Whitby was a picturesque Coastal haven. The town was rich in history and breathtaking scenery. There was a captivating atmosphere to the entire place, a charm that lured you in and tugged on your heart strings. The locals were incredibly friendly and welcoming, greeting everyone with a warm smile and a "Hello!". It was a peaceful and charismatic place, with an endless list of things to see and do.
Rachel had never been to Whitby before, but she had always wanted to. As well as its gorgeous scenery and fascinating history, it was also famous for its link to the iconic novel, Dracula. It was one of her favourite novels. She had first read it when she was fifteen, and it was the first book she'd ever actually read or taken an interest in. Fifteen year old Amanda Fenshaw didn't think education was important. But when she read Dracula for the first time, thanks to her English teacher lending it to her, she immediately fell in love. It had sparked something inside of her; a love for literature and writing that she didn't know existed. She might have left school with only her English GCSE, but she still had something.
Even when she was forced into prostitution to provide for herself, her Dad and her sister, she still read books and wrote when she could. Once she had paid the rent and bills and had pacified her Father's alcohol addiction each month, she sometimes used the remaining money she had to buy a book or two. For seventeen, eighteen and nineteen year old Amanda, books and writing were an escape. It meant that she could enter another world, one that was far away from the hell she was experiencing. She could meet new characters and see another world; she could be involved in a life that wasn't her own for once.
When she had changed her name to Rachel Mason at twenty years old, the career she wanted to go into came to her straight away. She wanted to work in education, to help young people to the best of her ability and to try and prevent what happened to her from happening to anyone else.
The subject she wanted to teach hadn't taken her long to choose either. She wanted to be an English teacher. In a way, her love of literature and writing had saved her. If she could inspire more students the way she had been inspired, maybe she could save them from going down the dangerous path that she had gone down.
Four years on, after re-taking and passing her GCSE's, A-Levels and graduating from University with a degree in English Literature and a PGCE, Rachel was thrown into the world of teaching. Dracula was on the school curriculum, to her delight. She loved teaching it, just as much as she loved reading it. She knew the story inside out and her passion for it radiated onto the students. In her view, it was a timeless classic, suitable for all generations. Of the all the novels and poetry she taught, Dracula was her favourite and it seemed to spark the most interesting debates and conversations between the students during class time.
In a way, she still couldn't believe that she was only visiting Whitby now, after being fascinated by the story of Dracula for so long. She had been itching to go for years, but had never found the right time. Being here now felt like a dream come true. And it had been worth the wait.
Rachel and Eddie were five days into their holiday in Whitby. They were enjoying every second, Rachel especially. Being by the Coast, surrounded by the sea, was Rachel's favourite place to be. It was a safe haven for her.
After finishing University and starting her first teaching role in York, she used to spend most of her weekends in Scarborough. It was a break from the bustling but gorgeous city of York where she lived, and a chance to reflect on the week and to take time for herself. Just being by the sea or strolling along the beach lifted her mood instantly. She had stayed in York for so long, jumping from school to school and slowly making her way up to being a Head Teacher, that visiting Scarborough at the weekend became a part of her routine to wind down.
When she'd moved to Rochdale and lost the opportunity to be so close to the sea, it had saddened her a little. Before she and Eddie got together, she travelled from Rochdale and visited the coast when she could at weekends. It wasn't the same as having it a short drive away, but it was something at least. Now she and Eddie were together, she was contemplating re-introducing the idea of travelling there for the weekend every once in a while.
They were staying in a modern town house in the centre of Whitby, which had been converted into three flats. There were two flats on the bottom floor, and one on the top. Eddie and Rachel were staying on the top one, which, in their opinion, had the best view.
It was a comfortable and cosy apartment, clean and well-equipped. There was a kitchen and an ensuite bathroom, as well as a lovely sitting area by the window. The walls of all the rooms were a sage green colour, with grey curtains. In the living room, there were two soft, grey sofas with sage green scatter cushions, and a matching waffle throw blanket. The two tables placed beside the arms of the sofas held two authentic shell lamps. There was also a TV, which Rachel and Eddie had yet to use, having been so busy sightseeing. The windows of the living room, kitchen and bedroom looked out across the harbour, with a clear and stunning view of Whitby Abbey sat on the cliff top. Each room in the apartment offered a different but equally breathtaking view of Whitby.
Rachel's favourite part of the apartment was the balcony. It had chairs and a table to sit at, and the sloped roof shielded it from the wind and rain, making it suitable to sit out there in all types of weather. You had to wrap up warm to sit out there of course, but it was worth it for the view.
The window in their bedroom was enormous, around the same size as the balcony. It offered a stunning view of the sea; as well as the shops, restaurants and Whitby Abbey on the other side of town. For the last few days, Rachel had gotten into a habit of opening the curtains in the early hours of the morning to watch the sun come up.
