Saint Barnabas Started It

"That's blatant flattery, Mark; and the money you've been..."

"I don't think we should discuss this in front of Felicity," he whispered.

"No, of course not daddy," she replied jokingly, "I'll nag you later."

They had some difficulty leaving the airport car park because Jenny's car took some time to start. "Damn thing needs a good servicing," she said irritably.

"Yes," said Mark doubtfully, glancing at how many kilometres it had done.

They dropped Mark at the hotel and after goodnights and "See you in the morning," Jenny drove off."

They had arranged for him to be picked up at ten o'clock, and on the way to the cottage he was told of the plans for the day.

"There's a film Felicity would like to see, would you be happy with that?"

"Certainly. When is it?"

"It starts at one thirty."

"Shall we go out to dinner tonight?"

"That would be lovely; where?"

"Rang Mahal...Rang Mahal..." sang Felicity.

"All right with you, Jenny?"

"Yes, but be careful what you order this time, we don't want you weeping again."

On arriving at the cottage an inspection of the chess set in Felicity's bedroom was carried out, then a call to the Rang Mahal booked their table, and since there was plenty of time before they were due to go out gain, the almost inevitable chess game, with the old set of course, took place.

They were sitting staring at the board as chess players are inclined to do when Felicity, without looking up, said, "I know who you really are."

Amused Mark simply said, "Oh?"

Still without looking up she went on, "You're my daddy aren't you?"

Mark sat still, stunned for a few moments, then asked in a shaky voice, "How do you know that?"

Felicity looked up at him and smiled saying, "Oh, I knew the first time I saw you."

"How?" gasped Mark.

Felicity touched her face and then reached over and placed her fingers on his cheek; "Because of this. Older people think because you're only nine you don't know things, but I knew because your skin is like mine, and your face. And I knew because I don't think mummy would have let you come here and be with us, and because you've been so nice to us. You are, aren't you?"

"I...I...yes, I am."

"You are what?" asked Jenny who had just come into the room.

"She...she..."

"I've just told daddy that I know he's my daddy and I think he's surprised."

Jenny stood still, her face turning pale.

"She's got it all worked out," said Mark, "so I've told her 'yes'."

Jenny dropped down in an armchair staring at Felicity and Mark helplessly.

"I can call him daddy, can't I mummy?"

"Er...yes darling, if Mister...er...yes, if that's all right with you Mark?"

"Yes...yes."

Looking steadily at Mark, Felicity asked, "Why don't you live here with us, daddy."

"Well you see I...er...I work a long way off..."

"Then why aren't mummy and I living with you?"

"Well ...I think we...I mean...we might tell ..."

"I know you might tell me one day! Mummy says things like that. When will it be one day?"

Felicity stopped speaking and continued staring from Mark to Jenny, then addressing Mark she asked, "Don't you love us?"

"Yes, of course I do, I love both of you very much."

"Then why aren't you married to us?"

"Well it was all a long time ago and we lost each other and we only found each other again recently and then I met you and..."

"And we can get married now?"

"I don't...you see...your mother...if she...er..."

Jenny who seemed to have recovered her equilibrium and even seemed a trifle amused, said, "Darling, there are ways of doing these things, you have to be asked if you want..."

"Well I just asked him, didn't I?"

"No, I mean Mr. Philips is...er, daddy, has to ask me if I want to marry him."

"But why can't I ask daddy, I mean, he'd be living with me as well and..."

A knowing look came over Felicity's face; "I know why daddy has to ask you; I've heard the older girls at school talking about it." A thoughtful look came over her face, "You would have to buy a bigger bed of course, unless daddy's got a bigger bed, have you daddy?"

"Now that's enough," gasped a red faced Jenny.

Felicity's voice fell to a resentful mutter, "If he's got to ask you he ought to ask me as well."

"I said that's enough, Felicity. Now it's lunch time and no more talk about marriage."

Felicity went towards the dining room still mumbling, "I don't think its fair."

Lunch was eaten in an awkward silence and when it was over Jenny dropped her car keys in Mark's lap and said, "Here, you'll need these."

He looked up at her somewhat dismayed. "Aren't you coming with us?"

"No, I thought you two ought to have an afternoon together without me."

Visions of more interrogations by Felicity and perhaps even another proposal of marriage rose up before him, and with no Jenny there to take some of the load? "Woe is me," he thought, but decided to face the inevitable.

It didn't take long before, in the absence of her mother, Felicity took up her theme.

"Daddy, are you going to ask mummy to marry you?"

"Yes."

"That's because you love her, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Do you love me?"

"Yes."

"Then it's only fair that you should ask me to marry you as well, isn't it?"

"Well you see, it's different, your mummy and me..."

"It's all right; I know about the difference, I heard the older girls talking about that as well. But if you ask mummy to marry you and she says yes, then you should ask me as well because we'll all live together, won't we?"

"Of course we will."

"Will you ask me first...this afternoon?"

"But suppose when I ask your mother she says no?"

"Oh, she won't do that."

"How do you know that?"

"Well, after you went away she kept talking about you; she kept asking me if I liked you and would I like to see you again; and she got very grumpy when you were away and when you said you were coming to visit she was very happy. Anyway, I'm sure she loves you and I'll tell her she has to say yes if you ask her because I love you."

It was just as well they had arrived at the cinema because Mark would have been a serious hazard on the road with his eyes filling with tears.

Mark didn't see much of the film his mind had became so engrossed with Felicity, who throughout the screening hung of to him as if she was frightened he would disappear. When they arrived back at the cottage Mark went to get out of the car, but Felicity stopped him.

"I saw a film once were a man asked a lady to marry him sitting in a car; it was so romantic. I think you should ask me now, you can ask mummy later."

Mark gave up and not sure whether to laugh or not he asked, "Felicity, it would make me the happiest man in the world if you would marry me; will you?"

"Oh, you said that beautifully daddy, yes, I'll marry you."

She leapt from the car calling back, "I'll go and tell mummy we're going to be married."

Mark yelled after her, "No Felicity don't do..."

It was too late; she had gone into the cottage.

He found Jenny pulling some clothes out of the washing machine with Felicity doing her excited foot hopping again.

"It's only fair," she chortled, "we were on our own, so I'll go next door for half an hour."

She raced off and left Jenny and Mark staring helplessly at each other.

Mark broke the silence; "I...she..."

"Yes, I know, she told me."

"Er...Jenny, It would..." he almost went into the same proposal routine he had use with Felicity, but decided it might not fit this occasion.

"Jenny, can we get married?"

Jenny, about to stuff some clothing into the machine, smiled and said, "Well, it's not really a romantic setting for a proposal, but since Felicity has already said 'yes', I suppose I'd better go along with it."

"Can I take that to be 'yes'?"

"You can Mark."

Jenny seemed to sag wearily and Mark went to her and put his arms around her. He tilted up her face with his fingers and said, "Thank you, my love," and kissed her very gently.

Jenny seemed to collapse against him and began to cry; "Oh God, Mark, it's been so hard...so very hard all these years."

"Not any more, my love."