The Wishing Well

by Jilly Bowling

  “Yes that’s true, but hey, I’m a Devonian, we’ve got to have something to complain about.”

  Their drinks arrived and they took a long drink “Gosh I was ready for that,” Bella said.

  Roman’s eyes smiled at her.

  “What?”

  “I just love the way you enjoy everything.”

  She thought about it and realised that, yes she did get enjoyment from simple things. Then she smiled at him and said “Perhaps I’m looking at things through rose coloured glasses.”

  He laughed and said “Perhaps I’m wearing the same glasses?”

  She gazed at him self consciously, but then their food arrived and they tucked in, to home cooked ham, mature Cheddar cheese, salad, pickled onions chutney and fresh made crusty bread with local farm butter.

  As Roman watched her savour every mouthful he blessed the day she’d got that old van stuck in the mud.

  * * *

  They found the sites they’d been allocated at the fair, and Roman spoke to his men who were putting up the marquee, then they left for Newton Abbot.

  Their trip to the Mills was successful as Bella found a blue waterproof gazebo with sides for the great price of eighty five pounds, reduced from one hundred and twenty. Then she persuaded Roman to make a detour to the tile factory and picked up three boxes of tiles of all colours shapes and sizes for which she put twenty pounds into the air ambulance charity box.

  As Roman loaded the boxes into the land rover he said “It amazes me how much waste they have, surely they could do something with them?”

  “It’s like everything these days, it costs more to sort out the damaged boxes and broken stock than to buy new, which is perfect for people like me. Otherwise they’d go to landfill.”

  Roman shook his head “Shows what profits these big concerns make when they can waste so much.”

  “I expect some of the things, that arrive damaged, they get compensation for but you know, even online, retail outlets prefer not to have things returned. They send out a new one and say throw away the faulty one.”

  “Yes, I suppose even we spend a lot on deliveries.”

  “Although my ebay customers pay for delivery, it still surprises me how much postage costs, which is why I’ve booked myself into some craft fairs around London before Christmas.”

  “Ah,” Roman frowned. “So where do you intend to stay for these fairs?”

  “I’ve looked up some B&B’s in that area but they are still quite pricey, so I thought a hostel might be the best thing. It’ll only be for one or two nights.”

  “You could stay in my house, which is in the outer suburbs.”

  Bella looked at him in surprise. “You have a house in London?”

  Roman grinned “Where did you think I stayed when I go up to London?”

  “A hotel or with friends.”

  “Even I would find it a bit pricey to stay somewhere decent and I wouldn’t impose on friends. The house belonged to my uncle, who died without an heir, so the house came to my father in his will. Dad was going to sell it but then I got a job in London and it was a perfect base for me, to sow my wild oats from.”

  Bella gave his shoulder a push and he laughed; then she said “So it stands empty most of the time?”

  “No, I have a house sitter who lives there and maintains it, while paying a nominal rent. My friends stay there sometimes and I go up to London quite often, usually spending Christmas and New year there. Mrs. B goes to her family at Christmas, so it works out well for both of us.”

  By this time they’d arrived at the cottage where they unloaded the boxes of tiles into the barn, and the gazebo into the back of the van which already held the furniture she was taking to the fair.

  Misty greeted them ecstatically so they took her for a walk to reward her good behaviour, and as they walked they discussed Widecombe fair, the craft fairs around London, as well as Christmas.

  “I’ll take you up and introduce you to Edward for your first visit, then you can have a key and go whenever you want. Do you want me to have Misty on the days you’re away?”

  “Yes please, I was going to ask you if you’d have her. Joy offered but I think she’d be happier with you and Hamish.”

  Roman nodded “When’s your first fair up there?”

  “The twenty seventh of September, then it’s the fifteenth of October, eleventh of November and the last is the tenth of December. After tomorrow I’m going to have to work flat out. The fact that you’ve got my workshop finished is going to help tremendously. I don’t know what I’d have done without you.”

  “I do, you’d have worked yourself into the ground and managed it somehow. Don’t underestimate yourself my love,” he said as he put his arms around her.

  Lifting her face to his she smiled, “It’s been so much easier with you by my side.”

  He lowered his head and covered her mouth with his, gently at first, but when she responded so sweetly he took it deeper until both were overcome with desire. As he pulled away from her he whistled for Misty and turned in the direction of the cottage.

  As they entered the back door he pushed it shut, swept her up into his arms and carried her through into the bedroom. Shedding coats, boots and jeans he lowered her to the bed and kissed her until all she could think of was him and their bodies joined together, soothing that sweet itch that was building in both of them.

  Easing her up he pulled off her sweatshirt and bra, as she struggled to open his shirt and run her fingers over his muscled chest and back, while his head dipped seeking her taut nipples. Finally when neither could wait any longer he slid into her, groaning at the pleasure of it, then took them both to that explosion of pleasure and release, which had built up from that kiss on the moor.

  As they lay together in the afterglow, Misty pushed open the door and padded into the room. Sitting next to the bed she released a deep sigh and gazed at them reproachfully.

  Bella laughed “I forgot to feed her.”

