Downshire Diary – (28) Mother’s Day Treat

 

Anna Harwood and her daughter Clare lived in the village of Clarence which was a mile or so from Purplemere.

She was 55 years old, pale skinned, strawberry blonde, turning to silver, five foot nothing tall and whippet thin and her daughter was just a younger version of her mother.

Her husband David had died the year before and as they only had one child there was only the two of them.

 

They both worked at the Royal Downshire Hospital in Purplemere Clare was a district nurse and Anna was a clerical officer.

The two of them did a lot of things together, shopping, eating out and the theatre.

But for Mother’s Day Clare had bought a three day, all-inclusive spa break for her mum at the Tipton Manor Hotel and Spa in the north of the county.

Clare very thoughtfully had booked for her mum and a plus one because she knew she wouldn’t be comfortable going to a place like that on her own.

But she insisted that she wanted to go with Clare, so they could spend some quality time together doing girls stuff.

Anna knew that wasn’t the kind of thing Clare had in mind, as it wasn’t her kind of thing at all.

Clare wasn’t the rest and relaxation sort at all, she was more of a party girl, which Anna thought was probably why she was still single.

So she was delighted when Clare agreed to be her Anna’s plus one.

 

In order for her to get the best possible deal Clare had booked a midweek mini break, and it made perfect sense to Anna, her daughter  was a nurse after all, so money didn’t grow on trees but the earliest she could get was at the end of april.

 

It was a long drive from Clarence, on the outskirts of Purplemere, to Tipton in the north of the county but then they had taken the decision after getting off the expressway to take the scenic route through the Pepperstock Hills National Park.

But the scenery in the Park was well worth the additional time with its stark contrasts from the extensive tract of magnificent mixed forestry to the south and east, the old Quarries reclaimed by Nature to the west to the bare, and often barren crags to the north.

However despite the scenic splendour she had witnessed when they arrived Clare was not in the best of spirits.

Anna knew that Clare could have found much more enjoyable ways of spending her days off than babysitting her mother.

But she loved her even more for doing it despite her preferred pastime of looking for her ideal man, Anna kept telling her that there was no such thing but she wouldn’t listen.

But when Clare gave her a smile she knew her daughter had resolved to make the best of it and try to get her monies worth despite having her mum as her wingman.

 

They were greeted in reception by a very attractive specimen of a man and Anna could see Clare perk up.

He was over six feet tall, lean and muscular, very good looking and well groomed, he was manicured and pedicured, toned, tanned and smelt like a perfume counter.

Naturally Anna marked him down as gay.

 

Anna and Clare Harwood were greeted in reception by a very attractive specimen of a man and Anna could see Clare perk up.

He was over six feet tall, lean and muscular, very good looking and well groomed, he was manicured and pedicured, toned, tanned and smelt like a perfume counter.

Naturally Anna marked him down as gay.

 

“Good morning ladies” he said with the faintest hint of a French accent.
“Good morning” they replied in unison

“We have a booking in the name of Harwood” Clare said

“Ah the Harwood sisters” he said

“You know very well we're not sisters you cheeky boy” Anna said in a style something akin to a Carry on movie.
“You're not sisters?” he asked feigning surprise
“Mother and daughter” she said
“And which one are you Mademoiselle” he said and kissed her hand
“Cheeky” she said and blushed

Clare didn’t contribute to the converse but Anna noticed she was giving him the full benefit of her appraisal whilst wearing a wistful expression, doubtless in regard to him playing for the other side.

When the Oscar Wilde capers were over and done with they managed to get themselves checked in and it was while she was signing in that that she became aware he was doing some appraising of his own, of her and her daughter and she began to question her initial assessment that he was gay.
“When you have settled into your room I will give you a tour of the facilities” he said “Shall we say on the terrace in 30 minutes?”

“That will be fine” Clare said

“Of course with your lovely pale skin you two will need to stay in the shadows” He said.

Anna blushed at the compliment and Clare smiled.

According to his name badge his name was Claude and he was very handsome and Anna could tell that her daughter was thinking that things might well be looking up if he didn’t bat for the other side.

“You can check my skin anytime” Clare said

“I’ll bare that in mind” he retorted

“You’re a terrible flirt Clare” mum said

“I know” she said, “although I think of it more as advertising”

 

They went up to their rooms and settled in and then went down stairs to find Gorgeous Claude.

However as the approached the terrace they came across him fawning over another group of women of mixed ages, ranging from 16 to 60, and they watched as he ogled and drooled over all of them and Clare felt her skin crawl and she shivered.

“Yes I know what you mean” Anna said “he’s a real lounge lizard”

So they decided to skip oily Claude’s tour and just wandered around on their own.

 

Their sojourn took them to the pool area first, they saw the Rock sauna, infra-red sauna, aroma steam room, ice fountain, drench showers, Jacuzzi, a Romanesque pool and the swimming pool as well.

After which they headed towards the sun lounge and refreshments which was when they literally bumped into Phil Grice and his uncle, Roger Greven.

 

The collision between the Harwood’s and Roger Greven and his nephew Phil Grice resulted in Clare falling into a planter and Roger lying flat on his back with Anna on top of him nose to nose.

Phil Grice was the only one left standing and unsure who he should help first.

 

He decided on the pretty young one in the planter, who was left like an upturned beetle, with her legs waving about, which was what he noticed, her lovely legs, she was also giggling which he liked to.

“I’m terribly sorry”

He said and took her hands and pulled her to her feet, it took little effort as she was a tiny little thing and he was over six feet tall.  

She was still giggling and was unable to respond and when she saw her mum lying on top of a strange man her giggles turned to belly laughs. 

 

All four of them were laughing by the time everyone was on their feet again and between the laughter everyone expressed their apologies for their clumsiness.

 

Neither Anna nor Roger’s first reaction was laughter as they lay on the floor, because Roger felt anger until he realised he had been assailed by a very attractive woman while for Anna as she lay nose to nose with a nice smelling good looking man, what she felt was lust. 

