CHAPTER 75
Nathan came out of the bathroom to the sight of Bea half-dressed. He stood in the doorway watching her and smiling.
"You know I would lay there on a night picturing all the things I was looking forward to once you moved in, waking up and going to sleep with you next to me, being able to lock the door and be on our own, sitting in the garden, just talking, never once did I think about walking out the bathroom and seeing you standing there in your underwear. I have to say that one is an added bonus."
Bea just laughed at him, "Did it wake you up?"
"Oh, it has definitely done that, good job I am not at work I wouldn't be able to concentrate all day."
They were both laughing now. She finished getting ready and tied her hair up in a high ponytail then tied one of her new tartan ribbons around it. "I can't remember where I put my riding boots?"
"They are downstairs princess next to my boots at the door, I polished them last night."
"Thank you, they needed it, Stan would always polish them for me and I kept forgetting to do them. They could do with new soles really, if I had thought I should have taken them with us when we went away. You know that is something else we could do with here, a cobbler and saddler."
"Now both of those would come in handy. You never know we may find some hidden talent within the new settlers."
"That would be useful, I must remind Colin to try and arrange that meeting. Do you think I will need a jacket today? It looks as if it is going to be another hot one."
"Don't think so princess and we should be back around 4 pm before it turns chilly, maybe take a sweater in case."
She took her lovely grey sweater out of the draw and headed downstairs, put her boots on, and checked her little purse for her tablets, just in case. Nathan had said he would like to take some of the cake for Mrs. Jamieson so she cut a few pieces, wrapped them, and put everything into her saddlebags.
"Are you wanting to take anything else darling?"
"No I don't think so, let me fill our water bottles though."
Five minutes later they were heading into town. Everyone seemed to get so much joy out of seeing the pair of them together, lots of "Good Morning Constable and Mrs. Grant", they both loved that, would the novelty ever wear off, Bea doubted it would."
Having met Colin in the cafe they all ate a big breakfast and were on the road within the hour. Faith watched them leave, and wondered where they were going, she found herself wishing she was going too. How lucky Bea was to have those two in her life, she was really missing Carson more and more. His telephone calls and letters were getting fewer and fewer, tonight she would write to him, maybe plan a visit to Boston. Yes, that is what she would suggest, she needed to see him.
The threesome rode out past the wood where the fawn had been chatting as they rode, you would have thought the three of them had known each other all their lives not just months, so comfortable in each other's company. Bea had mentioned the meeting with the settlers and Colin promised to have a word with them before he headed back on Saturday.
"Are you sure you won't need a hand bringing everything down into town, I could ride up late tomorrow?"
"I will be fine, Mack and I managed on the way here, I have a little cart, will just load it up but thanks Nathan. You and sis helping me to get the rooms shipshape is a better use of time. Actually, I will give you the key in case I am a bit late, that way you can make a start if that is alright."
"We will start early on, honestly it isn't as bad as it looks. Will be a little palace when I am done."
"Thank you sis, we will be even if you do, well for now anyway."
"Right this is where we leave you Colin, thank you again for everything these last couple of days, for keeping me sane most of all."
"Yes, and from me bro, love you, see you on Saturday." She leaned across to give him a hug. He gave her the key which she passed to Nathan for safekeeping and then he was away up the road.
"Right Mrs. Grant we turn in here, I bet you never even noticed this track before."
"You are right I haven't, it just looks like a break in the hedge,"
"Well just you wait until you see what is on the other side, I was shocked when I saw it for the first time."
The hedges lined the track for about 250 yards then there was a big gate. Nathan leaned over and opened it, on the other side the hedges were replaced with fencing and various old trees. On either side was a huge pasture. As the reached the bottom of the track to the right was a big red and white building, it looked like a barn. The track had led them into another huge pasture or meadow. Now she could see the building better. It looked to be divided into two halves, one was a barn, was the other stables? When she looked to the left her heart jumped, there was the most wonderful big vegetable and fruit garden all fenced in and beyond that the biggest cabin, well was it a cabin, she had ever seen.
"Nathan, how beautiful is this, I have never seen a house like it."
"Wait until we go in princess. Let me tie these two up and I will give Mrs. Jamieson a knock."
Walking around the veggies they came to what was the end of the cabin and the back door, kitchen door Bea presumed, it was a stable door, the top half was open.
"Hello the house" he called, he had picked that up from Bea, she smiled as he said it in the same way she did and that was with a slight Scottish accent.
"Hello" came the reply " Constable Grant, well hello come on in, what a lovely surprise and not in uniform."
"Hello Mrs. Jamieson, I thought I would fulfill that promise and come and see you when I have more time, I have brought someone to meet you. This is my wife" he beamed " Bea this is Mrs. Jamieson."
"Pleased to meet you Mrs. Jamieson, and can I say what a beautiful home you have here."
"Well I am pleased to meet you Bea, I have heard all the gossip about you two."
