A lovely start to this story.
Two unanswered questions from 'A light at the end of the tunnel' look about to be answered - one very shortly. I hope Arminel does not have to wait too long for her baby.
Thanks fatima
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| A Shadow in the Moonlight http://www.the-cbb.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=3238 |
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| Author: | Fatima [ Wed Aug 22, 2007 2:56 pm ] |
| Post subject: | A Shadow in the Moonlight |
This is the sequel to 'A light at the end of the tunnel', which is currently knocking about in Ste Therese's somewhere. In the weeks since Christmas, Gill had spent a lot of time thinking about her situation. She was delighted that she felt so positive about herself and her life. She still saw a lot of Alex and was very happy spending time with him when they were not working. Gill was not sure that Alex was as happy with their current situation, though. Several times she had felt that he was on the verge of saying something to her, but then it was as if he thought better of it. No that she was sure exactly what it was he wanted to say, but she did know that it was something more important than whether the film showing in Interlaken's popular cinema was worth watching or that the number of tourists on the Platz was steadily growing. Gill sometimes caught him looking wistfully at her, as if he was recalling better times, and she wondered if he was comparing her with Penny and finding her lacking. She could understand that, for she used to compare him with Armand and not always favourably either. Now, though, she had begun to value him for himself; he had many good qualities, for he was thoughtful and considerate and very good at keeping calm in a crisis, and Gill was beginning to think that she might actually be on the brink of falling in love with him. She certainly wanted to keep on seeing him, but as he was obviously feeling unhappy about something he did not feel he could share with her, she was not entirely certain how much longer he would wish to keep on seeing her. Towards the end of February Arminel had been filled with energy and spent her time cleaning and tidying and driving everyone mad with her almost obsessive desire for neatness. Gill had just smiled to herself, knowing that it would not be long before the baby made its appearance, and she was excited as Arminel about it. After the sudden flurry of activity, Arminel had complained about being hugely pregnant and finding that she could not get comfortable in bed at night and was always tired. Everything had gone well with her pregnancy, though, and she had coped with it all very well. Louis and Chantal were still spending every spare moment together and Genevieve had told Gill that Louis was thinking about asking Chantal to marry him. She hoped that he would discuss it with her before he took such an important step, but after their little discussion at Christmas, he had returned to his usual reticence on the subject. Helene did reassure Gill that she had spoken to Chantal and that she was in no hurry to do anything more than enjoy herself with Louis, so Gill tried her best not to expend too much energy worrying about them. Héloise had finally decided that she wanted to become a teacher, so she had applied to go to university in Zurich, and was busily studying for her exams. None of her teachers had any doubt that she would be successful in them, for she had worked steadily throughout her school career and whilst she lacked Arminel's academic brilliance, she was a clever girl and was expected to do very well. Genevieve had decided, for the time being anyhow, that she rather fancied being an air stewardess, and so was working hard at her languages. Héloise did mention that she should also be working on her personality, as she was hardly polite and biddable enough to take on such a job, but Genevieve did her best to prove Heloise wrong by failing to rise to the teasing. Arminel went into labour in the early hours of a blustery March day. She got up and quietly prepared to go to the hospital, half relieved that the long awaited day had come, and half terrified about what lay ahead of her. She knew that first babies seldom came fast, so she kept herself busy, making a cup of tea and walking slowly around the living room until Gill got up, for she felt that her mother would have a long day and did not need to be awoken so early when it was not really necessary. When Gill found Arminel already downstairs fully dressed, she guessed immediately what was happening. "How are you feeling?" she asked anxiously, although it was not really necessary, for Arminel's delicately expressive face showed exactly how apprehensive she was feeling. Gill gave her a quick hug. "It's not going to be so bad," she said comfortingly. "Let's get the others up and then call Alex." Alex had offered to drive them to the San, as it was unlikely that Louis would be available for that particular job. He seemed just as excited about the baby as the rest of the family were, and was glad that he might have the chance to be in the thick of things when Arminel went to the San. Héloise and Genevieve were all in favour of having a day off school and going to the San with Arminel and Gill, but Arminel soon put an end to that idea. "I am not having you two in the delivery room," she declared. "No way. You are both far too squeamish, anyhow. The nurses would be too busy sorting you out to actually have any time for me." "We could wait outside," suggested Genevieve hopefully. "After all, we are going to be aunts for the first time and it's only fair that we should be there." Gill directed Genevieve to the kitchen, saying, "Get some breakfast. You're going to be very early for school today. And you will be able to go to the San tonight to see the baby." "If it's actually arrived by then," said Arminel pessimistically. "Everyone says it takes ages for the first baby to be born." "We'll just have to wait and see," said Gill calmly. "Do you want any breakfast, Arminel?" Arminel gasped and almost doubled over as a stronger contraction gripped her. Genevieve watched from the doorway in alarm as Gill took Arminel's arm and gently rubbed her back. Héloise pulled Genevieve through to the kitchen and soon they could hear the two younger girls getting breakfast and having a whispered conversation. As Arminel straightened up, Gill gave her a hug. "Good girl," she said encouragingly. "I think I'd better call Alex." "You won't leave me, will you?" asked Arminel, catching hold of Gill's arm. "I'm frightened." "No, I won't leave you," promised Gill. "We'll send Heloise and Genevieve off to school and then Alex will take us to the San. Try to relax for a moment while I get ready to go." Although Alex was awoken by Gill's phone call, he promised to be with them in about fifteen minutes. He sounded delighted to hear that Arminel was about to have the baby and Gill could just imagine the look of boyish enthusiasm that he would be wearing. She then dashed off upstairs to get ready to go herself and then she saw Héloise and Genevieve off to school. She promised that she would call the school and leave a message if the baby was born while they were there, and with much hugging of Arminel and calling of good wishes, the two girls left. Just a moment later Alex arrived and Gill helped Arminel out to his car. They settled her in the back seat and put her small case in the boot and then they, too, were off. |
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| Author: | linda [ Wed Aug 22, 2007 7:45 pm ] |
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A lovely start to this story. Two unanswered questions from 'A light at the end of the tunnel' look about to be answered - one very shortly. I hope Arminel does not have to wait too long for her baby.
Thanks fatima |
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| Author: | Lottie [ Wed Aug 22, 2007 11:23 pm ] |
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Thanks, Fatima, for starting to post the sequel so quickly! I'm looking forward to more when you have time. |
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| Author: | Frogize [ Thu Aug 23, 2007 3:11 am ] |
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Thanks Becky! Now to get back to my own drabble... |
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| Author: | Fatima [ Fri Aug 24, 2007 12:54 pm ] |
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It was a long day. Gill recalled the births of her own children, remembering how she had hardly noticed how long she had spent in the delivery room and realising that it must have felt like forever to Armand. She chatted with Arminel when the pain allowed, and in between times she encouraged her and wiped her brow and generally tried to remember all the things that had helped her the most when she had been in labour. On the whole, Arminel coped very well with everything. She seemed to be in good spirits when the pain was ebbing, and she admitted to Gill that she was really eager to hold her baby and remember Matthieu, the baby's father, who had been so tragically killed in a car accident five months earlier. Several times during the day, Gill popped out to talk to Alex. He was hovering around nervously, doing a little work in the lab and then coming down to see if Arminel was all right, because he found he could not concentrate properly on what he was supposed to be doing. Gill found his behaviour amusing, for even Armand could not have been more concerned for Arminel and the baby. Alex had finished work at five, and so he collected some sandwiches from the cafeteria and came back to the delivery suite to wait until the baby was born. He gave Gill a hug, for she was looking tired, and pressed a cup of coffee on her. "How's it going?" he asked anxiously. Naughty Genevieve, who had tried so hard to keep Alex from Gill, might have been his favourite from amongst Gill's children, but Arminel ran her a close second. "Do they have any idea how much longer it will be?" Gill sipped the coffee gratefully before replying. "Not too much longer now," she said reassuringly. "And Arminel's doing fine. I'd better get back, but I will tell you as soon as there's any more news." She reached up and kissed his cheek and disappeared into the delivery room once more, leaving him to his lonely vigil. As he waited, Alex ate his sandwiches and thought about the lovely woman who was the reason for his being in the San in the first place. He had know Gill for almost two years and had fallen in love with her many long months ago. He had moved to the great San on the Gornetz Platz in order to see her and hopefully spend some time with her, and she had seemed so pleased to discover that he was to be living and working so close to her. They had got into the habit of meeting in the canteen for their lunch each day and he often visited her chalet in the evenings, or at weekends. He took her to Interlaken when they had the time to escape from their responsibilities, and they talked and held hands and it was all very companionable. Unfortunately, companionable was not what he wanted to be with Gill, not by any stretch of the imagination. Alex threw the sandwich wrapper in the bin and stared out of the window, watching the trees blowing in the blustery March gale. He knew it was partly his own fault that he and Gill were just good friends, for he had done very little to let her know the way he really felt about her. He had never asked her to marry him, nor had he even suggested that he left his lonely chalet and his solitary existance and came to live with her in her noisy, happy home. Alex knew exactly why he had never made any of these suggestions, and he was rather ashamed of the reason - he was scared of being rejected by her. She had told him all about her husband, and Alex knew from the look in her eyes as she spoke of Armand that she had adored him. They had been all in all to each other, and Gill had been devastated by his death. Alex did not think that he could compete with this epitome of husbandly perfection and was more than a little nervous about even trying to. And so he let his friendship with Gill remain platonic, even though he was starting to feel very unhappy about the whole situation. Just after six o'clock, Gill emerged from the delivery room again, looking as though she was on the verge of tears. For a moment Alex wondered if the whole thing had gone wrong, but her first words put his mind at rest on that score. "It's a boy," she said with a sob. "He's gorgeous Alex, and they say he's absolutely fine. Arminel's just gone off for a bath." Alex caught her in his arms. "That's wonderful," he said as she sobbed against his shoulder. "I'll go and fetch Héloise and Genevieve. I'm sure they are worried." "Come in and have a quick peep at him first," she said, catching his hand and dragging him into the delivery room. A nurse was dressing the baby, having given him a thorough check up and bathed him. She then handed him to Gill, who proudly showed him off to Alex. Alex was surprised that he should feel so moved by the sight of the baby. Perhaps that was what it felt like when people dear to you had children, he realised. He had no children himself and so had little experience of babies. "He's lovely," he agreed, and Gill laughed at the surprise in his voice. "Well, I don't know much about babies," he protested. "But this is certainly a nice looking one. I thought they were all meant to be bald and red-faced and unattractive?" "No, they aren't," Gill told him firmly. "But I think it's safe to say that Arminel has produced one of the better looking variety." "Arminel is going to be taken up to the ward now," the nurse said, returning silently to the room. "If you like I can show you where she'll be, and you can take the baby up to her." Gill agreed at once, for she was eager to see how Arminel was feeling, so they followed the nurse up to the large, airy ward. Arminel was already in bed there, lying back against her pillows and looking expectantly at the doorway. Her eyes lit up when she saw Gill coming towards her, carrying the precious bundle she was so eagerly awaiting. Alex followed Gill to Arminel's bedside, forcibly reminded of the first time he had met her, in a hospital bed following the car crash that had taken Matthieu's life. This time she looked so much better, her normally pale cheeks becomingly pink and her face full of anticipation. As Gill placed the well-wrapped baby into Arminel's arms, she looked down into the little face and Alex felt that he could almost see her fall in love with her son. "Congratulations Arminel," he said, leaning over and kissing her cheek. "He's gorgeous." Gill sat down on the bed, completely oblivious of the glares she was given by the rather fearsome sister on duty. "He's better than gorgeous," she said happily. "I'll go and get Héloise and Genevieve," Alex put in. "They won't want to miss this." He kissed both women, but they hardly seemed to notice, so captivated were they by the baby. |
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| Author: | Frogize [ Fri Aug 24, 2007 2:54 pm ] |
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I've spent hours on the board today! Thanks for this Becky! I'm feeling as weepy as Gill! Hope he looks like Matthieu and what's his name please? |
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| Author: | Lottie [ Fri Aug 24, 2007 4:22 pm ] |
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I'd guess that Arminel might name her baby after his dead father and grandfather - gosh - don't they both sound bereft when I put it like that. Thanks, Fatima. |
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| Author: | Fatima [ Fri Aug 24, 2007 5:06 pm ] |
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Alex brought Arminel's sisters to the hospital and they greeted her joyfully, both eager to see the baby and to cuddle him. Not long afterwards, Louis arrived, having sped up from Interlaken to see his nephew. They all gathered around Arminel's bed and did their best to chatter in low tones, but they were all so excited that it was difficult to remember to be quiet. "So what will you call him?" asked Genevieve, once she had finally been allowed to hold him. Arminel looked at the eager expressions on their faces and laughed. She had put in a lot of thought about names and wanted to make sure it was something just right. "He's going to be called Philippe," she said, "for no better reason than I like it. And then he will have Matthieu, and finally Laroche." "Philippe," said Gill thoughtfully, deciding that it was a fine name. "How nice." "My father was called Philip," said Alex quietly. Arminel smiled at him. "Then I'm doubly glad I chose it," she said, pleased to have made him happy. Alex smiled back at her, enjoying the feeling of being part of the family. He usually felt welcome when he visited their home, but sitting in the hospital and being among the first to hear the new baby's name made him feel even more accepted by them all. "I think we should leave Arminel to get some sleep," said Gill, noticing how tired she looked beneath her happiness. "Come on, Jen, give Philippe back to Arminel." Genevieve reluctantly handed the baby over. "I'd only just got him," she complained. "You will have plenty of opportunity to hold him when I'm at home," said Arminel placatingly. "I shall be in school all day, though," protested Genevieve. "Come on, let's let Arminel have a rest," said Louis, standing up and taking Genevieve's arm. "Well done, Arminel, we are all very impressed with our nephew." He leaned over and kissed her and then drew Genevieve out of the ward. Héloise and Alex followed, leaving Gill to reluctantly say goodbye as well. "We'll see you tomorrow," she said, dropping a kiss onto Philippe's forehead. "Try to sleep tonight - it might well be your last chance!" Arminel chuckled, but felt glad that they were all going to leave her in peace. She had enjoyed seeing them all, but she wanted time to think about her baby and to remember Matthieu. It was not that she had forgotten him, far from it, but she had been seized by the sudden need to think back over the few short months that she had spent with him, and maybe even to shed a few tears for him. "Thank you Mum," she said. "You were wonderful today. I couldn't have done it without you." Gill kissed Arminel. "Oh yes you could," she said with certainty. "Goodbye darling." "I think we should go to the Gornetz Cafe and have a celebratory dinner," said Alex as they left the San. "What do you think, Gill? You must be so hungry." "Oh yes!" exclaimed Genevieve excitedly. "That would be lovely, Alex. Wouldn't it be a perfect end to the day, Mum?" "Yes, it would be lovely," Gill agreed, putting a hand through Alex's arm. "Louis, where are you going?" "I thought I'd go and tell Onkel Hans and Tante Helene the news," said Louis. "You just want to see Chantal!" Genevieve teased him. "Bring her along as well," suggested Gill, not wanting to see him disappear so soon. "I'll ask her," he promised. "Don't wait for me though." Alex unlocked his car and the girls got into the back seat, while Gill sat in the front next to Alex. He drove them to the ever popular Gornetz Cafe and they found a table near the window, where they could laugh and chatter to their hearts content without disturbing the quieter atmosphere at the back of the cafe. They ordered their food and Alex asked if it would be possible for them to have a bottle of champagne. The waitress promised to see what she could do and then went off to fill their orders. "So you are actually a granny now," said Genevieve, giving Gill her cheekiest grin. "What does that feel like?" "I'm actually very happy with the idea," said Gill with dignity. "But don't go thinking that I'm now too old to keep up with you, young lady." "He is gorgeous, though," Héloise put in. "Arminel's very lucky." "Arminel has an awful lot of work ahead of her now," Gill pointed out, eager to make the two younger girls realise some of what Arminel had to face, and to face on her own. She was not eager for either of them to get into the same position as Arminel, if she could do anything about it. "Philippe may be adorable, but he is going to demand an awful lot of Arminel's time and energy for the next twenty years, and more." Genevieve looked surprised to hear it put like that. "Twenty years?" she asked doubtfully. Alex laughed. "Well, look at the grief you give your mother, and you are only thirteen!" he pointed out. The waitress brought them their dinner and a bottle of reasonable champagne that she had discovered. Alex popped the cork and they drank toasts to Arminel and Philippe. Louis and Chantal arrived mid-way through the toasts, so more glasses were procured and more dinner ordered. Gill, sitting in the midst of her family, wondered when she had last felt as happy. Louis and Chantal were sitting side by side, holding hands under the table when they thought no one would notice, and generally trying to behave as if they were not head over heels in love with each other. Héloise and Genevieve, allowed small glasses of champagne, were giggling together and Alex looked completely relaxed and happy. To an outsider it would look as if he was part of the family, Gill's husband and the father of the children. They enjoyed their meal because of the company more than because the food was excellent. The safe arrival of Philippe had made them all cheerful and they talked and laughed and had a splendid time. Finally, Gill noticed that it was almost nine o'clock, and that the girls had not done any of their preparation for the next morning. Although Genevieve begged Gill to call Mrs. Entwhistle and explain that they had been celebrating the birth of Arminel's long awaited baby, Gill refused to be so obliging and said that they should at least try to do some of the work that evening. Louis disappeared with Chantal, saying that he would come up and see Arminel again the next day, so Alex dropped Gill, Héloise and Genevieve back home. Although Gill invited Alex to come in for some tea, he refused; he had not been back to his house since his hasty departure that morning and needed to make sure that he had everything prepared for the next day. "Thank you so much for being there today," she said, kissing him as they stood on the doorstep. "You have a wonderfully comforting presence." Alex refrained from saying that she could have found something far nicer to say about him than that, but he did not wish to spoil what had been such a happy day. "It's been my pleasure," he told her sincerely. "It's been a lovely day, and I"m really happy for Arminel, and you." "I'd better go in and make sure the girls are getting something done," said Gill. "See you tomorrow." "For sure," he answered, heading back to his car. He got in and drove off, unaware that she was standing on the doorstep watching him go with a very thoughtful look on her face. |
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| Author: | Lottie [ Fri Aug 24, 2007 5:21 pm ] |
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Another lovely long update - thanks, Fatima! And I was half right over the names. 
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| Author: | brie [ Fri Aug 24, 2007 5:39 pm ] |
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Thanks Becky. This is great |
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| Author: | Frogize [ Fri Aug 24, 2007 5:42 pm ] |
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So what's Gill looking 'thoughtful' about I wonder? |
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| Author: | linda [ Fri Aug 24, 2007 9:20 pm ] |
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Thanks Becky. I'm glad the baby has arrived safely and that Arminel is OK. Love the names, but I am glad that he doesn't have Matthieu as his first name. He needed his own name. I'm worried about Alex and Gill. Do they need something to give them a push in the right direction? Hope things are not going to cool between them. 