 

In between giggles Anna kept giving appraising glances at the good looking man who she had laid on top of and she liked what she saw, to the point that she though he put Claude in the shade.

 

He was six feet tall, with a military bearing with short salt and pepper hair, blue eyes and a neat well-groomed beard.

And while she was looking at him he was sneaking glances at her and thought she was even lovelier when perpendicular than she had been when horizontal.

 

When the laughter had subsided Anna said

“We were headed to the sun lounge for a coffee, perhaps you would join us”

The two men agreed and Clare gave her a look of approval.

 

When they were seated in the lounge and the drinks were ordered the introductions were made.

Roger Greven, who walked with a stick, was a year older than Anna and Phil Grice was the same age as Clare.

Roger was there for aqua therapy to rebuild his muscles after shattering his pelvis following a fall from his horse, and his nephew Phil was there because Roger hadn’t been passed fit to drive.

“Are you from Tipton?” Clare asked

“No we are from Sharping St Mary in the Finchbottom Vale” Phil replied

“Really?” Clare exclaimed “we’re from Clarence”

“So we are practically neighbour” Anna said to Roger

They stayed in the lounge for over half an hour in which time Anna and Clare discovered that Roger was widowed and Phil was single.

Unfortunately before they could glean any further information one of the therapist staff approached the table and informed Roger that it was time for his session.

So they parted company with expressions that they hoped they would run into each other again during their stay.

 

After they had gone Clare and Anna looked at each other and said in unison

“Well they were nice”

 

During the remainder of their first day and all of the next, despite their best efforts, they didn’t see Roger or his nephew.

But they had a great time using the facilities and enjoyed the full range of what was on offer, fitness classes, gym, rock sauna, infra-red sauna, aroma steam room, ice fountain, drench showers, Jacuzzi, a Romanesque pool, Reflexology, Raki, facials, scalp massage, hand massage, Manicure and Pedicure you name it they had it.

But by the end of the second day Anna was getting increasingly frustrated that she hadn’t even had a glimpse of the gentlemanly Roger.

She had thought about him a lot because she was really attracted to him and she had had long convoluted internal dialogues about it because he was the first man she had looked at in that way since she lost her husband and she felt a measure of guilt and betrayal to her husband’s memory, and how would Clare react if something developed between them?

Not that that was likely if she never saw him again.

 

After her and her daughter had dinner together Anna said she was going to bed as she was exhausted and Clare said she was going to the Gym to try work off her over indulgence.

Anna didn’t go off to bed, even though she was exhausted, because she knew that the internal dialogue would keep her awake so she decided to go for a walk in the grounds.

 

It was a beautiful moonlit night as she walked around the network of paths in the gardens and was totally lost in thought as she strolled along when she was brought back to the moment by a voice saying

“Hello again”

Anna jumped and looked around to find the source of her alarm and saw Roger Greven sitting on a bench in an arbour

“Oh hello” she responded

“I hope I didn’t startle you?” he asked

“No it’s alright” she replied “I was just miles away”

“Nothing troubling you I hope”

“Possibilities and consequences” she replied enigmatically

“Do you mind if I join you?”

“Please do” he replied amiably

“I thought we may have run into each other sooner than this” she said

“Not literally I hope” he said and they both laughed and then he added

“It was a very intense therapy session and it left me completely exhausted, so I took my meals and refreshment in my room”

“But you’re feeling better now?” she enquired

“I am, but now I can’t sleep”

“Are you in pain?” she asked

“No not pain” he replied “anguish”

“Oh” she exclaimed “About what?”

“Starting over”

“Starting over?” she repeated

“Yes, as you know I lost my wife last year, and…” he began and Anna added

“And you don’t know if it’s too soon to start again, without disrespecting his memory or betraying the love you shared with him”

“So you feel it too?” he asked and put his hand on hers as it rested on the bench.

“Yes” she gasped and squeezed his hand

“Then could we try starting over together?” he asked with trepidation

“Yes” she replied happily

And the new chapter in their lives began with a kiss in the moon light.

 

Anna and her daughter had to go home after lunch the next day but they spent lunchtime with Roger and his nephew and before they left Anna and Roger held hands discreetly under the table, they would have to keep whatever was happening between them to themselves until they knew for sure where it was going.

And a farewell kiss on the cheek would have to sustain them until the weekend when they were “starting over” some more.

Downshire Diary – (27) The Stationary Cupboard Incident

 

Anthony Flood had known Fiona Fortson for a little over six months, she was in his sister Jane’s bible study group, which was held at his house every two or three weeks.

At the time of their first meeting she was 34 and he was 12 years her senior.

Fiona stood a towering 4 feet 11 in her stocking feet and when he saw her face with those large saucer eyes and a warm mesmerizing smile it was a pivotal moment for him.

They hit it off immediately and he was instantly attracted to her, a love at first sight kind of thing, and that was before he’d even heard her speak in her posh Carrington Chase educated voice.

Carrington Chase being Downshire’s version of Roedean, although those in Downshire thought it was the other way around.

He’d always been turned on by well-spoken women and turned off by common ones.

For him there was no greater turn off than to see a spectacularly beautiful woman open her mouth and speak in a rough colloquial accent. 

But sexy as her accent might have been and as remarkably beautiful as Fiona’s face was, her figure on the other hand was singularly unremarkable.

She had short chubby legs, a flat chest and a barely distinguishable waist.

Although her bum was an altogether different proposition and each buttock was beautifully defined inside her khaki cargo pants.      

Despite being attracted to her though, nothing ever came of it, because Anthony lived with his elder sister Jane and she would have disapproved because of the age gap and although Fiona felt the same about him she was a good Christian girl and wouldn’t make an advance to him.

 

But whether it was a bible study group, or a social or just the after service mingle at the church they always gravitated to each other.  

