Yay! (and an oops!)

(Another competition shortlisting... they called it 'shortlisted winner' which I suppose is nice and a small remuneration for being shortlisted. And the other good news is that I have now completed the first draft of this whole Port Brokeferry project, 127 pieces, and I will continue posting the pieces here until the blog has caught up with where I am. I may have to go back and tweak a few that I have already posted, but it's mostly done now. Next week, I turn my attention to the other project I have set myself to complete this summer. Yay!)

(PS oops! Posted 'Berlie's Opens' twice - so have put a new piece below... was just so excited at completing this project! Sorry, readers.)

‘THERE’S NO NEED FOR YOU TO WORRY, MR STUART’

Athol Stuart sat back in his chair. The clock on the wall said it was five past five. Grace was making him a cup of tea. He should really let her away; she’d stepped in at the last minute and taken her mother’s afternoon shift.

Athol had kicked his shoes off, something he rarely did in the office. It had been a busier day for him than usual and he’d been out on the street more than was his habit. He flexed his toes and sighed as if there was pleasure in just that. Of course, the fair being in meant he needed to be a visible presence. That was the main reason why he’d been on his feet more today. There’d been the offer of another policeman coming in to share the load, just for the two weeks that Berlie’s was there. Athol had said he’d cope.

Already he’d had to help carry Kyle Downs home from the green and the fair hadn’t even opened at that point. And Martin was more excitable with strangers in the village. He’d left him down on the sands with Mhairi sketching him for a new painting like she’d promised. Tonight was the opening of the fair and so there’d be work for him to do.

A quick cup of tea and then he’d have to be out there again. Right now he turned his attention to Grace. He wanted a quiet word with her, but wasn’t sure how to broach the subject. He watched her carrying the cup from the kettle to his desk, in two hands, careful not to spill it.

‘Thanks, Grace. For the tea and for the extra hours today. It's appreciated.’

‘That’s ok,’ she said. ‘Lillian has the baby this afternoon and it gives me a break.’

He was surprised that she’d said so much. She was usually quieter than that and not so cheerful. That could be accounted for by the fair too, he thought. And that was what he wanted to talk to her about.

He unbuttoned his tunic and sat up to drink his tea. Grace made to go back to her cleaning, but he asked if she would mind sitting with him for a moment.

Grace looked a question at Athol Stuart, shrugged and pulled up the only other chair in the office.

‘Only, I was wanting to say something.’

She looked anxiously around the room to see if she had done anything wrong, to see if she had done something different from normal.

‘I saw you last night,’ he said.

Then he paused. Just as he had been trained to do. Just as if he was interviewing a member of the public about some misdemeanor. Pause long enough and they give you something you didn’t already know. Grace gave nothing.

‘All dressed up in yellow. You looked nice. Like you were off to somewhere special.’

Grace said nothing. If there was a point to this then she would wait for him to make it before she said anything.

Athol took a drink of his tea and set the cup back down on the desk.

‘You have to be careful with these fair folk. They move all over the country and haven’t got the time to be settling with the one girl.’

He watched her closely, for any sign that he had got near the mark.

‘Oh, I am sure he’s a nice enough lad, really. I’ve never had any trouble with him. Been coming here a few years now. Name’s Kelso, I think. You’ll know. Only, seeing you with him last night, I was concerned. For you, Grace. Just worried for you.’

‘There’s no need for you to worry, Mr Stuart,’ she said.

Then there was a silence between them. Grace looked up at the clock. She stood up.

‘Really,’ she said. ‘No need.’

Then she went back to her work.

Athol watched her as before.