Chapter 19
It was not often Gary went away. Not often he went on holiday or journeyed around. He had enjoyed taking Zara to university and, certainly, had enjoyed what they had done on the way. Had enjoyed walking with her naked upon the moors and had very much enjoyed her young body in the open air. It had been surprising meeting Dotty Loupe on the moor and also how she had chosen to walk with them -- naked. Not at all a usual thing, he supposed, for mature ladies, But there again, he was rather sure what he was able to get up to with many of the ladies he knew was not usual.
Dotty had invited Gary to visit her at her cottage and he had accepted. One morning found him packing his car ready for the journey. A suitcase with clothes in put in the boot. He was not sure what clothes he would need. The weather looked promising and perhaps he might not need very much clothing at all. He had the distinct feeling he would be gardening naked, as he did at home, but with white haired Dotty. And she certainly had white hair. Zara had said it and she had been so right, Dotty's bush had been revealed as very much like lamb's wool, soft, white, and plentiful.
A good drive up the motorway and then, following his route plan, carefully written out and Sellotaped to the dashboard, he found his way to Dotty's cottage in a charming little village of stone houses. It was on the edge of the village.
And there she was, coming out of her front door in a flowing dress, a rather wonderful shade of coral; sandals on her feet.
"Gary!"
"Dotty."
Inside to settle in. Shown his bedroom; such a pretty room, feminine in an old-fashioned way looking out onto the street. And shown the bathroom to 'freshen up' as one says. Gary relieved himself. Down for a cup of coffee in the garden, seated at a little table just behind the cottage, shaded by Wisteria. Coffee in blue patterned cups with shortbread on matching plates. All quite delightful.
The usual questions about journey, health and so on.
"It was so good hearing you would visit, Gary. I haven't had a gentleman visitor to stay in years. My sister visits and a couple of old school friends but that's all girls -- or old women if you like. It will be good to have a man around the house for a few days."
It seemed to Gary, politic to ask about her late husband. He had already seen many photographs around the house that he presumed was him. Dotty had lost him many years ago. She talked fondly about him. How they gardened together, where they went on holiday and the like.
"I thought we might visit a few local sites. I don't know what you'd like? Fountains Abbey, perhaps Byland, York Museum, the Strid, Harrogate... Perhaps a long walk or even two? And I'd like to show you my garden and perhaps we might do some gardening together. You've brought your gardening clothes?" Dotty's eyes sparkled with merriment.
"I think I packed them -- or maybe I didn't! Is your garden private enough to..."
"Oh yes. Do you want to go upstairs and change?"
"Are you going to change into your gardening things too?"
"I've got them on under my dress!"
Gary went back upstairs and undressed. A quick shower and he felt cool and ready for a walk around Dotty's garden. Being naked around the house and garden was normal enough at home for Gary, but a little different in a virtual stranger's house. He had not expected to be naked with Dotty quite so quickly but it was a warm day and perhaps sensible to take advantage in case the weather did not last. Did she even expect him to come down the stairs erect? It was not that she had not seen him like that on the moors. He had had an erection and Dotty had not only seen but held. Tentatively Gary descended, with just a straw hat in hand. The naked gardener out of his usual environment.
He found Dotty sitting where he had left her, only the coral dress had been discarded. A little woman but with all the right bits in the right places. And, just as he remembered, her body did not really fit her age, of course her breasts sagged a little -- a seventy plus year old was hardly going to have 'perky piggy noses' and there were wrinkles, but it was clear her wiry body was fit and capable. And there in her lap that 'lamb's wool.' A lovely triangle of white. It was rather pleasing -- exciting even. Gary felt a stirring, his maleness coming to the fore. Dotty smiled, a knowing smile, or so Gary rather thought.
"Dressed for the garden, eh. Very pleasing." She reached out and took his hand and led him out into the back garden of her cottage. Two people walking on the old stone path in just straw hats and nothing else; one male and one female -- and obviously so.
"I haven't... for years..."
Was that 'fucked' for years? But Dotty did not elaborate, rather she started talking about her garden and plants. The first part of her garden was paved and had a little seating area with a clearly old wrought iron table and chairs painted white. Further down flowerbeds in the stony soil, fragments of stone mixed in with the soil. Not easy digging. Holyhocks, delphiniums, lupins, phlox and lavender backed onto stone walls -- dry stone walls. A charming old bird bath and a garden shed completed the immediate view. A garden shed -- but not like Gary's. This was stone built, even the slates on the roof (sagging a little) were local stone.
It was all delightful and the two spent a long time walking around and discussing the garden and gardening matters in general. Dotty explaining the difficulties in a wetter and colder climate than Gary's garden.
"Where does that lead?" Beside the shed an obvious path.
"There's more to the garden but we'll need to wear shirts. The neighbours can see your top half."
"Not the bottom half?"
Dotty giggled, "No, they can't; no need to cover up, you can leave it all out and dangling in your male way. I do like to see." Another giggle, quite throaty, "Even better, Gary, that is good to see!"