The Old Bakehouse

by Daphne Neville

  “I take it that you liked Joe.” Hetty found Alice’s chuckle to be infectious.

  “Yes, I did. Everyone did. He’d lived in the village all his life so was known by all. I remember he was a keen gardener at one time and grew his own vegetables as well as flowers. He loved the birds too and fed them every day during the winter. Robins were his favourites but he loved them all, big and small. Yes, so all in all he was a good chap and we got on well despite the fact he was twenty one years older than me,” Alice smiled, “and so in a way he was more of a father figure than a brother-in-law.”

  “Hmm, quite an age gap then.”

  “Yes, he was older than Eve as well by sixteen years but no-one would ever have guessed. Eve was old for her years and Joe very young at heart and I like to think he was until the day he died.”

  “Did you ever meet Joe’s first wife?” Hetty asked.

  “I remember her vaguely but I was only four when she died. I believe her name was Cicely and she and Joe met and married during the war. I don’t know where the wedding took place but it was in a registry office somewhere or other up-country. Of course because she didn’t come from Cornwall no-one knew her family.”

  “What about your parents?” Hetty asked, “How did they take Eve running off with their grandson and allegedly another man?”

  “They took it better than me. At least my father did. Mum was pretty upset because she liked Joe. She was a keen gardener too, you see. They kept in touch with Eve for a while and even talked of visiting her and Norman but they never did. Mum’s health deteriorated and she died soon after and then within a year Dad was dead too. He fell from a ladder, banged his head, knocked himself unconscious and died two days later from his injuries.”

  “Oh dear, I am sorry,” commiserated Lottie.

  Alice shrugged her shoulders. “Don’t be, it was a long time ago and Dad wasn’t the kindest of men. To tell you the truth he made my life a misery at times. As I said earlier, he tried to stop me getting married.”

  Lottie thought it best not to respond.

  “How about Joe’s parents?” Hetty asked, “How did it affect them?”

  “They were both very frail and I got the impression they were glad to see the back of Eve. They were a nice couple and to try and keep the peace I went to see them shortly after she left but I never went back again. I suppose I should have but I didn’t feel welcome. They didn’t even offer me a cup of tea. Hardly surprising really.” Alice looked genuinely remorseful. “Still, it’s all water under the bridge and we can’t turn the clock back, can we?”

  Hetty shook her head. “Sadly not.”

  “Anyway, that’s enough about me and my family. Tell about yourselves. I can tell from your accents that you’re not Cornish so have you been here long and what brought you down here?”

  Glad to see that Alice was smiling again, Hetty and Lottie told her about their holiday in 2016. How they had enjoyed it; fallen in love with the area and then moved to Pentrillick just before Christmas that same year.

  Chapter Six

  On Friday the twenty sixth of October, the sale of Bill and Sandra’s house in Northamptonshire and the purchase of the Old Bakehouse were completed and in the early evening as darkness fell the family arrived in Pentrillick shortly after the removal van containing all their worldly goods. Because the removal van was parked on the main street in front of the house, Bill parked round the corner in Goose Lane near to the side gate which led into the garden of their new home.

  As the family were not going to live in the house until certain work was completed their furniture was quickly stacked inside the downstairs rooms along with the sparse amounts of furniture which had belonged to old Joe. When the removal men left, the family had a brief look round the house, especially the children who were seeing it for the first time.

  “It’s dark, cold and creepy,” Kate folded her arms tightly to keep warm, “especially with the moon shining in the windows but I think I like it.”

  Bill put his arm around her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Kate. Once we get the place cleaned up, decorated and heated and have our furniture spread out it’ll soon feel like home.”

  “Can we choose our own rooms?” Vicki asked, as she looked up the stairs.

  “Of course,” said Sandra, “but the biggest room on the front is already taken. It’s for me and your dad.”

  “And try and do it without arguing,” Bill called as Vicki and Zac raced up the stairs. Kate, however, held back.

  “Don’t you want to choose your room?” Sandra asked.

