CHAPTER 13
Sunday had come all too soon, and Donald and Marie were on their way home again. They had left rather later than originally planned, since the day before had necessitated a great deal of conversation until well after midnight. Marie’s parents were delighted, as she had known they would be. Other people had been informed, the vicar of Marie’s local church for one and the process of getting married had already begun.
It was when they were almost at their destination that Donald raised the subject of where they were to live, pointing out that his house was only rented on a short term basis and was rather small in any case.
’Mine isn’t much bigger, Donald. Like yours, it’s all right for a single person, but if you are working from home, then it has to be a lot bigger. We can’t be falling over each other all the time. At least, I hope we do part of the time but there have to be occasions when it is necessary to work without disturbance. I do a lot of lesson preparation at home myself. Anyway, that’s not really a problem at all. We’ll find somewhere more suitable. Didn’t you say that you would like to live in one of the villages?’
’It would be ideal, I think,’ said Donald. ’Somewhere secluded, yet within easy reach of town. It won’t matter so much to me but you don’t want to spend more than a few minutes getting to work.’
In answer, Marie made a sharp and illegal left turn and drove the wrong way against a sign that clearly showed one way traffic to the High Street, where there was a seemingly endless supply of banks and estate agents, all apparently breeding late at night when unobserved. She stopped the car outside one such shop. Donald joined her at the window.
’Look,’ she said. ’There’s one there and another. They wouldn’t be suitable, but they are at least in the right area. Oh, there are lots of them. What about that one, Donald?’
She pointed to an advertised property in a village which was almost but not quite, part of the town.
’Four bedrooms, living room, dining room, two reception rooms, large gardens,’ she breathed. ’It would be worth a look. I wonder what the asking price is.’
’If you like the idea, I’ll call in tomorrow morning and ask for a leaflet,’ said Donald. ’I’m coming this way in any case. I need more typing paper. Shall I make arrangements to see round it or do you want to know the price first? Remember I don’t possess enough for a deposit.’
’Deposit be blowed,’ she snorted. ’If we take it, or whatever we take, we’ll pay cash.’
’Are you sure?’
’Have you seen the interest rates lately?’ she asked. ‘I’m sure. Look Donald, don’t worry about the money. There’s enough. I’ll show you the figures tomorrow but you can take it for granted that we can afford anything in this window, so you go ahead and arrange a time when we can look around it. We may not even like it, but we can at least look.’
’All right,’ he said equably. ’I’ll do that. I’ll ask if they have any others of a similar type at the same time.’
Minutes later, Marie drew up to her house and parked the car in the drive, as Donald wished to walk home from there, feeling the need for a bit of exercise. She leaned over to him, threw her arms around him and kissed him lovingly.
’Goodnight Donald,’ she said. ’I would ask you in, but I’m afraid that if I do, I wouldn’t want you to leave. I would want you to stay all night and that’s not exactly wise. You don’t mind, do you?’
’Not at all,’ he said, huskily. ’It’s only a short time before we get married. I can wait.’
’Bless you, my darling. Go now, before I weaken and drag you inside by main force. It’s not you I don’t trust, it’s myself.’
Donald walked the rest of the way home feeling as though his feet were unconnected to the ground. He awoke the next morning feeling just as happy and with a broad smile on his face, went to visit the estate agent. There was another customer inside, a remarkably pretty young woman, with a face that caused Donald to think that if Marie was worth nine hundred and ninety eight “millihelens”, then it would be unfair to rate this girl at anything less than the same quantity, or perhaps, in the interests of loyalty, only nine hundred and ninety seven. She is attractive, he thought, studying her out of the corner of his eye. God made two of them. They reached the counter together.
’After you,’ Donald said with a smile. ’I’m in no hurry.’
’Thank you,’ replied the girl. ’That’s very kind of you. I must confess I only came in here during my coffee break and I have to be back in five minutes. I just got engaged, you see, and I’m enquiring about houses.’
Her happiness was so evident that he forbore to tell her that he was on the same quest for the same reason. Watching her out of the corner of his eye, he realised that her attractiveness, although undoubtedly high, was made higher still by his own unjaundiced view of the world on this, the best of all possible days. He looked at the salesgirl. Yes, even her dumpy figure and pasty face seemed good to him.
When it came to Donald’s turn and he was given the price of the house he and Marie had been looking at the night before, the figure made him blink, even though he realised it was actually relatively cheap when compared to earnings other than his own. As the estate agent explained, people were moving out of the villages and into the towns and cities and this was reflected in the prices of properties. Considering he had some idea of Marie’s character by now, Donald fixed a time to view the property for four thirty that same afternoon. Half an hour before that time, he was waiting outside Marie’s school, where he had agreed to pick her up. They were watched by curious and grinning pupils as Donald got into Marie’s car and she drove away. Only when the outskirts of the town were reached did Marie release her breath and relax. She turned to Donald and smiled tremulously, taking one hand off the steering wheel to caress him.
