November
The six weeks following
Charlie’s proposal to Toddy, had been really busy, but the Wedding plans were
virtually complete, the Church was booked for the Saturday before Christmas,
the reception was booked at the Barnabus Manor Hotel just outside the Village
and the tickets for their honeymoon in Rome were bought and paid for and Toddy’s
passport application was being processed.
The guest list
was problematic because Toddy didn’t know many people having still been in the
convent less than a year before.
Charlie had accumulated
a lot of friends over the years so his side of the pews would be full, but
Toddy on the other only had the Sister’s from the Convent so there were only
four people on her list.
“Who else can I
invite?” she asked
“Start with the
people you like” he suggested
“I like
everyone” she replied and laughed
“Then there’s
you answer” Charlie Said
The rest of the
plans they left in the trusty hands of his sister Chloe.
In addition,
the work was in full flow up at the Convent and they’d made a number of site visits
and had quite a few meetings with their Project Manager Nicholas McGee and
Architect James Tims.
On top of that
there was a two-day shopping trip to Abbottsford for Toddy and Chloe to buy a
Wedding Dress and the other important intimate wedding day accessories.
While she was
away Charlie spent most of his time catching up on his philanthropic projects
spending some of the obscene amount of money he earned when he sold his Aerospace Engineering Company, and he was thankful for
the distraction because he really missed Toddy.
Ever since she
entered his life, he dreaded the time they were apart, and the time hung heavily
for him.
The time Toddy
was away with Chloe was the longest period they had spent apart since they were
a couple, apart from when Sister Margaret had her heart problems.
But they spoke
at least three times each day while she was away, which was some consolation.
He hadn’t seen
her from Sunday night until Wednesday morning, but those two days felt like a
month to him so when she knocked on his door just after nine o’clock his heart
soared, and the feeling was mutual, so after a fond embrace they went upstairs
and made love.
He was the
first to wake up, a couple of hours later, and got up to use the bathroom and
took his clothes with him and redressed before he returned.
Then he sat on
the edge of the bed and looked at his sleeping angel and silently thanked God
for delivering her into his life.
Charlie sat
there for about twenty minutes watching her sleep, staring at her peaceful
countenance, and asked himself what he had done to deserve such good fortune in
his life.
He had 22
wonderful years, with his wife Julie before cancer took her away from him and
he never thought he would ever find love again, but he did, and she was
sleeping in his bed.
Charlie left
her sleeping and went downstairs to make coffee and while he was in the kitchen
waiting for the kettle to boil, he heard the front door open and as he
listened, he realized it was Mrs. Horne.
Catherine Horne
was his cleaner, and she was a very good cleaner but quite straight laced.
“Morning Mr.
Phelps” she called
He had
forgotten it was cleaning day, so he carried on making the drinks as he heard
her head up the stairs and then the penny dropped so he rushed out into the
hall to head her off.
“Ah Catherine”
he called as he ascended the stairs two at a time, but he was too late, she was
just closing his bedroom door and then turned to face him and judging by the
look on her face she had seen Toddy naked in his bed.
“I thought
better of you,” she said in a disappointing tone as she walked towards him
wearing a scowl
“I’ll do
downstairs, I’m very disappointed” she added, and he followed her downstairs
“We are engaged
you know” he said in his defense
“Really? it’s
not that long since she was still a Nun” she retorted “and you’ve corrupted her”
“But…”
“It’s alright,
her reputation won’t suffer by my actions” she said and started hoovering so he
returned to the kitchen as Mrs. Horne went about her chores.
When Toddy made
her way downstairs, she met Catherine Horne at the bottom of the stairs
“Hello
Catherine” she said brightly
“I don’t blame
you dear” she said sympathetically
“It’s always
the bloody men”
“Ok… thanks”
she responded, and Catherine made her way upstairs
“What have you
done to Catherine?” Toddy asked accusingly as she walked into the kitchen
“Nothing” he
replied defensively
“Well,
something has upset her” she said
“That’s because
she went upstairs to clean the ensuite and discovered you in my bed” he said
“Ah that would
do it” Toddy said
“Well, if you
must know she’s got the hump with me because I’ve deflowered a Nun” he said,
and she laughed
“Well firstly
I’m not a Nun anymore, and secondly, horticulturally speaking, as I’m 55 years
old and therefore in my autumn years, I wouldn’t refer to it as deflowering”
she said
“Really?” he
retorted “What would you call it?”
“I think dead
heading would be more appropriate” she replied, and they dissolved into
laughter.
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