Fiona was an unmarried girl, who had remained single up to the age of 34 and according to those who knew her she had never even dated anyone in the years she had been going to St Dunstan’s,  Anthony couldn’t understand why, he thought she was lovely.

 

They would see each other on a semi regular basis, at the various activities in the church calendar and when they did there would always be a hug and a kiss.

Apart from the physical attraction Anthony also admired her for her work ethic, Fiona was an incredibly hard working girl, holding down three part time jobs.

She worked Monday to Wednesday at Abbotts Gardens Centre, Thursdays and Fridays she worked for Dustbusters domestic cleaning services and at weekends she worked in the café and bookshop at St Dunstan’s church, which was situated on the edge of the town centre. 

Anthony thought that with all the hours she worked it was perhaps little wonder she didn’t have time for a relationship.

 

But then came the stationary cupboard incident which occurred on one of his rare Sunday Service appearances, for although Anthony was a Christian he was not one of its finest examples, when it came to the Sunday worship particularly because he worked at Hanratty’s Department Store in the Abbottsford’s Phoenix shopping Centre.

 

The stationary cupboard incident occurred on one of his rare Sunday Service appearances, for although Anthony was a Christian he was not one of its finest examples, when it came to the Sunday worship particularly because he worked at Hanratty’s Department Store in the Abbottsford’s Phoenix shopping Centre.

He had no problem reconciling his work with the God side of things and his Son’s sacrifice on the cross.

He did get some comments from his fellow congregants, and he struggled with that side of the church and its hypocrisy.

It wasn’t as if he had become a hatches, matches and dispatches kind of Christian who only turned out for the bigger events in the church calendar.

His sister Jane on the other hand was the real deal, she was always in church as was the lovely Fiona.

 

Anthony did not feel particularly godly as he had far too much lust in his heart to be a true Christian.

Even in church he allowed his libidinous eye to wander over the bounty of the female worshippers of the congregation, which to him always felt deliciously dirty, and he had to chastise himself for his unchristian thoughts.

He wasn’t sure if the reason it felt so good, or so bad, was because it was so obviously inappropriate or just the fact that he was ogling the Christian maids in their Sunday best.

Whatever the reason he thought it was very nice, very wrong, but very nice, which was partly why he felt unworthy of Fiona.

 

So the Sunday morning of the stationary cupboard incident was an ordinary Sunday in every respect other than the fact Anthony had accompanied his sister to the service.

 

They were stood at the back of the church chatting to Mrs Patmore, who managed the café and bookshop both of which closed during the service.

Just at the moment Anthony had decided he had heard enough from Mrs Patmore and would excuse himself and find a seat, Fiona appeared.

“Hello stranger” she said and reached up and gave Anthony a kiss and a hug.

“Hi my little angel” he said and reciprocated her embrace

“Is the shop closed Fiona?” Mrs Patmore said sharply

“Yes” Fiona replied “but I need till rolls”

“They’re in the stationary cupboard” She said “But they’re on the top shelf”

“Ok” Fiona said, “I’ll use the steps”

“Oh, they’re a bit rickety” Mrs Patmore said and looked at her watch “I’ll have to help you” 

“Anthony can do that” Jane suggested “can’t you dear?”

“Oh yes” Anthony agreed well used to being volunteered

“He probably won’t even need the steps,” she boasted.

Jane was proud of the fact her brother was so tall and was always volunteering him for height related jobs, he didn’t mind really.

And even if he hadn’t fancied Fiona, helping her would still have been preferable to talking with Mrs Patmore.

“Ok, lead on McDuff” Anthony said and Fiona trotted off ahead of him back the way she had come.

The bookshop was on the ground floor of the annex, which also housed the meeting rooms, café, offices and storage.

Fiona paused at the bottom of the narrow stairs

“After you” he insisted

“Always the gentleman” she said and started up the staircase

Of course it was nothing to do with being gentlemanly the reason he let Fiona go first was so he could ogle her fleshy buttocks as they wiggled inside her familiar cargo pants.

All too soon however they reached the top and she turned left down the long corridor that serviced the offices and the stationary cupboard was at the very end.

 

Once inside the stationary cupboard he looked at the shelving and had to admit that even he couldn’t reach the top shelf without the use of the steps.

“Let me go up the steps” he suggested gallantly after examining the rickety contraption

“No I’d better go” she said, “If I fall you can catch me”

Anthony looked sceptical

“If you fell you’d squish me” she said and had a fit of the giggles

Anthony relented and set up the small set of steps in the optimum location and Fiona tentatively started to climb.

He positioned himself so he could plant a foot on the bottom step and then he held the steps steady as she climbed.

When she was halfway up he stared at her bum again until

Fiona reached the point where she couldn’t go any further as the steps were just too unstable.

She steadied herself by grasping one of the shelves using her right hand, then she reached up with her left towards where the box of till rolls sat.

The little 4 foot 11 inch woman stretched up to the maximum height she could attain, even by going on tip toe, and as she did three things happened almost simultaneously. 

Firstly her t-shirt rode up followed immediately by her undervest which exposed a tantalising four inch wide expanse of flesh which instantly doubled as her cargos slipped down to an inch below the decorative waistband of her pink knickers.

Fiona quickly pulled her trousers back up and holding the waistband with one hand she reached up to the box with the other.

“Got it,” Fiona said triumphantly

“Good” he said

“Be careful” he added as Fiona began a rather ungraceful manoeuvre that saw her sitting on the top step where she opened the box.

“That’s them” she announced triumphantly and then handed to box to Anthony, who put it down on the shelf beside him as Fiona began her descent.

But because she was sitting on the step she decided to climb down the way she was facing.

“Are you sure that’s sensible?” Anthony said

“It’ll be fine” Fiona replied as she gingerly descended

Anthony was studying the look of intense concentration on her face and the cute way the tip of her tongue was poking out when the heel of her right foot slipped off the edge of the step.

Fiona let out a squeal as she lunged forward and fell into his arms and they ended up nose to nose.

