Chapter 12
After taking her time to survey the view and fully comprehend what Caroline was suggesting, Kate answered, "It is rather stunning…and, yes, it would be perfect."
"I sense a 'but' coming," Caroline thought to herself.
"But two weeks? Could we pull it off with only two weeks to prepare?" Kate asked doubtfully.
The two women began walking back towards their house again, Caroline pushing Caitlyn's pram, Kate wringing her hands as she thought about all the arrangements that would need to be done.
"If you think it's a daft idea, just say so," Caroline implored as she noted the worried expression on her partner's face. "We can do it elsewhere at another time…I simply thought it would be lovely…"
"It is lovely…it's perfect, as you said," Kate answered, "but there's a lot to do and two weeks isn't very long to do it in."
"What's to do?" Caroline asked, "we make a few phone calls to people we want to invite…we get a celebrant…book a restaurant for a bit of a 'do' afterwards and we're done."
Kate blew a puff of air from her cheeks in frustration.
"Caroline, there's forms to fill out that take time; we'd need to apply for permission to use that park area and there's a million other little details to take care of…outfits, flowers, vows…"
"Really?" Caroline asked still not convinced that it would be impossible to do. "We can do all that in two weeks and if there are any problems, I'll assume my rather formidable Head Teacher persona and get what we need."
Kate couldn't help but laugh at Caroline's unflappable enthusiasm.
They left their wedding thoughts there as they arrived back at the house. Caroline lifted the still sleeping Caitlyn from the pram while Kate opened the door. From inside the doorway they could smell the delectable aroma of food cooking so they followed it to its source. In the kitchen they discovered Lawrence creating one of the curries that Kate had once taught him to cook. Robert was assisting with the menial tasks as his sous chef.
"Good…you're back in time….dinner shouldn't be too much longer," Lawrence announced proudly.
Caroline kissed Lawrence and then Robert on the cheek causing them both to blush instantly.
"You boys are so sweet."
They blushed some more.
Kate smiled knowingly at Lawrence as she squeezed his arm affectionately.
"No prizes for guessing what you two have been discussing," Lawrence smirked.
"It might surprise you to know," Caroline replied smugly, "that you two hardly got a mention."
Lawrence frowned at his mother questioningly.
"Oh, yes…I told Kate the news…mummy's not the only gay in the village," Caroline responded as she gave Kate a conspiratorial wink, "but then we had more pressing….interesting things to talk about."
Lawrence knew that he was being toyed with and simply answered with a jovial "whatever."
Kate set the table while Caroline put the still sleeping Caitlyn in her cot. Lawrence and Robert then served up the dinner.
"This is fabulous, Lawrence. You've done well…both of you," Kate complimented.
"It is good…almost as good as when Kate makes it," Caroline added, quite amazed at her son's ability.
"Don't sound so surprised, mum," Lawrence teased.
Caroline looked at her son apologetically. "Sorry…but I am a bit surprised."
"Actually…I think it's what I would like to do…when I leave school this year," Lawrence announced, a little uncertain as to what his mother's reaction would be.
"What? Open a curry house?" Caroline asked, being deliberately obtuse.
Kate smiled to herself as she listened to the friendly family banter.
"No…I think I'd like to be a chef someday," Lawrence spelled out to her.
Caroline mulled the idea over in her head and then eventually said, "If that's what you want to do then I think you should do it."
"Really?" Lawrence asked, "You don't mind if I don't go to university?"
"Of course not," Caroline reassured him, "although you'll still have to study if you want to be a chef…it's your life."
Lawrence looked at Robert in amazement and whispered, "Whoa…that was easier than I thought it was going to be."
After dinner, when the kitchen had been cleaned up and Kate had put her daughter to bed, the two women joined Lawrence and Robert in an old fashioned game of Monopoly. Lawrence set up the board and Robert, the self-appointed banker, enthusiastically handed out the money.
An hour later Caroline was facing bankruptcy and Kate wasn't far behind her. Lawrence had cornered the real estate market with all the prestigious properties while Robert owned most of the utilities. The board was fraught with danger for the two women.
With barely a pound to her name, Caroline eventually announced that she was chucking in the towel and going up to check on Caitlyn and then going to bed. Twenty minutes later, Kate sold off her only two properties to the highest bidder and made her way upstairs also, to join her partner.
As Kate walked into the bedroom she saw Caroline lying in bed, reading.
Kate approached the end of the bed and asked playfully, "Are you completely naked under those covers?"
Caroline marked her page in her book and put it down on the bedside table. She then peered at Kate over the top of her reading glasses with her devastating, blue eyes. It was a look that for some inexplicable reason always stirred Kate's juices.
"Why don't you come and find out?" Caroline suggested seductively.
"I think I will," Kate replied as she removed her own blouse and bra and crept, cat-like, up the bed to capture Caroline's mouth in an ardent kiss.
As their lips parted, Kate pulled away and posed astride her lover's waist. Caroline's eyes reflected the lustful thoughts she was having as she surveyed Kate's naked torso which she reached out with her hands to touch but Kate quickly pinned them to the bed with her own hands.
