Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.

Wouldn't you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name,
and they're always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows
Your name.

Theme from Cheers.

Previously…

Jocasta had gone down to the shops and David was still sorting out his sermon, so I went to have a look at Mr Mogg’s cottage on my own. As I made my way down the hill, I wondered what the cottage would be like and if it would be the answer my dreams?

And now the story continues…

Millie’s directions were spot on and I spotted her waving to me in the distance as I walked down the narrow lane to meet her.

I marvelled at how lovely everything was. I felt as if I was living a travelogue. Through gaps between the cottages I could catch glimpses the blue sea. How was it that there were not more visitors? This place oozed pure Devon charm. Maybe it’s one of those places where visitors are sworn to secrecy about its charms, vaguely like The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie where you aren’t supposed to tell anyone that *********** did it.

Then I felt something wet splodge on my shoulder.

‘Thanks a lot,’ I shouted at the seagull as it wheeled away after landing it’s bomb with the deadly accuracy of an exocet missile.

‘Hi, Samantha, found it okay then?’

‘Yes, it’s great here, isn’t it?’ I said wiping my shoulder clean with a tissue. ‘Apart from the aerial assaults.’

‘Mmm, you should see what it’s like when they are protecting their eggs. By the way, you missed a bit.’ She pointed at some white stuff that had dribbled down my back.

‘Yukk.’

In next to no time, I was cleaned up, focussed and ready again. This was the new Samantha, ready willing and able to be decisive. A girl to be reckoned with.

‘Here we are,’ said Millie, pointing at the cottage. ‘Now I must to enter my Estate Agent mode, so here goes. Cove Cottage is a truly idyllic coastal cottage in wonderful Devon. The cottage which dates back to the mid-1700s, is steeped in local history. The property is set in a wonderful elevated position above Penmarris Cove on the western coast. End of spiel; shall we go in?’

While she had been speaking, I looked at the front of the cottage; it was whitewashed, with the front door painted bright blue. It was on two levels and appeared to be reasonably well looked after and decidedly old-world. The roof was slated and looked as if it had been replaced recently. I wondered how windy it got up here in the winter?

I followed Millie through the small garden, up the steps and into the entrance hall. To the left was a kitchen, which wasn’t modern but a real farmhouse-type kitchen, no flat pack kitchen this; real wood and solid too. It was nice and bright and I loved the welsh dresser (or should that be a Devon dresser?) standing against one wall.

Millie sailed on saying that I could have a good nose around after she gave me the official tour of inspection. To the right of the entrance hall was the sitting room, which was slightly larger than the kitchen and had a couple of comfy-looking overstuffed armchairs and a leather sofa in the corner. The fireplace was open and appeared to have been well used. It all looked really cosy.

‘Have a look at this.’ said Millie standing by the picture window.

I gasped. The view was really something. There was a garden about 50 feet long, sloping downwards, mainly lawn but with several flower beds full of pretty, colourful flowers. Beyond that there was an uninterrupted view of the harbour and quay. I could see both beaches from this fairly central location and it was all a bit much. I sensed my eyes pricking–it was love at first sight. It was so cosy and sweet, it looked beautiful and everywhere was tidy, clean and obviously well cared for…

But no, I had to be strong. No more wimpy Tom; this was Samantha, the hard-headed business type person who needed to weigh everything up and make a decision based on cold hard facts…

‘I’ll take it.’ I said, immediately forgetting my resolve and just melting.

Millie smiled. ‘Have a good look around first. You haven’t seen upstairs yet.’

I followed her up the steep stairs to the landing on the first floor. She first took me to the left, along the landing and pointed out the bathroom, which wasn’t large, but had been retiled few years before and was good enough for little me. Then continuing on, she showed me into the bedroom. There were windows on three sides, so I had a view of the lane, along the cove and down the garden, to the quay and the sea beyond.

‘Wow,’ I said under my breath.

Dragging my eyes away from the spectacular view, I looked around the room and noticed that the furniture was a bit old and I would have to change the bed or at least the mattress, but other than that, it was perfect. Turning back, I sighed; fancy waking up to this view.

