Educating Harry Ch. 13

"Why did I even think it, it was so stupid of me, I still cannot understand why I blurted it out, 'I love you,' like a silly schoolgirl"

Maria and Susan were enjoying an afternoon coffee on Susan's terrace, and Maria had enlisted her in the role of agony aunt.

"Possibly," suggested Susan tentatively, "Just possibly there may be just a tiny element of truth in what you said."

"Tiny," laughed Maria, "That's the problem, I started out with the intention of bedding a young man, any man would do, Harry was the perfect candidate, smart, fit, fairly easy to seduce and best of all, he would be gone within a few months, so no residual issues. Now I find I'm organising my day around him, I spend hours thinking about him, what we are going to do, I've even gone domestic, cooking up special meals for him for God's sake, I'm behaving like a lovesick teenager, it's no good, no good at all."

"Look Maria, stop beating yourself up over it, it's only natural, you can't commit yourself so decisively physically, without some emotional impact."

"Well I thought I could, and I suppose," Maria added ruefully as she helped herself to a slice of Susan's home made cake, "I suppose, that I've been caught out, I was only supposed to be in it for the sex."

"You're not complaining about that are you?"

"Definitely not, that has been just phenomenal; it's just that I've grown so damn fond of him."

"At least you can be pretty sure that Harry hasn't fallen for you in the same way."

"Yes, he likes me, a lot I think, but essentially, I'm pretty sure it's the sex that is the priority for Harry."

"That makes sense." agreed Susan, "From what I have observed, guys of Harry's age don't fall in love, they fall in lust. It's easy to forget that because he has done so much, but he is still only nineteen, he won't be twenty until January. A nineteen year old is too immature to follow much more than his hormones."

"Hmmm,' I don't know whether I would go that far, I hope you are right."

"Look at it like this, just the fact that you recognise that you are in a spot and could make a fool of yourself, means you are on the right track, you have good judgement, you will sort it out... and until then you should enjoy yourself."

"I know you're right," Maria acknowledged, "But knowing doesn't make it any easier, now," she changed tack decisively; "I don't want to talk about me anymore, tell me what have you been up to?"

"Not a great deal, though this morning I had an email from Alice, she has told me all about her dinner date with Joe and it is so infuriating."

"Why?"

"Because it's quite obvious he has recruited her as his ally, it's ridiculous, the blasted man has only ever met me once but he's unrelenting."

"It is flattering though."

"Maybe, maybe not, I could just do with a bit of space to do my own thing for a while."

"Anyway," said Maria "What did Alice have to tell you?"

"Apparently Joe took them to a really classy French restaurant called 'Tallgrass,' it's about twenty five miles out of Chicago at Lockport, not too far from where Alice's cousins live. He called to pick them up, Alice had asked her cousin Sarah to go with her, as she was a bit shy of going alone. Alice says Sarah was drooling from the moment she met him, and said she'll have him like a shot if I don't want him."

"Well," observed Maria "I suppose Sarah is young and impressionable like Alice."

"No she is not, she is the elder of two sisters, she is twenty six a young lawyer, she ought to know better, normally she is a really cool and classy young woman."

"Oh, I don't detect just a smidgeon of jealousy do I?"

"No you do not, so don't think that I'll rise to your bait. Anyway, one thing Alice said did surprise me, she described Joe as attractive but as she puts it, 'sort of crumpled' and then she added that he was graceful, an odd way to describe a man, but you know, that was exactly what I thought when I first met him. Sarah apparently was more direct; she said she thought he was smouldering hot."

"I think they're both right," interjected Maria.

"Well, whatever, they had a lovely meal and Joe obviously laid on a charm offensive, Alice tells me that he got both of the girls to talk about themselves and what they were doing rather than him.

"Sounds as though he earned himself a pile of brownie points."

"He certainly did," confirmed Susan with mock grimness "And it didn't end there, after a fantastic evening; Alice's description, he took them home. Alice says she gave him a kiss on the cheek and said thank you; then he took Sarah's hand kissed it, looked her as Alice puts it, 'devilishly in the eye' and said, 'If only I hadn't already met Susan,"

Maria hooted, "What a ham."

"My thoughts exactly, but of course, the two girls think he is wonderful."

"Well you must admit, he was very kind and carried it off very well."

