CHAPTER 6
Rob called for Natalie punctually at ten o' clock on Sunday morning, just as he had promised. The weather was unsteady, scudding clouds in a grey sky offering a promise of rain later in the day. When Natalie saw the car arrive, she quickly donned a warm coat and thin cotton gloves, then opened the door and slipped through to join her companion. He gave a happy smile as she appeared, leaning over to open the car door for her from the inside.
’Not a very good forecast today,’ he commented as she settled herself into the car and fastened her seat belt. ’I thought we might go to the seaside. It’s supposed to be a bit sunnier there. Suit you?’
’Yes, anywhere you like. I haven’t been to the seaside for ages. It sounds nice.’
As they drove, he kept up a flow of light talk, putting her at her ease, telling about his experiences in the trade. She had heard much of it before, but made no comment, preferring to listen. About an hour later he drew up at the road edge and switched off the engine. The sudden quiet was broken only by the irregular ticking of the metal parts as they cooled down. To the left was the sea, rolling in medium sized waves across the sandy beach. The tide was out and the water line could be seen even though the cliffs hid much of the sand. In front, a narrow, winding path snaked its way down to the water’s edge. To the right was a serried row of hotels. Rob pointed to one.
’I’ll take you there later for lunch,’ he said. ’It’ll make a pleasant change to all the everlasting transport cafes I usually frequent. Come on, let’s go to the beach.’
They chose the winding path, or rather, Rob made the decision for her, walking close by her side, guiding, yet succeeding in not touching her. She was glad of that. A first date was too early for physical contact of the type which proclaims to the world ¨I own you¨. Natalie was unsure of herself. Having had to make her own way in the world from an early age, she had had little to do with men. This, in fact, was the first time she had ever been out alone with a man. The thought didn’t frighten her but she was wary. She had a clear recollection of the behaviour of some of the boys in her school and, while she was sensible enough to know not all were coarse and crude, she had never learned how to make the distinction. She didn’t think Rob was like that, but how was she to tell?
The rock pools were where he was headed. They slipped and slithered on the wet seaweed covered stones, peering into the shallow depths and enjoying the sight of the fish, stranded until the tide returned and the tiny crabs scuttling for shelter and safety as the light hit their encrusted backs.
The sun which had greeted them on their arrival soon disappeared behind a bank of low, flat cloud. Light spots of rain started falling, cooling down further the already cold air. Spring it may have been but it felt like winter without the sun’s warming influence. Natalie was glad of her thicker coat but began shivering just the same and was more than ready to leave the beach and go to the hotel restaurant when Rob suggested it
Over lunch, she tried to hide her salt speckled shoes under the table, feeling that they hardly passed muster in such a grand place. Never having been in anything grander than Betty’s Olde English Tea Shoppe on the High Street, she felt overwhelmed. Rob winked at her and assured her that the waiters never looked down and wouldn’t see her shoes in consequence.
’If they do and dare even as much as a sneer, I’ll not leave them a tip,’ he exclaimed. ’I’m sorry, I should have warned you and you could have brought some older footwear to change into, something more suitable for scrabbling about the rocks anyway.’
He was right. The waiters served her with the long accustomed courtesy they had been trained to display to a customer, yet Natalie still found it difficult to relax properly. Rob was well accustomed to such places and treated the staff with easy familiarity, never seeming to notice that Natalie was slightly ill at ease.
Nevertheless, it was an experience for her and every detail of that day was etched on Natalie’s mind, she had enjoyed it so much. He took her home reasonably early, sometime in the early evening. At her front door, he took her by the hand and kissed her lightly on the lips. She gave no response but neither was there any resistance.
’Good night,’ he said. ’I’ll see you again?’
’Yes, yes please,’ said Natalie, understanding the real question. She went indoors and only a little later to bed, to go through the outing again and again. Her first date, her first kiss. It had been fun. She had enjoyed it, all the more because Rob’s natural ebullience had modified considerably when he was away from work. He was much quieter and much more gentle.
So it was settled. Other outings followed, becoming more and more frequent, as the kisses became more frequent and passionate. Words about marriage were spoken, words she had often hoped to hear, words with which she was in full agreement. They began to save hard, buying furniture as they could afford, setting down a deposit on a house, small, but big enough for two, even for three, if one was tiny.
