Chapter Five
Iris and James arrived just in time for their evening meal, although they were given ten minutes to dump their bags in Iris's room, and freshen up, before joining the family for a quick drink before going to their dinner.
They were joined by the two doctors and Sheila, and by Jonathon Richards, and so there was a great deal of conversations going on even before they sat around the table.
Trudy sat down thankful that Matt was not there, and then dismayed when Jonathon sat beside her.
"My brother has taken to his room again," Jonathon said sadly. "The headaches when they begin are intolerable for him; and so, all he can do is to try and sleep them off."
"Migraines can be a terrible thing," Dr Phillips sympathised.
Jonathon lowered his voice so that only Trudy could hear him. "I think we both know that this is not just a migraine."
"As you suggested, Jon; I had my staff make up that back room for him," Greg said suddenly. "The bed is a large one and he is a big man; but perhaps he needs something closer to the doctors?"
"There is no help for him I am afraid, the back room where it is quiet is probably the best thing for him."
"I could prescribe him some painkillers?" Dr Phillips offered.
"Thank you but no, he tends to down a bottle or two of alcohol, when the attacks come, and will probably already be out of this world... until tomorrow now, I would have thought. Our best course of action is to leave him in peace."
"Yes," Dr Phillips nodded. "I would offer to go and check on him, but as you say if he is in a deep sleep then disturbing him would just be cruel. Rest is usually the best remedy."
Trudy sat and ate her meal in silence as the people around her chatted.
Knowing that Matt was upstairs and in pain, was almost her undoing.
She could not conceive of the idea of leaving him alone like that; he needed rest yes; but surely someone should stay with him; if only to let him know that he was cared about.
Tucked away at the back of the house -- where no one else went, not even the staff had rooms back there it was so dark and depressing.
The meal finished and they all moved to the living area which also led out to the veranda.
Jonathon took Laurie's arm and led her outside, so that they could sit and chat together.
"After all," he smiled down at her. "We are family now, and so we should get to know each other better."
Laurie cast a quick anxious glance at Michael, who smiled at her in reassurance, before she allowed herself to be led out onto the veranda by Jonathon.
As the evening wore on, Jonathon stayed out on the veranda and after a while he sent Laurie back inside, and he had her request Michael to pop out; then when Michael came back, he asked Iris if she would be kind enough to join his father out for a bit of fresh air, when she returned, she asked James to go out to Jonathon.
It seemed that Jonathon had taken the essence of his ceremonial hall, where he had held audiences and heard petitions; and relocated it to Greg Beaumont's veranda.
Whilst out there he held meetings with just about everyone, and tonight he seemed to want to sit with all of Greg's family; on a one-to-one basis.
Trudy had no idea what conversations were had out there, but she had already endured one of them; and so, she was so not about to be pulled out for another.
She yawned somewhat theatrically.
"Well, it's been a long day and I for one am tired; so, I shall bid you all a good night,"
"Good night, Aunt Trudy," Laurie smiled, and Iris stood up to give her a hug.
"We must sit and talk soon," Iris murmured fondly.
"Yes, tomorrow perhaps?"
"That would be nice; you, me and Laurie... we haven't done that since I got married."
*
Trudy sat in front of her mirror and brushed through her short-cropped hair.
She'd had it like this for so many years now, never wanting anything to make her look feminine or attractive; she deliberately hacked at her hair on a regular basis.
Now as she studied herself, she felt demoralised; she threw the brush down and turned away in disgust.
She pulled off her clothing as she walked to her adjoining bathroom and spent a good fifteen minutes simply standing under the running shower, before even bothering with the soap.
Half an hour later though, washed and wrapped in a soft, fluffy towel, she dropped back in front of the mirror.
"You are old before your time, my girl!" she muttered as she dried her cropped hair quickly using her fingers to comb through it.
Her hair was once her shinning glory and her one true vanity; and in truth it still held hints of that glory even if people just saw the jagged cut.
It was fine and soft like Laurie's, and in her day, it had been longer still than Laurie's.
