Chapter 2
“More tea, dear – another scone? – Or can I get you some cake?”
“No thanks Peggy…ahhhh – huh – oh please excuse me!” Willow tried (unsuccessfully) to stifle a yawn
“I quite understand dear – jet lag!”
“Yes!”
As if on cue, Sam put his head around the door from seeing to his pigs
“I’m just going to have a quick shower babe, then I’ll get you um…well, you’ll see!”
Both Peggy and Willow smiled at him. When he went upstairs, Peggy said,
“I know he’d go mad at me for saying this, but he’s been counting the days until you came back – literally counting them off on the calendar he was!”
Willow ducked her head smiling
“Well, I really missed him too – I didn’t realise how much until I’d been home a couple of days…it felt like something was missing”
Peggy beamed, and then she said
“How long is it before your new term starts?”
“Well, it should be the same term time as everybody else, but I know my main tutor, Professor Rayne won’t be back from Egypt until mid-September, he’s on a special archaeological dig in the Valley of the Kings”
“Fascinating! I’ve always loved Egyptology – Sam bought me a set of videos – factual mind, not some made-up stuff, about King Tutankhamun, Nefertiti, and a few others – I think I nearly wore them out!”
Willow smiled
“It IS such a fascinating subject, and the way they are still discovering tombs to this day – well!”
“Even after thousands of years!”
“Yes!”
“Have you ever been out there?”
“Me? – No, not yet, I mean, I’d love to – I’ll have to see how it goes. I’ve handled pieces from digs out there though, not the mummies though, those are a speciality”
“What’s a speciality? – One of aunt Peg’s cakes?” Sam asked coming into the lounge rubbing his hair vigorously with a towel
“Mummies – Egyptian ones, I was just saying, I’ve handled one or two pieces from archaeological Egyptian digs, but not mummies – they’re a speciality”
“Oh I see. Well um…aunt Peg, are you sure you don’t mind doing the…”
Aunt Peg put her hand up –
“Just you carry on, I’ll manage, Colin the postie said he’d take Ada’s and Mrs Gillespie’s orders for me, Mrs Fothergill’s on holiday, Mrs Weaver’s son will pick up her order, Julie will take hers and Gwen’s order when she’s dropped the twins off at her mother’s before she goes to work and Spike said he’d pick up any stragglers for me, so you can run along with a clear conscience, nobody will be left without their orders in the morning, don’t worry”
“Good – come on then princess…I’m taking you out!”
“Out, but it’s nearly half past nine…I’m not dressed for the pub, well not really!” Willow said standing up
“Who said anything about the pub? – Night aunty, sleep tight, and thanks!”
“You’re welcome, be safe, bye Willow!”
“Bye…where are we going? Willow asked Sam bemusedly
“You’ll see – come on!”
Sam drove down to the quay, the tide was in, and the boats bobbed in the harbour
“Thought I’d take you night fishing…gives us a chance to have some time on our own!”
Willow grinned, felt herself blushing slightly when she wondered just how much actual ‘fishing’ would be done………
“Come on, she’s been all spruced up since you last saw her, I’ve painted her, given her an new name, aunt Peg ran me up some new curtains and that…”
Willow smiled and held Sam’s hand as they strode towards the boat along the quayside.
Unlocking the cabin, Sam stood back allowing Willow to go in first. Waiting for them was a bottle of Champagne on ice, the downstairs cabin looked all cosy with new cushions and throws.
“I better let Buffy know I won’t be home tonight, else she’ll-“
“Already knows! As long as we take them a nice crab or lobster she said. So…champagne?”
“Love some…but you know, you don’t have to get me drunk!”
Grinning, Willow sat and held the glasses while Sam poured the bubbly.
“I’ll just steer her out of the harbour and set a course for my lobster spot, make yourself comfy”
Willow did just that, slipping her shoes off, and pulling the bed out, getting undressed and slipping beneath the covers. The moon was high and full, the sky clear and the sea was like glass, smooth and calm. The slow lazy chug-chug of the boat as she sailed out of the harbour was soothing, lulling her to sleep.
She opened her eyes when she felt Sam slide in next to her.
“I’m going to be really popular in the morning, I don’t think!”
Willow smile/frowned and asked
“Why’s that?”
“I forgot to bring the lobster pots…Spike won’t let me forget this when I tell him!”
Willow propped herself up on her elbow and said grinning ear to ear,
“You mean, we’ve come out fishing, and you’ve forgotten to bring the fishing gear?”
