It was at the Lord
Lieutenants Summer Ball when Dave Knapp found Lady Antonia Johnson-Claassens on
the moonlit terrace and his first thought was that he might at last have found
someone who he could have an intelligent conversation with, but as he got
closer he noticed she was crying.
Dave had been on the
prowl for someone with half a brain all evening, his sister, who was supposed
to have been his plus 1 had cried off due to one of her bad heads, but when he
set off on his after dinner sojourn he didn’t think he would run into Lady
Antonia.
Although they did have
history of running into each other at such events, they had known each other
since University, and when they did attend the same functions they always
sought the other out.
However since her
engagement to some chinless Rupert, any kind of converse with her had been off
the menu and when he saw she was crying he didn’t see that changing.
So although the first
sight of her whetted his appetite he instead ended up wetting the shoulder of
his dinner jacket with her tears.
When she had calmed
down and her sobs began to recede she tried to tell him what was wrong but the
tears started to well up in her eyes again and then they ran down her cheeks as
she sobbed her heart out and she sat down on the wall.
So Mr. Chivalry again
stepped into action and he knelt on the floor beside her and offered himself up
to comfort her with arms open wide “I’m sorry” she said gratefully accepting
his open arms and burying her tearstained face in his neck.
Dave made encouraging
noises and stroked her back but being a shoulder to cry on was the full extent
of his expertise.
They held that
position for some time until Antonia’s sobs began to get shallower and
shallower and eventually abated.
But still she held on
to him tightly and began to nuzzle his neck and he could feel her breath on his
skin.
He comforted her for
about an hour in all and when all the tears were gone she told him what was
wrong, her fiancé Nigel had chosen the night of the Summer Ball to break off
their engagement, not only that but he did it at the party.
She had been very much
in love with him, he wasn’t quite the love of her life, but nonetheless to say
that she was heartbroken would have been an understatement and then she asked
him to drive her home.
When they got to Lady
Antonia’s, he drove the car onto her drive.
“Put it in the garage”
she said “the remote is in the door pocket”
Dave opened the garage
door as instructed and drove in, then closed the door behind them.
They got out of the
Range Rover and after retrieving her shrug from the back of the car they went
into the house safe from prying eyes.
They emerged in the
kitchen where Antonia took the shrug from him.
“Make a hot drink will
you” she said “while I get changed”
So Dave boiled the
kettle and made them coffee.
He was sat on a stool
drinking his when Toni rejoined him in the kitchen about 15 minutes later.
She had indeed
changed, she had changed out of the expensive designer ball gown she arrived in
and she was now standing in the doorway wearing a tiger onesie and fluffy
slippers.
This was not the image
Dave associated with her, in his mind’s eye he saw matching black silk
underwear, black stockings, and high heeled shoes.
“I thought this would
be a bit more comfortable” she said cutely
Lady Antonia stood in
the kitchen doorway wearing a tiger onesie and fluffy slippers.
“I thought this would
be a bit more comfortable” she said cutely
“It certainly looks
comfortable” he admitted “Not a sexy outfit is it?”
“I don’t feel
particularly sexy today” she said sadly
“I didn’t say you
weren’t sexy” Dave corrected her
“You’re only saying
that because you feel sorry for me” she said
“Oh no I’m not” he
said forcefully, more so than he should have, and it didn’t go unnoticed as she
raised an eye brow
Dave and Toni had
known each other since university and he had fancied her from the first time he
laid eyes on her during fresher’s week, but he had never said anything because
she was out of his league.
“I’ve always thought
you were sexy, I’ve always thought you were special, far too sexy and special
for the types you go out with… or get engaged to”
“Why have you never
said anything?” she asked
“Because you’re Lady
Antonia Johnson-Claassens and I’m just Dave Knapp the English professor” he
retorted “you’re in a different class to me, in every sense”
Lady Antonia said
nothing in response as she was taking it all in, she never in her wildest
dreams imagined that he felt that way about her and it took her by surprise
because she had always felt the same way about him, but she had kept silent
because she was afraid.
Afraid of being
rejected and of being laughed at, after all he was really smart and she was
just dumb Lady Toni.
