Chapter 8

Toby’s first term went well. He met and played with a number of the college squash team and was asked to join it. What he did not know was that Alex Fairbairn, the captain and a member of the University team, mentioned him to his captain, Robin Plate, who showed interest and came to watch Toby unobtrusively. He was impressed but told Alex not to rush things but to keep an eye on him. It was not until towards Easter that they would be back into important fixtures.

At school Toby had never really shown an interest in girls nor they in him. He was a nerd. At Cambridge they were all intelligent and generally keen to get a decent degree. They were not averse though to having fun.

At an early party in the term Toby met a girl called Connie Archer. She was not a mathematician but a historian. Like him she wanted to teach. Toby found her fun, interesting and quite attractive.

They discussed the teaching business.

“Nothing too smart to begin with,” said Connie, “but I really don’t want to teach the basics so GCSE to start with and then graduate to ‘A’ Level for my preferred period, European history from the end of the Roman Empire to 1603.”

“Why 1603?”

“End of a surprisingly long and stable reign by Elizabeth I in England despite France and Spain throwing their weight about earlier in the 16th century and a fairly quiet Continent. What about you?”

“Much the same. I’d like to be teaching for ‘A’ Level or even Advanced Additional Maths for a few years but then I’d like to become a university lecturer and do some research as well.”

“Good for you! I’d like to end up back here too.”

Toby discovered too that Connie was far from just a historian. She was a good violinist and was delighted to find that he was a pianist. It did not take her long to discover that Toby was streets ahead of her but they practised together and Toby discovered quickly how different being an accompanist was to playing solo.

A friendship developed and he took her to the college Christmas dance. He had never even thought about it but they ended up wound round each other. They kissed too and it was not a peck but warm becoming passionate. Toby lost his virginity that night.

It came as quite a shock to him. As a nerd at school none of the girls had shown any interest in him so it surprised him no end when after the dance Connie said she wanted to spend the night with him. Despite his moral feelings he could not turn her down and she was an attractive young woman. It became clear too that she was not inexperienced and Toby learnt a lot that night.

Two days later he went home for Christmas. Needless to say Allie welcomed him energetically, leaping at him, clinging to him with arms and legs, and kissing him hungrily, not French kisses but ardent all the same.

Connie was not a big girl but stood five foot seven and was sturdily built. She was pretty too with green eyes and auburn hair plus a warm, engaging smile. Allie was different: she was tiny, very pretty bordering on beautiful, vivacious and clever. Only fourteen too.

The families had already made arrangements. Each would have a family Christmas Eve but the Robertses would go to the Pettigrews for Christmas Lunch. There were no grandparents that year. They had gone to their other children.

The format was much the same as the previous year except that each family had done their own present giving the evening before. Leah and Nessa had agreed on this.

Toby had not thought as hard as he might about what to give Allie but realised that it needed to be more sophisticated than a present for an average fourteen year old. He chose a mutedly colourful stone pendant held in a ‘silver’ grip. The neckband was a simple black string which she could change.

Toby had told Allie about playing duets with Connie. Some girls might have flinched at encouraging a relationship. Allie’s one aim in life was to make Toby happy. With a little help from her parents she gave him a CD of Schubert sonatas for both instruments.

Both were ecstatic which meant two separate long and ecstatic hugs. They also kissed but both were restrained, chiefly Allie’s for Toby.

Throughout the vacation Allie was seldom absent but she was sensible enough not to push it. Both mothers were fully aware of her infatuation for Toby but neither said a thing. They had confidence in both Toby and Allie.

Toby duly went back to Cambridge. His and Connie’s friendship continued with occasional benefits. She was excited by the Schubert CD and they both learned four the following term. It meant that they played at a concert.

It was a first and, despite butterflies on both their parts, they did well and received enthusiastic applause. They were thrilled and celebrated later.

Half way through the term Toby was approached by Robin Plate and invited to join the Varsity Squash Team. He was thrilled as was Allie when he told her. Her enthusiasm was slightly dented when he told her that he would be away twice for three days during the Easter vacation but she bit her lip and did nothing but encourage him. He played in both tournaments and acquitted himself well. He lost his second match in the second tournament but that was against the first seed.

“Luck of the draw,” said Robin patting him on the shoulder. “You still played a blinder.”

Allie was very proud of him and told him so.

Toby, in his usual self-effacing way, merely smiled and said, “Thank you, poppet,” and kissed her forehead.

Allie held herself in check. She was fully aware that Toby did love her but was still very aware that she was five years younger than him and legally untouchable. That did nothing to deter her from her long term aim.

So it went on, both doing well scholastically. Then in Toby’s final year there was a major crisis.

Allie was now sixteen. She had completed her AS Level exams confidently and was due to leave school at the end of term. She had little to do and spent much of her time there in one of the music rooms preparing for her Grade 8 music exam.

Danny Perkins was still at school but, unlike Toby, doing only ‘A’ Level Maths. Despite the setback three years earlier, he still lusted after Allie. She had been pretty and attractive then. Now she had matured into a beautiful and extremely attractive young woman. He began to approach her again but was politely and smilingly rebuffed. As far as she was concerned there was only one man in her life and that was Toby. Danny was unaware but her indifference irked him. He was now in the 1st XI football team, academically bright and had pulled a number of girls who wanted to be associated with him. Allie did not and disappointment began to change into aggressive desire. He began to track her to see if he could catch her on her own. He discovered that in the afternoons before school ended she would go to a music room and practise the piano.