MONOCHROME WORLD

 

Without you today

Everything is grey, your love

Coloured all my world

Those Memories Made on Teardrop Lake – (48) Kissing Cousins

The Summers and the Overend’s lived in Northchapel and every year they had a family holiday together in the Dancingdean Forest.

Peter and Kate Summers and their sons Mark and Brian, Kate’s sister Christine Overend and husband David and their daughters Julia and Karen, all travelled to the lakeside home of the Davies family, Matthew and Lindsey who were Kate and Christine’s parents and Shelley who was their maiden Aunt.

The Davies family home was East Side House and was situated on the eastern shore of Teardrop Lake.

Teardrop Lake and the surrounding woodland was privately owned and divided into twelve parcels of land, each with one significant dwelling on it and there were also a number of cottages dotted around the woods as well, quite a few of the properties were vacant and an equal number were derelict. 

It was both idyllic and peaceful, there was little or no noise pollution and the lake was little used and the kids always loved going there even more so in the summer when they could get out on the lake.

But in the summer of 1969 childhood pursuits started to take a back seat.

 

Access to Teardrop Lake was via Shallowfield which was a sprawling sparsely populated village and its fortunes had always relied largely upon forestry and agriculture for its survival.

In the post war years with rationing and a shortage of work a lot of people moved away, to Abbottsford, Abbeyvale and beyond and it only barely survived and the community around Teardrop Lake fared even worse.

Only a few of the houses around the Lake were thriving, a lot of the houses had been rented out and those that hadn’t, were in a poor state of repair, some too such an extent they were little more than ruins the Davies family were one of the lucky ones.

 

Mark Summers was a few weeks short of his nineteenth birthday, tall and athletic with flowing blond locks and his cousin Julia was a curvy brunette and was just sixteen.

Julia had followed him around with puppy dog eyes for as long as he could remember but he always gave her the brush off, but since the previous Christmas he had suddenly become aware of her sexuality when instead of just following him around Julia started flirting with him outrageously and quite expertly so.

From the moment they met up the morning of day one she was flaunting herself and flirting with him, but he wasn't really interested, he already had a steady girlfriend plus a spare or two in the wings so he tried his best to ignore her, she was just a kid as far as he was concerned, beautiful with a great figure, but a kid nonetheless.

So for the first three days of the holiday he gave her a wide birth as he always had and tried to brush aside her flirtations.

But that proved to be easier said than done when she spent most of the fourth day in a figure hugging swimsuit and although she was still only sixteen she flaunted what she had very well indeed and even though she was completely inexperienced she knew by the expression on his face that she had got his full attention.

 

After years of him brushing her attentions aside she could tell his resolve had weakened so while he was still only eighteen she took her chance one hot afternoon.
The grandparents, the maiden great aunt, both sets of parents and the younger siblings had all gone off on a visit to Pepperstock Castle, somewhere boring as far as she was concerned, so she made an excuse and stayed by the Lake as she had lust on her mind.
And Julia knew she had Mark exactly where she wanted him when he did the same, but then she was almost certain he would.

 

Once the family were well on their way to Pepperstock Mark thought Christmas had come early so he walked into her bedroom wearing only a towel, which he thought would have the desired effect on her.

However Julia thought his action somewhat juvenile and not very subtle.

She was stood with her back to him as he entered but she could see his reflection in the mirror but he could not see her smile.

It would not be that easy, she would not make it that easy, he would have to work so much harder on his technique to claim the conquest.

She knew he had a steady girlfriend back in Northchapel, but she also knew he had been unfaithful to her on more than one occasion and she had no intention, no matter how gorgeous he was, or how much she may have lusted after him, that she was going be added to that list.

Julia was not going to surrender her virginity to him cheaply, or give all of herself to him just to be another notch on his headboard.

Watching him in the mirror Julia could see him watching her and she knew that she had him hook line and sinker so she decided to have him dance to her tune for the rest of the holiday.

