Tales from the Finchbottom Vale – (69) Sisterly Love

 

The village of Kettlewell sat in the rolling Pepperstock Hills that formed the northwest border of The Finchbottom Vale and it was half a mile from the hamlet of Kettlewell-on-the-Hill, the two of which made up the parish of St Augustine’s Church.

And Kettlewell was 1.5 miles from its largest neighbour, Highfinch.

 

On one Saturday night in March there was a party at the Kettlewell Village Hall and by ten o’clock on that cool evening Paula Matthews was blind drunk and so her husband Lionel, and her sister Claire, who was also tipsy, decided to walk her home.   

Once they had got her in the house and manoeuvred her into the right room the laid her on the bed and Lionel said

“We should take her dress off”

“How about we leave her as she is and we take my dress off,” Claire suggested

“Behave yourself” he said somewhat surprised at her brazenness, but he was smiling when he added “you’ve been in a funny mood all evening, now help me with her dress”

He sat Paula up again so Claire could unhook and unzip, then between them they pulled the whole thing off over her head.

Once she was just in her under things Claire started pulling her tights off as he watched.

 

As she left the bedroom Claire turned off the light and closed the door and then she kissed him, gently at first and then again more hotly and this took him completely by surprise.

The Matthews and the Tannings had lived all their married lives in Kettlewell and they were ordinary down to earth people and after twenty years of marriage both couples had reached their middle years without being blessed with children and so their leisure time was more often than not spent together in a variety of ways, restaurants, theatre, cinema and even holidays.

But of all the activities they had indulged in wife swapping was not one of them.

However he had always found Claire very attractive and had very often fantasized about the two of them together, but he had never once thought of acting on his attraction.

So the moment Claire’s lips touched his Lionel whole heartedly embraced the passionate kiss, during which he took his opportunity and his hands explored every inch of the sensual landscape he had often admired.

“God I’ve wanted to do that for so long” she said

“So have I” he agreed and their lips reengaged and then in the heat of passion his hands grappled up her skirt and found her stocking and suspenders.

“Wait until you're invited” she said playfully slapping him.

“Stockings and suspenders eh” he said

“Yes I wore them especially for someone” Claire said

“Paul is a very lucky man” he said

“I’m not wearing them for my husband” she said

“I’m wearing them for you”

And her lips returned to Lionel’s, and her tongue to his mouth and his hands returned to her stocking tops.

 

When she finally relinquished his mouth she stepped backwards and slipped out of her dress and gave him the full effect of her full ensemble of black lingerie.

“Did you really wear those for me?” he said looking at her stockings.

“I wore everything for you” she said 

“It was lucky for me then that I got to enjoy them”

“There was no luck involved” she said cockily

“What do you mean?”

“I made sure you would get to enjoy them” she said proudly and then after a moment’s thought he asked

“Did you get Paula drunk?”

“It wasn’t hard I just made all her drinks doubles, she never could hold her drink” Claire said with a chuckle

“You naughty girl”

“You haven’t seen anything yet” she said and manoeuvred him into the spare room.

Tales from the Finchbottom Vale – (68) Bath Night

 

Twenty eight year old Paul Ingram was involved with an older woman, a forty year old woman to be precise, who was a beautiful unhappily married, soon to be divorced Carrington Chase educated woman, called Francesca Carrington-Webber.

Paul and Francesca both lived in the village of Forest Dean situated equidistant between Shallowfield and Childean, she lived in a huge house that backed onto the The Forest Ridge Golf Club, and coincidentally Paul worked for the Golf Club.

 

They became involved after three chance meetings, two on a train and the third more significant one was on the Promenade in Sharpington, where he came upon her small, huddled figure on the bench ahead of him in some distress and after some tender moments of consolation lead to them making love in his caravan.

 

Since that night they had had a non-physical relationship and on the rare occasions that they managed to get to spend some time together they always made the most of it, sometimes they had to create opportunities and sometimes they just happened and sometimes one of them managed to surprise the other but the biggest surprise came on the Halloween weekend when she arrived at his caravan dressed as a witch and announced that not only was she divorcing her husband David but that she was staying the night.

 

On the rare occasions that they managed to get to spend the night together they always made the most of it but sometimes they had to create opportunities and sometimes they just happened.

But at other times life conspired to keep them apart, illness, work commitments, family events and on one occasion it was chicken pox as Francesca’s children both had them.

Paul had never had the virus so he had to stay away but when the children were given the all clear he still couldn’t get close to her because her aunt had pitched up during the illness and stayed for two weeks after the all clear.

He knew from an earlier overheard conversation in the post office that the aunt had finally gone home so he decided to pay her a visit but because the children were in the house, he left it until well after their bedtime.

He wasn’t expecting any action, it had just been so long since he’d been able to see her and hold her that he just wanted a kiss and a hug.

