An Unexpected Guest at the Cottage: That Evening Changed Everything
Elizabeth Whitmore was just packing up to leave work when her phone rang. The screen showed her old friend Margaret calling from the village—the same village where Elizabeth had a small cottage, inherited from her parents.
“Elizabeth, hello! You’re not at the cottage now, are you?” Margaret blurted out. “My youngest went there with his mates for a barbecue yesterday, and he swears he saw lights on inside! Someone was definitely moving around!”
“Oh, Maggie, it must’ve been a trick of the light,” Elizabeth said, waving it off, though an uneasy feeling twisted in her chest. “At sunset, the windows always reflect like there’s a lamp on.”
“Just thought you should know,” Margaret replied before hanging up.
Elizabeth sat back at her desk, but her focus was gone. Her mind kept wandering back to the cottage. What if someone had broken in? Was the door forced? The windows intact? Had anything been stolen? Scolding herself for being paranoid, she packed her bag in a hurry and left.
At home, she told her daughter she’d be stopping by a friend’s and might be late. The village was only a forty-minute bus ride away. Dusk had settled by the time she reached the cottage gate, her heart pounding like a drum.
And there it was—light in the windows! First in one room, then shifting to another. She rushed to the gate, where an unfamiliar black Land Rover stood parked—something she’d never seen there before.
The moment she pushed the gate open, she froze. A man with a torch stood right in front of her, looking startled but not frightened.
“Good evening, Elizabeth,” he said calmly. “Don’t be alarmed. I’m Edward Turner. A colleague of your son-in-law, James. He rang me just now—said you might come by and panic if you found a stranger inside. We were planning a little surprise for your birthday…”
“What surprise?” she cut in, brushing past him to step inside.
The cottage was tidy, but the air carried a faint smell of mortar. In the living room, Edward awkwardly continued his explanation.
“I’m a stonemason—James has known me for years. He mentioned your old fireplace was crumbling and wanted it refurbished as a gift. I’ve relined it with thermal tiles—neat and sturdy. Just needs time to dry before you light it.”
Only then did she notice the fireplace—completely restored, looking pristine and polished.
“You did this all by yourself?” she asked softly.
“Aye,” Edward chuckled. “Didn’t even stop for a bite, wanted to finish before you arrived. Was about to fetch my thermos when you turned up…”
He carefully packed his tools, then pulled out a sandwich bag and a flask. He looked exhausted and hungry.
“There’s ham and cheese in here if you fancy sharing a cuppa. The last bus has gone anyway,” he offered suddenly.
Elizabeth hesitated, then nodded. Why not? She hadn’t eaten either.
They sat together at the kitchen table. The tea from the flask was still piping hot, the sandwiches simple but delicious. She marvelled at how much warmth could come from such an ordinary moment.
“Shall we drop the formalities?” Edward suggested. “We’re not that far apart in age.”
“Alright,” Elizabeth smiled, feeling an unexpected lightness in her chest.
When he drove her home later, she was certain they’d meet again. And they did—the very next evening. Two weeks later, she invited him to her birthday, though she wasn’t sure how to introduce him to the family.
“I’ll be the surprise!” Edward winked. “They think we’ve never met, anyway.”
On the day, he arrived before everyone else—in that same Land Rover. When James brought the family over, Edward played the stranger perfectly. Elizabeth feigned surprise, though her heart raced.
“And who’s this, then?” she asked theatrically.
“My colleague, Edward!” James said proudly. “He’s the one who fixed the fireplace. Looks grand, doesn’t it?”
“Grand,” Elizabeth agreed, meeting Edward’s gaze in a way she hadn’t looked at anyone in years.
After the guests left, they lingered alone. Edward pulled out a small bunch of asters—picked from the roadside.
“Sorry, it’s all I could find. Wanted to give you something, though.”
And in that moment, Elizabeth realized: autumn isn’t an ending. It can be a warm beginning. And though this late bloom had come unexpectedly, it was the loveliest thing to happen to her in years.
From that evening on, asters became her favourite flower.