The letter expected was already in the post. It arrived at Lyney House two days later, the Doctor's receptionist being frugal with her employers expenses had used a second class stamp. It dropped through the door, and James collected it with his other post. Realising immediately what this was, he called Abby on her mobile straight away. "It's here."
"What does it say?"
"I haven't opened it yet. I think as it concerns you as much as me, we should open it together."
"I'm on my way." Abby rarely drove her car quickly, but on this occasion an uncharacteristic turn of speed got Abby to Lyney House in no time at all. James had put the kettle on, using the electric kettle rather than using the Aga. They would need coffee post haste. Not bothering to knock, Abby charged straight into the Breakfast room. The letter sat in the middle of the table. James put coffee down for them both, and sat beside Abby. For a moment neither dared to pick it up and open the envelope. Eventually Abby could not wait any longer; she grabbed the letter and ripped it open, feverishly scanning the contents. "I do not understand this." She handed the paper to James, who read it more slowly. He looked at her. His first impulse was to tease her, but better sense told him that that would not go down well. Abby was impatient. "Well! What does it say?"
"Hang on; I am trying to make sense of it."
With little concealed anxiety, Abby waited. "Well?"
James had finished reading the report. "I don't understand why Civil Servants and Doctors cannot use simple language. There is the usual gobbledegook but it would seem there is no match at all in the DNA. We are not related!"
For a while Abby sat there taking this in. Then a serene smile came to her face, and she leaned over and kissed James in the way that she had wanted to for ages. Eventually their lips parted, only for James to bring her face to his again for another kiss. "What are you doing this weekend coming?" James enquired of her.
"Whatever you tell me to do." Abby replied happily.
"Ok, consider yourself booked from Friday afternoon until Monday morning."
Abby nodded vigorously. "Where are we going?"
"You'll find that out when I pick you up, although as I suppose you will not want to be seen dead in my Land Rover, shall we take your car?"
"Of course, if we are going somewhere posh."
"Well it's as posh as my budget will allow. But as it's out of season most places are offering deals. I am sure that we will have the best caravan on the site." Abby looked at him suspiciously, uncertain if he was joking. James maintained his calm exterior for a while until he could sustain it no longer. "Oh Abby! The look on your face." He blurted out with fits of laughter.
She joined in, hiding the chagrin she felt at being so easily duped. "Well Mr. Comberford. I am quite certain that that would be your usual idea of a weekend of seduction." She grabbed the front of his jacket. "But I require a classier environment." She pulled him forwards and planted a kiss on his lips. "Anything less than classy, you won't even get so much as a kiss."
Abby and James slipped away from the Combe Inn at three fifteen that Friday. The only observer was Mary from the same vantage point that she had seen Abby and James kiss after the Ball. The significance of the suitcases was not lost on her, and within minutes she was on the telephone to Mavis. So engrossed were they in their conversation that Mavis neglected to listen out for Sam. He gathered the gist of their gossip within seconds, and exploded. Mavis had never seen him so angry in all their years together, and for the first time in her married life was very afraid of his temper. Mary on the end of the line could hear all that Sam was saying, and was at first inclined to put the phone down. She was about to do so, when Sam took the receiver from Mavis and made his displeasure very clear to Mary. Although Abby had not said anything to him, it was proof positive to him that the test had proved negative. James would not behave this way unless he was certain, not just certain of their patronage, but certain as well of his feelings towards Abby. He wished them well wherever they were heading. The two people who were at the heart of this eruption were blissfully unaware, and were well away from the valley heading for Torquay. The hotel was very much to Abby's taste.
Abby, for the second time in recent months wondered why she could not remember the weekend in complete detail. She felt that the emotions and passions her two nights with James had stirred would have given her enough memories to write a book, yet just as she had after the Ball, only small vignettes came to her mind as she lay in bed that Sunday evening. She hadn't really known what to expect. Yes, she had encouraged James, possibly giving him the impression that she was knowledgeable in these matters, but when it came down to it, she could only let James take the lead and follow him. The overriding memory was of tenderness. James was considerate and gentle. She contemplated her wakening on Saturday. She had slept very well for the few hours that were available to her, and awoke still tingling throughout her body.
She stretched like a cat even the soft cotton sheets were sensual against her skin and sparked her flesh, a reminder of the excitement of last night. She was naked. Looking across the bed her gaze took in the still slumbering James, his hair tousled and with a slight growth of beard on his cheeks. During the night the bedclothes had slipped so an arm, most of his chest, and a leg were exposed. His lips fluttered gently with his breathing, and occasionally a soft snore eased gently in his sleep. He was also nude. Abby snuggled closer, and pulled the bedclothes over him to share his warmth, although her body seemed to be superheated anyway. She had never been loved so tenderly and gently before. Previous encounters had been swift with little care shown to her as if her participation was merely that of a body to be used. James had never seemed in a hurry, and explored her body with his hands, fingers and tongue, slowly, softly guiding her with love. Abby had gradually been brought to a high plateau, where her whole body seemed alive under his hands, every plane of her flesh, supersensitive to his touch. His kisses, that she enjoyed so much since the Ball were now deeper, holding more passion and far more intimate. He took control of her and carried them both to Nirvana. From her experience she thought that men just took, James had changed her view, he gave and kept on giving.
