Chapter 7

Marge had on a new sari, a cotton one and she had her hair up in a bun at the back. She saw me watching her and she said, "Do you approve, you have a good eye for size as you can see the blouse fits correctly and the underskirt is just fine.

"Marge, you have blossomed, really, in 24 hours you have completely changed, don't you agree Mary, Alice," I said to them all.

"She's in love with you, can't you see it, "Alice said straight out," and she's not the only one, we all are."

I didn't know where to look and I must have blushed, for they all began laughing.

"Marge has got it bad for you Denis, she never stops talking about you," continued Alice.

"I love you all, no-one had better upset my ladies, or I will have something to say," I told them.

"Do you call me a lady too," cut in Alice?

"Of course, now start acting like one or I'll have to put you over my knee," I said to her with a smile.

"Oh Yes! Please I would love that," she replied.

"Alice, thank you I was getting a bit pissed off at you walking around with your head hung down, stick your chest out and show you are a woman, Oh! Better not we'll never get past then," I said with a laugh.

We burst out laughing none more than Alice herself.

Mary served me up lunch, well sandwiches on a tray in the small lounge, and as I was eating them Gerry popped in, to ask if I were being looked after, but when she saw the sandwiches she said. "The ladies are looking after you I see, see you later." Then disappeared out again.

That afternoon I took a stroll and as I was passing I called in to Margaret's home. I rang the old-fashioned door pull on the side and could hear the bell ring inside. A lady in her late fifties answered the door.

"What do you want young man?" She asked.

"Margaret said to call in any time I was passing," I told her.

"MARGARET! You mean Lady Margaret, she never said anything to me about this," she replied to my question.

I heard a shuffle behind the lady and I saw Margaret.

"Denis, how lovely, Joan this is Denis Lady Gertrude's bodyguard, when he calls in future you let him in, I have invited him to call any time," Margaret said to Joan

"Come in. Come in," she said as she took my arm and let me into her den. She seemed a bit unsteady on her feet, but then she had difficulty rising from the chair at Carolyn's and I put it out of my mind, although her breath smelt of alcohol.

She turned to Joan and said, "I don't want to be disturbed for the next two hours, do you hear.

"Come now sit beside me and tell me all about yourself. Do you want a drink? Make mine a large Gin straight." I went over to the wine bar and poured Margaret a very large Gin and a Drambuie for myself. Carried them back and placed them on the table in front of us.

"Fell down the stairs last week and bruised my hip," she said and promptly lifted her dress to show me she even lifted the legs of her pants to show me the full extent of the bruising.

"You have a nasty bruise there Margaret, you should be more careful," I said. What else could I say? Stop flashing your body to me I don't want to see your cotton knickers.

She wanted to know about how I helped Gerry and Mavis and then about my discharge from the Royals. So I just filled her in briefly about it all, but she kept running her hand up and down my thigh as she had done when she got up to leave at Carolyn's.