Changing Seasons. Winter II, part 2

Winter II, part 2. Lachlan wasn’t sure if Leo knew what he’d let himself in for! Fletcher’s appetite for books was limitless.
“Don’t worry,” Rafe was telling Marianna. “We don’t need putting up. We’re staying in Newborough.”
This was one great new year surprise! There had been a knock on the door. Lachlan had opened it, expecting to see Blake or Marcus – it hadn’t sounded like Clara – and found Rafe and Leo on the doorstep, with a nest of late Christmas presents. Leo had spread the rug out straight away! “We’re thinking – maybe – about moving here. I want to check those factories out again. We’re thinking of creating working space and then maybe a gallery as well. Though that’s in the future. But from what you’ve said, we could sell in Newborough.” “Just you two?”
“No. Amber and Lucie as well. I’ve done the maths – we’re all paying so much in house rent, studio rent, that it makes sense.”
Rafe knew numbers. He and Leo had both had very successful careers in the financial world – until they’d both decided they’d had enough of it, and wanted to pursue their reall passions. And Marianna’s eyes were shining at the thought of Amber and Lucie moving into the area. Shining like they’d not shone in a long time.
“We can go and look at the factories tomorrow then – it’s getting a bit dark now. What time will you be getting here?” The Hunter boys arrived so early the next morning that the breakfast bowls were still on the table!
“If we can go and do a recce this morning,” Rafe said, “and then we’ll have some ideas about if this will work and what to do next. Marianna, will it be okay with you if we borrow Lachlan for the morning?”
“I can cope with that. But you all owe me for the afternoon!”
“That’s a more than fair deal,” Rafe said. “Let’s check them all out while we’re here.”
Rafe and Leo eyed up the first building. “Can we get inside? Your little lock-picking friend isn’t with us.”
“Clara? Lock-picking? Noooo,” Lachlan said, laughing. “This one’s all small rooms downstairs. We’d have to do loads of alterations. Onwards, chaps! Onwards!” “Well, the general shape is impressive – if you lose that hut off the roof. It has a sort of utilitarian Victorian art gallery look about it. How do we get into this one?” “That’s odd,” Leo said, as the headed round to the back of the building. “There’s a huge patch of brick cobbles missing.”
“Yes,” Lachlan agreed. “About as many as you’d need to make a floor for a large wine-pressing shed.” And laughter bubbled up inside him again. This time it was Lachlan who said it. “They’re just not very inspiring, these rooms. They just lack something. Bigger than the previous one, but it’s just two big square rooms.”
Rafe and Leo nodded agreement. “Whatever this building could be, it’s not an art gallery/studio/whatever. It’s got no inspiration about it.” “This is the one we looked at last time. But it is huge.” “We could just live and work in one half – and then set the other half up later as a gallery/workshop area?”
“Maybe. I’m not sure. Lachlan, what’s the market like?” “Newborough’s a well-established art centre. Plus, it’s got the racing as well, the horse stuff, so that pulls in more spenders. You’ll be able to sell your stuff there and so will Lucie. Amber might well get some bookshop appearances. Newborough has culture! There’s another building a bit further along. Want to check that one out?” “This is kind of cute, but it looks too small. This is just large house sized, really. Or bookshop-sized.”
“A bookshop! Now that would be the dream of quite a few people here!” “I think it’s that big one or nothing. Who do we talk to though, to find out who owns it?”
“Ask Old Tench,” Lachlan said. “He knows ‘most evrythin’ there is to know ‘bout this town’ – apart from what Clara knows about its history from…from her great-aunt’s letters and diaries.” It was the evening before they went down to see Old Tench – they owed Marianna the afternoon! He welcomed them warmly, but when Leo explained what they wanted to know – and to do – his face changed.
“See, I don’t want that company knowin’ what’s goin’ on here. Iffen they knew this town was comin’ back to life, iffen they knew they’d be payin’ some hefty bills in the future, I reckon me they’d be doin’ their level best to stop an’ to spoil this.” Surely Rafe and Leo’s plan wasn’t going to fall at this last hurdle? Lachlan felt the joy of the last few days drain away. Leo was asking for more details – and Rafe was thinking hard, listening to Old Tench’s explanations of the company’s dealings with the town. Listening to the name of the company – which meant nothing to Lachlan, but obviously did to Rafe. And the expression on his face was one that had been known – and feared – in various boardrooms and financial meetings across the city in its time. “I give you my word on it. We can buy this building without Lee Popeman Enterprises ever realising it’s been sold to a private investor. It’ll be packaged up as part of a parcel of bad debts – we can buy and sell the parcel and lift this out of it without anyone being the wiser.”
