Titania.’ His voice carried across the hall. Challenged, I put heart into my response.
‘What, jealous Oberon! Fairies, skip hence.’ I knew about jealousy now. I waved my hand commandingly to my invisible fairies and then, thank goodness, it was time for a break.
‘Hey –’ Roy caught my arm as I was about to run to the yard for the lavatory – ‘you’re not half bad, you’d make a good actress.’
‘Not interested.’ I pulled my arm away and hurried out into the warm air. Roy wasn’t bad-looking, better than John Adams really but the only man I was interested in was Michael, he had held me in his arms, cuddled me close until I could feel his heart beat and I would never want another man in place of him.
That night, at supper, I meekly handed over the address Hari had given me and as I met Aunt Jessie’s eyes, she winked at me. I smiled; we were conspirators and, Michael, being a man, had no idea.
Thirteen
Hari drove to the farm in the jeep Colonel Edwards had lent her. She was a good driver even though she’d been shown only the most fundamentals of handling the gears and steering. By the time she reached Carmarthen, she was well used to the vehicle.
She saw Michael’s large shape standing in the sunlight at the gate. He swung it open for her as she neared the farm. She pulled on the handbrake and stared at him for a moment and an unaccountable flutter stirred her heart.
‘Meryl’s still in school.’ He took her hand and helped her down. ‘Jessie is having a doze though she always denies it, says she’s “just resting her eyes”.’ He was still holding her hand.
‘Let’s walk,’ she said, and he nodded, slipping her hand through his arm. He felt solid, masculine, he smelt of grass and sunshine and an unfamiliar sensation tingled inside her.
‘Tell me about yourself.’ She looked up at him; it was a long way to look as he must have been at least six foot four she decided.
He smiled, his teeth were clean, straight and even – all in all he was too good to be true.
‘Meryl said you are half German.’
‘I was born in Germany,’ he said, ‘lived there until I was ten.’ He paused. ‘Then I came here to live with Jessie to help on the farm.’ He didn’t seem inclined to divulge anything more and Hari was too polite to push any more personal questions at him.
‘How’s Meryl?’
‘She’s all right. I took hold of George Dixon one day after school and shook him till his teeth rattled. I don’t think he’ll touch her again.’ He glanced at her. ‘Mrs Dixon is another matter, she’s a bad enemy to have.’
Hari wondered if the authorities knew of his German ancestry, if not Mrs Dixon could be a really bad enemy.
They stopped on the top of a hill, breathless and still linked together. The sky was large above them, the soft clouds floating across the horizon like a granddad puffing on his pipe. Hari turned to look up at Michael; at the same time he bent his head and his lips were on hers. Hari drew away startled.
‘Sorry,’ Michael said, holding up his hands, ‘you look so beautiful with your face all shiny from the walk and your lovely hair like golden, red-touched clouds drifting around your perfect neck.’
Hari felt foolish yet touched, and suddenly very happy. They stared at each other for a long time and then Hari boldly held out her arms. ‘No harm in a hug, is there?’
When he was close, she could feel his arousal and suddenly her lower stomach was full of heat. She’d never felt like this before; she wanted Michael, she wanted his body but she wanted his soul as well. She drew away abruptly, this was all too sudden, too dangerous.
Aunt Jessie was awake, very much so when Hari followed Michael into the heat of the farmhouse kitchen. The tantalizing smell of roasting meat made her realize she was hungry. All her senses were alert, on guard so to speak, she thought wryly. Aunt Jessie looked at them suspiciously.
‘When did you arrive, Hari?’ She was
‘What, jealous Oberon! Fairies, skip hence.’ I knew about jealousy now. I waved my hand commandingly to my invisible fairies and then, thank goodness, it was time for a break.
‘Hey –’ Roy caught my arm as I was about to run to the yard for the lavatory – ‘you’re not half bad, you’d make a good actress.’
‘Not interested.’ I pulled my arm away and hurried out into the warm air. Roy wasn’t bad-looking, better than John Adams really but the only man I was interested in was Michael, he had held me in his arms, cuddled me close until I could feel his heart beat and I would never want another man in place of him.
That night, at supper, I meekly handed over the address Hari had given me and as I met Aunt Jessie’s eyes, she winked at me. I smiled; we were conspirators and, Michael, being a man, had no idea.
Thirteen
Hari drove to the farm in the jeep Colonel Edwards had lent her. She was a good driver even though she’d been shown only the most fundamentals of handling the gears and steering. By the time she reached Carmarthen, she was well used to the vehicle.
She saw Michael’s large shape standing in the sunlight at the gate. He swung it open for her as she neared the farm. She pulled on the handbrake and stared at him for a moment and an unaccountable flutter stirred her heart.
‘Meryl’s still in school.’ He took her hand and helped her down. ‘Jessie is having a doze though she always denies it, says she’s “just resting her eyes”.’ He was still holding her hand.
‘Let’s walk,’ she said, and he nodded, slipping her hand through his arm. He felt solid, masculine, he smelt of grass and sunshine and an unfamiliar sensation tingled inside her.
‘Tell me about yourself.’ She looked up at him; it was a long way to look as he must have been at least six foot four she decided.
He smiled, his teeth were clean, straight and even – all in all he was too good to be true.
‘Meryl said you are half German.’
‘I was born in Germany,’ he said, ‘lived there until I was ten.’ He paused. ‘Then I came here to live with Jessie to help on the farm.’ He didn’t seem inclined to divulge anything more and Hari was too polite to push any more personal questions at him.
‘How’s Meryl?’
‘She’s all right. I took hold of George Dixon one day after school and shook him till his teeth rattled. I don’t think he’ll touch her again.’ He glanced at her. ‘Mrs Dixon is another matter, she’s a bad enemy to have.’
Hari wondered if the authorities knew of his German ancestry, if not Mrs Dixon could be a really bad enemy.
They stopped on the top of a hill, breathless and still linked together. The sky was large above them, the soft clouds floating across the horizon like a granddad puffing on his pipe. Hari turned to look up at Michael; at the same time he bent his head and his lips were on hers. Hari drew away startled.
‘Sorry,’ Michael said, holding up his hands, ‘you look so beautiful with your face all shiny from the walk and your lovely hair like golden, red-touched clouds drifting around your perfect neck.’
Hari felt foolish yet touched, and suddenly very happy. They stared at each other for a long time and then Hari boldly held out her arms. ‘No harm in a hug, is there?’
When he was close, she could feel his arousal and suddenly her lower stomach was full of heat. She’d never felt like this before; she wanted Michael, she wanted his body but she wanted his soul as well. She drew away abruptly, this was all too sudden, too dangerous.
Aunt Jessie was awake, very much so when Hari followed Michael into the heat of the farmhouse kitchen. The tantalizing smell of roasting meat made her realize she was hungry. All her senses were alert, on guard so to speak, she thought wryly. Aunt Jessie looked at them suspiciously.
‘When did you arrive, Hari?’ She was
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