There's No Accounting For Love

Chapter Sixty Three

That weekend Kathy invited Clare and Alan to a Saturday evening meal so that they could meet Frank Middleton. Alan and Clare were surprised to find that they already knew Frank, as he had been a lay preacher in their old Methodist church years ago. They instantly liked him and they had a good time talking about the 'old' days when they were young and they left feeling very pleased that he and Kathy had found one another. They seemed very happy together.

* * * * * * * * *

It was a rare kind of October day, sunny and warm; the air completely still. The yellowish glow of Autumn was beginning to show itself in the leaves on the trees. Clare packed a picnic and Alan drove them to the Common, where he parked the car just off of the road, on the grass. They carried the picnic basket between them as they strolled up the hill and Clare carried a bag. The view from the top was breath-taking and well worth the walk uphill, even for Alan.

Clare took a blue and red chequered rug from the bag and spread it on the grass. Then she stood up and looked at the view. Miles and miles of countryside spread before them like a green oasis and the sky above was the bluest blue, dotted with white fluffy clouds.

"Isn't it lovely to get away from the city?" she said.

Alan came and stood beside her, draping his arm around her shoulder.

"As long as I'm with you, I don't care where I am."

"And you said you couldn't 'do' romantic." she smiled.

Alan sat down on the rug and Clare sat beside him. Both of them hugging their knees.

"I have a few confessions to make." said Alan.

"As long as you don't say you're a Casanova and have slept with a thousand women, I think I can cope." said Clare, nudging his knee with hers.

Alan sighed.

"It's not that bad is it?" Clare asked.

"Yes, it is. I'm not sure where to start, but you need to know."

"Is it anything to do with Marie?" asked Clare.

"Yes."

"Start there then."

Clare looked at Alan and could tell he was struggling. He looked straight ahead and avoided her eyes.

"I lied about my honeymoon. I couldn't bear to tell anyone the truth. I didn't have a good honeymoon. It was the worst honeymoon anyone could imagine! It was a long flight to the Bahamas and I got a migraine. It was the worst I've ever had, I could have beat my head against the wall and it wouldn't have made any difference! I had terrible tinnitus ringing in my ears and I was so sick I had to call a doctor. Marie disappeared for two days and I hardly saw her." Alan glanced at Clare, briefly, gauging her reaction she supposed and then looked away.

"I imagine she was flirting and drinking with some of the men in the hotel. When I questioned her, she just shrugged her shoulders. She only cared about herself and didn't even ask me how I was feeling. We had three days as a proper honeymoon, but couldn't go anywhere as there was a heavy thunder storm. Then there was an incident at the hotel, which included firearms and her father advised us to come home. So all in all, it was a disaster."

Clare opened her mouth to speak, but Alan stopped her.

"I did love her, I did, but as time went on I could tell it was all one sided. It's not easy to have a relationship with someone so totally selfish." Alan paused. Clare said nothing, but it hurt her deeply to think that Alan had put himself in that position.