A Change of Heart

Jessie's barking at the rear of the car gave him the answer.

"Oh my god Gracie!"

She was lying apparently unconscious with an ominously dark stain of blood spreading from under the metal trunk where it was on top of her.

He turned on the squabbling melee behind him.

"For fuck's sake SHUT UP! There's a woman here and she's injured. Call the emergency services and get the police and an ambulance."

They looked at him in horror.

"I say, there's no need to swear like that, there's children here."

Chef took a pace forward, brandishing the knife that he'd been using when he'd rushed from the kitchen.

"Just shut up. If you haven't got a mobile, there's a phone on the front desk in the hotel. Get in there and dial 999. This is the Red Lion Hotel in Grasmere. DO IT NOW."

Chef signalled to Bill. "Let's get this trunk off her."

There was a second car behind the first and a woman from the car joined Bill and stripped off her blouse without any hesitation.

"Mummy!" But her son's cry was ignored.

Bundling up her blouse she placed it over the blood stain on Gracie's front.

"Here, press on this, quite firm ok? We need to stop the bleeding."

Already she was checking Gracie's pulse in her neck with her fingers just below her jaw line.

"She's ok I think, the door way has saved her from being hit by the car. I've some blankets in the car. Just a minute." She got up and went to the other car.

He could see now what must have happened. It looked as if Gracie was unloading the back of her car when the other one turned into the yard and slammed into the front of it, pushing it back against the wall and causing the trunk to slide out onto Gracie. The recessed doorway had saved her from being crushed.

The woman came back with an assortment of blankets that she draped over Gracie and under her head.

In the background Bill could hear the other woman hissing at the driver.

"You and your silly gadgets. I told you not to rely on that stupid satnav. We've taken three wrong turnings already today, dead ends, farm tracks and now this. Why can't we use a map like everybody else or just ask the way?"

Foolishly he responded.

"Because you can't read a map."

Her slap on his face silenced him and must have been heard right across the village and it started one of the children wailing again but his wail was overtaken by the distant siren of the ambulance and police.

Ten minutes later Bill was in the back of the ambulance with the paramedics and Gracie who had a drip in her arm and a dressing on her wound. He didn't know if she was still unconscious or how she was but everyone was very reassuring.

He held her hand and tears welled in his eyes.

"I love you Gracie."

"Mr Howard?" A woman police officer wanted some details but there was little he could tell her about the actual event and even less he could tell them about Gracie apart from her name and age and a few details. He knew where she lived, at her parent's estate in Surrey called The Fellows, but he didn't know the exact address or postcode. He knew that her surname was Granthom-Wesley but not more than that.

He had her mobile phone number but not her address in London and he could tell that the police woman was wondering about the nature of their relationship but he didn't care. It was none of her business and he wanted to see how Gracie was but she was fast asleep with a drip in her arm.

"Mr Howard?" It was the doctor who'd looked after Gracie.

"She'll be fine. Don't worry about all the paraphernalia, tubes and stuff. The corner of the trunk caused a deep wound under her left breast and of course there'll be a lot of bruising but she's all stitched up and luckily no broken ribs and any scaring will be hidden in the crease of her breast so nothing will show. We had to give her a mild anaesthetic while we repaired the damage so she'll probably sleep through until morning so unless you want to stay there's no need for you to be here."

It was very late when he arrived back at the hotel. The two cars were still in the yard but pulled back from the doorway where Gracie had been trapped and there were spray paint marks on the cobble stones to mark their original positions. The police would have taken dozens of photos as well as statements from the driver and probably his passengers as well. Not the best start to their holiday and, in a way, he felt sorry for them. They didn't set off to have an accident, but they weren't the first visitors to drive around the lanes and villages like they owned them.

On the table in the kitchen there was a note from Martin their local policeman and two empty glasses.

"Sent the visitors down to Margaret's, arranged for removal of the vehicles at 8am, helped ourselves to a couple of drams."

He had to smile; that was so typical of the folk round here, never making a mountain out of a molehill. He fed Jess and lay down on the sofa. The staff would be in at 6am and he needed to get some sleep before they arrived.