  “It’s not long past her feed time, I’ll do it,” and he slid out of bed before saying, “stay there, I’ll make a cup of tea, don’t move.”

  Bella lay back against the pillows, a satisfied smile on her face as she watched him leave the room.

  Chapter 11

  The day of the fair dawned crisp and dry, and as she loaded the van in the pale early morning light, Bella breathed in the sweet tasting air of the moor. All around her animals and birds were preparing for another day and the dawn chorus brought a happy smile to her lips.

  Roman had rushed off to supervise the layout of the estate’s marquee well before the day had started to lighten, telling her that if she needed any help setting up her stall to let him know. After letting Misty out to relieve herself, she made some sandwiches and a flask of tea while she forced down a bowl of cereal, her stomach churning at the thought that she might not sell anything.

  She needn’t have worried, as the sun rose over the moor, visitors came in their droves. To her satisfaction the gazebo had gone up fairly easily with a helping hand from the owner of the stall next to her. His stall was displaying wrought iron ware, weather vanes and intricately made metal animals and birds.

  Inside her gazebo she placed three wall paper pasting tables around the covered sides, covering them with pale green material she’d picked up at a car boot sale, and arranged her cushions on them. The pieces of upcycled furniture were placed just outside, on either side to funnel people inside, and her watering cans and buckets stood on the ground in front of them. Her throws were hung down the walls, with Joy’s paintings hanging from the horizontal struts of the gazebo, and a couple of throws hung down the doorway along with some of the shopping bags made from the old hessian feed sacks Roman had found when he cleared out the barns. She’d added some pretty material to some, left others plain and stencilled
words or animals and birds onto others, and from the minute the fair opened they sold very quickly.

  There had been over a hundred sacks in the barns, some dating back to the nineteenth century and she’d used about twenty, wondering if she was wasting her time; now she made a note to herself of which designs were the most popular as they were, once washed, quick and easy to make and would make ideal Christmas gifts for the Christmas markets.

  The two stalls side by side were attracting the attention of people from all around the village, as they were so different but complemented each other so well. By lunchtime both stall holders were exhausted but delighted and during a lull while people searched out lunch or picnicked on the grass the blacksmith left his stall and carried a glass of cider round to Bella.

  “Here love, come and sit yerself down. My what a morning, eh? Never had such a good fair.”

  “Thanks, um, I’m afraid I don’t know your name.” Bella said as she took the glass off him.

  “It’s Sid.”

  “Thanks Sid, I’m Bella,” and she held out her hand which he shook forcefully making her wince slightly.

  “You moved into Lucy’s old place. How you settling in?”

  “Yes, I love it.”

  “Spect it needed a lot doing to it. Luce was a bit doddery towards the end.”

  Bella grimaced as the thought of Lucy struggling by herself made her feel guilty. “It wasn’t too bad, just needed a lick of paint and bringing up to date.”

  “My old Dad was a friend of Lucy’s, I believe they courted for a while when they were young, but they never made a go of it, and Dad married my Mum. he used to say that she was a lot easier to live with than Lucy would have been.”

  Bella regarded him thoughtfully, wishing that she’d known her great aunt better; when she was a child Lucy had been kind but distant, so she could understand what Sid was saying.

  “I think she was very much a loner,” he went on, “spoke to everyone but no one ever got close.”

  “When I stayed with her as a child she was kind but distant.”

  “Yeah, that were Lucy,” Sid said. Then he changed the subject. “Friend of Roman’s I hear!”

  Bella nodded “Yes, he’s been a great help since I moved here.”

  “He’s a decent bloke, good to work for and have as a friend.”

  She blushed and took a gulp of her cider, it was true that in this close knit community there were no secrets.

  A man and woman approached Sid’s stall and started fingering his metal animals, so he took himself off to make another sale, leaving Bella sitting on a stool she’d brought along, thinking she might have time to sit and eat her lunch, or drink a cup of tea between customers. The morning had been so busy, this was the first time she’d sat down, and the only chance she’d had to evaluate what she’d sold. There was only one piece of furniture left, all the painted watering cans and buckets had gone and her cushions, throws and bags were looking very scarce. The money bag on her waist was bulging, and she’d sold all of Joy’s paintings.

  People from other stalls selling art or crafts had visited her stall, all her flyers had gone and many had asked to come and visit her studio with the idea that they might sell through it. As she munched on a cheese and ham sandwich she thought back over the last months and a feeling of contentment washed over her. She’d done what she’d set out to do, prove that not only could she survive but build up a good business.

  “Hello. Gosh, your stall looks a bit empty.”

  Bella looked up to see Joy standing in front of her. “Hi, yes this morning’s been amazing. I’ve sold three pieces of furniture, all the cans and buckets, loads of bags, cushions and throws and all your paintings.”

  “No! All my paintings? Gosh I can’t believe it. I didn’t think anyone would want one.”

  “You underestimate yourself, everyone has commented on how good they are; capture the area perfectly, so you better get busy, because when my studio’s open, I’ll want my walls covered in them. I’ve got a great deal of cash for you.”

  “I can’t believe it.”

  “Believe it Joy, you have a talent,” Bella said seriously. “Hey would you like a cup of tea, I’ve got a spare mug.”

