An arrangement had been made to meet up with Grant and Maria at the weekend. Nina was ready for a bit of socialising after spending days getting their home in order. The friends were visiting to have a nose around the house and have a good catch up.
Grant had receding light brown hair and twinkly blue eyes. He was a, nice, looking man and had attracted a glamorous woman to be his wife. Maria must have some Mediterranean blood. Her hair was almost black and her eyes were brown. When they had met up before, they had enjoyed relaxed conversation and lots of laughs,
There were, inevitably, stories of when Rory and Grant were at school together, but they were interspersed with other subjects. Nina never felt excluded from the conversations. Maria was a local, too, but was younger than the men and was often hearing the tales for the first time, as well.
In town, on a solo trip, Nina wandered around cementing the layout in her mind. More places of interest were found once off of the main road. A, smart looking, hairdressers, essential, an, old fashioned, tea shop, which was charming, and a hardware store. Planning on serving choice nibbles to her guests, she headed for the deli.
It was nice to be anonymous. With Rory, people stared and stopped to chat. Walking along on her own, no one gave her the once over. It was Nina's turn to study the inhabitants of Fernborough. There were the country types, all wax jackets and boots. Pensioners out for a stroll. A mix of young mums, very young mums, youths and the track suited, who hung about in the square.
The square was an inaccurate description. An old house stood back from the High Street. It was now the offices of a solicitor. An area at the front must have been a courtyard at some time and was now occupied by a spindly tree, a bench and a concrete planter, which now served as another place to sit, and was home to a few weeds.
This was the square and it attracted people with nothing else to do. Nina thought, rather spitefully, that the solicitors was handily placed for the youths who gathered outside. As she walked past the, half a dozen, youngsters, they were laughing and smiling and politely moved out of her way. Not desperate criminals then.
As more and more items were added to her purchases in the deli, the owner struck up a conversation.
"I've not seen you in here before. Are you new to the area?"
"Yes. I've just moved here with my husband, Rory Jackson, you probably know…"
"Oh, you're Rory's missus. I'm Sam, nice to meet you."
Returning home, the shopping was unpacked as Rory looked on.
"I got a selection of meats. Parma ham, salami, some lovely ham, and cheese of course. Stilton, brie, cheddar, and this local goat cheese. The deli had nice pickles and relishes as well."
"Is it still run by Sam?"
"Yes. He said he knew you. Anyway, then I went to the bakers and got this amazing bread."
"A successful trip into town then."
"I enjoyed it. Found a hairdresser's, too."
"The one on the High Street?"
"No, around the back, can't remember the name of the road."
"I was going to say, the other one is a bit perm and blue rinse."
"I might try that look in another fifty years or so."
"You would rock it."
Maria and Grant arrived, clutching a bottle of Champagne. These were the type of friends that they needed. Popping of a cork, glasses chinking, the official welcome was done.
"Well, Nina, is it a bit of a culture shock?" Grant grinned.
"Yes, and no. Obviously, its very different, but so far, it's been good."
"You will not be alone. I intend to take you under my wing and guide you through the delights of Fernborough." Maria said.
"I would very much appreciate that."
"I see that you've already found the deli. Can't wait to tuck into that lot."
As Nina and Maria chatted, Rory and Grant were laughing about old times. When Abby's name was mentioned, the girls' conversation ceased.
"Do you remember this house when Abby lived here?" Grant asked.
"Yeah, it was like an antiques shop. Ornaments and paintings everywhere." Rory said.
"I mostly remember the chairs. Odd dining chairs everywhere you looked. Then wing backed ones and sofas."
"They were in the kitchen, the hall, even in the bathroom. It all went eventually when her dad, Ron's haulage business went under."
"There was an auction and then various yard sales. A shame really. All of their stuff out on a lawn with people picking through it. We came to have a look out of curiosity. It was a bit ghoulish really."
"Did you buy anything?"
"There wasn't much left when we went. Abby was there and it felt weird to hand over money. Like I'd be donating to a charity."
"They've bounced back though. I heard that they had enough to buy a small house and that Ron now drives a van."
"Yeah, and Abby works with horses. She will always be a country girl."
"More wine?" Rory offered and everyone grabbed their glasses.