Different Worlds

Originally I was going to add a small epilogue after the this, but there are too many lose ends. So the good news is instead you're going to get a longer final chapter. The bad news is it may take a while, I'm in the middle of national novel writing month (participants attempt to write 50,000 words in 30 days), so I won't even be starting on the final chapter until the end of November, but I will finish it.

Thanks again to my editor North200 who has been over this chapter twice now!

*****

As they reached Ruth's tiny, battered Fiat Panda Richard hovered at the door and frowned.

"What?" Ruth asked.

"We could take my car."

"No, it will be better if I drive, I know where we're going. Get in and don't worry, the engine won't fall out on the way up the road. It just passed its MOT last month."

She cleared some clutter off the passenger seat and he climbed in.

"Can I give you some money towards petrol?"

"Let's just get there first, we'll talk about details later."

"Okay."

They pulled out of the gate and the car backfired as they drove up the hill. Richard looked at Ruth.

"Don't."

He threw hands in the air. "I didn't say anything!"

"You didn't have to."

*

They didn't speak much on the way. Richard was too busy worrying about what he was going to say to Ivy. Ruth was concentrating on getting them there as quickly as possible - she knew Ivy didn't like to make long journeys in the Dodge when it was dark, she might leave at any moment.

By the time they arrived the sun was low in the sky, bathing the site in late evening sunlight. As they wandered through litter strewn fields they passed Andy and Geoff sitting by a smouldering camp fire. They sat on a battered, brown sofa without any cushions, sharing a can of cider and smoking a joint. There was a dog, a lurcher of some sort curled up at Andy's feet, he lifted his head and stared at Ruth and Richard as they approached.

"Oi Oi Ruth, we thought you'd left."

"I did," she answered without slowing her pace, "I'm back."

"Who's this then?" Andy asked, looking Richard up and down. Both men stood up and walked towards them. They weren't obstructing the way exactly but Ruth stopped walking all the same so Richard did too. He suddenly felt faintly ridiculous, his grey three-piece suit; which although perfectly acceptable attire at a wedding in the Cotswold's stuck out like a sore thumb here.

"This is Richard, he needs to talk to Ivy. Is she still here?" she folded her arms across her chest, daring them to challenge her.

They both surveyed Richard and, narrowing their eyes, they looked him up and down.

"Does he now?" Geoff said finally.

"Look, I don't have time for your misplaced chivalry, is she still here?" Ruth asked again, not bothering to try and conceal her impatience.

"Yeah, she is," Andy replied slowly, still not removing his gaze from Richard.

"Thanks," Ruth said.

They carried on and Richard was starting to wonder if coming here had been such good idea. He was definitely out of his comfort zone. He hadn't really known what to expect but this was nothing like the cozy meal by the fire they'd shared last weekend. More like a scene out of a Mad Max film, except with more litter.

"Don't worry about Geoff, his bark's louder than his bite," Ruth said, seeming to read his mind, "We're all a bit protective of Ivy."

They looked at each other and when he looked up towards where they were heading he caught sight of Ivy's little, green van and his stomach lurched. This was it.

Ruth stopped walking. "I'll wait back at the fire pit," she said.

"Thank you Ruth." He knew she was mostly doing this out of concern for Ivy, but he was still grateful.

She smiled back at him. "Good luck."

He saw her as she emerged from behind the van, her movements were jerky as she packed her stuff into the Dodge. She was wearing a tiny pair of denim shorts, big boots and that camisole top, the leopard print one with pink lace trim. Her thick, dark hair was lose and it fell around her shoulders, giving her a wild, unkempt look and he forgot to be worried. Instead his stomach clenched as longing hit him. She was even more beautiful than he remembered.

She was pulling a container from under the truck and loading it into the back, frowning with concentration. For moment he was overcome with panic. She was getting ready to drive away from here and her life in Cartwright Hall, to sever any connection they had. He was determined to prevent that from happening. He wanted her and there was no way was he going to let her get away. She stopped and gazed into the distance and he wondered what she was thinking.