He took his usual route passed the Vicarage and down the lane by the church, then he took the path that crossed the golf course from where he traversed the course until he reached the back of Francesca’s house, and he could see that the downstairs lights were still on.

 

Paul kept to the shadows and made his way up to the house and looked through the window and he could see Francesca was already in her nightclothes and as he watched her pad around the kitchen he felt the tell-tale feelings of pride and then he tapped on the window.

She looked up immediately and gave him a broad smile and opened the door

“What are you doing here?” she said but before he had chance to reply she was kissing him.

“I wanted to see you” he responded when she came up for air and they kissed again

“God I’ve missed you” she said and hugged him tightly

“Me too” he agreed

“We can’t do anything though” Francesca said “The children are here”

“That’s ok” he replied “I just came for a hug”

“Good because I’m going to have a bath and go to bed” she said

“Oooh that sounds nice can I join you?”

“For which?” she asked

“Both” he replied hopefully

“I thought you only came for a hug” she asked suspiciously

“I did, but a bath sounds nice” Paul said

“No” she replied

“Oh go on” he begged “we’ve never had a bath together”

“No” she repeated

“Go on you know you want to” he urged

“Well it would be nice” she mused

“It really would” he agreed

“Ok then” She said and then with a wag of her finger she added

“But no funny business”

“I promise” he said and crossed his heart

 

As they lay stretched out in the bath together, Francesca was lying back against his chest, she had loosely tied her hair up to keep it out of the water and he kissed her neck and wrapped his arms around her.

It was a very relaxing bath and he was glad he had persuaded her to share it with him but he was enjoying it a little too much.

“You can stop that right away” she said suddenly

“Stop what?” he asked

“You know very well what” she said “We are no longer alone”

“Ah you noticed” he said

“We can’t be doing that tonight” she said and hugged his arm and then she stood up and he watched the water running over her glorious contours.

“I know, but it’s a real shame” he said and caressed her buttock.

She got out the bath first and then he followed and they began drying each other.

He was sitting on the edge of the bath drying her legs but she wrapped her arms around him and she purred

“We could do it if we’re quiet”

“I thought you said no funny business” he said

“I did” she purred and kissed him “but I love funny business”

“I love you” Paul said

“I love you and funny business” Francesca said and kissed him

“Me too” he agreed

“Stay the night with me?” she asked and he replied with a kiss.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE JUDAS KISS

 

You said you had to go away,

Just a day or two

A business trip

Something you had to do

 

But I knew better

I knew that you were leaving

I found out

About the cheating and deceiving

 

I wait for the truth to come

But you just keep lying

You’re leaving me

And inside I’m dying

 

But you won’t see me cry

I just smile instead

I won’t let you see me

I will do that in my empty bed

 

You kiss me on the cheek

And look me in the eye

And with that Judas kiss

You turn and say goodbye

ALL OF MY LIFE

All of my life

I have had no talent

Hidden or on show

No gift or endowment

No skill or mastery

No bent or flair

Ability or forte

Nothing to mark me out

From the common herd

Or stand me out from the crowd

All of my life

I have been ordinary

Mediocre and average

Quite mundane and everyday

No hint of genius

Expert only in my ordinariness

But content in my mediocrity

All of my life

I have been un-ambitious

No goals to be achieved

Not driven by desire

In any shape or form

Some might say shiftless

I would say satisfied

Happy with my lot

All of my life

I lived a half life

Until my outlook changed

When I saw you smile

And heard you speak my name

I was born again

With new purpose

A new vocation

To shed my mediocrity

And cast it aside

Like a well-used coat

And dig deep within myself

To find that dying ember of desire

That almost imperceptible spark

So clearly visible to you

And breathe life into it

Until white hot

And then fan the flames of passion

You have ignited in me

All the rest of my life

Endowed with your gift

I will feel extraordinary

And with my newfound ambition

My one and only goal

The sole purpose of my being

Is to make you truly happy

As happy as you have made me

And with all my heart and soul

I will dedicate myself

To always loving you

THE RUSTIC STILE AT LANES END

 

At lanes end

The rustic stile

Stands sentinel still

Marking that special place

Where the fates conspired

Our souls should meet

Though we purposely

Trod opposing paths

We met at that rustic spot

And to help you cross

I took your hand

Small and silken soft

Guiding you safe to my side

And despite the presence

Of each others companions

We were to all intents

Quite alone

And in those moments

When hand touched hand

We at once beheld

Our lives from that point on

Would be forever altered

And were content

With that destiny

 

