Mercedes Seeber was only 29 years old but in the culture her parents were from to have reached that age without a husband or children was almost humiliating, and even her twin brother Rafael, fell victim to their mother’s wrath.
So they were both single
as they rapidly approached their milestone 30th birthdays.
Although they both balked
at their mothers constant haranguing about their marital status, they were not
singletons out of choice and the fact they had no significant others in their
lives was not for want of trying, and they had both kissed a lot of frogs in
pursuit of their perfect others.
But her mother’s constant
drip, drip, drip of constant criticisms and highlighting of short comings was
more than flesh and blood could stand which was why she was driving to
Shallowfield in the middle of the night.
She had spent Saturday of
the August Bank Holiday weekend at her parents’ home which was bad enough but
the prospect of getting up on Sunday morning for more of the same was more than
flesh and blood could stand.
So she had an early night
and left the house just after 4am and drove to Shallowfield to her twin brother
Rafael’s house.
Shallowfield lay on the
southern edge of the Finchbottom Vale and Shallowfield’s fortunes had always relied largely upon forestry and
agriculture for its survival.
In
the post war years with rationing and a shortage of work a lot of people moved
away, to Abbottsford, Abbeyvale and beyond and it only barely survived.
And
the community around Teardrop Lake fared even worse.
Only a few of the houses
around the Lake were thriving, a lot of the houses had been rented out and
those that hadn’t were in a poor state of repair, some too such an extent they
were little more than ruins.
But by the 70s things were
beginning to change, thanks mainly to tourism and an increase in leisure time.
More importantly these
people had money in their pockets.
This
trend was reflected by the fact that the derelict Shallowfield Lodge, which had
been inherited by a young couple from Lincolnshire, Rob and Sheryl Brown, was being turned into a hotel.
Its
completion formerly marked the rebirth of Teardrop Lake and by extension
Shallowfield and Mercedes’ brother Rafael was one of its newest residents some
forty something years later.
Rafael Seeber was the
manager of Mazzone’s,
which was the latest addition in the Mazzone chain of hairdressers and he was
so committed to making a success of it that he moved to Shallowfield and bought
a house at the Childean end of the Village which was where Mercedes was headed
at the crack of dawn.
The reason she was invited
to her brother’s house was that after only six months in the village he had
been lucky enough to get two tickets to the Lutchford’s Garden Party on Bank
Holiday Sunday at his home, Forest Lodge, on the southwest shore of Teardrop Lake and she was
invited as his plus one.
Although Mercedes and Rafael weren’t identical twins they were unmistakably brother and sister, with the same facial features and the same hair, the same southern Mediterranean colouring and they were both tall and lean.
But it wasn’t just the
physical characteristics that they shared, they also shared the same
temperament, sense of humour, and both had kind and generous hearts.
It was just a shame that
they were unable to find that special someone.
But apart from being twins
and sharing so many characteristics, they also shared a profession as Mercedes and
Rafael were both hairdressers and both worked for Mazzone’s.
Rafael was the manager in
Shallowfield while she was assistant manager in Abbottsford and she shared a
flat there above the shop with three other girls, which wasn’t ideal, and was
why she looked forward to getting away even if it was to feel the sharp edge of
her mums tongue.
It was first light on
Sunday morning, when she pulled up outside Rafael’s house.
She got out of the car and
walked to the front door then she retrieved the spare key from under a plant
pot and let herself in.
Mercedes was wide awake
despite the time of day and decided to have breakfast while she waited for her
brother to stir.
Rafael had planned to
sleep late that morning however he was awoken earlier than planned, much
earlier in fact, by the rattling of crockery from the kitchen and the sound of
water running, a kettle filling he presumed.
He looked at the clock and
it was 5.05am and he apparently had an unexpected houseguest, he had no idea
who it was and frankly it could have been anyone.
So he got up and went
gingerly downstairs and as he approached the kitchen he caught sight of his
intruder, Mercedes sitting on the kitchen counter eating toast.
“What are you doing here in
the middle of the night?” he said and walked up to her and hugged her
“It’s the garden party
today obviously” she replied
“Yes but not for another
six hours” he said
Rafael and Mercedes sat at
the kitchen table, drinking coffee,
“What made you get here
quite so early?” he said yawning
“I’ve been at Mum and Dads
since Friday night” she replied “And Mum was driving me mad with the “you’re
not getting any younger” speech, so I left early”
“Ah now I understand” he
said
As he was up early he
decided he would cook them both a proper breakfast and then they had a
leisurely morning getting ready because of a lack of any time constraints.
