Life Less Lived Ch. 10

Lauren threw her bag of shoes at Andy, catching him in the face. As she tried to run past him, he grabbed her.

"You sneaky bitch, that bloody 'urt!"

He turned his head and ordered, "Mark! Gag the cow and tie her up."

"Sorry, babes," Mark said, "but I gotta do this."

"We're finished if you do, Mark," she warned, "there'll be no going back after this."

"I think we're all finished now, babes, anyway," Mark said, "I think you've not been happy here for a little while now and the writin' was on the wall."

She remained tied up, and was further strapped to their bed all afternoon and all night. She dozed off from time to time, and didn't hear them leave when they left sometime in the early hours of the morning. When it was light, sometime later she woke up, desperate to use the loo, but gagged and restrained there was nothing she could do but wait. When they hadn't returned by the time it had got dark again on Boxing Day night, she could hold on no longer and cried as she had to empty her bladder. She consoled her embarrassment by considering it was as much on Mark's side of the bed as it was on her former side and she¡d never sleep with Mark Clark again.

It wasn't until very late that night that she heard the door to the flat open once again, and several heavy sets of cautious footfalls in the corridor leading to the bedroom.

***

It wasn't long until after Daniel and Marina cleared London's narrow streets that they had a clear road ahead of them. Even on Christmas Day, traffic was still flowing in and around the capital city.

Daniel seemed to relax more once they hit the motorway. He reached across with his left hand and Marina enveloped it in both hers and rested it on her lap. Their loving smiles were interrupted though by a call on Daniel's mobile phone. The caller ID came up as Kath Stewart.

"I need to take this call, Marina."

"Of course, I want to hear what she has to say, too."

Daniel clicked the 'hands free take call' button on his steering wheel.

"Hi Kath, Merry Christmas to you."

"And Merry Christmas to you Daniel, I can hear that you are in the car, is Marina with you?"

"Yes, I am, Kath. I hope you are not interrupting your enjoyment of the festivities on my account."

"No, of course not. My husband's used to me working twenty-four-seven, even now I'm retired, I still love nothing better than to see these scumbags going down."

"So what do you have for us Kath?" Daniel asked.

"Having spoken at length with the CPA, and a couple of judges, I have an extensive list of home numbers! I am pleased to say that Hampshire Police has issued a warrant for the arrest of one James Adam Johnson in order to help them answering enquiries they have regarding Marina's rape. In the very early hours of this morning I attended with the arresting officers at Johnson's registered address in Fareham, an address which sex offenders must lodge with the local police, but he wasn't there."

"Doesn't he have to tell the Police about absences even if he goes on holiday?" Marina asked. "Lots of people go away for Christmas, take us for example."

"Yes," Kath replied, "he is supposed to, and hasn't, therefore his absence may not be innocent. But I want to get him for this offence urgently and lock him up for good. Also, Marina, on the er, delicate subject of gathering DNA evidence..."

"Go ahead, Kath. I know it is a touchy subject, but I got over my grief thirty years or so now. No-one can do baby Daniel any harm now and I want to see him get the justice he deserves."

"I understand. I was pleased when Daniel sent through the text last night of the baby's whereabouts, etcetera. But I was surprised that you called the baby Daniel."

"Kath, I was drugged and raped. The last man I saw before the deed was done without my knowledge ... was the man I fell in love with, the man I blamed in my tortured heart for the last thirty-three years, and the innocent man I have fallen in love with all over again."

"I am so sorry both of you. I should have realised this was a possibility and reflected on it before mentioning it. I hope this whole nasty business doesn't affect your relationship, and that I haven't offended either of you."

"No, Kath," Marina said, "this has been a sorry episode in my life and something that has affected my happiness for so long that I never thought that I would ever resolve it. However, I can tell you that Daniel and I announced our engagement to our immediate families last night."

"Oh, Marina and Daniel, I am so delighted for both of you. When is the happy event?"

Daniel chipped in here, "We haven't fixed a date yet. We need to see the local vicar and set it up, hopefully in a matter of weeks rather than months."

