Tieckey looked at the card. It had gilded edging that looked as if it was done in icing with a blue background. A gust of wind swept into the front doors as the smell of rain filled the air. “The weather on this island will take time to get used to,” Tieckey complained, as the dust on the pub floor stirred in the air.
“It’s like it can’t make up its mind,” Melanie replied. “Time for us to get back to the Manor.”
They shut the heavy doors and bolted them before they made their way through to the back of the pub.
“What are you calling the pub?” Melanie asked her sister as she clicked the old padlock shut.
“The original name was The Crimson Heart, but I’m changing it to Ye Black Rose,” Tieckey explained, as they walked out the back and into the smattering of rain.
“I really like that name,” Melanie smirked, as she turned her sister’s arm over revealing the black rose tattooed on her wrist. “I wonder where you got the idea from?” she teased. Suddenly their attention was captured by lightning running through what looked like giant steel curtains hanging in the sky.
Thunder roared as the heavens opened, drenching the two screaming girls. They ran as fast as their heels could take them to the first shelter they could find. They stood under the canvas of a fish merchant, as Stuart walked past with an umbrella. He handed it over to Melanie who then introduced Tieckey to him.
“Are you needing a ride back to the Manor?” he asked, to which the girls both nodded eagerly.
They made their way to the car, only for Tieckey to realise she had left her luggage in the back of the pub.
“Not a problem,” Stuart assured her, as they got into the Rolls Royce. “We will stop there now and I will collect it for you.”
Melanie jumped in the back with Tieckey. “That’s chilly,” she gasped as her legs pressed against the cold leather seat. They drove off towards the pub. The rain was coming down really hard. Stuart pulled up at the side of the pub and switched off the engine as Tieckey handed him an old-fashioned key.
“He seems a bit odd,” Tieckey commented, as Stuart disappeared behind the building to retrieve her luggage.
“Wait until you meet his partner,” Melanie mumbled under her breath, twirling her index finger by her temple insinuating he was crazy. They both laughed as the thunder roared again.
“The mobile reception is terrible here,” Melanie remarked looking at her phone. Tieckey agreed, as she had tried to get hold of Melanie a few times earlier that day.
“It’s only half five and it’s so dark,” Melanie said, as Stuart finally came out of the pub bringing two luggage bags that he put in the boot. He apologised for his tardiness as he got back in. Stuart pulled away and they began their journey back to Ravencroft Manor.