The Lutchford’s Garden
Party at Forest Lodge on the southwest corner of Teardrop Lake had become an
annual event since Peter Lutchford had married local Doctor, Claire Andrews.
It was one of the “jewel
in the crown” event in Shallowfield and in particular Teardrop Lake.
Mercedes, perfumed and
powdered herself and Rafael shaved and showered and then they got dressed.
The Garden Party was not a
baggy shorts and flip flop kind of affair and nor was it a dinner suit,
cummerbund and bow tie kind of thing.
So Rafael wore a blue
blazer and slacks and Mercedes a yellow dress.
Peter Lutchford had lived
in Forest Lodge since he was 12, it had been the home of the Flanders family
for over one hundred years and when his mother remarried it effectively became
his.
A year after he moved
there his sister Amanda came along, she was now Mrs Bishop.
It had become an annual
event since Peter Lutchford had married local Doctor, Claire Andrews, and it
had become one of the “jewel in the crown” event in Shallowfield and in
particular Teardrop Lake.
He was a world renowned
film director, and he had his own production company, Teardrop Productions,
based at Purplemere Studios.
Because of his fame as a
director and his sister’s as an actress there was always a liberal sprinkling
of celebrities present at the Lutchford’s parties, so it was quite a coup to
get an invite to either the Garden Party, the fancy dress party at Halloween or
the other one on New Year’s Eve.
However his wife Claire
always ensured the ordinary people of the community made up the majority of the
guests.
Rafael’s initial thought was
to decline the invitation as it wasn’t really his kind of thing, plus he didn’t
have anyone to take since he broke up with his girlfriend Veronica.
But despite his
reservations everyone told him how difficult it was to get an invite and how
envious they were so he decided to accept.
As Rafael’s house was at
the Childean end of the village and Teardrop Lake was at the other, and because
it was a hot day, walking was not an option so Rafael suggested a cab but
Mercedes had to drive home that evening because she had washing and ironing to
do the next day and then work the morning after so she suggested they go in her
Jazz.
“Ok let’s go” he said
“I don’t know where I’m
going, so you’ll have to direct me” She replied “I can follow the signs to
Teardrop Lake obviously, but I don’t know where on the Lake we’re going or
which house”
“Ok I’ll direct you once
we get close” he said
They drove through
Shallowfield and turned into the lane that passed the Shallowfield Lodge Hotel
and crossed the
River Brooke as it flowed from the head
of the lake and on towards Shallowfield, Mornington and beyond, and then the
Lake was suddenly in front of them.
The
lake was shaped like a teardrop, hence its name, and surrounded by the ancient
woodland of the Dancingdean Forest.
It
wasn’t a huge body of water, just over two miles long and almost a mile at its
widest point.
But
he thought it was simply beautiful and it had remained relatively un-spoilt
which was what made it so special.
The
lake was surrounded by a perimeter road which gave access to the 12 significant
dwellings that surrounded the lake.
Peter Lutchford and his
wife Claire lived at Forest Lodge on the southern side of the lake.
“Go
right here” Rafe said
“Ok”
she complied
“It’s
the 4th House” he added
“It must be lovely to live
here” she said
“Wouldn’t it just” he
replied
“It’s a shame we never
will” Mercedes said wistfully
“Never say never” he
remarked
“That’s
Forest Lodge just ahead, you’ll have to park in the lane”
Obviously Mercedes and Rafael
were not the only guests that needed to park in the lane so they ended up more
than fifty yards away from the entrance to Forest Lodge.
So once Mercedes parked
the car they joined a queue of ambling guests and among them was an array of
stunningly turned out women and it was among that group that a petite young
woman with short brown hair and she was wearing a figure hugging knee length
green silk dress, which fitted her like a second skin caught her brothers eye,
she was just about to comment to him about her when she was distracted by a
first class bit of eye candy herself.
He was the classic
combination of tall dark and handsome, well dressed, well-groomed and well fit.
Once they reached the
garden the first people they ran into were Ben and Dorcas Overton who ran the
Shallowfield Lodge Hotel, Dorcas was apparently one of her brothers regulars
and after the Overton’s they met their hosts half-sister Amanda Bishop who Mercedes
recognised as actress Amanda Flanders, she was a real stunner and was another
of Rafael’s customers and he had told her that he believed she was responsible
for his invite.