  Kate bit her bottom lip. “Yes, but I was just thinking. Which room did old Joe die in?”

  “The biggest, first door on the right which as I just said is the room we’re having,” laughed Bill, “It must have been Joe’s because his clothes are in the wardrobe there and his slippers are still under the bed. The other rooms are smaller and don’t look like anyone’s slept in them for years.”

  Kate’s face lit up. “Wait for me,” she shouted as she ran up the stairs to join her sister and brother. Five minutes later the children joined their parents where Sandra was taking a kettle, mugs, teabags, sugar, a tea towel and teaspoons from a washing-up bowl in the kitchenette.

  “All done,” shrieked Vicki, “I’m having the room next to you on the front with the babies cot in it, Kate’s having the one next to the bathroom on the back and Zac wants the L shaped room at the end of the landing.”

  “Not that I could really see much of it,” admitted Zac, “there’s no light bulb in there so I had to use my phone to see it.”

  Sandra placed the emptied washing-up bowl in the sink. “I’m not surprised the bulb’s gone. Judging by the dust I should imagine Joe never used half of the house.”

  “Anyway, I’m impressed,” said Bill, “you chose your rooms without falling out.”

  Sandra agreed. “And if you’ve seen enough I suggest we get off to Primrose Cottage because I don’t know about you lot but I’m feeling cold and I’m dying to sit by a fire with a cup of tea.”

  “Can we come back and have a proper look tomorrow when it’s light?” Kate asked as they left the building.

  “Of course,” Bill locked the door, “and no doubt Grandma and Auntie Hetty will want to come and have a look as well.”

  As they walked round the corner into Goose Lane, Sandra glanced up at the rooftops; perched on a chimney pot and framed by a full moon was a large black bird. She pointed to the chimney and shuddered. “That’s not a very good omen.”

  Bill laughed. “And how pray is a poor old crow a bad omen?”

  “It’s not a crow it’s a raven and ravens are harbingers of death.”

  “Looks like a crow to me.”

  “Well, it’s not. Ravens are bigger than crows and they’re scruffier too.”

  “Well that little fellow’s certainly scruffy.” Bill dropped the house keys into his pocket and took out the car keys.

  “I reckon it’s a rook,” joked Zac.

  “Or a jackdaw,” giggled Vicki.

  Kate looked nervous. “Mum, why do you say ravens are harbingers of death?”

  Sandra shrugged her shoulders. “Not sure really but they are and it’s also believed that witches can transform themselves into ravens so they can fly away to avoid being captured. That’s if you believe in witches.”

  Bill laughed as he unlocked the car. “Where did you read that load of cobblers?”

  “I didn’t read it. I was told it by my granny. It’s a part of Welsh mythology.”

  “But your granny wasn’t Welsh: she was a Brummie.”

  “On Dad’s side yes, but Mum’s mother was Welsh and so was her father. It’s a pity they’d passed away before I met you because you would have liked them.”

  “Hmm,” Bill slipped into the driving seat but thought it best not to comment.

  The following morning, the family were up bright and early as were Hetty and Lottie. All were eager to explore the Old Bakehouse thoroughly in daylight a
nd because the morning was dry and sunny and there were no grey clouds in the sky, they walked down Long Lane into the village rather than take the cars.

  As they approached the house Bill glanced up to the rooftops. “Oh thank goodness, it looks like the scruffy crow’s gone. Perhaps he only comes out in moonlight.”

  “Don’t start that again, William,” snapped Sandra.

  Hetty frowned. “William? You never call Bill, William.”

  “She does when she’s mad with him,” giggled Vicki.

  Lottie looked at the roof. “What’s all this about a crow?”

  “Take no notice,” said Sandra, “Bill’s just being impish.”

  “There was a bird on the roof last night and Mum said it was a raven and that they’re harbingers of death,” blurted Kate. “She also said some creepy stuff about witches.”

  Sandra felt her cheeks redden; the words she had spoken the previous evening seemed very silly on a bright sunny morning.

