Chapter 4
As they walked down the path of the fourth cottage they’d seen that day, Spike said,
“Okay, let’s find somewhere we can grab a quick sandwich and discuss what we’ve seen” Buffy readily agreed as she was hungry.
They found a lovely little pub, with hanging baskets full of flowers outside that offered morning coffee, bar meals and afternoon tea.
At the bar Spike ordered himself a ‘Ploughman’s Lunch’, and Buffy thought she’d spoil herself with a Devonshire Cream Tea.
Their food was soon served, and Spike tucked into his crusty bread, rich cheddar cheese, salad and chutney with gusto.
“Hmm, delicious! Could do with a nice pint of bitter to go with this really! – But I’ll stick with the cola as I’m driving!”
Buffy took a bite of her strawberry conserve and clotted cream laden scone and closed her eyes in rapture.
“Oh god, this is heaven! I’m gonna get so fat living down here!”
“So, which one do you like so far?”
Spike tapped the notebook with the cottage names and addresses on.
“First…sorry!” Buffy wiped her mouth of the smear of cream and said
“First one, what about you?”
“Yup, I agree. That one, in Appledore, it was more like a dolls house!”
Buffy nodded and drank some tea.
“I quite liked the one in Croyde, but it was just…I don’t know, too far from everything”
“It smelt damp to me”
“That’s because it had been flooded, twice in three years”
“What about the last one, handy for the school and shops”
“Yes, BUT, it was on a main road – besides which, I thought you said you wanted to educate the children at home”
“I do. So what do you want to do, go round some more estate agents and look for some more?” Spike suggested.
“Can do, we are here for a week after all”
****************
After looking at one more cottage, which would have been too small for their needs, they decided to give up and go back to the hotel.
It was five thirty when they pulled up onto the driveway.
Giles was just coming down the stairs with the children as they entered.
“Mommy! – We’ve had a brilliant day!” Billy greeted them, and Izzie ran straight to her daddy, who scooped her up and blew a raspberry on her cheek.
Buffy grinned and kissed her son.
“Have you? – good, I’m so glad!”
“We were just coming down into the lounge to look for you, do you have dinner booked here?” Giles asked
“No, just breakfasts, we didn’t want to be tied to a time if we went for a day out” Spike explained
“Well, on our travels today, we spotted a nice family friendly restaurant, do you fancy it?” Giles asked
“Great, give me ten minutes to have a quick shower” Buffy ran upstairs.
***************
“………and it nearly nip-ted me!” Izzie said to her daddy.
“Really poppet?” Spike said, smiling at her, and she gave a big nod.
“It wasn’t THAT big, but I suppose as she’s only little, it must have seemed a really big crab to her” Billy said.
“I see, and did you see anything else in the rock pools?”
“We saw starfish…and some jelly fish, uncle Giles said not to touch those as they sting…oh and we saw some limpets on the rocks, they are so strong, it’s impossible to knock them off!”
Buffy came down stairs, washed and changed and they all left the hotel.
**************
They got themselves a nice big table in the restaurant and ordered.
“What do you want Billy?”
“Um…”
“There is a children’s menu” the waitress said helpfully, but Buffy said she preferred the children to have ‘proper’ food rather than a diet of sausages, burgers, chicken nuggets and chips.
Izzie pointed to a picture and announced
“I want that”
“The chicken, okay” Buffy said, and then looked at Billy
“Me too, can I have the barbecue one?”
“Is it spicy?” Buffy asked the waitress
“No, just a sweet tomato based sauce”
“Okay then, one plain roast, one barbecued chicken…Giles?”
Giles and Spike ordered steaks, and Buffy ordered herself pasta with salmon, lobster and shrimp cream sauce.
They children behaved beautifully, didn’t make a mess and remembered their manners.
Giles treated them all and paid the bill.
He yawned and stretched
“Tired you out have they?” Buffy asked with a grin
“They were golden, absolute sweethearts, I think it’s the wine making me tired!”
“Will you be okay to drive back?”
“Not going to, I thought that, well, I could do with a few days off, and I’m sure things won’t come to any harm if I have myself a break, so I booked into the hotel until Friday. So I can look after the children anytime for you”
Buffy and Spike grinned. They noticed little Izzie’s head begin to droop, and they all left the restaurant, Spike carrying Izzie who instantly fell asleep.
*************
They following morning dawned bright and sunny, and Buffy opened the window she got a blast of fresh air that smelt of the sea. She could hear the cry of the sea gulls as they swooped around the fishing boats in the harbour.
She sat back on the bed, having made them tea. The children were still asleep.
Spike woke and said,
“Morning!”
“Hey babe – it’s a beautiful day out there!”
“Good. Looks good in here too!” Spike said grinning reaching for her.
Buffy kissed him, but stayed his shoulder
“Hey, down tiger, we can’t! The children are only through those curtains!” The room was partitioned off by means of a curtain, to where the children slept.
“They’re still asleep!”
“You are always so frisky in the morning!” Buffy grinned, and then whispered,
“Actually, you’re always so frisky ANYTIME!”
“And are you complaining?” Spike asked with a grin.
“No but-“ she was interrupted by a soft knock on the door.
Buffy tightened her robe around her and opened it.
There stood Giles in his dressing robe, brandishing a n electric kettle.
“Um, sorry to trouble you, but the kettle I’ve got doesn’t seem to work!”
“Come in Giles…here, have this, it’s just been made!” Buffy handed him her mug of tea.
Spike sat up in bed and sipped his drink.
“Ooh, thankyou. So, have you decided what you are going to do today?”
“We were about to discuss it!” Buffy said, knowing that that wasn’t strictly true…………
“Well, I’m ready, willing and able to have the children again if you want. In fact, I promised them I’d take them to the National Maritime Museum”
“Really – Billy will love that, but I’m not sure about Izzie though”
“Oh she’ll love it, don’t worry, there’s plenty for them to do there, even the little ones, I read the guide book”
Spike looked at Buffy.
“Well, if you’re sure, that would be great!”
A little face appeared through the curtains and said
“Mommy…can we go on the beach?”
Giles piped up and said,
“Course we can, then after lunch, shall we go and look at some big boats?”
The day was arranged and after breakfast Buffy and Spike left the children in Giles’ capable hands and went to go look at more properties.
“Take your time, don’t rush back, and we’ll go back to that restaurant tonight, I want to try their lobster!” Giles said as he waved them off.
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