Changing Seasons. Spring II, part 3

Spring II, part 3 “Well, this is it. This is our wedding day! You look beautiful, Annette.”
“And you look pretty handsome yourself! Minnie and Old Tench are meeting us there, aren’t they?”
“Yes, she’s picking him up. She’s borrowed a car from one of her daughters for the day.”
“And Old Tench is insisting on taking us all out for lunch afterwards. Shall we go?” And this was probably the most exciting journey to Newborough that they were ever going to make. It felt even more momentous than when they’d taken their first batch of wine over to sell. “Well, Mrs Winter, and how does it feel to be married?”
“Amazing! We have got the rest of the day off, haven’t we?”
“Of course. This is our honeymoon. I think you should go and try on the other half of your trousseau.” “Well, my gorgeous, here we are. In a bed! In our own bedroom! And we’re not about to fall asleep in two minutes flat because we’re exhausted. I have an idea or two up my sleeve.”
“What sleeve? All you’re wearing is those very handsome boxers…” But not for long! “And we have a real indoor shower as well! And an indoor toilet.”
“We’ve got no money again,” Marcus called from the bedroom.
“Hey, what’s new? Do you want something to eat? And then maybe an early night? A really early night?”
“Sounds good to me. Especially the early night. And the food too, now that I think about it.” “Love what the chef’s wearing. Fancy making that your regular outfit?”
“No, you goose, I don’t! It wouldn’t stand up to what I normally do, remember? But I’m glad you like it. You look pretty good too, Mr Handsome.” “What are you doing today then, gorgeous?”
“Planting those flower seeds,” Annette said happily. “And the other ones too – I’ve cleared the veg garden of all the gone-over plants and we’re making a new start there. Then I’ll join you in the vines. That okay with you?”
“Only on one condition.”
“Oh yeah? What’s that?” “You have to kiss me first!” “Hi Euan! Wow, you’re looking smart!”
“I’ve been to see the b-bank manager today. I wanted to make a good impression. I thought my normal working clothes wouldn’t quite d-do.”
“Maybe not,” Marcus agreed ,laughing. Euan’s normal working clothes were like his own – meant to cope with dirt, brambles…you name it, anything messy!
“You’ve made a real difference to that graveyard and to the stonework. We went and had a look a few weeks back.”
“Thanks. And how’s married life suiting you?” “Loving it! And thanks for the wedding present – that bedding’s way better than two sleeping bags spread over our bed.”
“Patience enjoyed making it for you both.” “And thank you so much for yours too.”
Minnie had come out from behind the counter to join in the conversation once Euan had moved away to check his shopping list. Interrupting Euan when he was speaking just wasn’t fair. “We feel so well furnished now! Bed and bedding, table and four chairs!” “Well, they were just hanging around in Lucy’s garage. She and Mike didn’t really need them. So I bought the sandpaper, paint and so on, and Old Tench and Clara, they sanded them down, painted them up for you. Mostly Clara, I have to say – she’s real good at prepping stuff and doing it up. Talking of being married…” Minnie gestured to the wall behind the cash register. “I guessed you and Annette wouldn’t be wanting to follow in Marianna’s footsteps and start a family before you were ready – well, Annette told me so! – so I’ve put in a medicine cabinet, added a bit more stock. Nice and out of reach of the little ones, and you’ll have to call in when I’m here, as I’m keeping it locked, but I’m kind of stocking anything you might need if you get my meaning?”
Marcus got it! “I just need some tea today though. I like the pictures, by the way.”
“Oh, that was Lucy’s little ones. They reckoned their grandma needed something to brighten up her shop. Which reminds me, Dan says he’s got a free day next month and he’ll lend you the floorstripper for the library in exchange for some of your wine. Probably the last Friday.”
“I’ll get the troops onto moving all the books! Red, white or both?”
“Both. He likes red and Susie likes white, so that way they’ll both be happy.” Next step, and quite soon now, was going to be a better door and new windows for this room. But Annette loved their cheerful yellow and white painted table and chairs.
And she’d “borrowed” the end of the paint from Clara and painted up the bookcase that Marcus had made. Their wedding present to each other had been books.
“Let’s set a budget and then we’ll buy for each other – do a second-hand bookshop trawl next time we’re in Newborough,” Annette had suggested, and they’d done just that.
