The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (232) Like a Breath of Spring

 

December

 

It all began for Evangeline House and Roman Street in the southern town off Abbottsford, which was Downshire’s administrative capital and the seat of the Downshire government.

It was also a place that benefitted from the renowned Winston Churchill Hospital, it could also boast that it was a Cathedral City, was home to Abbottsford Town football club and was a seat of learning thanks to Downshire University’s.

 

Sweet Evangeline House walked into the party with a delicate air, and she entered Roman’s life like a breath of spring, enlivening him and her sweet refreshing presence altered everything in his world forever.

Heads turned to watch the maiden, a vision of pulchritude, as she moved like liquid lust, but she had eyes for him and him alone.

She was lithe limbed, gracile, and coquettish in the extreme and had but one desire which was to win his heart and soul because Evangeline was hopelessly in love with him.

But until that day she had been invisible to him, all through the first year they were at University she was just another college girl on campus, but for her he was her universe and every night he was in her head and in her dreams.

She was not invisible to other boys on campus, but she wasn’t interested in any of them, she had set her cap, and she would brook no substitute.

 

However, on that day she was not invisible, on that day he could see her, and he instantly ached for her, but he wasn’t going to get her, not that day.

She didn’t want to be just another conquest for a college boy, she wanted him, but she would deny herself the pleasure of him until he wanted her more.

Dressed as she was in a figure-hugging dress which left nothing to the imagination, she would win his love along with his lust.

She had his attention now and with him hooked she would lead him like a bull by the nose until she was certain she had his heart, his soul, and his love as certain sure as she could have had the rest of him right there and then.

Only when he professed his love to her and she was sure of his sincerity would she surrender her virginity to him.

That surrender came on the night of their wedding on the 8th of December, in the Wedding Suite of the Beaumont Manor Hotel and their union was perfectly blessed.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (231) St Andrew’s Day

 

November

 

St Pierre in the northwest corner of Beaumont Island, is the largest town on the island, in fact it’s the only town on the island and the most densely populated area in the Pepperstock Bay Islands.

St Pierre was where Arthur Lewis had lived for all 63 years of his life, in fact he’d lived his entire life in the same house, and it had never once occurred to him that he should live anywhere else.

 

He was born in the late fifties and had few recollections of that austere decade, almost all his earliest memories were from the brasher, brighter and less restrained sixties.

But the earliest memories he did have were about Christmas and in the Lewis household Christmas began on St Andrew’s Day, November 30th.

As a result of his awareness of the time coming on the cusp of the decades, his earliest memories of Christmas were of a bright and sparkly time when paper chains and the watery coloured paper stars, bells and balls were being replaced by dazzling foil and tinsel.

Which included the Silver Tinsel Christmas Tree, when he looked back it was a quite unspectacular specimen of a tree compared to what’s on offer in the 21st century, but he loved it.

It stood less than 5 feet tall with its fold down tinsel covered wire branches, tipped with red beads to symbolize berries.

However, by the time his Dad had worked his not inconsiderable Christmas magic and covered it with every size, shape and shade of bauble, glass birds with feathered tails, lantern lights, strands of brightly coloured tinsel, foil covered chocolate treats and tiny crackers lain on the branches, it was transformed and was absolutely stunning.

It was the only tree he’d ever known until his teenage years came to an end, when in the mid-seventies he suggested that they have a real tree just for a change.

He would never have suggested it if he had realized for a second that it would signal the death knell of the Silver Tinsel Tree.

Because the following year it was replaced by a green plastic tree much more akin to the trees of today.

 

After his Dad died a few years later the task of decorating the tree fell to him and he instantly realized, sadly, that he hadn’t inherited his father’s tree dressing skill and was never able to equal him.

He came very close one year, in 1983 it was, but he concluded in the end that he merely flattered to deceive.

 

The task of tree dresser fell to his wife Becky which she performed admirably for 40 years, and she made a far better fist of it than Arthur ever could.

However, whether she possessed the necessary skill to transform a Silver Tinsel Tree into something stunning he would never know, as she passed away in October.

“What I would give to watch you dress the tree again my darling” he said as he stared at the naked branches “and then hold you in my arms beside it”

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (230) Fever Dreams

 

November

 

Saxvirdan, is a small hamlet north of the town of St Pierre, made up of former labourer’s cottages close to the remains of the old Roman fort site, Saxa Viridia Castellum, which was of great interest to archaeologists and tourists alike.