At lanes end

The rustic stile

Stands like a monument

Marking the place of alteration

A significant place

A spiritual place oft revisited

And on such sojourns

We would find renewal

As the energizing memory

Of that special moment

Assailed our senses

Essentially invigorating

Like imbibing the waters

From the fountain of youth

And our hearts would once again

Resound with joyousness

And sweet moments of romance

Those excited tingles

Of loves first passion

When hearts beat faster

And desire courses

Through every fibre

The thrill of blossoming love

Adding to the strata

Of our love laid down

Through all our years

By returning to the place

Of loves wondrous inception

We keep our love alive

And in equal measure

Love returns the favour

BENEATH THE WEEPING WILLOW TREE

 

Like the star-crossed lovers,

Romeo and Juliet,

They come from feuding kin

And must hide their love

They meet in secret

Beside the quiet lake

The only sounds,

Are of the faintest breeze

Disturbing the lofty tree tops

And ducks squabbling on the lake

But despite the quiet

Fearful of discovery

They embrace hidden from view

Beneath a weeping willow tree

Whose leafy pendulous branches

Trail down into the still water

Stirred by the gentle breeze

They dip in an out of the water

Like the toes of a reluctant bather.

They kiss there in the quiet shade

And feel at once renewed

No words are spoken

Their language is of caress and kiss

Such tender converse

With limitless vocabulary

And languid pronunciation

Every syllable well employed

And when the final paragraph is reached

They end with perfect .punctuation

Stirring from their lovers languor

They tread separate paths

To rejoin warring tribes

Adopting adversarial manner

No knowing looks to be exchange

No casual brushing past

When for that exquisite moment

Hand touches hand

They must remain entrenched

Until they can once again

Embrace beneath the weeping willow tree

Tales from the Finchbottom Vale – (67) Consulting the Pro

 

The Finchbottom Vale is nestled 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.

And at the far eastern end of the Vale was the traditional seaside resort of Sharpington-by-Sea, complete with a Victorian Pier, seafront hotels, crazy golf, The Palladium ballroom, well maintained gardens, promenade, theatre and illuminations, all the usual things to have a great time by the seaside, as well as amusement arcades and of course the Sharpington Fun Park.

 

The four friends had spent the morning playing a foursome at the Sharpington Dunes Golf Club, they all lived locally in the town of Sharpington-By-Sea and three of them had houses that backed onto the course.

Their foursome had become a regular fixture on their social calendars after widower Dave Whitaker had taken early retirement at the age of 50.

It seemed the right thing to do at the time, his children had flown the nest, his wife had passed and his job had lost its lustre, so he retired and he had never regretted it for a moment.

Retirement enabled him to spend time with his three favourite ladies of leisure, Sarah Price, Katie George and Wilhelmina Winten.

Sarah and Katie were both wealthy grass widows and ten years younger than he was and spinster Willi was three years older and was a retired PE Teacher.

After spending a very pleasant morning on the course they lunched at the club as was their habit and as they sat down at their regular table Willi announced

“I can’t be late home today, Marta is coming to help me tidy the attic”

“It must be important if you’re going to cut your lunch short” Sarah said and they all laughed.

“If truth be told I do rather look forward to the days Marta comes to help me” she said when the laughter had subsided

“She’s really such a nice girl and very good company”

Which was when, the waitress, Georgina, arrived at the table to take their order.

“So you’re not coming to mine for drinks this afternoon Willi?” Katie asked

“I’m afraid not” she replied

“What about you Sarah?”

“No not today” she replied reading a text on her phone “somethings come up”

“Just me and you then Dave” Katie said

“Ok with me” Dave remarked

So after a very nice lunch in very pleasant company, and feeling a little over indulged, they had a rendezvous by their trolleys and prepared for the short stroll across the 18th fairway, apart that is from Sarah Price, who was the only one of the group whose house didn’t adjoin the Golf Course, she had a flat in Jubilee court overlooking the promenade.

“I’ll say goodbye now” she said “I need to pop to the pro shop before I head home”

So while the other three walked their trolleys across the 18th fairway Sarah went the other way to the pro shop.

 

The text she received during lunch was from David Snowdon the Golf Pro, a 6’ 2” bronzed muscular Adonis, Sarah on the other hand was not, she was attractive but she was a big buxom red head. 

The bronzed God was talking to a customer when she walked in but he soon made his excuses.

“Can I help?” he said

“Yes I’m here for my Golf lesson” she replied matter of factly.

“Ok would you like to come through?”

David led her out through the door at the back of the shop and passed the stockroom, to the end of the corridor to where there was a lounge area with a Golf simulator set up.

“So what aspect of the game would you like to cover today?” he asked

“Well I have always thought that choosing the right partner is very important” Sarah said as she sidled up towards him.

“Very important” he agreed

“And the grip is also all-important” she added wrapping her arms around him.

“I have to complement you on your approach play” he said and then he kissed her as he had done many times before.

She didn’t know why a gorgeous 35 year old athletic hung was attracted to a curvaceous middle aged widow, but then she didn’t really care.