“Well, iffen you say so…” Old Tench and Rafe exchanged a firm handshake and Lachlan’s anxiety subsided.
“We’ve come across Lee Popeman before,” Leo said. "We don’t like what we know of him, and we owe him one.”
Rafe’s eyes were bleak. “It’ll be a pleasure. I saw Lee Popeman’s enterprises wreck another place – in much the same way as they’ve done this town. A close friend of ours committed suicide because of what they did. Once you told us who the company was – this just became personal.” And then both the Hunter boys started talking at once. Okay, Lachlan thought. This might be going to work out after all. “Those new clothes are lovely. Do thank Amber and Lucie for them.”
“How do you know we didn’t choose them?” Rafe asked, teasing Marianna.
Lachlan rolled his eyes. “As if! What did you find out yesterday. Tell us all the news.” From the corner of his eye, Lachlan could see Marianna watching Leo watching the children. “He’s a real family man at heart,” she’d said the night before. “Look at the way he read to Fletcher, the way he talks to Taylor about her rocket.” But Rafe was talking.
“This is totally doable. We’re getting in touch – subtly – with a couple of people who owe us favours. Can we go and have a last look round before we leave? Do you want to come this time, Marianna?”
“No, but thanks for the offer. Clara’s coming round, and we’ve got a lot to catch up on. Don’t take too long, though, and then I can fit in a glass-blowing lesson for her as well.” “What’s this place?” Leo paused on their walk back to the forge, after their fast but thorough inspection of the factory.
“I don’t know,” Lachlan admitted. “Clara would know – she’s checked everywhere out round here, but we haven’t exactly had a lot of time for exploring the place.”
“Come on then – let’s find out. Five minutes.” They picked their way in among the nearly waist-high weeds and peered around the gloomy interior.
“This was a bar once, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah,” Lachlan said. “With a table football game. Wonder if it still works. Or if I could fix it?”
“Well, if you can’t, no-one can,” Leo said laughing. “Come on – quick look upstairs.” “Hey, Leo, you could have your restaurant up here,” Rafe called to his brother. “That’s just what I was thinking,” Leo said from the other room. “Art gallery and restaurant nearby – let’s find out about this building too. If it’s going for a song, then I want it. But only if it’s going for a song!” “Read again,” Fletcher had pleaded when Rafe and Leo had said that they were going soon.
“Yes, but only if we sit on the rug! I’m too old to sit on cold stone floors,” Leo had said. “So it’s really going to happen? The four of you are moving here? Wow!” Lachlan couldn’t quite believe it.
“We’re certainly going to give it our best efforts. Leo and I need to do some more research, call in a few favours…but I think we can swing this and leave Lee Popeman none the wiser. He’s ruined one too many lives through that company of his – if we can help fight back against that, we’re in with you.”
“Patience and Euan,” Marianna said. “You should hear their story before you leave.” The toy box looked familiar! So did the whole children-on-a-rug thing. But this home felt so cheerful and happy. As Euan told his story, stammering badly at times, Rafe and Leo realised that this cheerful little home was a triumph of hope in the face of disaster. The way Lee Popeman had treated Euan could have – would have! – finished off someone else. And it was obvious too that one of the main reasons he hadn’t gone under was Patience. Patience, and Euan’s own love for his wife and family. “If we can possibly make this work, we will,” Leo said. Both brothers were still angry about the unfair way Euan and Patience had been treated. “They just didn’t deserve that! Such a lovely couple, a baby on the way, and I could tell Euan was good at his job too. We want to be in this with you all.” Someone in this with us…Sitting here with close friends, old friends, friends who’d known him before his world caved in on him, Lachlan realised how lonely he’d been. How much he’d missed this. You needed people who believed in you. Marianna had. Marianna had always believed in him.

The breakfast dishes are by Sandy at ATS3

The Forgotten Refuge is by LMC6254 and can be found here
https://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=9395270
for anyone who wants to see if the table football still works. It was another of her fabulous gifts to me for the SummerFest gift exchange.

This family and build is by AlphaFen. Want to try them for yourself? Link here:
https://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=9310543

The factory buildings are all by Cyclone Sue at TSR, slightly modified for this town's back story.