Abby Ch. 20

The next day dawned cloudy but dry. Now that George Walker was coming on Friday, her plans for that day, which was to lay out her ensemble for the Ball, were brought forward to today. She mentioned this to Mary at breakfast, after scolding her for trying to slip another rasher of bacon, and a slightly higher mound of scrambled egg on her plate. Mary took the scolding in her stride, and even if she had been upset was immediately mollified when Abby asked her help. "I want to lay out the dress and everything else I shall be wearing. Is there somewhere I could do that where it won't be disturbed?"

Mary thought for little more than a moment. "Yes. I'll open one of the other guest rooms for you. I haven't got any bookings so it won't be a problem." She didn't mention that if she had some last minute guests, that room would not be given to anyone. This was far more important.

The day passed swiftly, and Abby was amazed how much she had to do, and seemingly how little time she had in which to do it. The dress, shoes, gloves and cape, were laid out on the bed with layers of tissue paper to keep the dust off. Abby had made a choice from what little jewellery she had. She looked at a single strand of Pearls, with matching earrings. Mary was willing her to choose those and Abby did. Mary approved, saying that it was simple, but very elegant. Noting at the same time that they had not been cheap, the box they came in had the name of a very well-known jeweller on the inside. It was late afternoon before Abby had a chance to relax, and sitting in her room had caught up on a little more reading of Mr. Brasher's papers together with the inevitable cup of tea.

James had told her that George Walker would be at the station about ten o' clock, and Abby was impressed that he arrived very promptly. He examined carefully both the station and the house. "I can see straight away that these slabs will need re-laying." indicating the platform paving. "Some will need to be replaced, as they are cracked too much. I will have to talk to a quarry to get the right ones, else they will look out of place, and the Heritage people will not allow it. The station generally is in good condition, just needs some pointing and painting. The Barge boards will need to be replaced. I will have to get details of how they actually looked to make exact copies." Abby asked him if he could put in Electric light and power. He looked a bit dubious. "I shall have to see what the Heritage people say. It's possible as the supply cables run alongside the lane, but they may say no, to that. I can put it in the house, that's not listed, and as I understand you intend to live there, you will need it." He never seemed to stay in the one place, always strolling around the building and stopping suddenly to examine some stonework or structure. He would make notes in his little book making a little humming sound and then move on. Abby had to run a little to keep up with him.

Eventually he ended up back at on the platform. "Can we get inside?" Abby had the key, and tried the lock. The oiling that Harry had given it had worked and copying the knack that Reg had demonstrated she was pleased to open the doors with little trouble. George went inside, again stopping and starting, making his notes and humming to himself. Eventually he looked up and spoke to Abby. "They built well in those days. Everything over-engineered of course, but it has lasted over a hundred years, and will probably last another hundred." He consulted his notes. "Strip and replace the plaster as it is coming away, and repaint. That old desk has the worm. Best to get it out and burn it before it gets in the floorboards. Doubt that there is any rot at all, Lime plaster takes care of that."

"Do you have to replace the plaster?"

"Best. Some of it is coming off already, I can patch, but it's better to get it all off, then we can see the condition of the walls as well. They should be alright, but it would be sensible to make sure. I shall have to replace with Lime-plaster, so when it's painted you will not know any difference." Abby in her brief scrutiny had not seen the damage, but accepted his opinion.

"I don't want to burn the desk. That was my grandfather's desk."

He looked at her with curiosity. "Your grandfather worked here?"

"Yes he was the stationmaster."

He thought for a moment or two. "Right! Well in that case I'll get it collected, and take it to Archie Breed. He can treat the worm, and from what I have seen will be able to restore the desk to as good as new. He's a good craftsman. Cost you a bit though." Abby did not need to think. As far as she was concerned the price would be worth it.

George explained that he was looking at the basics, but he couldn't give her a price until the Heritage Officer had inspected and gave him a list of requirements. "That will be a long list I have no doubt. When I have their report I will be in touch with you to discuss it. Of one thing I can assure you though, it is going to cost you a bit. They will insist that I use materials that are sympathetic to the original."

Abby nodded. "I was prepared for that." She was to find with time that the expression 'cost you a bit' was frequently on George's lips. Abby locked the doors of the station and they walked over to the house. Mr. Walker detoured to his van, and then rejoined Abby with a pair of step ladders over his shoulder.

Abby was happy to see that Sam had arrived. George greeted him immediately. "Hello Sam, long time since I have seen you. Are you well?"

"George, good to see you again. Still bodging jobs are we?"

George grinned. "Only for those as is not quick on paying me."

"Well make sure you do a good job for this young Lady here. Else you will have the whole valley after your blood."

"Don't worry. I'll make sure she's happy with the work." Abby was surprised to see that the upstairs windows had now been cleared of the boarding; she pointed this out to Sam who shook his head.