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| Author: | Elbee [ Fri Aug 24, 2007 9:29 pm ] |
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I hope Alex and Gill have a good talk soon. Thanks, Fatima. |
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| Author: | Fatima [ Sat Aug 25, 2007 12:42 pm ] |
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Thanks for your comments. Arminel spent almost a week in hospital. Gill visited her as often as she could and sometimes reached the ward to find that Alex was already there. Arminel told Gill that he often popped in during the day and that he seemed very taken with Philippe. Héloise and Genevieve were allowed a brief visit after school each day, and complained long and hard that they were seldom allowed to see Philippe awake, but Gill knew that they needed to keep up with their schoolwork. When Arminel came home,she found out exactly how difficult it was to care for a tiny baby. Gill was happy to do the housework and cook the meals, but she did not want to interfere with the way Arminel looked after her son. Arminel had been determined to breastfeed the baby, but seh found that it was not as easy as everyone had led her to believe that it would be. Philippe seemed to be perpetually hungry and Arminel spent hours worrying that he was not getting enough nourishment. Then there was all the changing of nappies and washing of clothes to be done, and Arminel found that she felt guilty if she left it all for Gill to do, so she tried to do the washing herself. Often though, she would put a load of washing in the machine and then Philippe would need feeding and changing and half a day would pass before she even had time to put the washing out. Then she would find that Gill had already done it. As the weeks passed, Gill found herself feeling even closer to Arminel. Arminel often asked her for advice and generally followed it when she was given any, and they spent ages sitting together talking about babies. Gill admitted that she had been very depressed when the twins were tiny, and Arminel could sympathise, having discovered how difficult it was to look after one baby, let alone two and a husband and house, too. Gill reassured Arminel that she did not mind helping out with the washing and nappy changin and finally got around to asking the question that had been bothering her since Philippe's birth. "What are you going to do in September?" Arminel looked down at the baby in her arms. "I don't know," she admitted. "I have been trying not to think about it at all." Gill put her cup of tea down on the coffee table and sat down next to Arminel on the settee. She gently turned Arminel's face towards her and looked seriously at her. "You will have to decide," she said. "You are more than welcome to stay here, you know that, but are you really willing to give up all your dreams? Some day you will need to go to work, but can you imagine settling for anything less than being a doctor?" Slowly Arminel shook her head. "No, I can't," she said quietly. "It's all I have ever wanted to do. I just can't imagine how I would ever find time to go to lectures or study anything, though." "It won't be quite so difficult then," said Gill. "Philippe will be six months old and he'll be less demanding." "I will have to leave him for so long at a time," Arminel went on reflectively. "That will be difficult." Gill chuckled. "Only for the first time," she said, recalling her own experiences of leaving the twins in kindergarten while she went back to work. "After that, once you know they will be well cared for, you don't mind so much." "Why don't you come and live in Paris with me?" suggested Arminel, only half joking. "You could care for Philippe while I was at work. I'd be happy if he was with you." "Oh, I don't think so," Gill answered with a smile. "I need to be here, with Héloise and Genevieve." "And Alex?" teased Arminel, but she knew that Gill was right. Philippe was her responsibility and one that she would accept willingly. "Perhaps," said Gill, reaching out and smoothing Arminel's hair. "He's finished now by the looks of him. Let me take him while you drink your tea." Arminel handed the baby to Gill, who expertly put him over her shoulder. She leaned back against the settee again, sipping her tea and realising that she would finally have to face the thought of going back to Paris. As well as worrying about what Arminel was going to do, Gill was doing a great deal of thinking about Alex. He often popped over to visit them and ended up staying for the evening, watching television with them or chatting to Gill over a pot of tea. He would still sit with an arm around Gill once the children had disappeared for the night, but was always very correct and almost distant when they were around. Gill was glad about that, for she would not have felt comfortable with anything else, but as he maintained such proper behaviour when they were alone, she began to wonder if he was losing interest in her. He was obviously so fond of the children, especially baby Philippe, that he wished to continue to visit their chalet, but that he was increasingly coming to see them rather than Gill herself was something she did not want to deal with. For so long, Gill had been in love with Armand. It had felt right being with him, for he had been like the other half of her. He had stayed with her through thick and thin and had been the centre of her universe for so many years. When he had died, she had felt as though a part of her had died, too, and had never imagined that she would be able to put herself back together and carry on with her life. She had certainly never believed that there would come a time when she would lie alone in the darkness and think of another man. Yes, she did still think of Armand, recalling the way he had looked at her and touched her and the way her life had been when he was part of it, but he no longer filled her thoughts all the time. Increasingly often she found herself thinking about Alex and remembering how he had looked at her, or odd things he had said to her that made her feel happy. Alex was liked and respected at the San. The children were very fond of him and accepted his presence in their home and in their lives unquestioningly. They included him in the things they did - he had been dragged along to the Chalet School Christmas play to see Genevieve as an angel and to hear Héloise singing her tiny solo. He took part in birthday celebrations and was around on both Christmas day and Easter day. He even sat with them all in church on a Sunday. Hans and Helene liked Alex and generally invited him to dinner with Gill, as if they were an accepted couple. Despite all this, Gill felt as though they were growing apart instead of together. Alex missed Arminel when she left the hospital. He had enjoyed visiting her at odd moments through the day and he knew that she had been happy to see him, or she was very good at pretending to be happy to see him. He still saw plenty of her once she got home, but it was not quite the same, chatting to her and Gill together. As the weeks passed, Alex found that he could not stop thinking about the Laroche family. At any moment of the day or night thoughts of them would pop into his mind, images of Gill, of course, but also of baby Philippe and his lovely mother, of Louis and Chantal, still besotted with each other, of Héloise and Genevieve. He began to think harder about sitting down with Gill and asking her what she saw happening to the pair of them in the future. He was filled with a desperate need to know where he stood with her, and yet he could not quite manage to ask her for fear of hearing that she was happy with the way things were and did not want to get any more involved with him than she already was. Each evening he spent in Gill's house, Alex began to wonder what it would be like to live there all the time. He would be able to help Genevieve with her homework and talk to Héloise about the news or the films that they watched on television. Maybe Louis would feel able to confide in him; Gill had already admitted that Louis was a very private person and seldom spoke to her about his feelings for Chantal. And above all he could be with Gill day and night, sharing his life with her and enjoying everything far more because she was there beside him. |
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| Author: | Frogize [ Sat Aug 25, 2007 1:50 pm ] |
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Alex and Gill, please talk to each other! |
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| Author: | brie [ Sat Aug 25, 2007 6:05 pm ] |
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*echoes frogize* |
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| Author: | leahbelle [ Sun Aug 26, 2007 2:00 pm ] |
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They definitely need to talk! Thanks, Becky. Really enjoying this. |
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| Author: | Fatima [ Sun Aug 26, 2007 5:52 pm ] |
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Sorry, this bit's very long... Early in May, Gill's sister-in-law, Monique, arrived for a short visit, with her husband Andre. Gill and Monique had been very close since they first met and Gill was pleased to see her again. Monique was delighted with Philippe and was really happy to spend time with her nephew and nieces. Over the weekend of their visit Gill invited Helene and Hans to dinner, along with Alex, and the six of them had a splendid time together. Helene was Monique's cousin in addition to being one of Gill's closest friends, and Hans and Alex were friendly, too, so conversation did not languish throughout the meal or over coffee afterwards. Once the guests had gone home, Monique took Gill to one side. "I can't believe you haven't married Alex yet," she said, for she had never been one to beat around the bush. "He's so lovely and I think you'd be really happy with him." "Oh, I don't think he's quite as interested in me as he used to be," replied Gill honestly. "He's still really good to us, but I think it's the children he likes to see now, not me." "I don't think so," said Monique, for she had caught some of the looks that Alex had given Gill when she had been talking or laughing and not looking at him. He was so obviously in love with her that Monique was astounded that Gill could think any differently. "Besides," went on Gill, "do you really want me to marry again? What about Armand?" Monique reached out and took Gill's hand. "I know Armand would only ever have wanted you to be happy," she said softly. "He would be furious if he thought that you were trying to cling on to him instead of going in pursuit of happiness. He wouldn't want you to be lonely, Gill." "Oh, I'm definitely not lonely," said Gill, but there were tears in her eyes. She did not often cry for all that she had lost with Armand, but sometimes the thought of him was just so painful it brought tears to her eyes. "A second marriage can be lovely," said Monique, speaking with the voice of experience. "I couldn't imagine anyone taking Pierre's place, and Andre hasn't. He has his own place and we are so happy together." "I know you are," said Gill, managing to smile. "I just don't know if Alex is interested in marriage. I'm actually not sure what he is interested in any more." "Talk to him," Monique advised. "Tell him how you feel and see what he says." "I don't know how I feel, though," said Gill. "Other than that I wish he wasn't slipping away from me." "That's a start," said Monique. "Talk to him, Gill. I'm sure he really cares about you. And I shall expect you to call me as soon as you have spoken to him. I want all the details!" Gill laughed. It was impossible to feel sad for long with Monique around. "I'll call you," she promised. Although Gill had resolved to talk to Alex, it was not as easy to do as she had thought. Both at home and at work there were so many people coming and going that it was difficult to find time when they were alone and unlikely to be disturbed. Finally, Gill decided that she would have to persuade him to go to Interlaken one evening for dinner, so that he would be a captive audience in a place where the chance of them being disturbed was very slim. Gill suggested dinner in one of their favourite restaurants in Interlaken, but they were unable to go until the following weekend. In between Monique's departure and her dinner date with Alex, Gill have the matter of the future some serious thought. She came to the conclusion that her feelings for Armand were pretty much the same as her feelings for the children - they were unlikely to change and whoever wanted to get involved with her would have to accept that. However, in the same way that she had fallen in love with Philippe, so she could fall in love with Alex, and no one would be loved any less as a result. It would take nothing from her feelings for Armand if she loved Alex and perhaps if she could explain that to him, he would understand and accept her for what she was. Nervously, Gill got ready to go to Interlaken. She told Héloise and Genevieve to behave themselves, although that was rather more from habit than because she seriously believed that they would get into mischief while she was away. Arminel was nominally in charge, but she had plans to put Philippe down early and get some sleep. Louis, of course, had disappeared with Chantal to some undisclosed romantic venue. When Gill saw Alex she wondered if he had guessed that she wanted to talk to him, for he was well dressed and nervous looking, much as she was herself. She got into the car beside him and they made rather forced conversation, interspersed with awkward silences, all the way to Interlaken. They parked the car and strolled to the restaurant arm in arm, feeling more relaxed as they faced each other across the dimly lit table. They ordered their meal and Gill decided to leave the discussion until the food arrived. Alex leaned forward, looking earnestly across the table at her. "Gill, I think we need to talk," he said, much to her surprise. "Yes," she agreed lamely, feeling that he had stolen her thunder. Alex took a deep breath. He had given the matter careful consideration and had decided to lay his cards upon the table. "I love you," he told her. "I'm finding it really difficult to carry on like this, though..." "You do?" she interrupted. "Are you sure?" "Yes, of course I'm sure," he told her, rather taken aback by her question. "It's just I thought you didn't," she told him. "I thought it was the children you wanted to see, not me." "Whatever gave you that idea?" he asked, puzzled. "You don't seem to be as happy with me as you are with them," she said slowly, wondering exactly what had made her think that he did not enjoy her company any more. "I have been feeling that you wanted to say something to me for ages, but that you can't quite make yourself say it. I just thought that you wanted to stop seeing me." "No," he assured her, reaching out to take her hand. "But you are right about me wanting to say something. I have to tell you that I can't go on like this much longer. It's awful going home each night, missing you, spending some evenings alone, thinking of you and what you are doing. It's so difficult to be so much a part of your family and yet not quite as much a part of it as I would like to be." Just for a moment Gill thought that he was going to ask her to marry him, and she knew instinctively that she would have to say no. She was not sure why she felt that after all the worrying she had done about whether Alex still liked her or not, but nonetheless she knew that she would turn him down if he proposed to her. "So what do you think we should do?" she asked him. "Do you want to move in with us?" "I'm not sure," he replied. "I mean yes, I would very much like to move in with you, but only if it's what you want, too." Much to her relief, Gill found that their food was arriving. At least she would gain a few minutes grace before she had to answer him. She watched as the waitress gave them their plates of Zurcher Eintopf, a delicious hot-pot, and wondered what she should say to him. She had expected the idea of living with him to fill her with a similar feeling that the idea of marriage gave her, but she realised that she was far more open to the idea of letting him come to live with them. Perhaps because it was not such a committment as marriage; if either of them did not feel happy with living together they could simply go their own ways. That would not be as easy to do if they had got married first. The waitress wished them both bon appetite and left them to enjoy their meal. Once she had tasted a few mouthfuls, Gill looked directly at Alex and found him already watching her. As she looked up from her meal, she saw the way he was looking at her and knew that she need not have worried about his feelings for her. "Alex, I have an idea," she told him, seized by sudden inspiration. "At the end of June the school breaks up for the holiday and we are planning to go to France for the summer. What if I send the children on ahead with Arminel and stay here for an extra couple of weeks and you move in then. That way we don't have to get the children's hopes up - they would be so thrilled if you came to live with us and then so disappointed if it didn't work out. We can see what we think in peace and quiet." To Alex's way of thinking June seemed a very long way away. But he clung to the thought that she actually wanted him to move in with her and was prepared to send the children off on holiday so that they could spend some quality time together. And Gill was quite right to think of the children. They might find it difficult to adjust to his presence in their home, however much they had accepted him so far, and it would be better to see if it was worth disrupting their lives because he and Gill really wanted to be together before going ahead and doing so. Perhaps it would be easier for them to accept something that he and Gill were already certain of than to be around in the middle of an experimental altering of their relationship. Alex smiled at her. "That's a good idea," he told her. "I wish we didn't have to wait until June though," he added honestly, "But I understand why you think we should and I agree. I'd hate to upset Genevieve and have her after me again!" Gill chuckled at the memory of Genevieve's efforts to keep Alex away from Gill. She caught Alex's eye across the table and suddenly felt completely reassured about his feelings for her. There was no way he could look at her like that and not be very much in love with her. She reached out and took his hand. "Thank you Alex," she said, happier than she thought she would be after their talk. "I'm so pleased we've sorted this out. I have been worried that you were miserable with me and I am so glad that you aren't." "Oh, I am definitely not miserable with you," he told her. "And now I shall be even happier. Roll on June!" The rest of their dinner went very well. Afterwards they took a short walk alongside the river and in a particularly quiet spot Alex took Gill in his arms and kissed her. They returned to her chalet for coffee and then Alex lingeringly took his leave of her, even more reluctant to go now that he knew how she felt about him. It was only as he was driving away from her home that he actually realised that he did not know how she felt about him; in fact she had said nothing at all about how she felt. Alex almost turned the car round then and there to go back and ask her, but something stopped him. He knew that he would have to go back home and think about this some more, he would need to run the whole thing through again and see if there had been some hint about her feelings for him, or whether she was just going along with him. Alex parked the car and went into his house, wondering how he could crash down from such happiness into such despair so quickly. In just a few short moments he had lost all the optimism that had filled him when she suggested that he move in with her. Now he could do nothing but think that she had some ulterior motive for wanting him to live with them. He found himself falling prey to ever more foolish ideas - she was after his money. No, he reasoned, she was comfortably off and he had not got a lot of money, as Penny's treatment had been expensive. Was she after a father for her children, or even for Philippe, he wondered, but he dismissed that idea too. Gill was not like that. She was honest and trustworthy. She only asked him to move in with her because she wanted to spend more time with him just as he did with her. |
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| Author: | Frogize [ Sun Aug 26, 2007 7:56 pm ] |
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The man has obviously been living on his own for far too long! Stop talking to yourself Alex and get on the phone! Absolutely loving this Becky! Thanks! |
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| Author: | brie [ Mon Aug 27, 2007 12:58 pm ] |
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Thanks Becky. Poor Alex |
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| Author: | Kathy_S [ Mon Aug 27, 2007 2:16 pm ] |
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Good to see them both so reassured. Things are looking very promising.... |
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| Author: | Fatima [ Mon Aug 27, 2007 5:34 pm ] |
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Alex went to bed but could not sleep. He kept on tossing and turning, unable to decide what to do about Gill now. Should he just go along with her, or should he challenge her, aks her how she felt about him and what exactly she wanted from him? Alex could not decide what to do. One minute he had almost lifted the telephone to dial her number and the next he was sure it was better to break it off with her completely. When he finally fell asleep, he had long, involved and rather chilling nightmares and in the morning he awoke feeling uneasy and definitely not refreshed. He could not recall the details of his dreams, but they had left him feeling ill at ease. A shower and some coffee made him feel a little better and some time spent quietly pottering in the garden also helped. He was supposed to be going to dinner with the Laroches, and although he considered calling to cancel, he finally decided that he needed to see Gill and tell her how he was feeling. Regardless of the way she felt about him, he knew he loved her and he wanted to be with her. He just needed to find out how she felt about him before he let himself become so involved with her that he could not escape being hurt. He decided to walk to Gill's place, as it was a lovely morning, sunny and yet not too hot, and as he neared Gill's home he found himself feeling better. It had only been a dream, there was nothing to worry about. Gill was naturally nervous about committing herself as she had the children to consider. With a smile at his foolishness, Alex rang the doorbell. Gill answered the door herself. She had obviously been cooking, for she was wearing an apron and had flour on her cheek. "Hello," she said, smiling as she saw him. "Come in." Once he had stepped over the threshold she reached up and kissed him and as her eyes met his he felt suddenly reassured. "I'm making a cake for tea," she explained. "Genevieve asked why I don't make cakes any more, and so I thought I should give it a go. I often made cakes for the children at weekends when they were little but seldom bother now. Come and help me." Thrilled by her easy manner, which was like a balm to his troubled soul, he caught her in his arms and held her tightly for a moment. "I've had such awful nightmares," he told her. Forgetting the flour on her hands, she put her arms around him and hugged him in return. "Poor Alex," she said sympathetically. "Come on in and have a drink. Coffee or sherry?" "Sherry sounds perfect," he said and he followed her through to the kitchen. Soon he was seated at the kitchen table, a glass of sherry in front of him, watching her mixing her cake. "Gill, I have to ask you something," he said at last, knowing that he needed to find out the truth. Gill reached for her cake tin and began to scrape the mixture in. "What?" she asked, glancing over at him. "Do you love me?" There, he had said it. Now he would get to hear the truth. Alex could only hope that he would actually get the answer he hoped for. He looked over at her again and just for a moment thought that she would avoid his question, or ignore it altogether. "Yes," she told him, giving him a smile that made his heart leap. "Oh, Alex, I'm sorry," she said, coming over and dropping a kiss on the top of his head. "I do love you and I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Alex felt immesurably relieved. "I was worrying all night," he admitted. "I'm sorry I was so idiotic." Gill put her cake into the oven and passed him the empty bowl. "Do you want to scrape it out?" she asked him. "We usually fight over it here, but I think you deserve it most today." Alex looked surprised to hear this, but he tasted the cake mixture anyhow. "Oh, I can see now why you fight over it," he told her. "I've never done this before, but I shan't look at cakes in the same light again!" Gill washed her hands, removed her apron and sat down next to him. "I am so sorry I didn't say something last night," she told him. "I"m really happy with you, and I'm so looking forward to you coming to live here. It's going to be wonderful." Alex put his arms around her and drew her closer. "Yes," he agreed, leaning down and kissing her. "Wonderful." She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back, wondering how she could ever have believed that he was no longer interested in her. He so obviously loved her that she must have been blind not to have noticed. Finally they heard footsteps on the stairs and quickly pulled apart, and by the time that Héloise appeared in the kitchen they were sitting decorously at the table, discussing the relative merits of sweet sherry over the drier varieties. "Hello Alex," said Héloise, pulling out a chair and joining them. "Mum, I've done all my homework now." "Well done," said Gill, for Héloise had been givena tremendous pile of work for the weekend. She was hard-working, though, and Gill had known that she would get through it all. "Are you going to school for the tennis this afternoon?" "Yes," answered Héloise. She enjoyed playing tennis and had been a reserve for the school team the previous summer. This summer she had worked really hard and had made it into the team, and so wanted to attned the practice to be held that afternoon. "I think Jen wants to come, too." "Yes, I do!" Genevieve almost danced into the kitchen. "I've done my work, Mum. Hi, Alex. Why don't you come and watch us this afternoon?" "Tell Arminel we'll look after Philippe and take her with you," suggested Gill. "She could do with some sunshine and exercise. She's been looking very pale lately." "Ok," Genevieve agreed easily. "Shall I set the table?" Very soon the meal was ready and Arminel appeared, carrying Philippe. Alex noticed that Gill was right, she did look very pale and rather tired. They sat down to eat and he noticed that she picked at her food, hardly eating anything at all. She did not join in much with the conversation either, and Alex wondered what was worrying her. She did agree to go to the school with Héloise and Genevieve, though, but decided to take Philippe with her, for he might enjoy some fresh air. Once they had left, Alex asked Gill about Arminel. "She looks worried about something." "She's thinking about going back to Paris," Gill explained. She set two mugs of tea down and sat beside him on the settee. "She really wants to carry on with her degree, but she is reluctant to spend so much time away from Philippe." "I see," said Alex, feeling sorry that Arminel had such a difficult choice to make. He put his arm around Gill and drew her closer. "I wish there was something I could do to help her," he said. "We just have to support her decision," said Gill wisely. "We can't do anything more than that." "They are so lucky having you for a mother," he told her. "You are so supportive, but you don't smother them." Without waiting for her to answer, he pressed his lips to hers and they spent the rest of the afternoon blissfully oblivious to any worries. Over the next few weeks both Gill and Alex were excited at the prospect of moving in together. They were both very cheerful, laughing a lot and whispering together when they thought no one would notice. The children were unworried when Gill told them that they would leave for France a fortnight before she did, happily accepting her excuse that she had to work a few more days before she could have her holiday. The school term finished with a garden party. Héloise and Genevieve insisted that Alex should come along, because there was to be a pageant and they were both involved. He went with Gill and Arminel and no one looked at them askance as he and Gill walked around arm in arm. Gill did notice that several people, most noticeably the elder and more traditional residents of the Platz, gave disapproving looks to Arminel and Philippe, but no one actually dared say anything about Arminel's rather irregular situation. Once school had finished, Gill helped everyone to pack their cases and very soon the day of their departure arrived. Alex was to take them to the airport, as Louis was working a few more weeks before taking his holiday, so early in the morning they packed the cases and the girls into Alex's car and headed off to the airport. Although Gill felt a little sad to be seeing her girls off to France, she was excited at the thought of spending the next fortnight with Alex. It would be so nice to have him to herself she thought, glancing across at him out of the corner of her eye. He was concentrating on the road, his face serious, and she could not stop herself from smiling happily. She felt very lucky when she realised that she had found someone as kind and as thoughtful as Alex. He glanced across at her then and found her looking intently at him. "What?" he demanded, momentarily put off by her gaze. "Nothing," she assured him. He winked at her, making her giggle, and then she realised that they were almost at the airport. They were lucky enough to find a parking space easily and soon had all of the luggage on a trolley. Alex wheeled it into the airport and they helped the three girls to check in. Very soon they were standing at the departure gate and Gill was cuddling Philippe for the last time before they left. "Tante Monique will meet you in Nice," she told Arminel for the tenth time. "Yes, Mum, you told us," said Arminel with a smile. "Don't worry, we'll be fine." "I know you will," said Gill, smiling back at her. "But I like to worry about you all." "We should be going," said Héloise, glancing at the monitor above them. "I want to get some perfume in the duty free before we go." Gill kissed Philippe's tiny cheek and reluctantly handed him back to his mother. "I shall miss him," she said. She hugged Genevieve and then Héloise. "Have a good time," she said. "See you soon." As Gill turned to kiss Arminel, Genevieve gave Alex a hug. Surprised, he hugged her back, thinking how far she had come since the days when she had aimed to stop him from seeing Gill. Héloise and Arminel hugged him too, and Alex found that he was almost as close to tears as Gill as the three of them disappeared through the door into the departure lounge. "Now it's just us," said Gill, turning to look up at him. He put his arm around her shoulders and she slid hers around his waist. "Come on," he said, hoping that he did not sound too eager, "Let's go home." |
