Nibbling Fortuna's Toes

Beatrice kissed my cheek.

"Thank you, Derek, but before that, coffee?"

"Of course."

While Beatrice made the coffee I lit the ready-laid fire in the living room. We sat side by side, but not touching each other, on the settee. Beatrice brought me up to date with recent telephone discussions with Laura and Emily.

Emily was still upset about Alan's unjustified accusations. Even if he knew the truth, and apologised, she was still uncertain that she wanted him back. Alan had rung Beatrice. He had left some things in the flat and wanted to collect them before Emily returned. While arranging a day and time with him, Beatrice had told him that he was an idiot because she had been with Emily every time she was with me, and nothing had happened.

Laura had received my Christmas card and letter. She was still hurting, and Beatrice's statement hadn't helped. If Laura was in the wrong, and knew she was, she would find it difficult to apologise.

Beatrice would try, again, to convince Alan when he came to the flat. If she could, perhaps time would help to sort us out. We left it at that. We went to bed, in separate rooms, and slept.

When I woke up in the morning I could hear Beatrice in the kitchen. I showered, shaved, and joined her.

"If Laura knew..." Beatrice said.

"...knew what?" I interrupted.

"That I had spent Christmas night in your house. The way she's feeling now, she would assume the worst."

"So? We don't tell her."

"Keeping secrets from her? I think that's wrong. If she was her normal self she wouldn't mind. But she's not, yet."

After breakfast I drove Beatrice to her parents' house. She kissed me before getting out of the car but we knew that kiss had no more significance than one of Bella's.

+++

I went back to work early to try to clear the backlog. I heard nothing from the flatmates for a couple of weeks.

I met Beatrice on the office stairs.

"Emily just rang me, Derek" she said abruptly. "There's a leaking pipe in the bathroom. Could you?"

"Of course, Beatrice. I'll be there as early as I can this evening. What about Laura? Will she be there? That could be awkward."

"Laura is with her parents today. It should be safe."

"OK. I'll be there."

I drove to the flat with my plumbing tools in the car. Emily opened the door for me.

"Thanks for coming, Derek," she said. "I'd turned the water off when I left for work, but we can't use the bath."

In the bathroom a joint on one of the old cold water pipes had cracked. I lit my paraffin blowlamp and in a few minutes had soldered it back together. I turned the water fully on to test it. No leak. I cleared up after myself and went to the living room.

"All done," I announced to Emily.

She burst into tears. I sat down beside her. She snuggled against my shoulder and sniffed. I produced a clean handkerchief.

Emily started to tell me she was missing Alan. He might have been unreasonably jealous, but they loved each other. She wanted him back, to apologise, and for things to be as they were.

I heard the flat door open. I assumed it would be Beatrice. It wasn't. It was Laura, and Emily was resting her head on my damp shoulder.

Laura shouted at us. Emily jumped up as if she had been stung. The two of them were yelling at each other, accusing each other of impossible things. I picked up my tools and left quietly before they turned on me.

Two days later I got a letter from Laura, effectively saying "How could you?".

I replied by the next post "What is it to you if I comfort a friend? You've dumped me. You don't want me. Emily needed me.".

Meanwhile I was helping Beatrice and Emily with driving practice. I had to set a time to collect them outside so Laura wouldn't see me.

On the day of their driving tests I took them to the test office. Emily and I waited while Beatrice took her test. Beatrice came back smiling. She'd passed. Soon afterwards Emily had passed too. Back at my car Beatrice took the L plate off the front and Emily took the other L plate off the back. Beatrice drove us half way back to the flat, and Emily drove the rest of the way. I parked the car and walked back around the corner to find Emily and Alan hugging each other. I left them to it and joined Beatrice for a cup of tea.

Emily came in.

"Alan's gone back to work, but we're together again. He apologised and wanted to know if I'd passed the test. One thing led to another..."

"We saw," I said. "Reconciliation in seconds..."

"Not quite," Beatrice said, "The flat is full of the flowers he's been sending Emily every day for a week."

"All we need now is for Laura..." Emily suggested.

"...to see what a fool she's been," Beatrice added.

"And a boyfriend for Beatrice?" I said.

"That's possible," Beatrice replied. "I'm seeing one of Roberto's friends. He's a Maitre D' at the hotel, but English. He's working there to finance his athletics training."

"Aha," I said, "A sportsman? That has possibilities."

"I'm joining him in Regents Park later for a run around the perimeter," Beatrice said.

"Better and better. Good luck."

I left them to celebrate their success and went back to work. I was happy for them, but still sad that Laura and I hadn't got back together.

+++

Valentine's Day was coming. I bought a card and wrote a letter for Laura. I posted it a few days early.

The day before Valentine's Day I received her card to me. All it said inside was:

"Meet me by Fortuna's toes at noon on Valentine's Day. Bring a libation for her."

I was there. So was she. We didn't need words. Our lips were too busy kissing.

Fortuna received a grateful libation.

The End.

*

Notes for reader:

The story is set in the mid-1960s, but Ham House and Fortuna's toes are as they were in 2010.

Derek's car was a 1951 E493A 1172cc Ford Prefect; Laura's car a 1948 EO4A 933cc Ford Anglia. Owning any car in central London at that time was still a rarity for younger people. The older small Fords were popular because spare parts were readily available and servicing was simple.

Electric demisters were a popular accessory but not very effective, usually clearing a six-inch radius arc through which the driver could peer, and they used most of the dynamo's output. A more useful solution was a damp cloth soaked in washing-up liquid.