“I hope you’ve got trunks on under that towel” she said as she turned around to look at him

“I’m going for a swim in the Lake, I’ll see you out there” she added as she walked casually out of the room.

“Erm, oh, um” he stammered “Ok”

Five minutes later when Julia was already in the water, Mark arrived on the jetty wearing his swimming trunks

“I like you in those” she thought “so much hotter than the towel”

Almost immediately he dived off the jetty and they spent the next hour swimming and messing around in the Lake before he tried to kiss her but she was too quick for him and gave him the slip and swam to the shore laughing.

 

Over the following weeks they were virtually inseparable, and after all those years of her following him around with puppy dog eyes and being continually brushed off, it was now Marks turn to follow in her wake like a love sick hound while Julia wore an expression somewhere between smug and coy.

At least once a day during those weeks Mark tried to kiss her but Julie always resisted him, despite the fact she was desperate to taste his lips.

But on the last day of the holiday when she was convinced she had him body and soul she kissed him to reward him for his patience and herself for her cleverness.

That day may have marked the end of the holiday but the long awaited kiss by Teardrop Lake was the beginning of a love that lasted thirty-eight years.   

 

UNDERMINED

 

Our love, once sturdy

Strong as granite rock

Standing against the storm

Has been eroded

By elements of distrust

Unspoken discontents,

And bitter jealousies

Corrodes like acid

As doubts and suspicions

Grow like cancers

Until they become terminal

Silent killers of love

NO MERE FRIPPERY

 

Though some thought her unworldly

I thought she was cute

I think not being wise in the ways of the world

Is an attractive trait

It left her with an air of innocence

Untainted by convention

Some thought her a mere frippery

I thought her beyond price

But I was in a minority of one

And to my great relief I found

She was overlooked by the rest

Which left this sweet curiosity

Exclusively to me

She was my Tulip in an onion field

My Daisy in a Rose boquet

She is now my constant companion

The love of my life

SHE’S THE BUTTERFLY KIND

 

She’s the butterfly kind

With a butterfly mind

Always moving she never sits

Her head is full of thoughts that flit

The butterfly miss

With the butterfly kiss

The Clerembeax Palace Hotel and Spa – The Glorious 12th

 

The beautiful Downshire village of Clerembeax St Giles was situated to the west of Abbeyvale located between Grace Hill and Bushy Down and on the outskirts was the Clerembeax Palace Hotel and Spa.

It was once the home the Clerembeax’s, who arrived in Downshire following the Norman conquests and stayed for a thousand years before the name died out following the death of the reclusive Marcus Clerembeax at the age of 96.

The current owner was Yvonne Labuschagne, who decided to open it as a Hotel and Spa.

The Spa was a good attraction, but it was crucial for them to maintain a high occupancy rate, however things were tough in the Hotel trade with the success of Travelodge, Premier Inn and Holiday Inn Express and so places like the Palace needed to offer something extra to attract the guests, apart from the Spa. 

So, they put on novelty weekends, such as “Murder Mysteries” and in addition, they had a sizable Ballroom which was used for special occasions, high days and holidays, which boosted occupancy and Spa numbers at the same time.

But it was necessary to offer guests as wide a range of activities as possible during their stay, to attract them in the first place, and hopefully to come back, which was why they bought and stabled horses up at Stevens Farm, in order to offer riding.

 

The Stevens farm bordered the Clerembeax Estate, so it was a natural choice and it was a large farm which had at its centre a large farmhouse, parts of which dated back six centuries, which had been added to over the years to accommodate the changing needs of the family.

There were also a significant number of out buildings, including a stable block.

The farm was run by Russ Stevens and his three sisters, Mary, Rose and Muriel.

However, they had plenty of farm work to keep them busy, so they had little or nothing to do with the horses, so Hotel Manager Hannah Morgan employed the Storey Brothers, Adam and Craig to do the job.

