Chapter 7

Nina thought about Abby that night. Rory said that they dated after they had bumped into her for the first time. There had been scant details revealed. It finished when he went to university and she went to agricultural college. They had not kept in touch. Now she knew a bit more.

The house where she now lived, had once been owned by the Phillips family. That much was known. Rory had also mentioned a business going bust. The conversation between Grant and her husband had made the abstract become real. The thought of a family forced to sell their possessions was a sorry tale.

Imagine having to stand around while people picked through your life and then, likely, haggled over the price. Grant had been embarrassed for Abby and had left without buying anything. Nina ought to cut the girl some slack. Things had not been easy for her. It was a good lesson in finding out the facts before judging someone.

"How long ago did the Phillips lose the house?"

"About five years ago."

"Apart from all the chairs, has the house changed much since then?"

"The kitchen and the dining room have been made into one room. The kitchen units are all new. The place has been decorated, too. I don't remember exactly what it was like, but I think there was wallpaper in every room. You know, the patterned stuff in greens and browns. One room was mostly orange, you would have hated it."

"So, the last owners changed it quite a lot."

"I think it has been owned by a couple of people in between. I don't know which ones did the changes."

"This house is so lovely. I can't imagine anyone wanting to sell up and move on."

"Their loss and our gain."

Rory headed off to his new office on Monday morning, leaving his wife in the house. Nina was going to do some work for the marketing company from home. Contracts every now and then would suit her well. The house was okay, but not to her taste. During the flying visit they had made to look at it before they made an offer, ideas for change were already developing. Now, having been there a few days, she was keen to make a start.

Standing in the lounge and turning a full circle, the features of the room were taken in. A fireplace with a tiled surround. Old fashioned, but it would be a crime to change it. High ceilings, a picture rail, large windows letting in plenty of light, meant that a bold colour could be used. One of those lovely sage greens, maybe. Nina began to search online for the perfect shade.

The plan was to have a combination of old and new. Clean lines, modern furniture, but with rich colours. Much of what they had brought with them was fine for the effect that was desired. It was the walls and the soft furnishings which needed changing. Not to say that other items wouldn't be bought. Nina's credit card was on the table beside her, just in case.

Their flat in the city was tiny compared to the house. It was amazing that they had managed to fit so much into it. Nina and her mother had lived in a tower block when she was a child. That place had been like a shoebox. Each move had taken her to a larger home. What next? A palace?

The cold, damp, unwelcoming feeling that the house had given off, when they moved in, had been exorcised. The rooms were now full of their possessions. The open space outside didn't seem so, well, empty. The sound of birds instead of traffic took some getting used to, but it was quite pleasant, really.

Nina had learned to drive, but had never owned a car. Being in the city, there had not been a need to have her own vehicle. Public transport was available there, but not so much in Fernborough. Rory had said that they would get a small hatchback for Nina to use. For the moment, ordering via websites and having things delivered, enabled the decorating plans to progress.

One of Rory's old school friends, Simon, who owned a garage, was tasked with finding Nina a small run-around. That evening, soon after Rory got home, the tooting of a horn summoned them to the front door.

"What do you think?" Simon was stood beside a small silver car.

Nina walked around it and then peered inside.

"Take it for a spin if you like."

"Good idea. Nina, you have a quick drive and I'll make Simon a cuppa."

By the time she got back, the men were sat in the kitchen chatting.

"How was it?" Simon asked.

"I like it. All I need is to drive into town for shopping, so it's perfect. I'll leave Rory to talk to you about price. He has more leverage as you went to school together."

"Simon was saying that he bought Ron Phillips cars off of him when the business folded. When he was here, the family were shoving some stuff up in the attic. I might take a look at some time, see if there is anything still there."

"They won't have left valuable items up there. If there's anything, it's probably just junk." Nina said.

"Maybe it will be an old trunk and a couple of those creepy china dolls." Simon nudged Rory as he spoke.

"If there are, then they will go straight onto a bonfire." Nina replied.

"Well, they'll be safe until the weekend, because I haven't got time to look until then. Nina, could you make some more tea and find the biscuits. I need to ingratiate myself with Simon before we talk about the car."

Making a drink, Nina listened to the banter between the guys. Rory offering a ridiculously low amount and Simon asking a fortune. They met in the middle, on a price that they had probably both thought of first. A shake of the hand and the deal was done.

The easy way that Rory had with people made Nina happy and a little envious. Once she had met someone a few times, it was fine. He could talk to anyone. Yes, he had known Simon at school, but they hadn't seen each other for many years. The chatter and laughter between them made her smile.

A new home, new friends and now a car of her own. Nina had to admit that things were working out well. The worry about the move and the anxiety of meeting new people was gradually evaporating.

Maybe she had liked living in the city because she could be anonymous. No one stopped you in the street for a chat. In a place like Fernborough, there was nowhere to hide. Nina would have to get used to socialising with strangers pretty quickly. Every trip into town must be viewed as a chance to meet people, not an ordeal.

Nina thought about the changes in her life. Having walked down a city road hearing a grunt or a begrudged apology if someone bumped into her, her perception of the public at large had become skewed. In this small town, people were pleasant and interested. They had more time to exchange a few words. She had to admit, it was rather nice.