She was pleased to be able to display her engagement ring at work. It flashed and glittered in the strong shop lights as she moved her hands this way and that, though few other people noticed it, or even noticed her self evident happiness. No matter, she had Rob all to herself. There was no need to share him with anyone. Only one of the other workers in the shop passed a comment on the ring.
’What’s that you’re wearing, Natalie?’ she asked on the very morning Natalie first wore it.
’It’s a ring,’ she replied, feeling unaccountably shy. ’I got engaged last night.’
’Engaged? Well, congratulations. I am pleased. Who’s the lucky man, then? Anyone I know?’
’It’s Rob Shires, you know, the rep. who comes in sometimes to take orders for cakes.’
’Oh yes, I know him. Who doesn’t? Lucky man,’ she said again. ’How did you pin him down?’
’I didn’t. He just asked.’
’And you just accepted. Well, it’s a beautiful ring Natalie. It’s really lovely. When are you getting married, have you decided yet?’
’No, not yet, Brenda. We have to start saving up first. Rob makes good money, but he’s also very good at spending it. I don’t think we’ll wait too long though, maybe in the summer. We have to find a house first.’
All that day and for many days afterwards, Natalie’s engagement was a topic of conversation between the two girls. Brenda offered to go with her to help choose clothes and furnishings when the time came, even inviting Natalie to her flat for tea. Natalie could hardly believe her good fortune that she had, at long last, the friend she had always wanted, a friend whom she could talk to, express her desires and ask for advice. Advice was something that Brenda was good at, especially about men. Although only a year or so older than Natalie’s twenty, she had been engaged twice already, once at sixteen and again only a few months earlier. At the moment, she was between boyfriends.
The date for the wedding was set, at Rob’s insistence. If Natalie felt pushed into it, if it was earlier than she may have chosen, she gave no sign, but gave in to Rob as she gave in to almost everything else. Almost, but not quite everything. It happened late one night, after a visit to one of the local pubs. It wasn’t the sort of outing that Natalie particularly enjoyed. She would rather have had Rob to herself and not have to share him with so many strangers but it was the sort of evening he liked and to please him, she went along. On this evening, he had drunk just a little more than he normally did, having met another sales representative whom he knew slightly. He wasn’t drunk, far from it but had taken enough to lower the few inhibitions he had to ground level. Natalie invited him in to her flat, unwisely, as she afterwards realised, in an effort to get some coffee down him before he drove home. What happened next might have been predictable but came as a surprise to her nevertheless.
’You’re looking very lovely tonight,’ he said in a slurred voice, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her down on to the sofa, where he began kissing her almost violently.
’You have nice legs, you know that?’ he continued. ’Give me a proper look.’
To Natalie’s consternation, he lifted up her skirt with one hand and began stroking her leg. With an effort, she pushed his hand away and adjusted her skirt.
’No Rob, that’s not very nice of you. Behave yourself.’
He stared at her owlishly. ’Come on, Natalie. You know what I want.’
’I can guess,’ she said grimly. ’The answer is no. Not yet.’
’But why, we’re getting married anyway. It’s only jumping the gun a bit. What’s wrong with that? Everybody does it.’
’I’m not everybody,’ she said. ’I’m sorry Rob. I love you but I can’t go that far, not before we’re married.’
’I hope you’re not going to be one of those women who can’t go that far after getting married, either,’ he said sulkily.
She smiled, in spite of her tenseness. ’No, that much I can promise. Come on, you’d better go home. Drive carefully so you don’t lose your licence.’
She unwrapped herself from his clutches and stood up. Rob stood up with her, moved forward and stretched his hand forward in such a position that she moved backwards in alarm.
’That’s enough, Rob. If you go on like that, I’ll slap your face or something. I mean it.’
’You mean it?’ he repeated. ’You really mean it?’
’I do. I’m not just a common street girl, Rob, and I won’t be treated like one.’
’Well, in that case, we’d better arrange the wedding as soon as possible. I don’t want to wait for ever.’
’Now that,’ said Natalie, ’sounds like a sensible suggestion. We’ll talk about that tomorrow though. For now, off you go home. I don’t feel safe with you around. Not tonight.’