Last night, it had rained and she had been struggling to get to sleep. She had sat by the window, opening it just a little so she could listen to the soothing sound of the raindrops pelting against the glass. It had made her drowsy enough to crawl back into bed and fall asleep.
Waking up to a sea view every morning was something both she and Eddie could very easily get used to. They both loved waking up to the sounds of the morning hustle and bustle of the town, the bus engines roaring to life as they got ready for a day at sea. They both felt incredibly relaxed. Rachel wasn't a Head Teacher here, and Eddie wasn't a Maths teacher or Deputy Head. There were no stresses and she and Eddie could be themselves and have a romantic trip away.
The last five days had been blissfully perfect. Rachel had never enjoyed a holiday as much as she had this one. They had seen so much and were having so much fun!
They'd been to the top of the East Harbour Lighthouse. It was a graceful, majestic and stoic building, standing at 55ft high as a guardian of the land, helping those out at sea to come home safely.
Inside the lighthouse was a narrow, spiral staircase, which led all the way up to the top. Climbing the eighty-one steps had been completely worth it for the view at the top. The ocean extended out as far as the eye could see, and, if you were stood in the right place, you could see the boats going in and out of the harbour.
Rachel and Eddie had been up to the lighthouse on two separate occasions during the last five days. The first time, they had looked out over what was a calm and peaceful ocean, the waves lapping gently against the harbour walls. The December sun had reflected on the water, making it sparkle and glitter.
Two days later, when it was windy and raining, they had visited and made their way to the top of the lighthouse again. The view was the complete opposite to what they had seen before, but it was equally as stunning. The sky was a filthy, dark grey. The wind howled and whistled against the window. They'd watched in fascination as the waves churned, the powerful force of the wind launching them into the air before sending them crashing onto the harbour walls. Rachel had watched on in awe, amazed by how the scene before her could be so violent, but the sound of it so soothing. Eddie had compared the two visits to the lighthouse to that of the emotions of a teenager. Happy one minute and grumpy the next!
They had ventured up to the West Cliff to enjoy a picnic and to see the Whalebone Arch.
The Whalebone Arch stood at the top of the viewpoint of the cliff, a proud symbol of Whitby's Maritime Heritage and the Whaling Industry. The twenty-foot long jaw bones (from a real whale) framed the ruins of Whitby Abbey perfectly. It was like looking through a portal into another world. Truly beautiful and captivating.
Eddie had lost count of the times they had taken slow strolls along the beach, hand in hand as they sipped on hot drinks. It was freezing, there was no denying that. The wind carried a bitter chill as it whipped through their hair and ruffled their coats. They had, had a few days where, if you were stood in the right place, the lukewarm sun radiated onto your skin. A parade of multi-coloured beach houses stretched along the two miles of caramel coloured sand, looking over the jewel blue sea. The sound of squabbling seagulls rang in their ears as they'd watched the waves oozing onto the shore.
Rachel loved to be by the Coast. Eddie hadn't realised just how much until they'd got here. She was the most relaxed he'd ever seen her before. Her skin was glowing (which he thought was also partly to do with the pregnancy), and her eyes sparkled with excitement every time they fell on the sea. He loved seeing her so at peace. Bringing her to Whitby had been the right decision.
Whilst they had been here, Eddie had realised that being by the coast was one of his favourite places too. There was something about being by the sea. You instantly feel relaxed and your worries are washed away with the ebb and flow of the tide.
As a child, Eddie had spent many summers in Whitby and Scarborough. Almost every year, in the summer holidays, he had spent a week on the beach, building sandcastles, collecting shells, eating ice cream and fish and chips. It was one of his favourite memories from his childhood.
He had told Rachel all about it on one of their walks on the beach. She had listened in pure fascination. Up until now, Eddie hadn't told her much about his childhood, other than that it was a 'normal one' (according to him). Rachel hadn't had a happy or 'normal' childhood, so she was intrigued to know what he meant by that. The childhood he'd told her about seemed idyllic, everything she had ever wanted. It was the kind of childhood she wanted for their baby.
The last five days had been absolutely perfect. Rachel was enjoying every minute. In two days time, it would be coming to an end and they would be going back to Rochdale. She was excited to see Philip, he was a part of the family now, so being apart from him felt strange. But the thought of leaving beautiful and peaceful Whitby to return to miserable and rainy Rochdale made her a little sad. She loved it here. If she could, she would never leave. There was no doubt in her mind that she would be returning to this little seaside down. Maybe next time it would be with Philip by their side and a newborn in her arms.
...