"You can look, Dr Elliot, but you can't touch…not yet," Kate commanded.
Caroline pouted but obeyed.
Kate leaned forward and trailed soft, sensual kisses along Caroline's neck and shoulders then sat back and drew the covers down just below Caroline's breasts.
"Well, we're certainly naked to here," Kate observed approvingly before continuing to trail kisses around the outline of each breast.
One at a time, Kate took each nipple in her warm mouth and massaged it with her tongue until she could feel Caroline's back arch sharply with excitement. Just as Caroline thought the exquisite sensation would drive her insane, Kate sat up again and drew the covers down further.
"Still naked, I see," Kate teased as she gave Caroline a seductive half smile before once more plying kisses to the newly-exposed flesh of Caroline's stomach and thighs.
Feeling her climax building, coming closer to boiling point with each divine touch of her lover's lips, Caroline parted her legs to give Kate full access to her which she immediately took advantage of. A groan of erotic delight emanated from both women as Kate's tongue entered Caroline's slick core. Kate could feel her partner's hips buck in response as her tongue honed in on her precise point of pleasure until, with a final loud 'Oh God', Caroline could take no more.
Caroline pulled Kate back up to her and held her tightly as she waited for the waves of ecstasy to subside.
Caroline then rolled Kate onto her back as she asked, "Now can I touch?"
oooOooo
The next few days were spent making a 'To Do' list for the wedding preparations and then actually doing the things on the list. First up, they searched until they found a celebrant who was available to officiate at the ceremony and then they sought permission to use the area they wanted. They only hoped that the weather would be kind to them.
Kate and Caroline had decided to only invite immediate family and their respective partners to their intimate ceremony so the necessary phone calls were made. Everyone was surprised at the short notice but were keen to make it. The only 'maybe' was Gillian who needed to find someone to feed the sheep while she was away before she could commit.
"How are your mother and Alan getting down here?" Kate inquired, "Are they driving or catching the train?"
"They were going to drive but I was a bit concerned about it being such a long trip so I offered to go and pick them up and drive them back," Caroline explained, " and, besides, mum gets motion sickness on the train….I would like to go and pick a couple of things up from the house anyway. I'll hire a car, drive up to Harrogate, leave the hire car there and drive back in mum's Lexus."
"That's a long trip, Caroline. Are you sure? I could come and share the driving with you," Kate offered.
Caroline brushed away Kate's concerns with an "I'll be fine."
"When are you leaving?"
"I've organised to pick up the hire car this afternoon at four o'clock and I'll leave after breakfast tomorrow….about half eight I imagine….and then I'll stay in Harrogate overnight. Mum and Alan will meet me in Harrogate where we'll drop the hire car off and be on our way in the morning and back by late afternoon."
Kate wasn't looking forward to having to spend two days apart from Caroline but, realistically, it wasn't very long.
oooOooo
The following morning, after breakfast as planned, they all gathered in the driveway to see Caroline off. Caroline gave Caitlyn a last minute kiss and hug before handing her to Lawrence so that she could kiss Kate.
"I love you," she whispered in Kate's ear.
"I love you too," Kate responded, "drive carefully and call me when you arrive in Harrogate."
Caroline nodded as she got in the car. "I will."
She gave Kate a final smile and wave as she backed down the driveway. Kate and her daughter watched as Caroline drove off and until she was out of sight before going inside again.
"What are we going to do while Caroline's gone?" Kate asked Caitlyn, "Perhaps we could go to the beach."
Kate busied herself during the morning with a couple of more items from the 'To Do' list before heading off with Lawrence and Robert into the nearby township for some lunch. After lunch they wandered around perusing the local shops and then took a short walk along the beachfront. Kate pushed Caitlyn in her pram while Lawrence and Robert walked hand-in-hand beside her, seemingly at ease with each other. They talked with Kate about the wedding plans and Robert made both Kate and Lawrence laugh on more than one occasion with his impressions of Caroline. For someone who had only known Caroline a short time, he was frighteningly accurate.
It was nearly four o'clock when Kate pulled the jeep into the driveway of the house again. Lawrence carried Caitlyn while Robert helped with all the paraphernalia involved with taking a young child anywhere. Kate unlocked the door and let them in. Inside, she glanced at the clock and thought to herself, "Caroline should have reached Harrogate by now," so she took her phone with her as she headed upstairs to change. It was just as she had finished putting on a clean pair of jeans that her phone did ring. Eager to hear Caroline's voice she picked it up off the bed but was surprised, if not a little disappointed, to see that it was Celia who was calling.
"Hello…Celia?"
"Kate?"
"Yes."
"Kate, love, I'm sorry ….but I have some bad news."
The falter in Celia's voice sent shivers of trepidation up Kate's spine.
"Caroline has been in a car accident," Celia continued.
"Is she alright!" Kate interrupted, tears of panic immediately welling in her eyes.
There was a prolonged silence at the other end of the phone as Celia chose her words carefully.
"She's alive…but she's not in good shape….she sustained head injuries and the doctors aren't sure yet how serious they are….they're describing her condition as 'serious but stable'…I think you and Lawrence should come as soon as possible."