Downshire is a relatively small English
county but like a pocket battleship it packs a lot in, a short but beautiful
coastline, a channel port, the Ancient forests of Dancingdean and Pepperstock,
the craggy ridges and manmade lakes of the Pepperstock Hills National Park, the
rolling hills of the Downshire Downs, the beautiful Finchbottom Vale and farm
land as far as the eye can see, from the Trotwood’s and the Grace’s in the
south to the home of the Downshire Light infantry, Nettlefield, and their
affluent neighbour’s, Roespring and Tipton in the North but it’s in the Village
of Shallowfield where
our story takes place.
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 turned into a hotel.
Its completion
formerly marked the rebirth of Teardrop Lake and by extension Shallowfield.
Triplets, Dale, Manny and Paul Smith had just graduated from Abbottsford University and were spending the
summer with their uncle Julius, who was the Vicar of St Jude’s church in
Shallowfield, which was where they met the Nichols sisters.
They had been at their Uncles for less than a week when
they walked up to the village green to attend the Village summer Fête, but even though
they had only been there a few days they were not newcomers as they had spent
every holiday there for as long as they could remember and had made a lot of
friends among the younger members of the village population over the years.
The Fête was very well attended but despite not being strangers they didn’t really know many of the people in attendance but they thought
they would take a look, show willing at least, so they went on a few of the
side shows and drank a couple of pints in the beer tent and by late afternoon,
a combination of too much beer on an empty stomach and the heat of the sun had
left them all a little light headed so they decided to call it a day and headed
back across the field in the direction of the Vicarage.
But they only got about half way across the
field when they were two of the Nichols girls, Crissie and Sharlene and they
turned in unison to see them tottering towards them across the grass, shoes in
hand and ever so slightly tipsy.
The twin girls were not only sisters, but
were also best friends, quite inseparable and Manny and Paul thought them very
gorgeous, and had been in love with them foe three years, but alas when they
fell for them the girls were only 15, even though they kept reminding them that
they were actually 15 and three quarters.
Sadly that three quarters was not going to
keep them off the sex offenders register if they did what red bloodied young
men of 18 might think of doing.
But they were both lovely girls and he
liked them a lot but they decided to keep them at arm’s length until they
turned 16, unfortunately another opportunity never presented itself in the
following three years so that seemed to be that, until that summer.
Crissie was the younger of the two by a few
minutes, five foot two red hair and pale complexion and cutely freckled while
Sharlene was an inch shorter with a strawberry blonde hair and alabaster skin.
They were both stunningly beautiful and
wearing low cut summer dresses they looked even more so.
They tottered up alongside them, each
taking an arm, Sharlene as always was flirting outrageously.
“Can we come back to the Vicarage Paul?”
Sharlene said
“Then we could have another drink”
“It’s not like we’re drunk or anything”
Crissie chipped in
“Can we?” Sharlene said again
“Please Manny?” Crissie added
“Ok” he said, “as long as you behave”
“What will you do if we don’t?” asked
Sharlene
“Will you spank us?” Crissie said and
giggled
“You’ll get us shot” Paul said
Being over six feet tall and being arm in
arm with the two girls gave them a height advantage of more than a foot,
affording them a wonderful view down the front of their low cut dresses, they
knew they shouldn’t have looked but even for good Christian boys it was
difficult to resist the temptation.
Dale who was the only one of the boys not
to have a gorgeous girl on his arm looked on and smiled as his brothers
struggled with the moral repercussions of ogling young girl’s breasts.
Sharlene saw Paul looking down her top and
giggled so he didn’t look away.
Then she compared she whispered to her
sister about what Manny was doing and she blushed scarlet but made no attempt
to prevent him from looking either.
When they reached the Vicarage Dale left
his brothers and the giggling flirts outside while he went inside to get the
drinks, which given the girls inebriation and his own light-headedness he
decided not to fuel the flames with more alcohol, so when he joined the others
on the patio, which was now in the shade and put a tray full of soft drinks on
the table which on reflection was the wisest thing to do despite protests from
the girls.
And then about ten minutes, Gail Nichols
emerged through the garden gate and she was also wearing a summer dress, she
was the older sister, and was the one that Dale had set his cap at, and thought
she was equally gorgeous to her siblings, a few inches taller with a rounder
curvier figure than her siblings, but for Dale she was perfection.
