The house sat empty, waiting for its new owners to arrive. It had experienced so much turmoil in the last decade. A number of different occupants had tried to make it their home, but none had settled. As each new family arrived, full of plans and hope, they had been assessed and judged to be transient.

Being over one hundred and fifty years old, meant that many people had lived at the Victorian house on Meadow Lane. In reality, everything felt transient to it. Seasons came and went, minor repairs were carried out, but its foundations were solid and the walls were strong. It would endure longer than any of its human residents.

The latest buyers were a young couple. It had only seen the woman once, but the man was familiar. Maybe these people would be the ones to really like the house and make it a loving home. They had chosen it, but would it be happy with them?

Chapter 1

Rory was driving, he enjoyed it, and Nina was staring out of the window. Country lanes, hedges, trees, fields with crops, fields with sheep, fields with cows. Stifling a yawn, Nina took a quick look at her husband and could see his happiness. Tapping the steering wheel in time to the music, singing the occasional lyric, and turning to her to smile. They were nearing his home town.

The description of Fernborough as a town was generous. Compared to the many villages in the area, it was large, but with less than two thousand people, it felt tiny to Nina. Everyone knew everybody else, it seemed. Pick out one person, ask them one question, and a link to Rory would be found. They went to school with him, or their son or daughter did. They were distantly related. Their mother's brother's niece married into the family. The word "claustrophobic", came to mind.

"Nearly there." Rory was beaming.

Nina didn't trust herself to offer an "oh, good" without sounding sarcastic, so she nodded and smiled.

"We'll go straight to the house. Start getting everything sorted. Mum and dad will be around to help, so we'll soon get done. If nothing else mum will make numerous cups of tea."

The potholed drive to the house was the last part of the journey. Nina imagined the removal company lorry jolting over it rattling her china. If something precious was broken, it would be the final straw. Their new home stood in front of them. It was a, nice looking house. Inside the Victorian building, high ceilings and large rooms awaited.

Would she be happy in this house on the edge of town? Nina almost felt like a hostage. Railroaded into a move to the country and made to live in a beautiful old house. It didn't sound too bad when she thought about it that way, but there was still a lurking resentment about the situation. The conversation that started this odyssey was recalled.

"I have some great news." Rory was grinning and practically hopping from foot to foot.

Nina smiled, but reserved her excitement. Rory was enthusiastic about a lot of things, many of which left her underwhelmed.

"Richmond Gallagher are opening a new office. It is going to be about twenty miles from Fernborough. They are offering me a better job there. We can move back to my home town. We can move out of the city, I'll be earning more money, houses there are cheaper. Every way you look at it, it's a win."

At this point, Nina had turned away to stop Rory seeing the tears springing to her eyes. Born and brought up in the city, that is where she wanted to stay.

"I need to get my head around this, Rory. Moving to the country, changing jobs, it's a bit overwhelming."

"Oh, I know. You're used to the city, but it will be so much better living in a small town."

"How will it be better? I'll be leaving my friends for a start."

"One of the advantages of living in the country is that everyone comes to visit you. Your friends will be flocking there, especially in the summer. I'll grab my laptop and we can look at houses for sale in and around Fernborough."

A hug and a kiss sealed the deal as far as Rory was concerned. Nina didn't want to be unreasonable, but it was not what she wanted. It would be almost impossible to change her husband's mind though. There must be some positives to this.

Country walks, ending with a meal in a pub. A nice roast, or a pie. That would be good, but where they lived now, there was food from every country. No more Vietnamese meals then. She had nearly found a positive, but had immediately cancelled it out. Small businesses selling one off items, good. What about the clothes shops? Would they feature a preponderance of tweed?

Better air quality was the one thing Nina clung to. Everything else seemed, somehow, less. Whatever she threw at Rory, he would bat it back with gusto. "You'll make new friends", or "we can get a dog", and then the inevitable "we'll be close to my mum and dad". The tears were welling up again.

Joy and Martin, Rory's mum and dad, were lovely people who adored their only child. They had accepted Nina straight away and treated her like a member of the family. There was no possible reason why she wouldn't like them. She did like them, in small doses. All the hugging and sharing, kisses and care, was a bit cloying.

A child of a single mother, who was now living in Spain, Nina had survived quite well without all of the cossetting. The closeness of the Jackson family felt strange. Rory phoned his parents at least twice a week. There had been no contact with her mother for months. Maybe, with them so close, it would appear more normal. A sort of aversion therapy, where one was immersed in the bosom of the family until the hugs and kisses were returned without flinching.

Too late now. The juggernaut, once rolling, could not be stopped. The house lay ahead and Joy and Martin were already there, waving as they stood beside their car, big smiles on their faces. Nina braced herself for the onslaught of affection. An encouraging smile from Rory and they were out of the car.

"I'm so excited that you are finally here. Hurry up and open the door. I can't wait to get inside." Joy was hugging them as she spoke.

"Is the removal van on its way?" Martin asked.

"Yes, dad. Should be here within the hour. Time to get in, do any cleaning, have a cuppa, and then the real work begins."

Nina was swept into her new home on a wave of Jackson optimism. All four of them went on a tour of the house. Large lounge, big kitchen diner, downstairs cloakroom, study and then on up to the four bedrooms. As every door was opened, oohs and ahs burst from Joy. Martin checked for power points. Rory grinned at Nina and she managed an approximation of happiness.