inside Middle Cottage.
I had seen the photos of Far Cottage online, but sometimes photos could be misleading and make things look better – or worse – than they were in reality. But when I opened the door to the sitting room, having taken off my jacket, scarf, and gloves and left them on the rack in the hall, it looked exactly as it had in those photos.
There was a wood burner that was clearly brand-new set on a gleaming tiled fireplace from the 1930s, above which was a large screen TV. A plush, rectangular rug lay in front of the hearth, and a pale oak coffee table on which a few magazines were displayed, sat on the rug. A sumptuous looking two-seater sofa with two matching chairs, all with small side tables next to them,took up most of the room, and the only other piece of furniture was a tall, pale oak bookcase filled with books. There were table lamps on each side table, and I could recall how cosy this room had looked in the photos with that wood burner lit and the table lamps switched on. Right now though, sunshine was streaming through the window, and the central heating was doing an excellent job.
The dining room opposite had a table and four chairs, together with a sideboard, all of which matched the furniture in the sitting room. The artwork on the walls was of a similar ilk to that in the rest of the house, I soon discovered.
The designer kitchen with a huge Aga that was also clearly brand-new, took my breath away. I had a feeling I would be the first person to use this kitchen, although I assumed that either Adele or Marcus had tested everything functioned as it should. The sliding doors that overlooked the garden were also, no doubt, part of the refurbishment Adele had mentioned, but I was surprised they hadn’t installed bi-folds when I opened them to step outside.
The garden wasn’t massive but there was a table and four garden chairs on a pristine looking patio that led onto the lawn. The fields surrounding the cottages, separated by hedgerows bursting with berries and buds, were visible from where I stood, but the fence, bushes, and trees on the left side of the garden were far too tall for me to see into the garden of Middle Cottage. That was probably a good thing. Was there anything worse than being overlooked by neighbours? Especially if, like me, you tended to fall asleep and snore, while sunbathing on a lounger, with slices of cucumber protecting your eyes. Not that I’d be doing a lot of sunbathing in February, although today was warm enough to sit outside … with a coat or jacket on.
I went back inside and closed the sliding doors, remembering to lock them right away.
A welcome pack sat on one of the granite counters containing a bottle of red wine, a loaf of bread, and some snacks, along with the notes Adele had mentioned. There was milk in the fridge and butter in the small butter dish. I’d stopped on the way to buy groceries, and wine, of course, so the first thing I did before going upstairs, was to unload those and put them away.
I then grabbed the rest of my bags and went to inspect the two bedrooms and the bathroom.
The bedrooms were furnished with the same pale oak, and the bedding and accessories were light and bright, modern florals. Each room had a small dressing table and a chair, a wardrobe, and a chest of drawers.
From the window in the back bedroom, I could see into the garden next door, where an abundance of wild birds, including four magpies, were taking advantage of the plentiful food supply provided on the bird table, and in several hanging feeders. I stood and watched them for a while wondering if the two magpies I’d seen earlier were in that group of four. Two magpies meant joy, four stood for a boy. My heart did a little flip as an image of Sam popped into my head.
‘Now you’re being ridiculous,’ I chastised myself loudly, before turning from the window and heading towards the bathroom.
The bathroom contained a top of the range white suite, and the walk-in shower had an overhead rainfall cascade in addition to a power shower. Again, I would be the first to use it, it seemed. There were built in shelves containing towels and some water related ornaments, like a little boat, a lighthouse, and a row of ceramic and brightly painted ducks. I’d never seen a duck with yellow and blue spots, but these were rather cute. It all looked exactly as it had in the photos.
Suitably impressed, I video-called Erin to tell her all about it, and to give her a little walk-around. She laughed when I told her about meeting all my neighbours and the invitation to drinks.
‘The place sounds fantastic,’ Erin said. ‘And you were worried you might be alone this week. Are you taking them up on the invitation?’
‘It is fantastic,’ I replied. ‘As for the drinks, I haven’t made up my mind. It’s kind of them to invite me, and they do seem like genuinely friendly people, but I’m not that good at making conversation with people I don’t know. How long would I need to stay without appearing rude?’
‘Thirty minutes at least. Maybe an hour. If they left the invitation open, why not see how you feel later? You could always send a text saying the journey and your first day have left you feeling tired but that you’d love to meet up with them later in the week.’
‘You’re a genius,’ I told her.
‘Tell that to the top brass here,’ she said. ‘I love my job but I hate all the bureaucracy and the politics involved in policing.
‘Bad day?’
‘Nah. Just me missing you. And I’m working this afternoon and all evening until midnight, and again tomorrow, so that stinks. Bumped into Sam yet?’ Erin added, laughing.
‘Haha. Very funny. I wish you were here.’
‘I wish that too. But someone must solve crime, and that someone is me.’ She winked. ‘And we’re not all lucky enough to be able to take time off at a moment’s notice. Call me later. Or tomorrow, if you decide to go for drinks.’
After chatting with Erin, I phoned my mum and stepdad, before realising my stomach was rumbling. I could’ve cooked myself some lunch but decided I would venture into Fairlight Bay and have lunch there instead.
