(Part 01)
Paul Biggerstaff and Liz Bradshaw were staying on a camp site in the Finchbottom Vale that was once a working railway station before it fell afoul of Dr Beeching and his cuts, in a place called Sharpinghead.
The two of them were staying in the converted railway station, as part of a family gathering, as they did for a month every summer.
Among those drawn back to Sharpinghead each year were the four Walker girls, sister’s Jane, Kathy, Margaret and the baby of the family, Liz.
And over the years the numbers grew with the addition of boyfriends, husbands and then for the older two girls, children.
And it was on the whole a very loving family and among their number were Paul Biggerstaff and Liz Bradshaw but they felt love of a very different kind.
The problem was they were not a couple, they were married however, just not to each other, and they were in fact brother and sister in law.
Paul had been married to Liz’s sister Margaret for over four years and they had been in love with each other for all of those and their mutual attraction was obvious to them both from the first moment they were introduced, but they knew instinctively that they could never act on it.
And for over four years they kept their feelings in check, at least until Christmas in 1970 when with the aid of mulled wine and mistletoe they kissed.
When they reflected on it later the nature of the kiss had surprised them both, once they started they didn’t want to stop, but stop they did, it was not just a perfect Christmas kiss, it was perfect on every level, and having broken the ice with a kiss, they wanted to repeat it.
But the next morning in the cold, sober, light of day, they felt guilty, really, really guilty, but not just for weakening, the guilt came because the kiss revealed that they were not just attracted by naked lust, after the kiss they realised it was love, so they avoided each other for the rest of the week.
They had both decided they would not get drunk in case they let their guard down on New Year’s Eve and kissed again.
In the New Year being in close proximity to each other was torture being close enough that they could smell each other was both a blessing and a curse, and being so close to one another that they could touch was agony, but there were occasional opportunities when they succumbed to the temptation.
But they had mixed feelings when the time came around again to go to Sharpinghead for the summer family gathering.
It was always fun at Sharpinghead and there was always plenty to do,
The campsite was attached to Maxlin’s Holiday Camp and although the campgrounds and the old railway buildings were nothing to do with Maxlin’s, all those who stayed there automatically qualified for day passes to use some of the amenities.
Unfortunately doing family stuff together brought them into each other’s orbits time after time every single day and it was driving them to distraction.
After that first surrender to their love at Christmas Liz felt alive and tingling all over and she wanted more of the same.
There had been the occasional repeat of their perfect kissing but they were few and far between and relied mainly on chance.
Paul for one was desperate to try and engineer something a little more prolonged.
The first week at Sharpinghead was wet with heavy thundery showers and totally lacking opportunities and when they storms passed it left the Vale hot and humid which was their first bit of luck.
The older generation found it too hot to even move so chose to stay put in Sharpinghead
The rest of the group were split the majority wanted to drive to Sharpington and spend the day on the beach, including Paul’s wife Margaret who was a sun worshiper, Paul had auburn hair and fair skin so wasn’t keen on sunbathing and Liz said
“I think the heat will be too much for me, I think I’ll just stay here”
Liz had been out of sorts all week so no one objected so Paul said
“I thought I might take a drive over to Mornington, I read in the Clarion that the Summer Fête is on at the Manor”
“Boring” Margaret said
“Well you go to Sharpington and I’ll go to the Fête, and if Liz is feeling better in an hour I’ll take her with me” he suggested and everyone made positive noises.
Which was how Paul and Liz came to be in Mornington-By-Mere in the middle of July on the day of the Summer Fête.
(Part 02)
As had been the long standing tradition the Fête was held in the Mornington Manor grounds and also in keeping with tradition it was extremely well attended, in fact it was heaving.
They had hoped to find a quiet corner for a bit of a kiss and a cuddle.
In the week before the Fête Liz had been a bit out of sorts which turned to be as a result of her monthly and after the unwelcome visitor had departed she was very needy and tactile.
So when Paul parked the car in Mornington, he had barely applied the handbrake before Liz started nibbling his earlobe.
“I need a kiss and a cuddle” she said in whinny tones
“That’s the reason we’re here,” he said weakly
“But I need a kiss now” she whined as she licked his ear like a Labrador.
“But…” he protested
“Please” she begged
“This isn’t the best place for that” he said as he looked around, but that was the sum total of his resistance as moments later she was sitting on his lap and they were kissing
However it all came to an abrupt end as a rather loud rotund family went past the car and bent one of the mirrors back.
Fortunately they were too busy feeding their faces to notice what was going on in Paul’s car but Liz had been spooked by the chubster’s so she said
“Let’s go then” with a sigh and Paul opened the driver’s door and went around to the passenger side and opened the door and took the hand of his sister in law and said
“Let’s go and find somewhere we can kiss in private”
“Yes please” she pleaded
Unfortunately the Fête was so well attended it was difficult to imagine where he might fulfil her request.
All the stall were swarming with punters and all the tents and marquees were occupied.
So Paul thought they could chance their luck in the Manor itself, after all there were countless rooms in there suitable for a private kiss, even a cupboard would have sufficed.
Unluckily however the house was off limits and there was security on every entrance.
It was when they were on the way to check for a back way in to the Manor that Paul spotted the catering van parked about thirty yards from the house.
And as they passed by it he unceremoniously bundled Liz through the side door in amongst the empty wine glass boxes and then Paul climbed in after her and closed the door behind him.
Although taken by surprise it was with an excited giggle that she threw herself into his arms and she finally got her long leisurely snog.
“That was so lovely” Liz said as Paul opened the door to check the coast was clear and then reached into the van and grabbed Liz’s hand and pulled her out before she had chance to get her shoes on.
“Come on” he shouted “we need to run”
As she was pulled from the van she glanced towards the house to see one of the security men running towards them shouting.
He had obviously been alerted by Paul getting out of the van.
Hand in hand they ran headlong across the grass towards the hubbub of the Fête, Paul carrying her handbag and Liz holding her shoes and they were laughing all the way and once they were lost in the crowd they relaxed and Paul said
“I’m starving, how about you?”
“Oh yes I’d like a hot dog” she said
After eating their lunch they wandered around the attractions for the next couple of hours and enjoyed the other entertainments on offer and then headed back toward the car.
“Let’s go for a walk in the woods” he suggested
“Ok but I’m very hot and tired” Liz said
“You won’t need to expend any energy for what I have in mind” he replied and held her hand “it’s very cool and secluded in the wood”
“Oh goody more snoggage” she replied with a giggle
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