He couldn't close the distance between them quickly enough, so he managed to get quite close before she saw him. When she finally noticed him shock registered on her features and maybe a little bit of fear but quickly she locked it down and her face was a blank sheet again.

She squared her shoulders, lifted her chin. "What are you doing here? How did you..."

"Ruth told me you were leaving, so I came to find you."

"Did you?" But it wasn't really a question, or at least not one that needed answering.

"She said you weren't coming back," the words didn't do much to fill the empty space that seemed to yawn between them.

"I suppose you'd better come in."

He followed her up the small flight of steps and ducked his head as he went through the door. The van just the same on the inside, despite being in an entirely different place and he didn't know why he thought it wouldn't be.

Richard waited on the sofa, drumming his fingers on his knee, as Ivy unpacked the tea bags and plugged the little gas bottle back in. The kettle was simmering away on the stove when Ivy finally stopped fiddling and faced him.

"Why are you leaving?" he asked, he might as well not beat around the bush.

"I— there's a job in—"

"Yes," he said, interrupting her, "Ruth told me all about the job, but you have a job, Ivy and you've said yourself it's your dream job, so why would you give it up for some casual landscaping?"

She squirmed, it was obvious she hadn't expected him to follow her, hadn't anticipated having to justify her actions.

She took a deep breath. "I couldn't stay Richard, me and you, it was never going to work, we've got nothing in common. I left school at fifteen without any GCSE's, you went to Eton for fuck's sake."

"I didn't go to Eton," he mumbled.

She frowned. "You didn't? Don't all the Cartwright boys go to Eton?"

"No, it was Harrow," he added looking up, to meet her stare.

"Oh well I'm so glad we've got that cleared up,

that changes everything.

"

He sighed. "Look, I know we're from very different backgrounds, but it doesn't mean we can't give this a chance Ivy."

He thought he saw hope flicker in her eyes but she turned away before he could be sure and, wrapping her arms around herself she looked out the small high window opposite. It hurt a surprising amount to see how instinctively she wanted to hide her emotions from him, but he soldiered on anyway.

"Ivy, please come back, don't leave on my account, we don't have to be in a relationship for you to live at Cartwright Hall. It doesn't have to be awkward. We could just be friends."

It pained him to say those words but he couldn't bear the idea of never seeing her again. Even if he couldn't have her, he didn't want her leaving the estate. Besides, if he could just convince her not to go, just get her back there somehow, maybe he could change her mind.

"I'm hardly ever there anyway, we'd never see each other."

He was running out of ideas, out of ways to talk her out of this, and she still hadn't spoken. He sighed her name under his breath and wished he could work out what was going on inside her head.

"Ivy, talk to me please, what's happened?"

Finally she broke her silence "It's not you."

"Then what?" he asked.

She didn't answer for a long time. He watched as her brow knitted together in a frown and he tried to tamp down this stubborn feeling of hope that kept creeping back, tried to brace himself for the 'it's not you it's me' speech. When her reply finally came it was unexpected.

"It was your brother, he..."

Jumping to his feet he clenched both his fists as the words burst out of him. "He what? What did he do? Did he say something to you?" He'd forgotten that Will was going to be there this weekend.

She didn't speak so he said her name again. "Ivy?"

She was stumbling and stuttering to start and suddenly aware of how intimidating he might seem, Richard sat back down. She sat too, and he tried to be patient while she collected herself.

*

When she finally started to speak the words came out in a rush. "He... he came into the shop on Friday morning, Sally wasn't there. She'd gone to make a phone call, her dad..." she looked up at him and realised she was babbling. She took another gulp of air and carried on.

"He said that you weren't interested in me, that I was just your bit of rough, that you'd get bored of me."

The words were pouring out of her once she started to talk, she was sure she was being totally incoherent, and she felt like she could start crying at any moment. What was wrong with her? Why did she always want to cry around him? She looked up and met his gaze, but her eyes were filling with stupid tears, so she looked away again.

"That's not how I feel, you must know that's not how I feel."

"But it will just keep happening Richard, I'm not like you. He might be the only one who's said it, but other people must be thinking it."

"No! No they're not."

