Doonswater, a small town filled with gossip and rumours.
A town where nothing seems to change.
In the town a girl named Clementine Hunter finally takes a chance in making a change and achieving her childhood dream.
To restore the old estate just...
"we both drowned under the waves of words we weren't saying"
- Ben Maxfield
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CHAPTER THREE
PAGE SEVEN
The next morning Clementine's grandmother attempted to drive up the winding lanes, through the aftermath of the storm, to reach the old mansion.
Upon reaching the house she found the five of them, Mason included; cleaning up the branches and shrubbery off the road and porch.
The place was a mess, simply put maybe, but the storm had wrecked havoc on the landscape with no remorse.
"Oh Mason! You're alright! Thank god, I was so worried about you but the phones were down and it'd be foolish for me to go searching for you. I was so worried!" She cried her arms flailing as she rushed out her wee car and towards Mason's disgruntled figure.
"Yes Ma, I'm all good." He tightened his arms around her tall figure.
Clementine stood joking with Wren when Ma's demeanour changed.
"Clementine, we need to have a wee word young lady!" Her face was pointed like a mouse and her eyes were not best pleased to say the least.
"Why don't we go a walk?" Questioned Clementine as she played with the buckle of her old dungarees.
The silence was deafening as they made the way around to the back of the house, where that deer was, when you know what happened.
"They're talking about you in the town you know, all kinds of things! The line between foolishness and the truth is getting almost unfathomable."
"Im not certain I want to know where the line is either Clementine. However, as your grandmother I must take it upon myself to snoop a little and find out some things, if not for my own sanity."
"Im unsure as to what you are going on about Ma" Clementine whispered her voice shaking slightly.
"There's more rumours Clementine, about your involvement in some foolish debauchery alongside those three young men, if its true I am going to have to ask you to seriously consider what you are doing here. I understand you want to help and likely see an opportunity to get in the towns good books by taking those boys in but let me remind you of why we are standing in these grounds right now, at this mansion."
Clementine was no less confused.
"I love you Clementine, but I refuse to stand back and watch you go down whatever route of addiction those boys are leading you down"
And the penny dropped.
"Ma, I understand your concerns but trust me, those boys are not doing whatever kind of damage people are saying they are. Sure Wren might have a slight alcohol problem as well as a keen interest in the female anatomy but I assure you, I not only have it under control but I am not participating in those actions"
She paused for a minute letting the information sink in.
"And you know what, so what if I was to get drunk? I'm twenty-one for god sake! It's not like the darling little Grace Sullivan never got shitfaced in a random field but oh no she could never do an ounce of bad behaviour. Im an adult now! I can drink, I can have sex and I can most definitely make decisions for myself! Everyone is so concerned with my actions around here when their life isn't exactly something out of a feel good movie either!"
"Clementine! Calm down and watch your language"
That made Clementine laugh and once she started laughing tears started streaming,
Why was she such a mess?
"Im doing this for myself, all of this! Alexander, Wren and Jamie help me so much, all so they can stay here before they leave for good. I'll be honest I don't even want them to leave now, at first I only said yes because I got anxious at the request and didn't bother to think it through, stupid I know."
She flung her arms in the air, an act of dismay.
"I genuinely enjoy and appreciate them though, not because of what the town thinks of me either. The people down there never got over mum and they think I'll turn out like her and that terrifies me Ma."
The tears streamed Clementine's face as Ma rushed to hug her.
"I knew her release from jail was going to affect you,"
"I'm sorry Clementine."
Nothing causes a pain quite like that of seeing someone you adore hurting and it hit Ma hard. The pain lay heavy in her heart and catching at her breath.
Blame, she wanted to blame them all, the people down in the town, her psychopath of a daughter-in-law but all she could do at this moment was feel regret of her own.
She had raised Clementine and knew the girl as a daughter figure and yet she never checked in when the news of her daughter-in-laws release. While it Ma's son, it was Clementine's father who was murdered and no one ever deserved to experience such events.
The sudden outburst of emotions hit both women hard and as the sun shined down on them Clementine knew things were going to change, they had too.
