“Why is that?”
“Alex, he is a Sergeant Major. Even full Colonels listen when Sergeant Majors speak. He has more experience than most officers in an entire regiment together. He is a Marine, and in the US forces, the Marines are considered elite.”
“It seems they behave as if they are already married.”
“Yes, but Gilly wants Ma to have the benefit of seeing it done properly.”
“Ma’s ever so pleased, Dad too. Neither of them ever believed they would ever see this day come.”
“Did any of us, Alex, if the truth be told?” I asked, and he shook his head.
“Well, I have to finish the hay, I only came up when I saw your Land Rover,” he said, standing up.
“What time are the old folks back?”
“Ma said they would try to get back for lunch, but Sheila is not at all well.”
“What happened?”
“I’m not sure. I think they said something about a stroke.”
“She probably heard that Gilly was engaged,” I said.
“That is not even funny,” he said, smiling in spite of himself.
“Sorry, but it was a shock.”
“Bloody right it was. We won’t tell anyone, right?”
“Right, we will just let them find out, as we had to,” I said, and we grinned like schoolboys.
“Are ye staying for lunch?” he asked.
“No, I have to get back, but I’ll be here for dinner.”
“Have you found another woman yet?”
“No, but I’m working on it.”
“If Gilly can get a man, then there is hope for ye yet.”
“Thanks a bunch. I don’t want a man.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Aye, anyway I’ll see you all later.”
I went out into the hall, and heard laughter from upstairs. I went up as Gilly came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped round her body.
“I’m off, Gill. I have some things to do this afternoon. I’ll see you at dinner this evening,” I told her.
“Okay Will. Thanks for collecting us; it saved us a lot of hassle. We were going to hire a car.”
“No bother. I wouldn’t have missed this for anything,” I said with a grin.
She kissed my cheek and I left, still dazed from the whole experience. My one regret was that I would miss my parents’ reaction.
* * *
GILLY
I just got such a kick out of seeing my brothers’ reactions. I know it was bad of me, but it was such fun. Will was more reserved and controlled than Alex, but both were astounded as to how I looked and behaved. Ed told me that I was a wicked girl. And I had to agree, but we both enjoyed watching them.
We went up and had a shower together. I was still enjoying the pleasures of my monthly visitor, so we couldn’t actually make love, but we had a little fun. The one thing I loved about Ed was his total absence of small talk. He only said something when it was necessary to do so. When I did things to him with my mouth, he would just go totally silent and whimper like a puppy.
It took me ages to decide what to wear, and Ed just laughed at me.
“How about fatigues and a tee shirt?” he suggested, so I hit him with my pillow.
The room had been redecorated, and if the smell of paint was an indication, quite recently. My old pictures were still here, but the posters of Steve McQueen on the motor bike, and the Easy Rider pair were now gone. The double bed was new, and my tatty old wardrobe had been replaced, as had the dressing table. I unpacked and filled the new wardrobe and chest of drawers.
I eventually decided on a lovely cotton dress that I had bought in Florida; it was essentially blue and yellow, with straps across the shoulders. Ed had said the blue went with my eyes, and the yellow with my hair. I just loved him so much. It was too warm for stockings or tights, so I was bare legged, wearing a pair of high heeled sandals. I spent a while getting my hair and makeup just right, as I realised I was nervous of seeing my parents, particularly my mother, looking like a woman at last.
Alex told us he was going out to the hay, and that Ma had a big steak and kidney pie in the larder, it just needed putting into the oven. I said I would peel and cook the potatoes, and do some vegetables. He shook his head, and left me laughing at him.
Ed helped, and we put the potatoes on to cook. I picked some beans from the vegetable garden, and sliced and prepared them too. There were loads of cooking apples in the rack, so Ed showed me how to make a good old American style apple pie.
He wasn’t much of a cook, but he did a mean apple pie! He could not make pastry, but I could, so together we managed the task. It was fun, and we found something else we loved doing together. I wanted him to make love to me on the kitchen table, but couldn’t because of you know what!
Our mental communication was almost incessant. Mostly it was of emotions, love and contentment, affection and desire. Sometimes we ‘spoke’, but usually it was just a reinforcement of how we felt. I never imagined I could ever feel so much for another person, and I know he felt the same.
I heard the sound of tyres on gravel, and knew that my parents had returned. I checked the pies, and looked at Ed.
‘You’ll be fine, honey.’ he thought to me.
‘Why am I so shaky?’
‘Because you are fulfilling your mother’s dream for you, and it is an awesome thing to be doing.’
‘Why do I love you so much?’
‘Because you are a lovely fool.’
‘That makes two fools then.’
‘Sure does.’
We kissed, and I felt this huge feeling of reassurance and love from him.
I heard footsteps in the hall.
“Hello? We’re back,” said my mother.
I walked out and stood in the hall, with my hands clasped in front of me. Ed stood behind me, with one hand on my shoulder. Mother put her bag on the chest, turned and stared at me. Dad just stopped dead, doing a passable goldfish impression.
“Hello Mummy, Dad,” I said.
“Gillian? Dear God in heaven! My darling, how wonderful. You look, what can I say? You look absolutely lovely,” she said.
I went up to her and hugged her, but she started to weep. I had never seen my mother cry, not like this at any rate. We just held on to each other, and I found myself crying too. But these were tears of pure joy.
Dad stared at us, and then at Ed, who was standing patiently in the shadows, as he did so well.
“You must be Edward. I am Richard MacLeish,” Dad said, and they shook hands.
“Please call me Ed, sir. The last person to call me Edward was a teacher in third grade, and I sure hated that woman,” Ed said, and Dad laughed.
“Then Ed, please don’t call me sir, I’m Richard, or Dick to my friends.
“Thank you, Dick; I hope as a son-in-law, I can also be a friend.”
“How?” Dad said, staring at me, which made me laugh and cry at the same time. Mother stopped crying to listen to Ed.
“I ain’t no expert, but I think what we have here is a home grown miracle. It is a long story, and I am sure that Gillian is the best person to tell it,” Ed said.
Mother looked into my eyes, clearing away some of my makeup, which had obviously run, with the corner of her hanky. Then she looked at my dress.
“Oh Gilly! You have no idea how hard and how long I have prayed for today,” she said, and that started us both off again. It was a strange mixture of laughter and tears.
A beeping noise came from the kitchen, and I remembered the pie. Ed put his hand out.
“Leave it, honey. I’ll get it,” he said, and casually disappeared to take control.
Mother looked worried, and I laughed.
“It really is safe. He is very domesticated and 100% reliable,” I said.
“I haven’t even said hello to the poor man. He must think me terribly rude,” she said.