"He must have, because I have also had an email from Sarah's mother congratulating me on 'finding such a nice young man,' and another from Sarah which was rather more 'uhhm, explicit. But it is a bit annoying."

"Why so?"

"Because now, if I say anything even faintly critical, his new and self appointed cheerleaders are going to be on his case."

"I don't think you should worry too much about it anyway," said Maria rising from her chair, "But I will have to be going now, I have one or two errands."

Susan walked the few yards with Maria to her car, "There was one thing I did not ask you."

"What was that?"

"Whether your original ambition with Harry has come to anything?"

"Am I pregnant you mean? I don't know, I haven't done a test."

But as she drove away Maria said to herself quietly, "But I am more than a bit late," she just wasn't ready yet to confirm anything to herself, let alone confide in anyone else.

A little more than three hours later Harry was completely oblivious to Maria's misgivings, "You like that," she laughed, looking down at him, his cock firmly installed in her pussy.

"Well I suppose if I have to be beaten up this is probably the best option."

Maria swung slightly from side to side slapping him gently with her swinging breasts, first on one cheek then the other. Harry retaliated, he thrust hard upwards bumping her forward slightly, just enough to give him time to catch one protruding nipple between his lips, and he latched on firmly.

"Hey, you weren't supposed to do that, but ohh, ohh never mind," she vacillated as he sucked her long nipple deep into his mouth, "Ohh," Maria repeated, mmm' that's nice that's really nice. Unconsciously she began to grind against him while Harry's suckling sent an almost electric pulse of pleasure between her breast and her pussy. Maria shut her eyes tight, concentrating hard, only an occasional mumble or groan betrayed her. Harry necessarily was silent but the fact that he was close to climax somehow communicated to her, Maria realised she was some distance behind and to catch up she supported herself on one hand while the other was put to work between her legs. The result though not instantaneous was swift.

Harry with a juddering thrust exploded inside her and released her breast as he did so; within a few seconds, Maria frigging herself furiously joined him. It was always as she climaxed, that Harry appreciated her sheer strength, her pussy gripped him vice like as she stripped him of everything he would have given willingly anyway.

"Oh Harry, you just get better and better," she exclaimed as she collapsed upon him, Harry still said nothing; holding a conversation when you are out of breath with one hundred and eighty five pounds or so of hot woman lying on you is not so easy.

Ten minutes later Maria suddenly sat up, "Pay attention Harry, we need to have an inter- intercourse business meeting."

"A what?"

"I have a couple of things I mustn't forget to ask you and now is as good a time as any: first Billy Thompson rang and asked for an invoice for the bricks. He said the Town Council are good payers, but a bit slow, so he wants to bill them as soon as possible, so he needs my invoice first."

"Ok I have the numbers and I counted all the slates too yesterday so I'll include them as well."

"Good, now how much more time will it take to finish the job?"

"Six or seven hours, not much more spread over a couple or three days, loading the slates is quick and easy, then there will be just a bit of tidying up, probably be finished by Tuesday."

"In that case then you can also let me have an invoice for all the time you have put in as well. Now what was the third item, oh I remember; Diane left a message for me today saying she will be home tomorrow so I have sent a reply suggesting she come around for coffee Wednesday morning. Maybe you would like to come over as well, because we are going to open those old trunks and the chest."

"Ok, is that all?"

"Not quite, on Saturday evening I want to invite you out, to say thank you for everything you have done over the past seven or eight weeks, I thought we might go out for a meal, somewhere nice, The Club in fact.

"Madam," replied Harry with mock solemnity, "I shall be delighted to come and if that's where we are heading, I had better break out my tuxedo."

"Excellent, we will meet here at say eight and having arranged that I think I can close the meeting."

"Hang on hang on, just a minute" protested Harry, "Isn't 'any other business' always the last item on the agenda before a business meeting is closed."

"Yes, but what do you mean?"

"I have Madam Chairman, an uhmm' urgent personal problem which needs to be raised,"

"Ah ha," said Maria "I understand, and from what I can see your uhmm,' problem certainly does need to be raised, almost from the dead in fact, but," she added lowering her head and parting her lips expectantly, "I think I have the solution."

And as Harry soon discovered, she had.

For the next few days Harry moved bricks, stacked slates, he and Maria made love and life was good.

On the Wednesday morning Harry brought his aunt to Maria's house. "I will wait until we see Maria to tell you the results of my research," Aunt Diane had said, "No point repeating it."