“Well no surprise to find Smith boys
surrounded by pretty girls” She said
“Is that why you’ve joined us?” Dale said
“I’m not one of the pretty girls” she said
coyly “I’ve just come to collect my sisters”
“But we’re having fun” Crissie protested
“I’m sure you sure but it’s time to go”
Gail said
“Do you want a drink?” Dale asked
“Yes please” Sharlene replied eagerly
“Me too” giggled Crissie
“I wasn’t asking you two, you’ve had
enough” Dale said “I was asking Gail”
“No thanks but another time when you’re not
surrounded by pretty girls” she replied “mum and dad are waiting”
“As I said before you’re one of them” he
said
“I’m not pretty,” she snorted
“No, you’re beautiful” he corrected her and
she turned her head away coyly.
He imagined her coy denial about being one
of the pretty girls was either false modesty or she was fishing for
compliments.
Just at that moment the back gate swung
open and Uncle Julius walked up the garden.
“Hello girls” he said jovially and there
followed five minutes of light hearted chattering and then the girls went on
their way.
The Smith boys watched them as the three
girls tottered down the lawn and when they reached the gate all three turned
and waved and Sharlene blew a kiss.
“They are sweet young things aren’t they?”
the Vicar said
“Yes Uncle” Dale agreed but to himself he
added “and I have a very sweet tooth”
For years he had fantasied about him and Gail and he looked forward to
when he could turn the fantasy into reality as it turned out he didn’t have to
wait too long, to his surprise it was the next day, that his fantasy was made
manifest.
The day after the Smith boys entertained
the Nichols sisters in the vicarage garden Manny and Paul went sailing up at
Teardrop Lake while Dale remained at the vicarage catching up on his reading.
But by the time they had finished on the
Lake for the day back at the Vicarage, Dale had put his book down for the day
and was kissing Gail Nichols for the first time which turned out to be the
first step on a life long journey.
But Dale wasn’t the only member of the
Smith family to have a penchant for a Nichols girl but it was a week later
before cupid hit the mark for a second time.
When Manny woke up on Saturday morning he was
alone, Dale had driven Uncle Julian into Abbottsford for the day and Paul was
in Sharpington for a stag weekend.
As it was a nice day he left the Vicarage to
take a walk up to Teardrop Lake.
He followed the Lane that ran parallel to the River Brooke
as it flowed
from the head of the lake and on towards Shallowfield and beyond.
He headed past the
Shallowfield Lodge Hotel and then the lane joined the perimeter road which
circled the lake and he took the northern side.
Teardrop Lake and the
surrounding woodland was privately owned and divided into twelve parcels, each
with one significant dwelling on it although there were a number of cottages
dotted around the woods as well, some in use and some not.
It was both idyllic
and peaceful, there was little or no noise pollution and although the lake was
used there were no speed boats or jet skis, only rowing boats, canoes, dinghies
and skiffs.
Manny and his brothers
learned to sail on the Lake
But there was more to Teardrop
than the lake, there were two follies, a Watch tower, and Olwen’s chapel as
well as a waterfall, brooks, streams, a 16th Century Bridge and
lovers leap.
He was just approaching the 16th
Century Stone bridge when he started to feel the heat so he decided to leave
the road in
favour of the coolness of the woods in a dense area of
ancient woodland, and followed the path that threaded its way through the woods
which was a well-trod path that meandered its way towards the waterfall and he
was halfway along the path, he heard a voice behind him.
“Wait for me Manny” the voice said, “wait for
me, wait for me”
Manny turned around but he couldn’t see who
it was
“Wait for me” they continued shouting a
little louder this time and then crash, a girl came running around an oak tree
and hurtled straight into him and they both ended up on the floor, the girl was
the object of his affections Crissie Nichols.
“Ouch” she said rubbing her left knee.
“Are you ok?” he asked as he helped her to
her feet.
“Just banged my knee a bit,” she said
laughing
“I didn’t think I was that close to you”
She was a very pretty girl, five foot two red hair and
pale complexion and cutely freckled and his heart soared when he looked at her.
“Happy birthday by the way” he said suddenly
remembering.
“Thank you,” she said grinning
She looked very cute in a yellow lacey
fascinator with small white flowers.
Crissie was wearing a very smart yellow
outfit, consisting of double breasted jacket, a pleated flared skirt, cream
tights, and a white blouse and court shoes.
“Aren’t you a bit overdressed for walking in
the woods?” he enquired
“Yes, a bit I suppose” she agreed
“Is there a reason?” he pressed
“Oh yes, it’s my Aunties wedding” she replied
“So why are you here?”