It was a quiet back water to someone like Gemma Ralph who was born and bred in London, her brother called it the back end of beyond, but those who lived there liked it well enough, even Gemma loved it despite the fact she’d had an argument with her husband and was sleeping in the spare room.

 

As she slept, her head was full of disturbing dreams of loss and loneliness interspersed with stark warnings from her dead grandmother “Never go to sleep on an argument” until she woke up in a panic, sweating profusely and panting hard.

She got up and paced the room for five minutes before tiptoeing across the landing and slipped beneath the duvet and cuddled up closely to Scott and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

 

But as the dawn broke, her peace was disturbed, but this time, as she slept, her head was full of erotic images and her sleep became restless and fitful, and her skin tingled, and she kept licking her lips as the vivid images played in her head.

Her head rolled from side to side and then she suddenly awoke from that erotic dreamland, with a leer on her face.

So as the dawn chorus chattered in the trees Gemma and Chris made up, and following her disturbed night they both slept late.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (229) Just you and me

 

November

 

James Plant worked for Shaw Brothers and had been away on an outward-bound course, one of those team-building kind of affairs, and the first thing he did on returning home to St Pierre was to sit on his sofa and wade through the emails that had accumulated.

Most of them were of no importance so they went straight into trash, the rest comprised of a number from Daniella Williams, from the office, gently reminding him that he hadn’t submitted his expenses lately.

He had always found her to be an attractive woman but a bit too forceful and a bit bossy.

Luckily before leaving for the Pepperstock National Park, “for team bonding”, he managed to get ahead of the curve and got most of his receipts entered so it only took some little time for him to get them up to date and fire them off to her, which he hoped, would keep her quiet for a week or two at least.

 

Once he had finished all his correspondence, his thoughts returned to Theresa, as they had for most of his time away.

During his enforced isolation, with no access to technology or communication devices, he had a lot of time to think, and most of those thoughts were about Theresa, and on his return to civilization he was eager to speak with her, but he wasn’t getting any response on her mobile.

Theresa was the manager of the Beaumont Manor Hotel so he decided to phone her there the next morning and asked to speak with her and was informed by Kerry, an unhelpful receptionist, that she was not available, so he was about to leave a message for her to call him but instead he asked

“Is her brother Kenny available?”

It turned out that he was, as his was the next voice he heard 

“Kenny speaking”

“Hi Ken, its James” he said

“Hi James, how are things?” he asked

“Not bad” he replied “Listen I’m trying to get hold of Terri”

“She unexpectedly had to fly to the States on Saturday morning” he responded “And she’s staying over there for Thanksgiving”

“Damn” he cursed

“Anything I can help with?” he asked

“Not really” he said, “It’s a question only she can answer”

“Well, I’m sure she will if she can,” he said “I’ll get her to call you”

And he had to leave it at that.

 

It was much later that day when he received a call.

“James” Terri said brightly “Sorry it’s taken so long to get back to you, but the time difference really messes with my head”

“That’s ok” he lied, but it was so good to hear her voice

“I was just hoping we could get together”

“I would like that”

“Ok great” he said “when?”

“Well, I get back in late on Friday which means on Saturday I’m going to be an absolute cabbage so how about Sunday” she suggested

“So how about lunch, but just you and me”

“Definitely” he replied “phone me with the where and when”

 

He was disappointed initially with not being able to say all the things that he wanted to say to her, all the things that he had been dying to say since the team bonding exercise when it dawned on him that he was in love with her, and that came right out of left field.

But that upset was more than offset by her proviso in reference to lunch when she added “But just you and me”

So, he was elated, but the only downside was that he had to wait a for a week before he could see her, but at least they could skype, so he had something to be thankful for.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (228) Guy Fawkes

 

 

November

 

On Saturday night there was a Guy Fawkes Bash, at the Beaumont Manor, which was a fancy dress party, but in addition it was also a masquerade.

But not everyone who wanted to go could afford to attend so they had to watch the display from a distance.

So staring up at the starry November sky in the hotel carpark

were teenagers Barry Wood and Sally Swift who were on their first date on Guy Fawkes Night, and they stopped to watch the pyrotechnic display as it began to grow in intensity after they’d been to the pictures.  

