"The best relationships

usually begin unexpectedly."

DISCLAIMER

I do not own Midsomer Murders or it's characters they belong to ITV. Plot is mine and so is Isabelle.

NOTE

I apologise for grammar or plot mistakes in advance. Don't begin pointing it out because I know it's there and will come back to it at a later date. This story is based in the world of Midsomer Murders. This book starts in series 09.

WARNING ️

Mild language

CAST

Lily James as Isabelle Barnaby

Jason Hughes as Ben Jones

John Nettles as Tom Barnaby

Jane Wymark as Joyce Barnaby

Gemma Arterton as Samantha Price

Poppy Drayton as Kelly Archer

Other actors as their respective characters

PLAYLIST

Home Is Where the Heart Is - McFly

Bad Day - Daniel Powter

My Life Would Suck Without You - Kelly Clarkson


A three-door blue Ford Focus pulls up onto the drive, a modern two-floor semi-detached Tudor style home with a garage. Soon as the engine cuts off, a blonde woman of that in her late 20's stepped out of the vehicle, closing the car door behind her peering up at the said house, before going to open up the boot, pulling out her suitcase and shutting it closed when suddenly the front door opened.

"Isabelle! My darling girl!" an older woman named by that of Joyce Barnaby comes dashing towards her youngest daughter, embracing her in a loving embrace and pecking her on the cheek, "It's so wonderful to see you!"

"Hello mum," Isabelle returned her mother's embrace and kissed on the cheek.

They both now separate as the eldest enquired, taking hold of her daughters suitcase, "How was the journey up from London?"

"Done it in two hours so pretty good time actually," the younger complied with a shrug as they entered the house, she closing the front door behind both of them leaving Isabelle's suitcase beside it as they wandered into the kitchen.

"That's good then," Joyce went to grab the kettle and filled it with some freshwater, "Fancy a tea or coffee, dear?"

"A tea would be lovely mum thanks," the young blonde leaned against the kitchen counter, as her mother now grabbed some mugs from a white kitchen cupboard as the kettle boiled, "I haven't heard from Cully in awhile how's she been?"

"Oh, you know your sister she's always here, there and everywhere going from one extreme to the next," Joyce plonks a teabag in each cup, "Never likes to sit still for a moment that girl."

"I know, but it's just something me and Cully have in common as sisters," Isabelle smiled fondly in thought, "Our sense of discovery and adventure."

"You both get that from your father," Joyce implied, glancing over her shoulder before pouring boiling water into each mug.

"Get what from me?" the voice of one Thomas Barnaby or Tom in which he is called, questioned from behind both women in the kitchen doorway.

"Nothing dear we were just talking about Cully," Joyce responded simply with a shrug, "Didn't hear you come in. Would you like a cup of tea?"

"I have my ways, and a tea would be lovely thank you, dear," John complied, before turning to his youngest daughter and happily beaming, "Is that my Isabelle?"

"Alright dad," he brought her into a tight hug and pulled back slightly to glance down at her with pride.

"Or should I now say, PC Barnaby?"

"Dad," the younger woman groaned starting to get embarrassed.

"What? I'm just excited for my daughter to be joining my department at Causton that's all."

After having caught up with her parents, Isabelle had decided to catch up with a few old school friends in Causton town centre for some drinks and let her hair down before starting her first shift at the station in a few days.

"Izzy!" A redhead by the name of Kelly screamed with excitement running towards her and tightly hugging her, "Look, Sammy, it's Izzy!"

"Yes, I can see that Kels," Sam responded with obvious sarcasm and rolling her eyes, before looking to Isabelle, "What are you drinking Izzy?"

"A glass of red would be lovely Sam," the young woman answered as she sat down at the table with Kelly.

"Okay one red coming up," the brunette looked to her other friend, "Kels?"

"I'll have red to Sam," Kelly replied with a smile.

"How about I just a get a bottle of red instead?" Samantha proposed, "I quite fancy one now myself."

"Alright just one bottle," Isabelle insisted sternly, gesturing at her friend.

"Alright, girls one bottle of vino coming up."

It was awhile later and let's just say Isabelle had been more than one bottle of wine too many which she'll definitely regret tomorrow morning.

"Okay girls," Isabelle gets to her feet, wobbling slightly, "Next bottle is on me!" swerving as she approached the bar, "A bottle of red wine, please."

"Think you and your friends have had enough don't you," a man with a subtle Welsh twang implied not far from her sat upon a bar stool a beer in hand. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, with light brown hair, warm grey eyes and had to say he was rather attractive if she did say so herself.

"No," the young blonde shook her head, "Besides, we're celebrating my first night back in Causton, and I'm starting my new job tomorrow."

"What job is that then?" the man asked somewhat interested.

"A PC at Causton Police Station, my dad, is a DCI there," Isabelle replied with a shrug, just as the wine bottle and glasses are put on the bar before her.

"Well, congratulations," the man raised his pint glass in a toast to her before taking a sip, "I bet your dad is very proud of you following in his footsteps."

"Thanks," she nodded and smiled a slight red tinge on her cheeks, "Oh, he's over the moon."

"Izzy," Sam's hand came and rested upon the girl's shoulder, "Let's leave that last bottle. Yeah, I've already called a taxi for Kelly and me," she now frowned, "How are you getting home you drove here, didn't you?"

"I'll drop her home," the man offered from beside Isabelle.

"Ooh, got yourself an admirer, Izzy?" Kelly comes up swaying and slurring, an arm wrapping around her shoulder.

"Taxi for Sam?" called a man entering the pub, probably having left the metre on and the engine running outside.

"Alright, that's us," Sam pulls the blonde into a brief hug and kissed her cheek, "See you soon, Izzy."

"See ya Iz," Kelly gives her another hug and a drunken kiss on the cheek, "Break a leg at work tomorrow."

With that Isabelle's friends stumbled out of the pub, before she glances at the man beside her starting to feel a little nauseous, "Still up for taking me home?" that's when she registered that she still hadn't asked his name, "Sorry, how rude of me, I didn't ask what your name was?"

"Ben," he simply answered before also turning to repeat the young blonde's question in kind, "What's yours?"

"Nice, to meet you, Ben," she held out her hand, which she firmly shook, "I'm Isabelle, but most call me Izzy."

"Now Izzy," he gets up from his bar stall, "Shall I take you home?"

"Yes, please," Isabella hiccuped slightly, feeling some burning liquid in her throat and that wasn't a good thing in her books that she was going to throw up at some point.

After having to let Isabelle gather her belongings from the pub, Ben drove the young blonde woman to the address she gave him but halfway through the journey she began to feel a little more queasy than before.

"You alright there?" Ben side glanced at the young woman in concern who was starting to look quite peaky.

"Think I'm going to be sick," Isabella leaned her head back against the backrest of the passenger seat, eyes closed and took deep breaths, "But I don't want to do that until I get home."

"If you want me to pull over just tell me," Ben implied that he was willing to stop if need be.

She heaved slightly without warning the burning rising in her throat, "Pull over! Pullover!"

With a screech in of his car tires pulling to the side, Isabelle quickly yanked the passenger door open and dashed out bent over and threw up onto the side of the road. A hand-pulled back her hair away from her face as she continued to be sick

"Ugh," she spat onto the dirty ground once finally finished, staying down for a few more seconds before standing upright and wobbling a little as Ben let go of her hair.

"Here," he held out a tissue to her, taking it with a drunken grateful smile.

After that, Isabelle doesn't remember much after having dozed off in Ben's car, him helping her to the front door of her home and head hitting the coolness of a pillow against her warm skin. With that she was out like light, thinking nothing about how handsome that Ben fellow was.