Chapter 56

Much later, I headed over to keep a dinner date with Marcus and Martha. Marcus greeted me at the door and started immediately telling me his latest plans for recording the history of the region. It was obvious that Dad’s historical evangelism had found a willing convert. I was happy to see the sparkle in his eye and the spring in his step. He obviously was happiest when he had a mission in life. We came into the kitchen where Martha was just putting a pie in the oven. The room carried the warm welcoming scent from the pot of spaghetti sauce bubbling gently on the stove. She turned around and greeted me warmly, but she was looking at me with questioning eyes.

Then she grabbed my arm and announced. “Marcus, me and Elizabeth are going to take a little walk in the garden. You mind listening for the oven timer?”

“Nope,” he replied, “you gals go have your girl talk and I’ll just sit here and work on my retirement speech.”

Before I could reply Martha had already dragged me outside. She stepped back and watched me for a moment. “Yep,” she said.

“What?”

“You and Roger!” she exclaimed.

“Me and Roger, what?” I asked innocently while doing a quick mental inventory of my clothing or anything else that could have blown my cover.

“You know what,” she laughed, “the horizontal tango, bumping uglies, getting lucky, pelvic pinochle, riding the baloney pony. Hell, I don’t know what they call it in Charleston but whatever they call it, you did it.”

I felt my cheeks burning. “OK Sherlock, how did you come to that conclusion?”

“Well Watson, if I see a young lady who looks tired but glowing with a permanent grin plastered on her face and she’s walking bowlegged, but hasn’t been near the stables. And in addition has straw clinging to her clothing; then I suspect she has been well loved in the hay loft.”

I threw up my hands in surrender. “OK shamus, you’ve got me. What started as a fight ended up as a roll in the hay.” I was blushing furiously.

Martha threw her arms around me and hugged me. “Don’t be embarrassed; it’s what people in love do you know. I’ve been known to indulge myself.”

She held me at arm’s length and looked at me. “Judging by that grin I’m going to make a guess ... it was so nice, you did it twice.”

I shook my head. She held up three fingers and I shook my head again. “I wanted more, we went for four!” I improvised.

“Holey-moley gal! Take it easy. No wonder you can hardly walk. Did you leave Roger conscious?”

“Conscious ... yeah but kinda tuckered. Besides it wasn’t on purpose, the fourth time was an accident.” “The fourth time? Maybe the first time could be an accident but by number four you ought to know what’s happening.”

“Well I was stepping in the shower when I remembered how concerned Roger is about the aquifer running dry and all. So rather than waste water I dragged him into the shower with me. So I soaped his back and then he soaped mine but then he reached around to soap my front...”

“OK, OK,” Martha laughed, “I get the picture. Slippery, soapy loving was always a favorite of mine.” She hesitated a moment and then she giggled like a school girl. “Oh God, I am ashamed of myself for wanting to ask this ... but I just have to ask...” “Go ahead Martha,” I chuckled, “ask me if he was any good. You’ll explode if you don’t”

She blushed. “Oh no, I just can’t, I just can’t do that..., oh what the hell ... was he?”

Grinning like an idiot I nodded enthusiastically. “He’s virile yet gentle, he’s patient and generous. He always put me first. And he’s very very good. Martha, I had no idea it could be this good.”