 

Russ Stevens was the oldest of the Stevens clan and was tall muscular, rugged and bald and nothing like the Stevens girls, who were all good looking, with red hair and striking Celtic green eyes.

 

He had taken the reins at the farm after his father’s death which was also the point he gave up on his choice of career and a personal life as he had to raise his sisters as well as run the farm.

So, his hopes of being a Chef were dashed and because he didn’t have a minute spare in his life he had no significant other.

But now the girls either all had someone in their lives, or someone in their sights, he was left feeling lonely, he loved his sisters dearly, and they him, but that wasn’t the same as having someone to snuggle up to at the end of the day, someone to share the mundane minutiae of the day.

But he couldn’t think of himself, not when he had the girls to raise and had to be strong for them.

 

It was 10.00am on a glorious July morning and Russ was sat in the yard taking a well-deserved coffee break and he was in melancholic mood as he had just seen Rosie and Phil pass by and although they had only been together for a relatively short while it was oblivious even to a blind man that they were in love.

They looked so happy that he found he was quite envious, which made him feel very guilty, and it made him feel lonelier than ever.

However, he chastised himself for his selfishness and consoled himself with the fact that he at least had more mouths to feed and more opportunities to show off in the kitchen.

 

After the investment that the Hotel had made, Hotel Manager Hannah Morgan, was anxious to see the fruits of that investments, so early one morning she drove up to the farm on the way to work.

 

The Storey brothers, Adam and Craig, had worked hard to get the riding stables up and running, and as they walked across the yard towards the farmhouse, Hannah’s car pulled into the yard and she called out the window.

“Morning guys”

“Hannah?” Adam said, “is that you?”

“What are you doing out in the real world?”

“I’ve come to see what you’ve both been up to” she replied

“Come on then we’ll give you the tour” Craig said

 

“You’ve done a lot” Hannah said after being shown around

“Well if your satisfied, come and get breakfast” Adam said

“No, I won’t stop” she replied

“Just come in for a coffee then” Craig added

“No, I wouldn’t want to impose” she insisted

“Russ won’t be happy” Adam said “He’s very big on hospitality” 

“Oh ok, just a coffee”

 

Adam pushed open the door and stepped in and said

“Morning Russ, we’ve brought you another victim”

“Oh good, the more the merrier” he retorted, and then he looked at the lovely dark-haired woman

“This is Hannah”

“Ah I’ve heard a lot about you” Russ said and shook her hand, and

“All good I hope” Hannah said

“Absolutely not” Adam replied “And she’s turned her nose up at your breakfast”

“That’s ok, sit down” he said amiably “Can I get you a tea or coffee?”

When breakfast was first mentioned, she was expecting it to be the usual greasy full English, but the aromas in the kitchen got her taste buds going, devilled kidneys, kedgeree, masala eggs and fresh baked rolls so she said.

“I may have been a little hasty”

“Well there are other attractions” Adam said as the door opened and two of the Stevens girls walked in

“So, I see” Hannah re-joined and smiled at Russ

 

It was a long leisurely breakfast with good conversation and great banter.

“My God that was good” Hannah said after clearing her second plate “No wonder you two enjoy it up here so much”

“He’s good, isn’t he?” Muriel said

“Oh yes” she replied, but she wasn’t entirely referring to the cooking.

 

Over the following few weeks Hannah made several more visits to the stables, always around meal times, but Muriel was sure that her interest in the farm wasn’t restricted to the status of the stable’s or Russ’s culinary skills.

She had also noticed how her bothers demeanour changed whenever Hannah walked in, however knowing her brother as she did she also knew that nothing would progress between them without an intervention from her and her sisters, Mary and Rosie.

 

Mary wasn’t entirely convinced by Muriel’s assertion and was the only one of the Stephens family who hadn’t met Hannah before.

So, Muriel suggested she should be in the kitchen when she arrived to witness her brother’s reaction for herself, and when she did her chin almost hit the floor.