“You see I said you would catch me” she said and then planted a kiss on his mouth and the tongue that only seconds earlier had been cutely poking out of the side of her mouth was now frantically exploring every corner of his.

The assault had completely taken him by surprise and he was then unsure if her slip and subsequent fall was by accident or design.

However the thought didn’t linger as he decided it was best just to join in.

Fiona was now standing on the second step at a height that allowed her arms to encircle his neck.

Anthony still had one hand steadying the steps and one on her waist steadying Fiona, but having committed to the kiss she slipped again and their lips and tongues parted, but he was in no doubt on that occasion that it was an accident because in an instant she said urgently in her Carrington Chase educated voice.

“No don’t stop”

Then Fiona smiled briefly at him before reattaching her lips to his

 

Before they left the stationary cupboard after a very long and satisfying embrace she said

“Is it sinful to snog in the church?”

“Were not in the church” he pointed out “This is the admin building”

“Good” she said “Can we do it again then”

 

The service had already started when he found his seat next to his sister Jane.

“Well did you do it for her?” Jane asked

“Oh yes” he said just as he saw Fiona taking her seat

She looked across at him and smiled.

Anthony winked at Fiona and her face went scarlet and then she looked away.

But when a moment later she turned and looked at him again she smiled broadly and he knew the stationary cupboard kiss was a proper beginning.

Downshire Diary – (26) Captain of her Heart

 

The village of Highfinch sits just on the edge of the Pepperstock Hills and the Lily Green Hollows Golf Club separates the village from the Hamlet of Lily Green, and the combination of those two and Kingfisherbridge made up the parish of St Martins.

 

Among the residents of Highfinch was Lorraine Weaving, a beautiful 29 year old with hazel eyes, 5 foot 7 inches tall, athletically built and completely bald.

She was completely devoid of any hair at all, no eyebrows, body hair and as everyone was always asking her, nothing down there as well.

And the answer to the other question she was always being asked, was that she fell out of a tree when she was six.

 

Lorraine was originally born in Childean, but in her 29 years she had lived all over the Finchbottom Vale which nestles comfortably between the Ancient Dancingdean Forest to the south and the rolling Pepperstock Hills in the north, those who are lucky enough to live there think of it as the rose between two thorns.

The Vale was once a great wetland that centuries earlier stretched from Mornington in the East to Childean in the west and from Shallowfield in the south to Purplemere in the north.

But over the many centuries the vast majority had been drained for agriculture, a feat achieved largely by the efforts of the famous Mornington Mills, of which only three had survived to the present day and even those were no longer functional and were in various states of repair.  

There were only three small bodies of water left in the Vale by the 21st Century, one in Mornington, and one in Childean and third of course was in Purplemere.

Throughout its history the Finchbottom Vale was largely dependent on agriculture and so it remained into the 21st century but many and varied occupations and endeavour’s thrived alongside the traditional rural livelihood’s but it was in agriculture that the Weaving family had earned their livings for centuries but Lorraine, who loved her family and the Vale in equal measure, decided pretty early on in her life that agriculture was not for her.

 

She could have chosen almost any Town or Village in the Vale to start her change of career but she chose Highfinch, partly because she had a great aunt living in the village who offered her a roof over her head but mainly because she held a particular affinity for the village because it was in Hawks Wood where she parted company with her hair.

 

She did a variety of menial jobs in her teens, but it was after she started working for the Lily Green Hollows Gold Club that her life really got going.

It was her willingness to do any job she was given without a word of complaint that got her noticed, and when there were functions and extra staff were needed she was always on the list, and after two years, David Pike, who was then the assistant manager offered her a full time job.

She stayed there for eight years before applying for the Practice Managers position at the Doctors surgery, which she got on the back of David Pikes recommendation.

 

When Lorraine Weaving took over as practice manager of the Highfinch Surgery she quickly made new friends as she made her mark in her quiet and unassuming way and Lorraine was well liked by staff and patients alike and she firmly believed she had found her niche.

So she had a nice little house in the village a job that she loved and wonderful friends and she was as content as she had ever been, but all of that changed on the 1st of July.

 

The practice nurse/district nurse had returned from her very busy morning of home visits and was back in the surgery running the clinic and it was as Lorraine and Marina were walking towards reception that it happened.

As they approached the seating area Marina spotted her wounded soldier, who was waiting for his physio appointment.

“Come on Lorraine I’ll introduce you to my soldier”

“Oh ok” Lorraine retorted, who actually had no interest whatsoever in meeting Paul Russell, her wounded soldier, whom she suspected Marina thought of as more than her patient.

He had been severely wounded by an IED in Afghanistan his left leg had gone below the knee and his right just above it and Marina had nursed him to the point of falling in love with him.

“Hello serge” Marina said and then realised he was not alone

“Hi Marina, This if my CO” Paul said “Captain Loosemore”

“Pleased to meet you Captain” Marina said “This is my colleague Lorraine Weaving”

“Peter” he said and shook Lorraine’s hand

Lorraine liked him, his handshake was firm, his handsome face was warm and open and his voice was like honey on her ears.

“Peter” she said as he stared at the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and the fact the she was completely bald didn’t detract from that in any way to his mind.

“I’ll take you through Paul” Marina said and left the Captain and Lorraine in reception still shaking hands.

After a minute or so they became aware of the fact they still had each other by the hand and let go as they both coloured up.

“Do you live locally?” she asked

“In a manner of speaking” he replied and when he saw the quizzical look on her face it was obvious to him that his answer was too vague by half, so he elaborated.

“My “Home” is with the regiment in Nettlefield but when I’m on leave as I am at present I stay with my parents in the Dulcets”

Before she could elicit any further information from him Marina returned and the nature of the converse changed and then after five minute she was called away for a telephone call and when she had finished Peter and Marina’s soldier were gone.

 

She did think she might quiz Marina about the Captain but she was out all day on Thursday and Friday was her day off.

Lorraine had Friday afternoon off herself to get ready for the Summer Ball.