"Mr Howard?"

Mary was shaking his shoulder gently. "Mr Howard, it's gone ten o'clock. I've brought you some tea. How is Gracie, is she alright?"

He sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"Yes I think so, I'll have to ring and find out."

He called the hospital and the staff nurse answered.

"Yes, she's fine. The doctor will have a look at her after lunch and unless there's any problems she can come home after that and yes, she's been asking for you and can you bring some clothes -- nothing too tight, she's got a lot of bruising."

"Ok, I'll be with you two pm ish if that's alright... yes, thanks."

Mary looked relieved.

"So she's alright, she's coming home?"

There was that word again -- home -- everyone seemed to be using it as if he and Gracie were a couple and it felt warm, comforting.

"Yes, she's fine although very bruised. I need to take something for her to wear, something not tight, a shift perhaps from the left-overs box?"

"Hello Gracie."

She turned at the sound of his voice and then grimaced and yelped at the pain.

The nurse tutted.

"Now you've learned something. No sharp movements, no turning round, just complete rest for a week or so to let your stitches do their work. I'll let Mr Howard get you dressed and then I've a sheet of instructions for him about looking after you and your dressing, Alright?"

As soon as the nurse left Gracie started.

"Oh Bill, I'm so sorry, I just wanted to get everything right this time, to make it work, don't want another messed up relationship, and now I've gone and finished up in hospital. I'm so sorry and my ribs hurt and so does my throat, it feels so tight as I cry but I'm trying not to and I get cross and whiney and even I can recognize that but it won't stop once it starts and I smell really bad of hospital smells and I can't have a bath alone 'cos of the stitches and I just want to go home, really want to go home ..." she paused for a moment ... "to our home above the stables." She sniffed and yelped at the same time. "Is that alright Bill, can we go home?"

Bill just stood and smiled. Gracie had managed almost a day's conversation in one breath but she wasn't finished yet.

"Oh God I can't stop, I sound like a bimbo on a teary steroid trip, blubbering and sniffing, and I smell. God, I hate hospitals. Can we go home and you can give me a bath ... please Bill?"

She tried to turn again but winced and yelped.

"You gonna just stand there or are you going to help me dress? There's guests need seeing to you know. You can tell me you love me later on... oh yes, I might have been only semi-conscious but I heard you in the ambulance, once at least."

He looked at her as if he hadn't ever seen her before, trying to get a sense of just how much she was a part of him, of how he felt about her.

He loved her, that was easy, but how and so soon? What was it about her that made him feel like that? She looked at the moment like a broken flower -- everything there, stem, leaves, petals but not together in the way that was 'Gracie' but none of that mattered, he just wanted her no matter how she was.

He showed her the hold-all which Mary had put together, all from the lost property cupboard.

"Ok, first we're going to get you standing up and then get you out of this hospital gown and into a dress. Turn around."

Like all hospital gowns it had the fastenings at the back and as he started to undo the ties, he couldn't help but smile.

"Do you know, you look very sexy like this, your beautiful back and the cutest little bum?"

Gracie tried to laugh but couldn't.

"The last time you saw my bum you spanked me. You're not going to do that again are you?"

Bill laughed.

"Only if you ask me in a very naughty way."

"Ssh, the nurse will hear."

He kissed her shoulder and had to resist the urge to slip his arms around her.

"Here, try this -- hold your arms up." The dress swamped her but it did for the moment as did the oversize knitted cardigan which he put round her shoulders. Mary had found a pair of tan leather pumps for her, easy for her to walk in, and he turned her round and looked at her before kissing her.

"Come on, let's get you home before we have an official complaint from the bag-ladies society and when we get home there's just one rule. You're doing nothing until the doctor says so and that's at least a week.

As they left the ward the nurse at the desk handed them a sheet of instructions on how to look after the dressing.

"Take good care of her Mr Howard and don't get the dressing wet. You can take it off in five days-time and the stitches can come out in ten days. If there's any signs of infection or weeping get off down to your doctor. Otherwise, just rest and good food, paracetamol if needed to ease the pain of the bruising, and some exercise after two days -- perhaps walking." Then she turned to Gracie.

