It was on a Saturday night at the London Coliseum where Alexis and her sister Gwen ran into Mrs. Bannister, Alexis’ music teacher, a wonderful lady who didn’t look as if she had aged very much at all.
She was delighted to see her former pupil, her face beaming and her light blue eyes sparkling. “Hello My Dear,” she said, “What a lovely surprise and on my birthday too. How are you? Are you still practicing on the piano? You were a very promising student and one of my favorites.”
“It’s so good to see you, Mrs. Bannister,” Alexis said as they hugged. “Happy birthday.”
Mrs. Bannister turned to the young man who was standing beside her. “This is my grandson, Jeremy. He brought me to the ballet this evening for my birthday. He has always been a very thoughtful young man. Jeremy, this is Alexis.”
Alexis’ attention shifted to the older woman’s companion. He was tall and very handsome. His thick brown hair was a bit long but it suited him. He was wearing a fine and rather expensive looking dark grey suit, blue shirt and tie. His light green eyes met hers and she thought she saw admiration shining in them.
He took the hand she proffered and shook it. “A pleasure,” he said with a cultured English accent.
She smiled. “It’s nice to meet you. This is my sister, Gwen,” she said. He acknowledged Gwen with a smile and shook her hand. Then, he returned his attention to Alexis.
“Did you enjoy the ballet?” he asked. “Grandmother has always wanted to see The Nutcracker and I promised her that one year I take her for her birthday.”
“Yes, I enjoyed it very much. I’ve always wanted to see it too. It was my good fortune that my brother-in-law is not a fan of ballet or musicals so Gwen asked me to come with her.”
“I should thank your sister for bringing you tonight,” he said quietly. “I got to meet you.”
She smiled, not sure of how to respond to that remark. He was staring at her making her feel both nervous and flattered. She had never had a man this young interested in her before. He had to be at least ten years younger than her. “Are you and your grandmother close?” she asked.
“Very,” he said. “She always says that I’m her favorite.”
“Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
“I have an older brother and a younger sister. Do you have other siblings?”
“No, Gwen is the only one I have. We were very close growing up. Now she is married with two girls and a boy.”
He glanced down at her hand. “I see that you’re not wearing a ring,” he said. “I guess you’re not married.”
“No, I’m still single.” She didn’t mention that she was once engaged but she broke it off when she found out that her fiancé was two-timing her with his new assistant.
Just then, Mrs. Bannister said to her, “Alexis, how would you like to have tea with me tomorrow afternoon, if you have no other plans, of course.”
Alexis smiled. “I would be delighted,” she said with a big smile.
“Splendid. So, I shall see you tomorrow afternoon at two. Gwen, it was a pleasure to meet you. Come, Jeremy, it is past my bedtime. Thank you, Dear, for a lovely evening. I shall never forget it.”
Jeremy said goodnight to Alexis and Gwen, his eyes lingering on the former before he took his grandmother’s arm and led her away.
Gwen looked at her. “Mrs. Bannister seems like a really nice lady, very gracious and friendly. I had a rather nice chat with her. Her grandson is very handsome. I noticed him paying you a lot of attention. What did you think of him?”
“He’s very handsome and polished.”
“Were you attracted to him?”
It was no use denying it. “Yes, very attracted, a lot good it would do me.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Well, for one thing, he’s younger and another, he’s upper crust.”
“It seemed like neither of those two things mattered to him and if he’s anything like his grandmother, I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t at least entertain to idea of dating him. Don’t allow what happened with Sidney prevent you from having a love life. I never did like him. Good riddance to him, I say. You can do much better. So, if you happen to see Jeremy again and he asks you out, don’t turn him down.”
Alexis looked unconvinced. “I don’t know if I will see him again and even if I do, I don’t think he’ll ask me out. No, I’m not going to get my hopes up. I’ll go and see his grandmother tomorrow and we will spend a pleasant afternoon together, catching up. Now, what do you say, we grab a bite to eat before you head home to your brood?”
The next day, Alexis drove over to Mrs. Bannister pretty cottage, nestled among thick foliage and surrounded by immaculate gardens. She had a live in housekeeper who opened the door and showed Alexis to the drawing-room where the lady of the house was seated.
Mrs. Bannister’s face lit up when she saw her. “Hello, my Dear. Come and sit beside me and by the fire. It must be cold outside and grey too.”
Alexis went over to her and after hugging her warmly, she sat down on a chair close to the one the elder woman was occupying. “What a lovely home you have,” she remarked. “I couldn’t help admiring your gardens. I imagine that your grandchildren must have loved playing in them when they were young.” She wanted to ask her so many questions about Jeremy and what he was like as a boy but thought better of it.
Mrs. Bannister nodded, smiling. “Oh yes, they loved playing in the gardens which they were children. Jeremy’s favorite spot was the lake. He would swim there sometimes. He was always scampering about the place, vexing his mother who thought he was a bit too wild. I always told her that he was a boy and boys were supposed to be a little unruly. When he comes he could take you for a walk on the grounds and show you the lake.”
Alexis’ heart lurched. “Jeremy’s coming here?” she asked. The thought of seeing him again thrilled and terrified her at the same time. She couldn’t believe that she was behaving like this over a younger man.
“Yes, he said that he would stop by around three. He doesn’t usually come and see me on a Sunday so I was quite surprised when he called me this morning to tell me that he was coming over this afternoon. I’ll ring for our tea now.”
They had their tea and sandwiches as they talked about old times and other things. The time went by very quickly and Alexis had just finished drinking her tea when Jeremy walked into the drawing room. He went over to his grandmother and hugged her. When he drew back she looked up at him, beaming. “It’s good to see you, Dear.”
