Little Town By The Sea
"Afternoon, all. Ros has a new lodger!" Zaf announced, doing his daily delivery of sandwiches and gossip to the police station.
Jo's face lit up. "Is that so?"
Ros glared daggers at the charming market worker from down the road. "That is none of your business, and how do you even know?" she asked angrily.
"I helped her carry a suitcase over that horrible stone walk you've got," Zaf replied.
With a sigh, Ros explained, "My grandfather installed that walk himself, and I won't have you criticize it. But my lodger's name is Ruth. She's very quiet and seems sweet and intelligent and has a great respect for privacy which is why I allowed her to move in, despite the cat."
The police chief came from his office to get his own sandwich and heard the end of his deputy's story. "Good lord, Ros, a cat?"
"I need the rent money," Ros muttered in annoyance.
"Well, thank you, Mr. Younis. Back to work, all," Harry said gruffly.
Jo put a gentle hand on Ros's arm. "I think it's good you've got someone. Fiona and Adam and I have been worried about you all alone there after what happened with your dad."
Ros pulled her arm away. "Yes, thank you. I'm glad you've all been so concerned following the incarceration of my treasonous father," she snapped.
The police station settled back to their normal workday, everyone avoiding Ros and her bad mood.
Across town, Ruth Evershed was getting settled into her newly rented room. "There we are. Home sweet home," she announced, sitting on the edge of her freshly made bed. A large gray cat hopped up to nuzzle against her. "Fidget, I do hope you'll be nicer to Ros when she gets home from work. She's been very kind to us, and it won't do to make enemies in a new place. You know better than that," Ruth scolded gently, giving the cat a scratch behind the ears.
She sighed, staring out the bedroom window and into the garden next door. A man was running about, kicking a football with a little boy. His son, presumably. They had the same blonde hair. Ruth smiled. It was nice to see happiness around her. It was why she wanted to move to a small town like this. The people were always more welcoming and more apt to let her find her home amongst them. And as Ruth watched the boy and his father play, she couldn't help but hope that perhaps this might be the place where she did finally find friends and a home of her very own.
Ruth had been in town three days now. As she had more than once over the years, she had closed her eyes and pictured what sort of place she wanted to be and did her research to find somewhere that fit. And this little town on the Suffolk coast seemed to have everything she was looking for: seaside charm, small community, secluded but not backward, quiet and calm.
She took the train in with a trunk of her prized possessions, a single suitcase of clothes, and a carrier for Fidget. That's all she needed. She took a room above the local pub for two nights before she found a room for rent posted on the board outside the town hall. Ros had seemed standoffish but keen to have a lodger.
Once her things were settled for the time being, Ruth decided to take a walk and see more of the town and its people. So far, she'd only met the innkeeper at the pub, the nice lad who helped carry her suitcase, and Ros. And, as was always the case with her nomadic existence, she'd need to find herself a job.
Ruth had barely gotten out the front door before she was greeted by a friendly voice. "Hello, are you Ros's new lodger?"
She turned to see a beautiful woman about her age with olive skin and short, dark hair waving at her from the house next door. "Hello, yes. I'm Ruth."
The two women met in the middle of the lane. "Fiona Carter. I run the hair salon. So sooner or later you'll meet everyone in town coming and going from our place. My husband, Adam, and our son, Wes, are off playing in the garden."
"Football, yes. I'm afraid I can see into your garden from my room," Ruth admitted.
"Well, I'll have to remind Adam that we can't sunbathe in the nude anymore," Fiona teased.
A blush crept into Ruth's cheeks as she laughed. It was odd having someone be so friendly so quickly.
Fiona could tell she may have overstepped. "Sorry, I don't mean to keep you. I'll let you go about your day. But you're welcome for tea anytime. All my clients enjoy the company. We're sort of an open house," Fiona explained.
"Thank you," Ruth replied sincerely. "I was going out for a walk, get the lay of the land, a bit. On my way back, I might drop by?"
"Please do!"
Ruth smiled. "Right. Thanks."
The two women parted ways. Ruth was of two minds about the interaction. It warmed her to be welcomed so graciously by a neighbor. But if everyone was so friendly, so...nosy...perhaps this little seaside town wouldn't be the place for her after all.
Harry tried as much as he could to get out of the police station after lunch each day. He knew from experience that he tended to get himself buried in work and lose track of the time. And it wasn't good for anyone that the police chief be blocked off from the rest of the town.
He had a path he liked to take, down by the cliffs overlooking the sea. There were a few empty cottages on the lane that had overgrown gardens and peeling paint that Harry always found comfort in. Sometimes their little seaside town was just a bit too perfect and put together. And after so many years in the army, witnessing death and destruction, it was strangely comforting to see a bit of imperfection amidst the clean meticulousness of the rest of town.
But for the first time, Harry saw another along his path. Not in the mood to socialize, he quickly turned down another street. He glanced behind him to see a woman wearing a long, dark skirt blowing in the breeze. Her dark hair fluttered around her pale skin. And, even wearing her coat, Harry could see a rather lovely feminine form. He was too far away to tell any details about her, but he didn't recognize the woman. Probably a tourist. It was a bit early in the season for them, but they always had a few here and there. But strange she should be alone. This lane, he always thought, could be quite romantic. He'd never had a beautiful woman he'd wanted to bring here. But wasn't it odd this woman didn't have anyone to walk with, to hold her hand and take her in their arms and shelter her from the ocean breeze.
Harry shook his head, dispelling the strange reverie. He continued his walk and made his way back into town.