In the north of Downshire is the old market Town of Nettlebridge which was quainter and more peaceful than its neighbour Nettlefield which was a Military Town whereas Nettlebridge prospered from the sheep and wool trade, which is evidenced by the road names, Sheepfold Street, Woolsack Lane and Shepherds Bridge, and this trade had historically generated a great deal of wealth and the town was buzzing on Downshire day.
Dawn
Druitt lived across the street from John Dunkley in Sheepfold Street, and she
was a kindly soul in her forties, recently divorced, with three grown up
children who had all flown the nest.
John
liked her as a neighbour but had never
looked at her in an appraising manner, he had had a brief affair with her
sister Karen but that was only sex, he didn’t like her as a person, but Dawn was
different she was nice, but even then, he had seen her more as a good friend or
a big sister.
But that was before a
particularly over indulgent and boozy lunch at the local pub on Downshire Day, which
resulted in them standing in her hallway while her tongue energetically
explored his mouth, and with every passing moment he was warming to her and
seeing her less like a friend or a sister, in fact he saw her in an entirely
different light so the kissing lead inexorably to her bedroom.
John undressed quickly and
got under the covers while she disrobed in a dimly lit corner.
“Why are you hiding over
there?”
“My figure isn’t up to
bright lights” she replied
“Nonsense you have a
lovely shape” he corrected her as he watched her pulling her pants and tights
off
“Well I’m not as firm and
toned as my sister” she said “but then you would know that better than I do”
“The importance difference
between you and Karen is that I really like you” he said as she joined him
beneath the duvet.
After they had made love
she lay with her head on his chest and said
“Well that’s not a very
good start is it?”
“What do you mean?” he
asked puzzled
“Well I was married to Jack
for 25 years and was never unfaithful once” she replied
“Now I have a new man in
my life, who I’ve only been dating for 3 weeks and I’ve been unfaithful to him
already” she replied and laughed out loud before adding in a more serious tone.
“We haven’t even… you know….
done it yet, I’ve only ever been with… I had only ever been with Jack and
wasn’t sure about what to do with a new man, but I don’t suppose there’s any
need to worry about that now” And she laughed again
“Now that I’ve been
unfaithful numerous times, now I am a serial adulteress,” she confessed
“You’ve only done it once”
he pointed out
“I know” she said “but I
thought I might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb”
“Well I think that’s a
good philosophy” he said “But there’s just one thing”
“What’s that?”
“Well as we’ve already
broken the ice, so to speak” he said “I wouldn’t mind being the new man in your
life”
“I would really like that”
she said and kissed his chest “But Karen won’t like it”
“Karen’s not going to get
it” he retorted and pulled her beneath the duvet.