’I haven’t been much of a teacher today,’ she said. ’Thank goodness there’s only a couple of weeks to the summer holidays. I love you, Vickers. You can kiss me when we stop. Did you get details of any other houses?’
Donald smiled at her abrupt change of subject, apparently in mid sentence. ’Yes, I have another three. They’re all a bit further away and one seems too small, but they should be a useful comparison.’
The car swung left and stopped on an unkempt gravel drive. They gazed around at gardens that obviously hadn’t been touched for some time. They then looked at the house itself, walking around it and casting a critical eye on the outside appearance. The windows were all in one piece and the paintwork appeared solid. Gutters and drainpipes fixed firmly, doors painted at least as well as the windows. No obvious faults with the brickwork. Clearly it seemed to be a house that had been well looked after during the time it had been inhabited. They stared through the dusty windows and looked at each other in satisfaction. The sound of wheels on gravel attracted their attention. They turned to see the estate agent there. Finding the key, he let them in and led them round from room to room, pointing out the relevant features as he did so.
’Unfortunately, I have to be at another property in a few minutes,’ the agent explained. ’However, if you would like to spend longer here, just go ahead. I’ll leave the front door on the latch, so if you make sure it’s locked when you leave, you’re welcome to spend as long as you wish here.’
Donald and Marie looked at each other in understanding.
’Thank you,’ said Donald. ’From what we’ve seen, it’s likely we’ll take it but we would appreciate time to investigate further. We’ll let you know one way or the other in the morning.’
When being certain that they were on their own, Marie dragged Donald into a corner and pressed her body close to his, kissing him until his senses swam, murmuring phrases of love and lust in his ear. Weak kneed, he followed her from room to room, a process that took time due to the necessity of frequent pauses for caressing and fondling. In between such pauses, Marie explained the uses to which each room could be put.
’This might be the best place for our bedroom,’ she said. ’It’s bigger than the others and would get the sun for most of the day. A guest room here for all the people we’ll never invite anyway. Two others for the children and we can doubtless build on a few more when two rooms aren’t enough. Have you read that book yet?’
’Not yet,’ he smiled. ’There hasn’t been much time. I’ll probably end up asking you instead.’
’Waste of time,’ she said. ’I know nothing. All appearances to the contrary I’ve always been a very good girl, you know. Still, it should be fun finding out. Come on downstairs again. I don’t think it’s very moral to take an innocent young lady upstairs when she’s not married. It might put thoughts into your mind.’
’Oh,’ he said, amused. ’And what thoughts would they be?’
’Why, the same thoughts that I have in mine, what else? This is the age of equality, didn’t you know?’
He squeezed her bottom gently as they went down the stairs.
’Donald Vickers! You goosed me.’
’So I did,’ he said.
’Mm. Nice. But look, Donald, this is what I wanted to show you. This room, nothing else at the moment. Let’s keep things on the moral plane for the moment. I want this one as my workroom. You can have the one next door. I remember you saying that you like to start work early morning, so you would get the benefit of the morning light there. I’ll have it in the evening, which is when I do my preparation. It’s tailor made for us. And that’s another thing, Donald. I know you use a typewriter but have you ever considered a computer for your writing? I have one and I really couldn’t do without it. There’s so much paperwork in a modern teacher’s life that needs to be done. My computer keeps it all in order without any fuss. It must have saved me countless hours of time since I got it.’
’I was given a demonstration once,’ he said. ’I got hooked immediately. Yes, I could see its benefits but was never able to afford one.’
’Well, you can now,’ said Marie. ’I need mine for all sorts of things, so you have one of your own. We’ll go and choose one tomorrow. I think we’ll take this house. What do you think?’
’It’s hard to imagine anything more suitable. If you like it, let’s buy it.’
’I love it,’ said Marie. ’Call for me tomorrow at lunch time and we’ll pay a visit to the estate agents. If we put a bit of ginger in him, we should be able to move in right after the honeymoon.’
’You like things to be done quickly, don’t you?’ laughed Donald. ’It seems to be a family feature.’
’I know what I want, that’s all. Life’s too short for pondering on its meaning too long.’
’All right, tell me where you want to go for your honeymoon. That has to be organised as well, unless you are willing to take it here and now.’
’Why, Donald Vickers, that’s the most outrageous suggestion I ever heard,’ said Marie, pressing herself tightly in to him. ’It’s very tempting, but I think I might prefer something a bit more comfortable than bare floorboards, especially when they are covered with dust. Let me think now, honeymoon, tell me, have you done much travelling?’
Donald ruffled her hair fondly and kissed the top of her head, then passed his hands down her bare arms in a light movement that sent shivers through her. ’Leaving aside a none too subtle answer, not a great deal. I went to the Mediterranean once, but that was a bit of a disaster. It was like Blackpool with a Spanish accent. I didn’t like it at all. They don’t know how to make decent fish and chips.’