“The reception is at the Lodge but it doesn’t
start until three so I had a couple of hours to kill once the photos were done,
and I saw you walk by so I thought I’d hang with you” she replied as she began
to brush dust off her legs and was making it worse so he fished out a hankie
from his pocket and handed it to her.
“Use that” he said “that will help for the
moment”
Crissie rubbed at it and winced, but again it
wasn’t improving things at all.
“Come on, come to the falls and we’ll get you
cleaned up”
“Ok” she said brightly, as that was precisely
what she had in mind when she chased him through the woods.
From the spot where
they collided they headed towards Shoe Buckle Falls, so named, so legend had
it, after a 17th century fugitive Cavalier who was pursued into the
forest by parliamentarian soldiers but disappeared in the vicinity of the falls
and all they ever found of him was his shoe buckle.
The falls were not
grand or spectacular but they were nice enough.
The water tumbled and
spilled over the rocks gathering briefly in deep pools and then tumbling down
again to the next pool.
It was dark beneath
the ancient trees and refreshingly cool as the misty spray settled on
them.
The rocks and trees
closest to the falls were covered in bright green lichens.
“Bad luck having to share your 16th
Birthday with a family wedding” he said as they walked towards the falls.
“Oh no it was great, I got loads of presents
from the guests” she said “I think I got more gifts from friends and family
than the bride did”
“Talking of family, where are Gail and Sharlene?”
he asked
Gail and Sharlene were her sister and the
latter was also her best friend and they were inseparable.
“They’re at the Shallowfield Lodge waiting
for the wedding breakfast to start” she said just as they arrived at the falls.
“I don’t think the dirt is coming off your
tights I’m afraid” he said
“Oh God mums going to kill me” Crissie said
“There’s only one thing you can do then” he
said “go and slip them off and rinse them in the pool, and I’ll hang them up,
they’ll be dry in plenty of time for the reception”
“You’re a life saver” she said and got up and
went behind a tree
When she returned she had taken off her
tights and was holding the wet bundle in her hand.
“Ok I’ll take those, you go and sit down by
the water” he said “but sit on my jacket otherwise you’ll be having to wash
your skirt”
“That wouldn’t be good” she giggled and sat
down as instructed.
And then he knelt down in front of her and
took his hankie from his pocket a wet it in the pool and gently washed the dirt
off her knee
“So what are you doing for your birthday?” he
asked as he worked
“Mum and Dad are taking me and to a swanky
restaurant in Purplemere” she said very pleased with herself.
“This might sting a bit,” he said as her
dabbed at a small cut he had reveled under the dirt on her knee
“Ooh” Crissie winced as she sat perched on
his jacket.
“I wish I had a plaster on me” he said “it
would stop you bleeding onto your tights”
“I have one in my bag” she said triumphantly
“I was worried I might get a blister with these shoes”
She went in her bag and presented him with
the plaster and he had his right hand under her knee as he applied it.
And then they sat on
the rocks as they soaked their feet in one of the deepest pools until it was
time for her to get back to the Hotel.
After she had put her tights back on they followed the path of the falls back down towards
the perimeter road.
As they approached the old bridge she
stumbled and he caught her before she slid down into the glistening in the
water.
“Oops” she exclaimed and turned her face
towards his and he decided to seize the moment and put his lips to hers once,
twice and then a third time when their mouths gently sealed on each other’s and
their tongues engaged.
It only lasted a few moments and when their
lips parted he said
“Happy birthday”
In response she gave a heavy sigh and said
“Wow that was a great birthday kiss”
And then she reached up to him, “Again
please”
But Manny put his finger up to her lips
“Too many kisses will make you late for the
wedding breakfast” he said
“Again” she pleaded and their lips met again,
but this time in a longer deeper more sensual union and when he broke away
Crissie sighed again.
“You know what this means?” he asked
“Yes” she said and put her arms around his
neck and kissed him full on the mouth
“You’re my boyfriend”
“Yes you’re my girl” he confirmed and the
after another kiss Manny walked her down perimeter road to the Shallowfield
Lodge Hotel for the wedding breakfast and kissed her again.
While she was with her family he went into
the village to do some shopping and later that evening he was waiting in the
shadows when Crissie came out in response to his text.
“Here you are birthday girl” he said to her
“I have a birthday gift for you”
“A present” she said, giggling and blushing
to her roots
When she opened the little package to reveal
a Gold locket and inside it read “To my girl Crissie”.
She threw herself at him and showered him
with kisses
“I love it, I love it” she said and hugged him, after a moment or two she said coyly “And I love you too”
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