"You're a very lucky lady miss, lucky not to have been more badly injured and lucky to have Mr Howard looking after you. He's reckoned to be something of a catch around here."

She smiled and winked at Gracie.

"Good luck and take care. You can always find me here when you send out the wedding invitations."

Gracie ignored the tease about a wedding, more so out of pure embarrassment than anything, but the little He's reckoned to be something of a catch around here, first Mary and now this nurse? Bill was obviously something of a celebrity.

She couldn't let it pass and looked at the nurse and then at Bill, slipping her hand into his.

"Oh you do know he's going to remind me of that now, don't you? Thank you though, for everything Would you pass my thanks on to the others as well please? You've all been so kind."

"Of course. Take care and look after yourself ... and Mr Howard."

For Gracie this was a moment to savour and she looked at Bill and squeezed his hand gently.

"Ready love?"

They found the last parking space in the yard at the back of the hotel. The guests had been arriving in a steady stream and, with the forward bookings, it looked like it was going to be like this for the next four and a half months and when the hotel was full Bill usually moved out of the apartment and up to the cottage for the peace and quiet and, just as importantly, away from the hotel so that the staff could get on with their jobs without feeling that he was breathing down their necks. In any case, Between Mary and Chef, he knew the hotel would run like clockwork but he didn't think that would be happening this year. Gracie would need the comforts and convenience of the apartment for at least the next few weeks and even then, when she was fully recovered, he wasn't sure how she'd cope with the spartan comforts of the tin bath and cooking on the open fire.

He walked round to Gracie's side of the car and opened the door for her, offering her his hand to help and steady her.

For a moment, Gracie just stood and looked around her, taking it all in and then at last she turned to Bill.

"Thank you for coming for me. This is the last thing you needed, Gracie the mobile disaster area, today of all days. But I was so afraid you'd not want me here, or just not come."

Bill shushed her.

"Come on, let's get you inside." He led her up the stairs to the apartment.

"I had a bit of a tidy-up while you were away, it was looking a bit scruffy, what do you think."

"It's lovely, just perfect, thank you so much and really, I don't want to bother you but maybe tomorrow, before it gets too busy, could we go into Kendal to that shop you mentioned? I've brought some clothes with me, just a few things, but they're town rather than country so I could do to go shopping. I would have gone myself but, well, this happened." she said pointing to her ribs.

Listening to Gracie, he wondered if perhaps he'd been guilty of believing that he was the only one who could drive the farm and the hotel to success, always mindful of the clause in his uncle's will by which he would be judged in just a few day's-time on his thirty first birthday but now, with just a few days to go would it matter if he took some days off?

"Of course we can go. It'll be good to spend a few days together, no sheep, no quad bikes, just you and me. I'll let the staff know where we are in case there's another emergency but Mary and Chef can look after things here in the hotel. Why don't we get you tidied up and in some more comfortable clothes. I'll run a bath for you and then we'll have a lazy afternoon and an early night. How does that sound?

"That sounds lovely, thank you." She went to put her arms around his neck to kiss him but as she reached up she yelped with pain.

"I can't even kiss you now."

"Don't worry you will and in the meantime, I can kiss you." And he did, gently and lovingly.

"Now, let's get you out of this dress and then think about getting you washed. I don't think a towel will keep your dressing dry but I have an idea. I need to borrow something from Chef. Oh, and one other thing, I get to wash you and handle the shower."

Bill ran over to the hotel and was soon back with a roll of cling film.

"Right, first things first," he said grabbing a pair of scissors, "Let's get this off you." and he slit the dress she'd been wearing from hem to neckline, letting it fall to the floor, leaving her completely naked.

"Ok, I know this sounds crazy but it's cling film -- I'll wrap you in cling film to keep you dry." and before Gracie could protest, he placed the end of the film between Gracie's shoulder blades, pulling the roll out and wrapping it under her arms and over her breasts and then around to her back again. He gave her no time to protest, passing the film around and around her, making sure that it was snug across the top of her breasts and then finally, tearing at it with his teeth, he finished off the job of wrapping her up. He stood back to look at the finished job. Gracie's breasts were clearly visible through the film with her nipples flattened against it.