“So what is it that
makes you want me” she asked as she walked towards him in her fluffy slippers
“Is it because I’m
posh totty?”
“I do like posh birds”
he confessed “but that’s not what attracts me to you”
“So what is it then?”
Antonia said as she stood in front of him looking at the floor.
“It’s everything about
you” he replied “Your sparky sense of humour, your laugh and your wit and
intelligence”
“Now I know you’re
lying” she snapped “because I’m not clever, you just saw silly Lady Toni crying
over a bloke and you thought, I’m in with a chance”
When she had finished
Antonia turned away and then Dave countered
“When I first saw you
on the moonlit terrace I actually thought I had at last found someone, after a
desperately banal evening, with whom I could have an intelligent conversation,
because you are intelligent and you are not stupid by any measure and whoever
told you that you are is the stupid one, and when I saw you were crying my
first thought was not of a bit of leg over, it was to comfort you, not to
judge”
As he was talking he
was putting his dinner jacket on to leave and when he had said his piece she
still had her back to him but she asked quietly over her shoulder
“You really thought
that?”
“Yes” he replied
“Then you don’t think
I’m a dullard” Toni said
“No I don’t, nothing
could be farther from the truth”
“You don’t just think
I’m a vacuous clothes horse? With nothing meaningful to contribute to the
world”
“Who on earth has been
saying these things to you?” he asked angrily
“Was it Nigel?”
She didn’t respond
verbally as she was crying again but she nodded, Nigel was her ex fiancé, Dave
walked up behind her and lightly stroked the tops of her arms.
“Don’t cry honey” he
said
“I can’t help it” she
replied and fresh tears immediately welled up in her eyes as she turned towards
him, so he took her in his arms and she dissolved completely into tears.
“It’s ok honey” He
whispered, “let it all go”
And as she sobbed
uncontrollably into his chest Dave kissed the top of her head.
He held her close and
stroked her back as she sobbed until she lifted her head and said
“I’m getting you wet
again”
“I don’t care” He
replied “I’m content just holding you in my arms”
On hearing that she
broke down again.
Dave was holding in
his arms the very beautiful woman he had been in love with since university as
she sobbed her heart out and he consoled her with his inadequate words.
Antonia held on to him
tightly and began to nuzzle his neck and he could feel her breath on his skin
and very soon her nuzzles turned to kisses and she pressed up against him so
close a cigarette paper couldn’t have passed between them.
Dave could feel
Antonia’s breath on his face before a moment later he felt her lips on his and
she kissed him slowly and deliberately.
It was a wonderful
feeling for him, to be kissed by the woman he loved, and it was every bit as
deliciously sensual as he imagined it would be.
So no one was more
surprised than him when he called a halt to proceedings.
“No this isn’t right”
“Why? What’s wrong?”
she asked bemused “I thought you wanted me”
“I do, with all my
heart” he said “I have dreamt of this since fresher’s week”
“So kiss me then” she
urged
“Not like this, not when
you’re upset and emotional” he said “Not when you’re on the rebound”
“I’m not on the
rebound” she snapped
“But you only broke up
with Nigel three hours ago” Dave pointed out
“You may get back
together with him or tomorrow morning, in the cold light of day, you may feel
differently towards me, and you would only regret anything that happened
between us tonight”
Toni didn’t respond
immediately but sat down on the kitchen stool and looked thoughtful for few
minutes before speaking
“So you do want me”
“Yes”
“But you want to wait,
you could have me now on a plate, but you want to wait” she said
“That’s right”
“Oh God I want you
even more now” she said as she rushed towards him and hugged him and aafter
minute or so she asked
“How long”
“A month” he replied
“A month” she retorted
“Yes” he confirmed
“And if you still feel the same way, then we’re in business”
“Am I allowed to see
you?”
“Yes” he replied “and
we can talk on the phone whenever you want”
“Ok” she agreed “But…”
“But what?” he asked
suspiciously
“Will you stay
tonight, in case I need another hug” she asked
“Of course” he replied
and kissed the top of her head.
So he stayed the night
in her spare room and one month later he stayed the night in her bed and they
were married six months later.
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