"Not me, Abby, I suspect that Mr. James did it." Abby unlocked the door to the house.

George walked in to start his inspection. He came out again very quickly. "Miss Tregonney, you had better get that clock somewhere safe as quickly as possible."

Abby was confused. "James said something about that. Why is it valuable?"

"Yes." Replied George, "From a quick look I would say it is over one hundred years old. Clocks like that sell for over a thousand pounds. Anyone looking in could see it, and it is a bit too tempting."

Abby nodded. The value meant little to her, but it was her family's clock, and that gave it a different meaning. "Could you take it down for me? I'll keep it in my room until I can take it to be cleaned." George nodded and went back to make his survey. Abby stayed outside in the air, watching Sam pace the ground around the house.

The initial impulse to restore the station and the house had been just that, an impulse. But the more she thought about it the stronger her resolve became and she was now making plans in her mind about the funding. She was under no illusions; the commitment would be major, or as George Walker would say cost her a bit. Her thoughts became clear and firm. She would return to London within the next two weeks and pack the remaining personal items in the flat, and put it on the Market. When she bought it she had also purchased an extension of the lease to ninety-nine years. With this cushion the flat would be worth a lot more than if she had remained with the original lease of fifty-six years. The Capital she would release from that should be more than adequate for the work she was putting in hand here. There was no longer any regret about leaving the life she had known for this new one. Her only concern was to find something to do.

Sam returned to her to say that he felt sure that between them, Harry and he had sufficient post and rail to fence off the property. He went on. "Oh and I found the Septic tank around the back"

Abby remembered James saying something about that, or was it Reg? "A Septic tank? I thought that there was drainage."

Sam shook his head. "No Love. Not many here have drainage. About a hundred years ago everything went into the River. The water authority stopped that before the War. Now we have Septic tanks. Get them emptied about every six months." He had a smile on his face as he said. "Abby you will really be back to a rustic way of life here. Water from a well, and a Septic tank."

Abby laughed ruefully. "It will take some getting used to all these privations after the City. I don't even know where the nearest Tube station is."

Sam chuckled. "Well as long as you keep the smile on your face, that's all that matters. Honestly you won't know any different after about ten years. Oh and by the way. What's a Tube?" He laughed and Abby laughed with him.

George rejoined them. "What's so funny?"

"I was telling Abby about the delights of a Septic tank."

George nodded. "Only time you are reminded of it is when you have it emptied. If you have any sense then you go away for half a day."

The little book was produced and George went through his notes, humming as he did so. "Right. No real problems. All the wood is sound, and the fabric is in good condition, perhaps some pointing here and there. There is a Slate Damp-proof course. Unusual in houses of this age, but it was built by the railway, and they built well. Power can be installed, Central Heating if you want it. Use small bore, hardly see the pipes, most will be under the floor anyway. Bathroom, again no problem, I would suggest the back room upstairs, then the large soil pipe will be at the back, goes straight out to the septic. I would suggest that we strip the walls and ceilings, and put dry-liner up. You won't get all that white dust then, also make it easier to run the power and light cable behind. Also we can put insulation in as well. You will have to have a gas tank put somewhere. Has to be away from the house, but also convenient for the tanker to re-fill. The range now..." He thought for a moment. "I would suggest we take it out. They were not very efficient, and it was only used for cooking and immediate heat. We could replace it with a gas-fired Aga if you like?"

Abby was doubtful, she had noticed how long they took to boil a kettle. "To be honest I am not much of a cook, so I doubt that I will make use of it. But the range is part of the house and I would not like to see it go."

Sam decided that he ought to inject some realism. "Abby! You will have to decide if you want a Museum or a home. You can't have both. The range would be of little use to you, and you would spend hours cleaning it so George may as well get rid of it. Put an Aga in if you want, or a modern cooker." Abby was a little shocked. Sam had never spoken to her like that before, if she discounted their conversation on hunting.

But his words struck home, she didn't want to live in a Museum. She made up her mind. "You're right. Get rid of the range."

George made a note. Then went on. "I went up in the loft, that's sound. We could put a header tank up there with an electric pump feed from the Well. I'll get the water people in and check the quality of the water. Just a precaution though, Water round here has always been good, it's all this Sandstone, naturally filters the muck out. That's about it, Miss Tregonney, Take me a couple of days and I can let you have a quotation. It's is going to cost you a bit, though."

Abby gave this some thought. "Yes, I like your suggestions, and will go along with all of them."

She stopped as Sam coughed, and looked at him. "Abby, the front door faces North East. We can get a keen cold wind, down here. If I may I would suggest that you have a more substantial porch put on there."

George looked at the door, giving his humming sound which Abby now realised was his thinking process."I think Sam's right. We could box the porch in and put a second door on, that would sort that out."