So after lunch she went to Mazzone’s to have a manicure, pedicure and a facial which took most of the afternoon

 

The Annual Finchbottom Vale Health Care Summer Ball was for health employees of the Vale and its environs and that year it was being held at the Clayton Manor Hotel in the village of Clayton.

It was always a grand affair, Dinner jackets and evening dresses were compulsory and tickets were always in great demand.

Each surgery in the Vale got an allocation and every year there was a tremendous excitement as to who would get them and that year Lorraine was one of the lucky ones.   

Lorraine was wearing a knee length emerald green dress that hugged her figure beautifully,

She was a tall girl, athletically built with a lovely shape and stunning legs clad in black, and her shoes were green to match her dress.

“Hello” he said “its nurse Lorraine isn’t it?”

“Yes” she replied

Despite the fact she had only met him the once, and briefly at that, she recognised him instantly even in a dinner suit.

“Hello Captain”

“Call me Peter” he said

“No uniform tonight Peter?” she asked

“I love a man in uniform” and then she inexplicably blushed she never normally blushed, but then she wasn’t normally flirting.

In her head she chastised herself for behaving like a schoolgirl.

“You’re 29 for god’s sake so start acting like it, and whatever you do don’t ask…”

“Are you here with someone?” she asked

“Yes and no” he replied

Lorraine only heard the word yes and was very disappointed

“I’m here with my brother Bob” he continued.

“Bob?” she asked

“Yes Dr Loosemore”

“Oh I see” Lorraine said

She had heard the name but didn’t know the man personally.

That wasn’t important, the Captain was “alone” and that was.

“I was sorry to have missed you when you left the surgery the other day” she said

“Yes me too” he agreed “But I had to get back to camp, the Regiment is deploying again”

“Oh” she said “when?”

“Tomorrow” Peter replied

“Tomorrow?” she said disappointed again

“You can’t say where I suppose?”

“No”

“But nowhere nice?” She asked

“Definitely not somewhere nice” he agreed

A comfortable silence settled around them and Lorraine’s mind drifted.

She really liked him, if she didn’t like him so much she wouldn’t have been so dithery, but it had been a while since she had fancied anyone, and she was desperately trying to think how to proceed when he asked.

“Would you like to dance?”

“Love to” she replied with relief

Peter took her hand and led her to the dance floor and they danced through

“I’m not in love” by10cc

“James Blunts “You’re Beautiful”

Barbara Streisand’s “The way we were”

“I will always love you” by Whitney Houston

And Fleetwood Macs “Albatross”

When Peter was tapped on the shoulder, he reluctantly relinquished his hold on Lorraine and turned around

“Come on bro” a man said “it’s time”

“Ok Bob” he said “I’ll be right there”

Bob nodded and walked towards the door

“I’m afraid I need to go” Peter said

“I understand” she said   

“It was nice seeing you again” he said

“Perhaps when I return I could call you?”

“Yes” Lorraine said “I’d like that”

And then he was gone.

 

After dancing with Captain Loosemore at the Summer Ball she had been able to think of little else.

As the practice manager she was kept very busy but still her mind wandered so she was dreading the August Bank Holiday weekend so she spent the three days in her little house doing chores.

It had been eight weeks since she had danced the night away with her Captain and she still hadn’t heard from him.

Which was why when the Bank Holiday arrived she decided to spring clean the house from top to bottom to keep herself occupied.  

She dusted, vacuumed, washed, mopped and polished, and all the bedding was washed as was every curtain.

So by Monday lunchtime the whole house was gleaming and she put the kettle on and stood back and admired her handiwork.

 

However once all the work was done she had too much time to think again, so wearing knee length blue and white striped dungarees over a white vest top she drove round to White Rose Cottage to ask Sgt Russell about Captain Loosemore but there was no one home so she went home again and switched on the TV and the lead story on the evening news was that six British soldiers had been killed in Afghanistan and she cried.

 

Her closest friend, Doctor Jade Flowers, had noticed she was a little down for a number of weeks, although she hadn’t been able to ascertain the reason, so when she was invited to a dinner Party at the Vicarage she took her along.

 

She knew everyone present, Jade Flowers obviously, Jenna Lawton, the de facto Vicar, The two redoubtable village good eggs, middle-aged buddies Vicki Paulding and Julia Thomas, and their best friend Cressida van Meeuwen.

Local celebrity TV presenter Nick Faulkner, furniture maker Farron Sutherland and Dentist Jonathon Walters.

They were a mixed bunch, varying ages and occupations, a mix of the Godly and the heathen, the old and the young the sublime and the ridiculous, then bang on 8 o’clock another Dentist Lianne Martin arrived and she was surprised to be told that she was the last.

“Come in” the Vicar said and handed her a menu “we’ve all chosen”

 

They had an excellent curry and a liberal quantity of beer and wine was consumed, apart from Jade who was on call.

The conversation ebbed and flowed and the overall atmosphere was very congenial and as the evening wore on the Trivial Pursuit appeared to universal acclaim.

Sadly after about an hour and with their team winning, Jade was paged and had to leave and so Lorraine left with her.

 

Jade and Lorraine were disappointed to have to leave, it was really good fun, but Lorraine’s mood improved after Jade dropped her home.

She went inside and put on the kettle and while she was waiting for it to boil she went on her tablet, which was when she discovered the email from her Captain.

 

Lorraine’s head was in a spin after finally getting word from Captain Loosemore.

It was strange the effect of not hearing from him for so long had had on her, after all she had only met him twice, once briefly at the surgery and a second time at the Summer Ball. 

Yet he had filled her thoughts every day since the Ball.

His regiment had left Afghanistan and because it had been a particularly bloody tour, which had cost 11 dead and 8 wounded from the Downshire’s it was currently in Germany for R&R before returning to the UK and this period prompted a flurry of emails between the two of them and they had begun the process of getting to know each other.

