‘I’ve been working in London since I left uni. This is the start of my new life.’ Her eyes flicked over in the direction of the dividing wall. ‘Although I didn’t really expect it to start in a house full of poo.
Alice found accommodation for the night in a charming little bed & breakfast, located in the village of Woodcombe, only a few miles out of town. It was called Drake Cottage. She received a warm welcome from the elderly lady owner. The room was spacious and clean, with a view out over the well-kept back garden to the fields beyond. A young black Labrador was wandering round outside, sniffing the bushes.
‘This is a lovely room, Mrs Tinker. Am I your only guest tonight?’
‘I’m glad you like it, my dear. I only have the one room now. I used to take up to four or five, but it’s too much work for me now. I’m just glad to have the company from time to time.’
‘Is that your dog out there?’ Alice loved the garden and the countryside views.
‘That’s Danny. He’s still a youngster, but he’s a very good dog. Do you have a dog yourself?’
Alice reflected for a moment that she had now been asked if she had a child and a pet, both in the same day. Did this mean that fate was somehow trying to get her to settle down? And a dog and a child with the same name? This reminded her of the other Danny, who would be moving into her London flat in two weeks’ time. Hopefully he wouldn’t pee on any plants. She smiled at the thought.
‘No, we had a cat when I was growing up, but I don’t know much about dogs.’
‘Well, if you want to come down for a cup of tea once you’ve settled in, I’ll introduce you to him.’
When Alice had opened her bag and hung a few things in the wardrobe, she went back down the stairs. Mrs Tinker was waiting at the kitchen door.
‘Come in here, my dear. It’s warmer by the Aga.’
The kitchen was indeed very cosy. The old range heated the room to a very comfortable temperature. As Alice walked in, the black dog climbed out of his wicker basket and trotted over to say hello. Alice hesitated, unused to dogs and a bit afraid of such a big animal. She stopped dead and pressed her hands nervously against her sides while the dog sniffed her.
Mrs Tinker saw her discomfort. ‘Danny, come back here and leave Alice alone.’ The dog turned away as he heard the call and returned to his mistress. ‘That’s a good boy. Now lie down in your basket and leave the lady alone.’ She stroked his head affectionately and then pointed towards the wicker basket. The dog did as instructed. Alice was impressed.
‘You’ve got him well-trained already.’
‘That’s Labs for you. Give them food and they’ll do anything you ask. I dare say I could get him to play the piano if I had a few spare joints of beef. Now, how do you take your tea?’
Mrs Tinker gave her a key to the front door. As she handed it over, she winked. ‘But if you should forget it, I never lock the back door. Well, apart from at night, of course.’
Alice looked up in surprise. ‘But aren’t you afraid of burglars?’
‘I’ve lived in this house for over sixty years without anything happening to me. Woodcombe’s a safe place to live. It’s not like London here, you know.’
They sat and chatted. Alice learned that the village pub, the King’s Arms, served good food. And it was only a few minutes’ walk from the house. She resolved to eat there that evening. The conversation turned to Alice’s reasons for being in Devon. Uncomfortably, she related the story of the house in Lyndhurst Avenue. Mrs Tinker was appalled.
‘I’ve never heard anything like it. How could somebody behave like that? You poor thing.’
‘It’s my own fault, Mrs Tinker. If I hadn’t been so stupid as to buy the place without viewing it, I wouldn’t be in this pickle now.’
‘How were you to know? Really!’ She couldn’t believe it. ‘And you were planning on moving in there yourself?’
‘Well, not immediately. I knew there would be a lot of work to be done first. The agents’ particulars made it clear that it needed complete refurbishment.’
Mrs Tinker was clearly relieved. ‘So, are you going back to London, or are you going to stay down here while the work takes place? Chocolate Hobnob?’ She pushed the packet across the table. A black shadow materialised at Alice’s side. Mournful brown eyes gazed upwards. As Alice took each bite of the biscuit, she felt the dog’s eyes trained on her.
‘Don’t mind Danny. He knows he never gets food off the table, but he tries it on with newcomers. Just ignore him.’
Alice swallowed the last piece and sensed an immediate drop in interest from the floor. She washed it down with a mouthful of tea. ‘I have to go back on Friday, but my plan is to look around for a little place to rent for a few months, while the work gets done.’ She reflected for a moment. ‘Now that I’ve seen the place, I would imagine we are talking about quite a few months.’ She looked round the comfortable kitchen. ‘I don’t suppose I could stay here for six months?’
‘I can do better than that.’ Mrs Tinker set down her mug. She was smiling. ‘Much better. You remember I told you I used to have more guests?’ Alice nodded. ‘Well, you see, I used to put them next door. I own both halves of the cottage. There’s this half with two bedrooms upstairs and there’s next door. It’s sort of a mirror image of this place. Since my George died, I don’t need the space, so it’s just been mothballed, so to speak. Would you like to take a look?’
Alice jumped to her feet. For the first time that day, she began to feel a bit more optimistic. Together, they went out of the back door and through a gate in the fence. The dog was left in the kitchen. Mrs Tinker pulled a key from her apron pocket and opened the back door.
‘Welcome to Duck Cottage.’ She ushered Alice inside. ‘Mine is called Drake Cottage. We didn’t name them. They’ve always been called that. Now, don’t be put off by the chill in here. I can soon get it tidied up, heating on and warm as toast.’
Alice followed her round the little cottage, delighted with everything she saw in there, from the woodburning stove in the lounge to the modern bathroom next to the main bedroom. And the views were, if anything, even better than from next door.
Mrs Tinker tapped the wall behind the bed head. ‘Your bedroom for tonight’s just the other side of there.’ She led her back down the steep little stairway. ‘Well, what do you think?’
‘I love it, Mrs Tinker. It’s exactly the sort of place I was dreaming of.’
‘I’m glad you like it. I’m sure you’ll be comfortable there.’ She led Alice back into her cottage. As they walked in, both of them got a friendly nuzzle from the dog. Alice surprised herself by finding it quite natural to pat his head as he did so. Children and dogs in one day?
‘Now let me see.’ Mrs Tinker sat down again and did some mental arithmetic. After a few moments, she went on to name a rental figure that was less than half what the two-legged Danny would be paying for the use of the London flat. Alice lost no time in accepting.
‘You’ve
