Winter at Pretty Beach by Polly Babbington (best affordable ebook reader TXT) 📗

about them. Hopefully, no jetties will fall down this time though.’ Nina said.

‘Hopefully not Ben’s or the one next to me,’ Sallie sighed, ‘I can’t wait to see Pretty Beach all white though, everything cosy and inviting.’

‘Where did this love of snow thing come from anyway?’ Nina asked.

‘Don’t know, I’ve just always loved it. Everything quietens, the sounds change, the air deepens. It’s so ethereal and romantic,’ Sallie said wistfully.

‘A bit like you then,’ Nel said, chuckling as she handed her cup over the counter.

‘Funny,’ Sallie replied as she twisted the huge diamond on her finger over and over and continued, ‘Well, the other thing I do when it snows is make my famous cheese sausage rolls, I’m making a batch this morning. Want me to drop some over?’

‘Yep, ooh good, it’s been ages since we’ve had those. If you can still make it down the laneway by then...’ Nina replied, getting up from the table and lifting Tillie out of the high chair.

‘I’ll trudge along and be your personal snowy delivery driver, on foot.’ Sallie said, picking up her coat.

Chapter 3

Wrapped up in a huge coat, scarf, gloves and hat, Sallie walked along the lane to the Orangery. Her hands were freezing and her lips burned as the wind blew against her face. As she walked down past Juliette’s cottage smoke drifted from the chimney, and the first tiny snowflakes feathered down onto the lane. She plodded around to the right and opened the gate; the ground already starting to feel slippery as she carefully walked over to the Orangery.

The doors of the huge old glass building rattled in the wind and the snow began to settle on the window panes as she approached. The Orangery had survived for many years and according to Pete in the last storm it hadn’t even had a broken pane, so she was hoping everything would be okay. Her business plan really couldn’t cope with anything to go wrong with the building as a consequence of the storm. She looked up at it - it had been such hard work to turn around but it was looking fabulous, and it would be even dreamier in the snow.

All the old junk had been pulled out since she’d taken ownership - every single piece of timber had been painstakingly rubbed back and re-painted, the old vines had been pruned, all the dead wood had been taken off and fed and even though it was cold they had started to show signs that they would bloom again. She was hoping that by the time the Summer wedding season came around they would be blooming all across the roof.

The hundreds of baskets hanging from the roof, where Lucia’s dad had grown all manner of things had been taken down and restored. She’d then re-planted them with low maintenance trailing plants and re-hung them all over the Orangery. The overall effect was breathtaking. In the corners, the old orange trees had been pruned and willed back to life and all through the gabled roof Sallie had installed hundreds of tiny cluster lights.

She stood there looking at it all as the first few snowflakes hit the sides of the windows and settled onto the ledges. Ten assorted vintage tables stood at intervals with mismatched vintage chairs all gathered from online auctions and local selling sites. The combination was simple, elegant, and eye-catching.

She wound the window at the top shut with the old-fashioned manual handle and walked over to each of the window latches, making sure they were attached firmly; if this storm was going to be as bad as they said she was doubtful the Orangery would get through it without any damage.

As she slowly walked around checking for anything that was loose, left open or anything that could fall, wind whistled in under the front door and the baskets swayed backwards and forwards, their hooks creaking eerily while the ocean outside crashed wildly onto the beach. Sallie jumped as a tree branch from one of the old apple trees crashed and banged down onto a side window and its branches moved wildly around in the wind.

She finished checking everything and ensuring that everything was locked down, then moved the outdoor chairs over and next to the wall where it was sheltered and closed the gate. She walked onto the lane and then turned left walking back past the cottages. Juliette, Pretty Beach’s midwife was just parking her car and getting out in her work uniform with her bag, tablet and a coffee in her hand as the wind whirled around and snowflakes landed in her hair. Sallie stopped on the pavement by the gate.

‘Hey, how are you? Weather’s coming in - it’s going to be crazy out here, are you done for the day?’ Sallie asked, stamping her feet on the pavement to keep warm.

‘Just finished all my visits, yes, but we’ve got two ladies close to their dates, so fingers crossed they hold on for the night. Just have to hope no cables fall like last time - that was a nightmare.’ Juliette raised her eyes up and smiled.

‘I don’t envy you having to go out tonight if the weather forecast is right. Ben’s obsessed with the weather apps and says it’s going to be wild.’

‘I know, I just heard the same on the radio whilst I was driving home. Both my ladies are right here in Pretty Beach, and I’m scheduled on with Sandra who’s only over at the wharf, so I think we should be fine,’ she replied as she shut and locked the door of her car.

‘Rightio. Well, I’m on my way back later so shout if you need anything. I’m popping a delivery of cheesy sausage rolls into Nina if you'd like to be on the list?’

‘Count me in, your rolls are famous around these parts now, thanks, see you later then.’ Juliette chuckled, pushed open the gate and headed to her front door.

Chapter 4

Sallie finished grating the cheese and added