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| Author: | brie [ Tue Aug 28, 2007 10:45 am ] |
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Thanks Becky, they are lovely together. It's so nice to see Gill's family so accepting. |
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| Author: | Frogize [ Tue Aug 28, 2007 11:44 am ] |
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Now, Alex, please don't start thinking yourself out of this now! That goes for you, too, Gill! |
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| Author: | Fatima [ Tue Aug 28, 2007 5:32 pm ] |
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The journey from Berne back to Interlaken seemed to take forever. Eventually, though, they neared Interlaken and Alex suggested that they stop there for a meal before going back up to the Gornetz Platz. "I'd rather get home," said Gill with a smile. "I can easily cook something for us. Don't you think it would be nice to eat together at home?" "Yes," he agreed, imagining the two of them cooking and then eating together, sharing the clearing up and finally relaxing in front of the television for a while. "It would be a very appropriate way to spend our first evening together." He took the road that led up to the Platz and soon they were pulling up outside his chalet. Alex opened up the garage and parked his car inside, then he dashed into the chalet and collected the overnight bag he had packed ready to take over to Gill's house. He locked the chalet and they set off together for the short walk to Gill's place. It felt very quiet and empty there without the children. Gill took him upstairs and gave him a brief guided tour, making a mental note to hide Armand's photo before Alex noticed it and felt put out. They decided to cook pasta for their supper, as it would be quick and easy, and they worked in perfect harmony to create a very tasty meal. Alex opened a bottle of wine and they decided to eat in the garden as it was such a lovely evening. They ate at the little table outside and then sat in more comfortable chairs to watch the evening turn to night. As the stars came out, the telephone rang and Gill went in to answer it. As she had hoped, it was Arminel, calling to say that they had reached Nice safely and that Monique had been there to meet them. She had taken them back to her lovely home, set high on the cliffs over the Mediterranean Sea, and they were all really happy to be there. Philippe had behaved like an angel on the flight and was currently asleep in their room, seemingly none the worse for his long journey. Gill had talked briefly to Héloise and Genevieve and then Monique was on the line. "And how are you?" Monique asked, her voice heavy with meaning. Gill had already told her sister-in-law of her plans and Monique was eager to make sure that everything was going well. "Very happy," said Gill with a smile. "We're sitting in the garden, drinking wine." "Good," said Monique, satisfied. "Good luck, Gill. I'll let you get back to your romantic evening, then." Without waiting for a reply, she hung up, leaving Gill to return to the garden. "That was Arminel," she told Alex, flopping down into her chair again and reaching for his hand. "They have arrived safely and Monique wishes us good luck." Alex smiled at her. "I hope we won't need it," he told her. They sat outside for a while longer, until they began to feel chilly, then they went back inside. They put the television on to watch the news, and Alex drew Gill onto the settee beside him, putting an arm around her and holding her close. She looked up at him, her eyes serious now, and he leaned down and kissed her, all thoughts of watching the news disappearing from their minds. Finally he drew away a little and suggested that they go to bed. Hand in hand they went up the stairs and into her bedroom. Alex closed the door behind them and then took her in his arms again, leaning down and kissing her ardently. He unbuttoned her shirt and then his own. Soon they were lying together and Alex felt a happiness he had not know for a long time sweep over him. She was finally his and she loved him as he loved her. He kissed her again, running his hands over her smooth skin, but suddenly she was pulling away from him and resisting all his efforts to hold onto her. "No, Alex," she said, sounding desperate. "Please don't." She got out of bed and drew on her dressing gown without saying another word. He heard her feet on the stairs and glared at the photo of Armand that was still beside the bed. He was almost certain that Armand glared back at him, furious that Alex had tried to steal his wife from him. Telling himself not to be so foolish, he got up and pulled on his clothes once more, then he picked up his shoes and went downstairs after her. He found her in the living room, standing at the window and gazing out into the moonlit street. He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly and kissing her hair. "What's wrong?" he asked gently, even though he had a pretty good idea about what was upsetting her. "I'm sorry Alex," said Gill, pulling away. "It just doesn't feel right. It's as if I'm being unfaithful to Armand." "You aren't being unfaithful to him," said Alex patiently. "We've been thinking about this for so long and you were so excited about it. Please come back upstairs and give it one more try. Please, Gill." "Before, when you kissed me, a shadow fell across the bed. Didn't you see it in the moonlight? It was Armand, I know it was. I can't be with you, Alex. I'm sorry." "I didn't see anything," he told her. "It must have been a cloud passing the moon or something. We are meant to be together now Gill." He reached out to take her in his arms again, but she moved further way from him. "No, we aren't," she said sadly. "I'm really sorry Alex." "But I love you," he said, hating the way he sounded so forlorn and yet unable to keep a note of desperation from his voice. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Alex put on his socks and shoes and turned to Gill one last time. "Sorry doesn't help very much," he said, the raw pain in his voice almost more than she could bear, and then he walked out the front door and it banged shut behind him with a terrible finality. Gill stood by the window and watched as he walked briskly away, his head bent, never once looking back. She found tears running down her cheeks and wished that she could run after him and call him back, but she could not. All she could do was stand by the window and cry, knowing that she had hurt him and wishing that she could find some way of making things right. Finally she went upstairs and got into bed. She found her eyes drawn to the photo beside the bed and in a fit of anger she picked it up and hurled it across the room, hearing the glass break as it hit the wall. She flung herself down on the pillow and wept bitterly, angry with both Armand and herself. |
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| Author: | Elbee [ Wed Aug 29, 2007 11:44 am ] |
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Thanks Fatima |
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| Author: | brie [ Wed Aug 29, 2007 1:19 pm ] |
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Poor Gill, but I don't think Alex was very understanding there. He must have known how hard this would be for her, and it wasn't fair of him to be so angry at her. Thanks Becky |
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| Author: | Fatima [ Wed Aug 29, 2007 5:46 pm ] |
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The next morning Gill woke early and lay quietly, aware that something dreadful had happened, but not immediately able to recall what it was. She glanced across at the bedside table and as she noticed the absence of Armand's picture she remembered all that had happened. She had rejected Alex, even though she knew that she loved him, and now she would have to deal with the grief that the ending of a relationship brought with it. It was Monday, a day that she did not work, and she and Alex had planned to spend the day together. She now found that the time hung heavily on her hands and she had no idea what to do to fill the day. There was nothing to do for the children, for they were gone. There was nothing to do for Alex, for he was gone, too. There was nothing to do for Armand, for he was also gone. the only one left was Gill herself, and she was so unused to being on her own that she had no clue as to how to amuse herself at all. Gill rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. It was a luxury to remain in bed in the morning, as they tended to be an early rising family. Unfortunately, old habits die hard and Gill just could not fall asleep again. She reluctantly got up and trod on a piece of glass from the shattered picture frame, cutting her foot painfully. She sat back down on the bed and found the glass still in her foot, so she gingerly grasped it and almost passed out as she pulled it from her foot. It bled profusely and Gill started to feel very sorry for herself. She lay for a moment, just to stop herself from feeling faint, and then got carefully out of the other side of the bed. She pulled one of Armand's hankies from the drawer where they were still kept and managed to bind up her foot tightly enough to hobble downstairs to find a dustpan and brush. Upstairs, Gill swept up all the shards of glass then picked up the picture. Recalling the events of the previous night she was tempted to rip it in two, but somehow restrained herself. It might relieve her feelings at that moment, but she knew she would regret it later. Despite the dreadful mess she had made of her relationship with Alex, she still could not consign Armand firmly into the past. For the time being she shoved the photo into a drawer, knowing that she should have done that a long time ago. With a sniff, she stood up and limped back downstairs to put the kettle on to make some coffee. Two cups of coffee later, Gill was feeling just as wretched and her foot was still painful. She decided that the best thing to do was take her book and lie on the settee for a while to see if the cut stopped bleeding and then, if it didn't, she would have to make her way to the San. She lay back against a pile of cushions and put her foot up on some more cushions, and opened her book. She did not manage to read more than a page or two before her mind was wandering, wondering what Alex was doing and how he was feeling. As he was also supposed to be having the day off, she wondered if he was moping around at home, or whether he had decided to go in to work in order to take his mind off things. She decided that she would have to make arrangements to travel to France earlier than she had originally planned, for she could not face the thought of going to work and finding Alex there. The despondency in his voice last night had been more than she could bear; it was hard enough knowing how much she had hurt him without actually seeing him in so much pain. Maybe she could see him once more, just to explain that she still loved him and to tell him how sorry she was that everything had gone wrong. Perhaps he would understand her reluctance to be unfaithful to Armand, and would be willing to go back to their previous easy friendship. He might even be feeling relieved that he had remained faithful to his own dear wife, and would be grateful to Gill for calling everything off before he found himself more involved with Gill that he had wanted to be. By lunchtime, Gill had picked up the phone and dialled Alex's number, but no one had answered the phone. She didn't like to call him at work, so she decided to wait until the evening and try to phone him again. She was going to mention his overnight bag and ask if she should bring it back to him, thereby giving herself a good reason for calling him. She found that her foot still hurt, but as long as she sat down the bleeding stopped. If she tried to stand or walk too much, it began to bleed again, so she was forced into inactivity. She felt that she had never lived through a longer day. Every minute ticked past so slowly it was as if it was the same length as an hour, and every hour was more like a day long. She had long since abandoned her book, thinking instead about Alex and what she would say to him when he picked up the phone that evening. Perhaps she could even persuade him to come and visit her. Gill tried to call Alex over the course of the evening, but although the phone rang and rang, no one answered it. She finally abandoned her attempts to contact him and went up to bed, the optimism of the afternoon fading away to be replaced by sorrow once more. He was obviously expecting her to call and did not want to speak to her, so he wasn't answering the phone. He was so upset that he was refusing to speak to anyone. Perhaps he had taken an overdose or drunk himself into a stupor. Gill firmly told herself that she was being silly, and turned her attention to trying to fall asleep. The next day she went to work and found that she had enough filing to keep her busy for most of the morning. She worked at the reception desk along with two other ladies, but they were not good at filing and tended to leave everything in that line to Gill. She did not mind, as she liked the feeling of having all the files stored in the correct order and knowing that everything was just so. Besides, she had to concentrate on what she was doing when she was filing, and that stopped her from worrying about Alex. She took her coffee break at the usual time and spent the whole time scanning the cafeteria, but to no avail. Alex did not come in for coffee at all, and when she asked Hans, he told her that he had not seen Alex all that week. Gill thanked Hans and decided to go and look in the lab; perhaps Alex had been so busy that he had not had time to leave his work even for coffee. When she got to the lab she found the other technician there, and he told Gill that Alex had not been to work at all since the previous week. He had not called in sick and no one quite knew what had happened. As she finished her work, Gill could not rid herself of a gnawing anxiety. No one had seen Alex since he had left her home. He had not gone to work, nor had he answered his phone. Finally Gill decided that she would go to his house and see what had happened to him. She left the San as soon as she could and almost ran along the street to Alex's house. It looked exactly as it had done when they had parked his car and collected his bag before his ill-fated attempt to move in with her. Gill rang the front door bell vigorously and waited impatiently on the doorstep for a moment or two. She rang it again and again and then decided to look through the ground floor windows. Half scared of what she might see, Gill peered in through the living room window. The room was as neat as ever and there was no sign of Alex. Gill did not know whether to be relieved or more worried. she went around to the back of the chalet and looked in through the kitchen window, and again saw that everything looked fine. She looked up at the upstairs windows, all of which were closed, but there was no way she was going to try climbing a tree to see in through them. She contented herself with chucking a few stones up to hit the glass and then waiting to see if Alex looked out, but he did not. Gill was obliged to admit defeat and return to her own house, more than a little worried about him by now. |
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| Author: | brie [ Thu Aug 30, 2007 10:40 am ] |
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Oh dear. this doesn't sound good... Thanks Becky |
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| Author: | Frogize [ Thu Aug 30, 2007 12:36 pm ] |
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Can so understand how Gill reacted the way she did initially - but poor Alex! Please let him be OK! |
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| Author: | Fatima [ Thu Aug 30, 2007 5:53 pm ] |
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I'm sorry this is so long... When she went to work the next day, Gill went first to the lab to see if Alex had arrived. Again no one had seen him or heard from him and she began to feel seriously alarmed. She made herself wait until mid morning and when he was still nowhere to be found, she found Hans and told him of her concerns. "I haven't seen Alex at all," said Hans. "Why do you think something is wrong?" "He was supposed to be moving in with me at the weekend," said Gill sadly. "Everything went wrong though, and he was very upset when he left." "Oh, I see," said Hans sympathetically. "You know how easily I can mess up my life," she told him gloomily. "Well, I've done it again. Hans, you have to get the key to his house so that I can see if he's all right." Hans put his hand over Gill's. "I'll do my best," he promised. "And if you do care about Alex, you will have to tell him so. I know what you are like about telling people how much you care. Bite the bullet my dear, and I'm sure it wil all work out." "Oh, I told him, but then I kind of got cold feet and he left." Gill looked hopefully up at Hans. "You will find him, won't you?" "I will do my very best," he promised. "I'd better go, but I'll see you later. Try not to worry." Hans stood up and patted Gill's shoulder. "Thank you, Hans," she said gratefully. Gill finished her coffee and went back to the reception desk, where she made appointments and helped visitors find their loved ones with all of her usual efficiency, but her heart was not really in her work. She had her lunch and again tried to phone Alex's chalet, but still there was no answer. Finally, just before she was due to leave for the day, Hans appeared at reception. "I've got the key," he said, "but by foul means, not fair. We'd better be very quick." Gill paused just long enough to grab her handbag and then she hurried off, finding it difficult to keep up with Hans' long stride. They went out the back door of the San and dashed down the road to the little chalet where Alex had lived for almost a year. They rang the doorbell twice and then Hans put the key in the lock and turned it. "Alex!" he called as he stepped inside. "Alex? Are you home?" They went into the tiny living room and through to the kitchen, but there was no sign of anyone. Everything was clean and tidy and there was no indication that anyone had had breakfast or made coffee or anything. "Maybe he's upstairs," said Gill, absolutely certain by now that something dreadful had happened to Alex. "You go up and see." She followed Hans to the foot of the stairs and watched as he ascended. She waited nervously at the bottom and a moment later Hans was coming back down. "He's not here," Hans told her. "Everything is clean and tidy and unlived in. All his things are here. I think he must have gone away." "But why hasn't he told anyone?" asked Gill puzzled. "Frank, the other lab technician, knows nothing. No one I've spoken to has heard that he's gone away." "Come on, let's get the key back before we both get the sack," said Hans practically. "I'll see what else I can find out from the San." By the time that she left for France, all Gill had found out was that Alex had taken his leave and gone away. He had told no one he was going and it wasn't until a letter arrived a day or two later that they knew he was all right. He had written to his colleague, Frank, and explained that his brother had been taken suddenly ill and he had rushed off in the middle of the night to be with him. As he had made no effort to contact Gill, she knew that it was all over between them. If he had wanted her support, he would have called her, or at least written to her. But, in her usual careless way, she had ruined any chance of happiness she might have had with him. All the children had come to the airport to meet her, and Gill was thrilled to see them. With Héloise pushing her trolley and Arminel carrying her hand luggage, Gill put an arm around Genevieve and went out into the hot sunshine with them. Andre was waiting in the car and he greeted her warmly, so Gill did her best to pretend that she was as happy as she could possibly be. She listened attentively to the eager chatter of the girls, telling her that Philippe had grown enormously over the previous two weeks and detailing all that they had been up to. There was to be a big beach party that evening, to celebrate Gill's arrival, and Monique had invited all of her friends. Genevieve whispered that one of Monique's friends had two very handsome sons, both of whom had shown a lot of interest in Arminel. Once they got back to the house, Monique came dashing out to greet Gill, hugging her warmly and whispering, "Has it been wonderful? I've been dying to call, but thought you would be having such a romantic time that you wouldn't want to be disturbed!" Still chattering nineteen to the dozen, the girls were taking Gill's bags inside, and so Gill drew Monique off around the side of the house. "It was a disaster," she said miserably. "Why?" demanded Monique, evidently not expecting to hear that. "Whatever happened?" "It was all my fault," Gill went on. Monique took Gill's arm and led her across the lawn to a secluded arbour. She pulled her down onto the bench and repeated her question. "What happened?" Gill sniffed and fumbled in her pocket for her hanky. "It was all so lovely," she said sorrowfully. "But once we got to bed, I saw something. It's hard to explain, but I know it was Armand." "What do you mean?" Monique asked with a frown. "It was like a shadow, coming between Alex and me. As soon as I saw it, I knew that he was telling me that I shouldn't be with Alex, so I got up and so Alex was upset and he left. I haven't seen him or heard from him since then." "Oh, Gill," said Monique sympathetically. "I keep telling you that Armand would only want you to be happy. He loved you so much and he would be all in favour of you marrying Alex. It must have been your imagination - a cloud passing across the moon or something. You have got to call Alex and tell him that you are sorry." "I have called him," answered Gill, "but he's gone away. He wrote to another chap at the San, but not to me." "Well he would hardly write to you, would he?" Monique pointed out practically. "You have spurned him. It's up to you to get in touch with him, if you still want to see him, that is." Gill sighed. "I do want to see him," she admitted, "but I know I've really hurt him and I don't think he'll want to see me." "Mum!" Genevieve was calling to Gill and soon she had appeared in the arbour. "There you are!" she exclaimed. "We thought you had disappeared. Come on in and see Philippe." Gill allowed Genevieve to pull her to her feet and they walked hand in hand back up to the big house. Arminel had brought Philippe down and happily put him into Gill's arms. He looked a lot bigger, much to Gill's surprise, for it had only been two weeks since she had last seen him. Once she had admired him sufficiently to satisfy Arminel, Gill looked seriously at her daughters. "I'm really happy to see you all," she told them. "Especially now, because I've stopped seeing Alex." "Oh no!" exclaimed Héloise. "But why?" demanded Genevieve. "I'm sorry," was Arminel's contribution. "Go in and sit down," suggested Monique, indicating the door to the conservatory. "I'll bring you some tea." Gill sat down in a deep armchair, still cuddling her grandson. "I don't want to go into details," she told them, "but essentially I just can't manage to leave your father enough in the past to carry on with anyone else. I'm sorry, because I know how much you all liked him." Arminel sat on the arm of the chair and leaned down to hug Gill. "I'm really sorry to hear that," she said. "Are you all right?" Somehow Gill managed to smile at her, instead of bursting into tears. "Yes, now that I am here with you three and Tante Monique." "With us four," Genevieve corrected her. "You forgot Phil." "Don't call him Phil," Arminel said, sounding cross. "I want him to be called Philippe." "But that's too long to use all the time," protested Genevieve. "He needs a shorter name." "I like Philippe," said Arminel in a voice that brooked no arguments. "He's going to get the whole thing for as long as possible." "And it is her choice," Héloise put in. "I like Philippe better, too." Monique came back carrying the tea tray at that point, and Genevieve leapt up to help her set it down and pass around the tea cups. Gill found herself beginning to relax, being back amongst her family again instead of being alone. She listened as the girls talked more about the upcoming party, and was pleased to see that Arminel looked positively animated as she joined in the conversation. A fortnight in Monique's lovely home had obviously done her a lot of good, and Gill could only hope that she would feel better herself after her holiday. Gill went up to her room for a rest once she had finished her tea, and then she got ready for the beach party that her daughters had been speaking so eagerly of. She was not looking forward to it very much, for she just wanted to sit quietly in a large and comfortable armchair and sink into melancholy thoughts about Alex, but the girls were so excited about it that she felt she really should try to look as if she was enjoying herself. It was a beautiful evening and the beach had been lit up with large torches. The guests were arriving and Gill watched with interest as two rather good-looking young men aged around eighteen and twenty made a bee-line for Arminel and Héloise. Presumably they were the boys that Genevieve had told her about, who were vying for Arminel's attention. Arminel herself looked lovely, wearing a simply cut summer dress in a flattering shade of emerald, her long hair hanging loose almost to her waist and her usually pale skin lightly tanned. Héloise, not nearly as stunning as her elder sister, also looked lovely, in a much shorter dress of dark red, which suited her dark complexion well. Genevieve appeared beside Gill and grinned. "There are those two boys I told you about," she said. "The older one is called Chris and the younger is Francois. They really like Arminel." Monique appeared then, and introduced Gill to some of her other friends, leaving Genevieve to go off with Monique's son, Pierre, to join a growing group of young people at the other end of the little private beach. Gill soon found herself involved in a lively discussion with some very interesting people and actually began to enjoy herself. She did keep an eye on Arminel, eager to see just how interested that young lady was in the two boys pursuing her and to make sure that Héloise was all right, too. Monique and Andre mingled with all their guests, but Gill got the impresison that Monique was keeping an eye on her, for at any time she tried to escape from those to whom she had been talking, Monique would return to introduce her to more people. The sun set and they ate the delicious barbecued food provided by Monique. Gill found herself sitting next to a very serious looking man of about her own age, who told her that he was a lawyer. His name was Luc and he was very handsome and, once he had lost his initial nervousness, amusing and witty. Gill gradually found herself relaxing, too, and laughing at his jokes. He had been divorced from his wife for many years, but seemed to get on well with her, for he pointed her out with a certain degree of pride, along with their daughter, who was part of the group that Genevieve had joined. He then asked Gill if she would like to have dinner with him one evening, and Gill found herself saying that she would like that very much. Finally, the guests started to drift off home, and soon Gill was able to walk back up to the house a discrete distance behind her daughters. She heard Héloise and Genevieve calling good night and then she went into the house after them. As she walked wearily up the stairs she heard a sob and then discovered Arminel rushing upstairs behind her. "Whatever's happened?" she asked, catching Arminel's arm as she passed. Arminel allowed herself to be drawn along the passage and into Gill's room, where she turned a tear-stained face to her mother. "Nothing," she answered unconvincingly. "Of course not," said Gill, giving her a hug. "You always end up in tears after a good party." Arminel managed a smile. "Do you really want to know?" she asked , and when Gill nodded she continued, "I'm feeling guilty for being interested in Christophe." "Why?" asked Gill gently. "He seems very nice." "But what about Matthieu?" asked Arminel. "Oh, darling, you have to move on," Gill told her, her voice full of sympathy and understanding. "You will always remember Matthieu, but you can't be alone forever. If Christophe is nice, you should see more of him and not feel guilty." Arminel shot Gill a look from the corner of her eye. "And is this advice that you take, or do you just dispense it?" she inquired innocently. Realising how neatly she had been caught out, Gill laughed. "Oh, I am going to do my best to take it," she said, hugging Arminel again and thinking of going out to dinner with Luc. "Then I shall try to follow it, too," Arminel promised. "I'm going to bed, Mum, because Philippe will be waking up soon. Will you be all right?" "Yes, thank you," Gill answered, now convinced that Arminel had put on an impressive show for her. "Sleep well, you minx." Arminel chuckled, but disappeared off to bed, happy that she had managed to make an important point to Gill. |
