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Chapter 4

Leaving the men to wander around the market, Buffy and Willow went into a shop called ‘Heaven Scent’. It sold mostly candles, of every description, but it also sold essential oils, joss sticks, oil burners, pot-pourri and other handmade scented delights like soaps, lotions and all manner of nice things to put in the bath.

After spending a small fortune in there, they came out and went to find the others.

They soon spotted them, as Izzie was sitting on her daddy’s shoulders waving to them.

“Look how big I am mommy!”

They wandered slowly round, stopping when something caught their eye.

“Can we go into Thompson’s now please?” Billy asked, racing to the door of his favourite bookshop.

“Of course, come on” They all dutifully trooped in, Izzie immediately she’d been lifted from her dad’s shoulders went and sat on the plastic frogs in the ‘kiddi-korner’ and played happily

Billy went to the counter, and waited patiently while the shop owner finished serving a customer, then he smiled delightedly at the young lad over his wire-rimmed specs. He knew this child had a thirst for knowledge and he liked to encourage it.

“Well, hello young Billy – I was only thinking about you yesterday, I had something special come in, an I’m sure you’d like it, so I put it to one side for you!”
Billy said hello and grinned.

Mr Thompson bent down under the counter and came up with a book called ‘Knights of Old’ it was a book specially for children perhaps older than Billy, but being a very bright little boy the shop-keeper knew he’d have no problem with it. It explained all about armour through the ages, from chain mail to full metal suits that weighed a ton, the weapons they used and the times when they were used.

Billy’s eyes lit up and he carefully took the book and leafed through it.

“This is wonderful, can I have it daddy? – How much is it Mr Thompson?”

“Well, just so happens that it’s on offer at the moment, how much pocket money do you get?”

“Well, I get £2 from daddy, but I always try to save at least half of it, and uncle Sam gives me a pound sometimes too”

“But he’s such a good little boy, I’m going to buy it for him, and this please for Izzie” Willow said, putting a ‘Fifi and the Flowertots’© book on the counter.

Billy said thankyou and couldn’t wait to start reading it…

They came out of the shop, and Spike looked at his watch

“It’s ten to one, shall we make our way to the pub – our tables’ booked for one o’clock”

Slowly wandering up the crooked little High Street they made their way to The Duke of York.

***************

After a huge lunch of roast beef with all the trimmings, followed by apple pie and clotted cream ice cream, they all decided that they definitely needed to walk off some calories, so they spent another hour wandering around the market stalls, before going into the Guild Hall and looked at the antiques and collectors items.

Izzie was quite happy on her daddy’s shoulders, and Billy used to love looking at the old stuff and having it explained to him.

“I’ve got to sit down and have a drink…come on, I know just the spot”

Everyone followed Buffy out of the back exit of the hall to the park, where she bought cans of ice-cold sodas for everyone from a little shop. They lay or sat on the grass and the sun beat down. Spike tipped his baseball cap over his eyes to have a quick snooze. Izzie fell asleep too, and Billy started to read his new book while Buffy, Willow and Sam chatted.

After an hour or so, they were ready to go and look at the rest of the collectors fair, and while doing so, Billy found a second-hand bookstall, on it was an old book with the picture of Blackmore Hall on the front, it was called simply, Tales of Blackmore Hall. Inside Billy read it was a collection of true stories about the various Blackmore-Collier’s, the Duke’s of Edmonton who owned the hall through the ages.

“How much is this book, please?” Billy asked the elderly lady, sitting behind the table.

“That one dear, now let me see………oh it’s an odd one, not part of a set, you can have it for a pound”

Billy grinned and handed the lady a coin from his pocket. The lady wrapped it up and after thanking her, Billy caught up with the rest of them.

“What have you been buying now – don’t tell me, a book!” Buffy smiled and ruffled Billy’s hair.

“True stories of Blackmore Hall!” Billy enthused, and Buffy took it from him and put it in her bag for safekeeping until they got home.

“Well come on then folks…s’about time we made our way to the station, the train leaves in twenty minutes”

They made their way back up the High Street, stopping off at the fruit stall to get fresh strawberries, peaches, a mango, a pineapple, some blueberries and cherries to make a fresh fruit salad for after dinner the following day.