  Bill chuckled as he unlocked the door. “It’s Welsh mythology apparently and Sandra was told it by her Welsh granny.”

  “Well there could be something in it,” reasoned Hetty, “after all Joe died here not long ago.”

  “Quite right,” agreed Lottie, “it could mean there’s to be another death, they go in threes and we’ve learned of two recently connected with the Old Bakehouse.”

  “Two?” Sandra queried.

  Lottie nodded. “Yes, Joe and Eve.”

  “That’s quite enough about death and ravens I think.” Bill was aware of the horrified look on Kate’s face, “Anyway, I still say it was a scruffy crow.”

  As they entered the house and stepped into the room which would originally have been the shop, Kate’s expression changed. “Wow, it looks so much nicer in daytime with the sun shining in.”

  Vicki agreed. “And friendlier too. I’m going up to see my room.”

  “So am I,” Zac was eager to see his room in daylight.

  “First impressions?” Bill asked his mother and aunt.

  “I like it,” Lottie inhaled, “It has a nice homely feel to it and doesn’t smell as musty as I thought it would.”

  “Will you be using this as a dining room?” Hetty asked, seeing the Formica topped table and four chairs in the centre of the room.

  “Yes, but with our own table and chairs. I think these have seen better days and will probably end up in the garden or the outhouse.” Sandra rocked the back of a chair to demonstrate its fragility.

  Hetty’s eyes were drawn towards a small bookcase. “Alice said that Joe was fond of birds and the books here confirm it. They’re the subject of all the ones on the top shelf.”

  “And by the sound of things he wasn’t just fond of the feathered variety,” chuckled Bill.

  Sandra tutted. “Come on, let’s show you the rest of the house.” She led the way into the hall off which ran the large sitting room crammed with furniture. When Hetty spotted a piano standing in a corner her face lit up. “That’s my old piano, isn’t it? I’d forgotten all about it.”

  “Yes, it is and look over there.” Sandra pointed to the opposite side of the room where another piano stood.

  “Well, I’ll be blowed. So did Joe play, I wonder.” Hetty approached the piano, lifted the lid and struck a few notes. It was hopelessly out of tune.

  “Well, if he did he obviously hadn’t played for a while,” chuckled Bill.

  “And you’d be more than welcome to have your old piano back,” said Sandra, “Kate doesn’t play much now so one will be more than enough.”

  “Or you can have Joe’s if you’d rather,” suggested Bill, “it looks quite fancy.”

  “I’ll certainly have one of them. I’ve still got the electric keyboard I bought but it just isn’t the same.”

  After they left the sitting room they went upstairs to see the four bedrooms and the bathroom.

  “My goodness, look at that cot,” cried Hetty as they stepped inside Vicki’s room, “It’s real nineteen fifties. What will you do with it?”

  Vicki answered before either of her parents had a chance to reply, “I’d like to keep it and then I can put all my old dolls and teddies in it. I’ll paint it first though and in a colour to match my room when it’s decorated.”

  Bill was impressed. “Well done, it’s good to see you planning ahead.”

  “I suppose Norman must have slept in it when he was a baby,” smiled Lottie, as they moved on to the next room, “I must admit that does rather stretch the imagination.”

  After viewing all the bedrooms they peeped inside the bathroom and then turned back towards the stairs.

  “I like the house very much but it needs quite a lot of work done to it,” said Lottie, as they reached the lower hallway.

  “Yes, it does,” Bill agreed, “but it’s structurally sound so much of it is just cosmetic. Main things to be done are modernising the bathroom, getting central heating installed and turning the old baking room into a kitchen.”

  “And getting a wood burner fitted,” Sandra added.

  “So where is the old baking room?” Lottie asked as they stepped back into the dining room.

  “Through here.” Sandra led the small party into the kitchenette and then into the baking room.

  “Wow, it’s huge,” Hetty did a twirl and then gazed up at the beams.