Trudy dropped the towel and slipped into a little summer dress, light and easily discarded should the wish to shift come upon her.
She had claimed tiredness to escape from the room downstairs; but to tell the truth she was wide awake and humming with suppressed energy.
She glanced at her watch and sighed. It was growing past the midnight hour. She guessed everyone would be in bed or at least in their rooms by now.
The house and its occupants were settling down for the night.
And Trudy paced her room, trying to wind down too.
By one thirty she knew that she would not sleep tonight. Not until she had done what she needed to do.
With a little huff of resignation, she quietly left her bedroom.
She ghosted through the silent house, knowing exactly where she was going in the darkness.
The doors on this short corridor were all closed, but the shadowy light under one of them told her that she did not need to peep inside each room.
She carefully turned the handle and as the door swung open, she stepped inside.
She quietly closed the door behind her, and then stood for a moment just looking across at the large bed, with Matt sleeping in it.
He was lying on his back, and the sheet, was draped across his mid torso, but his legs were uncovered, as was his chest.
Trudy gave a soft little whimper as she slowly walked across the room.
She never thought she would get this opportunity ever again. To observe him in all his unguarded glory.
His arm was thrown across his face, but his deep ragged breaths clearly showed how deeply he was sleeping.
As she reached the bed, she could almost feel the heat radiating from him and her eyes gleamed in the dim light, as she ate up the sight of him.
He was magnificent! Even after all these years and after the pains and ravages, that had happened to him.
Trudy reached out and gently touched his chest.
Matt twitched and his arm moved a little but stayed over his face. "So Tru," he mumbled in his sleep. "My girl with the sunshine hair!"
She gave a little sob.
He did remember some things. Even if only in his sleep, the memories were still there.
She went to step back, to flee this room and him, but as if suddenly he sensed her presence, his arm moved, and he sat up.
Trudy gave a startled little squeal, and would have moved away -- ran away, but Matt reached out and grabbed her and pulled her down onto him.
"You came back to me!" he mumbled as his lips crushed hers.
"I... I never left you!" she said against his mouth. "You left me!"
He pulled back and as she looked into his distant, confused eyes, she realised that he was not properly conscious.
She gave another sob, and tried to pull away, but his arms tightened around her binding her to him.
"No, you cannot leave me -- not again -- not ever again!"
The more she tried to struggle the tighter his hold became and so in the end she stopped fighting him and as she stilled in his arms, his lips once more found hers in a hungry search of her being.
Trudy knew that this was a mistake, that if he woke up properly whilst she was here like this then he would be outraged, and he would despise her.
She could not handle that sort of thoughts from him, but to be in his arms once more, to feel that love that he held for her.
The tears streamed down her cheeks as his hands found the curves that only he knew so well.
"Please let me go!" she whispered brokenly.
"Never! You swore to be mine -- forever -- you promised me!"
He tugged at the straps of her dress, and it fell away easily, leaving her as naked as him.
Even though he was not properly awake, he seemed to know exactly what he was doing, how to touch her -- how to please her.
He touched her breast with exactly the right pressure to cause her gasping with pleasure.
His hands were all over her even as he held her to him.
"I need you so much baby -- my golden sunlight girl... please..."
He moved only slightly, and her legs slid either side so that she was straddling him.
Then with on smooth thrust up he was inside her.
Trudy groaned as her body stretched painfully to accommodate the size of him. It had been so very long since the last time, that her body needed a moment to adjust.
She needed a moment to adjust to the almost overwhelming emotions that were surging through her.
But as Matt pulled her down to kiss her again, she gave up on all attempts at resistance. This was as it should be, as it always had been.
She loved him!
He was her one true mate, even though he would remember none of this come morning, and her heart would break all over again, she had this unexpected gift of tonight, and with one last little sob, she allowed Matt to take control and let the muscle and body memories compensate for the loss of his mind's memory.
He stroked her back as he used to do, but where the length of her hair used to cover his hands and tickle her back now there was only air and flesh upon flesh.
Their movements became urgent as though all those years of abstinence came crashing in on them.
