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Chapter 05
In the garden of the cottage, Amelia-Rose was lying on her back. Her thin yellow T-shirt and knee length plain green skirt was no protection against the brambles and the nettles where she lay.
Ludicrously she found herself gurgling with laughter. What price the bright lights of London and an opulent social life when she could lie in as bed of brambles and nettles? Life in the country was never so idyllic!
She struggled to her feet, trying to avoid more barbs from the blackberry bushes and the painful silky touch of the stinging nettles, and edged forward.
"In the middle of all those brambles and nettles where the front of your garden meets the towpath," Angus had said, "there is a community notice board. I'm on the committee of the local parish community hall and in the past people living here have put up notices for us. We wondered whether you would like to. There's a barn dance on soon, next week in fact, and you might like to join in, especially if you are here by yourself. It would give you a chance to meet your neighbors and we'd not charge you anything since you've put up the notice." It had all come out in an uncomfortable rush and he'd looked embarrassed.
The poster he'd pulled out of his bag had been simple. It looked as if it had been created using crayons and was contained in a cheap clear plastic filing wallet to protect it from the weather.
Amelia-Rose hadn't known what to say and felt thoroughly foolish. She'd been certain he was about to proposition her. It wouldn't be the first time that a man she hardly known had tried it on. Throughout her marriage, there had been the occasional hopefuls - even amongst her husband's friends.
All were turned down instantly and without another thought. Usually she rebuffed them politely with a smile and the gentle reminder that she was happily married but once she'd been so angry she'd lashed out and slapped the man's face hard.
The postman's innocent question about her ring suddenly brought it home that her life was different now. No one would be jealous. She could say 'yes'. Invite him to come inside.
'I was just thinking of having a cup of tea. Would you like one?'
Wasn't that what people did? Matters then might take their course.
Except that the thought of being with a man who was not her husband still filled her with panic waves of revulsion.
She felt virgin-like, nervous as a schoolgirl contemplating her first date.
But the innocent question from the postman about the poster needed an answer and she dragged her mind back.
"It may not go up today", she'd said slowly, gingerly taking the plastic pouch from him. "It looks very overgrown there."
"The barn dance is at the end of the next week," he'd said, with his uncertain smile. "To be honest, I'm not very good at being organized - or approaching strangers to ask for favors. I've left it to the last minute and now it's a bit urgent. There are lots of holidaymakers as well as local people who pass the end of your garden. We've always had a good response from posters there and we desperately need the publicity."
Amelia-Rose nodded resignedly, inclining her head sideways so her hair glinted in the sun.
"I'll try to put it up today," she'd agreed.
He'd shuffled from foot to foot, thanking her profusely and then disappeared out of her garden at speed, climbing over her flowerbed and leaving yet another footprint.
She'd watched him leave, sighed with irritation at the footprint, and with her apron off had gingerly threaded her way through the undergrowth. Just when she'd located the notice board, she'd lost her footing.
Amelia-Rose struggled to her feet and picked at the rusty drawing pins left by previous notices. Eventually and after at least one broken fingernail and a lot of cursing and sucking of her injured finger, she extracted four pins to fix the Barn Dance notice in place.
On the way out of the undergrowth, she scratched her legs on the brambles, caught her skirt again and was stung some more by trailing nettles. However, back in the cottage, she felt some satisfaction at a job well done. After all, it had been the most excitement she'd had since her arrival at this remote cottage.
She decided to have a hot bath and then rub in some lotion to soothe away the stinging from the nettles and the pain from her scratched legs and arms.
Secreted away in the safety of her cottage, she didn't see the hole that suddenly appeared in the top right corner of the notice board or hear the snap of the firearm that produced it.
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