Mornington-By-Mere is a small country village lying in the Finchbottom Vale nestled between the Ancient Dancingdean Forest and the rolling Pepperstock Hills.
It is a quaint picturesque village, a proper chocolate box picturesque idyll, with a Manor House, 12th Century Church, a Coaching Inn, Windmills, an Old Forge, a Schoolhouse, a River and a Mere.
But Mornington-By-Mere is not just a quaint chocolate box English Village it is the beating heart of the Finchbottom Vale and there were a number of cottages and small houses on the Purplemere road and Dulcets Lane which formed the part of Mornington Village known as Manorside and it was to number 1 Brewery Cottages where our story takes place.
Apart from her normal duties as district nurse Olwyn Brown took it upon herself to provide additional services, partly to make sure they regained their self-worth, but on occasions it was more than that but only once did it go beyond the professional.
Her patient was Mandy Lamb, a pretty 29 year old girl, who had cancer and was quite naturally depressed.
Olwyn was almost 35 and very experienced in her field as district nurse and she had watched many young people suffering from the insidious disease in her time.
But there was something special about the patient she was going to see in Manorside.
Olwyn knocked on the door and a moment or so later Mrs Lamb, the patient’s mother answered the door.
“Hello dear” she said
“Hello Mrs Lamb” Olwyn said brightly “How’s the patient today?”
“The same” she said blankly “I don’t know how to help her”
“Just be supportive” she said
“It’s hard though dear” she said putting on her coat and going to the foot of the stairs.
“Mandy! The nurse is here” she shouted up the stairs “the pretty one with the blonde hair”
Olwyn smiled and Mrs Lamb said
“You can go up when you’re ready, I need to do some shopping”
“Hello Mandy” she said as she walked into her room, but there was no response.
“How are you felling today?”
Still no response.
“Come on I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me” she said and in response her silence she added
“Very well if that’s what you want”
Olwyn closed her bag and got up before heading for the door.
“Don’t go” Mandy said quietly
“So there is something?” Olwyn asked
“Yes” Mandy replied timidly
“So what can I do to make you more comfortable?” she asked
There was a short period of silence and then Mandy said
“Hold my hand”
“What?” she asked
“Please hold my hand” she begged
“Why?” Olwyn asked and held her breath in anticipation of the answer
“Because I like you” Mandy whispered
“Well that’s very nice” Olwyn said “I like you too”
“Yes but I really like you” she said
“What about Kathy?” she asked, Kathy Clark was her long-time girlfriend.
“We broke up” she explained “I broke us up”
“So why me?” Olwyn asked
“Don’t you know why?”
“You need to tell me why” Olwyn insisted
“Because you’re special to me” Mandy replied “And I think about you all the time”
“Are you sure?” She asked as she caressed Mandy’s cheek
“Oh God Yes” she replied and Olwyn kissed her.
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