Chapter 5

I needed some time on my own too. I hadn't been lying to Morag and I knew my wife would accept her. It was necessary now to consider what Morag's reactions might be. I had plenty of time to collect the car so did a detour to the park. The fresh air would help clear my mind a bit.

I rang Morag's front doorbell on the dot of midday. She opened the door immediately. She was wearing a pale green summer dress which accentuated her green eyes and came to just below the knee. She looked heavenly. She also had a small overnight bag in her hand.

"Just in case!" she said.

By tacit consent neither of us mentioned the earlier conversation and we nattered away as usual all the way to the pub where we had a delicious light lunch. As we left I said:

"What now, my love?"

"Oh, I'm not going back up to London yet."

"Come home with me then."

"I'd like to but what would your neighbours think? I'll bet they know that Mary is away."

"So? First of all they can learn to mind their own business. Then if you do decide to come and see us often once Mary is back they'll have to eat their own dirty thoughts."

"Right! I'll come then please."

We set off again.

"If I did decide to keep on coming to see you how often could I come?"

"Really as often as you like. All you have to do is ring beforehand so that we can get in extra food. If we've got something on we'll tell you and you can then decide whether you still want to come. It'll be just as though you were a daughter. I might, if necessary, pass you off as my god-daughter."

"Not entirely like a daughter or god-daughter, I hope."

"No! Certainly not! Obviously come September and you go to University you're going to have less chance of coming down."

"Yes, I suppose so." A long pause with the odd shy glance at me: "What about making love?"

"We'd do that if you wanted to."

"But how with Mary there?"

"I can't be sure of the detail yet. Certainly we couldn't spend the entire weekend wound round each other and leave her out but I know she will give us opportunities. She may even give us a night together but she won't join us. She's not a three-in-a-bed fan."

"Good! I don't think I am either."

"Does that mean you are going to come?"

"I'm still not sure. I'm terribly tempted because I want to be with you and be made love to by you but I think I shall feel so awkward with Mary and mess everything up."

When we got home I deliberately made her stand in the drive while I put the car away: not enough room to get out on the passenger side while in the garage because of all the other stuff we kept there like lawn mowers.

"Oh God! I'm standing out here all public. What are all your neighbours going to think?"

"Nothing! If they're watching, which is unlikely, they'll think: " Pretty girl, I wonder who she is?" But if I had scurried you into the house with a blanket over your head then they really would have started to ask questions and make up stories. So, natural behaviour: no questions asked."