It was a kind of Q & A back and forth so they could slowly build up a picture of each other.

Peter told her that the thought of seeing her again had kept him going at his lowest moments and she told him how much she had looked forward to seeing him again.

 

She told him everything about herself and held nothing back she was not some little princess or in any way an innocent, which may not have fitted with the girl he stood on the pedestal.

She didn’t want any falsehoods about her past, which wasn’t as posh as his, she wanted whatever feelings, or the glimmer of feelings, that they might have for each other to be given every possible chance to mature.

 

Peter, despite being a soldier was not as worldly wise when it came to women and he had a much less colourful sex life than some of his comrades.

In fact he hadn’t been entirely truthful with her in that regard either, in fact he had rather exaggerated the number of his lovers.

He knew she was more experienced that he was and didn’t expect a woman approaching 30 to be unblemished and wasn’t blind to the fact that he had seen the ugly side of life and would not be naïve or an innocent. 

 

The correspondence continued between them for several weeks while the regiment was in Germany.

The general content of their correspondence was the first date kind of stuff finding out each other’s likes and dislikes, their backgrounds and their aspirations.

This was interspersed with outrageous flirtation and even a degree of lovemaking.

This was a new experience certainly for her and she hoped for him also.

 

But there were anxieties as well because Lorraine was nervous about seeing him again, while being excited at the same time.

On the day of their date she was up early, way too early which under the circumstances was a mistake because it gave her far too much time to think.

She wanted the date to be so perfect and all she could think of was all the things that might go wrong.

 

Lorraine was still nervous when she arrived in Purplemere on the evening of their date and despite her best efforts she was about half an hour early, which gave her half an hour in which to conceive of a thousand and one scenarios in which the evening could go horribly wrong.

But as she waited outside the Runcible Spoon Restaurant Lorraine was ridiculously happy, a happiness that she was meeting Captain Loosemore again.

She looked at her watch and the time was imminent and Lorraine had a strange feeling, she actually had butterflies in her tummy, she had never had that happen before except when she was a school girl, Lorraine Weaving was well and truly smitten.

She wondered if the effect of not hearing from him for so long had intensified her feelings, and the fear that he might have been killed or injured might have heightened them further.

After all she had only met him twice, once briefly at the surgery and a second time at the Summer Ball, but whatever the reason for it he had filled her thoughts every day since the Ball.

 

The last time Peter had seen her was at the Annual Finchbottom Vale Health Care Summer Ball annual Summer Ball the Clayton Manor Hotel in the village of Clayton when Lorraine was wearing a knee length emerald green dress that hugged her figure beautifully,

The image of the athletically built tall girl, with a lovely shape and stunning legs clad in black, and green shoes to match her dress was burned into his brain, unfortunately she wouldn’t be wearing that outfit to the restaurant, and that was his biggest fear, that he wouldn’t be able to recognise her.

He knew Lorraine was a tall girl, five feet seven inches tall, with a lovely shape and stunning legs.

But his great fear was that he wouldn’t recognize her out of context and then he remembered then that she was completely bald.

 

When Peter walked into the plaza there she was, Lorraine Weaving the beautiful practice manager with her glorious hairless head, standing nervously, looking vulnerable and childlike and every bit as beautiful as he remembered.

When she spotted him out of the corner of her eye her skin instantly flushed pink and she looked like she had been freshly scrubbed.

She daren’t turn around to watch him approach so she took a deep breath and resolutely looked in the opposite direction.

“Hello Lorraine” Peter said

“Oh hi” she said acting surprised

 

Any fears or apprehensions they may have had at the beginning had long since disappeared by the end of evening.

Lorraine thought he was even more handsome than she remembered and she really liked him, really, really liked him.

And she believed that by the way he was looking at her during the evening that he really liked her too.

But when they got to their cars much to her disappointment he just kissed her cheek and thanked her for a lovely evening and watched her drive away.

 

Further dates followed and they always went the same way they would have an immensely enjoyable evening ending with a kiss either by her car or on the doorstep of her house.

 

Following their meal in Purplemere, there were further dates over the next few months and they always went the same way, they would have an immensely enjoyable evening ending with a kiss either by her car or on the doorstep of her house.

 

She knew that he fancied her as much as she did him so she didn’t understand why he hadn’t wanted to take it any further.

Admittedly the quality and quantity of kissing had increased exponentially with each successive date, but she wanted him to seduce her, she wanted to be wooed and courted but most of all she wanted him to make love to her.

But if she couldn’t get him into her house there was no chance of him getting her into her bed.

 

Now a woman of Lorraine’s undoubted self-confidence could easily have forced the issue if she chose but she wanted him to make the running and she wanted their first time to be perfect, she just didn’t know how long she could wait for perfection to put in an appearance.

So she had to seduce him in such a way that he would think he was seducing her, and she went about this by inviting Peter to her house for supper for their next date a week before Christmas.

 

After Peter accepted the invitation for supper Lorraine was faced with two problems.

The first one was that if she was to succeed in her goal then subtlety would be the order of the day which was not a quality she possessed in any significant quantity.

While the second was something rather more fundamental she couldn’t really cook, in fact she couldn’t cook at all.

However the second problem was easily solved in the end as her friend Jade Flowers was a great cook and when she asked her for advice on what to serve she volunteered to cook it for her and then she would just need to warm it through on the night and she even made the deserts.

Lorrain’s one and only contribution to the menu was to make the prawn cocktail starters and of course her other contribution was to make herself look gorgeous and eminently beddable.

So came the night and Lorraine looked stunning, wearing a simple little black dress and quite frankly looked as edible as any other offering on the menu.

 

The meal was a great success and was consumed heartily along with a quantity of wine.

They ended up on the sofa and Lorraine was burning with desire, Peter meanwhile was trying to summon up the courage to kiss her and was looking anxious.

Lorraine wanted him so badly and she was just coming to the conclusion that perfection wasn’t all it was cracked up to be when he leant over and kissed her.