"He said I was only interested in you for your money, that I wanted to trap you into marrying me and that

he

could see right through me, even if the rest of you couldn't see it. But I'm not," she looked at him at last, "I'm not interested in your money."

She stopped talking and looked at him. She had never known Richard to look like this before, he was usually so contained, so unflappable, always so polite. But right now his fists were clenched, his face had turned blotchy, she could almost see rage pouring off him in waves, she had to keep reminding herself she was not the focus of his anger.

He didn't speak for a while, he stood up and started to pace. But with no room to move in the tiny vehicle he sat back down on sofa and, burying his head in hands, he let out a harsh breath. Suddenly all the rage seemed to seep out of him and his shoulders slumped.

"I don't know what to do with him. Why is he so vindictive?"

She wanted to reach out to soothe him somehow, the urge was so strong it was almost painful to resist.

"I know he's had a tough time of it, but there's only so far he can get with that excuse, he's got to stop behaving like this."

"It doesn't matter, Richard, he's young, he must be jealous, he's probably frightened of losing you." She wasn't sure she believed her own words, but she needed to say something, anything that might make him feel better, she couldn't bear to see him this upset.

He looked up at her face again and his wretched expression stole her breath.

"It does matter, you were leaving. What if I'd missed you? What if I'd got here and you'd gone? I might never have seen you again."

He was right, that was exactly what she had been planning, but she was taken aback by the strength of his reaction. She hadn't imagined for a moment that he would care so much that he would come after her. There was a vein standing out on his his neck and she had an inappropriate urge to lean towards him and press her lips against it, to remind herself of his taste. Instead, unsure of what else to do she reached out and rested a hand on his arm.

The moment their flesh met a stab of desire shot through her and before she could help herself she'd gasped. She shouldn't be feeling like this. He was upset, this was serious. He was worrying about his brother and all she could think about sex. But when he looked up his eyes were blazing and the same need she was feeling was reflected in them.

He launched himself at her, and gripping her waist he lifted her and twisted them both around. Limbs tangled up in each other, lips mashed together, they collapsed onto the bed and he was kissing her as though he wanted to somehow make her a part of him.

Somewhere in the back of Ivy's mind a little voice was reminding her of the reasons they shouldn't be doing this, the most immediate was that the door to the truck was ajar and anyone might see in. She tried to focus enough to peel him off her so she could at least go and pull it shut but all too soon she was distracted again. He'd pulled up her top and his lips were trailing up the sensitive flesh on her stomach, then they were tickling her ribs. She gasped as gently he captured a nipple with his teeth and pulled. She was certain no one could see in anyway. It was too dark in the truck, and the light was fading outside, and besides the back of the vehicle was pointing away from the fire pit and its derelict brown sofa.

Richard pushed her skirt up over her thighs, paused to admire her underwear, skimpy bright pink, surprisingly frivolous and feminine for Ivy. He pulled it off and cast it aside, yanking her legs apart and buried his face in her. Enclosing her mound with his mouth. She bucked and hissed an expletive.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she gripped fistfuls of his hair. He pried her thighs further apart and pinned them against the bed with his forearms as relentlessly he dragged his teeth across her clitoris, spearing her with his tongue like he was a starving man and she was the banquet.

Presently she became aware of the sounds she was making, she was moaning like some kind of animal. What he was doing felt so incredible that already she could feel the muscles in her stomach beginherself starting to unravel as she climbed towards an orgasm of yet unanticipated proportions. Releasing his hair she clawed at the sheets and gasped his name over and over. She had been so sure that this would never happen again, that she would never see him again and yet here he was, in all his glorious masculine beauty and she wondered how she could have ever considered the idea of giving this up.

*

From the moment Ivy had touched his arm a sort of madness descended on Richard. It was possessive and carnal and irrational, all in equal measure and he couldn't help but act on it. Now, with the thought of making her come with his tongue he was almost painfully erect but when he sensed her getting close he held himself back. He clenched his fists and a single minded focus descended. He would not give her what she wanted, not until she gave him what

he

wanted.

