Fool's Errand

"What, as visiting fans?"

"No, I am a Vice President of the league committee and, although it is the County FA that organises this cup competition, as a league official I therefore have an open invitation to myself and a guest to join the County FA's officials for half-time tea and biscuits. I am expected to show my face. It's only for ten minutes."

"Caroline said you were away in the Army for most of the last twenty years, so how—"

"Skype, email, all sorts of methods over the years, and some league meetings were even rescheduled to fit my home leave."

"How does someone become a Vice-President of the league?"

"Well, I had to serve on the committee for at least 15 years."

"Doing what?"

"Mostly I served as Fixture Secretary and Press Officer. Now I am just the Press Officer."

The match was closely contested and was still goalless at the end of the 90 minutes and went onto 15 minutes each way extra time. The home side visibly tired as the game went on and the visitors won the match with a late goal. After a brief sojourn in the club bar the team coach began the journey home and stopped at a small market town on the way for a celebration meal and a few drinks.

Mason and Lyndsey went for a walk around the old church and bridge over a small river before returning to the pub, where they were serving meals. The coach left the pub late in the evening, at local closing time, and most of the passengers fell silent and started to drop off as they headed homewards. Lyndsey's eyes soon drooped, after her early start at the hospital that morning and she fell asleep leaning on Mason's comfortable shoulder.

***

Meanwhile, Caroline, Josh and Gareth had just finished having three-way sex at Gareth's apartment after their rugby game.

"When our mutual friend said you were hot, he should have said sizzling!" Gareth said, pulling Caroline to him, to suck on her succulent breasts

"And you guys," Caroline kissed the top of his head, and then gasped as Josh retuned from the en suite after washing off the evidence of his sexual liaison with Gareth, and began to nibble the back of Caroline's neck, "are something else!"

***

It was on the coach ride home after the pub closed that Lyndsey sat back after her brief doze and contemplated the events of the last thirty hours. Lyndsey couldn't wait to speak to Mason in his car on the way down to the coast and their meeting tomorrow with his secret daughter. They couldn't talk about it in the coach because none of his friends were acquainted with the secret sides of his life, yet he had, at least in part, confided in her, knowing that she had no connections with his circle of family friends and would soon leave his life altogether come April Fools Day.

Before the date she had assumed this man, Mason, being led to believe he had never married, close to 40 years old, and willing to go on a blind date, was either unpleasant, socially inept, or a serial womanizer. Within a few exchanges of conversation, time spent in his company and a singular act of caring, Lyndsey had reassessed her opinion and concluded that it was probably the actions of some unknown and thoughtless woman in the past who had taken him off the eligibility register. As for any other supposed failings she could have lumbered him with, he turned out to be gentlemanly, charming and had a wide circle of genuine friends. He was committed to performing voluntary roles to his sport over the past twenty years, and reliably met the weekly deadline of his written and photographic report to the local newspaper, even while his friends celebrated their victory. He even brought Greg into reciting the events of key moments in the match, to complete his report, heaping praise where it was due to the beaming Greg and his remarkable photographic memory.

They got back to their home town after midnight, where Mason and Lyndsey were dropped off by his parked car at the café.

They waved goodbye to the players and fans, before Mason and Lyndsey sat in Mason's car and he began the 70 mile drive to the coastal town his daughter lived in. As the night roads were quiet in the early hours of the morning, Mason expected the drive to take between 1 hour 45 minutes and two hours.

As Mason and Lyndsey set out to drive down to the coast, he had to make a quick exit at a junction, apologizing that he must've been driving on auto-pilot and almost missed their turning. Then they settled down onto the correct road, driving at a comfortable speed. After her initial alarm, Lyndsey relaxed to the point of dozing off again and had to be gently shaken awake after Mason parked at the hotel about 2 in the morning. As a regular night-time visitor to the small family-run hotel, Mason had been given a keycode entry and was able to let himself in and collect the old-fashioned metal keys from a cubby hole in reception and made their way to their rooms.

Rising early in the morning, neither being able to sleep much during the night, Lyndsey and Mason walked along the shore before breakfast. There was a stiff cold wind coming off the sea, ladened with salty fine spray, which drove them back inside after they had stretched their limbs.

"I can't pick up baby Maisie until she has been fed," Mason said, "So I tend to go around at 9 and one of her parents generally answers the door. I show them where I am parked and they come and give me a shout when I am able to collect her."