 

After enjoying the fireworks display the headed the headed home, it was dark in the lane as they exited the carpark and just ahead of them, they could see there was a dog walker smoking a cigarette as some kind of Terrier snuffled around in the grass.

The man took one last drag on it and the flicked it into the darkness and it span through the air like a Catherine wheel.

Which Barry thought was quite appropriate as they had just spent half an hour watching the fireworks display, and there was still the smell of gun powder in the damp night air.  

But despite the cold and damp, neither Barry nor Sally were in any particular hurry to reach their respective homes.

It was their very first date, in fact not only was it their first date together it was the first date of any kind for Barry and the first for more than a month for her.

Barry was sixteen and Sally six months older and quite naturally they wanted their date to last forever and they both walked as slowly as it was possible to go without actually standing still.

However they eventually arrived at her front gate and an awkward silence ensued as Barry shuffled his feet and tried to think what to do next and Sally waited patiently for Barry’s next move, but when she realized he didn’t have one she took decisive action and reached up and kissed him and then the fireworks truly began, when their first magical kiss, a kiss that neither of them wanted to end, sent their heart soaring into the heavens.

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (227) All Souls’ Day

 

 

November

 

The hamlet of Saxvirdan a mile or so from St Pierre and as it was a hamlet, everyone knew each other’s business, but that didn’t mean that there weren’t still secrets.

 

Mark Holdway was walking along the bridle path in the autumn sunshine, lost in thought and totally oblivious to the glorious scenery surrounding him in the glorious woodland.

He wasn’t even aware how long he’d been walking such was the burden he was carrying.   

“Hello Mr Holdway” a voice said bringing him back to the present and he looked round to see Charlotte Euringer trotting past and giving him a radiant smile.

“Hello Charlotte” he said as she trotted off down the path on her horse, her pert little bottom bouncing on the saddle, rhythmically rising and falling in synchrony with the beast below her and he instantly felt guilty.

It was the guilt of a grieving husband, daring to look upon the loveliness of another woman, and in those moments, he felt really alive.

He had nursed his dying wife from the moment they found out she was terminally ill right up till the end, which thankfully had been mercifully quick.

Charlotte Euringer had been her palliative care nurse, and he really liked her, but there had been no infidelity, he loved her far too much to betray her in that way, it would never even have occurred to him to cheat on a dying woman.

In fact not only that but he kept Charlotte at arm’s length and was cold and aloof and never let his true disposition show through, but the guilt he had felt since, took none of that into account.

 

But that day was different, he had no cause to feel guilty, because on that morning, six months after his beloved wife Ellen passed, he received a letter from his solicitors, Cutts, Miller and Toogood, which he supposed to be some final loose ends to be tied, which in a way it was.

Because when he opened it, he discovered another letter, this time from his wife Ellen, which the solicitor’s letter informed him, was being delivered to him in accordance with his late wife’s wishes.

He sat down and his hands were shaking as he opened the envelope which at once exuded the essence of her favourite fragrance, which he took several minutes to enjoy, with her scent in his nostrils it was like she was there with him, which he surmised was probably the point.

 

He was in tears when he read the letter, one particular part he read several times and each time he cried afresh.

 

“If you are reading this then it means that six months have passed since I left you, and that means that, if you haven’t done so as yet, it’s time for you to get on with your life, you’ve grieved long enough.

I know that you and Charlotte “connected” while you were both nursing me, although you did your best to hide that fact from each other, though not from me, and I also know that you’re far too honourable to have done anything about it, either then or now, which is why I’ve also written to Charlotte.

So live your life to the full, our chapter is over now, and it made very good reading, but it’s time to write the next one with Charlotte”.

 

She had given him permission to pursue another woman, but he wasn’t anywhere near as sure as she was that Charlotte had even the merest interest in him and then he rounded a bend in the bridal path where he saw Charlotte stood beside her horse, which was tied to a stile.

“What kept you?” she called

“Were you expecting me then?” he asked

“I was told you were coming” she replied and held up Ellen’s letter as she walked towards him

“No need to hold back now” she said as she faced him  

“No” he agreed and then he kissed her, guilt free

The Islands in the Bay – Chapter (226) All Saints’ Day

 

 

November

 

For ten years Andrew Jessup and Yolanda Torres had lived together in the town of St Pierre.