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| Author: | brie [ Fri Aug 31, 2007 9:49 am ] |
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Thanks Becky. Gill has moved on quickly from Alex... |
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| Author: | Fatima [ Fri Aug 31, 2007 6:25 pm ] |
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In the end they all had a wonderful summer. Gill went out for dinner several times, with Luc and with a couple of other eligible men that Monique produced, but although she enjoyed these dinners, she could not stop thinking about Alex. Hans and Helene had arrived with the news that Alex's brother was going to be fine after his heart attack, and that Alex was back at the San, but that he had not once mentioned Gill's name to them. He did not look very happy though, and Gill felt even guiltier over her treatment of him. Arminel enjoyed her summer, spending lots of time with Chris, until the day that he found out about Philippe. After that he dropped her very quickly, which was very upsetting for her, although he did come and apologise to her just before they left for the Platz at the end of August. They returned to the Platz and straight away had to begin planning the departure of Arminel and Philippe to Paris and of Héloise to Zurich. Both girls were anxious about going away, and Gill spent a long time reassuring them that they would be fine. Louis took Gill and Héloise to Zurich, nd Gill felt very emotional leaving her there. She seemed far too young to be living so far from home, although she was both sensible and responsible and would be a lot nearer to the Platz than Arminel. Arminel flew to Paris with Philippe, and Louis and Chantal went along to help her out. She was thrilled to be back in her lodgings and soon reached an agreement with the landlady, a good friend of Monique's, about paying extra so that she would look after Philippe while Arminel was studying. By the time that Genevieve went back to school, both she and Gill felt that it was very strange being the only two occupants of the house. Everything was so quiet and there seemed to be a sudden lull in the amount of housework needing to be done. The food in the fridge lasted much longer and the washing machine was only used a couple of times a week. Gill returned to work, but did not see Alex at all. He seemed to have changed his hours, or his habits, and was never around when she was taking her breaks in the cafeteria. As the weeks passed, she began to stop looking for him, realising that she had hurt him so badly that he was not likely to want to see her again. She even heard rumours that he had been seen with a pretty Swiss nurse, although no one seemed to know for sure if the stories were true. He seldom saw Hans or Helene, as if fearing that they would talk to him about Gill, or report on his wellbeing to Gill. Winter approached, and Gill heard from both her absent daughters. They were enjoying their lives, Arminel working hard and spending her spare time with Philippe and her old friend Marianne, and Héloise getting involved with all sorts of student activities, making friends and still managing to get her work done well. Louis, completely happy with his work, was made even happier when Chantal got a job in Interlaken and moved down to the city to live. She, like Louis, had never had much ambition, and was thrilled to land a job in the library there. She originally planned to live in a small apartment, but unbeknown to both of their families, she virtually moved in with Louis. They kept her little apartment and tried to spend some time there, but generally Chantal was to be found with Louis, in his bigger flat. As Christmas approached, Gill and Genevieve began to get excited at the thought that Arminel and Héloise would soon be back from university. Genevieve had enjoyed having Gill's undivided attention, and had grown up a lot over the term. She was thrilled to see her sisters home, though, and both she and Gill fell with delight upon Philippe. They could scarcely recognise the bouncing baby that Arminel brought home with her; he was nine months old and was as chubby and cheerful as a baby should be. Arminel was very proud of him and Gill was overjoyed to see how Arminel had juggled her work and motherhood and even had time to go out with her friends now and again. Héloise was also glad to be home. She had thoroughly enjoyed her first term in Zurich, but was happy to be back with her mother and siblings once more. Preparations were underway for Christmas and they hoped to make it the best Christmas they had had for several years, especially as it would be Philippe's first Christmas. Louis was to come and stay with them, too, and although he was not looking forward to spending so much time apart from Chantal, he was eager to see how Arminel and Héloise were. Genevieve suggested that they ask Alex to come to them for Christmas again, but Gill patiently explained that she never saw him any more and left it at that. The children had hardly mentioned his name any more and she thought they had got used to his absence. Gill still thought of Alex often, though, wishing that she had the courage to go and visit him and try to talk to him once more, but the way he had scrupulously avoided her made her realise that it would be unnecessarily unkind if she contacted him again. What was the point of reopening old wounds, she wondered, upsetting both of them by reminding them of what so nearly had been. She had almost resigned herself to never seeing him again, although she knew that she would always love him. He had managed to do what she had once considered impossible - he had made her put Armand firmly into the past and to carry on with her life. She might not be able to share her life with Alex, but she knew that she would be able to move on and perhaps find someone else with whom she wished to be. It was with that hope that Gill accepted the invitation of Dr. Thierry Lenoir to accompany him to the San's New Year ball. Thierry was the head of pediatrics at the San; he had replaced Armand in that post. He was a very charming man, tal and slim and serious, but definitely not boring. Gill had met him many times at work, although she had not socialised with him before, but when he asked her to go with her to the ball, she willingly accepted. Unlike previous years, the New Year ball was to be something much grander. They had decided to sell tickets and use any money raised to purchase some more modern equipment for the San. A decent group of musicians had been hired and those who attended were going to wear formal dress. The residents of the Platz were very much looking forward to the ball; everyone planned on attending and many were the purchases of glamorous ball gowns and smart suits from some of the most fashionable boutiques in Interlaken. Gill herself had purchased a rather lovely black dress, and was very much looking forward to the event. Arminel and Chantal also went shopping - Héloise and Genevieve had offered to look after Philippe so that Arminel could attend the ball - and Arminel returned with a gorgeous gown of midnight blue that suited her down to the ground. Gill and her family had a lovely Christmas. The twins celebrated their twenty-first birthdays and Philippe was spoiled by everyone. They ate the traditional Christmas dinner and enjoyed the Christmas pudding that Arminel had spent an afternoon making. Héloise had made a special birthday cake for the twins and they all laughed a lot as they blew out so many candles. After Christmas the weather was perfect for winter sports and they spent many hours skiing and tobogganing, coming home tired and flushed and spending the evenings relaxing in front of the fire. On the evening before the ball, Arminel waited until the others had gone off to bed before making tea and sitting down in the living room with Gill. "We've been talking," she said, getting straight to the point. "We like Alex very much. You were so happy with him and we think you should carry on seeing him." Gill opened her lips to protest, but Arminel continued, "We know you loved Papa, but we want you to be happy again. Please try to talk to Alex at the ball tomorrow night. Chantal told us he'll be there, so we will distract Dr. Lenoir and you must go and speak to him." Gill was not sure whether to be angry with the children for discussing her problems, or pleased because they were anxious to help her. "No, Arminel," she said seriously. "I'm not going to talk to him. There's nothing for us to talk about. I'm sorry that you are all disappointed, but I'm not going to be seeing Alex any more." "But we..." Arminel began. "No," said Gill again, very firmly. "Now, let's turn off the television and go to bed." Arminel reluctantly did as her mother had asked. She would have liked to pursue the subject, but Gill was obviously quite determined not to, so there was nothing left for her to do. She kissed Gill's cheek, picked up her tea and disappeared upstairs to bed. |
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| Author: | linda [ Fri Aug 31, 2007 7:09 pm ] |
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This is so sad.  I wish that Gill would contact Alex again. I am sure they were meant to be together. Someone needs to make the first move, but who will it be?
Thank you Fatima |
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| Author: | Frogize [ Fri Aug 31, 2007 9:20 pm ] |
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It looks like it had better be Gill. Alex is obviously going to continue doing what he considers the 'right' thing - and if he was so badly hurt, it's probably a bit of self-preservation as well. Third time lucky, Alex! Thanks Becky. |
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| Author: | brie [ Sat Sep 01, 2007 10:14 am ] |
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Thanks Becky. This is so sad. I hope it all comes right in the end. |
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| Author: | Fatima [ Sat Sep 01, 2007 12:53 pm ] |
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Gill sat for a long time in the quiet of the sitting room and thought about Arminel's plan. She was half tempted to let the children carry it out so that she could have the pleasure of a few minutes conversation with Alex. She had missed him a lot since he had left her, missed talking with him on any and every subject and missed the companionship she had enjoyed with him. They had had a good time together, and he had become a very close friend, so she supposed it was only natural that she missed him. She thought back to the way they had felt once they had decided to move in together and remembered how excited she had been. He had never been anything other than kind and caring and she had treated him appallingly. She had built up his hopes of happiness and dashed them in one fell swoop. And all because she had got carried away with the idea that Armand would not want her to be with any other man. Gill sighed and wished that she had consigned Armand to the past months earlier; it had done her no good to cling on to him and had actually done her and Alex a great deal of harm. Gill wondered whether she would see Alex at the ball. She had not seen him for so long, not even the merest glimpse of him, but she still recalled exactly what he looked like. She had tried to block the images of Alex's look of anguish as he had left her that night, but she still remembered the way his eyes danced as he laughed and how comforting he could be when he held her close and whispered sweet nothings in her ear. They had been so lucky to find each other after losing their partners, and in her own inimitable way Gill had managed to ruin everything. Now, though, she might have a chance to put things right. Perhaps she could see him on neutral ground at a time when everyone would be happy, and so she would be able to apologise to him and try to explain how much she regretted putting him through such misery. Then she recalled the Swiss nurse that she had heard rumours about. Maybe Alex would be there with her; maybe he had decided that he no longer loved Gill and did not want to be with her. Perhaps he actually preferred the nurse. They could already be engaged, Gill realised. No one would want to tell her if that was the case, so she would naturally not have heard if he had got engaged. Gill stood up and turned off the lamp. She went upstairs and got ready for bed, then climbed in between the sheets, snuggling under her warm plumeau and wishing that Alex was there to put his arms around her and reassure her that he did still love her. She knew that she loved him still, and decided that she would have to do something when she saw him at the ball. She could not let herself lose Alex and then spend the rest of her days regretting it. If she had the opportunity of talking to him, she told herself that she would take it. If she could persuade him that she was truly sorry and that she had overcome all of her doubts and that she really did love him, maybe he would agree to give her another chance. With a smile, Gill drifted off to sleep, happy with the thought that she might see Alex again the very next evening. The next morning Gill woke early and was aware of a feeling of suppressed excitement. She immediately remembered that she might be seeing Alex that evening, more than six months after their last upsetting meeting. She felt restless, so she got up and went downstairs, where Arminel was alreay in the kitchen, making breakfast for Philippe. "Good morning," she greeted Arminel cheerfully. "Good morning," Arminel replied. "You look happy this morning." "Yes, I feel excited," Gill admitted as she spooned coffee into a cup. "Who are you going to the ball with tonight?" Arminel rolled her eyes. "A friend of Louis'," she answered. "I keep telling you that." "Oh, yes," said Gill, still unconvinced. "Just as long as it's not that new anaesthetist. He's got a very unsavoury reputation." Arminel chuckled, wondering if people thought that about her. "No, it's not him," she assured Gill. "It's lovely to be home and have time to spend with Philippe," she went on. "All I do in Paris is rush around." She finished making the baby's breakfast and took it over to the kitchen table. She then retrieved Philippe from the playpen where he had been happily chewing on a rattle, and popped him into the highchair. Gill sat down at the table too, feeling sorry that Arminel could not enjoy Philippe's baby years as she had enjoyed spending time with her own children. Arminel fed Philippe, who was a very good eater and cleared his dish in short order. She then lifted him out of the highchair and gave him some milk, which he drank with equal enjoyment whilst simultaneously trying to pull the long plait that hung over Arminel's shoulder. As Gill watched them, she wondered what the future held for them. There was no doubt in her mind that Arminel would make a splendid doctor, but she hoped that she would find happiness in her personal life, too. Gill felt that it would be lovely to see Arminel meet a nice man who would be willing to become a father to Philippe and who would share some of the responsibilities that Arminel currently had to shoulder alone. Héloise and Genevieve arrived for their breakfast, eventually followed by Louis, and Gill was kept busy making toast and coffee. She was glad of something to do, for she found herself continually glancing at the clock and wondering why the morning was going so slowly. All she could think about was that evening, getting dressed up and heading off to the San, where she would find Alex. Gill found herself feeling impatient and knew that she would have to make herself do something, otherwise the day would seem interminably long. She listened with half an ear to the children's chatter, wondering whether she would find Alex at the ball when she arrived, or whether she would be obliged to contain her impatience longer. Dr. Lenoir was coming to collect her at half past seven, and Louis and Arminel would be leaving to collect Chantal and Arminel's date at about the same time. As Gill was thinking about Alex, she suddenly realised that she might have trouble getting rid of Dr. Lenoir. He was a very nice man, but Gill knew that she had not the slightest interest in him. Somehow she would have to abandon him and then catch Alex on his own and once she had done that she could begin to rebuild some of the relationship she had once shared with him. Gill finally lost herself in her planning, trying to come up with all sorts of schemes for luring Alex away from his Swiss nurse and planning what she would say to him to entice him to come back to her. Despite her scheming, Gill still found the day almost endless. She spent some time playing with Philippe and then went upstairs and changed all the bed sheets. She cooked lunch and watched the news, but there was still the whole afternoon to survive before she could go upstairs and begin to get ready for the ball. She cleaned her shoes and washed her hair and finally it was time to dress. Héloise and Genevieve had taken Philippe from Arminel and were arguing over who should have the honour of changing him and bathing him, and who would give him his bottle of milk at bedtime. Louis was dressing and Arminel was in the bathroom, so Gill shut herself in her bedroom and gave her full attention to making herself look as alluring as she possibly could. She fervently hoped that Dr. Lenoir would not think she had gone to so much trouble for him, but that could not be helped. If she was going to win Alex back again, she would have to look her best. |
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| Author: | Fatima [ Sat Sep 01, 2007 1:52 pm ] |
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Dr. Lenoir arrived punctually and gave Gill an admiring look that she hardly noticed. She said goodbye to the children and went out with Dr. Lenoir, getting into his car as elegantly as she could. It was a beautiful evening, with a clear, starry sky and the snow was sparkling in the moonlight. It was bitterly cold and Gill was grateful for her warm winter coat and the heating in Thierry's car, although her feet still felt decidedly chilly as they walked into the San together. Dr. Lenoir looked particularly debonair in his dark suit and white shirt, but Gill scarcely gave him a second look as they went into the cafeteria. She was far too busy scanning the room for some sign of Alex. The room had been transformed by a dedicated team of nurses and now looked the perfect setting for a New Year ball. There were sprigs of holly and mistletoe and plenty of tinsel and the tables carried very festive decorations complete with candles. There were a good number of people already there, but Alex was not amongst them, Gill noted with disappointment. She allowed Thierry to lead her over to a table and to get her a drink, but she made sure she was sitting with her back to the wall, from where she had the best view of the room and of the entrance. She had no intention of missing Alex when he arrived. Unfortunately, Dr. Lenoir saw that Gill had conveniently positioned herself beneath a rather large sprig of mistletoe and so he pulled up a chair beside her and rested his arm nonchalantly along the back of Gill's chair. He smiled at her, revealing very even white teeth and Gill was reminded of nothing more than a wolf about to strike; he would be perfect as the villainous wolf in Little Red Riding Hood, she realised. Wondering how she had managed to get involved with him, Gill smiled back and inched her chair away from his. She sipped the drink he had brought for her and wondered how she managed to get herself into such scrapes. Yes, she had enjoyed a long and happy marriage with Armand, but she had survived several romantic mishaps before he had finally got her to the altar. Now she wanted to be with Alex, but she seemed determined to make that as difficult as possible, too. Why couldn't she sort out the good men from the bad, she wondered, and just be happy with them? Why did she have to make everything so complicated? Louis and Chantal arrived and came across to sit with Gill, much to her relief. Chantal looked very lovely in her long, floaty dress of exactly the same blue as her eyes. He hair was piled up carelessly and she looked absolutely gorgeous; judging by the looks Louis was giving her, Gill knew that she was not the only one who thought that. "Where's Arminel?" she asked as they sat down. "Oh, she'll be here in a moment," said Louis, a little too casually. "Is she with that anaesthetist?" asked Gill, knowing that they were hiding something from her. "No, of course not," Louis protested. "She's just gone to the bathroom to fix her hair." Gill introduced Thierry to Louis and Chantal and they made polite conversation for a while, then Louis took Chantal off to dance and Thierry asked Gill to step out with him. The little group of musicians was playing a lively waltz and Dr. Lenoir expertly whirled Gill around the floor. He was very easy to dance with, leading well and very light on his feet, but Gill found herself constantly looking over his shoulder and watching the other guests. There was still no sign of Arminel, or of Alex, although the evening was yet young and he might turn up later. Hans and Helene arrived and soon a good number of Gill's friends had gathered together at the table with her and Thierry. They chatted and laughed and finally Hans asked Gill if she would like to dance with him. She agreed, for it was always a pleasure to dance with him. He was one of her oldest friends and she knew she could talk to him. It seemed, however, that he was eager to talk to her. "I didn't realise you were coming with Dr. Lenoir," he said as soon as they were far enough away from their table. "You didn't ask," she pointed out, smiling up at him. "I suppose you haven't heard the stories about him, then." Hans looked seriously down at her. "He's not very popular, Gill." "Why not?" she asked, wondering why she had heard nothing about him. "One of the new nurses worked with him in Paris," Hans explained. "Apparently he got divorced from his wife." "That's not exactly uncommon these days," Gill put in. "No," agreed Hans, "except he used to hit her. She ended up in the hospital, where she finally told them what he had been doing to her." Gill looked up at him with wide eyes. "No!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe it! He seems so nice." Then she remembered how she had suddenly pictured him as a wolf. After all, she hardly knew him and appearances could be deceptive. "Thank you for telling me," she said gratefully. "I only wish I had told you sooner," said Hans. "Just be careful, Gill. I would hate to see you get hurt." Gill smiled, thinking of her plans to ditch Dr. Lenoir in favour of Alex. Then she realised that she had been so caught up in Hans' warning that she had forgotten to continue her vigil for Alex. She scanned the room and finally found Arminel, sitting at a table far from the one occupied by Gill and her friends. Louis and Chantal had joined her, and the fourth person there was a brown haired man in a dark jacket. He was sitting with his back to the room, but Gill recognised him at once. He was not the dreaded anaesthetist, but it was almost as bad. Arminel seemed to have come to the ball with Alex. "I think I'll just go to the bathroom," Gill said, and Hans presumed that she had been shocked by the news he had imparted about Dr. Lenoir. "I will take you home at the end of the evening," said Hans, hanging on to her for a moment. "Don't leave with Dr. Lenoir, will you?" "No, I won't," Gill promised. "Thank you, Hans. I won't be long." Gill made her escape and chose a far flung bathroom, where she hoped she would be able to think in peace for a while. She leaned against the sink and sighed, trying to think objectively about what she had just seen. Alex was sitting with Louis, Chantal and Arminel. Neither Arminel nor Louis had actually told Gill with whom Arminel was to be going to the ball. It was now blatantly obvious why. Alex had always liked Arminel. He had been there when she had her baby, hovering outside the delivery room almost as anxious as a prospective father would have been. He had adored Philippe, who was, after all, named after his own father. Perhaps he had realised that he cared more for Arminel than for Gill and was now planning to become the father that Gill had always hoped that Philippe would one day find. Now Gill could not decide what to do. If Arminel and Alex were serious about each other, she would have to bow out. She could hardly snatch her own daughter's man, whatever she may have considered doing to the nameless Swiss nurse. But how would she feel if Arminel was getting involved with Alex? How would she manage to watch Arminel marry Alex and perhaps have more children? Gill knew the answer to those questions straight away. If Arminel and Alex got married, she would be devastated. She had spent the whole day planning to get Alex back, and now he was out of her reach forever. As she tried to get to grips with the idea of losing Alex, Gill realised that Arminel thought she had a clear field. She had told Gill that she ought to speak to Alex and Gill had firmly told her that she had no intention of doing so. It was obvious that Arminel had been checking to make sure that Gill no longer wanted to be with Alex, so that she would be able to have him for herself. Gill did not feel cross with Arminel. After all, she had done her best to make sure that Gill was no longer interested in Alex; how was she supposed to realise that Gill had not told her the truth and that she had spent the day trying to think of ways of getting Alex back? And Alex was a lovely person. He would make an excellent husband - far better than the abusive Dr. Lenoir - and although he was so much older than Arminel, they would deal well together. Gill sighed again and knew that she would have to resign herself to becoming Alex's mother-in-law. She would have to treat him with politeness and hope that he never realised how she felt about him. She would have to watch as he spent time with Arminel and she would have to smile and wish them well when they got married. She would have to make sure that Arminel never had even the slightest suspicion that Gill was jealous of her, and that Arminel never guessed how much Gill wished that Alex was married to her instead of Arminel. It would be fiendishly difficult to do all of that, but Gill loved Arminel dearly and had no intention of upsetting her. Somehow she would manage to fix on a happy smile and never let on that beneath it her heart was breaking. Gill splashed her face with some icy cold water and dried it, and then she looked at herself in the mirror. She usually looked pale, so hopefully no one would notice that she was shocked. She would return to the ball, where she would go straight over to Arminel's table and respond happily to anything that Arminel and Alex told her. She would tell them that they had her blessing and that she was really happy for them. She would dance with Louis and Hans and anyone else who asked, maybe even with Dr. Lenoir, and she would sparkle all evening. After midnight she would persuade Hans to take her home and she would maintain her self control until she had firmly closed her bedroom door. Once she was alone in the darkness she would allow herself one night to grieve for the loss of her dreams and aspirations and then she would make herself accept Alex and Arminel's right to be happy together. Gill patted a few stray ends of hair into place and practiced her happy smile. Maybe if she could see herself looking happy in the mirror, she would be able to believe that she was happy. Perhaps she could fool herself as well as she planned on fooling everyone else. With a wry smile, Gill finally turned away from the mirror and headed off to the ball once more. |