'You poor man,' thought Lyndsey.

Chapter 3

The little hotel had a breakfast room, consisting of one large round table which could accommodate up to ten people, plus a couple of side tables. They only did bed and breakfast, not main meals. They also had a small sunny sitting room that Lyndsey had poked her head into when they got back from their walk. The landlady, a rosy-cheeked old woman, "Call me Betty, everyone else does," sat them down and plied them with a full English breakfast.

Two big breakfasts in two days and this one definitely fried, Lyndsey groaned, and just managed to eat the eggs and bacon.

"Now, Mr Lyndsey, it is far too wet and windy today to keep little Maisie out in the cold, and we only have the Colonel and Mrs Everton staying with us today, so you be sure to bring her into the sitting room rather than stuck up in your room. We all love to see the little angel, don't we Colonel?"

"Harrumph, yes, of course, she's such a pretty wee thing. She adores yon Mason here," The Colonel indicated Mason with a stab of his fork as he addressed the pretty girl sitting between him and Mason. He was a tall, ancient but upright gentleman, with a full head of white hair swept back off his forehead, and a thin grey moustache trimmed to a stubble under his nose, and spoke with an upper-class accent of a bygone age, with just a hint of Scots. "It's a great shame that marriages seem so temporary nowadays. Once upon a time a man and his mem sahib worked out their little difficulties between 'em and got on with it, 'til death us do ... and all that, my dear."

"Yes, Colonel, it is a shame, but some people just don't have the sticking power to go the distance."

"Well, my dear," and here he dipped his head and whispered in her ear, "Young Mason here is the salt of the earth, a military man of resource and courage, a great NCO to have in a crisis and will definitely go the distance, you mark my words."

She smiled and nodded, "I think I understand Colonel, thank you."

Mason drove Lyndsey down to the house where his daughter Maisie lived. It was in a residential area, about twenty minutes' walk from the sea, Mason said, but much too cold for walking with a tiny baby today. Mason pointed out the three-storey town house in the middle of a terrace as they drove past and parked just down the road. Most of the parking around the housing was reserved for residents, each car carried the appropriate licence in the front windscreen.

"Can I come with you, Mason?"

"Sure, I was hoping you would," he grinned. "I'm relying on you being a game changer for me and Maisie."

"Well, I'm happy to help," she smiled back at him.

An elderly Asian man answered the door. Lyndsey thought he was probably well into his sixties, so must have been in his thirties when Leone was born, He was polite in his greeting of the tall Englishman, the father of his granddaughter. Lyndsey looked at him with a smile. He smiled back with intelligent eyes at the pretty girl, then turned his attention back to Mason.

"She not finished, Mr Mason. Where you park?"

"Just down the street about 60 yards, in the second public parking bay." Mason replied politely. "Can I introduce you to my dear friend, Lyndsey, Mr P? She is a child doctor, so she is very good with children ... and their parents."

He stretched out a hand and shook Lyndsey's hand, bowing, "You a paediatric doctor?"

She enclosed his hand with both of hers and bowed slightly to match his bow. "Hello, Mr P. Yes, I am, and training to be a paediatric surgeon, in the children's wing of Barton's East Green General, how are you today?"

"Very well," he replied, then he hesitated. "Er, would you like to come in and wait for Maisie in the warm?"

"Thank you, we would love to," Lyndsey smiled in return.

They were ushered into the front room, the upholstery all reds and golds and clearly oriental in taste.

"Please sit down, I will check on how Maisie is doing. Would you like any tea while you are waiting?"

Lyndsey and Mason looked each other and shook their heads slightly,

"No thank you Mr P," Mason replied, "We have had just had tea with our breakfast at the hotel; we probably won't want another until mid to late morning."

"Very well." And he left them.

Mason sat down on the sofa, which was so soft he sunk right into it. "Well, this is a first, Lynds, I've never been invited into the house before, we normally hand over at the doorstep or either Mr or Mrs P wheels her down to the car."

"He appears to respect you, Mace," as she sat next to him, the softness of the sofa naturally causing her to slip down tight up next to him, her head on his shoulder and a hand on his chest, "the animosity between you and Leone set a pattern against Mr P's normal polite behaviour, his common manners. With me being there, it broke that unnatural pattern and his innate politeness let us and you in. I am sure, even if I am not with you, he will invite you in here each time in future."

