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Authors: Josephine Cox
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dressing table and wardrobe of adequate size.
The second room was done out exactly the same, though finished in blue.
Between the two rooms was a tiny bathroom, which was small but adequate. This too was a light, airy room. Emanating from a small dish of broken blossom in the windowsill, the sweetest of fragrances filled the air.
There was soap and towels already laid out, as if Jasper really had been expecting a visitor. “The thing is,” he said after Tom made the comment, “I wanted it to look nice in case I had to show anybody over.” His face creased into that wonderful, homely grin. “Though, if yer happy with it, I’ll not be showing nobody else, will I, eh?”
Outside, in the twilight, the garden reflected the same love and care. There was a lawn surrounded by flower-beds and corner shrubberies, a delightful summer-house and orchard farther down, and from the terrace there was the most magnificent view imaginable.
Tom stood at the end of the terrace, lost in the scenery. The endless sea shimmered and danced in the flickering light and, as the sun was beginning to dip in the heavens, the whole sky was marbled with rivers of red and yellow. “It’s the most beautiful sunset I’ve ever seen.” He could hardly tear himself away.
Raising a thumb upward, Jasper suggested mischievously, “I had a word with ’im upstairs and asked him to show yer what he could do.”
Quietly smiling at Jasper’s outlandish remark, Tom still had the look of wonder on his face. “I know what you mean now,” he said, “about the ‘magic’ taking hold.” Already his soul was beginning to quieten. Here, in this seemingly timeless place, he was experiencing the first real joy since the day of the tragedy.
“So, does that mean you’ll stay?” Having taken a liking to Tom, Jasper wouldn’t let go.
Tom didn’t even hesitate. “I’ll need the cottage straight away,” he answered, “if that’s all right? I mean … do you need to contact anybody … will the agent want to see me before I take on the tenancy? I can stay at the pub if that’s the case.” He hoped he wouldn’t have to. Somehow he felt as though he belonged in this delightful, cozy cottage.
Jasper had no doubts. “Look, it’s the weekend, and as far as I’m concerned, you’re already the new tenant. There’ll be time enough to tell him on Monday. I expect he’ll be around to have a chat with you … checking you out, like … papers to sign, that kinda thing. But I’m sure he’ll agree with me that you’ll do fine. So don’t you worry, son, it’ll be all right.”
Grinning from ear to ear, Jasper handed him the key. “I’m away now, but I’ll be back in about half an hour.” He began talking to himself. “Let me see, you’ll need bread … milk too, an’ tea if you take it. Oh, an’ you’ll want to start a fire … it’s an old cottage … gets a bit chilly when the sun’s gone down, even in summer. I’ll need your ration book, if that’s all right. Give me a list of what you’d like.”
He carried on talking as he went out the door, addressing Tom in fatherly tones. “You’ll find everything works … electric, water … there’s a bulb gone in the back bedroom, but I dare say you’ll be sleeping in the front one so it won’t matter. All the same, I’ll have one fitted afore you know it.” He clapped his hands and softly chuckled. “Glad to have you aboard,” he said, and left whistling.
Following him to the door, Tom watched the old man walk down the hill and away out of sight. “It seems I’ve found a friend,” he mused, “and a home.” It was a good feeling.
After collecting his portmanteau from the car, he first hung up his clothes in the wardrobe: four shirts – two short-sleeved, two-long-sleeved; two pairs of trousers; a casual tweed jacket and a formal suit for the odd occasion he might need it. All the smaller items, such as underwear and everyday bits and bobs, went into the drawer beneath. Shoes
The second room was done out exactly the same, though finished in blue.
Between the two rooms was a tiny bathroom, which was small but adequate. This too was a light, airy room. Emanating from a small dish of broken blossom in the windowsill, the sweetest of fragrances filled the air.
There was soap and towels already laid out, as if Jasper really had been expecting a visitor. “The thing is,” he said after Tom made the comment, “I wanted it to look nice in case I had to show anybody over.” His face creased into that wonderful, homely grin. “Though, if yer happy with it, I’ll not be showing nobody else, will I, eh?”
Outside, in the twilight, the garden reflected the same love and care. There was a lawn surrounded by flower-beds and corner shrubberies, a delightful summer-house and orchard farther down, and from the terrace there was the most magnificent view imaginable.
Tom stood at the end of the terrace, lost in the scenery. The endless sea shimmered and danced in the flickering light and, as the sun was beginning to dip in the heavens, the whole sky was marbled with rivers of red and yellow. “It’s the most beautiful sunset I’ve ever seen.” He could hardly tear himself away.
Raising a thumb upward, Jasper suggested mischievously, “I had a word with ’im upstairs and asked him to show yer what he could do.”
Quietly smiling at Jasper’s outlandish remark, Tom still had the look of wonder on his face. “I know what you mean now,” he said, “about the ‘magic’ taking hold.” Already his soul was beginning to quieten. Here, in this seemingly timeless place, he was experiencing the first real joy since the day of the tragedy.
“So, does that mean you’ll stay?” Having taken a liking to Tom, Jasper wouldn’t let go.
Tom didn’t even hesitate. “I’ll need the cottage straight away,” he answered, “if that’s all right? I mean … do you need to contact anybody … will the agent want to see me before I take on the tenancy? I can stay at the pub if that’s the case.” He hoped he wouldn’t have to. Somehow he felt as though he belonged in this delightful, cozy cottage.
Jasper had no doubts. “Look, it’s the weekend, and as far as I’m concerned, you’re already the new tenant. There’ll be time enough to tell him on Monday. I expect he’ll be around to have a chat with you … checking you out, like … papers to sign, that kinda thing. But I’m sure he’ll agree with me that you’ll do fine. So don’t you worry, son, it’ll be all right.”
Grinning from ear to ear, Jasper handed him the key. “I’m away now, but I’ll be back in about half an hour.” He began talking to himself. “Let me see, you’ll need bread … milk too, an’ tea if you take it. Oh, an’ you’ll want to start a fire … it’s an old cottage … gets a bit chilly when the sun’s gone down, even in summer. I’ll need your ration book, if that’s all right. Give me a list of what you’d like.”
He carried on talking as he went out the door, addressing Tom in fatherly tones. “You’ll find everything works … electric, water … there’s a bulb gone in the back bedroom, but I dare say you’ll be sleeping in the front one so it won’t matter. All the same, I’ll have one fitted afore you know it.” He clapped his hands and softly chuckled. “Glad to have you aboard,” he said, and left whistling.
Following him to the door, Tom watched the old man walk down the hill and away out of sight. “It seems I’ve found a friend,” he mused, “and a home.” It was a good feeling.
After collecting his portmanteau from the car, he first hung up his clothes in the wardrobe: four shirts – two short-sleeved, two-long-sleeved; two pairs of trousers; a casual tweed jacket and a formal suit for the odd occasion he might need it. All the smaller items, such as underwear and everyday bits and bobs, went into the drawer beneath. Shoes
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