Inheritance

Chapter Nine. Return from School

Chapter Nine 

Return from School

The chauffeur driven Silver Ghost purred its way up the steep incline of Soutergate, effortlessly passing a young cyclist who was struggling with the gradient. Little did Charles Edgar, the passenger in the car, realize that the perspiring youth on the bike was on his way to a clandestine meeting with his youngest daughter? She had just returned from school. He was anxious to see his little girl again, but not with the same fervour as the young man. 

                                                                                *****

 For six months, John had corresponded with Sheila on a weekly basis. Initially the letters had been quite formal, containing mainly descriptions of their lives at school and the rigors of exam preparation. Eventually, however, John wrote of his intention to attend Sheffield University, so that they could see each other more often. This had caused an immediate change of tone in Sheila's responses. She wrote of how much she missed him, how much she had enjoyed their walks together on frosty winter nights, and how she was longing to dance with him again. As the day of their next meeting approached, the letters increased in tenderness, and hinted at a sexual awakening, even though their few secret meetings had been quite innocent.  

As usual, John parked his bicycle against the iron railing out of sight behind the rhododendron bushes that covered the grass verge in front of the Edgar home. There he waited, heart pounding, as he strained to hear her approach along the gravel driveway. A dog barked. A female voice issued a reprimand. The iron gates scraped open and they were upon him - at least Kaiser was. 

Kaiser, a huge bullmastiff, had sensed John's presence behind the bushes. Straining at his leash, he crashed through the rhododendrons, reared up on his hind legs, placed his front paws on John's shoulders, and proceeded to apply an affectionate slobbering. 

"Down, Kaiser. Down, boy." 

The dog obediently sank to the ground and lay there with legs akimbo, and eyes fixed on his remembered playmate. 

"Oh, John! I'm so sorry. Please let me clean you up." Sheila fumbled in her pocket, located a scented handkerchief, and with great tenderness started to dab away the salival remains from his face. As the delicate fingers of her right hand touched his cheek, John slowly turned his head and brushed her fingers with his lips. Then he grabbed her by the wrist, lowered her hand to her side, and interlocked their fingers. 

"I've waited so long for this. Let me look at you."  

He stepped back a pace, and still holding hands, pretended to give her a once over. She was not the Sheila he remembered. She was still in  school uniform. A purple blazer over the traditional grey gymslip that stretched to just above the knee, a white blouse, a tie with purple and grey diagonal stripes, grey knee length socks and an incongruous pair of black brogues; all designed to create a sexless image. But they had failed. As John gazed into her eyes, he sensed a mutual attraction. He lowered his lips to hers. Simultaneously they closed their eyes. His lips tingled as they locked in their first real embrace, literally locked, because as the young couple clung to each other with a ferocity born of long separation, Kaiser, leashed to Sheila's wrist, decided to make circles around them. 

Their initial passion spent, John and Sheila laughingly released themselves from the tangled leash and proceeded on Kaiser's nightly route- across the road, through the woods, up to the monument and back. As they walked arm in arm in the summer twilight, they talked, spoke sweet nothings, and, from time to time discretely stole a kiss. 

They were near the end of this magical stroll when Sheila broke the news. "I've told my parents about you." 

"You what?" 

"I had to; otherwise we wouldn't be able to do the things we planned for this summer." 

"What did they say?" 

"Well Dad wasn't too happy. He still thinks of me as his little girl and doesn't seem to want me to grow up. However, he seemed quite relieved when I told him that you were planning to go to University to study Chemistry, and that you were one of the best students at the grammar school. I think he must have had visions of me dating some Teddyboy on the dole." 

"And what about your mother?" 

"She's fine. In fact, she's dying to meet you. She keeps asking me questions about you." 

"What sort of questions?" 

"Well such as, 'is he a hunk'?" 

"You're joking." 

"No, I'm not. Just wait till you meet her." 

"And when will that be?" 

"How about Saturday afternoon for tennis, here at my home? You do play don't you?" 

"I've played but not for some time. I'm sure I'll pick it up again pretty quickly. Will Sue and Sharon be playing?" 

"No, just you and me, and Mum and Dad. Sue's staying in Italy for the summer and Sharon much prefers the company of her horses. She's really into show jumping and dressage, that sort of thing." 

"Have you told your sisters about me?" 

"Only Sue. She remembered you from the Victoria Park Hotel. Said she actually fancied you herself, but I think she was only teasing me." 

"But doesn't she have a boy friend already?" 

"She did, but it seems to have cooled off a bit." 

John couldn't believe that he could still harbour a desire for the eldest sister, especially after the wonderful hour he had just spent with Sheila. Guiltily, he banished these treacherous thoughts, and finalized plans for Saturday. He was expected at two, dressed for tennis.