 

The kissing on the sofa progressed very satisfactorily and she was getting increasingly hot, and increasingly impatient.

Their lips parted and Peter looked deeply into her eyes and said

“I want you”

“Thank you God” Lorraine screamed in her head, but out loud she just said

“I want you too”

If she hadn’t wanted their first time to be special she would have made love with him on the sofa but she was nonetheless surprised to hear herself say 

“Let me go up first and get ready”

She didn’t have a clue where it had come from but judging by the look on his face it seemed to have been well received by Peter.

Lorraine smiled and kissed him gently on the lips and added

“Give me five minutes”

She got up from the sofa and went upstairs slowly and controlled, but inside her head she was singing and dancing and the moment she got into her bedroom she stripped naked in thirty seconds flat.

 

The door closed behind him after he entered Lorraine’s room and he saw she was lying in bed with only her head and shoulders visible and was wearing as far as he could tell absolutely nothing.

When he got down to his pants he turned his back to her and quickly slipped into bed.

This act of shyness endeared him to her even more and she rolled over to greet him.

“It was the thought of this moment that kept me going in Afghanistan” He said

“Really?” she replied “I hope you’re not disappointed”

“So far so good” he said and cuddled up closer to her.

“Well hon I’ve been waiting for this moment too” Lorraine said

And in response he kissed her lips softly and when she responded the kiss grew in intensity as their tongues entwined and the pent up want and need was released as their hands explored and caressed each other’s bodies beneath the duvet.

 

As they lay panting in the afterglow Lorraine said breathlessly

“Oh Peter, I love you”

And in response he kissed her hot panting mouth and replied.

“I love you too”

 

That was an entirely unexpected outcome for Lorraine, the thought that she loved him had never even crossed her mind.

She knew that she liked him from the first moment she met him but was that love? 

To her great relief Peter said that he loved her too, but did he?

In the post coital hours they discussed at length the implications of their declarations and the basis on which they made them.

The outcome of their deliberations was that they were indeed in love and were victims of love at first sight.

This was something they had both heard of but didn’t actually believe was possible in reality.

They thought it was just the stuff of Romantic comedies.

However the implications of their joint declarations were self-evident and before they made love for a second time Peter made and Lorraine accepted his proposal of marriage.

Downshire Diary – (25) The Girl in the White Silk Dress

When Steve Berry proposed to Holly Davis in the Pig and Whistle in Abbeyvale on Easter Sunday, in front of a packed pub to great acclaim it set off an unstoppable chain of events which consumed not just Steve and Holly but everyone around them as well.

Rather unconventionally, instead of picking a date, or a number of dates, and then checking if the church was free, Holly went to see the Reverend Marshall to see what dates he had available with the intention of making her plans accordingly.

She was fully expecting St Mary’s to be fully booked right through the summer and she was correct in that assumption, but as luck would have it there had been a cancellation only that afternoon and September 20th was free.

It was cutting it a bit fine but she thought it was doable so even without checking with Steve first she booked it right there and then.

 

While Holly was at St Mary’s her fiancé Steve, ever the bean counter was supervising the installation of solar panels on the rear aspect roof which would make a significant reduction to their electricity bills.

Although in truth the term “supervising” was actually stretching it a bit, as all it actually involved him sitting on the patio looking up at them working while he drank a pint.

The Pig and Whistle was a big pub and as he sat looking up to the roof of the Victorian building it was patently obvious that it had once been a hotel.

When he and Holly finally got around to fully exploring the accommodation they were amazed at how many rooms there were.

There were some rooms upstairs that were used as little more than storage spaces.

In fact there were sufficient rooms for Holly and Steve to have a self-contained apartment and still make four decent size bed sitters.

“They could be a useful additional source of income” Steve suggested

“We could always offered them to the staff at a reduced rate” Holly suggested “We wouldn’t get as much revenue but we would get some”

“Hmmm” Steve responded

“Hospitality is not the best paid job in the world” Holly continued “and they’re paying ridiculous rents for rooms half the size on the other side of town”

“Well I can’t think of an argument why not” he said “So that’s agreed then”

So it was settled, they would offer the bedsits to the senior staff.

 

Petra and Ausra jumped at the chance as they were living in a very dodgy street in the seediest part of town with some very unsavoury neighbours, Stephanos was less keen until he realised the room was twice the size of the one he was renting for half the rent.

Debbie declined the offer however as she was already well fixed up living with her parents rent free and you couldn’t get cheaper than that.

So they were left with one unoccupied room that they could rent out for extra revenue.

But then Steph suggested

“Save it for when we get a chef”

He and Steve had been doing the food between them since January but they wanted to get a chef.

“What do you mean?” Holly said

“Well I’m a good pub grub man” Steph said “But I’m not a chef”

“What do you think Steve?” Holly asked

“Well we can both cook ok, but our repertoire is limited, what we do, we do well” he replied “But what we need is a “chef” who can take us to the next level, expand the menu and broaden our horizons”

“Well I’ll put that on the list then” Holly said and grinned

 

Steve was taking a short break before the lunchtime rush while Holly was upstairs in their bedroom trying on her wedding dress.

The date was set for September 20th at St Mary’s church just down the road, followed by the reception at the Pig and Whistle which would help to keep the cost down.

While he sat down drinking his coffee he was thinking about the guest list, which wasn’t substantial, there weren’t many family guests on Holly’s side, her hippie parents, if they could be found, and two cousins, and none at all on Steve’s side.

The only relative he had was his father and apart from the fact he didn’t know if he was still alive or not he didn’t want him there anyway.

One person who would definitely not be there was Uncle Phil who had passed away two months before the wedding.

 

Up in Holly and Steve’s bedroom she was opening a large flat cardboard box, the kind where the lid fitted over the base like a very large jigsaw puzzle box and she was accompanied by her bridesmaids.

Petra and Ausra were cousins and had come to the Britain from Lithuania, they were the same age as Holly and they had known each other for almost ten years and the three of them were the best of friends.