"Well, I for one am very grateful to you, Lyndsey, and I am sorry about keep shortening your name, I was so pleased at the result of bringing you that I didn't think."

"I don't think my father would approve," she chuckled, "but I quite like it. No-one else calls me anything but Lyndsey."

"So, providing I watch my Ps, Qs and Lyndsey's, do you think we can make progress with your father?"

"Yes. Let's do it soon. Are you free next Sunday?"

"Yes, all day."

"OK, it's a date. I'll call him and make sure he's home."

"Where's home?"

"It's a village in the next county from ours, about 40 miles away from us, partly on the way here, actually. It's a lovely old Manor House, dating back to medieval times. Lots of creaky floorboards, but full of character. It's where I grew up and I love it there."

"Perhaps he will let me paint it?"

"Probably, it's just like the Forth Bridge, the maintenance on such an old house is —"

Just then a little old Asian woman poked her head around the door.

"Hello," greeted Lyndsey.

"Hello," the Asian woman replied with a smile, "Mr Mason, Leone say Maisie ready in 'bout 30 minutes." She paused while Mason nodded his acceptance of the delay as if it was a common occurrence. "Would you like to change your mind on a cup of tea?"

"Yes, thank you Mrs P, I would love a cup of tea, Lyndsey?"

"If you're having one, then yes, I would like one, thank you Mrs P."

The woman smiled, bowed and her head disappeared.

"We'll have to wait, Lynds. Are you comfortable?"

"Yes, I'm fine, I've got a hot handsome man to lean on. How about you?"

"Actually, this sofa is too soft and my spine feels as though it is being bent in two, but with you on my shoulder, I've never been more comfortable."

With that she leaned into him deeper, kicked off her shoes and pulled her feet up under her. Mason moved his arm down from the back on the sofa to rest his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm so tired after yesterday," she said, "don't let me close my eyes or I'll be gone."

"I'll wake you when the tea arrives, Lynds," he chuckled.

***

"Hey Boss, it's Alex," said the voice on the mobile phone.

"What you got for me, Alex?" asked Sir Alan Mason.

"Bad news, my guys lost them last night about midnight."

"They were in a car together?"

"Yeah, right at the outset of the journey he accelerated before a turn on the circular bypass, overtook a lorry and did a quick turn off, blindsiding my guys and sending them off to the next junction. Once they tracked back there was no sign and no idea which direction they went."

"Well, she's a big girl now, and she normally rings me about 11 on a Sunday, so I'll wait to see if she calls." Sir Alan was adamant that he wouldn't display his anxiety over his daughter by calling her until she was much later than normal calling him.

"I wouldn't worry too much Boss, about Miss Lyndsey's safety. This guy may be a tough cookie but there's no history of trouble in the military and nothing in his police record, so I think the guy's basically straight up."

"That'll be a refreshing change."

"Yeah, compared to Belvedere."

***

Lyndsey opened her eyes and looked up at Mason. His breathing had settled into a regular pattern but now he was gently snoring. She could see his head laid back on the soft sofa, his eyes closed and mouth open. She smiled and settled her head back on his shoulder but then noticed that Mrs P was standing there holding a couple of cups of tea. She sat up and stretched out to take one of them from her.

"I leave Mr Mason's on the table. It's shame to wake him until Maisie's ready. You have late night?"

"Yes, we didn't get in until two, and we both had a early start on Saturday. I managed to get a couple of hours sleep between the coach and the car, but Mason, poor lamb, had to write his football report earlier and then did all the driving down."

"Yes, he good man, Mr Mason. Our daughter is blind, but you have your eyes open, I think." She turned to go.

"Thank you for the tea."

"You're welcome, dear."

Lyndsey drank the tea, a fresh herbal infusion that was much to her liking. She thought she would have to ask their host what it was. Between sips, she glanced at Mason, but he slept on. When she finished her tea, she put the cup on the table and settled back down on Mason's shoulder, her hand on his chest. He twitched, but didn't awaken, so Lyndsey smiled and closed her eyes for a few minutes absorbing his warmth and feeling the satisfying rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

She wasn't sure if she had dropped off or not, but something made her open her eyes. In front of her were Mr and Mrs P and a tall darker-skinned woman holding a baby, who was quiet and appeared to Lyndsey to have that just fed, eyes half-closed look, except that it suddenly looked like the baby had just noticed Mason and was holding out both arms to him. Lyndsey sat up quickly, pushing her hand into Mason's chest, which woke him up.