‘Come on, I’ve another room to show you.’

We went back along the landing and to another room.

‘Ooh!’ I gasped and that was no understatement.

It seems that he used it as a junk room because it was full of boxes, books and magazines and hadn’t been dusted like the other rooms for some time. It was about the same size as the other bedroom and had a similar window arrangement, except the view out to sea, was enhanced by the fact that where there was just a wall with a window in it in the bedroom - in this room, the whole of that side was a series of wide floor to ceiling windows.

The light was absolutely fantastic. It was exactly what I was looking for in a studio. Yes, it needed tidying up and the stuff in it moved, but I could see in my mind’s eye that this was it.

‘Oh, Millie, it’s gorgeous.’

‘Yes; it is lovely, isn’t it? Mrs Pearson comes in three times a week to do the housework and Mr Pearson does the gardening, so it’s always kept nice. What do you think? Have you changed your mind, do you still like it?’

‘Like it? Like it? I adore it. To hell with being sensible, grown up and level headed, where do I sign on the dotted line?’

‘Don’t you want to know the terms?’ she said, laughing at my obvious enthusiasm.

‘Oh, okay, I suppose I do need to know.’

‘Well, it’s seven fifty a calendar month, three months in advance; is that okay?’

I thought that it was very reasonable considering its idyllic location.

‘Yes, that’s fine, but how long can I stay. It would break my heart if I had to move out after a short while.’

‘Between you and me, Mr Mogg will never move back in. He’s getting frail and he doesn’t like all the stairs, so he won’t be coming back. He doesn’t have any relatives to whom he would leave the property, so he intends to sell the property and donate the proceeds to McMillan Cancer Support. I might add that the Moggs are a long lived family and he will probably last a good many years yet.’

‘So why doesn’t he sell it now and give them the money straight away?’

‘His solicitor advised him hang on because it’s a good investment and will only appreciate in value.’

‘I don’t have to worry then?’

‘No, if you still want it, I can make all the arrangements.’

‘When can I move in?’

‘As long as you have the deposit and sign a few forms, a few days at most.’

‘That’s wonderful.’ I exclaimed and then thought for a moment. ‘Any chance on having first refusal on the sale, if and when it comes?’

‘I’ll ask. I might be able to do a deal if you are willing to go over the current valuation.’

‘I expect its valued quite high.’

‘It won’t be cheap.’

‘I’ll have to get painting then, won’t I?’

We both laughed and carried on having a look around.

A short while later, Millie had to shoot off but she left me the key, saying that if she needed it, she would come for it. Having the key made me feel like it was my place already. I couldn’t imagine an estate agent in London leaving a customer the key before signing on the dotted line, but this was Penmarris where everyone knows your name.

I had a good look around and worked out in my mind’s eye how I would have my studio. I was brought out of my day dream but my ’phone chirping–It was Olivia. My heart sank and I came crashing back to Earth.

‘Hello, Olivia,’ I said neutrally.

‘Tom, where are you?’

‘Does it matter?’

‘Of course it does. Has Daddy spoken to you yet?’

‘Yes,’

‘And?’

‘And what?’

‘Are you coming back yet?’

‘No–I haven’t changed my mind.’

‘Look, why are you being like this. I apologise, all right? It was wrong for me and Roger–’

‘–So his name is Roger is it? Friend or someone you picked up?’

‘Why are you speaking like this; you don’t normally talk to me like that? He works at the library if you really want to know. Look, I had a few drinks and so had he. We got carried away, it was stupid…we didn’t know what we were doing…’

‘But you have NEEDS, Olivia, you told me that before. How many times have you had those needs since we have been married?’

There was silence.

‘Well?’

‘’I’m sorry.’ she whispered and the phone went dead.

I took a deep breath. Was she sorry, I mean really sorry? I didn’t know or even care. I had been hurt by the one person in my life that I had loved and she had betrayed me and let me down. It was the end– finis.

The ’phone rang again and with a sigh I looked at the screen. It wasn’t Olivia, it was Jocasta.