It was 3pm. Rachel was sat out on the balcony, watching the sea. She had just finished getting ready to go out for the evening. She and Eddie were spending New Year's Eve at Whitby Abbey. The plan was to have fish and chips on the cliff top and watch the sun set. Then, at midnight, there would be a firework display. Rachel was looking forward to it.
They had parked Eddie's car in the car park on the cliff top earlier on and were planning to walk back up to the Abbey via the 199 steps, as Dracula had done in the novel. It was an iconic and pivotal moment in the book, a tourist attraction they couldn't not see or experience whilst they were here. In Rachel's view, driving the car up to the cliff top was cheating.
It had been a nice day so far. They had taken the car up to the cliff top early in the morning before walking back down to the West Pier to aboard the HMS Endeavour. The ship was an exact replica of the one sailed by Captain James Cook during his scientific expedition in 1768.
The ship was like something you would see in a fairytale. It was elegant and sturdy, mostly made from wood. Masts and sails towered above them, the flags attached to them flapping in the wind. It was like stepping into another world. As Rachel had looked around, all that came to her mind was the story of Peter Pan, a book she had often read to Melissa when she was a baby. Growing up, Rachel envied Wendy, John and Michael and the fact that they had been taken away from their home to a far off place. She'd often wished that someone would take her away from her miserable home life.
They'd set off fairly quickly once they were onboard. They listened to an audio recording of the life of Captain Cook as well as his journey and discoveries as they sailed on a voyage around Whitby Harbour and along the coast of Sandsend. The views of North Yorkshire's Jurassic Coastline were stunning. The ship glided through the water with ease, like scissors cutting through paper.
Even though they were on a boat in the middle of the sea, Rachel felt completely safe. The feeling of the wind whipping through her hair, and having nothing in front of her but ocean and interestingly shaped cliffs made her feel at peace.
Eddie on the other hand, hadn't had such a good time. To Rachel's surprise, he did suffer a little with seasickness. By the time they had got off the boat, he was white as a sheet, his skin tinged with a little green.
Rachel had sat him down on a bench (out of fear he might faint) before going to the corner shop across the road to get him a bottle of water. Whilst she had sympathy for Eddie, she was glad it wasn't her feeling sick for once. Eddie was too.
Once he was feeling better, they had made their way back to the apartment. She had left him to rest on their bed whilst she'd sat out on the balcony and applied the bare minimum of make-up for tonight. She hadn't made too much of an effort with her outfit, knowing that they would be outdoors all evening and she would be bundled up in her scarf, hat, gloves and winter coat. She'd picked out her blue, long sleeved top (which was still a little tight around her middle), a pink fleece and some leggings. She had thought about throwing the blue top away when she'd realised it didn't quite fit her as well as it used to. But she couldn't do it. This was the top that had made her realise she was pregnant. Even though she knew it wouldn't be suitable to wear soon, she wanted to keep it as a memory.
As she sat out on the balcony, listening to squabbling seagulls and the sounds of the sea, she thought about Eddie. He had been acting a little strange today. He seemed nervous and distant. She wasn't sure why. When she'd asked him, he'd told her he was fine. She was trying not to be too concerned about it. He'd tell her whatever it was when he was ready.
She hummed contentedly as she felt his arms wrapping themselves around her shoulders. She smiled as his lips pressed a kiss into her hair. Instinctively, she leaned back into him.
"Hey" he whispered
"Hi" she replied
She stared at him with those big, brown eyes in such a loving way. It made his heart melt every time. He really did love her.
"How are you feeling?" she asked
"A bit better" he told her, moving to sit in the chair next to her
Rachel didn't know it, but Eddie was still feeling sick, and not just because of the boat ride they'd been on earlier (although that was contributing to it a little). Tonight was the night he was going to propose. He was excited, of course he was. But, currently, his nerves were taking control.
He knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Rachel, but did she feel the same way about him?
Was it too soon?
What if she said no?
What if she hated the ring he'd chosen?
Deep down, he knew all of these thoughts were completely irrational, but it could get real very quickly. He just wanted it to go smoothly. Hopefully it would and all would be well.
"I didn't know being on a boat would make you feel sick. Why didn't you tell me?" she inquired gently
"I- it was something I had as a kid. I've not been on a boat since then, so I thought I would have grown out of it" he shrugged
"Evidently not" she replied with a giggle
Eddie rolled his eyes playfully.
"Do you still want to go to this thing at Whitby Abbey? If you're not feeling too good we can just stay here" she offered
"No, I'm fine, Rach. I want to go" he insisted
"Ok" she nodded
"Come on, let's get going" he told her, helping her to her feet
They put on their coats, shoes, hats, scarves and gloves and made their way out of the flat. Eddie subtly tapped the hidden pocket of his jacket, the ring box letting him know it was still in there. What he had planned for tonight could go one of two ways. He hoped it would end with Rachel having a ring on her finger.