Review, Edit and Update
Reviewing "Best Laid Plans", I was disappointed as I found it rather disjointed. I have revised much of it to create more consistency, hopeful that I have done so. I've also fleshed out some of the dialogue by providing details for each situation.
Thankfully, there were only one or two typos to deal with.
Best Laid Plans
“This cottage is so lovely, Gracie, but I really don’t know if James and I can afford it. After all we are both past the age when we should be taking on a new mortgage.” James had accompanied the two women on the tour of the cottage, but had gone ahead 'to run an important errand'.
Martha Haverstock and Graciola Manorly, like two young girls, were sitting on the steps of the cottage that led to the garden. Martha, the Housekeeper for the Beaufort Estate and Gracie, a local Real Estate agent had spent the last hour looking over the yard and through the cottage again. Each room was Martha’s favourite, especially the room she had chosen for a sewing room. It had a window that swung open to the garden area, a large cupboard that could be a closet. “Isn’t that smart?! Adjustable shelves. I could get all my supplies and my sewing machine in there and close the door on everything. There’s room for a fairly large cutting table, a comfortable chair and a small book case. I think you’d best get me out of here before I start to cry. James must love the kitchen, although he didn’t spend much time looking at everything. I have seen him in his own kitchen and he loves to chop and spice and cook.”
“Martha, you’re right getting out of here. Right now, I think we both need a cup of tea or coffee.” Gracie could see that her friend had had enough. “You have to get back to the Estate, don’t you?”
“Yes, I’m really finished for the day, but I’ve left some of my things there. I need to get them before I go home. Have you ever met Elizabeth Saunders, the Estate cook? She should still be there and she's been baking today. Of course, I think she bakes every day. Come with me and we can have tea - or coffee, if you’d like - and whatever goodies Elizabeth has made. You must have been on your feet all day!” Martha, her hand on the wooden railing, stood up. She extended a helping hand to Gracie.
“That sounds wonderful. I’d love to see where you work and meet your friend. But let’s take my car. It’s really a bit farther by the time we drive out the main road and around, but my feet are ready to take a rest.” Gracie reached into her voluminous shoulder bag for her keys. Looking back at the front door, she said. “The Cottage is all locked up safe and secure.” Martha took one last fond look at what could have been her dream home and followed Gracie around the side of the house to her car.
~~~~~
James Edward Digby had no intention of being tied to a large mortgage. His own home had been paid off several years previously. He had few bills except for utility bills, no children or grandchildren and seldom went out. He had been saving money for what his dad called ‘a rainy day’. This pandemic could be called quite a thunderous day, but fortunately, he would not need his nest egg. Global Grand Bank had been closed to walk in clients but he had been able to work with his financial advisor, Ronald Green, over telephone and Skype. He had reminded James that he would also be able to take advantage of funds from the sale or rental of his house.
Martha had fallen in love with the cottage. James had been so certain that she would, that he had begun discussions with the bank in preparation for purchase of the cottage as a wedding present to Martha. They would be paying a nominal mortgage payment for five years, but even if he and Martha retired, their government pensions and savings would take care of it. His financial advisor was not in favour of this type of expenditure, but he had known James long enough that he knew when to just talk about risk management. James always listened, and sometime tailored his plans appropriately. He was quite set on purchasing this cottage and had the funds to do it, so Ron set up all the needed electronic forms.
~~~~~
Sitting at the kitchen table with Gracie, Martha heard someone come in the back door. She looked up to see who it was. “James! You’re back from running your errand. Gracie and I have just come from that beautiful little cottage and are in need of Cook’s scones and a cuppa. Do you have time to sit and visit? My goodness, here’s Miss Emelina and Miss Dez. Elizabeth... everyone... this is my good friend, Graciola Manorly. She’s just been showing James and I that cottage across the way. You know, I don’t even know the address, but I guess that’s not important now. James, we’d never be able to afford such a purchase. We might just as well get back to our wedding plans. Gracie, you've been asking about them and now you get the chance to find out all the details.”
Emmie and Dez looked like two naughty children caught stealing cookies. Cook was uncharacteristically silent, putting scones, butter and apricot jam on the table. Martha hadn’t been kept completely in the dark, except she didn't know what errand James had been on. Martha continued on about their upcoming wedding. “We can’t manage this wedding all on our own, James. Even a small wedding like ours needs more hands than just ours.” Unbeknownst to Martha, James had approached Emmie and Dez after he and Martha had discussed their upcoming wedding. What they each wanted, who they wanted to attend and where they would go for their honeymoon. When he did approach them he told them what had been decided. “It will be a quiet wedding, just the people in our 'bubble' - the house staff and Martha’s daughter and grandchildren, Giles and his family. Martha put the invitations in the mail yesterday. Cook and Brigitte will be making us lunch following. If the weather is cooperative, we’ll have the ceremony beneath the redwood. If not, Miss Emelina, would we be able to have the ceremony upstairs in the living room facing the redwood?”
~~~~~
Earlier, when James had finished speaking with his financial advisor, he ended the call and closed his laptop. He had misgivings. Not about Martha and their upcoming marriage. Not about buying the cottage. But about how he was behaving. Was he starting off their marriage being a controlling husband? Was he acting as he would in his butler role setting up a dinner party? Do I go out to the kitchen and fess up? He’d never been married before so he didn’t know how he should be acting. Once more, he was in need of a friend to talk with, but no one was there. This needed to be dealt with as soon as possible. But he really wanted the cottage to be a surprise. He picked up his phone and called Giles.
“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.”
~ Ernest Hemingway, The Wild Years
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