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| Author: | Elbee [ Sat Sep 01, 2007 2:06 pm ] |
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I'm hoping Arminel has only gone to the Ball with Alex so that he and Gill will have the chance to talk at last... Thanks Fatima. |
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| Author: | Frogize [ Sat Sep 01, 2007 2:18 pm ] |
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Me too! Surely you've learned by now Gill that honesty is always the best policy. At least it doesn't lead to more horrible misunderstandings! PLEASE, just talk to Alex!!! |
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| Author: | brie [ Sat Sep 01, 2007 4:55 pm ] |
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Thanks Becky! Poor Gill, lets just hope that this is all irrationality.... |
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| Author: | Lottie [ Sat Sep 01, 2007 6:17 pm ] |
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Me, three!!! I really hope things aren't as compliacted as Gill has made them for herself, and at least she should be well away from that dreadful Dr. Lenoir, whatever else happens. Thanks for two lovely long posts, Fatima!
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| Author: | Fatima [ Wed Sep 05, 2007 5:51 pm ] |
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Gill came out of the bathroom and ran straight into someone heading in the opposite direction. He caught her arm to steady her and Gill was about to stammer out an embarrassed apology when she looked up and saw that it was Alex. He looked almost unbearably handsome in his smart suit, his shirt so new that it still bore the creases and a bow tie around his neck. It had been so long since she had last seen him, but she saw that he had not changed at all. His eyes still twinkled as he smiled and he smelt of the same aftershave that she remembered so well. Gill gasped and then found herself in his arms, being crushed against him and she heard him breathing her name, his mouth against her hair. "How I have missed you," he said at last. His voice brought Gill back to reality with a bump. He was no longer hers to hug or miss, so she pulled away from him. "Hello Alex," she said, hoping she sounded suitably cool and mother-in-law like. "How are you?" "A lot better now, thanks," he told her with a smile. "You look lovely tonight Gill." "I don't think you should be saying such things to me now," she told him, "but thank you." "Why not?" he asked her. "Now that you are with Arminel, you should be a little more proper," she said, feeling embarrassed at having to spell it out to him. "What on earth are you talking about?" he demanded, so plainly puzzled by her remark that she knew how mistaken she had been. "I thought..." she began, then, "Oh, I have been so foolish, Alex. I've missed you so much and I'm really sorry for all that I've done. Please, please give me another chance." Alex caught her in his arms again. "What did you think?" he asked curiously. "I saw you with Arminel and I thought she had come to the ball with you," said Gill, burying her face against his shoulder so that he would not see how foolish she felt. Alex laughed. "Yes, you have been really silly," he told her unsympathetically. "Will you come and dance with me? I think we can leave the talking for now, don't you? Perhaps I can get some sense out of you once it's daylight." "I'd love to dance with you," she said humbly, knowing that she was going to have her work cut out explaining herself to him and relieved that he was happy to wait until the next day to talk to her. All that mattered was that he still wanted to talk to her and that he actually wanted to return to the ball and dance with her. He didn't seem angry with her, which was nothing short of a miracle, and she knew, once she finally managed to meet his gaze again, that he was so pleased to be with her again that he would probably forgive her for her irrational behaviour. "I'm really sorry about everything," she told him, but he cut her words off with a kiss. "Tomorrow," he told her once he had finished kissing her. "Come on, they're playing our song." "Our song?" she asked. "Yes," he said, putting his arm around her shoulders and leading her down the very long corridor and back to the ball. "Any song that is played now will be our song. It's always going to remind us of this moment." Feeling happier than she could ever have imagined that she would feel, Gill returned to the ball. Alex took her in his arms and they joined those already dancing. He held her close to him, smiling down at her, obviously feeling just as happy as she felt. She wound one arm around his neck and the other around his waist and sighed contentedly. He smiled down at her, his grip tightening on her, amazed that it had been so easy. He had expected her to put up a fight, to push him away and for him to have to pursue her over the course of the evening at least, and yet there she was, clinging to him as if she never planned on letting go, only a short time after he had first spoken to her. Surely it couldn't be too good to be true, he wondered, looking down at her. She seemed content to be with him again, though, and the looks she was giving him certainly bore that out. "Alex, I love you," she told him. "I'm really sorry..." "Gill, I love you," he told her, wondering how much gossip it would inspire if he leaned down and kissed her into silence. "But we are not discussing it now. Let's just enjoy dancing. Please." Gill nodded. "But Alex..." she began. "No," he told her firmly, deciding that the gossip would be worth it. Once he had finished kissing her, he took her over to the table where she had seen him sitting with Arminel. Arminel was still there, talking animatedly with the anaesthetist that Gill had warned her to avoid, but as she saw her mother approaching with Alex, she leaped to her feet and threw her arms around Gill. "Oh, I am so glad," she told Gill. "This is all I had hoped for." "You are a dreadful little schemer," Gill told her, but the smile she gave her daughter told Arminle that she was not cross with her. "I was fed up with seeing you unhappy," said Arminel unrepentantly. "And Alex has been miserable, too." "We kept in touch," he explained, drawing Gill onto a chair at his side. "I'm afraid I'm a dreadful schemer, too." Louis and Chantal appeared, and Louis leaned down to kiss Gill's cheek. "Well done," he told her with a smile. "We're really happy for you, Mum." "You see," said Arminel, turning to her brother with a smile. "I told you it would work." Louis rolled his eyes expressively. "You are always right," he told Arminel. "Come and dance with me and you can gloat some more." Arminel and Louis went off to dance, and the anaesthetist immediately turned his attention to Chantal. A glare from Gill and a second one from Alex was enough to scare him off, though, and then Hans and Helene joined them. From the looks she got from them, Gill guessed that they had also been in on the conspiracy. "So was that all a lie about Dr. Lenoir?" Gill asked suspiciously. "Was it jsut a ruse to get me away from him?" "Sadly that was true," said Hans. "It did play splendidly into our hands, though." "Come and dance with me again," suggested Alex. Gill agreed with alacrity and happily spent the next hour or two in his arms, scarcely able to believe how everything had turned out. She had hoped to be reconciled with him, but had never imagined it would be so simple to accomplish. Now, all she had to do was make certain that she thought before she acted and did not spoil the second chance she had been given. At midnight Gill was still in Alex's arms and was wishing that the night would go on forever. Like all good things, though, it had to come to an end, and she would have to leave him to go back to his chalet, whilst she went home with her children. Alex kissed her as the clock struck midnight, and then they danced until the party began to break up. He offered to walk Gill home, while Louis took Chantal and Arminel. They put on their winter coats, bade farewell to Hans and Helene and their other friends and set off towards Gill's chalet, arm in arm. It was still very clear and bitterly cold, so they did not linger, much as they would have liked to. Alex declined Gill's offer of a nightcap, for he wanted to get home, but as they stood on the doorstep he smiled down at her. "I'll see you tomorrow," he promised, gently touching her face. "I'll come early and you can make me coffee and then I'll take you out for a long walk and we can talk. Is that all right?" "Yes, it's very much all right," said Gill sleepily. "But not too early, Alex, or we'll all still be in bed. Why don't you come for lunch and we can walk afterwards." Knowing that he was likely to sleep as late as Gill, Alex agreed. "Perfect," he told her. "Goodnight, darling. Sleep well." "Goodnight," Gill repeated, giving him a final hug. She watched as he turned and strode away, and then went back into the house and locked the door. Louis and Arminel were regaling Héloise with details of the salient points of the evening and as Gill went through to the kitchen the three children turned and smiled at her. "Happy now?" asked Arminel. "Yes," said Gill, grateful to them for their interference in her life, although she was not about to tell them that. "But I still can't get over your cheek, keeping in touch with Alex and telling him all sorts of things that you didn't even know about." "We have seen you these last months," said Louis, putting his arm around her and sitting her down at the kitchen table. "You have been lonely and you've missed Alex. We just want you to be happy, Mum." "Maybe I would have been happy with Dr. Lenoir," she pointed out, not intending to give in too easily. "What, a wife beater?" asked Arminel with a smile. "I don't think so. Anyhow, we know you are pleased with us, even if you aren't going to tell us so." "So was it a good party?" Genevieve asked, appearing in the kitchen in her pyjamas and dressing gown. "Very good," Arminel told her. "Mum and Alex are back together again." "Really?" Thanks to her tendency to gossip, Genevieve had not been included in the plans of her siblings and the news came as a surprise to her. "Really," said Louis, sounding satisfied. "They just needed a push in the right direction." "If you have quite finished discussing me," said Gill, standing up and picking up her tea, "then I shall be off to bed." "Will you really see Alex again?" asked Genevieve hopefully. Gill put her arm around Genevieve and steered her from the room. "Yes, I really will," she told her. "That's wonderful!" Genevieve exclaimed. "What a perfect start to the new year." "Isn't it?" Gill agreed happily. Gill went to bed, but was so happy that she could scarcely sleep a wink. She kept replaying the events of the evening over and over in her mind, blushing as she remembered her suspicions about Alex and Arminel and feeling thrilled as she remembered the way that Alex had taken her in his arms and held her as if he planned on keeping her at his side forever. And for once this idea did not worry her at all. She had finally managed to leave the past where it belonged and was ready to move on. She could imagine nothing better than being with Alex and could hardly wait until lunch time to see him again. She did toy with the idea of calling him, but she glanced at the clock and found that it was only five o'clock and so far too early to think of disturbing him. She would just have to contain her excitement and wait with whatever patience she could muster until he arrived. She hoped that he felt as excited as she did, for then he would probably get up early and come straight over, as eager to see her again as she was to see him. Gill watched the hands of her clock crawl round to six and then six thirty and just before seven she finally fell asleep. She did not stir until almost ten, when she heard the doorbell ring and then Genevieve's squeal of "Alex!" as she discovered who the caller was. Gill threw back the bedcovers and leaped out of bed, pulling on the handiest clothes and hastily dragging a comb through her dishevelled hair. She dashed downstairs and found Alex cuddling Philippe while Genevieve was chatting away to him and Héloise was providing him with coffee. She noticed that Philippe seemed more than happy to be with Alex, and guessed that Arminel had visited Alex on some of the lengthy walks she had taken since returning from Paris. She stopped in the doorway to admire the scene, feeling as if the last difficult months had faded away and everything was as it should be once again. Alex looked over at her and smiled, and Gill found herself almost wanting to cry with happiness at the look he was giving her. She knew that he was as delighted to be back as she was to see him there, and once again she vowed to make absolutely certain that she did nothing that could jeopardise their relationship this time. "Hello," she said, feeling suddenly shy. "Hello," he responded. "I'm afraid I got up rather early after all." "That's all right," she assured him. "Mum, shall I get you some coffee?" Héloise asked. "Yes, please," said Gill, feeling that coffee might help her to feel less like she had been up all night. She sat down in an armchair opposite Alex and found her eyes drawn to his face again. He was already looking at her, and she found the expression on his face very comforting. He was obviously enjoying being with the children and with Philippe again, and yet the looks he kept giving her told her that he was eager to have an opportunity to be with her alone and to have the promised talk with her. Héloise brought in the coffee and explained that Arminel was making a casserole for their evening meal. Louis had already invited Chantal to come and eat with them, so it promised to be a delightful meal, and Gill gave a contented sigh. She sipped her coffee and listened to Genevieve's chatter, pleased that her youngest daughter was so glad to see Alex. It made everything so much easier, knowing that her children accepted him and actually enjoyed his company. |
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| Author: | Lottie [ Wed Sep 05, 2007 10:24 pm ] |
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Thanks for the update, Fatima! Let's hope that Gill and Alex can make things work this time. |
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| Author: | linda [ Wed Sep 05, 2007 10:48 pm ] |
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What a lovely start to the new year. I do hope that Gill and Alex will find happiness this time, without the shadow coming between them again. Thanks for the update Fatima. |
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| Author: | brie [ Thu Sep 06, 2007 10:43 am ] |
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Thanks Becky, they seem so right for each other |
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| Author: | Fatima [ Thu Sep 06, 2007 5:56 pm ] |
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They had an early lunch, more like a brunch, and then Gill and Alex donned their heavy coats and hats and scarves and put on their nailed boots and set off for an invigorating walk in the snow. It was far cloudier than it had been overnight, but they were undeterred by the weather and set off hand in hand down the road. They walked in a companionable silence until they left the streets of the Platz behind and then strolled along one of the paths that lead up into the mountains. The view of the Platz could have graced a Christmas card, so lovely did it look with its covering of snow, and they paused for a while to admire it. Finally, Alex asked the question that had been worrying him. "Is it going to be different this time, Gill?" She looked up at him, her face serious. "Yes, I hope so," she said. "I've put away all the reminders of Armand." She pulled off her glove and showed him her bare hand, now without the wedding ring she had worn for so long. "Put that back on," he told her sternly. "You'll get frostbite!" She replaced her glove and tucked her arm through his, falling into step at his side again. "I came to your house a couple of days after you left," she told him. "I was worried about you." "My brother had a heart attack," Alex explained. "I just grabbed a few things and went that night. He's recovered now, thank goodness, but it was touch and go at the time." "I'm really sorry," she said penitently. "I can't believe you want to be with me after the way I behaved." "I am the one who should be sorry," he told her. "I should have come and talked to you long before last night. Shall we agree to let it all go and start again?" "Yes, please," she said. Alex stopped walking despite the cold and gathered her into his arms. He kissed her for a long time, as if to make up for the weeks when he had been too scared of further rejection to go and find her and make her see sense. When he finally released her, they noticed that it was just starting to snow again, and even as she opened her lips to comment on the fact, the flakes whirled about them in ever increasing numbers. "Come on," he said, catching her hand and starting off along the path once more. "We don't want to get caught in a blizzard." She hurried along beside him, but before they had got anywhere near the Platz the snow was coming down so hard that they could not see more than a foot or two in front of them. Although he didn't say anything, Alex began to feel afraid that they would lose their way. How easy it would be for them to miss the narrow gateway that would take them safely home and to end up lost on the mountainside. He kept a firm grip on Gill's hand, knowing that if he let go it would be only too easy to lose her, too, and he would never forgive himself if he let anything happen to her. They trudged on, glad of their heavy nailed boots, but starting to feel cold and tired. Finally Alex realised that they must have missed the path because they were heading back upwards again, obviously going back around the mountain in the other direction. He stopped and pulled Gill close to him so that he could speak to her of his worries. "We're lost, aren't we," she said in a matter of fact voice. "Yes, I think so," he agreed. "We ought to be going down but we're going back upwards again." "What shall we do?" she asked. "Head back downwards, I suppose," he suggested. "But slowly, we don't want to fall over some precipice. And hold my hand tightly. I certainly don't want to lose you." "You won't lose me," she said, clutching him tightly. "Come on, or the children will worry about us." They struggled on for another half an hour through the wind and the snow, but could not find the path that would take them off the mountainside and back to the Platz. They were beginning to feel tired, for walking through freshly fallen snow was not easy, especially as they were being buffeted by the wind with every step they took. Finally, however, Gill noticed a big shape looming ahead of them. "Look!" she shouted at Alex, for the wind was now whistling loudly. "It's a herdsman's hut." They went right up to the hut, out of the gale, and peered through the window. There was no sign of life inside, so they went carefully round to the door and Alex hammered vigorously on it. No one came to open it, though, so he looked down into his companion's pale face. "I think we need to get in," he told her. "At least we'll be safe then." Gill reached out and tried the latch on the door. To her relief the door swung inwards and they were able to go into the hut and close it firmly behind them. "They leave the huts open in the winter," she said, pulling off her hat and gloves. "Then if you are in need of shelter you can get in." "I'm glad you knew that," he said with a smile. "I thought I would have to break the window. I don't suppose they leave medicinal brandy here in case of need?" "If you can get a fire going, I will look," she said, feeling that she could definitely do with something of a medicinal nature. For a while she had felt that they would spend the rest of the day wandering in circles on the mountain, getting colder and more tired until they could not go on any further and had to just lie down in the snow and fall into the deadly sleep from which one never awoke. Alex gave her an anxious look, but knew that they should have a fire lit before they worried about how they were feeling. He easily found matches and as the fire was already laid in the grate, it was easy to get it burning. He took off his outdoor clothes and hung his damp coat over the back of a chair and then went through into the only other room the hut boasted, a tiny kitchen. He found Gill making tea and adding generous slugs of brandy to both mugs, so he took one from her and led hre back into the other room. She hung her coat up and they sat together in front of the roaring fire, feeling the warmth come back painfully into their fingers and toes. "Are you all right?" he asked her anxiously. "I'm worried about the children," she told him. "They are going to be absolutely frantic when we don't get back home." "We aren't going out until the blizzard stops," he warned her. "I can't believe how lucky we were to have found this place. We couldn't have gone on much longer." "I know," she said, "But they won't know for sure that we've found shelter and they will worry about us." Alex put his arm around her shoulders and drew her against him. "I know they'll worry," he said, "But there's nothing we can do about that. Perhaps they'll guess that we found somewhere to shelter." Gill giggled. "There are certainly plenty of school legends where expeditions of girls go out in the mountains and get caught in a blizzard and so have to shelter in some Alpine hut." Seeing that she was going to be all right after their adventure, he smiled. "And this could be a most enjoyable evening," he told her. "Just you and me and a roaring fire. Could it be any more romantic?" "A candlelit dinner would do it for me," she told him. "There's not much in the way of food out there." "It's a good job we had a decent lunch," he answered. "I'm not hungry yet. We can go out there later and see what we can rustle up." "We should see if there are any blankets," she said practically. "They will probably need airing before we can use them." Alex finished his tea and reluctantly released her. They poked around in the living room and found a pile of rough blankets and some pillows, which they put in front of the fire to air, and then decided that they should see what the hayloft was like before it got too dark to see what was up there. Gill climbed the ladder and found that it was full of hay and nothing else, but it was decidedly chilly up there. "I feel like Heidi," she said as he lifted her down from the ladder. "She slept in the hayloft." Alex pulled some pieces of hay from her hair. "Will we be able to sleep up there?" he asked her. "You can, if you like," she answered, "but I'm sticking with the fire." "Was it cold up there?" "Very," she replied. "We'll be much more comfortable down here, even if the floor is a little hard." "It'll be fine if we put some blankets on those rugs," he said philosophically. "It may not be the ultimate honeymoon destination, but it's still pretty passable." Gill raised her eyebrows at his choice of words. "It's fate," he told her with a shrug. "What else are we expected to do?" He put a couple of rugs down in front of the fire and slung a few pillows and blankets on top. "There," he said, sounding pleased. "It may not be the Hilton, but I think we'll be fine." Seeing that she looked nervous, he took her in his arms and drew her down beside him on their makeshift bed. He put a finger under her chin and tipped her face up towards his. "I'll sleep in the hayloft if you prefer," he told her seriously. She smiled up at him. "No, I don't prefer," she said. "You're right, it's fate. And it's so much better to be here than back at home with all the memories. Even if it is a little uncomfortable." Alex heaved a sigh of relief. "It's getting dark outside. Do you want to eat first?" "No, not really," she said. Alex unlaced his boots and kicked them off and Gill followed suit. To her surprise the pile of rugs and blankets was not uncomfortable and she felt warm and cosy lying in the flickering firelight. Alex took her in his arms, looking down seriously at her, obviously hoping that the little hut was free from the ghosts of her past. To reassure him she pulled him closer and kissed him, abandoning all her worries about being stranded in the hut in favour of enjoying her time with Alex. |
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| Author: | linda [ Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:40 pm ] |
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What an adventure. Of course the herdsman's hut is an ideal place for them to take their relationship to the next level. There are no memories there to create shadows to come between them. Thanks Fatima |
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| Author: | brie [ Fri Sep 07, 2007 9:41 am ] |
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Thanks Becky, I like Gill's comment about the school legends! 
