Chapter 32

Richard woke at half past eight the next morning which was late for him. They had changed position during the night and she was now spooned up against him, her bottom against his morning erection and his right hand cradling her left breast. Richard lay there happily for some minutes but then heard the dogs banging about and realised too that he needed badly to pee.

He eased himself carefully from the bed without waking Deborah and crept to the bathroom where, having relieved himself, he had a quick shave and a shower. Then, with a towel round his waist, he tiptoed down to the kitchen. Having dealt with the dogs he started to get breakfast ready as quietly as he could because he wanted to surprise Deborah with breakfast in bed.

He was breaking eggs into a bowl for scrambled eggs when the towel was whisked from around his waist and a little naked body pressed against his back while two arms clasped his waist.

"Gotcha!" Deborah exclaimed. "Don't kid yourself you can get away from me." She kissed him between the shoulder blades. "How are you my precious darling?"

"Like a pig in clover. And now even happier that you're right beside me again." He reached round and used her bottom to pull her closer to him. "Please may I have a kiss?"

"You've just had one."

"That wasn't a proper one. I want to be able to look into your eyes."

"You can't kiss properly with your eyes open."

"What? Who told you that?"

"Some old wife."

Richard guffawed.

"Well then, more fool you for being taken in by that."

"You are a very rude man." She turned him to face her. "Prove me wrong."

He did: very passionately and very effectively.

"I love you, my man, and consider myself corrected even though I shall probably be permanently cross-eyed." Her smile as she gazed up at him almost made him cry such was his love for her. His cock thickened. "No, darling. I would love to but I really am a bit sore. Two nights in a row of almost continuous lovemaking after all this time has been too much for me. Give me more practice and I will never deny you. I promise you the spirit is more than willing but the flesh is a bit weak."

Richard pulled her back against him. "Sorry, my darling," he said, "I'd no idea. I'll never push you however much I want you which, at the moment, is all the time."

She kissed him gently. "Were you planning to bring me breakfast in bed?"

"Yes."

"Bless you, my darling, but I'd rather have it down here. I'm not that mad about any meal in bed. It's such a long way from tray to mouth I inevitably make a mess and get cross."

Richard could not help but chuckle. He had felt the same way for years and told her so.

"Great minds..."

"Such as ours."

They both giggled which meant another kiss.

"Now then, madame," said Richard pulling away and becoming all pompous, "Hi was in the process of cooking yourself a gourmet breakfast and hunless Hi rehapply myself in haste the bacon may be less than delicious. Not to mention the other hingredients such as mushrooms and tomatoes which are hon the point of spoiling."

"Pompous ass!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Richard actually served up a delicious breakfast which Deborah was quick to comment on.

"Darling," she said, "we touched on it last night when we were talking about Annette having to get used to our noisy lovemaking. Where are we going to live? Here or at the Old Post Office?"

"Oh golly! How awful of me! I'd just assumed here."

"Good! You've got the extra bedroom, bigger garden and that heavenly view from the sitting room window. The only thing is that there are a number of bits and pieces, such as the escritoire that I would want to bring with me."

"Of course there are and there will be a number of things that you will want me to get shot of. But please don't ask me to get rid of the portrait of Rachel."

"I wouldn't dream of it although I might ask you to hang it in your study rather than over the fireplace in the sitting room."

"Yes, that's only natural. You are now my life and it would be quite wrong to keep her picture in such a prominent place. I reckon we need to get a portrait of you to replace it."

Deborah's smile was ecstatic and Richard felt his throat constrict.

"You are a very sweet, loving and considerate man," she whispered. "I love you, love you, love you."

"Snap!" he replied still near tears.

There was a long silence while they both regained control of their emotions.

"Do you think I should sell the Old Post Office or let it?"

"Oof! That's a major question particularly as I haven't had my first coffee yet. Buying to let was a rather fashionable thing but the Treasury has tightened up on the tax rules. There's no doubt that you could get a very good rent for it in this 'sought after' village but you'd have to pay an agent fees for looking after it and keeping the tenants in order furthermore you would be responsible for all the repairs. If you sell you ought to make quite a lot on what you paid for it as house prices have gone up yet again. If you invest that amount of money in something tax-friendly, like an ISA, you could get quite a nice income. But there are limits on how much you can spend on an ISA in any one year. There's an estate agent that I've dealt with for the last fifteen years and he is absolutely honest and realistic. Why don't we discuss it with him first and then if he recommends selling talk to my financial adviser unless you've got one of your own.

"I haven't and what you say makes sense."

"OK, I'll talk to the estate agent on Monday and we'll take it from there."

"Thank you, darling."

"Actually, coming to think of it, if you do sell you might like to consider setting up a trust for Annette."

"Ooh, that's not a bad idea at all but I could probably do the same with the rent, couldn't I?"

"I'm sure you could but let's wait and see what the estate agent thinks."

"Yeah, sure."

They agreed that a second cup of coffee was called for and took them into the sitting-room where Richard turned the sofa so they could look out of the French window which he opened.

"You're not going to be cold, are you?" he asked.

"No," Deborah replied smilingly as she snuggled up against him. "I have my love to keep me warm. Do you know?" she went on. "Here am I thirty something and there are you almost fifty and yet I feel like a nineteen year-old."

"I don't feel much older either."

"Do you think it's rejuvenation?"

Richard chuckled. "Maybe but unfortunately we can't stop growing older. We can stay young at heart though. Do you remember that song Frank Sinatra used to sing?"

Deborah shook her head.

" 'Fairy tales can come true. It can happen to you, if you're young at heart' " Richard sang. "You are my fairy tale come true, even if you are only an elf."

"I told you," she pouted as her eyes danced, "my name is Titania."

"Of course! How could I forget, my Fairy Queen?"

"Oh, the elderly tend to become forgetful." She collapsed with giggles and Richard had to kiss them better.

"We ought to think of getting ready to go and meet your ogress sister," he said a few minutes later when the kissing was over.

"Don't be silly. She's not an ogress and you will like her a lot."

"I know I will. Do you want to go and have a shower while I do the breakfast things?"

"Actually I need a change of clothes so I ought to go home and have a shower.