The dirt on the walls was a lot more obvious though – maybe they should read “How to Restore Old Stonework” as well… “This is so civilised!”
“And next week our new worker arrives.” Marcus pulled his chair up to the table. “You do breakfasts one week, I’ll do them the next – that still okay with you?”
“Yes. Easier to have a week-long routine than swapping every day. 8 am weekdays, 9:30 at weekends. I know we still work weekends, but getting up at 7:30 instead of 6 is a nice change. A bit of a lie-in never hurt anybody.”
“On the contrary…” Marcus said, grinning and making Annette blush. Their “farmhand” arrived today! Annette was out watering the kitchen garden and the flowers for Euan (which had come away really nicely: they’d be ready to transplant any day now). Maybe she should have put some flowers outside the bunkhouse as well? She could move some of these? She’d ask Marcus what he thought. “What do you think? Will this be okay?”
“Hey, this chair’s more comfortable than any we own! Relax, Annette. The bed’s new and so’s the mattress, and that’s nice bedding that you picked out. He’ll be fine. All he’s going to want to do at the end of the day is crash out. And no, he doesn’t need flowers by the door. He’s a bloke, Annette.” “C’mon, give me a kiss before he arrives and we have to start being a bit more careful about our Public Displays of Affection! He won’t be here for a few hours yet.” “Hi,” said a hesitant voice behind Annette. “Are your parents around? Or grandparents? I’m looking for Mr and Mrs Winter.” “I’m Blake Jones. This is the Winter place, isn’t it?” “Yes, and I’m Mrs Winter.” It still felt new, saying that. “Um – were you expecting someone old?” Would this make a difference? Would he change his mind? “Well, the ad, you know – basic accommodation, home-cooked meals provided, worker needed…It just – I mean, I sort of assumed – elderly couple who were finding the farmwork a bit too much. And the guy I was working for – you know, the one who was my most recent reference – he sort of thought this was an old guy’s farm from what he’d heard from someone who knew someone…”
Blake ran down slowly. After Lachlan and Euan – both quiet men in their own ways – it was a change to come across a talkative young man. This could work well, Marcus thought. “Okay you’ve done a week and a half now. How are you finding things?”
“Hey, I’m getting paid to go fishing early in the morning. I don’t think it gets much better than this.”
“No fishing in any of your other jobs then?” For they’d found out that Blake had been working his way steadily southwards – “Just drifting.” – from place to place.
“Nope. Horses – that was mostly shovelling muck. Cattle? That was mostly cleaning the yard. Of muck. Corn? Not so much muck there, admittedly. And the last place was was mostly mending fences, repairing barns. Oh, and cleaning the pigsty. Muck featured there too, now I think about it.” “Some of this fish is going to be manure eventually. Guess who’s going to be spreading it?” Marcus said teasingly.
“But some’s for dinner tonight. We’re having friends round. Time you had a chance to meet some other people,” Annette added reassuringly, pulling an impressive fish out of the water. “So has it made a difference, having Blake here?” Patience asked.
“Huge,” Annette said promptly.
“Yeah,” Marcus agreed. “We’re doing well now instead of only just keeping on top of things. And he even eats my cooking without complaining.”
“That doesn’t mean I’m not appreciating not having to do that tonight,” Blake said, deadpan, and Clara snorted with laughter. “Come and eat my cooking sometime, Blake,” Patience said. “It’s way better than Marcus’s – (“Humph,” said Marcus) – and my husband would love to meet you too. Do you like board games?”
“Love them,” Blake said.
“Well, we picked some up. Second-hand, but all the bits are there. Euan says they’re for the children, but I think there’s a bit of a wait before they’re going to be ready for them. Come round one evening.” “Thanks. I will. I’m glad I fetched up here and met you guys. (“Gals,” muttered Clara, but Blake carried on serenely as though she’d not spoken.)
“Glad I saw that ad.”

If you want to add Blake to your game, he was made by Jessabeans, and he's here.
https://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=9352926

And if you want one of the farms Marcus and Annette visited, it was made by Jessabeans too (and I did adapt it a bit for my game) and it's here.
https://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=9352888