“Well…not completely…the tackle is in the van…only problem is, the van is eight miles that way!”
Willow began to giggle, her forehead rested on Sam’s.
“Well, I’m sure we can think of something to pass the time!” Willow said kissing him
“Sure you’re not too tired?”
“Sure I’m sure………”
*************************
9.30am the following morning, Buffy and Spike’s cottage
“You randy git!” Spike said, grinning
“I didn’t do it on purpose!”
“Oh no course not…only far too occupied with thoughts of getting –“
“Watch it!” Sam warned, laughing
“You had no intention of fishing, you just went and dangled your maggot!”
“I said to Will you’d ever let me forget this!”
“Too bloody right I won’t, you randy little sod, how are you going to break it to my daughter, that she can’t have her favourite crab mayonnaise sandwich for lunch now?”
“Don’t worry, I thought of that…here”
“What’s this?”
“One I bought quayside this morning, so she won’t be disappointed!”
Sam held out a plastic carrier bag with a fresh crab in it
Meanwhile, in the kitchen…Willow was talking to Buffy………
“Champagne eh? – Then what happened?” Buffy was grinning
“Well, he steered the boat out of the harbour…I must have dropped off because the next thing I know, he’s getting into bed, telling me he’s forgotten the fishing tackle!” they both snorted a giggle
“But you found something to do to pass the time though, I’ll bet!”
“Thanks for doing the orders for me earlier, Spike”
“Only did the one, to the pub, the postie took a couple extra. I only had to take three dozen crusty rolls and four loaves, a box of tomatoes, six lettuces two cucumbers and three Spanish onions to the pub for the lunches, along with a big block of cheese and 3lb of boiled ham, no problem. And talking of the pub, are we doing nets tonight, don’t forget we’ve got that grudge match with Darrington next week, an we could all do with the practice”
Sam closed his eyes and said
“Oh hell, cricket practice, I totally forgot about it”
“Steve phoned me last night about it” Spike said
“We could do it, and the girls could meet us in the pub after, aunt Peg would baby sit for you”
“See what Buffy says…BUFFY, love”
“Yes?”
“We’ve got nets, you know, cricket practice tonight, fancy meeting us in the pub after?”
“Aunt Peg will baby sit, you know she loves to” Sam added
Buffy looked at Willow, who nodded
“Good, I’ll bring her over straight after tea then” Billy wandered into the room from the garden
“Uncle Sam”
“Yes Billy?”
“When are you going to show us your boat now it’s all been painted, you promised?”
“ I did, didn’t I?! Tell you what, how about if I take us all to Lundy Island for the day”
“Oh yes – that would be great!” Billy beamed with excitement.
“What’s at Lundy then?” Willow asked
“Well…nothing really! A few cows…some Puffins…the Marisco Tavern, a lighthouse and weather station, a few tiny stone cottages and that’s it really, but it’s a nice sail out on a calm day, we could take a picnic” Sam suggested
“Hmm. Okay then, but it would HAVE to be a calm day for me…I got sea-sick watching that film…what was it?” Buffy frowned clicking her fingers
“Titanic?” Willow suggested
“No, that one with the punch happy New Zealander actor…Commander something”
NB. (Before anybody tries to correct me, Russell Crowe was born in Wellington, NZ, he’s NOT Australian!!!)
“Oh, you mean Russell Crowe, Master and Commander” Sam said
“That’s it! Honestly, I stood up from watching that and my legs felt all wobbly!”
“When can we go Sam?” Billy asked
“Well, I’ll listen to the shipping forecast, and when I know it’s going to be calm, I’ll let you know for the next day, okay?”
“Yeah!”
“So, have you been using your presents Willow bought you?”
“Oh yes…come and look at these spores I’ve got under the microscope, they look just like snowflakes”
Sam followed Billy out into the garden
“Well if we’re going sailing, I’m going into town, I want some proper deck shoes so I don’t slip when I’m on board…want to come Will?” Buffy asked
“Sure, I’ll get some too”
“We’ll bring Izzie, that okay by you Spike, will you have Billy, I know he won’t want to come shopping with us – he hates shopping, typical man!”
“Fine, I’ll be up on the computer typing, he can amuse himself he’s a good lad”
“Come on then Izzie, we’re taking Aunty Willow into town” Buffy called, and Izzie didn’t need telling twice!
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