“Hello Amanda” he said,
“can I introduce you to my sister Mercedes”
After leaving Amanda they
found their hosts, the illustrious film director Peter Lutchford and his wife
Claire and a rather plain looking, bespectacled stick insect of a woman called
Olivia who worked with Claire at the health centre and they spent a pleasant
ten minutes chatting until a waitress appeared with a tray of drinks, at which
point Rafe caught sight of the girl in Green silk again and craned his neck to
keep her in view.
People came and went from
the group which grew and shrank then grew again and Rafael suggested to
Mercedes that they should mingle.
But before they slipped
away someone else joined the group who caused Mercedes to hesitate, because it
was Mr Tall Dark and Handsome.
“Hello Jake” Claire said
“I think you know everyone”
“Not quite” he replied
looking towards Mercedes
“Have you not met Rafael
Seeber?”
“Only in a professional
capacity” he replied “but not his companion”
“This is my colleague Jake
Alexander” Claire said introducing him to Mercedes.
“Hello please call me
Mercedes”
Rafael didn’t notice her
flirtatiously flicking the hair off her face as she shook Jakes hand as he had
spotted the mystery girl again, he had no idea who she was and he only caught a
glimpse of her and she was off again and he was eager to get after her and if
he didn’t do it then he might never track her down again but when he looked
back at Mercedes she appeared to have a rather soppy expression on her face.
Rafael eventually dragged
Mercedes away from the group, against her will, or more specifically dragged
her away from Jake, not that he noticed what was going on, he only had eyes for
the girl in the silk dress.
They had only gone a
matter of yards when they were halted by someone he clearly didn’t want to see,
she was a little blonde Cougar in a white dress, a highly unsuitable shade
considering what she apparently got up to too with all and sundry, that was
what her brother had told her anyway.
Rafael’s body language
suggested he was trapped so while he was preoccupied Mercedes formulated a plan
to escape and go in search of her doctor.
“Rafael Darling” the
cougar said
“Hello Mrs Braithwaite”
“I’ve told you before, you
naughty boy, call me Carissa”
Mercedes took that precise
moment to excuse herself to use the little girl’s room but when she looked back
over her shoulder Claire Lutchford had come to his aid
“Rafael, Rafael” she
called “Come and meet the Sefton’s?”
So she didn’t feel so guilty
then.
“Rafael Darling” the
cougar said
“Hello Mrs Braithwaite”
“I’ve told you before, you
naughty boy, call me Carissa”
Mercedes took that precise
moment to excuse herself to use the little girl’s room but when she looked back
over her shoulder Claire Lutchford had come to his aid
“Rafael, Rafael” she
called “Come and meet the Sefton’s?”
So she didn’t feel so
guilty then.
Mercedes didn’t really
need to use the little girls room what she was interested in was tracking down
the gorgeous doctor, but when she got back to the group he wasn’t there and she
spent a desperate ten minutes searching for him.
When she finally caught
sight of him he was with the Lutchford’s, where he shook Peters hand and kissed
Claire’s cheek.
“No don’t leave” she
screamed in her head as he turned to walk away.
As he ambled up the side
of the house Mercedes took a more direct route, at pace, through the house and
out the front door and then strolled around the side of the house and met Jake
walking in the other direction.
“Leaving so soon?” she
said casually
“Yes, I only popped in to
say hello” he replied “I’m new to the area, so Claire thought it would be a
good opportunity to introduce me around”
But then added in a
conspiratorial whisper
“This isn’t really my kind
of thing”
“That’s a shame” she said
“Well I’m on call tonight
so I can’t have a drink and it’s far too nice a day to be wearing a collar and
tie, and there’s a breeze getting up on the lake, so that’s where I’m headed”
“You’re going out on the
lake?” she asked “Do you sail then?”
“Yes do you?”
“A little” she replied
although that was a serious understatement as she and her brother were both
keen sailors in their teens and early twenties they had only stopped because
life got in the way.
“Really? Then come and
join me” he urged before adding “although you’re not really suitably dressed,
erm that is for sailing, in all other respects you are perfect, um I’ll stop
talking now”
“I have something more
suitable in the car, so I can change” Mercedes said
“Great, but won’t your
brother wonder where you are?” he asked
“No his mind is on
something else or at least someone else” she replied
“It wouldn’t be the petite
brunette in the green silk by any chance?” Jake asked
“Yes” she replied and
wished he hadn’t recalled her quite so readily “So you noticed her too?”
“In a way, but I noticed that
he had very much noticed her”
She was content with his
answer and they both walked up the lane until they reached her car and she
said.
