Chapter 13

Gerry and Isobel left after tea as planned. Hermoine gave her a hug and told her to come back soon. Bruno kissed her uninjured cheek and said the same.

"Well! Well!" said Gerry with a broad smile when they arrived at her cottage. "A paved path I see."

Isobel looked at him through her eyelashes and then giggled.

"Well," she said when they were indoors, "I can't really offer you another cup of tea. It's too early for a drink so you'd better just sit yourself down while I ring Penelope."

"If you'll sit beside me otherwise I shall stand beside you like a faithful dog to give you comfort and encouragement."

"Sit then. It's a cordless phone and I'll turn the loudspeaker on so that you can hear."

She collected it from the kitchen and they both went and sat together on the sofa in the sitting room. She dialled.

"Hello, Penelope, it's Isobel I..."

"Where have you been, Isobel? Oh thank God! I've been trying to get hold of you all day because I was worried about you when you left. Then I came over and the place was locked. Are you all right?"

"Yes, Penelope. I'm sorry you've been worried. It's a long story."

"Tell me."

Isobel did.

There was a long pause at the end. "Oh Isobel, you poor little thing. You must have been in an even worse state than I thought. I ought never to have let you go home but you were adamant. Why didn't Gerry come over to you when you stopped just down the road?"

"He knew it would make me even unhappier and he'd no idea what I was really thinking."

"Thank God he was there."

"Yes but two good things have come out of it. We're going to see lots of each other," she smiled at him, "and I've given up this silly commitment thing."

"Well that is good news. Is there anything I can do?"

"No thanks, Penelope. I'm fine now apart from scratches and bruises."

"Would you like me to come over tomorrow and keep you company?"

"That's a sweet thought but I've got to work tomorrow."

"Surely not. Not with all your sore face. Henry'll understand completely. What'll you tell people about your face when they ask?"

"The same as today; that I tripped and bashed my face on a gravel path."

"Hmm. Well up to you, dear. We'll keep in touch. I'll want to hear how things go. And look after yourself."

"Thanks. I will. Goodbye, Penelope."

"Goodbye, dear."

Isobel turned to Gerry with a timid smile. "All right?" she asked anxiously.

"Very all right. Well done you." Isobel beamed. "How did you know why I didn't come over to you outside their gate?"

Isobel had regained her confidence. "Oh, I can read your mind like a book."

"Oh, you can, can you? What am I thinking now?"

She smiled mischievously. "What a pretty girl I am."

"What? With your face all bashed up?"

She nodded.

"What else?"

She coloured slightly but the smile never left her face, "Whether I'll let you kiss me."

"Will you?"

"Yes."

He took her face very gently in both hands. First he touched his lips to her bruise, then her forehead, then the tip of her nose and finally her lips. He leant back and looked at her.

"More?"

"Mmm."

This time his lips lingered longer and more firmly on hers. He sat back again letting his hands drop to take hers.

"When your face heals we're going to need to practise that a lot more."

Her eyes were shining with happiness and she nodded vigorously. "Lots and lots."

"It's pretty new to you, isn't it?"

"Completely." That was said totally seriously then her eyes began to twinkle again. "Whereas you no doubt are an expert with bags of practical experience."

"Bags and bags," he smiled and then became serious. "Almost none actually. I've never had anything like a girlfriend and I could count the number of dances where there was a bit of snogging on the fingers of one hand."

She knew he was telling the truth. "We've been a couple of lone wolves, haven't we?" Her irrepressible humour returned. "Do you think we ought to buy the manual?"

He shook his head. "Practical skills are learnt by practice not by words."

"The persuasive barrister. I suppose I'll just have to submit." She paused. "Often and lots and lots."

"That sounds fun."

"Do you think we should have a bit more practice now?"

His hands went back to cup her head. Her arms went round his chest and once again their lips met. There was greater pressure and without thought Isobel's lips opened and her tongue touched his lips and then, frightened, withdrew. They both backed off and then came forward again for more. This time the tip of Gerry's tongue met hers. They caressed and then Gerry's pressed forward and licked the inside of her lips. It withdrew and hers came forward to do the same. They pulled back simultaneously.

"Gerry?"

"Yes?"

"Did you enjoy that?"

"Very, very much."

"So did I: almost too much"

"What do you mean?"

"I ... I got all hot."

"Oh, Isobel, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

"You didn't. It's just that I ... Gerry, I was losing self-control. I wanted to put my tongue right into your mouth and run my hands all over you and ... and I wanted you to do the same to me."

"Me too."

"I ... I think we'd better stop before we get carried away and things go too far. Can you just hold me for a bit?"

"Yes."

They cuddled silently for all of quarter of an hour. Both their minds were working and both were saying the same: 'I love you'. Neither though could bring themselves to say it: Gerry because he was frightened of scaring her away again and Isobel because, although she wanted to say it, could still not quite pluck up the courage to do so. It was too irrevocable.

It was Isobel who stirred first. "Gerry, you've got an early start tomorrow. I mustn't keep you but I've got some bread and cheese or would you rather eat something at home?"

"Bread and cheese here with you, please."

Her face lit up. "Good," she said. "Right answer so you get a reward."

"Another kiss?"

"Later. A glass of beer if you'd like it."

"Great."

Over bread and cheese, Isobel asked rather shyly, "Would it be all right if I rang you during the week?"