"I wish you both congratulations and the very best wishes for the future."

"Thank you. You were going to add something about baby Daniel?"

"Yes, I nearly forgot to say. The er, evidence we need, will be gathered next week, on Wednesday morning at 10am. Then there will be a small ceremony and blessing at the graveside afterwards at noon for the reinterment. I will be present, I wondered if ..."

"Yes, we'll be there," Daniel interjected, "I think I can speak on behalf of us both. Marina missed his first real funeral, because she was hospitalised and quite seriously ill. I think baby Daniel is as much a part of our family as my two daughters are, however the circumstances in which he was conceived. He was one of the totally innocent parties in this horrible crime, as much as Marina was, and should be accorded as much dignity in his brief disturbance and eternal rest as any one of us."

Marina squeezed his hand, unable to say anything as silent tears rolled down her face.

"Of course, Daniel and Marina, please accept my condolences and I will keep you informed of progress in the Johnson case."

***

All together at the Grange, Marina, Sophie and Ginny insisted on moving her few clothes and toiletries from Sophie's room into the master bedroom and en suite. The two girls were full of giggles and Marina, angel that she was, allowed them full rein to challenge her good temper to its limit, although to be honest they found they didn't get anywhere near approaching her limit.

The main bedroom was at the back of the old house and had a double aspect, partly overlooking the stables to the North and the steep hill of pastures and woods beyond. The East window would allow the sun to flood into the room in the early morning, yet allow the bedroom to remain cool in the afternoon and evenings during the summer months.

A perfect bedroom.

The girls went through the room ahead of her and checked all the drawers in case any of their mother's clothes were still present, although Ginny believed she had cleared most of it all out over a year ago. They didn't want to leave anything to chance before helping Marina move in.

Sophie put a little heart-shaped chocolate on each pillow, before turning the light off and following Marina and Ginny downstairs.

***

Jimmy Johnson lived in a small flat. Not a jolly place to spend his first Christmas of freedom, having been paroled nine months earlier. He didn't have a job, he couldn't hold one down. Having underage sex with little girls, and the occasional little boy, can't be that bad, he thought, you only have to look at adverts for stripograms to find that one of the most popular outfits were girls dressed as schoolgirls. He knew, he had looked. He had done his research. And he was ready to start up again as soon the law released its intolerable grip on his activities. He'd paid more than his fair dues to society, he thought, now he felt he was owed.

It was all so different now than when he was active. He had spoken to fellow prisoners and parolees. The Far East, that was where he needed to go. There were ample opportunities for a man of his abilities and tastes. But getting there was the problem. Money. He needed money.

His parents had long ago disowned him. Well, his father had and his father was still alive, holding tightly onto the purse strings. Mother was fine, of course. Their's nothing quite like mother love, she would never question his way of life. She was the only member of the family who visited him regularly, although it was never often enough. No-one else came, not until the last couple of years, anyway. I mean, he thought to himself clenching his fists in anger, Dad was pretty loaded, but he would leave it all to Jimmy's sister rather than Jimmy, unless the old man popped his clogs first, in which case it was all to go to Mother. And Mother was, well, like all women, susceptible to being charmed or drugged until eminently pliable.

The invitation that he unexpectedly received in the post on Christmas Eve was printed on thin paper by a computer printer. He remembered seeing hundreds of invitation cards from when he once worked in hotels and cruise ships. There, wedding invitations, or those for celebrations or parties, were always properly printed, usually embossed on crisp thick heavy cards. Invitation to what, now?

He pulled the folded paper from the envelope again, to reread and understand the implications of the invitation, attend "Barn Warming" at Underhill Grange.

'Intriguing,' he said to himself, 'definitely worth looking into.'

***

Patience Page-Turner had an awful Christmas Day. Estranged from her adopted parents, she was lonely. The plan had been to enjoy a meal at her now ex-boyfriend Toby's parents' house, but after she blew up with him the night of the company ball had put the kibosh on that.

