Chapter 13

Waking at their normal time meant that, despite the distractions, they had finished their coffee, dressed, made the beds and were ready to leave by nine. In fact, Robin changed his mind and they went rather further east than the area of Kent in which he had lived. They parked the car at Wye and walked east from there behind the Brabornes for the best part of two hours. They talked non-stop and never let go of their hands except when Lottë in sheer exuberance did a series of cartwheels.

"I used to be able to do handsprings but I'm not going to try on this hard ground," she said.

"Please don't," begged Robin. "I don't want to have to carry you for two miles or more."

"Big strong man like you? A doddle!" she teased him.

He whisked her over his shoulder in a fireman's carry and walked as bouncily as he could. "How would you like that with a sore back?" he asked.

She spanked his bottom. "Put me down. Put me down."

He gave her a smack on her bottom.

"Bully!" she squealed.

He gave her another. "Manners!"

"Pleathe, Unca Wobin, put me down."

He did so gently keeping her in his arms. She looked laughingly up at him.

"Never change, my darling," he said softly and kissed the tip of her nose.

She wriggled her arms loose and put them round his neck. "I love you," she replied seriously, "and that will never change." That earned her a more prolonged kiss.

They were back at Wye shortly after one and went to a pub Robin knew of where they had a drink and a light lunch. They were home by half past four and had a mug of tea.

Lottë looked at Robin mischievously. "How about that little nap you mentioned this morning?" she asked.

"OK," he replied nonchalantly. "What time would you like me to wake you?"

"I ... I ... thought..." she started uncertainly.

Robin took her hand with a broad smile. "Come on, my little cuddlewump."

"Ooh!" she growled but it was she who led him to his bedroom where she looked at him uncertainly.

"I'm going to strip down to my underpants," he said gently and began to suit the action to the words.

She nodded silently and started to copy him but kept her bra on. He looked at her appreciatively.

"I thought you had a pretty figure," he said, "and I was right. I'll have to take you swimming in a bikini."

That relaxed her and she gave him a timid smile.

He lifted the duvet for her. "In you hop."

He covered her and went round to his own side of the bed. She moved to him and he took her in his arms kissing her as he did so. 'This is going to take enormous self-control, ' he thought ruefully.

He began to caress her back and she snuggled more tightly against him giving a sigh of contentment. After some minutes of that he moved to her left arm paying particular attention to her elbow and her wrist. That earned him an appreciative hum. She began tentatively to stroke his back. He kissed her lightly and encouragingly. She extended the range of her stroking down to his underpants and then back up into his hair spending a longer time on the nape of his neck.

She rolled slightly away from him and pushed him onto his back. "I want to play with the hairs on your chest," she whispered. She did so exploring his face and neck as well. It clearly did not occur to her that his nipples would be sensitive until they popped up and she brushed against one. She gave a slight gasp and moved her hand away. She ventured down his abdomen and the top of his stomach. The top of his underpants were her boundary again.

She laid her head on his chest and continued to play with the hairs on it. He used his left hand to resume stroking her back.

"My darling Uncle Robin," she murmured. "I love you, love you, love you. I could stay like this forever."

"Mmm," he responded. He did not dare to try and say more. He was highly aroused and reckoned that his voice would merely be a squeak or a groan of frustration.

Then, quite suddenly, her hand stopped moving and she was asleep. Robin stopped stroking her but left his hand in the small of her back. Despite his frustration he was pleased that he had managed to restrain himself and delighted that Lottë was relaxed enough to fall asleep on his chest rather than merely on his shoulder as she had the previous night.

'I hope she doesn't bring a leg up though, ' he thought. 'It might be too much of a surprise for her.'

He craned his neck to look at the clock on his bedside table; shortly before six. He would give her half an hour and then she ought to ring Matty and Henry. He lay there happily.

In due course he started to kiss the top of her head. She murmured sleepily.

"Time to ring your parents, little one."

"Wanna stay with you," she mumbled.

"You'll be able to stay with me all night."

"Don' wanna wait that long."

"I've got to start pulling supper together."

Lottë hoisted her self up and pressed her lips to his. "You're a mean old bully," she said and kissed him again, "but I love you. Come on then. Duty calls."

She clambered off him and stood beside the bed looking down at him. Her eyes caught sight of the bulge of his erection in his underpants and widened. She turned abruptly.

"I'm only going to put on a dressing gown and slippers," she said.

"Same here."

Once in the kitchen Robin gave her a glass of white wine. She picked up the telephone and went to the sitting room closing the door behind her. She dialled her parents' number.

"Hi, Mummy!"

"Hello, darling. How are things going?"

"Oh, Mummy, I can't tell you. We're both so happy. I think probably that people can see us glowing."

Matty chuckled. "Well you obviously did what I told you and took the bull by the horns."

"I did, Mummy, that very evening and he admitted that he had grown very fond of me but produced all the arguments about the age difference and what people would say and, and, and. I answered every one of them and then told him to think about it. He promised he would but warned me not to expect a quick answer. Anyway the next morning nothing was said and we walked across the river together, said goodbye and I went to the bus stop. I turned to where I normally see him bustling off to his office and he hadn't moved. He was staring after me. I waved and he waved back and then moved off. Well, then half an hour later he rang me on my mobile and just said, "Yes, Lottë darling."

We agreed to drop work for the rest of the day so we met and walked back here. He said that he had realised that if he ever said goodbye to me other than for short periods the bottom would fall out of his world and that he needed me to be with him forever. Oh, Mummy, he was always loving ever since I was a child but now he just sort of gives it off all the time. I've never felt so loved or secure."

"Oh, Lottë sweetheart, I'm thrilled for you. What about the physical aspects?"

"Well, we've done a lot of kissing and cuddling and he's taught me to use my tongue. Golly, Mummy, does that make me tingle but we haven't really done much more. I went to my own bed last night and got one of those horrid nightmares again. I haven't had one for ages and ages. Anyway, I must have screamed because the next thing I knew was Uncle Robin was sitting on my bed holding me and trying to comfort me. Well then I didn't want to be left so he picked me up and carried me to his bed saying that there wasn't enough room in mine. Anyway, he took me in his arms and told me to put my head on his shoulder and I was out like a light. When I woke in the morning I had turned round and he was cuddled up to me behind with his arm round me and holding my shoulder."