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| Author: | Elbee [ Fri Sep 07, 2007 11:21 am ] |
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I hope there are no other lost people on the mountain about to barge into the hut...! Thanks Fatima, I'm glad they are back together. |
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| Author: | Fatima [ Fri Sep 07, 2007 1:06 pm ] |
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When Gill awoke the next morning the fire had burnt very low and it felt chilly in the little hut, but the sun was doing its best to shine and what little she could see of the sky looked clear. Alex was still asleep, his dark hair tousled and his face peaceful. Looking down at him, Gill was filled with tenderness for him. He was everything she had hoped he would be, and more, gentle and considerate, loving and passionate, and she knew that she wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of her days with him. She realised how lucky they were to have been caught in the blizzard and to have found the herdsman's hut, for it had given them the chance to be completely alone together in a place that held no memories for either of them. In her noisy chalet they would have felt uncomfortable, and it would not have been easy for her to have left the children and gone off to stay with him in his home. Getting trapped on the mountainside had given them the perfect opportunity to spend some time together without needing to worry about interruptions. "Good morning." Alex's voice broke across her thoughts. "It looks like a lovely morning," she told him, gesturing towards the window. "I think we'll be able to find our way back home today." "Maybe I don't want to," he told her with a smile. "Perhaps I'm happy to be stranded here with you forever." "Not without coffee and some decent breakfast," she said. "I'm really hungry." "Me too," he agreed reluctantly, but he pulled the covers more closely around them with a shiver. "It's too cold to get up now." Much later they got up and dressed and tidied up a bit and then Alex left a handful of coins on the kitchen counter. They made sure that the fire had been completely put out, not wishing to leave it smouldering in the grate and then to set the hut on fire. Finally, they opened the door and stared out at the snow, dazzlingly bright in the morning sunhine. It was a lovely morning, still cold and crisp, and it looked unlikely that they would be treated to further snowfalls, for the time being at least. They closed the door behind them and set off in the direction of the Platz, having no problems finding their way. Very soon they reached the path they had searched for in vain during the blizzard and before long they were walking along the streets of the Platz back to Gill's house. They walked up to the front door and knocked, and the door was wrenched open by an anxious looking Héloise. "They're back!" she shouted, and the other three children came rushing to greet them. "I said they'd be all right," said Arminel complacently. "There are lots of huts up there - did you find one?" she asked, turning to Gill. Genevieve threw herself into Gill's arms, sobbing with relief. "I've been so worried," she cried. "I thought you were lost." Gill hugged her, and let her cry for a moment, then gently sat her on the settee while she took off her outdoor clothes. "I'm really sorry you were worried," she said, sitting next to Genevieve and putting an arm around her shoulders. "I only wish that we could have told you that we were all right." "I did tell her that you'd be fine," Arminel put in, "but she's been really upset." "What happened?" asked Genevieve. "We went for a walk," explained Alex, coming to sit on the other side of her, "and it started snowing. It came down so thick and fast that we lost our way and eventually found a little hut. We spent the night there." As he ended his account, he caught Gill's eye and she felt herself blushing. Fortunately, no one seemed to notice her discomfiture, for Arminel was heading off to rescue Philippe from the playpen, where he had been crying for some attention, and Héloise went off to the kitchen to make some coffee and find some breakfast for Gill and Alex. As if realising that she was not acting as a young lady of almost fourteen should, Genevieve gave Gill a hasty kiss and disappeared into the kitchen to help with breakfast. Alex reached for Gill's hand and linked his fingers with hers. "What are you supposed to be doing today?" she asked him. "Nothing," he assured her. "I'd like a shower and some clean clothes, and then I'd like to spend the day with you. Unless you have other plans," he added. "No," she assured him. "I'm more than happy for you to stay here." "I did wonder if it would be better to go back to the hut," he told her with a grin. "Tempting," she said with a chuckle, "but no. I think a lazy day in front of the fire is called for." "Oh, all right," he agreed, leaning forward to kiss the tip of her nose. "Genevieve told me that she had a game of Monopoly for Christmas. Perhaps we could play that." "Yes, please!" Genevieve shrieked, coming in with a big plate of toast at that exact moment. "I'd really like that!" "Then that's settled," Alex said, feeling a great wave of contentment sweep over him. He had a family again at last. They had a lovely day together, sitting round playing Monopoly. Alex and Gill sat side by side, discretely holding hands under the table, laughing and protesting with the others as Héloise purchased some prime real estate and then proceeded to systematically wipe out her opponents. They had a delicious pasta concoction of Arminel's for lunch and then Louis disappeared to find Chantal, while Héloise and Genevieve went skiing with a few of their friends from the Platz. Arminel headed upstairs with Philippe, ostensibly to let him have a nap and to catch up on her studies, but Gill had a feeling that she wanted to leave Gill and Alex alone together. Since the loss of Matthieu and the arrival of Philippe, Arminel seemed much older than the other children, and far more sensitive to the feelings of others than she had once been. Alex wrapped his arms around Gill and she happily snuggled up to him. It seemed almost too good to be true, having Alex back and finding that it felt so right to be with him again. She no longer felt that she should not be with Alex, for it was possible to remember Armand with love and affection and still love Alex too. Loving one of them did not diminish what she felt for the other. It felt wonderful to be held by him, to feel his arms around her and his lips on hers. Although she still regretted wasting six precious months with Alex, Gill was not about to let the memory of her time without him spoil anything. She would appreciate him all the more having lost him once, and would value every minute with him because she had been given a second chance to be happy with him. Alex, too, felt incredibly lucky to be with Gill again. He had missed her terribly, hence his efforts to avoid her. He had longed to have the courage to approach her, but had felt that he had no chance with her. She was so obsessed with Armand that there was no room for another man in her life. Armand might be dead and buried, but Gill's life revolved round him still. It was only when the first letter arrived from Arminel, not long after she had returned to Paris, that Alex actually began to think of seeing Gill again. She had written regularly to him, and he had always replied to her letters, and they had met up almost as soon as she had returned to the Platz for Christmas. In between times, Louis had also visited, popping in for a chat on his way to visit either Chantal or Gill herself. At first they had just chatted about general things, then Alex had finally managed to ask about Gill, and Louis had admitted that he thought Gill was miserable without Alex. Arminel had said much the same things in her letters, and as soon as she returned they began to hatch a plan to get Alex back with Gill once more. He had not known about it immediately, but just before New Year they had explained that they wanted him to accompany them to the ball and that they would arrange for him to have the opportunity to speak with Gill. He had decided to take his courage in both hands and tell her how he still felt about her and how glad he was that he had done so. Now she was back at his side and more than happy to be there. He was even beginning to think about plucking up some more courage and asking her to marry him. Alex, Gill and Louis went back to work and a few days later Arminel and Héloise left for Paris and Zurich respectively. They were all very sad to see the girls go, and especially upset as Arminel and Philippe waved goodbye before catching their flight. By the time they saw him again, Philippe would be more than a year old and probably trotting around all over the place. The house seemed terribly quiet once they had all gone and left Gill and Genevieve alone again, and it took some getting used to. They did have Alex visiting them just as often as he could, but neither Gill nor Alex wished him to move in permanently while Genevieve was there. It did not seem right, somehow, for him to come and live with Gill while Genevieve was young and impressionable. They also discovered another drawback to the departure of Arminel and Héloise - now there was no one to look after Genevieve so that Alex could take Gill out for the evening. Genevieve was still too young for Gill to feel comfortable leaving her on her own, especially during the evening, so it meant that Alex had to come to the chalet to see Gill and so their privacy was limited. |
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| Author: | linda [ Fri Sep 07, 2007 8:58 pm ] |
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Lovely! I'm so pleased that things seem to be coming right for Gill and Alex at last. Of course it will be difficult for them to be alone together now that there is just Genevieve left at home with Gill, but I'm sure they will find a way. Thank you Fatima |
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| Author: | brie [ Sat Sep 08, 2007 10:28 am ] |
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Thanks Becky. |
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| Author: | Fatima [ Sat Sep 08, 2007 2:05 pm ] |
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In January Gill was busy at the reception desk when the phone rang. To her surprise she found Hans on the other end, calling from the surgery. "Gill?" he asked, sounding as if he was in a hurry. "Yes," she answered. "Gill, I am just about to go into surgery. Please don't panic, there's no need to..." "What?" she cried, knowing that there was something to be panicking about if he was telling her not to. "It's nothing to worry about," he said, sounding calm, "but they have just brought Genevieve in. She's..." "No!" Gill positively shrieked down the phone, visualising her precious baby being on the verge of death following a car crash or some horrendous fall from a high piece of gymnastic apparatus at school. "Calm down!" Hans almost shouted at her. "She's got appendicitis, that's all. They are just preparing her for the operation, so come up and see her." Gill banged the receiver down and dashed off at once, offering no explanation to her colleague at reception. She ran along the corridors to the surgical department and arrived in time to see Genevieve lying on a gurney, her face pale and scared. She went over to her side and took her hand, leaning over to kiss her white cheek. Genevieve promptly burst into tears. "It hurts so much," she cried. "I can't stand it, Mum, it hurts so much." Gill patted Genevieve's hand. "Onkel Hans is here," she told her. "He'll make it better, darling. And I'll be here when you wake up." They prepared Genevieve for the arrival of the anaesthetist and soon she was being wheeled into surgery. Hans appeared at the door of the theatre and gave Gill a reassuring smile. "She'll be fine," he said. "It's routine, so there's no need to worry. It won't take long and I'll come straight out and tell you how it went. Get Alex and have a coffee and don't worry." "Easier said than done," she replied, but he had already gone back into the theatre, leaving her talking to a closed door. Gill decided to go and do as Hans had suggested, so she headed off to the lab where Alex was running some tests requested by one of the doctors. Seeing her at the door he waved her inside, and she came across to stand beside him. "Hello," he said, giving her a quick smile before turning back to his test tubes once more. "Hello," she answered. "Genevieve's upstairs having her appendix out." "Really?" he asked, surprised by the news. "Yes, Hans called me. He's doing the operation." "It's a very routine procedure," said Alex, sounding unworried. "I don't think it takes longer than about thirty or forty minutes. I'm sure there's nothing to worry about, Gill." "That's what Hans said," Gill admitted, feeling less apprehensive. "Do you want to come for coffee with me, or are you too busy?" "I've got to finish this," he said, sounding apologetic, "but as soon as it's done I'll come and find you. Don't worry, darling, she'll be fine." Seeing that she was distracting him from his work, Gill bade him farewell and went off to get a cup of coffee. She returned to the theatre and sat sipping the steaming beverage and thinking about Genevieve. Gill and Armand had been thrilled when they found out that Gill was expecting another baby, and once Genevieve had arrived, Armand had doted on her. She had been a thoroughly delightful baby, chubby and cheerful, with the prettiest little face and a head of thick black hair. She had found it very difficult to adjust to Armand's death, and then to accept Alex as part of Gill's life, but had finally begun to grow up and take it all in her stride. She was turning into a sensible and confident young lady, and Gill was tremendously proud of her. Alex arrived as soon as he could, and immediately took Gill in his arms and held her tightly. "I'm sorry it took me so long," he said. "I had to get that done, though. Are you all right?" "Yes, I'm fine," she replied, glad that he had come to find her. "She'll be all right, won't she?" "I'm sure she'll be fine," Alex reassured her. He did not mention the complications that could arise if the appendix should burst, so that she should not worry unnecessarily. "I expect she'll be taken to the recovery room soon, and then they'll tell you how she's doing." Before Gill could answer, the big door swung open again and Hans emerged once more. Gill and Alex both leaped to their feet and Gill demanded, "How is she? Did it go well?" Hans grinned. "Yes, of course it did," he answered. "I told you not to worry, didn't I?" "I know you did," Gill concurred, "but I couldn't help it. She's my baby, after all. When can I see her?" "She'll be in the recovery room for a while, and then they'll take her to the ward. You can see her then." "Thank you, Hans," said Gill, glad that he had attended to Genevieve in person. "I'm really glad you were on duty." "Anyone could have done it," said Hans modestly. "It was simple enough. I'd better go and get ready for my next case. See you later." And Hans disappeared once more. Gill turned back to Alex. "Thank goodness," she said in heartfelt tones. "Why don't we go and have our lunch now?" he suggested. "Maybe you'll be able to see her by the time we've finished." Gill readily agreed and soon they were in the canteen enjoying more coffee and some rather tasty sandwiches. Gill gave half of her attention to Alex and the lunch, while the other half was still concerned about Genevieve. She knew that she would not be able to stop worrying until she saw for herself that her daughter was on the road to recovery. Once she had done that, she would call the school and find out what had happened that morning, for Genevieve had seemed fine when she left home at just after seven o'clock. Sensing that her heart wasn't really in it, Alex fell silent and fervently hoped that Genevieve would make a full recovery from the operation. Usually there was nothing to worry about with appendicitis, especially when caught as quickly as Genevieve's seemed to have been, but one could never tell. After their lunch, Gill went off to the reception and discovered which ward Genevieve was being transferred to. She headed straight there, and managed to arrive just before Genevieve was wheeled in. Shse still looked pale and rather disoriented, but when she saw Gill waiting for her she gave a big smile of relief. She was settled comfortably, and then the nurse left mother and daughter alone. They were only to have five minutes, because Genevieve should be resting, but Gill would be able to return in the evening, by which time Genevieve should be more than ready to see her. "How are you feeling?" Gill asked, pulling a chair up close to the bed. "Scared, still," Genevieve admitted, reaching for Gill's hand. "Why?" asked Gill, surprised by the response. "Well, they cut me open, didn't they? I expect it'll hurt an awful lot once the anaesthetic wears off. And I shall be frightened to move, in case the stitches open up. That would be really nasty." "Onkel Hans will have made sure that the stitches are in very well," Gill assured her. "They aren't going to open up, Jen. It might hurt a bit, but not as badly as it did when you got here. What happened this morning?" "I felt some pain as I got near school," said Genevieve, "but I thought it was because I'd been hurrying. I'm the ink monitress this term and I like to check the inkwells when I get to school because the others get cross if they've run out. And then it just got worse and I think I fainted or something, because the next thing I remember was being in the ambulance coming here." "You poor thing," said Gill tenderly. "At least it was all sorted out quickly, though. Some people have a grumbling appendix, which means that it keeps on hurting for ages before they have it removed." "How horrid," said Genevieve in heartfelt tones. "Will I have to stay here long, Mum?" "I'm not sure," said Gill, for she had not yet thought to ask. "I don't expect it will be too long. I will ask one of the nurses." "I'm sorry Madame Laroche," said the nurse, appearing between the curtains of the little cubicle. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave now, so that Genevieve can get some sleep." Gill stood up reluctantly. "I'll be back later," she promised, leaning over and kissing her daughter fondly. "Try to sleep, darling, and don't worry." Genevieve gave Gill a brighter smile than she had managed before and agreed to do her best to rest. "But you will come back, won't you?" she asked. "Yes, I promise I'll come back," Gill assured her. "And Alex?" "And Alex, if he has time," said Gill, sure that he would make time to come and visit her. "Goodbye Jen." Gill left Genevieve to the tender mercies of the nurse and returned to her post in reception. She apologised profusely to her colleague, Frieda, and once she had explained the situation, Frieda agreed that she had needed to go. Gill promised to do the last hours of the afternoon and let Frieda leave early, and settled down to do some work. Gill visited Genevieve after work and found her looking much better. The nurse said that she would remain in the San for three or four days, and then could return home to convalesce. Alex went to visit Genevieve with her, and once visiting time was over they walked back to Gill's chalet together. It was a chilly evening and the wind made it feel colder still, so they were very glad when they could close the door behind them and sit down near the fire with mugs of tea. As they warmed their toes, Gill suddenly realised that they had the place to themselves. Louis was in Interlaken, Arminel in Paris, Héloise in Zurich and Genevieve in the San. Impulsively she turned to Alex. "Come and stay with me," she said, seizing his arm so abruptly that he almost spilt his tea. "I'll be alone here, so you could stay." "All right," he agreed at once. He could always worry about how he would make himself leave again once that moment arrived. And that she might treat him to a repeat of the shadow incident he refused to even consider. She had come so far since then that he could not imagine her running in fear from him. He glanced at the clock, seeing that it was getting on for eight o'clock. He briefly considered going home to collect some of his things, but decided that it could all wait until the next day. He would pop back to his chalet from the San and shower and change, and then make a bag ready to bring with him that evening. In the meantime he would enjoy a relaxing evening with the woman of his dreams. Gill finished her tea and relaxed into Alex's arms. Suddenly she knew that Genevieve would be fine after her appendicitis; the whole incident had been arranged by fate so that she and Alex could be together, just as the snow and the conveniently placed hut on the mountainside had been. They would be able to spend a few days together, enjoying one another's company and getting closer and closer to each other. They would fall more and more in love and then might even want to get married. As she thought that, Gill suddenly wondered why she had not thought of marrying Alex before. If they did get married, he would be able to move in with her, or they could even move into another chalet together. There would be no need to worry about behaving with impropriety and no need to concern themselves with what others thought about them. Gill knew that things had changed a lot since the days when Armand had asked her to marry him, and that it was possible for a woman to ask a man to marry her, but she was not sure she would be able to do it herself. As she considered the subject, though, she remembered a very important thing - it was a leap year and so she could legitimately ask him to marry her on 29th February. And that was only just over a month away. As Alex leant down to kiss her, Gull pushed her thoughts to the back of her mind and concentrated on enjoying the present. Alex had been so wonderful, putting up with all her doubts and uncertainties that he deserved to have her undivided attention. She would be able to ponder the question of marriage later, when she was alone. She had a month to think, so she did not need to make any snap decisions. The next morning they had breakfast together and then walked to work. They were such simple pleasures, sipping coffee in companionable silence, leaving their mugs side by side in the sink, and then walking arm in arm along the snow-covered streets to the San. Alex left Gill in the reception, promising to meet her for coffee later in the morning, and Gill dashed off to the ward to quickly check on Genevieve before she began her morning's work. Genevieve had slept well and was actually to be allowed a little light soup and perhaps some tea, although she was unhappy about the lack of toast and jam for breakfast. She also complained that it was very boring in the San, so Gill promised to see if she could find some books or magazines for her to read. As she had to work, Gill could not stay very long, but she did promise to come back when she had her break. She would also return during her lunch break and again once she had finished work, although she knew that her visits would seem very inadequate to Genevieve. However, it would not be possible for her to spend longer with her daughter until the days when she was not working, and hopefully by then Genevieve would be well enough to return home and then they could spend the whole day together. Gill met up with Alex for coffee and a hasty lunch, when they were joined by Hans and Helene. Gill and Alex did their best to conduct a normal conversation with their friends, but they found it difficult to focus on what Hans and Helene were saying as all they could think about was going home from work together and spending the evening like an old married couple. If Hans and Helene thought it was odd that they could not stop grinning at each other and paid very little attention to the conversation, they said nothing. Alex ran Gill to earth at the reception desk after work, and together they went to visit Genevieve. She looked much better than she had even that morning, and was complaining that she had read the magazines that Gill had sent up for her and was still bored. She could not understand why no one would let her get up and go and watch television in the small room down the corridor, or why they absolutely refused to feed her anything other than liquids. After Alex had explained that her intestines would need to be gently returned to their normal functions, Genevieve piped down on the subject of solid food, but still said she thought they should let her get up. She was slightly mollified when Gill promised to bring her in some of her favourite books the next day, and when Alex said he had to go down to Interlaken during the morning and promised to buy her whatever she wanted from the big bookshop there, she positively beamed at him. She agreed to get an early night, so that the staff at the San would be very impressed by her powers of recuperation and might then let her go home earlier than they had originally thought. By the time they left her, Genevieve was much more cheerful, and Gill was not worried about leaving her. |
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| Author: | brie [ Sat Sep 08, 2007 6:16 pm ] |
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Thanks Becky. I am really enjoying this |
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| Author: | linda [ Sat Sep 08, 2007 7:06 pm ] |
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Poor Genevieve, what a shock for everyone, but I'm sure she'll be better soon. I never expected that Gill and Alex would have an opportunity to be together again so soon, but so glad that they did stay together as Gill would have fretted so badly had she been on her own over night. Thanks Fatima |
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| Author: | Fatima [ Mon Sep 10, 2007 5:28 pm ] |
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Gill and Alex walked back to Gill's chalet and spent another happy evening together. It was delightful to cook the dinner together and help each other clear up afterwards. It was delightful to sit side by side on the settee to watch the evening news and then the film, knowing that they would not have to part once it ended. It was delightful to go upstairs hand in hand and to climb into bed together. It was especially wonderful to wake the next morning, no longer alone, and as she gazed at Alex across the pillows, Gill knew that she would not be completely happy until she had persuaded him that marriage was the best thing for them both. She decided that she would definitely ask him on the last day of February, although she was not sure if she was supposed to buy herself an engagement ring for him to put on hr finger, or whether she then let him sort that out. Maybe she ought to buy him one, she thought with a smile, imagining herself slipping a solitaire diamond onto her finger. "What's so funny?" he asked sleepily, surprised to see her smiling to herself. "That we have to get up and go to work," she said, leaning over to kiss him. "The alarm will ring any moment." "Roll on the weekend," he grumbled, until he realised that Genevieve would probably be home by then and he would be back in his own bed, by himself once more. Gill guessed what he was thinking and knew that he would be sad to leave, but that he would do it anyhow, knowing that it was what she wanted. She almost told him of her plans for that magical leap year day, but stopped herself just in time. It was going to be such a surprise for him and she did not want to spoil it by dropping any hints. She kissed him again and then threw back the covers just as the alarm clock began its relentless beeping. Alex muttered something under his breath and got up too. They had their breakfast and set off to work, when Alex reminded Gill that he was going to Interlaken that morning, so would not be able to meet her for coffee or even for lunch. "I'll be at work this afternoon, though," he added. "I'll visit Genevieve with you and then we can go back to your place for dinner.: "All right," Gill agreed. "Have a good day. Don't spoil Genevieve too much, will you?" "I think she deserves spoiling," he answered, leaning down to kiss her goodbye. "Tell her I'll see her later. Goodbye darling." "Bye," Gill responded, watching as he headed off towards his own home to collect his car. She went into the San and took Genevieve the books she had promised her. Before she could go to Genevieve's bed, the nurse on duty stopped her. "What's happened?" Gill asked, looking anxiously down the ward to the curtains pulled around Genevieve's bed. "She's fine," said the nurse reassuringly. "The doctor was examining the wound and found that it's become infected. It's very mild, and nothing to worry about. We'll be starting her on antibiotics, but it means that she'll have to stay in a while longer, perhaps until the middle of next week." "Are you sure it's nothing to worry about?" asked Gill apprehensively. "Quite sure," the nurse replied. "The doctor will finish with her and then you can go and see her." Even as the nurse finished speaking, another nurse drew back the curtains around Genevieve's bed and the doctor left her. Gill dashed down the ward to speak to him and he was just as reassuring as the nurse, telling her that they could deal with the infection and not to worry at all. Genevieve herself looked well, Gill was pleased to see, and she was delighted to get her hands on some of her books. "At least I won't be bored today," she said contentedly. "And they made me get up last night and go for a walk around. They said I can go to the television room today, too." "I'm glad to hear it," said Gill, perching on the edge of the bed and gently touching Genevieve's cheek. "I was a bit worried when they said you had an infection." "The doctor said not to worry," said Genevieve, sounding unconcerned. "He's really nice and was very gentle when he took off the bandage." Gill kissed Genevieve. "I'd better go," she said. "Alex said he'll be in later. He's on his way to Interlaken now." "All right," said Genevieve, already opening one of the books. "Don't worry, Mum, I'm fine." Gill managed not to worry too much, although she did check with Hans that the infection was as simple to deal with as she had been told. She did her work, visited Genevieve again, dealt with some enquiries from the relatives of patients and did all her usual chores. Alex appeared during the afternoon, and when Gill went to visit Genevieve later, she discovered that Alex had bought her a pile of English and French magazines and some new cassettes to play in her walkman. Owing to his morning spent shopping, Alex still had some work to finish at the San, so Gill headed home alone to begin the dinner and to do some much needed housework that she had neglected in her excitement at being able to spend some quality time with Alex. He finally arrived at getting on for nine o'clock, looking extremely pleased with himself. He gave Gill a cursory kiss and headed upstairs to change and then appeared in the kitchen to present her with a huge bouquet of red roses. "Can't have you thinking I care more for Genevieve than I do for you," he said with a grin. At the allusion to her ridiculous suspicions about Alex and Arminel, Gill blushed. "Thank you, Alex," she said, turning to find a vase to put the roses in. She found him drawing her back towards him, though, his expression suddenly serious. The next thing she knew, he was kneeling on the kitchen floor in front of her and reaching for her hand. "Gill," he said earnestly, "I know we've only been back together a few weeks, but that has been quite long enough for me to realise exactly what you mean to me. I can't bear the thought of spending any more time apart from you because I love you. Will you marry me?" "Oh, Alex, how mean of you!" she exclaimed, much to his surprise. He had expected a simple yes or no, and hopefully the former, not such a strange answer. Alex got up and turned away from her, deciding that he really did not understand her at all, and Gill knew how she had hurt him. She put the flowers on the table and reached out for him, pulling him back around to face her again. "Dear Alex, I would love to marry you," she told him, sliding her arms around his waist. "Then why am I so mean?" he asked, still looking upset. "I have spent the last couple of days planning to ask you to marry me on February 29th," she said. "It's a leap year and that's the one day when women are supposed to propose to the men in their life. I've been so excited about it and now I can't do it." Alex showed her a little velvet covered box. "Then I should wait to give you this," he suggested, sliding it back into his pocket again. Deciding that the time had come for action rather than words, Gill pulled him down to her and kissed him. "I love you," she said softly. "I really want to marry you, Alex, and I'm sorry I was horrible." "You weren't horrible," he said, smiling tenderly down at her. "It was just not what I was expecting to hear, that's all." He pulled the little box out of his pocket again and handed it to her. "If you don't like it, we can change it," he said, knowing that it was much simpler than her previous ring, given to her by Armand. Gill opened the box and smiled up at Alex, tears in her eyes. "It's beautiful," she told him sincerely. "Why on earth would you think I would want to change it?" Alex took it out of its box and gently put it onto her finger. "I can't give you as much as he could," he reminded her. "But I will always love you and cherish you and make you as happy as I possibly can." Gill held him closely. "I'm not interested in the material things you can offer me," she assured him. "I'm going to marry you because I love you. It's that simple." She looked down at the pretty ring again, realising how well he already knew her taste. The single stone was a deep blue sapphire and had so many facets that it sparkled as it caught the light. A sizzling from the stove brought them both back to earth with a bump, and Gill leaped forward to seize the saucepan in which the potatoes they were going to eat were boiling dry. "I hope you don't mind mashed potatoes," she said with a chuckle, looking at the potatoes that had disintegrated in the pan. "We're having steak so it's not as bad as it seems." "That's fine," he assured her. "What can I do to help?" "You could set the table," she suggested. "And check that the vegetables are all right." Alex did as she asked, finding that it was only the potatoes that had suffered from her inattention. Gill mashed them, though, and they tasted delicious, and not at all burnt. Alex did the washing up after the meal and then he took her through to the sitting room. He had done the difficult part of things, proposing to her, so making further plans would, hopefully, be a lot easier. He drew her into his arms again and regarded her seriously. "When shall we get married?" he asked her. "Tonight?" she suggested with a smile. "What sort of wedding do you want - a huge church one or a smaller one?" "I don't know," she admitted. "I hadn't got that far in my plans. I will be happy with whatever you want." "Gill, it will be your day," he said. "I'll go along with anything, but it has to be what you want." "I'll have to think about it," she said. She wound her arms around his neck and pulled him close to kiss him, making him forget all about his hopes of setting a date quickly. |
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| Author: | brie [ Wed Sep 12, 2007 9:00 am ] |
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Thanks Becky, that was lovely |
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| Author: | Elbee [ Wed Sep 12, 2007 5:37 pm ] |
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Phew! Engaged at last !
Thanks Fatima. |
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| Author: | Fatima [ Wed Sep 12, 2007 5:55 pm ] |
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In Interlaken Louis and Chantal were just sitting down to dinner in a very quiet little Italian restaurant that they had discovered. They had popped up to the Platz to pay a brief visit to Genevieve, and had decided to have a meal on their way back to Louis' apartment, since it was getting too late to do any cooking. They ate plates of lasagne accompanied by a crisp salad and a bottle of wine, and chatted easily about the day and how well Genevieve was looking, all things considered. Louis looked across the table at Chantal, thinking for the hundredth time how lovely she was. He had known her forever, but it was only over the past year that he had noticed her as anything more than Arminel's friend. Before that he had enjoyed her company in much the same way as he had that of his sisters, but one day he had suddenly realised how much he was looking forward to seeing her. He had been unable to stop watching her and thinking about her and he had finally plucked up enough courage to ask her to go out with him. She had agreed at once, and they had got on famously right from the start. Louis smiled to himself as he recalled the other landmarks of their relationship - the first time he had kissed her, the day she had moved into his apartment, the day Arminel had found out about them and her unflattering comment, "My brother and my best friend? Eurgh!" And now they were reaching another milestone. Louis looked across at her, thinking how ethereal she looked in the low light of the restaurant. Her skin was pale and her eyes blue, and her hair so soft and sweet smelling. He smiled as she looked up and caught his eye, and she smiled back at him, making his heart beat faster. He laid down his fork and reached across to take her hand. "You look lovely tonight," he told her. She laughed at him. "In these old things?" she asked, waving depreciatingly at her jumper and jeans. "In anything," he told her. "Chantal, I've been thinking." Chantal laughed again, and squeezed his hand. "You really shouldn't," she told him lightly. "It doesn't do you any good at all." "These thoughts have done me a lot of good," he assured her. "Chantal, will you marry me?" "Yes," she said at once. "Oh, yes, Louis, I will." Louis was unable to stop himself from grinning foolishly. "You will?" he asked, just to check that he had heard her properly. "Yes, I will," she said, smiling back at him happily. He was everything she had ever wanted in a man, kind and considerate and caring. He made her feel so special and loved and she could imagine nothing better than spending the rest of her days with him. "But I wonder if my parents will think that I am too young," she said slowly. "I will talk to your father at the weekend," said Louis seriously. "I shall tell him how much I love you and how I shall take very good care of you. I can provide for you; we have been living quite well, haven't we?" "Yes, very well," she agreed. He did not earn a great fortune, but it was more than enough to support them both, and her income would mean that she did not have to rely on him completely. They finished their meal and Louis paid the bill. They walked together to his car and he drove them back to his apartment. Once he had parked in the garage there, they went up to his flat and once inside he took her in his arms. he kissed her and then smiled down at her. "We'll go tomorrow and choose a ring," he told her. "And at the weekend we'll talk to our parents and then it will be official. We're going to be married." Chantal laughed as he lifted her off the ground and spun her around. "I like the idea of you being my fiance," she told him happily. "I love you, Louis." "I love you, too," he answered, bending to kiss her again. |
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| Author: | linda [ Wed Sep 12, 2007 7:45 pm ] |
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Oh, lovely, another engagement. How fantastic after all the troubles of the past months. 
