Arrival at the Island (6) – Moving In

(Another change of tack)

Jim was finishing his breakfast when Anastasia walked into the dining room. She was wearing jeans and a sweater which showed off her figure. She took a seat opposite him at the dining table and waited until he had finished eating. He had seen nobody since he got up and had been surprised to find a cooked breakfast had been prepared for him and had been left keeping warm.

“Good morning Mr Gray. I Trust you slept well.”

“Very well thank-you very much. What with the travelling, good food and the country air, I slept very well indeed. It’s very quiet here.”

“Excellent! When you have finished I will take you to where you will be working. It’s not in the house itself, but only a short walk away. This afternoon I will show you the cottage we have selected for you. I hope it will be adequate. Being on an island means that we really have to consider accommodation and of course that tends to limit the options we have as well.”

“I’m sure it will be excellent. Everything else is much better than I expected. I’m ready now, if you want to lead the way. Will I need a coat?”

“Oh good! No, I don’t think a coat will be necessary.”

The office where Jim was to work was in an outbuilding which was reached by a short gravel path. The office was in a range of low buildings which formed one side of a walled garden. The garden looked tended to, but the flower beds were occupied only by a few bare stems and were covered with some kind of dark mulch material.

Anastasia unlocked the door by entering a passcode on a keypad. At the same time she handed Jim the pin-code hand-printed on an index card.

“I know that none of the residents would interfere with our property and the island does not get many visitors but we like to keep the place secure. Please try to remember to lock the door whenever you leave the office, even for a short while.”

 (Part of the “Tyson” project: 6th February 2017 – 347 words)