Chapter 5

As a small but significant ceremony the Jays opened the Crown's doors together. Standing on the doorstep were two girls aged eighteen or nineteen. Both had rings in their noses and one had another in her lip. They smiled shyly.

"Hello," said Jenny cheerfully. "I'm Jenny and this is my husband, James.

"I'm Kathy," replied the one with only one ring, "and this is my friend, Kylie."

"Come in, Kathy and Kylie. You're our first guests so doubly welcome." Jenny led them to the bar.

"Hi, Kathy. Hi, Kylie," Gavin greeted them warmly. "Never ones to miss a party. What can I get you to drink?"

Both girls giggled and then Kathy asked for a lager. Kylie followed her example. They both moved to the end of the bar where they occupied two of the stools.

The Jays had returned to the door. No one. Then about five minutes later two couples in their fifties arrived together. Jenny greeted them as she had the two girls.

"Hello," said one of the men holding out his hand which Jenny shook. "I'm Peter Tarleton and this is my wife Clare. We live at Wood End up there slap opposite the church. And these two are Norman and Eileen Stevens who live next door to us, the far side from here, at the Old Parsonage." They all shook hands.

"Forgive me if the next time I meet you, probably later on this evening, I've forgotten your names," said James. "It's something I'm terribly bad at."

"Aren't we all?" answered Eileen. "This man," she nudged her husband, "can't even remember mine most of the time."

"What do you mean?" snorted Norman.

"Well what is it?"

"Um, Darling?"

"Good answer!"

Everyone laughed and the Jays escorted them to the bar where Mattie and Judy went into action.

The next arrival was Fred. He was not wearing a cap, which revealed a head of close-cropped dark hair.

"Ah!" said James. "A face we know."

Fred stared at him.

"You came in at lunchtime six weeks ago when we came to do a look round."

"Oh yaas," said Fred. "Oi 'member. Sittin' over there you was."

"That's right."

"Comes in most days fer lunch Oi does."

"We'll look forward to seeing you."

"Hmph! Doan' want no fancy food Oi doan'. Jus' bread an' cheese."

"If that's what you want, that's what you'll get."

"Good."

"I'm James and this is my wife Jenny."

Fred nodded. "Noice ter meet yer." He moved on purposefully towards the bar.

Jenny restrained a chuckle, merely smiling at James. "Well now," she said softly. "We've had the local totty, the local nobs and now the local old codger."

James smiled back and squeezed her hand. He did not have time to reply before two elderly men arrived together.

James again took the lead. "Hallo," he said with a smile, "I'm James and this is my wife, Jenny."

"Bill Purdey," said one of the men, "an' this is Mr Turner."

"How do you do?" asked James solemnly. "I hope we shall see you regularly."

"You will," replied Bill. "Us comes in every night 'cept Sundays 'bout nine and 'as a couple o' points o' mild and bitter."

"We don't have any mild, I'm afraid. I didn't think they made it anymore."

Bill grinned. "No," he said. "Oi dunno as they does." He turned to Mr Turner with a sigh. "Looks like Guinness again, Alf."

"Oh well," said Mr Turner also with a grin. "Oi dunno what the world's coming to. All these youngsters doan' 'arve no sense o' taste."

They moved on towards the bar.

"Mister?" queried Jenny softly.

"Don't know," said James. "Gavin probably will. I ought to go and get some eats going."

"OK, my sweet."

People began to arrive thick and fast and Jenny was unable to do more than greet them and usher them in. James was churning out eats and Jenny had to turn to organising the girls to carry them round while keeping the bar going with Gavin.

Brendan turned up and was warmly greeted by all but the young. His Irish brogue became more pronounced as he moved among the throng but Jenny overheard him at one stage.

"These two young people," he was saying, "will, given a chance, transform this pub but you have got to support 'em. You've got to tell your friends how good their food is."

"Come on, Brendan," said one woman. "We don't know how good their food is."

"Have you looked at their menu?"

"Um!"

"Well, come over here. Look at that.

"It looks like an ordinary pub menu."

"You're skimming it, my dear. Look at the rack of lamb. 'On a bed of mint and parsnip purée'. Ever had that in a pub before?"

"No, Brendan."

"Well!"

"OK. We'll try it."

"Do that, my dear, but if you enjoy it tell somebody else because they might too."

"Are you on the payroll?"

"No! They're competition, distant I admit, but I want to help them because I think they're good guys."

Gavin and Jenny held the bar while Mattie, Judy and Natalie went round with the eats. They were gobbled up. Fred, Bill and Mr Turner stuck to the sausage rolls although, when Mr Turner pronounced a stoned date in a wrap of bacon as good, the other two ate one too.

"Hmm," said Fred. "Aw right, I s'pose. 'Ang on, girl." He snatched another one before Natalie moved on.

At about half past eight, a young man with longish hair squeezed his way up to the bar.

"Hello," said Jenny. "That was quite a fight to get here."

The young man smiled briefly.

"Yes," he said. "But it won't be this bad again. Sadly for you"

"True," said Jenny, "but I hope something comes of it."

"So do I. You've clearly put a lot of effort into your publicity and I've never seen the place look so spruce."

"Thank you," said Jenny warmly. "What's your name? I'll probably forget it with this crowd but I can but try."

"Court."

"Welcome, Court. I'm Jenny. What can I get you to drink?"

"Pint of bitter with a handle, please, Jenny."

"Coming up."

Brendan materialised. "I must go Jenny, my dear," he said. "Delicious eats and I reckon you've formed the basis of a clientele. Best of luck and, don't forget, I'm only at the other end of the phone."