When they got home, Sam couldn’t hang around as he had to go and take some grocery deliveries to people, but it was arranged that Peggy would come and babysit while they all went to the pub for a couple of hours later.


**********************



The children had a light supper of boiled eggs, then a slice of cake as they’d had a big lunch, and after bathing Izzie, Billy had a bath too, and he was quite happy to go to bed and read his two new books.

Neither Buffy, Willow nor Spike were hungry, but come supper time for them she knew they would be, so, she made a huge plateful of sandwiches with various fillings, had a family sized bag of potato chips at the ready, and sliced chocolate cake and put out some cherry slices for when they came back from the pub, a few beers would give them an appetite!

Willow came into the kitchen to see if she could help.

“All done, only got to cover it in cling-wrap then I can go shower and put some make-up on!” Buffy said

Willow said she’d do that and Buffy went up to get ready.


********************

They were all ready when Sam and his aunty turned up at 8.30. Peggy would never accept payment for baby-sitting, she enjoyed it so much – she said it gave her a couple of hours of peace where she could relax, do some knitting and catch up on the soap-operas she missed so Buffy used to tape them for her.

“And here, I went into your favourite shop in Cockington today, and we’ve treated you to a lavender candle and some lavender bath-bomb bubbles!” Buffy said to Peggy.

“You are an angel, I just finished the last on Friday – anyway, run along, scoot, don’t hurry back, I’m dying to know what’s happened to Dr White in the Hope Memorial Hospital!” Peggy said grinning, waving the TV remote control in her hand, and settling herself in the big easy chair.

They decided to walk down to the Smugglers, as it was a lovely evening.

Outside in the beer garden there were the first few holidaymakers who had stopped for a drink, but they decided to sit inside.

Sam went in first, followed by Willow, Buffy, with Spike bringing up the rear.

He was greeted by a dazzling smile from Tracy, the Australian barmaid, until she saw Willow and her face fell.

Buffy glanced and Spike and made a quite ‘oh dear’ face, then she grinned

A few people said good evening to them, and Sam said he’d get the first round in.

Buffy and Willow opted for halves of lager and Spike and Sam both had pints of best bitter. They found a cosy corner and sat down. It was duly noted that a few of the ‘lads’ were having a good look at both Buffy and Willow, especially the striking red-head as she was new………

One chap who knew them came over to speak to Sam. After getting the info he wanted, he smiled and winked at Willow and said,

“You’re a dark horse Sam, where did you find this divine young maiden then?”

“I’m not telling the likes of you Joe, else you’ll want one too!” Sam said grinning

Willow blushed and sipped beer, while Sam grinned his head off and said,

“I Certainly do!”

Their first drinks slipped down pretty fast and Spike went up to the bar to get the next round in.

“Who’s the red-head then?” Tracy asked as she pulled the pumps and poured the foaming beer

“She’s a friend of Buffy’s over on holiday with us, she’s just finished uni in France”

“She’s French?”

“No, American, she’s just been to the Sorbonne”

Tracy made a face and said,

“Clever as well as beautiful then…but she’s not his girlfriend, I mean, Sam’s just to make up the numbers is he?”

“Tracy, you’ll have to ask him yourself, but they seem quite taken with each other, and they were holding hands today around the Cockington markets” Spike paid for the drinks and bought them over to the table.

“Getting the ‘third degree’ by Tracy I see, what’s the betting it’s all about Will!” Buffy said, placing a drink in front of herself and Willow

“Yup, can you feel the waves of jealousy!!” Spike asked, he grinned and sat.

“Well I certainly can, from the lads, we have the two best looking ladies in the town Spike, no, make that the county!” Sam said grinning

“Hey, flattery will get you nowhere, Willow and I are still going to thrash you at darts, aren’t we Will!” Buffy said giggling

Sam sat up and grinned

“Oh hey, hear that Spike, that’s fighting talk where I come from…shall we take up the challenge?”

“I should definitely say so!”

“Come on then…losers pay for the next round – this’ll be like taking candy from a baby, Spike!” They all stood and went over by the dartboard, bringing their drinks.





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