Chapter 5

Sunday 21 September 1975, 1.35pm

On Sunday afternoon we prepared for a garden party at the Kings’ family home, something they put on a couple of times a year during the summer for the factory staff.

That Sunday was a glorious day, both weather wise and also the clear enjoyment that the day seemed to bring to all the participants. Once it got under way, Gina and I hardly saw each other, such were the demands put upon us, particularly Gina.

I sat out of the way for a while, and was joined by a woman of about my own age, who owned up to being the accounting bookkeeper at King & Son, and she put me through a bit of a grilling, but eventually agreed with me that my figures and approach to the supplies that I offered were sound and an improvement on what they had before, but made it clear that she was keeping a close watch on me.

Being at a loose end, I decided to add to the entertainment by driving the kids and their mums the short distance around the gravel drive for half an hour in the Rolls-Royce, then young Tom took over the driving for me and he said he would hand over to his granddad after a while, who was himself keen to get behind the wheel of the Roller, so I soon found that I was a free agent again for the rest of the afternoon!

I tried to find Gina during this unexpected period of freedom but was waylaid by Fred, who wanted me to accompany him around the formal garden and talk about Gina’s depression of late and how he felt I had begun the process of lifting her out of it. He thanked me for loaning my Roller to the two Toms and entertaining the guests. I guess I waited for the guillotine to drop that they’d finally had more than enough of me, but Fred just said,

“Keep up the good work, Harry, you’re doing great, Gina’s like a new young woman again, and we love her like that. Never seen her so happy in years. Oh, and l’ve got a couple of other companies that want you to call on them next week. There’s a pigeonhole for mail and messages that we all use just outside the kitchen, one of the slots has now got your name on, and I’ve slipped the details of these companies in there for you. Check it on the way out of the house and when you back in again as that’s where we’ll leave any messages or mail. We all use the kitchen rather than the front door!”

I disappeared late afternoon to ferry the excited kids Mary and Darren from Rickmansworth to Gloucester and didn’t get back until 9pm.

By that time on Sunday night Gina was exhausted, from all the organising and hand shaking she’d done all day. We went to bed early and we just spooned. I pulled her in tight and buried my nose in her fragrant hair, then kissed her neck. She sighed and pulled my hand to her breast and held it there. I kneaded her breasts in wonder at how they could be both firm and soft, the first breasts I had been allowed to touch since my marriage ended. She twisted herself enough to kiss me over her shoulder, a short French kiss with me still massaging one of her breasts, my hand held in place by both her hands.

“Goodnight, H. You’re becoming my shining knight.” She kissed me again and snuggled her back into my front before dropping off to sleep almost immediately, the poor woman had given everything for her company today.

I don’t think she heard me whisper, “And you’re becoming my night and day.”

It took me a lot longer to drop off, my hand relaxed from holding her breast but, as I tried to remove it, Gina snuffled in her sleep and held my hand close to her hot breast. It took me a lot longer to drop off to sleep after that!

Monday was a quiet night in for both of us after work, sitting and relaxing in pleasant company with Fred and Pam in their sitting room until we declared an early bedtime. Gina came to bed wearing just a pair of knickers and I licked and sucked those magnificent breasts for fully two hours before we slept in each other’s arms. I knew I could never tire of holding her, kissing her. Without being able to tell her in words, I was clear in my physical demonstrations that I was fast falling in love with Mrs Eric Tremblett, a woman I had known for just over a week. I knew it would take me a lifetime to get over her, while Mavis was just a distant, slightly irritating, memory.

Tuesday night we both drove up to the Wolves’ ground at Molineux to watch a lively local derby which ended in a 0-0 draw, where I felt the Villa were lucky to hang onto that precious point. We had access to the Wolves’ board room before and after the game. We spoke to some old players who were surprisingly chatty and full of interesting and amusing stories concerning derby matches and were able to chat to both team managers and a few current players after the game. Gina was simply beautiful, holding onto my arm, and took full part in the conversations and managed not to look at all bored. She was the moth that attracted the attention to us, and I certainly had a marvellous time.

We visited her husband a couple of evenings during the week and it seemed that it no longer caused her to be upset and we mostly sat around the bed and chatted about our separate workday activities. The consultant neurosurgeon did stay behind his normal working hours on Thursday night to speak to us at the very start of visiting hours. Gina insisted I be present, even though not related to the patient, but all the consultant wanted to say was to confirm after numerous tests that there was no change in Tremblett’s condition, any recovery was still hopeless but the legal wheels were turning slowly so nothing was likely to happen for several more weeks, if not months.

Saturday we went to my home stamping ground of Villa to play “Brummagem” City, where we won 2-1 in front of nearly 54,000 ecstatic fans. It was certainly a first experience for me to experience time in one of our own executive boxes and meet the board of directors of my football club after the game. I guessed they didn’t get that many guests who were quite as dyed in the claret and blue as I was, nor a guest accompanied by such a beautiful woman. The way Gina looked at me I knew she appreciated how I felt about the experience and I held her in my arms afterwards, just before we drove back, saying I really couldn’t thank her enough. Gina said that being with me for that afternoon was an experience for her too, recognising how much I enjoyed myself.