  “That’d be nice. By the way I let Misty out, threw her stick for her fo a while. She’s a lovely dog isn’t she? Best thing Roman’s done, taking her away from Jakeman. Did you know that he’s lost his place? Behind on the mortgage, the bank foreclosed on him, and his wife finally left the miserable sod.”

  “Thanks for letting her out, she is good,” Bella handed Joy a mug then went on, “no I didn’t know that about Mr. Jakeman, can’t say I’m sorry for him but what about his wife?”

  “She’s alright, now she doesn’t have him to worry about she’s taken on more cleaning and Roman’s rented her a tiny cottage on the estate. She’s looking twenty years younger already and has joined the over sixties and the W.I, and goes to bingo twice a week.”

  “What’s he doing?”

  “Don’t know don’t care. Always been a nasty lot, the Jakemans. How Val came to marry him, god only knows.”

  “I wonder why Roman didn’t tell me?”

  Joy shrugged her shoulders, then as people started to return to the stalls said, “I’ll let you get on, you won’t have much packing up to do when you’re finished. See you later, bye.”

  Later, busy with a customer inside the gazebo Bella wasn’t aware what was happening outside until she heard Sid’s voice shouting “Ere, stop that you bloody idiot.”

  Excusing herself from the lady she’d been serving she went outside, to find Bert Jakeman wearing one of her throws as a cape and pulling more throws and hessian bags onto the floor to trample them. She rushed to rescue her goods, shouting at him to stop. Turning to her with a look of hatred on his face, Jakeman, who was staggering drunk and filthy, pushed her hard, causing her to fly backwards and land on the last piece of furniture she had for sale. The lovely little console table, that she’d spent hours working on splintered and fell to the ground with her on top of it.

  Sid rushed to help her, and as more locals sprung to her assistance her lovely throws and bags got trampled on. Jakeman was in a drunken rage, throwing off all who tried to stop him when Roman arrived on the scene. Word had raced across the fair to him and as he took in the sight of Bella on the ground he roared with anger “Jakeman!”

  The vicious thug shook off those who were trying to restrain him and lurching towards Roman took a swing at him, only to land unconscious on the ground from Roman’s hard right hook. Ignoring the prone figure on the ground he strode to Bella’s aid “Are you OK love?”

  She got shakily to her feet and started to pick splinters of wood out of her arms, glad that she had denim jeans on as she brushed the bits of wood off her bottom and legs. “Yes I’m OK, can we rescue my things please?”

  People were picking up her throws and bags, shaking them and passing them back to her. The tough hessian bags were alright, the grass and leaves just brushed off them, but four of the throws were stained and would need washing before she could sell them. Her lip wobbled as she looked at the console table, smashed to pieces, and the throws looking decidedly used and dirty. Then Roman put his arms around her and said “At least it happened after you’d had a good sale.”

  She frowned, then looked up into his eyes, and things didn’t seem so bad. “Yes, I’d have been extremely pissed off if it had happened first thing.”

  “Come on now folks, let us through,” an official voice shouted and four police officers made their way through the crowd of onlookers.

  Roman kissed her on the forehead and went to greet them saying to one of them “Hello John, as you can see, Bert Jakeman got himself drunk, as usual, caused damage to my fiance’s stall, then collided with the ground.”

  John, who had grown
up with Roman, glanced at his reddening knuckles and asked “How much damage has he done?”

  “He’s wrecked a piece of furniture, ruined four throws and pushed my fiance to the ground. Luckily she’s not hurt, just badly shaken.”

  At that moment Jakeman lifted his head up and woozily asked “Wha` `appened?”

  “You got drunk bert and fell over.” John said, glancing at his fellow officers who all nodded in agreement. Then he turned to Bella and asked “do you want to press charges?”

  She looked at Roman’s knuckles and said “No, just take him away, he’s as drunk as a skunk.”

  “Right then, come on Bert, nice ride in a squad car then sleep it off in the cells until tomorrow.”

  The four burly policemen levered him up off the ground, John grabbed his chin and waggled it back and forward before saying “Good job you didn’t hit the ground any harder or you’d have broken your jaw.” Then he looked at Roman and said “We’ll keep an eye on him, make sure he’s not got anything broken, then send him on his way tomorrow.”

  “Thanks John, the way he’s drinking It’s a wonder his liver hasn’t packed in.”

  “He’s been drinking for fifty years, to my knowledge, it’s probably pickled. See you around mate.”

  As they carried Jakeman away Bella turned to Roman picked up his hand and said “The question is, have you broken anything?”

  His knuckles were turning from red to blue and he flexed his hand and grimaced “No nothing broken, just won’t be able to use a pen for a while.”

  Bella shook her head “You shouldn’t have hit him so hard.”

  “Don’t know my own strength, anyhow are you alright?”

  “Yes, but why didn’t you tell me about him losing his house and wife?”

  “Didn’t want to worry you.”

  “Do you think that he might be the one who’s been causing problems?”

  “Don’t know, suppose it’s a possibility but what’s he got to gain from it. It wasn’t me who made him homeless.”