She lay awake watching him wondering where he had become such a good lover, and with whom. She hated her, whoever she was, then relented as she realised that she was enjoying the results of those lessons. James stirred. Abby moved with him, and that reminded her body of more prosaic functions, she needed the bathroom! Sitting up she looked for her robe. It was draped over a chair on the other side of the room. Her clothes lay strewn over the floor, where James had dropped them as he undressed her. The reality of the situation came to her. After the way that she and James had behaved last night, there was little point of being prudish this morning. She rose from the bed, careful not to disturb James and padded across the floor to the bathroom. She picked up her robe intending to put it on for her return, then decided that she liked the idea of being naked for James, so let it drop.
On her return she checked the kettle and switched it on, preparing the cups to make tea. Suddenly a voice came from the depths of the bed. "Well now. There's a welcoming sight for the morning. The maid is naked. It was never like this, even in my dreams."
Abby turned completely unabashed. "Good morning Lover. I seem to have forgotten to bring my little uniform with the lace cap. I do apologise, Sir."
"Don't apologise my dear. I have absolutely no objection." He sat up. Then flinging back the sheets got off the bed, and hurried towards the bathroom.
"Oh Sir!" Abby cried, noticing his excitement "Should I make the tea or ...
James grinned. "Make the tea, and then we will explore the 'or'. I shall just be a moment."
Abby was just pouring the hot water when two arms insinuated themselves around her waist and held her close with hands cupping her breasts. "James!" she said rather breathlessly, "I shall spill boiling water."
"Oh! I am sorry."
"Don't be. I like you to hold me close." She turned in his embrace and lifted her face for his kiss, then another and yet another. The tea was forgotten.
Getting back to the Inn on Sunday evening was unreal for Abby. Somehow she had expected that everything would have changed, because she had changed, yet the Inn was exactly as she had left it, the first drinkers in the bar, Jack taking things easily before the rush later. Mary would be in her kitchen, although there didn't seem to be any diners wanting food. Abby was disappointed by this lack of electricity in the air, after all she had a weekend of life-changing experiences, and thought that somehow she would be sending out sparks and that someone should recognise the change in her, and want to enthuse with her. Her thoughts were contrary because actually she would not have wanted to talk about it anyway. Jack came round and carried her suitcase up stairs, but apart from asking how she was made no other comment. The knock on the door as she was unpacking came as no surprise as Mary came in. She looked at Abby with a light smile on her face. "I won't ask questions. There is a look in your eyes that tells me that you had a good weekend."
"Is it that obvious?"
"There is a sparkle there I haven't seen before. Another woman, one who knows you will notice it, but don't worry, none of them downstairs will see it. Will you want anything to eat?"
"Yes please, Mary. I am going to have a shower, and then I will be down. Something light please, I don't think my stomach could take anything else."
Mary nodded and was going to leave, when on the spur of the moment she turned and enveloped Abby in a hug. "I'm glad things are working out for you."
Later Abby had time to reflect, not without a little embarrassment, about the weekend. It was strange, as she could not recall the weekend in its entirety, but like the Ball, cameos and vignettes came to her, mainly the exciting moments. The embarrassment came as she realised how bold she was, walking about the room naked, showing off for James and loving his eyes on her. Then there was the language she had used, urging James on. Her cheeks burned, what must he think of her? But however ashamed she was, however much her blushes suffused her skin, she knew that should a repeat of the weekend be offered she would have no compunction about accepting.
Abby, with reluctance put her musing to one side. She had to prepare for the meeting with Roger, Harry, Nat and Abe. This should have happened last week, but there were difficulties getting all the participants together, and the Monday this week was the best time, hence the return early from Torquay. Perhaps it was chagrin that the meeting had forced this early return, or possibly the determination gained from the City, but the meeting was just as exciting as Sam had thought possible, much to his delight. Abby showed why she was successful in her job, with a firm outline of her business plan, and a forecast that acted as a splash of cold water on the assumptions of one or two. Abe was very happy with the meeting as Abby proposed a system that would allow all of them who joined the scheme to enjoy equally in the profits. This appealed to his Methodist adherence. Nat had to support Abby as he had become her champion in this matter, although he was somewhat unhappy that the extra revenue he had supposed would not be as great as his imagination had conjured. Harry and Roger were the most unhappy. It was their production that would provide the bulk of the extra business, but had assumed that they would be able to buy yearlings for fattening from Abe at similar prices as they had enjoyed in the past, ignoring his increased costs to provide them with more beasts. Abby had listened to them all and was determined to create a level playing field for all to profit.
In essence Abby was setting up a business in which they all had shares, which would buy all the production at agreed rates, for selling on. The profits would then be distributed to shareholders as dividends. It was simple, and although it would not address every individual's difficulty, it would cover most eventualities, and could expand easily if other farmers in the locality wanted to join. Sam had already heard from one who was interested.
If they came out of the meeting with somewhat shell-shocked expressions, Sam came out with a half-smile on his face. Harry had made great play of telling Abby that they wanted someone independent to run the co-operative, to avoid the arguments. Now he had got what he wished for and was bruised from the encounter. When Harry turned to Sam later and complained about Abby's direct approach, Sam had little sympathy. "Harry, you wanted Abby to run it. Well she's going to, but not as a puppet with you pulling the strings. By all accounts she made herself a lot of money in the City. Now if she can bring that sort of skill to us, and make us a lot of money, don't complain!"
Harry was still put out. "Yes and if that happens, next thing will be Mr. James putting the rents up."
Sam had thought this argument would appear sooner or later. "So? What if he does? You know damned well that the rents here are less than elsewhere. He has been subsidising us for years. Come on, Harry be fair."
