He first asked her to move in with him about six months after she had left school. Hannah was too young to make such a drastic change and, as much as she loved him, she wanted to wait. Carl accepted her decision and said he was happy to give her more time. That is what he told her, in reality, he was frustrated that she didn't do what he wanted.
Just after her seventeenth birthday Hannah was finally coaxed away from her parents and into the house which Carl owned. It was such a pretty little house and she asked if she could redecorate and of course Carl said yes.
"Anything to make you happy." He had said giving her his most charming grin.
Now that she was with him full time all the doubts that she had worried about seemed to disappear. Hannah had been right to leave school at sixteen and get a job. Her family had been fine with her decision to move out and she was happy about it too. Why had she been so reticent to commit to this man who loved her so much?
The office job at a factory which made packaging, was interesting. They made bags and boxes to fit a variety of products. Hannah dealt with paperwork and enjoyed the friendships she had forged with her fellow workers. Her manager had lined up some courses which she could take at home which would help her work towards a promotion. Carl was not enthusiastic about the chances she had been given.
At the end of her working day, Carl would be waiting outside to pick her up in the car which he had now acquired. He had got the smart hatchback from one of his customers at a knock down price, he had said. As the workers left the factory, Carl inspected them. Hannah usually left with a couple of girls from the office and they chatted as they exited the building. A lot of the other employees were men.
He had Hannah in the house and away from her family, but she still had a strong connection to them. The next step would have to be separating her completely from her parents and Will. Carl allegedly went off to work during the day, but he was working on his next project. He would move them to a remote location. This would serve two purposes. She would be away from her relatives and she would have to give up her job. It was not good for her to be surrounded by so many men.
"Hannah, I've got good news. I've been offered a really good job. It will mean that we will have to move, but that is okay, isn't it?" Carl held her hand as he spoke.
"Where will we move to? Not far away, I hope."
"It's a place called Cartham. A little village by the sea. We will stay in a really sweet cottage. I went to check it out the other day."
"It sounds nice, but how far away is it?"
"Not far. We will be coming back regularly to see your family."
"I see them nearly everyday at the moment. It will be strange to be away from them. If you promise that we will visit often, I can't see a problem."
"You know I wouldn't suggest it unless this was the best thing for us. More money, a bigger house, a beautiful area, we will be happy there, I know it."
They packed up and moved to the place on the coast. Hannah liked the fresh air and the rugged landscape and told herself how lucky she was to live in such a beautiful place. The house that Carl had chosen was small, old and full of junk, but she liked it. Not having a job, meant that she could decorate and tidy up.
It had been sad to give up her job at the factory. The girls she had worked with bought her a card and a gift and said a tearful goodbye. Her manager said that if she ever moved back to her home town there would be a position available at the factory. He was sorry to lose a hard worker who had so much potential.
The cottage would need quite a bit of work, but Hannah was keen to get started. Old furniture had been left in the house and she selected the pieces that she wanted to keep. A large kitchen table would have to stay. How had the previous tenant even got it into the house? Come to think of it, why did they leave so much behind?
Carl was out at work and it was a bit lonely, sometimes. Hannah headed into the village most days and hoped that she would make some friends. People were polite and pleasant, but busy. After a couple of weeks, a conversation, albeit brief, was had. The woman's name was Jane.
"So, you are living at Mr Grundy's old place." Hannah described where she lived and the woman confirmed that it had once belonged to an old gentleman.
"He was old and a bit unhealthy, but not on his last legs, and then four weeks ago he upped and died. How did you get the place so quickly?" Hannah didn't know.