“This is me”
“While you get your gear
I’ll just go to my car” he said
And when he returned five
minutes later she was just climbing out of the driver’s side rear door wearing
white shorts and a yellow t-shirt.
“I was going to suggest
using Claire’s bathroom, but that works” he said
“So where did you change?”
she asked
“Well I cheated a bit because
I had mine on under my suit” he said as he watched her pull on a pair of
converse shoes then she picked up a little back pack, locked the car and then
they walked down the lane towards the Shallowfield Lodge Hotel.
Jake and Mercedes walked
down the lane towards the Shallowfield Lodge Hotel and then proceeded to the
Hotel jetty where Jake had his Dinghy tied up.
“There she is” he said
proudly as they
walked along the jetty
“She’s lovely” she said
“Why did you tie her up here and not at the Lutchford’s?”
“I couldn’t do that, it
would have been rude and it would have given the impression that I didn’t want
to be there and enjoy their hospitality”
“But you didn’t want to be
there” she pointed out
“I know but I didn’t want
to make it blatantly obvious” he retorted
She climbed aboard while
Jake untied the bow line and a moment later he joined her and quickly set the
sail and they were off.
It was a beautiful bright afternoon, sunny with a light breeze and she watched him deftly
handle the boat getting the most of breeze until they were fair skimming along.
They virtually had the lake to themselves apart from a couple of others,
a skiff and a canoe.
She
hadn’t been sailing for four or five years and she had forgotten how much she
loved it and being out on Teardrop Lake on an August afternoon was wonderful
and the lakeside scenery was spectacular.
It
was quite exhilarating with the wind blowing through her hair and the spray
cooling her face, and of course she had a gorgeous man beside her at the
tiller.
“Isn’t that your brother?”
he asked as they passed close to the Lutchford’s Jetty
“What?”
“Isn’t that your brother
on the jetty?” he said as he pointed towards the land
She looked in the
direction he was pointing and smiled when she saw Rafael sitting on the jetty
next to the girl in the green silk dress and they both had the feet in the
water
“Yes it is?”
“And it looks like he got
his girl” Jake said and smiled and hoped that he would be so lucky.
They sailed up and down
the water and every time they passed by the Lutchford’s she looked over at
Rafael and smiled and she noted they sat beside each other on the jetty for
more than an hour with their feet dangling in the water and talking as Mercedes
watched from the water.
But as the sun started to
set and the temperature dropped, Jake said
“Time to go ashore” and
they headed back to the Hotel jetty.
It didn’t take long as
they were near to the shore and they had the prevailing wind at their backs.
When
they returned to the Hotel jetty they were amazed to find they had spent two
and a half hours out on the water.
Jake
was the first one off the boat and took Mercedes hand and helped her out.
“I
had a really great time” she said
“Me
too” he agreed
There
was a moment when they were face to face in the dusk when they looked at each
other and they had the briefest of kisses.
Not
that they wanted it to be brief, but the light was all but gone and Mercedes
was wearing damp clothes and shivered in the cool breeze and they were both desperate to pee.
“Come on let’s get a hot drink” he said and grabbed her hand and they
ran into the Hotel.
After much needed visits
to the use the facilities and a plateful of sandwiches Mercedes and Jake spend
the next two hours sitting in the Bar at the Shallowfield Lodge Hotel drinking
coffee and talking.
But they hadn’t gotten
around to discussing any future dates and as the time drifted towards midnight
the unthinkable happened, his mobile phone went off.
“Damn” he exclaimed and
pressed accept
“Doctor Alexander!” he
said
“Hello Doctor this is the
County Doc Service, we have an urgent call out, suspected meningitis”
“Ok, let me just get a
pen” he said and Mercedes had already anticipated his requirement and fished
one out of her bag, he took it from her and smiled and said “ok fire away”
After taking all the
details he hung up and said
“I’m sorry but I have to
go”
They walked briskly back
up the lane to the cars and when they reached hers he said
“I’ve had a lovely…” he
began but Mercedes decided that although it was a nice sentiment he was wasting
valuable kissing time.
“It’s a shame you’re going
back to Abbottsford tonight” he said when she allowed him to speak
“I know” she agreed “But
I’ll call you tomorrow”
“Ok” he said “I’ve got to
go now”
So they shared one final
kiss and then he was jogging to his car and she wistfully watched him get in
and drive away.