Mason seemed to become instantly awake and completely aware of where he was.

"Hi Leone," he said pleasantly, "You're looking well."

"You too, are you going to introduce me?" Leone's eyes flicked to the female sitting next to him.

"Yes, course—"

"I'm Lyndsey, a friend of Mason's," Lyndsey beat him to the introduction and extended a hand, which Leone looked at with hesitation, then handed baby Maisie over to Mason before giving Lyndsey's hand the briefest of shakes.

Maisie cuddled Mason, full of smiles and gurgles. He stood up with her on his hip. Lyndsey also got up and stood next to him.

"Miss Lyndsey's orthopaedic surgeon, dear," Mr P said by way of expansion.

"Well, I'm still in training and gaining experience," Lyndsey corrected, "I've been at East Green General for three years, the first two as a houseman, then I got an opportunity to help out with surgery and I'm now on the team learning the ropes."

"You seem very young," Mr P observed.

"I still had to do all the courses, but while some students had to work sabbaticals or work in private hospitals to fund their courses, my family paid my way, leaving me free to get in additional courses and experiences which has helped my progress."

"So you're not married with a family yet?" Leone asked.

"Not yet, I suppose I really want to qualify as a surgeon first." Lyndsey smiled, "but that depends on whether I meet the right man and don't want him to get away."

Leone nodded.

"How long have I got with Maisie this morning, Leone?" Mason asked.

"Can you get her back by 1?"

"Yes, we can," Mason replied, "Come on, Lynds, I want to make the most of the time we have."

The Ps and Leone stood to one side and let them pass, Mr P following them through to the front door. On the steps he spoke with a small bow.

"It a pleasure to meet you Miss Lyndsey, we hope you visit often, and look forward to seeing you in a few hours. Please both of you come together and join Mrs P and me for lunch so you don't waste time you want to spend with Maisie."

Lyndsey turned and bowed in return, although Mason had already sped off to the car as quickly as possible with the cold wet wind.

"I apologise for Mason, but the weather, you know?"

"Of course, we quite used to this and know Mr Mason cares much his daughter. We care about Mr Mason also, he good father, good man."

Lyndsey hurried off to catch up with Mason. At the car he had put a coat, hat and gloves on the baby, before securing her in the car seat.

"Do you want me to sit in the back with her?"

"Would you? I mean, yes please, Lyndsey."

As soon as Mason shut the back door, the baby's smile faded as she thought she was being abandoned, but Lyndsey scooted round to the offside, quickly got in and shut out the wind and rain, before focusing on the baby.

"Hello, Maisie, you're a pretty girl. My name is Lyndsey, and I'm your Daddy's friend. Are you going to be my friend too?" She stroked little circles on the back of the baby's hand and smiled at her, until the baby gurgled in response. Then Lyndsey tickled her knee until the girl giggled. She put her seat belt on and returned her hand in front of Maisie, who gripped a finger firmly and tried to bite it with her sharp baby teeth.

"We're all ready to go, Mason."

"Thank you, Lyndsey. I thought that Carolyn was getting all the benefits from this crazy April Fool she's dreamed up, but from the progress we've made today, I will always be eternally grateful to you."

"Does Leone always hand her over in this state of indoor dress, with no nappies, wipes, weaning food or anything?"

"Yup, if she could get away handing her over naked, I'm sure she would." Mason pulled out into the quiet traffic-free road, while Lyndsey played with the baby. "A month ago it was snowing and I had to wrap her in my coat. I caught a chill and only recovered by the time I had to pick her up again a fortnight later. Because she has just been fed, she often falls asleep by the time I have driven five minutes in any direction. Leone probably enjoys the fact that after morning and lunchtime feeds half my time with Maisie is spent with her sleeping on a full stomach. My only comfort is that hopefully Maisie keeps her awake all night after my Sundays. It's a war of attrition, which is why we will never be together again, that boat has sailed."

They spent the remainder of the morning back at the hotel, with Betty, the Colonel and Mrs Everton making a big fuss of Maisie. It was immediately clear to Lyndsey that the baby was used to the hotel regulars and they were used to her. Chairs were moved out of the way to give her a clear space to crawl around the lounge. That is until she started to smell. Mason noticed immediately and said he'd take her up to change and bring her back to the lounge after lunch. Lyndsey went up with them to his room. It was larger than hers and had two single beds in it.