"Please sit down, will you stay for some lunch, it must be nearly that time now, I don't get company very often and I would love to hear about this wedding that surprised everyone."
Nathan looked at Bea, "That would be lovely Mrs. Jamieson, we have brought some wedding cake so we can have that too."
"What about a drink for now, coffee, tea or I have the apple juice you like Constable?"
"Well a glass of that would go down a treat, you must try it Bea."
"That would be lovely, it is so warm out there today. This is a wonderful kitchen I have to say, so big but homely, it reminds me a bit of ours back in the UK. The heart of the house is the kitchen."
"Bea now I always say that to be truthful I spend most of my time here these days, it's a big old house to ramble around."
"Right there you go, enjoy, now lunch, how about a nice salad, I can pick fresh from the garden and I have a nice ham and fresh bread, will that do you both?"
"That would be perfect, thank you " you don't have to go to any trouble."
"Constable, it is a treat for me to be able to make something for anyone other than myself so no trouble at all."
"Now tell me all about this wedding."
They took great delight in reliving the day again. Mrs. Jamieson was taking in every detail, and her heart went out to these two, so in love she thought, you could see it and feel it.
"So will your family not be upset that you got married here Bea?"
"Nathan is my family now, I have no true family left. I have a godfather who has always been like an uncle to me, and my housekeeper and her husband but I am the last of the line. We will have to travel back there next year as we have things to sort and no doubt they will arrange some kind of celebration for us."
"Have you heard what Bea does for a living Mrs. Jamieson?"
"I haven't but looking at you Bea something glamorous?"
They both laughed "See princess no one would ever guess, you are definitely not typical.
Bea is a veterinarian, Mrs Jamieson."
"No never, no."
"I am," Bea said, " All I ever wanted to be, it was tough but I love my work, never happier than up to my ankles in the muck."
"Well, you young ladies are making great strides these days, so different from my day. Now let me get lunch started."
"Can I help ?"
"No lass, Nathan go and give Bea a look about the place, I will go and get some fresh bits from the garden."
"Come on Bea, wait until you see."
They walked around the front of the house and what a shock, it was so long, two stories high, and even looked to have rooms in the attic too. A veranda ran right around, it had a huge double front door.
"Nathan, it is amazing, I have never seen anything like it. I wonder how many rooms it has?"
"I am not sure but I do know that it was built by the old Mr. Jamieson and 2 of his brothers, they all came out here together, and rather than build individual homes they built this one. Now come this way, you will love this."
As he led her down across the meadow in front of the house she heard it."
"Oh Nathan, is that running water, it sounds like a river?"
"There you go princess, look."
Running along the bottom of the meadow was a river, not a huge one but too big to be called a stream. It was the same one that ran through the plot Nathan had looked at last year, Bill's plot.
"It is like the cabin but on a bigger scale, it is beautiful."
She turned to look back up at the house and she felt the tears.
"Oh princess, come here, I didn't mean to make you cry, I knew you would like it."
She cuddled into him, "Nathan what a place if only we could find something half as nice."
"Well here is the thing, Mrs. Jamieson wants to sell it, she is finding it far too much now. Her daughter and son-in-law were going to move back here and take it over, poor soul spent a lot of money on replacing bathrooms, updating everything, then they changed their minds. They want her to go and live with them now. A bit like Jed and the livery though she won't sell to just anyone. I thought I would show you first before I told you that bit."
She was crying even more now.
"Come let me show you the other bit."
That consisted of a six-stall stable, tack room, barn, and huge shed and workshop.
"The family used to breed and sell cattle, some of the finest beef about they would produce. Going back before my time they had the butchers shop, everything they sold they bred themselves. What do you think, would it be too big for us?"
"Nathan you have found our paradise, we would fill the place with love, and there will always be room for anyone, just like Bramble is. Would you be happy here?"
"I fell in love with the place when I first saw it a couple of years ago, and you are right it is like the cabin but bigger, it has the same feel too. When you asked about somewhere like that nearer town I thought of here straight away. There is so much we could do with the place."
"I feel a but coming."
"I will be honest Bea, it is the money thing again. There is no way I could have ever afforded you a home as splendid as this, I know you say what you have is ours now and I appreciate that, I just feel guilty asking to spend it especially so much."
"I can understand but please try not to darling, if I had found this place and it had been my idea to buy it would that be any different? The outcome would have been the same, so there is no need for guilt. You have found us the most perfect place, the money isn't an issue, as I told you Uncle Harry made me promise to spend it on living my life the way I wanted, you are my life and we would both love this. Now come here and give me a hug, I wonder if there is a plunge pool."
Laughing he picked her up and swung her around. As they walked back over they decided Nathan would ask Mrs. Jamieson about her plans to sell, see what was what. They would need to really have a good talk about it, and the livery, but fingers crossed Nathan had found them their forever home.