Practically Perfect Read Free

cottage. The Christmas decorations were still up, even though it was mid-March. Going by the quality of the decorations, which were of the tasteful corn-dolly and red-ribbon type, she judged the house was not owned by disorganised people who just didn’t get round to taking them down. More likely they were spending the winter somewhere warm.
    Out of the five cottages, three – possibly four – including her own, seemed occupied which, considering how small they were, was not a bad ratio.
    The shop bell jangled in a friendly way. It was a small supermarket, with a couple of short rows of goods and a counter for bacon and cheese. The man who stood at the counter, doing the crossword, looked up when she entered and smiled. ‘Evening.’
    ‘Evening.’
    ‘Can I help you?’
    ‘I think I can probably manage,’ said Anna, feeling a little shy. She was used to the anonymity of London shops, where only the proprietors of shops you used very frequently ever spoke to you.
    ‘Well, let me know if there’s anything you can’t find. Just moved in, have you?’ he added later, when Anna had put a few things into her basket.
    ‘That’s it. I just need some basic provisions.’
    ‘So you’ve moved into Brick Row?’
    ‘Yes. How did you know?’ This omniscience took some getting used to.
    The shopkeeper smiled. ‘It didn’t take much detective work. We knew the house had been bought by a young woman ; you’re obviously dressed for work; and who else would come in here just before closing, at this time of year, who I don’t know?’
    Anna smiled. ‘I suppose it does make sense.’
    ‘Don’t worry, we’re not all nosy round here, and those of us that are are well meaning on the whole.’
    Anna placed her basket of goods on to the counter so he could ring them up. ‘I’m sure you are.’
    She walked home feeling very satisfied. The shop didn’t sell fresh meat or fish but otherwise it seemed to have everything else Anna might need and the town of Stroud was only a short bike ride away. Amberford was perfect, well worthy of being fallen in love with, and if being there without a car caused a few problems, well, she’d deal with them as they came up.
    As Anna walked back along the lane she saw a young woman standing by the front door next to hers, looking out anxiously. Anna was pleased to see her as she’d been intrigued by the row of three small pairs of wellington boots, arranged in size order, on the windowsill of the porch. She overcame her shyness and smiled. The young woman smiled back, still preoccupied.
    ‘Hello,’ she said. ‘You’ve moved into number five? You’re very brave! It hasn’t even got floors, has it? I was going to invite you round for a bath, but just now we can’t even have one ourselves. I’m waiting for a plumber. He promised he’d be here before two, but I don’t suppose he’ll come now.’
    ‘Oh dear, what’s the problem?’ Anna asked.
    Presumably hearing her voice, three small boys abandoned their toys of mass destruction and clustered round their mother, eager to see whom she was talking to.
    ‘Blocked drain,’ the woman said with a grimace. ‘I’ve pulled out the plug and nothing happens. It’s full of cold soapy water. If these three don’t have a bath at night, they take ages to settle. And it’s beginning to smell.’
    ‘Well, I might be able to help,’ said Anna.
    The woman’s face lit up. ‘Really? How?’
    ‘I have a few building skills, which is just as well given the state of my house, but, more to the point, I have a tool that unblocks drains. I’ll just pop home and get it,’ Anna offered, ‘if you’d like me to.’
    ‘I’d love you to! I’ll put the kettle on. Or open some wine?’
    Anna grinned back at her. ‘I’ll be back in a minute.’
    It took Anna a little longer than that to find the tool that she and her sister had had cause to use so often in the Spitalfields flat. When she knocked on the door of her neighbour’s house and was let