‘Hi, Jo.’

‘Samantha…you sound down. Isn’t the cottage what you want?’

‘Yes, it could have been made for me.’

‘But?’

‘But, I have just had an upsetting conversation with my soon-to-be ex.’

‘Well?’

‘Well, she said that she was sorry and virtually admitted that she had done it before.’

‘Right, stay there, I’m coming straight down.’

‘What about the girls, David, tea and things.’

‘They can cope; they aren’t totally useless in the kitchen. Correction; David is, he could burn water, but the girls are in the Guides so they can cook as long its beans on toast or something. Anyway there are things in the freezer they can nuke in the microwave. I’ll be with you in ten minutes.’

I went to the long window, realised that it was a patio door, not just a window and noticing a handle, pulled it open. Outside there was a small balcony with railings; I just stood there, breathing in the fresh sea air and gradually calming down. I refused to think about my phone call from Olivia, it was too negative. It only re-affirmed my decision to divorce her. I hoped that my bluff about the photo I said I took would make things easy for me. I felt the slight breeze ruffle my dress gently against my bare legs and my hair drifted across my eyes. It felt so right; my being here, dressed like this. But I didn’t want to just look like a girl and feel like one inside any more. The crisis in my life had made me focus on what I wanted to be–a whole woman. I would add to my list something else. See a doctor about transitioning.

I was brought out of my introspective reverie by a knock on the front door. Taking a deep breath, I went downstairs to answer it. Jocasta stood there beaming at me.

‘Hello, Sam, may I come in?’

I smiled as she passed me and I closed the door. I had noticed a gaggle of women on the other side of the road looking at us and knew that it had already spread that Samantha was here to stay.

‘Well, I haven’t been here for a few years, ever since Doris died in fact. Doris was old Mr Mogg’s wife. It’s been done up a bit and of course Mr and Mrs Pearson look after the place. Will you keep them on?’

‘Probably,’ I said as we sat in the living room.

‘Now, what’s this about Olivia?’

‘I don’t really want to talk about it but…’

I told her everything and–as usual–started blubbing again. I might have to go and see Doctor Sinclair and get an anti crying pill if things continued like this. Mind you, after I got it all off my chest, I felt much better.

‘You really need to see the solicitor.’

‘I think that I ought to go to someone outside the village.’

‘Why?’

‘Everyone knows everything about everyone here.’

‘You haven’t met Katie Jenkins yet. She is about our age and used to work for a large firm of solicitors up in London. I did say that there had only been two divorces here in the last year, but Katie has loads of experience as a top flight solicitor dealing with marital breakdowns. She wouldn’t admit that it was Tuesday unless she had a signed affidavit countersigned by a judge. She would never say anything to anyone about her clients’ affairs without prior agreement.’

‘Why is she here then and not in London?’

‘Why are you here?’

‘Oh.’

‘Yes, oh. She might tell you about it one day. Look, it’s getting a bit late now but I’ll give her a ring. If I can arrange it, would tomorrow be okay?’

I nodded, wanting to get things moving. I wanted the pain of my marriage breakdown to end as soon as possible.

Jocasta, pulled out her ’phone and speed dialled the number.

‘Hi, Katie? Jo. Hi, hon, how are you? Tell me about it. Look my friend Samantha…yes, that’s the one, she needs some urgent advice. Will you be around tomorrow morning? Great. Okay, I’ll tell her. Byee.’

‘Eleven o’clock tomorrow morning all right?’

‘Sure. Thanks for sorting that.’

‘No problem; ’tis what friends are for. Now put that on the back burner and tell me. Are you taking this place?’

‘Yes, it’s wonderful. If it wasn’t for my marital problems, I’d think life was getting close to perfect. I’m sure someone’s looking down on me to help me find the cove, you and this blissful cottage.’

‘Well, someone is looking down on you, or he had better be, otherwise my darling hubby would be out of a job. So what next?’

‘I need a mattress and bed linen.’

Please leave comments...thanks! ~Sue

My thanks go to the brilliant and lovely Gabi for editing and pulling the story into shape.