Mercedes really liked her dashing
doctor but she doubted it would go anywhere with him in Shallowfield and her in
Abbottsford.
She sighed loudly and then
she went into the Lutchford’s to find her brother.
She left Forest Lodge
after being told that Rafael had already gone and was walking Petra Sefton
home.
Claire Lutchford gave her
the address and told her which direction they had probably taken and so she set
off in her car to catch them up.
She drove around the
perimeter road and was just approaching Dancingdean Hall when she saw Rafael
step out into the lane.
He hesitated to let the
car go past and then realised that it was Mercedes driving towards him.
“There you are” she said
as she drew level with him “I went back to the house to find you but you weren’t
there”
“So how did you find me?”
“Well they said you left
with that hot girl in the green silk dress you were ogling all afternoon, and
where she lived so I drove round here on the off chance”
“I’m glad you found me I
didn’t fancy the long walk home” he said “and I have a big date tomorrow”
“Get in and you can tell
me all about it” she said
On the drive back to his
house at the Childean end of Shallowfield he filled her in on all the salient
points since they separated and had just finished telling her about the
goodnight kiss when she came to a halt outside his house.
“Now come on spill the
beans, where did you get to? And whose boat were you in?” he asked
“As much as I would like
to tell you all the nitty gritty of my day, I can’t as I have to get going”
“Nonsense you’re staying
the night” he insisted
“But…” she protested
“No but’s, get inside” he
said
On the drive back to his
house at the Childean end of Shallowfield he filled her in on all the salient
points since they separated and had just finished telling her about the
goodnight kiss when she came to a halt outside his house.
“Now come on spill the
beans, where did you get to? And whose boat were you in?” he asked
“As much as I would like
to tell you all the nitty gritty of my day, I can’t as I have to get going”
“Nonsense you’re staying
the night” he insisted
“But…” she protested
“No but’s, get inside” he
said
She really did have to get
back to Abbottsford to do her washing and ironing but when he said she was
staying the night she was glad.
“So what do you think of
Shallowfield and Teardrop Lake?”
“I really like it” she
said “I may even become a regular weekend visitor”
“Well you wouldn’t need to
if you came and worked with me” he said
“What?” she exclaimed not
sure she heard him right
“Come and work in
Shallowfield” he said
“Are you serious?” she
asked and he nodded
“That’s brilliant” she
said “When can I start?”
“Whenever you want” he
replied and then his phone vibrated as he received a text.
When he had read it and
replied to it he turned his attention to his sister and said to Mercedes
“Now tell me what you’ve
been up to”
She then spent the next
hour telling him every detail of her afternoon and evening.
It wasn’t until she went
to bed that the significance of Rafael’s job offer dawned on her, she was going
to be living in Shallowfield.
So that meant a
relationship with Jake was more than a possibility.
She was up early on Bank
Holiday Monday, not entirely by choice as Rafael was up before her and was full
of the joys of spring and was not keeping it to himself.
He was leaving early to
pick up the little brunette, Petra, and take her to Sharpington for the parade.
He did invite her to join
them but she had other plans for the day other than being a gooseberry.
Mercedes had a long
relaxing bath and while she was enveloped by the foamy water she texted Jake
Alexander.
“Guess who is still in
Shallowfield?”
It wasn’t until half an
hour later when she was sitting naked on the bed drying her thick black curls that
she got a reply.
“Great, can we spend the
day together?”
“Yes please” she typed in
reply
“Meet me outside the Hotel
at 12 o’clock”
She didn’t know what he
had in mind so she wore a dress for their date just in case he was going to
take her to a fancy restaurant.
But she took a change of
clothes in the car in case he had something more adventurous in mind.
Mercedes parked in the
Shallowfield Lodge Hotel carpark and Jake walked over to greet her.
“You look lovely” he said
and kissed her
“I didn’t know what to
wear” she said
“Well you look perfect”
Jake said and kissed her again
“So what are we going to
do Doctor?”
“Well I thought we should
make the most of the day while you’re in the area”
So lunch at the Waterside
Inn in Dulcet-on-Brooke, an afternoon of punting on the River Willow, Dinner at
the Phoenix in Shallowfield and a farewell kiss by the lake in the moonlight.
“Well that sounds
excellent but I’m going to me around a lot more than just today” she said
smugly
“Oh?”
“Rafe has asked me to work
with him at the shop in Shallowfield”
“Fantastic that’s just
what the Doctor ordered” he said enthusiastically and picked her up and span
her around before putting her down on terra firma and kissing her again.
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