“I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon,” he said, smiling at her. Then he turned to Alexis. “Have you had a chance to see the gardens?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I saw them when I was coming up the driveway. They look amazing.”
“I told Alexis that you would take her for a walk in the gardens and show her the lake where you used to swim as a child.”
“I’d be happy to,” he said, his gaze still on Alexis. “Shall we?”
She got up and after excusing herself, she followed him out to the foyer. She got her coat and scarf from the closet.
“I won’t keep you outside too long,” he promised. “It’s very nippy.”
They walked through the gardens and to the path which led to the lake. She looked around her in wonder. Autumn in Surrey was breathtaking. The thick foliage on the opposite side of the lake was cloaked in rich, bright colors. The air was cold but very fresh. “I can see why you loved coming here,” she commented as they stood there watching two swans gliding through the gold lake. It was so peaceful out there. It was a nice change from the city.
“Yes. I used to come out here all the time and swim or feed the swans. I loved being here more than at my parents’ estate in Yorkshire. Yorkshire is even more beautiful in the autumn but I prefer being here in Surrey. You’re right about it being peaceful here and that’s why this is still my favorite place to relax and think about things.”
“Do you still swim in the lake?”
He smiled and shook his head. “I stopped doing that when I turned thirteen. Besides, I don’t want to scare away the swans.”
“This is a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon,” she remarked. “Your grandmother was surprised that you visited her today. She said that you don’t usually visit her on a Sunday.”
“She’s right. I’m usually at home or out with my friends but I came here today because of you.”
She swallowed. “Me?”
“Yes, I wanted to see you again.”
A slight breeze started blowing and she shivered. She pulled the hood over her head and shoved her hands in the pockets of her coat, wishing she had worn her gloves.
“You’re cold,” he observed. “Let’s go back to the cottage.”
He helped her remove her winter gear and then he took off his coat and hanged everything in the closet.
When they went into the drawing-room, Mrs. Bannister was not there. She went over to the fireplace to warm her hands. He joined her. He turned toward her and took her cold hand in his and rubbed it between his. Her heart was pounding as she watched his long fingers move slowly but vigorously to warm hers. Then, she raised her head to look up at his face and her breath caught in her throat when she met his smoldering gaze. “I want to kiss you,” he muttered thickly.
She trembled at the thought. “Your grandmother could return at any minute,” she said, trying to remain rational in spite of her senses which were screaming at her to let him kiss her.
“You’re right,” he admitted. “It would be awkward if she were to walk in and find us kissing. Have dinner with me tonight, Alexis.”
“Yes,” she said simply. She gave him her address and he made a mental note of it. “I think she’s coming.” He released her hand and moved away from the fireplace just as his grandmother entered the room.
“Did you enjoy your walk?” she asked as she went over to the chair she had vacated and sat down.
“Yes, I did.”
“Good. You must come in the summer. It’s really nice then.”
“Mrs. Bannister, I must be leaving now. Thank you for inviting me to tea. I had a wonderful time.” She went over and kissed her on the cheek.
“Goodbye, Dear. Jeremy will see you off.”
He walked with her to her car and held open the door for her to get in. As she was about to, he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. She closed her eyes at the sensation of his warm lips against her skin. When he drew back, their eyes met and held for a while. “I’ll pick you up at seven,” he said quietly. She nodded and got in the car. He stepped back and watched as she drove off.
When he returned to the drawing-room, he sat down in the chair Alexis had occupied and looking at his grandmother, he said, “Grandmother, I’m in trouble.”
“You are attracted to Alexis, aren’t you?” she asked. “I noticed the way you looked at her last night.”
“I couldn’t help it. That’s why I’m here today. I wanted to see her again and I asked her to have dinner with me tonight.”
“Now, that wasn’t a wise thing to do.”
“I know and I feel like such a fraud,” he muttered, exasperated. “She has no idea that I am engaged.”
“Well, from where I’m sitting, you have only two options—break off your engagement to Bridget or forget about Alexis.”
“I can’t forget about Alexis. And I can’t marry Bridget.”
“It seems then, that you have made your decision. I never did think that Bridget was the right girl for you. I imagine that the engagement was all your mother’s doing. Well, it’s time you started making your own decisions. You’re old enough now. You should go and deal with Bridget right now. And when the time is right, you can tell Alexis everything.”
He got up and hugged her. “Thanks, Grandmother. I’ll go and see Bridget now.”
“Be gentle, Dear.”
“Yes, Grandmother.”
His meeting with Bridget went better than he expected. She too had been having second thoughts about their engagement but didn’t know quite how to tell him. They parted on amicable terms. They realized that what all this time their feelings for each other had been platonic rather than romantic. He let her keep the ring.
Over dinner at a trendy and romantic French restaurant, he told Alexis everything. “I’m so thankful I met you,” he said. “If I hadn’t, I would have married the wrong woman.”
“So, the two of you never slept together?”
“No. We had decided that we would wait until we were married but I never wanted her. Yet, I wanted you from the moment I saw you. After I took my grandmother home, I went down to the lake to figure out what I was going to do. I was engaged to one woman but had fallen hard for another. I didn’t want to hurt Bridget but I couldn’t get you out of my mind. When I saw you again the next day, I knew that I couldn’t give you up.”
“Where do we go from here?” she asked.
“I want to see you—go out with you,” he said, covering one of her hands with his, his expression earnest. “I want to be in a relationship with you.”
She covered his hand. “I want that too,” she admitted.
After dinner that night, they became romantically involved and a year later, they got married. His father, brother, sister, grandmother and Bridget attended the simple wedding but his mother was conspicuously absent.