He sat upright, and leaning back on his haunches he looked down at her. She was keening with frustration as she arched off the bed towards him, making sounds he'd never heard before, whimpering his name, begging him to carry on. And even though she was still wearing most of her clothes the sight of her had him more aroused than he could ever remember feeling and the power he held over her at that moment coursed through him.

His plans were nearly foiled, when before he knew what was happening she had sat up, grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and yanked. Caught off guard he tumbled forward, falling onto her. As they hit the mattress again, their lips fused together in a demanding, aggressive kiss. For a moment he wanted to forget about the bigger picture and just think about now. He wanted to thrust into her, fill her, make her his. But as Ivy trembled beneath him he found new resolve. He closed his eyes, gathered all the strength he could muster and, propping himself up on his elbows, he gazed down at her.

"Ivy, look at me."

Her face was flushed and when she opened her eyes they were glazed and it took her a moment to focus on him.

"Don't leave. Come back with me."

*

Before she could process his request he leaned forward and resting his arms on either side of her head he brushed his lips against hers, then he was kissing her and any ideas she had drifted away.

Rolling off her and onto his back, Richard leaned over and reaching for his jacket he pulled out his wallet and retrieved a small foil package. He unbuckled his trousers and slid them down. His erection sprang free and Ivy felt a leap of anticipation in her stomach. As he unwrapped the condom and rolled it over his erection Ivy's eyes roamed over him and she tried to remember a time she had ever wanted something as much as she wanted Richard just then.

Lifting himself off the bed, he pulled his shirt over his head in one fluid movement, but before he had the chance to pull his trousers the rest of the way down and delay her gratification any further she hooked a leg over his hip and pulled herself on top of him.

At first surprise flickered in his eyes and then he smiled, and desire curled up her spine like the flames of a raging inferno. She leaned forward, caught his lips in hers and kissed him hungrily.

She could feel his erection nudging at her entrance, each elusive brush left her with an aching, needful desire, but just as she was sure he was about to plunge into her he pulled back. She groaned his name.

She was desperate to have him, to feel him inside her and desire consumed her; she felt she might erupt into flames at any moment. She gripped his hips and tried to position herself so she could lower herself onto him but he grabbed her hips and holding her in place he rolled them both over so she was pinned beneath him, her arms fixed in place over her head. Somewhere in her subconscious, she registered the unexpected lurch of arousal she felt at Richard's possessive, dominating actions but the desperate need for him to penetrate her pushed any serious consideration to one side.

"Come back with me to Bruton," he said through gritted teeth.

Why was he asking her now? She couldn't make that kind of decision at this moment, she could hardly form a coherent thought. Couldn't they talk about it later? But she didn't voice any of this, speaking actual words was beyond her, instead she turned her head to the side and closed her eyes and tried to grind her hips towards his again.

Still he didn't move.

"Tell me you'll come back with me, promise me you won't leave."

He held her trapped wrists with one hand, with the other he gripped his erection and used it to rub her spread lips with the swollen head. He slid it slowly along her opening with a groan. Desperately she arched towards him, whimpering with need. He was so close, so very close to plunging into her, to filling her. How could he bear it? She knew she would die, she would simply die if he didn't give her what she needed soon.

"Richard please," she could hear the whine in her voice as she begged but she couldn't bring herself to care, "Please, I need you."

"Not until you agree."

The look in his eyes, she'd never seen anything like it. Burning desire was warring with steely determination. She'd caught glimmers of this determination before, but she'd never seen anything like this, and suddenly, she knew that this was an argument she could not win. She wanted him, she needed him and she knew she wouldn't have him unless she agreed.

"Okay."

And still he watched her through narrowed eyes "Promise me, say it," he ground the words out through clenched teeth. She took a deep breath and nodded.

"Okay. I'll return to Bruton with you, I promise." She would have said almost anything to feel him inside her just then and they both knew it.

In the blink of an eye he plunged into her, burying himself and filling her. She gasped at the invasion, her head spinning as the feeling of completion, of rightness overwhelmed her. He released her wrists and she grabbed his face and kissed him, their tongues dancing and their teeth clashing but she didn't care. Gripping her waist and pushing her down against the bed he started to move.