“My God, its true” she whispered to Muriel

“I told you so” she retorted

 

“So, you’re the Hotel manager?” Mary said

“I am”

“Well Muriel is very grateful to you for sending the Storeys” Mary said and giggled

 

“So, have you given Hannah her invitation?” Muriel said

“Invitation?” Hannah asked

“Yes, its Russ’s birthday next week, and we’re having a big celebration dinner” Mary said

“Oh…er… yes” Russ stammered

“So, you must come” Muriel insisted

“I would really like that but, I can’t do next week, my sister Charlotte is visiting” she said in reply to Muriel, while looking at Russ, and he looked visibly deflated until Mary suggested

“Bring her along”

 

Hannah and Charlotte left the Hotel together, both wearing summer dresses and made up to the nines and they both looked stunning with the sun shining on their raven black hair, as it was such a pleasant August evening they decided to walk up to Stevens Farm, which was a gentle walk that Hannah had made many times before.

It was obvious even to the casual observer that they were sisters, Charlotte was just a curvier version of her older sibling.

“Are you sure we needed to dress up?” Charlotte asked

“Of course, I am” Hannah replied

“After all, how often do we get the chance to dress up?”

“But why couldn’t I just wear jeans?”

“Because it would have looked like I was trying to hard” Hannah replied

“Why do you have to make life so complicated?” Charlotte asked and laughed

 

Russ Stevens was, under normal circumstances, a confident and unshakeable cook, but that night he was a bag of nerves, and the girls all tried to calm things down by lightening the mood but were only partially successful.  

 

As they approached the farm house Hannah suddenly stopped and said in alarm

“Do I look ok?”

“Yes” Charlotte replied

“Really?” she asked, “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure, you look gorgeous, the same as always” Charlotte retorted

“Ok” she said doubtfully and exhaled a long slow breath and then when they reached the door Hannah knocked lightly on it and then went straight in

“Hello” she called, and Muriel was the first to appear

“Wow you two look stunning” she said and kissed Hannah’s cheek and then Hannah introduced her to Charlotte and then she in turn introduced her to the rest of the family and their partners.

“Where’s the birthday boy?” Hannah asked “I have a gift for him”

“He’s in the kitchen and he’s unusually flustered” Mary explained “Why don’t you go in and settle his nerves”

“Oh, I think you over estimate my influence” she said rather superciliously

“And I think you underestimate it” Muriel said “Go on, in you go, we’ll look after Charlotte”

 

When she walked in, Russ had his back to her, so she said tentatively

“Hello” and made him jump

“Oh hello” he said suddenly feeling even more flustered and she smiled at the sudden realisation that Muriel had been right

“Happy Birthday!” she said and handed him an envelope

“There’s a little gift in there, or at least the promise of a gift,

An IOU if you like, in lieu of the actual gift”

“You shouldn’t have really” he replied as he opened the envelope and read the inscription “Wow”

“Well as it’s the Glorious 12^th, and you like to cook, I thought a brace of Grouse would be quite appropriate or is the plural grouses or Grice or ….”

She was prevented from rambling on any further because he was kissing her.  

 

The remaining guest were assembled on the patio enjoying pre-dinner drinks.

“I hope it won’t be long” Rosie said “I’m starving”

“I’ll go and see” Mary said and there was a murmur of approval

But she was only gone for a minute and as she reappeared Muriel asked

“How is it going in there?”

“Ok, but dinner may be a little delayed” Rosie replied

“Not the food” Muriel said, “how is it going?”

“Oh, I see” Rosie said “Well they’re kissing so I suppose it’s going quite well”

“What exactly do you mean by kissing?” Mary asked, “was it a peck on the cheek or a “thank for the birthday card” kiss or was it something else?”

“Something else I’d say” Rosie said “They’re snogging”

 

LOVE CAME ON A WAVE

Love came on a wave

But it soon drifted away

On the ebbing tide