Maria soon had them seated with a plentiful supply of coffee and biscuits, "Now what have you been able to find out."

"I had intended," Aunt Diane told them, "To start by tracing Elizabeth Massie through her birth and marriage records, but Mrs Brennan had told me that Elizabeth's maiden name was Graham and that she had a cousin married to a Scotsman. So when Harry sent me the Centennial Park address and the name Connon I had a hunch we had hit the jackpot."

"Why so?" queried Harry.

"Quite simple Harry, Connon is a Scottish name and fortunately not a common one, within little more than half an hour I went through all the Connons in the Sydney telephone directory and was talking to someone who is a second cousin of Elizabeth and Charles Massie."

"That was quick," exclaimed Maria, "And was she able to help much."

"She certainly was, I have spent two long afternoons with her and I now have what I think will prove to be a pretty good anecdotal history, obviously I have to check it all with official records, but having a basic story and time frame will be invaluable."

"What is the basic story asked Maria?"

"Elizabeth was born in 1893 the daughter of a Scottish grazier John Graham; he had a big property out at Burra. Charles Massie was born in Boston of a long established American family; he fell out with his family for some reason, but eventually made his way to San Francisco where he got a crewman's job on a cargo ship. It appears he jumped ship in Sydney in about 1913 maybe 14. I'm told he got into some sort of trouble in Sydney and skedaddled into the country ending up at Hawksworth.

"There he must have met Elizabeth, they were married it seems within a matter of months in the teeth of opposition from her father; that was a rift which sadly was never healed. Events then took another turn, the war started in 1914 and the impetuous Charles volunteered for what so many young men thought was a big adventure and within a few months was fighting at Gallipoli."

"So he left Elizabeth behind."

"Yes, but not just Elizabeth, because a few months after Charles went to war Elizabeth gave birth to a son, John Charles, always known as JC. He, at Charles' insistence was registered at the US consulate as an American citizen: that had repercussions later.

"Meanwhile Charles' military career was a bit of a roller coaster, he was in trouble during basic training, AWOL or something like that but he was commended for bravery at Gallipoli. After the evacuation from the Dardenelles he went to France received a minor injury which hospitalised him but by early 1917 had been promoted to Sergeant and was awarded the Military Medal. Within another 12 months he was busted back to Private but had won a bar to his medal. The next thing I was told was that he arrived back in Sydney in 1919 and that is when tragedy overtook romance.

"What happened," interjected Harry?

"Influenza, Charles arrived home and he and Elizabeth had a few short weeks together. Jobs were scarce in Hawksworth, but Mr Connon offered him a position at his shipping firm in Sydney, Charles went down to Sydney leaving Elizabeth to pack up their small home in Maria's old house, she was to follow later. When Elizabeth arrived in Sydney it was to find that Charles was already in hospital, I am told that he died within an hour or so of her arrival. "Oh how awful," exclaimed Maria "but I believe the Spanish flu epidemic at that time did kill people very quickly."

"Yes," agreed Diane "It did, in fact the epidemic killed more people than had died in the war and affected young people disproportionately."

"So what happened to Elizabeth and baby JC" asked Harry?

"Well he was no longer a baby he was almost four years old, he lived with Elizabeth in Sydney because her father had cut her off but Elizabeth received a lot of help from her grandfather, a shadowy figure I know little about," Elizabeth died young in 1933 but JC had a long, and much happier life than his parents. But that story will have to wait for now because I see our helper has arrived."

The helper was Billy Thompson, "G'day ladies, Harry. Now what is it you want me to sort out."

"Two trunks and a chest," said Maria, "They are all locked, and we want to open them without doing any damage, come and have a look at them."

"Hmm," Billy pondered stroking his chin, "The trunks will be easy, just a few seconds but this is a campaign chest like Pete said, they sometimes have quite good locks."

"How about," suggested Maria, "You do the trunks first, and then we will have something to look at while you figure out the campaign chest."

Billy dropped his tool bag on the floor and opened it up to reveal dozens of different keys, "Wherever did all those come from?" exclaimed Harry.

"Years and years of messing around with old furniture," grinned Billy, "I never throw away a key; you never know when one'll come in handy."

