Chapter 15

It was one evening in May when the Jays were going to bed that Jenny said, "Do you know, we haven't had any dramas since the fortnight we took over?"

"Is that a bad thing?"

Jenny giggled. "Probably not but they do add a bit of spice to life."

"Sorry I'm so dull."

"Darling!" she said exasperatedly. "You're never dull. It's just that the conversation in the bar is the same old stuff. We need something to get people interested in, something new which will bring them in because they want to talk about it."

James looked searchingly at her. "I am so lucky," he said in measured tones and then he smiled with love and happiness. "Not only are you beautiful, not only are you sexy, not only do you have brains that dwarf mine but you are an entrepreneur's dream. Of course we do. I wonder what."

"You're the inventor, the original mind," teased Jenny. "Tell me."

James kissed her nose. "Rubbish," he said. He thought for a moment. "Hey, Brendan said something that's given me an idea. Why don't we challenge Jim and his lot to a game of cricket? If that's a success we could try other pubs and possibly form a league."

Jenny nodded vigorously. "Brilliant, darling!"

"Rubbish! You were the one that sparked the idea. I'll talk to Jim tomorrow. And now let me kiss you, my darling."

Jenny melted into his arms turning her face up to be kissed.

"Take your nighty off again, my beauty," whispered James. "I want to feel every inch of you."

"You're just trying to convert me to sleeping in the nude, you dirty old man."

"Well, I sleep nude for you."

"No you don't. You sleep nude for you."

"True," smiled James, "but it does give you unfettered access to my manly body."

She smacked his bottom and licked a nipple.

"You are a very cheeky man but I love you."

They fell into bed.

"Make love to me, my darling man. Dominate me," she added huskily with a wicked grin.

James pulled her on top of him and held her arms behind her back. "Kiss me," he ordered. She did, briefly.

"Properly!"

He held her wrists in one hand and gently smacked her bottom.

"You brute!" She kissed him passionately and at length. He played with her bottom with his free hand. She began to move on him.

"Stop messing about," she hissed. "I want you now."

"All you have to do is hitch yourself up a bit." He let go of her hands and she rose above him.

"I love you, James." She straddled him and guided him into her. "With every bit of me I love you."

"I love you too, my darling Jenny. More than anything or anyone in the world."

He let her ride him for a while then rolled them over and took her vigorously. After all, she had asked him to dominate her. They came together noisily and rapturously, only to continue their lovemaking with kisses and sleepy endearments.

James rang Jim the next day. He was enthusiastic and a date was fixed for the last Saturday in June. James suggested that they should run it on a non-profit basis and that the proceedings should go to a popular charity. Jim agreed and they both would canvas their customers for a popular one.

Two days later the next drama broke. Fred did not come in at lunchtime but, unusually, came in the evening looking grimmer than usual.

"What's the matter, Fred," asked Jenny as she poured his drink. "You're obviously very upset."

"Dead roight, Oi am! Some bloody dog killed one o' moi yearling ewes."

The bar went silent. The chatter at the tables followed suit.

"You've no idea whose."

"No but Oi reckon it were a small 'un. Big 'uns wouldn't get through the fence unless they jumped it. Anyway, the wound was under the neck. Big dog would've gone 'igher up. Terrier, Oi reckon: little bugger."

"When did it happen?"

"This mornin'. Just as well it didn't get in among the pregnant ewes. There'd 'ave bin a stampede an' twenty or more stillborn lambs. You'd've thought that the owner would've come an' apologised. Not a word!"

"Possibly the dog got out and was on its own."

"Mebbe but it'd've been covered in blood."

"What can you do about it?"

"Nothin' much. Dave took a photo and is puttin' up a notice showing it an' warnin' people to control their dogs an' sayin' as 'ow 'e 'as the roight to destroy dogs as worry sheep."

Jenny served him another drink and conversation started up again. Several people commiserated with him.

Two days later a letter arrived addressed to the landlord. In very shaky writing it said,

'I am 76 years old. Three weeks ago I took over the terrier belonging to an old friend who died. It was on a lead and broke away from me. I fell and hurt my wrist. This letter is written with my left hand. The dog went into the field and chased the sheep. I called but it would not come back. It killed one of them. I am very sorry.'

It was not signed and the postmark was Southampton which covered a huge area including Atheldiston, the nearby villages and Pitsbury.

James took it straight down to Manor Farm and gave it to Carol Brinkley. Dave was out somewhere on the farm. He rang later to thank James but said that, while it was nice to get an apology, he hoped the dog would not get the opportunity to stage a repeat performance. He and his hands were now actively warning dog-walkers about the importance of control. "The trouble is," he added, "there's too many townies come out to the lovely country we have here. I don't blame them for that but half of them don't have any idea about the country code. That's why all the field gates are chained and why there are kissing gates on the rights of way."

The incident continued to be a topic of conversation for several days but was finally replaced by the cricket match. Many worthwhile charities were suggested but none was unanimously accepted. After a fortnight James was about to put it to the vote when Jim rang him.

"Do you remember Amber who used to work behind the bar?" he asked.

"Yes," replied James. "Lovely girl. She went off to university."

"At the end of her first year she was diagnosed with leukaemia."

"Oh Lord!"

"She underwent chemo and radiotherapy and was cured, thank God."

"I'm jolly pleased to hear that."

"We all were but, and you know what a game girl she is, she took part in the London Marathon in March to raise money for Leukaemia Research."

"Did she just? She's a winner, that girl."

"Well, we sponsored her but the lads here want the proceeds from the cricket to go through her to Leukaemia Research."

"That sounds a great idea but people here don't know her. I'll try them out all the same. I don't suppose you could get her to put in an appearance here."

"Not a hope. She's taking her Finals in six weeks' time and can't afford to take any time off. I could send you a photo though."

"Do that."

It was a very good photograph of Amber showing off her pretty face and lively eyes. James wrote a few words about her and mounted them with the photograph on some cardboard which he placed on the bar. He and Jenny promoted her for all they were worth, telling how before she went to university she had worked in an old peoples' home as well as the bar at the Queen's Arms.

James did hold a ballot and Amber won. The Jays were delighted as was Jim.