It was when they were planning their wedding in the Parish when tragedy struck, and a riding accident left her paralysed and brain damaged and in need of perpetual care.

Andrew was fortunate that he had his own design business and was able to work from home at last three days a week safe in the knowledge that the people who worked for him could handle the day to day without his input.

He was also financially secure enough to have private nursing care for Yolanda, while also benefitting from a large family support network which still held strong even after six years.

In late October it was the turn of Yolanda’s youngest sister Evelyn to spend a week helping out.

Evelyn didn’t live in the St Pierre, she lived and worked in Spaniards Creek, so she stayed in the spare room for the week, and because she lived away Andrew didn’t see her very often.

Evelyn was six years younger than her sister and was as different physically as it was possible to get, they were both beautiful with  lovely figures, past tense in Yolanda’s case, she was short and curvy, brunette and brown eyes, while Evelyn was a tall skinny, redhead with green eyes.

 

Andrew and Evelyn had never had a falling out but had always been a bit standoffish with each other although there was no animosity between them, but being in the same house together for a week was not something Andrew was looking forward to, but he knew he had to make the best of it.    

They decided to give each other a wide berth and that all went fine until All Saints Day, which was Yolanda’s birthday, Andrew always thought that was very appropriate as he always saw her as a Saint for putting up with him.

There was a constant stream of visitor all day bringing flowers, cards and best wishes, and more crucially as the day went on, alcohol, so by the time the last of the visitors had left both Andrew and Evelyn had drunk a glass or two too many.

 

The pair of them were clearing up before turning in and in their befuddled state were trying to navigate around the kitchen, and more importantly around each other, when they found themselves standing face to face.  

 

At which point she grabbed him around the neck and kissed him, hungrily and passionately and when she broke away, she exclaimed.

“Sorry, sorry, I’m so sorry.”

And then she ran off.

 

Andrew finished the tidying and turned off the lights and after kissing Yolanda good night he went upstairs to bed.

But as he passed by the spare room door, he could hear sobbing, and he couldn’t ignore it.

So, he knocked lightly on the door, and when it opened Evelyn was standing there with red eyes and tear-stained cheeks.

“I’m so sorry” she said and threw herself into his chest “I’m such a despicable person, please forgive me I’m so, so sorry.”

“You don’t have anything to be sorry for” he assured her.

“But…”

“Absolutely nothing” he added.

“But I kissed you” she said, “a proper snog.”

“I know and do you think it would have gone on as long as it did if I hadn’t wanted to do it too.”

“Really?” she said, “but I didn’t think you liked me.”

“I like you too much, that’s the problem” he explained “So I kept you at arm’s length.”

“I’ve wanted to do it since I was 16” Evelyn said.

“And was it worth waiting 14 years for?”

“Very much” she replied, “But now, I want more.”

“Me too” he admitted “but you know we can’t, don’t you?”

“Yes” she replied.

“Does Yolanda know how you feel?” he asked.

“I’ve never told her” Evelyn said, “And now I’ve betrayed her.”

“No you haven’t” he assured her and then they just stood in silence embrace for an indeterminate time until she asked.

“Will there ever be an us?”

“One day, if you want it” he replied.

“I do, so very much.”

“Then it will happen, but we have to be strong for Yolanda” he said and then kissed her on the forehead and turned to go back into her room.

“No more tears” he said.

“No more tears” she agreed.

 

The next morning Evelyn arrived downstairs with her case and in response to his unasked question said.

“I thought it was for the best, I can’t trust myself now I’ve tasted forbidden fruit.”

“I’ll miss you” he said and walked towards her and kissed her on the forehead.

“Kiss me goodbye properly” she pleaded and without hesitation he complied, and it was everything that the sloppy enthusiastic exchange of the evening before was not, because this kiss didn’t taste of excessive Pinot, it tasted of love.

 

That night after the nurse had left, he was sitting beside the clinical hospital furnishings holding Yolanda’s hand in his as his thumb gently caressed its back when the phone rang and when he answered it, it was Evelyn,

“Hi Andrew, thanks for putting up with me this week” she said.

“It was no hardship” he said his thumb still caressing Yolanda’s hand.

“I suppose you’ll be sleeping in the chair beside my sister tonight.”

“Yes” he replied.

“She’s lucky to have you.”

“Your time will come” he said.

“I know but that makes me sad” she retorted “Because to get you I have to lose her.”