They clinked glasses and drained their wine, then he refilled them. The food smelled like it was ready, so he removed the duck from the stove and took the casserole off the top. He carved some meat and served up the food then they tucked into it, chatting all the while. It was delicious and just what they had needed at the end of a hard day. Afterwards, he opened another bottle of wine and they sat in the conservatory with a few candles lit, talking for many hours before retiring. Tomorrow they would find her a place to live nearby.
Nine
The following morning Jamie awoke early, feeling the effects of the two bottles of red wine they’d consumed between them, plus some brandies. Jane was still sleeping. He made a large pot of coffee and took a mug outside to wander around the garden. He went first to the vegetable patch and was delighted to see shoots at regular intervals along several lines. He was no expert, but to him they looked like onions or garlic, or possibly both; it was hard to tell at this stage. The previous owners must have sowed them last autumn. That was great news and a good start to having fresh vegetables, ahead of his proposed planting.
Walking around, looking in the rather overgrown borders, he identified a large patch of chives, a rosemary bush and a spreading bay tree around four feet high. There was also a plant he was pretty sure was lovage, which Jane confirmed later. He was pleased, as he loved herbs and they would be welcome additions to his diet for extra flavouring, along with vitamins and minerals. He stepped across the border to the wall and scrambled up it to take a look at the house on the right, on the western side. He was looking around the garden and at the house when he heard the back door open and looked round. Jane was standing there looking rather bleary-eyed.
‘Morning!’ he said, smiling.
‘Morning,’ she replied, with rather less enthusiasm. He jumped down, walked back up the garden and followed her into the kitchen.
‘Bloody hell, that wine was strong! I haven’t drunk much at all in recent months; I’ve turned into a lightweight!’ she said sheepishly. He smiled and gave a small laugh.
‘A few cups of this Java will sort you out!’ He poured her a large mug. ‘How does the leg feel? Any better?’
‘Yes, a little better, thanks. It’s not as stiff, and the bruises are coming out. It was probably good that I kept moving on it yesterday, and I think the witch hazel has helped, though they’re still pretty sore. At least the wounds aren’t bleeding or weeping any more.’
‘That’s good. As long as they stay that way today, maybe you should take the plasters off tonight to let them dry out and get some air to them,’ to which she agreed.
He told her about finding the herbs in the garden, and the onions or garlic that were shooting. ‘That’s good news. Hopefully we can find a place for me today, and as soon as I’ve moved in we can start planting. There’s a lot of stuff that should have gone in already, I think.’
‘Well, fingers crossed, but we might not have to look far. The house next door looks promising, from the outside at any rate. The garden is slightly bigger than this one, I think, and there are beds and borders that can be dug up for planting, along with areas of lawn. There’s no conservatory, but the French doors open onto a patio. What is good news is that there must be open fires, log-burners or a range of some sort, as there’s a wood store outside, against the far fence. It looks like just a shed with the door removed. There’s a lot of wood stacked up in there and it has a new felt roof. The downside is that it’s a house, rather than a bungalow, which means roof and gutter maintenance will be harder, but we’ve got ladders here in the garage, so it shouldn’t be a deal-breaker.’
Jane grinned. ‘It would be great being next door. It would make working on the gardens so much easier for us, and for coming-and-going.’
‘Yes it would. Anyway, let’s not get our hopes up too much, yet. We’ll have some breakfast first and then go and take a look. There’s an upstairs window ajar, so we can take the ladder round and get in from up there.’
‘Okay.’
‘I’ve just realised that after I found this place I stopped looking and didn’t go any further along the road. This looked like it would suit my needs, so it never even occurred to me that there might be a better place further down!’
Between them they made some Scotch pancakes with sultanas, covered in honey, and he fried some pancetta to go with them. While they worked they said what a shame it was that there was no butter or eggs, but at least he had some powdered milk.
He took the pan off the heat and Jane said ‘You know, if we took a drive around the surrounding countryside sometime, we might even find a farm with some chickens roaming around. If we could catch some and bring them back we could have fresh eggs regularly. It wouldn’t take much to knock-up a pen from fencing wire and a hutch for them; or is it a coop? In fact, why would we even need a pen? This place has a high wall all around it, anyway.’
‘That’s a good idea. Wouldn’t it be cool to have our own supply of eggs? I really miss them. I’ve still got a jar or two of pickled eggs left, but it’s not the same as being able to make omelettes and other things with fresh ones.’ A thought occurred to him. ‘I found out the other day where the previous owners got their logs from; it’s a farm out near Hooe that used to deliver to here. I’d already decided to take a trip out there soon and get a supply of logs for the range and the stoves. There is a possibility that there’ll be chickens there, or maybe somewhere nearby. Once we get you moved in somewhere we can take a trip out there.’
‘That sounds like a plan! It will be nice to get out of town for a while, too.’
They had breakfast and cleared up, and then Jamie went back outside with a step-ladder and climbed over the wall to next door. He walked down the far side of the house to the front, where he withdrew the bolts on the side gate and opened it, then went across the two driveways to his garage. Between them they carried the big ladder across the front and then down the side to the back garden. Jane stood on the bottom rung while he climbed up and peered inside; it wasn’t a pretty sight. He looked down at Jane with a grimace.
‘Two corpses in the bed.’
She made a sour face and then shrugged resignedly. ‘Well, we had to half-expect it, and it’s not like it’s anything new to us by now, is it?’
He used the large wrecking bar to force open the window, passed it down to her and then climbed inside. After a quick search he came downstairs and opened the back door for her. ‘There’s another one in the smallest bedroom; a young girl. She’s still holding a teddy-bear, bless her. Fucking hell!’
Jane looked sad and shook her head. ‘Ah; poor thing.’
Jamie shook his head to brush the thought away and then gave her a small smile. ‘But I think this place is going to suit you well. Come in and have a look.’
He stepped back and she followed him into the kitchen, which was bigger than the bungalow’s. There was a large farmhouse-style table and chairs and on the right-hand wall was a large fireplace and chimney-breast with a range cooker in it. They bent down to examine it; it said Esse, but neither had heard of the make. He opened the doors to look inside; the left-hand door for the fire was glass with an ash-collection door under it, and an oven to the right. On top were two hotplates with hinged covers. They stood up.
‘This is wood-fired and just does cooking and heating, like a stove,’ said Jamie. ‘There are no controls for a boiler or central heating.’ Jane agreed with him. To the right of the fireplace, in the run of worktop, was a conventional gas cooker and oven; obviously for use during warmer months when the range wouldn’t be needed. A large ceramic butler sink and wooden drainer were against the rear wall, overlooking the garden. The kitchen had three doors; one out to the hall, another into the lounge to the left, and the third led into a utility room. In there was another butler sink and wooden drainer, with a washing machine, tumble-dryer and dish-washer; not that they’d be of any use. The huge lounge ran the whole length of the house, with a large open fire in the centre.