When she had the lid off, she cast it aside and unfolded the tissue paper covering the contents.

Holly slipped her hands inside and removed the beautiful white silk wedding dress trimmed with Belgian lace.

“Wow that’s beautiful” Petra said “was it your mamas?

“No” Holly replied and laughed “my parents got married in a registry office and the bride wore denim”

“It’s lovely” Ausra added

“It was my grandmothers” Holly said proudly, and when she tried it on Holly looked stunning.

 

Meanwhile Steve’s thoughts had turned to his best man, six months earlier he wouldn’t have hesitated for a second.

His best friend Graham Chatfield would have been the obvious choice for best man.

But they had fallen out, as it was Graham who had been the most vociferous about him burning his bridges and ruining his life over some “silly tart” when he first fell in love with Holly.

At the point Graham referred to Holly as a “silly tart” Steve hit him and they hadn’t spoken since.

Which meant the obvious candidate was now Stephanos who he hadn’t actually got around to asking at that point so he went back into the kitchen

“Steph!” he called “I need a best man”

“Of course you do” he replied

“And you’re it” Steve said

“Cool” Steph responded so that was settled.

 

Having returned the wedding dress to its box and safely hidden it from Steve’s prying eyes her thought returned to the day itself.

The wedding breakfast was problematic as the cooks were also the Groom and Best man and the waitresses were the bridesmaids.

Of course it was easy enough to get outside caterers for the day, Holly had enough contacts in the business to get someone that would do a good job and at a reasonable price.

It wasn’t in their budget but it looked like they didn’t really have a choice.

The other thing they couldn’t really afford to do was to have a honeymoon, in terms of time away from the pub as well as financially.

But their staff ganged up on them and insisted they go, if only for a day or two.

They could quite easily manage to run the place while they were away, so they agreed on a short break in Sharpington and staying in a B&B would keep it affordable.

 

A few weeks ahead of the big day Holly and Steve were in the apartment eating breakfast and going through the mail.

“I’m a bit worried Steve” she said

“What about?” he asked

“The wedding” she replied

“Why? Have we forgotten something?” Steve said

“No everything’s arranged, everything’s booked” Holly confirmed “Apart from my parents obviously”

“So what’s the matter?” Steve asked puzzled

“The cost” she said “its twice as much as we budgeted for”

“That’s because we budgeted next to nothing” he corrected her 

“I’m still worried” she said stubbornly

“Well maybe this will set your mind at rest” Steve said and handed her a solicitor’s letter.

It was from Uncle Phil’s solicitors, Bramstock, Goodman, Crossfield and Bushe, in Abbottsford detailing a bequest and a cheque for the stated amount.

“That should cover it” Steve said and stood up and walked around the table and kissed the top of her head

“Now you can get back to worrying about whether I’m going to turn up or not” He said and left the room whistling

“What do you mean?” Holly said rushing after him

 

The week of the wedding was a little tense as Holly still hadn’t heard from her hippie parents.

She had left messages at their various stopping off points and with friends she knew they were regularly in touch with, but she had heard nothing back.

Also during that week were the Hen night and the Stag do, though neither of them were reckless exhibitionists so strippers and silly stunts were never on the cards.

On Wednesday night the boys went out for a meal and a few drinks while the girls held the fort and the following night they swapped. 

On Friday night Steve took Holly out for a romantic dinner and after delivering her home he went across the road to the Abbeyvale Court Hotel for the night.

 

Saturday arrived and Holly got ready at the pub while Steve dressed at the Hotel which would serve as his abode for his last night as a single man and his first as a married one, albeit in a different room for the nuptials.

The morning was very relaxed, he took a leisurely bath and performed his ablutions, but by lunch time when Steph arrived with his suit and shoes etc. the nerves had set in and the joke he made to Holly about not turning up was suddenly ringing hollow, as he though

“What if she doesn’t turn up?”

 

Holly despite having been a wreck all week was calmness personified, and she had resolved to enjoy and savour every single moment of their special day.

It was everyone else who were all at sixes and sevens.

But she managed to impress her calmness on everyone around her and they got through the morning unscathed.

 

Steve was sat at the front of the church with Stephanos and his stomach was doing somersaults.

“Have you got the ring?” he said

“Yes” Stephonos said “but if you ask me again I’m going to throw it out of the window”

“Sorry” he said “Nerves” 

 

When they had arrived the Reverend Marshall had said

“Just sit down and relax, when its time I will walk past and touch your shoulder and that’s your cue. Ok?”

Steve just nodded

After about five minutes he heard the Vicars footsteps and then felt his hand on his shoulder which was his cue to get to his feet

“It’s alright I’m only kidding” he said “she’s not here yet”

Steve could have killed him at the time, but it actually stopped his stomach it its tracks.

 

The Vicar was on the dais when he caught Steve’s eye and nodded and the bridal march began and Steve and Steph got to their feet.

“This is it man” Steph said “now where’s that ring”

Steve just gave him a sideways glance.

He could hear Holly processing up the aisle and he was desperate to turn around and look at her, but he daren’t, he thought his legs would give way under him if he saw her.

Then he could see her in his peripheral vision, but just a splash of white.

Steve stepped to his left to join her and took a deep breath before he turned to look at her, and there she was standing before him, a vision of loveliness, in a dress of antique white silk.

“You look beautiful” he whispered and Holly smiled and giggled, then as they faced each other there was a crash at the back of the church and without taking their eyes off each other they said in unison

“The hippies”

Then after a second or two they both turned to look at a middle aged couple at the back of the church, Steve had no idea who they were but when Holly squeezed his hand he knew it was her parents.

 

On Sunday morning Mr and Mrs Berry left for their honeymoon in Sharpington, they were not however bound for a B&B, but were instead, courtesy of Uncle Phil’s bequest, headed to the Granite Hill Country House Hotel and when they returned to Abbeyvale a week later they brought with them a new chef.