There was a call from Lady Barbara, funnily enough, thanking her for all her efforts and wishing her a merry Christmas. Sir Philip wouldn't even have thought of it but The Lady did. Patience was glad actually, that Lady Barbara was back with her husband, safely in London, away from The Grange.

Then there was the conversation with her natural father. They didn't speak often as they hadn't known each other all that long, the rules governing adoption records being so constrictive. At least it sounded like the old fella was having a good time at last. She was pleased that at least somebody was. Then he mentioned something her half-brother had planned as a surprise for both of them and sent him a printed invitation to the event, and threatened to ruin all her carefully laid plans.

***

Jessica Lovage-Martin had really had more than enough of her mother before the end of Christmas Day. They had a flaming row virtually within minutes of arriving home. Partly it was because Jessica was tired, following the long monotonous drive up to her parents' house, and partly because her mum kept going on about 'still being without a man in your life'.

The final straw was when Mother listened into a conversation Jessica had with one of her girlfriends, that the cat was let out of the bag. So on the one hand the row was about eavesdropping on her privacy and the other about her choice of lover, old enough to be the same age as her parents. By the time she had repacked her tiny suitcase and loaded up the car, she set out in the early hours of Boxing Day morning.

***

"Don't let the bed bugs bite!"

Marina wasn't sure if that last statement was from Ginny or Sophie, it was distorted so much by near-infantile giggling. The pair of girls had been gently ribbing their father and his fiancée all evening about what they thought was going to be happening tonight.

Daniel leaned on the inside of the bedroom door until it clicked shut, rolled his eyes skyward, and held out his arms. His betrothed came to him instantly, nestling her head into his broad chest. She put her arms around his waist, while he enveloped her in his arms, holding her firmly and reassuringly to his firm, rock steady and warm torso.

"I hope that wasn't too much of a trial for you, sweetheart," he said, "I am sure that, for the girls, the novelty of us being fresh new lovers will wear off in time, but I assure you that what will not fade is the love I have for you."

"I know, my dearest man, I do love you so much. As for the girls? Well, I love them too. They are only acting as they do because they are so deliriously happy that their father has found happiness so soon after your long period of utter despair. They really were seriously worried about you, you know."

"I know, bless them. And I know that they love you, too."

"Daniel, they are such sweet girls. This banter is all good natured and, remember, I've been made to feel so welcomed and comfortable with them that I really don't mind their ribbing at all. I've lived with a lot of siblings, nephews and nieces and joined in playing games with them, encouraging them to have fun all my life."

"Talking about fun, my dear, how do you really feel about this sharing my bed so soon?"

"I feel relaxed, and I feel loved. I am a little apprehensive of the act itself, of course. I still have periods, but am I too old to conceive, do I want to? So, apprehensive but without fear, I know you won't hurt me; so, how can I be afraid? How do you feel, so soon after Jenny?"

"I feel very happy having you here. Jenny is a huge part of my past. I loved her deeply and always will. But you were threaded into my heart first, and you are now its sole claimant, your flag of a summit ascended and conquered is firmly rooted, proof against all storms. Now, let's clean our teeth and get to bed, darling."

It was dark in Daniel's bedroom with the lights out. Their bedroom, Marina corrected herself. She was already warm and she snuggled up to Daniel, who had just stripped off and climbed in next to her and enveloped her in his arms. She had expected his naked body to be cool, but he was quite warm. His feet were surprisingly warm too, as he hooked one foot behind her leg and pulled her into him. She felt his hot semi-hard manhood resting against her stomach. It was hot, too.

He started kissing the top of her head, so she lifted her head from his chest and searched for his lips. Their lips met and they kissed with gentle kisses, their tongues playfully stroking together. Those kisses increased in intensity and they were soon breathless.

"I love you my dear, with all my heart," he breathed.

"I too. I can't believe this is happening, it is a dream come true."

"Believe it, sweetheart, it really is true."

"Sometimes, darling, even a silver cloud has some dark shadows over it. I want you to stay calm and hold me tight, because you really can't do anything about it at the moment, but I have got to tell you about what happened to Sophie..."

To be continued