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The CBB -> Ste Therese's House

#1: Christmas shopping - reposted 7 June Author: LizB, Location: Oxon, England

Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 12:37 pm
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Not very seasonal I know, but as this got lost in the hack, I thought I'd better repost.

“I don’t suppose you could help me could you? I need a woman’s opinion.”

“You’ve an ink stain on your sleeve and your hair is being too long.”

“No, not about how I look.”

“Well, then, it’s a good sweeping your house needs and your curtains – replacing.”

He sighed, and bit back the urge to walk away at her flippant remarks. He really did need a woman’s opinion, he was running out of time and she was the only one to hand, so it would have to be her. Anyway, his house wasn’t that bad was it? “Not that either.”

“Well, will you be getting on and telling me what it is then, instead of standing there like a gormless amadán?”

He glared at her for a moment. She always made him feel like the idiot she called him, despite her youth. She was always so certain of herself, so confident and it irritated him. He ran a hand self-consciously over his hair. Maybe he did need to get it cut. She returned his look coolly, not a whit abashed by his annoyance.

He resisted the urge to shake her out of her complacence. “I want to get some material to send to my sisters so they can have something made up for Christmas. But I have no idea where the best place to go is or what sort of thing to get.”

“There’s a fine shop near the market – ’tis there you should be going.”

“Yes, but what should I get?”

She sighed and took pity on his helplessness. “Have I to come with you – and help you choose?”

He leapt eagerly at the offer. “Yes please.” A smile lit up his face, and she couldn’t help smiling in return, noticing how it changed his whole appearance when his smile reached his eyes.

Later that day, she led him along past bales of cotton and other materials he could not name, heading with assurance to a corner at the back of the room.

“There’s some lovely silks here. What do you think?” She ran her hand over the fabric. “What colours are you looking for?”

He looked at the array of fabrics, all colours of the rainbow, with bewilderment. “I have no idea.”

“Well, what colours do they usually cast on?” He looked at her blankly, and she restrained an impatient sigh. “What colour is their hair.”

“Dark.” He answered that one confidently.

“Eyes?”

“Dark again.”

“Like yours?” she looked into the warm depths of his brown eyes, unusual in a fair-haired man, and felt a fluttering in her stomach.

“Madge’s are like mine. Jo’s are darker, almost black. And Robin has brown eyes and dark curls, Madge says.”

“Well, and how about something like this?” she suggested, her hand hovering over some crimson silk. “’Tis suiting her name, from what I can gather.”

He reached across to touch the fabric. It was smooth against his fingers. “That sounds a good idea,” he agreed, wondering if her hair was as smooth as the cloth he was touching – it looked even softer. He dragged his thoughts back to the task. “What do you think for Madge and Jo?”

She moved along the row of fabrics, trailing her fingers along, pausing every now and then to suggest something. In the end they picked out two shades of green: a vivid jade for Madge and a softer shade for Jo.

While she wandered around admiring other fabrics, he went and made his purchases, surreptitiously adding some blue silk to his collection. It would make a nice gift to say thank you for her help and was the exact same shade as her eyes he thought, although it could not reflect their fire or laughter.

Those blue eyes lit up when he returned to her with his purchases, and he felt a warm glow spread through him. He was surprised at how helpful she’d been, and how much he’d enjoyed her company, and kept up an easy conversation with her on the journey home, telling her about his sisters, and hearing her talk about hers. It seemed to pass all too quickly, and then he was holding her hand to help her out of the carriage and saying goodbye.

They stood there a moment, her hand in his, both reluctant to let go. Then slowly their fingers slid apart and she turned and walked away. She had just disappeared through the archway when he remembered the extra length of silk and grabbing the package he chased after her, catching up just as she stepped indoors.

“This is for you. To say thank you for your help.” He held it out, and she took it and opened it, exclaiming with delight when she saw it.

“Oh thank you. ’Tis a darling you are!” She impulsively reached up and kissed him on the cheek.

As her lips brushed against his skin they both froze for a moment. Then his lips found hers, in a kiss that started off gentle and questing, but, as she responded, became more and more intense, the silk dropped to the floor as he pulled her against him and her hands slid up over his shoulders and around his neck.

The sound of a voice calling in the distance permeated the fog around them and they pulled apart, breathless, gazing into each other’s eyes, both wanting more. The voice called again.

“I must go,” she said, hastily smoothing her hair and clothes.

“Thank you for your help.” it sounded an inane thing to say after what had just passed between them, but he didn’t know what else he should say.

“Welcome to you.” She smiled, then called “I’m coming” as they heard her name again. “I must go. Goodbye.” she turned and ran up the staircase, leaving him standing there.

He slowly gathered up the silk from the floor. He would give it back to her when he saw her again, he thought as he left.

He went back to his bungalow and packed the red and green silk, writing a letter to Madge and Jo to go with it, filling it with trivial bits of news and, despite it being the only thing on his mind, not mentioning that one significant, bone-melting, life-changing kiss with the boss’s daughter.

#2: Author: Nell, Location: London, England

Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 12:40 pm
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Thank you Liz - good to see this again!

#3: Author: Róisín,

Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 1:29 pm
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Such a pretty picture. I loved this first time round. Good to see it again, thanks Liz.

#4: Author: Sarah_G-G, Location: Sheffield (termtime), ? any other time!

Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 2:35 pm
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I must have missed this last time- such a lovely scene! I love Dick being annoyed by Mollie's initial comments... and then reacting with "maybe I do need a haircut!" Very Happy

#5: Author: Lesley, Location: Allhallows, Kent

Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 2:43 pm
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Awwww, did I miss this before? That's lovely Liz.

#6: Author: Lizzie, Location: A little village on the Essex/Suffolk border

Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 6:47 pm
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Awesome. Wow, I loved that, Liz, it's brilliant.

#7: Author: JackieP, Location: Kingston upon Hull

Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 8:42 pm
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I must have missed this last time round, Liz. Thanks for reposting it. It's a lovely scene of how Dick and Mollie could have first become interested in each other.

JackieP

#8: Author: grover, Location: Dublin

Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 9:23 pm
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Don't know how I missed this last time round! Thanks,Liz,it's gorgeous.

#9: Author: ibarhis, Location: London and Hemel Hempstead

Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2006 11:04 pm
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Christmasses are lovely times... I really enjoyed this for the first time!

#10: Author: KathrynW, Location: London

Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2006 10:57 am
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Thanks Liz, I loved this first time round and it's equally lovely this time round Very Happy

Kathryn

#11: Author: Mary, Location: Sussex University

Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2006 2:10 pm
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Thanks Liz. That's great. They are such a lovely couple, it's fab to see them at this stage.
M
xx

#12: Author: Josie, Location: London

Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2006 9:07 pm
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Loved reading that again, Liz. It's so sweet! Thanks.

Very Happy

#13: Author: Kathy_S, Location: midwestern US

Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2006 3:56 pm
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Very romantic. Very Happy

Thank you, Liz.

The CBB -> Ste Therese's House

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