Uncanny Love Tales – (077) Green Eyes

 

It happened during one special Summer Holiday on Teardrop Lake when Brothers Nigel and Julian Arbury were staying at the Shallowfield Lodge Hotel.

Nigel spent his days walking the woods or birdwatching, whereas Julian was more interested in sailing on Teardrop Lake.

The view of the lake from the forested hills was spectacular, the lake was shaped like a teardrop, hence its name, and surrounded by the ancient woodland of the Dancingdean Forrest.

It wasn’t a huge body of water, just over two miles long and almost a mile at its widest point, but it was beautiful and relatively unspoilt, but it was not the view of the Lake which lingered most in his memory that holiday.

 

It was on the fourth day of his holiday when Julian forced him to go to the Dancingdean Health Centre in Shallowfield after getting a nasty cut on his leg following a slip on wet rocks by Shoe Buckle Falls, so named, as 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.

 

Nigel was a painfully shy man, which was perhaps why he spent so much time following his solitary pursuits, so he was always reluctant to put himself in situation where he had to be face to face with strangers which is why he didn’t want to make a fuss over the cut on his leg, he would have been quite happy to stick a few plasters on it but Julian was having none of it.

“It needs stitches” Julian insisted.

“But…”

“But nothing” Julian said, “Get in the car”.

 

The owner of the Shallowfield Lodge, Sheryl Brown, had phoned ahead so when they got to the Health Centre, they were expecting them.

They went straight to the reception desk, and were greeted by two smiling receptionists, the first one was an older lady who exuded efficiency, and it was she who took all of his details, but Nigel’s attention was drawn to the younger woman, she was of Chinese heritage, and the older lady called her Frankie.

Frankie was sitting at her desk typing on her laptop, and she was wearing a short summer dress, and as she was sat side on to him, he had a lovely view of her shapely smooth skinned naked legs, from her cute knees down to her lace trimmed ankle socks and the flat shoes on her tiny feet.

Frankie ticked a lot of boxes for Nigel and when she turned and smiled, she ticked another one.

However, the next time he looked at her lovely legs she caught him and when she smiled in response, he blushed so he and Julian went and sat down in the waiting area.

Sadly, from where he was sitting, he couldn’t see Frankie anymore and they sat there for about 20 minutes before his name was called and he followed the practice nurse into the surgery, when he looked across to the reception desk, Frankie was stood up with her back to him and he still thought her legs were lovely. 

 

It turned out that Julian was right to take him to the Health Centre as he needed six stitches and a tetanus jab, and instructions to rest the leg and have the dressing changed at the centre the next day.

When he returned to the waiting room, he found his brother Julian in conversation with an attractive woman with a Mediterranean complexion and dark lustrous hair.

She was medium height, super slim and very dapper in a dark blue trouser suit, and standing perfectly erect with her tiny feet together, and she was playing with her hair in a flirty way.

He really envied Julian’s ability to engage complete strangers in conversation and charm them, he could never do that.

He found out later that she was a Doctor called Maria Fiorellino, and as her name suggested, was of Italian decent.

 

For the next few days, he had to curtail his walking, and restrict his birdwatching to what he could see from the environs of the hotel, he did go out on the boat with Julian one day, but it wasn’t really his thing. 

So, on Saturday he decided to throw caution to the wind had headed up to search for the green Woodpecker he was searching for when he cut his leg, he just made sure he stuck to the well-trodden paths.

 

He had been out for about an hour and was lost in his own thoughts when an unfamiliar voice behind him said.

“What are you doing up in the woods? apart from disregarding medical advice”.

“Bird watching” he replied and when he turned around, he saw it was Frankie Fong, from the health centre and added.

“Oh hello”

“Don’t you “Hello” me” she chastised “You’re supposed to rest that leg”.

“I have been this is my first time out, honest, and it’s much better, really” he babbled on but when he looked up, she was smiling.

“I was only teasing”.

“Oh,” he said and blushed

“So, what’s then plan today?” she asked, “Have you seen all the local sights, The Chapel, the Follies and the Tower?”

“Yes” he said, “but I prefer something natural rather than manmade”.

“Yes, I know what you mean” she said, “What about the falls?”

“That’s where I did this” he replied pointing at the bandage.

“Of course, silly me, best not go back there yet” she said with a giggle.

“Well, what about Lovers Leap?” she said.

“Lovers Leap?” he repeated.

“Yes, it’s a kind of rocky shelf that juts out above the cliffs, the view is amazing” she explained.

“Great, how do I find it?” he asked.

“I’ll show you if you like” Frankie suggested.

“Oh ok, yes that would be lovely” he replied.

 

The cliffs were an extension of those that formed part of the northern side of Teardrop Lake and formed the natural border between the Teardrop estate and the Dancingdean Forest proper.

Lovers Leap was so called because it was where desperate and broken-hearted lovers would leap to their deaths although there was no evidence that anyone actually had.

 

It wasn’t a long walk from where they met but it wasn’t an easy one either, so as it was a hot day, and not wanting to be sweating profusely by the time they reached Lovers Leap, and mindful of Nigel’s leg, Frankie took them the long way round, which was a much gentler climb, and gave them chance to chat.

“So, do you live around here?” he asked.

“Yes, I’m lucky enough to have a flat overlooking the lake” she replied, “its heaven”.

“Wow you are lucky” Nigel agreed.

“What about you, where is home for you?” she asked.

“Childean” he replied.

“So not far then” Frankie said and nodded to herself “and when do you return home?”

“Next Saturday” he replied.

“Another week?”

“Yes, I need to make the most of it” he said.

“Good idea” she retorted.

 

When they reached their destination, they walked onto the shelf and took in the vista, and it took his breath away.

They sat down on the rocky shelf which bizarrely felt cool despite the heat of the sun, and they shared the bottle of water from Nigel’s pack.

“So, what were you looking for with these?” she asked and picked up his binoculars before standing up to survey the trees below, while she did that, he surveyed her legs again.

“Oh, it’s a bit blurry” she said so he stood up behind her showed her how to use the focus.

“That’s much better” she said cheerfully.

“What am I looking for?”

“A Woodpecker” he replied.

“What colour is it?” She asked scanning the treetops.

“Green like your eyes”

“I’m surprised you noticed that they’re green” she said turning to face him.

“Because I know you like my knees as I caught you looking at them more than once, and I thought that was the sum total of your interest”.

“Nnnnno my interests are much higher than that”.

“Really? So above my knees then” she asked with raised eyebrows.

“No! I didn’t mean that” he replied with alarm.

“So, what then? come on out with it” she demanded.

“Your heart” he replied.

“Good answer” she said and kissed him.