"You look very sexy like that, all wrapped up."

Gracie smiled at him.

"I didn't know you were into that kind of thing."

"Well neither did I until just now. Perhaps we should try it again when you're better." Bill whispered suggestively.

Gracie laughed and then groaned.

"Don't make me laugh, you've no idea how much this hurts."

The bath was ready and Bill helped Gracie climb in, a folded towel at the end for her to rest her head on.

They were both aware that this was a repeat of what they'd done in the cottage when Bill had bathed Gracie, soothing the sting from where he'd spanked her, but now there was no inflicted hurt to assuage, just a tenderness between them as Bill washed her hair and then with a lather of soap in his hands he started on her arms, massaging more than washing, and linking fingers as he washed her hands and then rinsing her before moving on to her toes and feet.

He was aware that once he'd washed her legs the whole process would inevitably become very intimate and even though he was playing the part of nurse to Gracie's patient he didn't want to take advantage of the situation but Gracie sensed his hesitation.

"It's ok love, you can wash me everywhere, just don't expect me to scream with pleasure." She smiled at him. "OK?"

He kissed her.

"Thank you." And so he continued to the top of her legs and between them.

Gracie tensed as her touched her.

"My god you're in trouble once I'm better. You touch me like that again and I swear I'll rape you."

He kissed her again.

"Then we'd better get you better soon hadn't we."

~~~

Gracie was woken by the new day's light filtering through the curtains. She had no idea how long they'd slept but it must have been from the early evening for at least fourteen hours or more and she was stiff and her ribs were hurting but she managed to raise Bill's arm from around her waist to slip awkwardly from the bed. She sat on the edge of the bed for a while remembering last night, the way Bill had bathed her, so tenderly, so caring and then him snuggling up next to her in bed, lying spoons, and the lovemaking that both of them wanted so much, and Bill being so gentle while her own sexual need drove her to move more than was wise but needing the sexual release. She was tempted to wake him for some help to stand but he was sound asleep and it made her question how much sleep he'd managed the previous night.

She took her handbag to the bathroom and found some of the pain killers that the nurse had provided and, wrapped with one of Bill's bathrobes around her, she sat on the loo seat waiting for the medication to begin to work. Yesterday was one of the weirdest days she'd ever been through. Not bad weird, but good weird. How many girls have the guy they're in love with come to realise what she'd been telling him all along, that he loves her too?

And how many girls sit on the seat of a loo with bruised ribs, sore and aching from making love close to midnight, hoping that while so much was happening it would be the end of the questions about them and that it was all part of falling in love. She knew they had an awful lot to learn about each other and that there'd be times when being a couple would be difficult but every relationship goes through that.

At least with Bill there was passion and excitement and yes, at times, anger whereas with Charles there had been none of that, just a blandness that would in time morph into indifference and distance, locked in the grizzly embrace of a relationship of convenience.

That would be no life but this with Bill was alive, organic, exciting, something to nurture, to work on when needed, with enough respect and commitment from each other to carry them through the ups and downs that are part of what life brings and is the beautiful thing about being in love.

She went back to the bedroom and looked at Bill, so handsome and still fast asleep so she left him while she made some tea and toast for them.

"Good morning."

Bill stirred and she watched as he felt around the bed for her and then, realising she wasn't there, sat up.

"What are you doing up so early?"

She sat on the edge of the bed and leant to kiss him, wincing with pain as she did.

"It's almost ten o'clock sleepy head. There's tea and toast for you."

He looked at her quizzically.

"Did we ...?"

She smiled at him.

"Forgotten already? Yes we did and it was wonderful although my ribs are giving me hell this morning but, all in all, it was worth it but now my love I'm going to keep you to your promise of taking me shopping."

He put his arms out to give her a hug but she held her hand up.

"Sorry love, you've no idea how much my ribs hurt so we'll just have to go slowly with that. I'm going to have a quick shower, just my bottom half, so we won't need the cling film for the moment and then you can drive me to Kendal and the shops."