I wonder if Louis and Chantal will get their news in before Gill and Alex tell them about their plans? Thank you Fatima |
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| Author: | brie [ Thu Sep 13, 2007 2:19 pm ] |
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Thannks Becky. That was lovely. |
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| Author: | Fatima [ Fri Sep 14, 2007 12:01 pm ] |
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Alex and Gill planned to tell Genevieve of their engagement the next morning and then to call the other children that evening and break the news to them. They did not anticipate any of them objecting, but wished them to have time to get used to the news before they told their other friends. They talked about the wedding, deciding that it would be nice to invite both of their families from England as well as their closest friends on the Platz. They did not wish to have a long engagement, but as they wanted Arminel and Héloise to be at the wedding they would be obliged to wait until the girls came back for their next holiday. Finally they decided to get married just after Easter, which was not too long to wait, but gave them the chance to arrange for everyone to be invited. Genevieve came back from the San in the middle of the week, and Gill took some time off work to look after her. She had quite recovered from the operation and Hans assured her that she would only have the tiniest scar to remind her of the surgery. She had declared herself thrilled to bits at the thought of Gill marrying Alex, although she did privately ask Gill if it would be necessary to call Alex 'Dad'. Gill hastily assured her that no one was expecting her to do that, after which Genevieve had hugged Gill and told her how happy she would be to see them married and for Alex to live with them. The other children had been equally pleased, although Louis secretly felt that his mother had stolen his thunder. He asked Chantal to keep their own plans quiet for the time being, lest anyone thought they were merely jumping on the bandwagon. She agreed, for she wanted nothing more than to make Louis happy, and consigned the pretty solitaire diamond ring to its box for a few weeks. They finally decided that it made no difference to them whether people knew that they were engaged or not, so they planned to wait to talk to Hans until after Gill and Alex were married. They were already living together in Interlaken, so nothing was going to change if people knew that they were engaged. They were young and had their whole lives ahead of them, and after all that she had been through, Gill deserved to enjoy her moment of happiness without having to worry about what Louis and Chantal were doing. After they hd told everyone, Gill found that the time positively flew past. She invited her family to the wedding and heard back from them all, saying how happy they would be to come to the Platz for the wedding. Alex's brother and his wife were also coming, along with Monique and Andre and Jacynth Hardy, one of Gill's oldest friends. Gill had decided not to buya long wedding gown, as she felt that she was too old for such frivolities, but it still took her and Helene any number of visits to Interlaken before they found just the right outfit for her. Arminel and Héloise had promised to return to the Platz with their outfits already purchased, so there was just Genevieve left for Gill to sort out, which was not an easy matter, either. By the time Easter came round, Gill was eager to get the wedding over and done with. She almost wished that she had agreed to pop down to the registry office in Interlaken one Saturday afternoon and get married with just Louis and Genevieve as witnesses; only the pleasure of seeing her brothers and sisters after so long kept her from suggesting to Alex that they cancel their plans and quietly elope. Finally, though, the great day came around. The visitors from England had arrived and were staying at one of the nicer hotels on the Platz. Monique and Andre had moved into Gill's chalet so that they could look after Genevieve once Gill and Alex had gone on their honeymoon and rumour had it that the world famous cellist, Jacynth Hardy, had been seen shopping in some of Interlaken's most glamorous shops. The morning of the wedding dawned clear and bright, but decidedly chilly. Gill woke early and got up at once, needing to sit alone in the kitchen with a cup of coffee and her thoughts. She was doomed to disappointment, however, for Monique was already there, sipping her own coffee reflectively. "Hello," she said with a smile as the bride-to-be appeared. "Hello," Gill responded, sitting down opposite her. "Having second thoughts?" Monique asked, pushing a mug of coffee towards her. "No," answered Gill with a smile. "I'm really happy. I just wanted to think for a moment about the last time I did this. I just wanted to put it into the past and move on properly." Monique smiled as she remembered Gill and Armand's wedding day. "You looked absolutely lovely," she told her sincerely. "And I have never seen Armand as happy." "Or as nervous," Gill added with a chuckle. "He told me afterwards that he felt like a nervous wreck as he stood at the top of the church waiting for me to arrive." Her eyes misted over as she remembered her joy on that long ago day. "I was so happy with Armand," she said softly. Monique reached out and patted Gill's hand. "And he was so happy with you," she said gently. "I'm so happy with Alex, too," Gill went on. "I understand what you were trying to tell me after Armand died. It is different second time around, but it can still feel so right." Before they could say anything else, Arminel appeared, Philippe in her arms. She handed him to Gill, who willingly cuddled him while Arminel got him some breakfast and then joined her mother and aunt at the table. Before long, Héloise and Genevieve had also come downstairs and were chattering away, discussing who would help Gill with her hair and how late she should be arriving at the chapel. They managed to eat some breakfast and then Monique produced a bottle of champagne, telling them that they should start the day off properly. Toasts were drunk and Philippe regarded them all as if he thought they had gone quite mad. Gill slipped off upstairs to get ready, spending some time in the bath, relaxing and thinking back over the last few weeks with Alex. He had moved back into his own chalet when Genevieve came home, and since then they had spent almost every minute of every day together, and yet every night apart. He had been philosophical about it, though, knowing that nothing would keep them apart once they were married. Gill had not believed it would be possible to fall more in love with him, but somehow she had. He occupied her thoughts all the time, every moment she was away from him was spent missing him and waiting to see him again. Whenever they were together her eyes constantly followed him around, and she found no greater pleasure than curling up in his arms on the settee to watch television, or talk, or just spend some time enjoying the feel of him beside her. Gill got out of the bath and dried herself, then smeared herself liberally with a new body lotion that Arminel had brought back from Paris for her. She returned to her bedroom to dress, and stood for a long time in front of the mirror, admiring her reflection. She had chosen a very simply cut dress in a soft ivory material, with a long jacket and a small chic hat. She swept her hair up elegantly, glad that she had had it cut the week before, or she would not have managed to get it all under her hat, and around her throat she wore the pearls that Armand had given her for their first Christmas together. Monique, giggling, had provided the necessary 'something blue' - a rather saucy garter which Gill could not stop herself from chuckling about. Despite the reminder of Armand, Gill was more than ready to marry Alex; she could scarcely contain her excitement as the hands of the clock moved slowly around to ten and then eleven o'clock. The ceremony was to be held at half past eleven, so the three girls and Monique headed off at just after eleven o'clock. Louis was to take Gill to the chapel, for he was the one who would give her away. He had been flattered when she had asked him to play such an important part in the ceremony and had agreed at once. As Gill went downstairs she found Louis waiting for her in the living room. He smiled at her as she came in, and wondered why he felt uncommonly like crying. "Oh, Mum, you look so beautiful," he said, and then she was in his arms and they both had tears in their eyes. "It won't change anything, will it?" he asked, once he had got himself under control. "Of course not," she promised, reaching up to kiss his cheek. "You will be just as welcome here as you have ever been. It's still your home, Louis. And Alex won't change once we're married. He'll carry on treating you as a friend, he won't try to take Papa's place." "Oh, I know that," agreed Louis. "We're very lucky to have found him, aren't we?" "Very lucky," she said fervently. "Shall we go?" "Yes, we don't want to be so late that he thinks you aren't going to show up," Louis answered with a laugh, and with Gill's hand held firmly in his, he took her out to his car. |
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| Author: | brie [ Fri Sep 14, 2007 12:24 pm ] |
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Oh that was beautiful Becky thanks. |
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| Author: | Elbee [ Fri Sep 14, 2007 4:49 pm ] |
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Looking forward to the Wedding itself! Thanks Fatima. |
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| Author: | linda [ Fri Sep 14, 2007 8:42 pm ] |
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That was so beautiful, Fatima, I'm really looking forward to the wedding. |
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| Author: | Fatima [ Sat Sep 15, 2007 11:42 am ] |
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When they arrived at the small Protestant chapel built to celebrate the twenty-first birthday of the Chalet School, Gill was amazed to see how full it was. Every seat in the place was taken and there were even a few people standing at the back of the church. She stood for a moment beside Louis, looking round at her family and friends and all the neighbours and acquaintances who had come to wish her well, and then the organ struck up a solemnly imposing tune and the ceremony had begun. As they started their walk down the aisle, Gill finally caught sight of Alex. He was standing near the altar with his brother beside him, and looking anxiously down the church for the first glimpse of his bride. The relief he felt on seeing her was so clearly written on his face that Gill found herself smiling and if Louis hadn't tightened his grip on her arm she would probably have set off down the aisle far faster than tradition dictated. Alex smiled back and Gill knew that he had, just for a moment, worried that she would not turn up, that at the last moment Armand would keep his hold on her and refuse to let her move on with another man. As she made her way up the aisle, Gill saw with pleasure that her family were there - her sisters with their husbands, Godfrey's widow, and then she saw the tall figure of her favourite brother Hawk. Near them sat Jacynth Hardy, trig and trim as ever, beside her second husband, and then her gaze moved on to the four girls in the front row. Arminel looked elegant in a long, flowing dress, Philippe in her arms, one fist entangled in her hair and the other thumb in his mouth. Héloise was wearing blue and looking grown up, as befitted someone who had been at univrsity for two terms. Genevieve was between them, dressed in a suit that she had chosen herself having turned down all the clothes that Gill had deemed suitable. In the end, though, it seemed that she had made the right choice, for she looked delightful. Finally, at the end of the group, stood Chantal, all her attention focused on Louis, regarding him with such adoration that Gill wondered if they would be the next couple to walk down the aisle together. They stood at the front of the little chapel and Louis gave his mother away and then slipped into the front pew beside Chantal. Gill and Alex made their vows, he slipped the plain gold band onto her finger and finally she was his wife. Arm in arm they made their way back down the aisle and Alex could not stop himself from grinning. Finally, after so many months of wanting, he had managed to make Gill his wife. "You look gorgeous," he whispered as they reached the door of the chapel. "So do you," she returned, squeezing his arm. "You scrub up very well!" They both laughed and the photographer who had been waiting outside snapped some excellent photographs of the newlyweds. The guests came streaming out of the church to join them and they posed for endless pictures. People came and went and had their photos taken and there was no time for Gill to talk to any of them. She finally gave up worrying about it, hoping that she would have time to talk with them at the reception, and concentrated instead on clinging to her husband's arm and smiling endlessly. Once everyone was satisfied, Alex led Gill over to Louis' car and helped her in amidst a veritable cloud of confetti. Louis drove away, heading for the Mirlhof, the smartest hotel on the Platz, where the reception was to be held. "Congratulations," he said, glancing in his rear view mirror and smiling at them. "That was lovely." "Wasn't it," Gill agreed contentedly, still clinging to Alex's arm. They had a wonderful meal, with superbly cooked, typically Swiss dishes and then came the speeches. They cut the cake and drank endless glasses of champagne and finally it was time to begin the dancing. Gill did wonder if it was a little early for dancing, but once she was clasped in Alex's arms and being guided smoothly around the dance floor, she forgot her reservations. How could it ever be the wrong time to be dancing with Alex, she wondered. She smiled up at him and he smiled back, making her more certain than ever that she had done the right thing. "I love you," she told him. "I love you, too," he answered, unable to stop himself from leaning down and brushing her lips with his own. "This is the happiest day of my life." "Mine too," she said, wrapping her arms more closely round him. She spent ages in his arms, enjoying the feeling of joy that enveloped them both, until she was aware of someone tapping her on the shoulder. Turning, she found herself looking up at her brother Hawk, who she had not seen for so long. "Alex," she said, "This is my brother. Hawk, this is Alex." Hawk Culver shook hands with Alex. "It's so nice to meet you," he said sincerely. "Crumpet, you look lovely. May I have a dance with you? A short one," he added with a grin at Alex. "Of course," Alex agreed, stepping aside. "It's fabulous to see you, Hawk," said Gill, hugging him. "It's been too long." "Far too long," he agreed. "But New Zealand is so far away. It's good to see you happy again." "It's good to be happy again," she answered with a laugh. "Alex is wonderful." They both looked across to where Alex was dancing with Arminel, whirling her around and making her laugh. "You must meet the children," Gill went on. "Why, I don't believe you have ever seen Genevieve even." After Hawk, Gill found Hans waiting to dance with her and wish her all the best with Alex, then Louis declared that it was his turn to dance with her. After dancing with her other brothers, Gill excused herself and went off to talk to her sisters, and then found herself with Jacynth and her husband. Jacynth introduced him, for Gill had not met him before. He was a very pleasant man and Jacynth was obviously very happy with him, despite the fact that he cheerfully admitted to being tone deaf! It obviously mattered to neither of them, indeed they seemed to find it rather amusing, so Gill joined in with their laughter. After that, much in need of a drink, Gill went over to join her children. She knew that she would miss them dreadfully while she was on her honeymoon, especially Genevieve, and she did not intend to disappear without letting them have the chance to discuss the wedding with her before she went. She guessed they would have plenty to say about the guests and their clothes and Gill and Alex, and she was not far wrong. They talked with animation and laughed a lot as they discussed the reception and asked all sorts of questions about Gill's family, with whom they were scarcely acquainted. Alex came to join them, escaping from dancing with some of the nurses from the San who had just arrived. "We'll have to go soon," he warned Gill, sitting down beside her and taking her hand. "We have a train to catch." She smiled at him, knowing that he was as eager to leave the party and begin their married life together as she was. "I'm ready when you are," she assured him. "I wish you didn't have to go," said Genevieve wistfully. "You'll be fine with Tante Monique," said Gill bracingly. "And Arminel and Héloise, too." "But it's not the same as being with you." "We won't be gone long," said Alex with a smile at her. "You'll scarcely have time to miss us." "It's only thinking about you coming to live with us that will keep me going," said Genevieve, smiling back at Alex. "I'm so happy about that, Alex." Alex reached out to squeeze her hand. "Me too," he assured her. "Gill, shall we go and get ready?" "Yes, all right," she agreed, standing up. The three girls stood up, too, for they were to help her change into her going away clothes and to say goodbye to her in private. They went up to the little room that had been set aside for the purpose and whilst Genevieve plonked herself down in a big armchair, Arminel found Gill's far more casual trouser suit and Héloise carefully packed the wedding suit into a bag that she was going to take back home with her. Gill's case was already packed and all she had to do was brush out her hair and put it up again and then it was time for her to go and find Alex. "Look after each other while I'm away," she told her daughters. "Oh, I shall miss you all so much." "You won't miss us," said Arminel with a chuckle. "You're already used to us being away." "She'll miss me," Genevieve put in, hugging Gill tightly. "And I'll miss you, Mum." Gill hugged Genevieve and kissed her. "We'll phone you," she promised. "Be good, darling." "Don't worry about us," said Héloise. "We'll be fine. We couldn't be otherwise with Tante Monique to care for us." Gill hugged Héloise and then Arminel. "Have a wonderful time," Arminel whispered. "You deserve it." "Thank you," said Gill, hoping that she would not cry until after she left the reception. "Come on, let's go." Héloise picked up the suitcase, Arminel took Gill's handbag and Genevieve grabbed the bridal bouquet and they went off to find Alex. He was waiting in the large room where the party was still in progress and as he saw them coming in, he got up and came over to join them in the doorway, Louis and Chantal behind him. He slid his arm around Gill and they waved to the guests. Before they could turn and leave the party, Genevieve was thrusting the bouquet into Gill's hands. "You can't go without throwing this," she said urgently. Gill turned and casually tossed the bouquet over her shoulders. When she turned back it was to see Arminel holding the flowers and Genevieve shrieking delightedly. Before anyone could say anything else, Alex took Gill's suitcase and grabbed her hand and they set off for his car together. |
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| Author: | PaulineS [ Sat Sep 15, 2007 8:11 pm ] |
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A beautiful wedding. 
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| Author: | linda [ Sat Sep 15, 2007 8:15 pm ] |
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That was a lovely weddng. It was such a happy day for Gill and Alex. I hope they enjoy their honeymoon. I wonder when Louis and Chantal are going to break their news now that Gill and Alex are settled. Thank you Fatima |
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| Author: | Elbee [ Sun Sep 16, 2007 9:46 am ] |
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Perfect! Thank you Fatima. |
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| Author: | Chris [ Sun Sep 16, 2007 10:00 am ] |
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That was so lovely! |
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| Author: | Fatima [ Sun Sep 16, 2007 5:51 pm ] |
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Alex put Gill's suitcase in the boot beside his own case and they got into the front of the car. He slipped the car into gear and they drove away without looking back. As they went down the road from the Platz, Alex glanced across at Gill, for she was very silent, only to discover that she was weeping quietly. "What's the matter?" he asked gently. "I'm so happy," she told him. "I can hardly believe that we have done it. We're really married." "You don't look that happy," he told her. "Sorry," she said with a sniff. "It feels strange to be leaving the children." "Would you like to go back?" he asked, slowing the car. "No!" she protested at once. "I'll be fine. It's just been such a wonderful day and I'm being silly." Alex left it at that and continued to Interlaken. They left the car at the station, from where Louis had promised to collect it the next morning. A porter took their luggage into the station and put it onto the train for them and then they were sitting together in an empty compartment. By the time the train pulled out of the station they were still alone, so Alex put his arm around Gill and drew her closer to him. She relaxed into his embrace and rested her head comfortably on his shoulder. "Better now?" he asked, kissing her forehead tenderly. "Much," she answered, smiling up at him. "I'm sorry I was being such an idiot earlier." "That's all right," he assured her. "It's been an emotional day, hasn't it?" "Very," she agreed. "But wonderful though. It was lovely seeing my family again, especially Hawk." "Will he stay long on the Platz?" Alex asked her. "Yes, he did think he might stay a couple of weeks. He wanted to meet the children properly and spend some time with them. "So he may well be there when we get back home?" "Yes, he hopes to be," said Gill. "I'll be glad for you to have the chance to meet him properly." She slid her arms around Alex and turned her face up towards his. "Did I tell you how much I love you?" she asked softly. "I love you more and more each day." Alex abandoned any attempts at conversation and kissed her lingeringly. "I love you too," he said with a smile. "So are you ready to tell me where we're going now?" she asked at length. "No," he said promptly. "I shall need a lot more persuasion before I do that!" Gill set about persuading him, until suddenly Alex said, "We're getting off at the next stop. We'd better get ready." "Where will that be?" she asked him. "For a Chalet girl your geography is appalling," he told her with a smile. "This is Geneva." "Well, having never been here before I could hardly recognise it," she answered. "And there have been no handy signposts either." Alex laughed and helped her collect her things. It was almost dark outside and he had begun to dream of a comfortable hotel room and perhaps a pot of tea. Not terribly romantic, he knew, but that was one of the drawbacks of getting older - romance seemed to take second place to more practical considerations. The train halted and plenty of people got off, although there seemed to be enough porters to deal with everyone's luggage. Very soon Alex and Gill were in a taxi being driven to their hotel. It turned out to be a majestic building right on the shores of the lake, and a uniformed bellboy came dashing up to their taxi to take their cases and escort them into the hotel. "Welcome to the Beau Rivage," said the young man at the reception desk. "May I help you?" "We are Mr. and Mrs. Fraser," said Alex, grinning down at Gill, "and we reserved the honeymoon suite." "Ah, yes, Mr. Fraser," said the young man, turning to fetch the key. "Here you are. Everything is ready for you and if there's anything else we can do, please don't hesitate to call us. Enjoy your stay." Alex took the key and they followed the bellboy to the lifts. They were shown to a door on the second floor which Alex unlocked and they went inside. The bellboy left their cases and tactfully withdrew, leaving Gill and Alex to look around their room with pleasure. "This is wonderful," she told him in awestruck tones. The room was large and opulently furnished, the main feature being a colossal four-poster bed hung with dark red drapes. There were several flower arrangements scenting the room and a bucket of champagne stood ready to be opened on a table near the window. They could see lights from the other side of the lake twinkling in the distance and Gill guessed that the view from the balcony would be lovely in the daylight. A large bathroom opened off the bedroom and contained the biggest bath that Gill had ever seen, set into a raised platform at one end of the room. Sighing happily, she dropped her handbag and jacket onto a chair and went over to sit on the settee to sit by Alex. "This is just perfect, thank you," she told him, sliding her arms around him and hugging him. "You are wonderful, Alex." Alex leaned down and kissed her, forgetting the tiredness that he had felt earlier. "I"m glad you like it," he told her. "I want these to be the happiest days of our lives." "Then you have got things off to an excellent start," she told him, pulling him down to kiss him again. They had a wonderful honeymoon. They walked and talked and enjoyed romantic candlelit dinners, they visited some of the many museums in the city and did some shopping for souvenirs to take back for the children. All too soon, though, they had reached their last evening, and the next morning they would be catching the train back to Interlaken and returning to the chalet on the Gornetz Platz again. They planned to spend their last evening quietly, walking beside the lake and having dinner in a quiet little restaurant they had discovered, where they could sit at a table by the window and look right out over the lake. The food there was superb and reasonably priced, too, and it seemed a suitable place to have their final romantic evening together. After their meal they walked arm in arm back to the hotel and up to their room. They stood for a long time on the balcony, enjoying the view of the now familiar lights across the lake. "I'll be sad to leave here," said Gill wistfully. "I've had such a wonderful time." "So have I," said Alex. He drew Gill closer and she leaned comfortably against him. "Look at the stars tonight," he said, noticing that it was the first really clear night since they had arrived in Geneva the previous weekend. "They're beautiful," she said, sounding so insincere that he knew she was not paying much attention to them at all. "What's the matter?" he asked her. "I'm torn in two," she told him. "I really don't want to go back home because it's been absolutely perfect here, spending time with you and only having to think about ourselves, but I'm so eager to see the children again." She turned in his arms and looked up at him. "I'm so selfish, aren't I?" she said seriously. "No, not at all," he reassured her. "You could never be described as selfish, darling. But after years of raising a family it's bound to be nice to have some time when you are only responsible for yourself." She reached up to kiss him. "And you say the sweetest things," she told him contentedly. "Sorry to spoil the romance of the evening, but are you all packed and ready for tomorrow?" he asked. "Yes, as far as I can be," she answered. "Come on, it's getting chilly out here. Let's go inside. I'm going to miss that wonderful bed when we get home." "I don't think it would fit in our chalet at all," he told her with a laugh. "No, I suppose not," she agreed reluctantly. They went inside and got ready for bed, taking their time and enjoying every moment of the last evening of their honeymoon. Finally, though, they fell asleep and all too soon the persistent beeping of the alarm clock was dragging them out of their comfortable bed. They finished packing and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, then it was time to find a taxi to take them back to the station. The train was exactly on time and before they knew it, they were arriving in Interlaken and trying to find where Louis had parked Alex's car in the station car park. The journey up to the Platz seemed a lot shorter than either of them remembered, too, and by lunch time they were parking outside the chalet. The front door opened and Genevieve ran down the front path to fling herself into Gill's arms. She was followed by Héloise and, more decorously, by Arminel and Monique. "Oh, you're home!" Genevieve exclaimed joyfully. "It's so good to see you." Gill's eyes met Alex's over Genevieve's head. "Yes," she agreed with satisfaction. "We're home." "And we're delighted to be back," Alex added, as Genevieve hugged him, too. "We've missed you all so much." With one arm around Genevieve and the other around his new wife, Alex walked into the chalet, part of a real family and happier than he had ever thought it was possible to be. Later, once they had talked themselves almost hoarse describing the sights of Geneva and listing the places they had liked best and then describing the hotel and the honeymoon suite and the view from the balcony, Gill and Alex went upstairs to upack their cases while Monique and her nieces got the lunch ready. Once the bedroom door was closed, Gill turned to Alex with a grin. "I'm glad we're back," she said contentedly. "It's lovely to see them all again." "Yes," he agreed, sounding equally glad. "And now we begin our life together in earnest." Gill put her arms around him and reached up to kiss him. "And I have a feeling that it's going to be a very happy life," she said with satisfaction. And as Alex kissed her back, he knew that he shared her optimism; after all that they had been through it must surely be their turn for some happiness. Thanks for all your comments. There's a sequel to this in the archives called Happily Ever After - Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 |
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| Author: | brie [ Sun Sep 16, 2007 7:36 pm ] |
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Thank you Becky, a lovely ending. Is the sequel the one about Arminel? Or am I going to be really lucky, and discover a new Becky drabble?!?!? |
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| Author: | linda [ Sun Sep 16, 2007 10:54 pm ] |
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Thank you for such a lovely happy ending to Gill and Alex's story. I'm now going to look for the sequel |
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| Author: | Elbee [ Sun Sep 16, 2007 11:02 pm ] |
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That was a lovely story, thank you Fatima, I've enjoyed reading it. Unfortunately I've already been into the archives and read all your other stories, so please hurry up and write a new one....
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| Author: | Karoline [ Mon Sep 17, 2007 11:42 am ] |
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Thanks for reposting Becky, I've enjoyed reading this again |
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| Author: | Frogize [ Mon Sep 17, 2007 12:11 pm ] |
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That was wonderful Becky! I must admit, I do love happy endings! Off to read the sequel now. |
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| Author: | Kathy_S [ Wed Sep 19, 2007 4:13 am ] |
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Thank you, Fatima. *agrees about happy endings*
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