’I’m not surprised,’ said Marie. ’It doesn’t seem your style in the least.’
’It isn’t, but I suppose I had to go there in order to find out. Then I’ve been to France once and once to northern Germany. That was a strange experience. I took German at school and thought I knew a bit, but where I was, well up in the north, the language seemed to be half Danish.’
’Now there’s an idea,’ said Marie. ’What about going to Denmark? For that matter, what’s wrong with Scandinavia as a whole? I’ve never been there and Norway is supposed to be romantic what with all those fiords and snow covered mountains. We could travel around a bit, get to know the area.’
’All right,’ said Donald. ’As long as you are with me, I’ll be happy anywhere. We should read up a bit about it first and find out what we might see.’
Time passed in a flurry of hectic activities, until the day before the wedding. Incredibly, everything that needed to be done had been done. There was plenty of work in hand, but the house was habitable, the honeymoon had been booked, Donald had moved both his and her possessions into the new house and Marie even had a buyer for her old property. Marie was to be married from her parents’ home and it was there that Donald was staying for the last night as a bachelor. They talked for a while in the garden in the semi darkness before retiring. Marie was sitting on Donald’s lap, her arms around his neck, each enjoying the nearness of the other.
’Poor Donald,’ said Marie suddenly. ’You said you were ready to start writing again just before I brought you here the first time. You can’t have got much done since then.’ She led his hand down to her knee and pressed it tightly. ’Still, perhaps you think I’m worth it and don’t you dare say I’m not.’
’I do,’ he said, stroking her knee with a circular motion. ’You’re well worth it. But I have to inform you that I have started. In fact, I have about fifty thousand words done already.’
Marie gasped, ’When did you have time for that?’
’In the mornings,’ Donald explained. ’I’ve always been an early riser. Work from five until eight almost every morning, and the job soon diminishes. Of course it was mainly copying and writing up from notes that I spent months over earlier. Then that new computer you bought me has been a great help. It just about doubles my output.’
Marie giggled. ’Perhaps we’d better bring it along on honeymoon then.’
’Really, my girl! If you’re going to go on like that, perhaps we’d better bring yours as well. No, on second thoughts, I think we’ll manage quite well without, even if I’m writing a book and not reading one as you suggested.’
’Seriously, Donald, have you really got so much done?’
’I have. Give me a couple of weeks and I’ll have another book finished. After we come back, of course, you’re not going on honeymoon without me.’
’Not much fun in that way,’ she replied lightly, ’or so I understand. As I told you once, I’ve been a good girl all my life. It’s getting late, Donald. Let’s go to bed.’ Her face crimsoned. ’Er, that is to say, oh dear, don’t take that too literally.’
Donald smiled at her, kissing her on the lips. ’I know what you mean. I’ll take you up to bed and then I’ll go to my own. Perhaps I should have taken a hotel tonight after all.’
’It’s only for one more night, darling. After tomorrow, you’ll be invited in to share my bed. I can hardly wait. That’s a promise, even though it’s a promise that hardly needs making. If you’re wise, you’ll lock your bedroom door tonight to prevent predatory females from entering.’
Shortly after going upstairs, Donald heard a light tap on the door. He opened it to find Marie standing there, dressed in the same dressing gown he had seen once before. She was quick, he thought. He hadn’t begun to undress yet.
’Come closer, Donald. I didn’t want to go to sleep before giving you another goodnight kiss.’
They clasped each other in barely controlled passion. Donald became aware that she wore nothing underneath the dressing gown. At least, as the top fell partly open, he could see her small rounded breasts clear to the erect nipples and his hands seemed to confirm that she had no greater cover lower down. Breathlessly and with obvious reluctance, Marie pulled away. Donald stared at her with unfocussed eyes.
’I’m sorry, my darling,’ she said. ’I’m so tensed up I could scream but I shouldn’t have worked you up like this. I’m not being fair. If you want me to come in, I will. Nothing would please me better.’
Donald paused for a long moment then smiled weakly. ’No, it’s not the way you want to do it. I’ve waited a long time for this. I can still wait a bit longer.’
’I’ll make it up to you tomorrow, Donald. You have my promise on that. Tomorrow and for the rest of our lives,’ she whispered, then turned slowly and left.
For half the night, both man and woman lay still and silent, unable to sleep, lost in very similar thoughts. Sleep came at last, and morning shortly afterwards. Donald was the first to wake up. He remained in bed for ten minutes, savouring the scene of the night before, reliving the sensation of bare skin under his fingers. Realising that the day was going to be fuller than any that had gone before, he arose and made himself ready. As he stepped out of the room, Marie’s door opened. She kissed him without speaking and they made their way downstairs to breakfast.