Despite Billy's claim, the trunks took a little longer than anticipated, and Maria began to show signs of impatience, but then the first lock squeaked and turned. "Got 'er" grinned Billy triumphantly, "Second one will be easy." This time he was right and it was opened quickly.

"Well," said Aunt Diane, "I think you should open them up Maria, but just a moment, I want to photograph you doing so." This was soon done and Maria lifted the first lid, on top was a sheet of paper and then a blanket. It was soon apparent that most of the trunk contained clothes, all very neatly packed between bed linen. The second trunk was also packed with the same meticulous care but proved to contain nothing more than quite ordinary household bits and pieces, china a few ornaments but nothing of much interest.

The atmosphere felt a little flat and Maria voiced the feelings of the others, "Not much here I'm afraid, it all depends on you now Billy if you can get the campaign chest open."

As if on cue the lock Billy was working on clicked faintly, " I reckon we've got it... yeah there we are," as the lock opened completely, he pulled open the top middle drawer, see" he said "Young Pete was right, this middle section folds down as a writing desk." "But," Maria objected, "All the other drawers are still locked, this is going to take all day."

"Possibly not," suggested Aunt Diane, "What do you think Billy?"

"Well there's a fair chance that anybody lockin' the chest would lock the other drawers first, and then put that key in one of these tiny interior drawers in the writin' desk, for safe keeping," he explained

Maria pulled two out without finding anything, then on the third she announced, "Oh well done Billy, is this it?" Billy took the key from her and inserting it in the next drawer down opened it easily. "What have we got here? It's just a load of old exercise books."

"Let me see," Aunt Diane studied the first intently put it back and pulled out two more at random. "No Maria, not just a load of old books... this is a diary, Elizabeth's diary, there are fourteen of them from when she was nine years old to nineteen eighteen. I have already seen her last diary, the fifteenth in Sydney; this is a terrific find Maria. But," Diane paused, "There's something missing."

"Her letters?" queried Harry.

"Yes Harry, someone who keeps a diary for fifteen years would not throw away letters."

"Let's see what is in the other drawers."

Their search produced little; there were lots of small personal possessions and a few letters from her mother and grandfather, but little else.

"Oh how disappointing," said Aunt Diane "I was hoping she might have kept her correspondence with Charles, what a shame."

"Now just a minute" said Billy "I s'pose these letters woulda been really private like, they'd be put away somewhere where they couldn't be found too easy."

"What are you getting at Billy, asked Harry?

"Look at this," said Billy and he began to pull all the small internal drawers out of the writing desk, "Ah ha now; look at this, this long one in the middle is shorter than the rest." Billy inserted one bony hand in the space behind it and pulled out a small hidden tray. In it lay three neatly tied bundles of letters and one of post cards. "These old writing desks and bureaux as often as not had a secret drawer like this," announced Billy delighted with himself, but the women were more interested in the letters.

"If Elizabeth's letters are a fraction as forthright as her last diary was Maria, this will be a fascinating find. I think though we maybe ought to think about what we are going to do with them first."

"Right" agreed Maria but noticing Diane's rather serious expression she added, "Let's have another coffee and a chat about it."

"Ok," said Billy, "I'll leave you people to do that. I will have to be goin' now, but Mrs B," he added, "That campaign chest; it's a nice bit o' cabinet makin', cedar, about 1860 or so. If you'd like me to fix it up it would come up real good."

Maria saw Billy out and then returned. "Now Diane, tell me why you suddenly became so serious?"

Aunt Diane took a sip of her coffee put her cup down and considered for a moment. "It's like this, over the last few weeks I have become fascinated with the story of Elizabeth Massie, I thought that I would like to write her story, a young woman in a frontier society, a rift with her family, a passionate love affair, marriage, a baby, their family in war time, and then at the end tragedy."

"But that's a wonderful idea," exclaimed Maria, don't you think so Harry?"

"I think it's terrific," concurred Harry, "but why do you have reservations."

"I have read Elizabeth's last diary, the few months of nineteen nineteen after Charles returned to her. Elizabeth's is no ordinary diary, yes she talks about every day events but she also writes about herself and her feelings. The love, the passion she had for Charles and JC almost leaps off the page and she never holds back, even the most intimate thoughts. People today would say her writing was graphic, but to me it was stunningly beautiful, it almost took me inside her relationship with Charles, I just wonder whether I am good enough to do such a love story justice."