Abby was also thinking. "How about putting a Victorian style Conservatory on that side? Could you do that Mr. Walker?"

Sam nodded fiercely. "That would look very good, I must say."

George considered the idea. "The building isn't listed, but we may have to apply for planning permission, depends how big you want it."

"I would think all along that side, perhaps take it round the corner and along the front as well."

"If you do that you will certainly require planning permission. They will be happy though that you don't want to put a modern style up, but we will have to draw the plans up and submit them. Leave it with me. I'll get my draughtsman to come down and we will put some ideas together. You're stopping at the Inn I understand? When I have got some drawings for the Conservatory I'll give you a ring, and we can discuss it." Abby said that would be fine. "If you wait a moment I will get the clock down for you." Abby looked at the house trying to visualise the conservatory on the side. Now that she had stepped back, she thought that taking the conservatory round the front may be going too far. George re-appeared with the clock, which tinkled as he moved. He gave it to Sam, and went back for his step-ladder. Abby re-locked the door. Sam said that he would follow Abby to the Inn and carry the clock in for her.

"Is it heavy, Sam?"

"No, but it is very dusty, you don't want to get this white dust all over you now." Abby thanked him. The kindnesses never seemed to stop.

Back at the Inn, Sam posed Abby a question. They were sitting on one of the benches at the back of the Inn. "I want you to think very carefully, Abby. Do you think you will feel comfortable living down there?" Abby didn't understand the meaning of his question and answered the question she thought he had asked.

"Oh yes, Sam. Once I have got all my bits around me I shall be fine. I know I got a bit emotional when we first opened the house, but I am over that now, that won't bother me again."

Sam smiled and told her he wasn't asking that. "What I am saying is how will you feel when you have moved in? You have lived all your life in the City. Now it's a long time since I have been there, but what I remember most is the feeling of being crowded all the time, by so many people, also the fact that even at night in the hotel it was never quiet, with traffic noise all the time. You have grown up with that, to you that is normal. Now down in your little house, when you go to bed you will be very alone. No other person within a mile of you, no street lights, no noise of traffic either. Look out of your window and all you will see is blackness. After a while you will start hearing strange noises. There will be badgers snuffling around, Dog Foxes barking, and the first time you hear a Vixen screech you will think someone is being murdered. You will have Deer around; you will hear the clack of their horns. All these noises will be a bit unnerving. Grow up with it and it means little, but coming as you do from the City it will be very strange. That is what I am worried about."

Abby's enthusiasm was pegged back a bit as his words sunk in. She hadn't considered that aspect. Living at the Inn was only a half-way house. There was laughter, voices and music playing until late in the evening. She often lay awake listening until sleep overtook her. Yes on those occasions when she had woken in the early hours it was black outside her window, it could become oppressive if you let it. Sam's words started to worry her. "I hadn't thought about it like that. Are you saying that perhaps I shouldn't go to live down there?"

"No Love, not at all. Of course you should go and live there, it's your family home. But what I will say to you is don't think for one moment that once you are there, you have to stay. You will find the winter worst, give some thought to coming back here for two or three months. Or if you would like, Mavis and I would be happy to have you stay with us. But please don't suffer in silence, believing that we would think any the less of you if you couldn't cope with the loneliness."

He stopped for a moment, thinking. "There is an upside to it though. The first Owl you see flying low over the fields at Dusk or early morning will thrill you. He flies about three to four feet off the ground, looking for small rodents. They can't see him until it's too late, but he can hear them. Old Barny will perch on a gate post, he's not frightened of you unless you get too close, and when you see his head turn right round to look backwards at you, you will want to laugh, it's so comical"

"Old Barny?"

"Yes, the Barn owl. You will see the Little Owl as well; he's quite small and likes a higher perch, so is a bit more difficult to spot. Mr. James, I am sure, has already pointed out the buzzards, and if you are very lucky you may see a Red Kite, they are mostly over Dartmoor, but some are on Exmoor as well. There are so many more that you will see. Look at the hedges and you will see Dunnocks, Robins, Linnets, Finches of all sorts, and Corn Buntings. You may like to get a book about the Birds so you can identify them. They are quite fascinating."

"Sam, I have heard about all of these except a Dunnock. What is that?"

"It's a hedgerow bird, some call it the hedge sparrow, but it isn't really a sparrow."

Abby liked to hear about the animals and birds, and thought that she would enjoy learning more. She had found her family roots, and a circle of friends she didn't feel she deserved. A new life was beckoning with many new interests, but she felt it wrong that all this could come easily without some recompense. Her determination to put something back into this valley was increased. "Thank you, Sam. What would I do without you and Mavis to help me?" Sam blushed.

"Well you could buy me a drink for a start." Abby's laugh was all the thanks that Sam needed.

To be continued