  “And this wall here,” Sandra said, pointing to the large chimney breast, “is the one we told you about that we intend to expose. There should be a nice bit of granite behind the plaster and probably the old oven and if so that’ll be a nice feature.”

  Lottie opened the back door. “A porch and a big one at that. It’ll be handy for boots shoes and so forth.”

  “It will and we think we might have the central heating boiler out there as well,” said Bill.

  “The washing machine too,” Sandra added, “and if it’s possible we’d like to have a downstairs loo fitted. There’s enough room.”

  “What’s in there?” Hetty pointed to the outbuilding visible from the porch window.

  “Junk,” said Sandra, “which Bill is longing to rummage through.”

  As she spoke there was a knock on the front door. Bill answered; on the doorstep stood Basil a builder who had recently done a loft conversion for Hetty and Lottie, and with him was Sid the plumber. They had been invited to see what work needed to be done. After they had looked over the property and weighed up the situation, Sandra made tea for everyone and they went into the dining room where some sat on the four chairs and the rest stood.

  “So any idea when you’ll be able to make a start?” Bill eagerly asked Basil and Sid.

  Basil scratched his chin. “I’ve got a job I need to finish next week and then the week after I was due to convert a garage into living space but the lady who I’d be doing it for has been taken ill so that’s put on hold. So I see no reason why I shouldn’t be able to start here then instead.”

  Sid nodded. “Me too, because lots of my jobs are just a day’s work so I can fit you in to run alongside everyone else. I assume you’ll want the bathroom done first.”

  “Splendid,” Sandra clapped her hands with glee, “and yes, Sid, the bathroom must have priority because the water heater over the bath looks ready to drop and we prefer showers anyway. And then next priority will have to be installing central heating because the house feels very cold and damp at the moment.”

  “Well, if you can both start that soon,” said Bill. “Next week we’ll pull together and get as much furniture as we can out of the baking room, and then we’ll start going through old Joe’s stuff and see what to keep and what to dispose of.”

  “Can we help sort things out?” Hetty eagerly asked.

  “Of course, the more the merrier.”

  As he spoke there was another knock on the door.

  “Emma, lovely to see you dear.” Sandra kissed her son’s friend on the cheek.

  “Zac messaged me last night and said I must come and see your new house.”
/>   “Of course,” Sandra stepped back to let Emma in. “Needless to say it’s a mess at the moment but I think everyone likes it.”

  Hearing Emma’s voice, Zac appeared from the sitting room. He gave her a hug and then showed her around the house.

  “So, what are you doing now you’ve finished your college course?” Sandra asked Emma, as they stood in the kitchenette drinking coffee after her tour of the house, “If I remember correctly you were studying tourism or something like that.”

  “That’s right, hospitality and tourism and now I’m working at Pentrillick House as a tour guide. I’ve replaced Cynthia Watkins who retired in September so it’s worked out just right.”

  “Ah, Cynthia with the annoying voice,” declared Hetty, “I remember her.”

  Emma smiled. “Yes, I can see what you mean but she knows the history of the house inside out and helped me a lot in the two months before she retired.”

  “And I suppose before long the Christmas Wonderland will be up and running gain,” said Sandra, “We’ve not seen it yet so look forward to that.”

  “You’ll love it,” Lottie enthused.

  “Yes, I’m really enjoying the preparation work for it. Then next year Tristan plans to use the house for events such as weddings and so I’m to be involved with that as well.”

  Bill nodded. “Very nice, and do you enjoy your work?”

  “Very much so. It’s not very adventurous of me but I wanted to work as near home as possible so it’s ideal and I love it.”

  “Good, now we need to find Zac a job but at the moment he has no idea what he wants to do.”

  Emma looked at Zac. “While you’re deciding why not go and see Ashley and Alison at the pub, they’re always happy to take people on that they know and especially in the run up to Christmas.”

  “Brilliant, I’ll pop down and see them at lunch time and have a game or two of pool while I’m there. Fancy coming with me?”